Li Mingrui seemed to see what was on his mind and spoke to him gravely, "Gengtian, if we really build the sausage and pickle workshops next year, you have to be diligent. Not everyone will necessarily be happy about it—when money gets involved, people start having all sorts of ideas. You can’t have a single selfish thought, or this village would be better off staying poor like it was before."

Li Gengtian quickly said, "Dad, don’t worry. I won’t be foolish. Our family’s Changfeng is a Scholar, and Changyu is also directly involved with these businesses. If they’re managed well, we’ll only stand to gain, not lose."

Li Mingrui nodded and said, "If your heart isn’t in the right place, you’ll be even less able to manage people like your Third Uncle. I suspect there are quite a few in this village who think like him."

There were naturally many who thought like Li Mingtang, but they just couldn’t find a reason to voice their opinions.

After that, Li Gengtian also found some of the village elders and explained to them the hardships of working for the Zheng Family, as well as their generosity in giving a two-cent discount per catty of meat. Only then did everyone feel a bit better about it.

He didn’t say anything about the workshops, however—it was all still up in the air. Why bring it up and stir up trouble?

「On the fifteenth of the twelfth month, with snow falling thick and fast, Li Changyu rushed back from Qinghui County.」

After he got back, he dropped his bundle and was about to head out the door without even a sip of water.

His mother, Mrs. Fang, wanted to make him a poached egg, but he waved his hands repeatedly, saying he’d have it that evening. He then turned and hurried to the village school to wait for Qingmu and Zhang Huai to finish their classes so he could discuss something with them.

After doing business for several months, he had clearly shed his childishness and scholarly air, becoming much more composed. Perhaps for convenience, or perhaps as a farewell to his life as a student, he had exchanged his long robes for a short brown jacket. The weathered look on his face made him seem several years older.

He sat in Mr. Zhou’s room, gazing at the thick snow in the large courtyard. He felt a bit cold, but he couldn’t be bothered to warm himself by the fire. He just tucked his hands into the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket and sank into thought.

Thinking back on the hardships of the past few months, although his fighting spirit hadn’t been worn down, he was no longer high-spirited. Instead, he had become more reserved.

This change, of course, came from the trials of life.

His business was actually successful—you could even say it was going very well. He was earning over twenty taels of silver each month, which was a considerable income for someone running a small business.

’But my ambitions don’t stop here,’ he thought. ’If I just keep on like this, when will I ever achieve my real goals?’

Suddenly, a clamor erupted from the schoolroom next door. It turned out the teacher had just dismissed class. The village children, like birds let out of a cage, rushed out into the snowy world, immediately adding lively figures to the silvery-white scroll painting.

Li Changyu quickly stood up and rushed out of the room. Once in the courtyard, he called out to Qingmu and Zhang Huai, who were about to leave, "Qingmu! Huai Zi!"

Hearing his call, the two of them stopped in their tracks. They turned to look back and exclaimed in surprise, "Changyu? When did you get back?"

Changyu was about to walk over to them when he looked up and saw Mr. Zhou coming toward the room holding two books. He stopped, bowed respectfully to the teacher, and called out, "Mr. Zhou!"

Mr. Zhou looked at him with a smile and asked, "Just got back?"

Li Changyu quickly replied, "Yes. I came to talk with Qingmu and Huai Zi."

Mr. Zhou looked him up and down, nodded to himself in approval, and said to him, "Go on, then."

Only then did Li Changyu turn and walk toward Qingmu and Zhang Huai.

Qingmu looked at Li Changyu’s weathered face and asked with a smile, "What, not busy with your business? What brings you back?"

Zhang Huai punched him on the arm and laughed. "He’s back to show off! You must’ve earned a lot of silver these past two months, right? Last time you came home you left in such a hurry without telling us much. What about this time? When are you planning on leaving?"

Li Changyu gave a wry smile. "I just got back and you’re already asking when I’m leaving. How hurtful! Sigh... I came to discuss something with you two. Things can’t go on like this. I don’t know when I’ll ever make a name for myself. I even boasted to my dad that I was going to make something of myself. But looking at the way things are now, it seems I can only earn enough small money to get a wife."

Hearing this, Qingmu and Zhang Huai exchanged a look and couldn’t help but laugh.

Qingmu said, "Aren’t we all desperately trying to earn a little money to get a wife? Who here has the ability to earn big money?"

Zhang Huai laughed. "If it weren’t for Juhua making those sausages, I’m afraid we wouldn’t even be able to earn that little bit of money. You’ve only been at it for a few months. You’re earning some, and you haven’t lost anything—shouldn’t you be content? It’s better than those who’ve lost money, right?"