Struggle in Ancient Times

Liao Tingyu was tossing on his bed, tried to find ways to make money. As modern person, there was many ways but it contained restrictions. If he wanted to sell recipes, but the cooking skills of ancient people were decent enough, their pastries were good. Anyway, the key of modern cuisine was spicy sauces but he didn’t know where to find the ingredients; there wasn’t MSG* here. Couldn’t do it!

People relied on the mountains, there were fruits and wild vegetables here. But he didn’t know how to pickle them and kept them tasty. Well, he thought again, it seemed in this era ice was big business. There was no good method to make an ice, unlike modern time. This way, he could make good profit. Let him thought again, in his chemistry class there was a way to make ice using saltpetre. He didn’t know if this thing was controlled or not.

Money… why is so hard to make? Liao Tingyu tuned over listlessly like a fish. In those novels, the protagonist could get hundreds of taels by selling recipes. Look at him, he was an useless scholar, he passed the exam but didn’t have money to deposit for a house. He didn’t have any courage to marry a wife! I really envied those transmigrators who had wife as soon as they woke up.

He tossed and turned all night, there was no way he could do business, if he dared to mention it, mother Deng would scold him badly. Liao Tingyu felt very sad, he had the knowledge but couldn’t apply it in this life.

Well, he suddenly felt his achievement was nothing, he passed the exam by his family’s cares and helps. He couldn’t even do much with his hands and feet. But he didn’t want to rely on his wife’s support in the future. As a man from a modern time, he didn’t want to eat soft food*. The pride of man was the biggest drive, he secretly made up his mind. He must succeed in the shortest time possible, had a career and a house then married that little lion in a grand manner.

Liao Tingyu who couldn’t sleep, sat up and counted the money on his hands, “It’s not enough!” he said sadly and calculated, “A house with two yards in the town cost 180 taels, a donkey cost 10 taels and the marriage cost 100 taels. It would best if he buys a shop with housing behind and let da-ge live there with his parents. Now I only have...”

Liao Tingyu looked at his 80 taels on the quilt. He must go to the town quickly and gave the manuscript, at most he could get another 80 taels. Liao Tingyu felt the world was so ruthless, a sentence suddenly came in his mind, “Baobei (baby), don’t worry. I will work hard and marry you when the flowers are in full bloom.” He suddenly got goosebumps, so disgusting.

.

A flash of inspiration came over, the salt here was bitter. The business was strictly controlled, even private sales weren’t allowed. The salt was made by filtering the sea water then sundried them, this was an old technique which resulting a bitter salt. Well, he had the method to make better salt with no bitterness and produced a lot.

Liao Tingyu slapped his stupid head, as a scholar, you must pay attention to people’s livelihood and the emperor’s meant. In this era where everything was inconvenient, the Ministry of Work (Gong-bu) had offered rewards for innovations that could relief people’s hard life.

Well, the six ministries were a serious place with a lot of power. It was best for a scholar to be recognized by them and had smooth career. Now, how could the emperor give him his rewards? Their village was too far away from the imperial city, it took two months went back and forth. This step was too hard.