Courtyard House: My Time Travel is a Bit Too Strong

Reborn individuals from all walks of life start work before dawn and work late into the night with their lights still on, their hands never stopping for a moment.

Lin Quan flipped through the newspaper he had just bought, without saying a word.

Songs, scripts, and novels that should have been released years or even decades later have all been preemptively claimed by others.

The original author was so angry that he slammed the phone down and tore up the manuscript, but what could he do?

If it can't be found in the copyright database, why can't others register it?

"It's as if we, the people of Yan and Huang, have collectively returned to twenty years ago."

"Thinking you can get rich off information asymmetry? No way!"

"If I were the only one reborn, I could at least copy some things from my memories."

"But now everyone comes back with experience from 20 years in the future... Even if you start raising shrimp in ponds now, you probably won't be able to get any shrimp larvae."

Lin Quan sat there, his mind blank. He was thinking: after getting his diploma, he would directly enroll in a chef's class, and if all else failed, he could set up a stall with a pushcart.

Go back to university for another four years? Not worth it. By the time you graduate, there will be college graduates everywhere, and all the good jobs will have been taken.

He's not very bright, he's an only child, his parents passed away long ago, so getting a bachelor's degree won't really be of much use.

If he had family support and money to spare, he might grit his teeth and give it a shot, even if it meant trying to get a doctorate.

Before my rebirth, I was just an ordinary person; after being reborn, I'm still the same.

"Eighty percent of the country came back together."

He couldn't concentrate on his book. Lin Quan stared out the window, starting to think about what to do next.

In my past life, I couldn't even remember the lyrics to a song, let alone the sheet music; in this life, I can only watch others make money while I can't even get a foothold in it.

If you're not familiar with the procedures, even if you remember a few songs, when you go to register, nine times out of ten someone will have already filled out the form and stamped it.

"I'm probably the most pathetic reborn person."

"On the surface, everyone is starting from the same starting line, but in fact, everyone's starting posture is different."

"Musicians rush to grab songs; novelists work through the night to write and submit for review; and gamers lock all the slogans."

"What a headache... As soon as I get my diploma, I'll go learn to be a chef, then head to the coast and set up a stall so I won't starve."

Joining the army? Basically no chance. There are only a few spots available, and people are scrambling to sign up; he'd likely never get a chance.

Pay someone to slip some money into his account? He only has a little over 50,000 yuan in his account; he can't afford to mess around with it.

"If the housing prices in town haven't gone up yet, I might as well buy one."

At this time in my previous life, houses in Chenjiawan were only 310 yuan per square meter.

Twenty years later, it rose to over four thousand.

Buy a house for 30,000 yuan, hold it for 20 years, and it will turn into more than 400,000 yuan.

But Lin Quan had another question: Would anyone still be willing to sell a house in town?

We're all from the future, who doesn't know that housing prices will only rise?

Selling houses? Forget about it. The developer just handed over the keys; they'll probably be sold out on the same day.

"It seems like the only way forward right now is to use a spatula."

He went to a second-tier university, and after graduation, he worked in seven or eight factories for twenty years. He had less than 50,000 yuan in savings and only managed to become a small team leader.

Before I had accumulated much skill, I could drive a forklift, tighten screws, and change belts.

Having finished high school in a daze and received his graduation certificate, Lin Quan took the bus back to Chenjiawan in Baoshan Town.

After sweeping the yard, visiting the graves, and burning incense, I went home to eat, take a bath, and go to sleep.

When he woke up, he felt something was wrong with him.

"Could it be that they're using cheats? But after trying for ages, nothing's appeared."

Pack my luggage, grab my bag, and take a car straight to the headquarters of the Oriental Culinary Academy.

To live, one must eat.

This school used to be packed with people, but now the school gate is deserted, with fewer than a hundred students in total.

After all, who would bother to learn cooking skills again after returning from twenty years later?

Those who need to practice have already mastered it, and those who need to cook have been doing it for over a decade; no one wants to pay the tuition again.

As Lin Quan paid the money, he secretly worried: What if this school closes down one day?

But then I thought... fewer students, but no fewer teachers, actually makes it easier to learn real skills.

Since you've already paid the money, you have to keep the skills in your own hands.

He worked harder than anyone else.

I practiced chopping vegetables until my fingers went numb, and tossing the wok until my arms ached. In my spare time, I would study "Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Techniques".

Time flew by so fast that he didn't even realize it.

Almost everyone over twenty years old in the country has returned. He has no advantage whatsoever.

If you don't learn a skill properly now, you'll find it hard to even gain a foothold in the future.

Becoming a live streamer or shooting short videos? Right now, there's neither a platform nor the equipment. People have tried this before, and it didn't work.

Learning to cook and setting up a street stall may be tiring, but saving money to buy a house and a car is not difficult at all.

After working hard away from home for more than ten years, returning to the countryside to farm and retire is a peaceful and comfortable life. Isn't that great?

He practiced his culinary skills diligently at the academy, and every three to five days he would go out with his teacher to help in the kitchen.

Learn, then practice; practice, then learn again. And so the days went by.

If you want to learn real skills, just attending classes isn't enough. Lin Quan gave away plenty of cigarettes and alcohol, which earned him a lot of practical guidance in return.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

As soon as the New Year was over, he took his bag and drove straight to Zhejiang Prefecture.

"The Sichuan cuisine is alright, but I've really mastered braised dishes and cold noodles."

"A little over 48,000 yuan is enough to rent a shop, do some simple renovations, and stock up on some goods in the current market."

He spent a few days in Zhejiang Province and found a storefront facing the street that he liked... People lived upstairs and set up a stall downstairs, which was neat and efficient.

They put up a sign that read "Sichuan-style Braised Goose," obtained all the necessary licenses and permits, bought all the seasonings, and placed orders with a reliable supplier.

"The less you sell, the more stable it is. Just sell braised goose and braised eggs."

The ingredients were prepared, and when I woke up, the supplier had already delivered the goose and eggs to my door.

Since this is our first time opening, we dare not prepare too much: ten geese and two hundred eggs.

Busy from early morning until noon, eagerly waiting for people to arrive.

"Sichuan-style braised goose? Hey, it's been so long since I've had this flavor!"

Workers who had finished their shifts approached in twos and threes, but stopped in their tracks when they saw the new shop.

"How much is the braised goose?" a young man in factory clothes asked.

"Eighteen per catty, and we're giving away a braised egg today for our opening," Lin Quan replied with a smile.

"Can I buy half?"

"Yes." Lin Quan nodded.

"Cut that one in half for me," the young man said, pointing to a goose on the table.

Lin Quan put on his gloves, grabbed his knife, and with a snap, severed the goose's neck, splitting it in two: "The head is yours, or the neck?"

"head!"

After weighing it, he announced: "Two jin and eight liang, fifty yuan and four fen, that's fifty yuan exactly."

The other person took out the money and handed it to Lin Quan, who then swiftly chopped the food into pieces with a knife, casually asking, "Should we mix the seasonings now, or pack it up to take home?"

"Mix it now."

He worked quickly, pouring the sauce, stirring it, packing it into a bag, and casually stuffing in a braised egg: "Delicious, I'll come again next time."

The young man picked up the bag and left.

Lin Quan quickly did the math in his head: fresh goose was nine yuan a pound, and after braising, only 70% was left, so the gross profit was only three yuan and sixty cents; after deducting rent, water and electricity, labor, seasonings... the net profit was really thin.

The first order yielded a gross profit of just over ten yuan. After selling all ten geese, the maximum profit was two hundred yuan.

"The average monthly salary in Zhejiang Province was 1,000 yuan last year. If I earn 100 yuan a day, it's not unreasonable."

The rent is 12,000 yuan a year, which is a little over 30 yuan a day; water, electricity and seasonings add another 10 yuan, so the daily cost is around 40 yuan.

As long as the gross profit margin remains stable at 170%, he feels he can stand firm.