Otherworldly Space: A Tale of Love and Growth - Chapter 10

Song Ci had been enjoying a very pleasant life these days.

In the mornings, he would do some farm work and spend time with Old Lady Song. In the afternoons, he would go to see Lin Xiaohe, feed her, and have a brief, gentle conversation. The rest of the time, he would think about ways to make money.

He had a wide range of skills and knowledge, such as making tofu, soy sauce, vinegar, soap, century eggs, salted duck eggs, fruit jam, and various recipes. Most of these could be made under the current conditions, and he had already practiced some in his spatial storage.

Knowledge is power, and knowledge is wealth.

As someone who loves knowledge and learning, Song Ci felt particularly proud.

These were the foundations of his survival in ancient times.

However, he still needed to think of good excuses for bringing these things out.

It was easier to explain one or two secret recipes as family heirlooms or something he had stumbled upon. But if he brought out too many things, people would start to suspect something. Everyone in the village knew each other’s families well, and anything too unusual would arouse suspicion.

Moreover, without any power or influence, he couldn’t afford to bring out something like soap, which had a large daily consumption and high profit.

If he couldn’t protect his secrets, it would not only jeopardize his own safety but also put his family at risk, which was not his intention.

For now, he needed to start with small businesses and take things step by step.

There was an old saying about establishing a family and then building a career.

Song Ci planned to follow this saying by first getting married and then focusing on his career. Otherwise, if he focused too much on his career and lost his wife, he would be at a great loss.

He was more afraid of the unexpected than the expected.

What if his clever wife, Lin Xiaohe, secretly married someone else while he was away? It would be better to get married first and then strive for a better life.

Of course, no amount of excuses could hide the fact that he had already been blinded by love. Without the motivation to be with that beautiful young woman, he would have no drive to struggle.

Marrying Lin Xiaohe had become Song Ci’s top priority.

Moreover, because of the trouble he had caused on the first day, he had to constantly pay attention to his wife’s mental and physical well-being.

“Brother Ergou, there really is game,” said Song Sheng excitedly as they checked the traps for the third time. Song Ci had brought Song Sheng along this time, and the game they had caught in the previous two attempts had either been eaten by their family or shared with Uncle Ergou’s family. Of course, Song Ci had also shown off again, changing most people’s perceptions of him.

“Of course there is. Didn’t I tell you?” Song Ci ignored the young Sheng’s opportunistic behavior of addressing him as “Ergou” when there was no one around and “Brother Ergou” when there was something to gain.

There was no point in competing with a child; winning an argument with him wouldn’t bring any sense of achievement.

“Yep,” Song Sheng stared at the three wild chickens and two fat rabbits, his eyes shining. “Brother Ergou, you’re really amazing. What do you plan to do with all this game?”

“Obviously, I’m going to sell it.”

“Sell it?” Song Sheng was a bit disappointed. The game they had caught before had all been eaten, and it was indeed time to exchange some for money this time.

“Yeah, my mother, Second Aunt, told me last time that I don’t know how to manage a household and that I should sell all the game I catch to save money for my future wife,” Song Ci teased, looking at Song Sheng. “How about it? Are you interested in accompanying your brother to the county town?”

“Sure!” At the mention of going to the county town, Song Sheng’s face lit up immediately. Being younger, he only got to go to the county town a few times a year.

Song Ci then began to teach Song Sheng how to set traps, demonstrating everything from choosing the location to digging and filling the pits.

“So it’s this simple,” Song Sheng said triumphantly after learning how to set a trap.

“Simple?” Song Ci glanced at him skeptically. “Then why didn’t you know how to do it before?”

“I didn’t have anyone to teach me,” Song Sheng replied sheepishly.

“I didn’t have anyone to teach me either,” Song Ci said.

Song Sheng fell silent. In the past few days of interacting with Song Ergou, he hadn’t managed to get the upper hand even once.

He couldn’t argue with him, so he might as well avoid him. He finally understood how his elder brother felt when dealing with Ergou—both loving and hating him at the same time.

Song Ci didn’t press his advantage. The two of them found two more spots and set up additional traps. Song Ci wasn’t stingy; he even added half a drop of spiritual spring water to the pits of the traps that Song Sheng had set.

Song Ci could already imagine the look of surprise on Song Sheng’s face when he came to collect the game next time.

After teaching Song Sheng how to set traps, Song Ci began to find the boy annoying. He couldn’t go to see Lin Xiaohe with the child around, so he decided to send him home.

The boy, however, didn’t seem to realize this and kept talking non-stop.

“You should give me half of the money you get from selling the game,” Song Ci said.

Song Sheng was taken aback and finally stopped talking. “You’re really ruthless. You’re like an old landlord,” he complained.

“The location was my choice, the pit was dug by you, and the trap was made by me. The spiritual spring water is also mine. Is it too much to ask for half?” Song Ci’s intention was clear.

“Alright,” Song Sheng replied, feeling deflated. “Your bargains are really hard to come by.”

Song Ci snorted. Fortunately, he had already told Lin Xiaohe that he would go to the county town the next day during their lunchtime meeting. Although he would miss her, he could manage to restrain himself.

The person who had just said he wouldn’t compete with a child had once again bullied Song Sheng.

After living in the ancient times for more than half a month, Song Ci had gradually adapted to the rural life in Daping Village. It was time to expand his horizons and move beyond the village.

Song Sheng, who had been “recruited” by Song Ci, would serve as his guide, and it was like getting two for the price of one.

The two agreed to set off early the next morning. Before dawn, Song Sheng arrived at Song Ci’s door, accompanied by Song Tongsheng.

“Brothers Sheng and Tongsheng, have you eaten? Have some more,” Old Lady Song greeted the two brothers warmly.

“Aunt,” the brothers greeted her. “We haven’t eaten yet. There’s no time.”

“Here are some pancakes Aunt made last night. Take them for the road,” Old Lady Song insisted, handing each of them a few thin pancakes.

“Thank you, Aunt.”

“Brother Ergou, why are you so slow? If we don’t hurry, Old Man Lü’s donkey cart will leave, and we’ll have to walk to the county town,” Song Sheng said, taking a big bite of the fragrant pancake.

“I told them yesterday, and they’ll wait for us for a bit,” Song Ci said calmly, picking up the cage with the chickens and rabbits and following the brothers outside.

“Is it okay to keep those old men and women waiting? They’ll keep complaining once they start,” Song Sheng said.

“Watch your mouth,” Song Tongsheng kicked Song Sheng for his tactlessness, and Song Sheng promptly shut up.

When they arrived at the village center, there was indeed a crowd gathered around the donkey cart. Most of them were going to the county town to do some small trading, bringing their homegrown produce or homemade food to sell.

Although the three of them were not late, they were still a bit late and only had seats on the outer edge left.

Song Ergou, who was currently the center of gossip, naturally attracted many curious glances and attempts at conversation.

“Ergou, going to sell game?” asked the son of Tian Dafu.

“Yeah, Uncle. Are you selling vegetables?” Song Ci asked, noticing the pile of vegetables around him.

“We have too many vegetables at home. We can’t eat them all, so we’re selling them in the county town and buying some seasonings back. Ergou, you’ve really come of age. Your mother has finally seen better days,” the man said.

Song Ci felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.

The Tian family was well-regarded in the village, and Song Ci was patient enough to chat with them and pass the time.

There were those who envied his ability to set traps and spoke sarcastically, asking him to take them to get rich. Song Ci either ignored them or gave them a sharp retort.

He didn’t provoke trouble, but he wasn’t afraid of it either.

After all, the original Song Ergou was a troublemaker, and anything he did was within reason.