And so he really just walked off like that, continuing to stroll through Fenshan Village with Shuisheng along its “commercial street”—sparsely dotted with a few small shops and only the occasional bad apple—treating it like a sightseeing tour.
At a general store, Gong Ze bought a silk handkerchief. To be honest, the quality couldn’t compare to the big shops in the capital, but the pattern was quite pretty.
It had a very tiny embroidered sika deer on it.
Gong Ze paid a whole silver dollar for it. To put that in perspective, two silver dollars could buy a whole new set of clothes back then.
Purchasing power was roughly: 1 cash = 1 yuan, 1 mao = 10 yuan, 1 yuan banknote = 100 yuan.
Large silver dollars were even more valuable—one large silver dollar had about the same purchasing power as 200 yuan today.
So this little silk handkerchief was clearly quite precious.
After that, Gong Ze continued browsing in the general store with a joyful, almost festive look in his eyes. He bought a notebook, a fountain pen, a goose-yellow hair tie, some candies and snacks, as well as some pastries, tobacco leaves, tea, and liquor.
Shuisheng watched Gong Ze with a sly, knowing look in his eyes.
He might as well have said, “You bought all this for Miss Lu, didn’t you, Second Master?”
Gong Ze found it amusing. No, I bought it to play with myself.
Shuisheng: …
As they left the store carrying large and small packages, Gong Ze noticed that the group of children was still there.
Under Shuisheng’s pained gaze, Gong Ze watched as he opened a bag of milk candies and handed them out to the kids.
It was also from that point on that wherever Gong Ze went, a trail of little ragamuffins followed behind him.
Not far away, an old man in clean clothes watched Gong Ze running around with the pack of children. He smiled warmly, hands clasped behind his back, and said, “How amusing.”
Gong Ze continued strolling all the way to the village chief’s house. Only then did he turn to the little ragamuffins and say, “I’m going to visit someone’s home now. I won’t be handing out any more treats. You should all go home.”
Throughout the walk, every time Gong Ze had handed out food, he had always stopped exactly when he said he would, so the kids had learned to listen.
When Gong Ze said playtime was over, they reluctantly tugged at each other, waved goodbye to Gong Ze, and headed back.
But before they left, a few of the children earnestly reminded him.
“Big brother, will you come out to play again next time? If you do, you have to call us, okay?”
Gong Ze almost laughed out loud. He wanted to say, Are you going to miss your big brother or the snacks?
The children mumbled shyly, “Big brother,” so Gong Ze didn’t call them out. Instead, he promised them that next time he came out, he would bring them along too.
Only then did the children scamper off with peace of mind, bouncing and skipping away.
Gong Ze watched them walk off into the distance. Then he turned and divided his purchases into two portions. He had Shuisheng carry the portion intended for his own use and wait for him outside the village chief’s door for a while.
It wouldn’t be proper to bring gifts into someone’s home and then carry half of them back out.
Carrying the separately set-aside sugar, tea, tobacco leaves, and liquor, Gong Ze entered the village chief’s courtyard.
The chief’s big yellow dog barked furiously at Gong Ze. From a distance, Gong Ze called out, “Uncle!”
Soon, the village chief came out wrapped in a padded cotton jacket. Wielding a broom to scare the big yellow dog into shutting up, he cheerfully welcomed Gong Ze inside.
Gong Ze handed the gifts to the chief’s wife. Her eyes lit up at the sight of such valuable offerings, but she didn’t dare accept them. She looked worriedly at her husband.
The village chief was also startled by the gifts and hurriedly told Gong Ze to take them back.
“I have everything I need at home,” he said.
“I bought these specially for you while shopping around the village. And now that I’ve brought them through your door, if people saw me carrying them back out again, they’d think you and I had a fight,” Gong Ze persuaded gently.
The village chief declined several times, but finally told his wife to accept them. “Quick, heat up some wine and prepare a couple of dishes to go with it. Go on, hurry!”
The chief’s wife said, “Alright,” and happily went off carrying the armful of gifts.
Gong Ze quickly said, “Uncle, don’t trouble Auntie. I just wanted to have a quick word with you. I won’t stay long.”
The village chief immediately objected, “What’s the rush? Have a meal at your uncle’s place before you leave. My home may not be as well-off as yours, but I just went up the mountain and caught a rabbit—nice and fat! There’s pheasant too. Let your auntie make you some stewed chicken with sour bamboo shoots.”
Gong Ze declined politely, “It’s not that, Uncle. Shuisheng is still waiting for me outside. And these past few days at my place, as you know, there’s been a lot going on. I need to get back and take care of things.”
“Oh… well, in that case…” The village chief thought about how Gong Ze’s father and eldest brother had just passed away, so he didn’t insist. “Then come into the inner room. Come on, get up on the kang.”
“Alright.”
The two men went inside. The village chief’s wife warmly served them tea and then retired to the back hall, leaving them to talk.
“Actually, the reason I came today is still about those fields I mentioned to you last time…”
After Gong Ze finished speaking, the village chief cautiously asked how the old woman had reacted. Gong Ze said she had agreed.
Only then did the village chief breathe a sigh of relief and say that everything could be arranged.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get it organized for you tomorrow. At the latest by the end of this month, you’ll be able to sell ninety percent of these. I’ll buy the remaining ten percent myself… I don’t foresee any problems.”
“Then thank you, Uncle. Since you’re buying, I’ll sell them to you at half price,” Gong Ze said generously.
In a year, the land would be confiscated by the state anyway, so even half price meant Gong Ze wouldn’t lose anything.
When Gong Ze left the village chief’s house, the land deeds in his pocket had been replaced by a document stamped with the village chief’s fingerprint, proving that the chief would act as the intermediary for reselling the land—serving as both notary and supervisor.
[One year later, the landlord class will be criticized and have their property confiscated, leaving them with nothing. By offloading it now, you’ve essentially earned ten thousand yuan for free!] The system said happily.
“Mhm. These fields can be sold for about a thousand silver dollars. Add that to what the Gong family already has, that’s over two thousand silver dollars. For this era, that’s a huge sum of money.”
Gong Ze planned to use this money to start a business in the capital.
In the original story, Lu Youling made a living by setting up a street stall in the capital.
Lu Youling, a modern person, had only a little bit of protagonist halo to his name. He was clever, quick-witted, and well-versed in all kinds of sales and marketing tricks. He had also learned how to make many different snacks online.
Just in the bubble tea business alone, the countless modern flavors would give Lu Youling an inexhaustible supply of ideas—not to mention that he knew how to make spicy and sour chicken feet.
Gong Ze nodded in agreement: That stuff is really delicious.
Lu Youling made a fortune selling bubble tea and chicken feet, and even created his own brand.
Later, when he went to study and pursue medicine, he didn’t close his shop. Instead, he hired a manager to run it for him.
In the early stages, Gong Ze could invest in Lu Youling. He could put up the money to rent a shop and let Lu Youling sell his goods. That way, Gong Ze wouldn’t have to worry about the business himself, and he could still make a hefty profit.
By the time Lu Youling encountered those powerful figures and fateful opportunities, they would not only remember Lu Youling—they would also remember Gong Ze, Lu Youling’s boss.
Gong Ze: Your golden finger is excellent. I’ll just borrow it.
The system raised a little paw: [Big shot, doesn’t this count as living off a woman?]
Gong Ze said no, because someone who lives off a woman only offers their body, while he was offering both his body and his money.
The system: … Got it. 6.
By the time all this was done, it was already afternoon. Gong Ze returned to the Gong residence with Shuisheng. Not long after, Lu Youling, having finished his chores, sneaked over to Gong Ze’s room. He pulled aside the curtain and gave Gong Ze a bright, excited smile.
“Gong Er~”
Lu Youling quickly walked over and sat down at the table. His delicate face was flushed red from the cold, making him look like a crisp, sweet, candied apple.
As soon as he sat down, he excitedly lowered his head and started rummaging around inside the front of his clothes, completely forgetting that he was dressed as a woman. His movements were broad and unrefined, his collar gaping wide open toward Gong Ze—and he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
From an angle that Lu Youling didn’t notice, Gong Ze raised an eyebrow with subtle amusement, then looked away to avoid the unexpected sight.
Somewhere in his heart, Gong Ze secretly grumbled.
How had Lu Youling managed to disguise himself as a woman for so long without getting caught? Sure, Lu Youling had fair skin, but his build was clearly male.
What girl had a chest that flat?
Was this protagonist halo at work?
Just then, Lu Youling pulled out a small handkerchief, placed it on the table, and looked up at Gong Ze with a huge smile.
“Gong Er, look what good thing I brought for you.”
Only then did Gong Ze turn his attention to Lu Youling and the object in his hand. Recognizing the familiar handkerchief, he asked in confusion, “Isn’t this my handkerchief?”
“Yes, but what’s inside isn’t yours.” Lu Youling opened the little handkerchief bundle, adding a sound effect as he did: “Ta-da~! Look, roasted chestnuts!”
Gong Ze looked at the few round chestnuts, their shells cracked open from roasting to reveal the golden-yellow flesh inside. His expression froze for a moment, then gradually softened.
Meanwhile, Lu Youling was chattering away happily about how cleverly he had won these chestnuts from a group of children using his superior sandbag-throwing skills.
“Those little brats were all in cahoots, looking out for each other, trying to gang up on me and cheat me out of my candy. But come on, I’m an adult! And I was really good at games when I was a kid. Hehe, I beat them so badly in just a few rounds that they scattered like fallen leaves~!”
“…After I won the chestnuts, I went to the kitchen and pleaded with the cooking auntie for the longest time before she finally agreed to let me use the dying embers in the stove to roast them.”
“Even though the fire was almost out, that little problem didn’t stop me. I buried the chestnuts in the ashes of the stove, and they were cooked through in no time!”
Lu Youling picked up a chestnut and started peeling it, his fingers turning red from the heat. As he peeled, he alternated by pinching his earlobe.
He quickly peeled two, not forgetting to say as he worked, “I know you probably wouldn’t care much for just a few chestnuts like this, but it’s the only thing I could come up with…”
He gave an embarrassed little “hehe” laugh.
Then he turned and held the peeled chestnuts right in front of Gong Ze’s face. His face—regular features at best—had eyebrows and eyes that curved downward together, and there was still a bit of ash stuck to the corner of his mouth.
“Here you go!”
Lu Youling smiled goofily at Gong Ze and said, “Thank you for teaching me to read and write. For now, please accept this little token of my appreciation. Once your buddy here makes it big in the future, I’ll definitely treat you to a huge feast!”
Gong Ze: “…”
…You just called yourself “buddy,” didn’t you?
But Gong Ze only complained silently in his heart; he didn’t call Lu Youling out on it. Quietly, he reached out and took the chestnuts. Seeing this, Lu Youling withdrew his hand, picked up the other peeled chestnut, and clinked it heroically against the one in Gong Ze’s hand.
His expression was both resilient and radiant with a clean, bright light.
“Cheers. When we strike it rich, let’s not forget each other.”
“…………”
Gong Ze paused. Suddenly, his memories became jumbled.
Some year, some month, some day—a gentle, older man whose face was obscured by a white glow.
Gong Ze knew that this was his teacher.
On the second day after Gong Ze came to live with him, the man had cooked a feast in the evening.
And Gong Ze, having already witnessed his new teacher’s abilities, was filled with a sense of crisis. Young and arrogant, he vaguely saw the man as a rival and directed all his words as attacks.
He said a lot of hurtful things, threw childish tantrums—very immature.
For example: “You’re not that great. Your mind is decent enough, but you’re only better than me because you’re a few years older. When I reach your age, I’ll definitely be stronger than you.”
“Also, besides your brains, you’re really average-looking.”
But the man didn’t get angry. Amid Gong Ze’s sarcastic remarks, he raised his soda and gently clinked it against Gong Ze’s cup.
“I understand that my existence makes you feel threatened. Honestly, when you get to my age, you’ll definitely be better than me. No—I hope you surpass me by next year. That way, your teacher can retire early.”
The man had been criticized by a child, yet he still wore that meek, smiling face.
It made Gong Ze very annoyed.
Did this man have no pride?
And then the person he looked down on looked teasingly at the defiant young man with his arms crossed.
“Don’t forget your teacher then, Xiao Ze. When you strike it rich, don’t forget me.”
The man said it jokingly.
“…”
“…”
The same look. The same words.
Gong Ze’s heart pounded fiercely. He couldn’t help but stare at Lu Youling, lost in thought.
Lu Youling noticed his prolonged silence and asked in confusion, “Gong Er?”
Gong Ze snapped out of it, shook his head, and smiled. “…It’s nothing.”
He clinked his chestnut against Lu Youling’s and said softly, “When we strike it rich, let’s not forget each other.”
From the side, the system secretly added a voiceover, barely audible to itself: [Ding, strategist Gong Ze’s favorability +111111.]
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