Struggle in Ancient Times

“Mother, where are we?” Liao Shi looked at his mother expectantly, the place was very simple but he felt comfortable.
“You still asked. We will take a root in the town from now on.” Mother Deng said, “Now our condition wasn’t good yet. You lay down on the wooden board first and rest.”
“What about you?” Liao Shi asked without hesitation.

It was rare for mother Deng to no longer ignored her eldest son, “We will just make a do tonight. Come over and eat.”
Liao Tingyu looked at a bowl of pickle vegetables and gave it to Liao Shi, “I can’t finish it all. Big brother you help me eat some.”
Liao Shi wasn’t polite at all, he happily received it, “Er-di, you still have to eat more in the future. Eat meat and you will be healthy. You don’t need to care about vegetables, you can’t be full with those.”

“I know it.” Liao Tingyu replied helplessly, “It’s not like I don’t eat meat. I’m tired to eat too much of it.”
“You can get tired of eating meat?? This shows that your stomach isn’t strong enough! When we see the doctor today, you didn’t let him take a look at your body.”
Liao Shi’s words woke mother Deng.

Right. She felt something was missing today, it turned out everyone was checked by the doctor except her youngest son.
“When we are done settle in, you can go and see the doctor. Your big brother is right. How many times can we eat meat this year? Why is it you don’t like it? There must be something wrong in your stomach. Let the doctor look at you and prescribe some medicine.”
Liao Tingyu thought about the dark colour and unique smell of traditional medicine. He felt like he was shooting himself on his foot.

“That will have to wait. Father, mother, what do you want to sell here? Do you have any plans?” Liao Tingyu changed the subject and turned the conversation into different direction.
Mother Deng was thinking deeply when Liao Tingyu asked this, she finally said, “I have been thinking about the decoration. As for the business, I didn’t think about it yet.”
As for Liao Ming, he was eating noodle without any pause, there was no time for him to talk. Liao Shi looked at everyone and waited for their answers.

Mother Deng said again, “Let’s open it as grocery store. When the place is well-decorated, let your big brother bring all the bean curds at home. We are the only one who sells this thing.”
Mother Deng added after thinking, “The last time we sold very well in the market. Those people are from the town, they will find us again.”
“Are we just selling bean curd?” Liao Shi asked.

“You can buy those bamboo weaving products from the villagers. Just buy and sell them here, it didn’t matter. Let’s sell things that are rare in the town.” Liao Ming replied.
Liao Tingyu knew they needed a lot of products to sell here. But the grocery in the town had different items they sold.
They also had to carefully pick the products with the little money they had. Dreaming about being rich and wealthy was a faraway daydream.
Liao Tingyu put down his bowl, “Okay, I will ask and see where we could get the goods.”

“Okay, let’s make decision. All of the money to purchase will come from us.” Liao Ming nodded and made the final decision.
“One more thing, eldest son, we left this shop under your name. But your little brother paid sixty taels because we didn’t have enough money.” Liao Ming added.
Wen Xiuer originally tried hard to blend into the shadow but as soon as she heard her father-in-law, her whole face and body lit up. She looked at Liao Ming with bright eyes.

‘This is our shop.’ This was Wen Xiuer’s first reaction. She didn’t care about the rest; this place was the best in her eyes even with the dust and little furniture.
Liao Ming ignored her, “You should return the thirty taels for him and the rest was for us for filial piety. Do you understand?”
Liao Shi nodded his head; this was a sudden surprise for him. He never expected that such a big place was belong to him.

He only needed to pay back thirty taels to his little brother; even he was willing to give him sixty taels. This nice shop was something he couldn’t even achieved with his whole life.
After eating, mother Deng asked Liao Tingyu to go back to the school.
“You aren’t needed here. You should go back first, sleep in the dorm is better than here. You could come over tomorrow if you didn’t have class. Go back and buy nice things for the teachers. Don’t make them think you are sloppy.”

“Don’t worry mother. I know it. I will leave first. When you go to the bed, light some fires be careful not to burn the place. Pay attention to the ventilation.” Liao Tingyu didn’t reject her and still warned them carefully.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to share the joy and sorrow with his family. But the condition was really terrible and shabby. There was no need for him to squeeze and add another trouble.
Anyway, he could sleep comfortably in the dorm.

He asked mother Deng to buy some quilts at noon but she was unwilling, she said it was expensive and there was no need for them. They only stayed here for one night.
Liao Tingyu had no choice. He knew that mother Deng was worried he would spend too much money for today.
His mother was right, there was no need to buy some quilts, two quilts would cost them one tael.

Liao Tingyu thought he would be busy teaching tomorrow and didn’t have time to check, so everything would be arranged by them.
The family was so busy for several days with excitement.
Before Liao Shi’s wounds were fully healed, he went to the fields and did some works. The smile on his face never leaves.

Liao Tingyu visited his former classmates with good wine and food. He had to say his reputation was really amazing thing. He only needed to say a few words but compliments kept pouring for him and everyone was willing to say yes.
He easily arranged things for them.
Liao Ming was the one who went to purchase goods for their store, Liao Shi was still sick so he couldn’t help much.

He bought a lot of miscellaneous things and stored them all in a small room inside the shop.
Mother Deng was busy decorating her new home. Since they had some money, she quickly purchased some things. Mother Deng looked at the brand-new furniture and counted the items she had bought.
She felt a little overwhelmed with the results.

Their stone mill was moved here too, so they could easily produce their bean curd. She looked at in their yard. It was really comfortable to look.
In this small yard, she planned to grow vegetables and raised some chicken for their eggs.
When they had more time, she would ask her eldest son to go up to the mountain and found some fruit trees.

Wen Xiuer directed Liao Shi to decorate their room. Although, it was all the old things from home but the place was different. It looked better in her eyes.
She wasn’t jealous of his brother-in-law’s room; it used to be newly built room with good things in their village. And what they had was basically handed down from him.
Anyway, it was fine to be happy with they owned. After all, it was the things used by a scholar, it could contain a little blessing from Liao Tingyu.

Her son might not be necessary as smart like Liao Tingyu, as long as they weren’t like their father who couldn’t study seriously. As long as they were diligent, it would be good.
Wen Xiuer touched her belly and thought secretly. Honestly, she thought this was just a dream. Since she was laying on the hospital, suddenly they owned a shop in the town. How amazing!
Liao Shi smiled and mutter nervously, “Dad is right. I live in the town now.”

Wen Xiuer couldn’t hear him, “What are you talking about? Why didn’t you move this cabinet quickly? There are still a lot of things to pack today. Don’t you want to open business and make money? My brother-in-law has asked people to put up the plaque today. My father-in-law has bought firecrackers. Don’t smile stupidly.”
“I know it. Wife, don’t be angry. Aren’t you happy for us? Don’t worry, I will clean up well today. We can go into a battle tomorrow.”
“It’s not tomorrow. It’s the day after tomorrow. Dad will let someone to take care of it. Go to work, don’t talk nonsense!”

.
Huang Hao looked at Liao Tingyu who was very busy recently, “Hey, rare visitor! Why do you have the time to visit my humble place?”
“I’m so busy. Why can’t I come and see you? Don’t you feel flattered?” Liao Tingyu took a snack on the table and stuffed them inside his mouth.

“No, the things of mined will be destroyed as soon as you come here.” Huang Hao said and looked at the plate of snack which started to decrease rapidly.
“Don’t look at it. I am helping you to lose weight! You better don’t eat too much of this thing, it’s easy to gain weight.”
“I’m happy to be fat, why do you care?” Huang Hao was worried, this guy really had poisonous tongue.

Liao Tingyu wasn’t affected by him and asked, “Do you know how is he doing recently?”
Huang Hao blinked, “Who is he?”
Liao Tingyu looked at him seriously and Huang Hao just smiled at him. They stared at each other for a long time.

In the end, Liao Tingyu couldn’t hold on, “Stop looking at him. I can’t bear your chubby face; it’s upsetting my appetite.”
“It’s good to know you have no appetite. Look at how much you’ve eaten my things.” Huang Hao had a strong heart to bear Liao Tingyu’s burns.
“Besides, do you think you are so good-looking? You are as thin as bamboo pole.”

“There is no need to praise me like this, my friend. Although I am elegant and noble, I know it all.” Liao Tingyu laughed at him.
“Why don’t I see it? You are becoming annoying now. The teacher and others were deceived by you. I think you aren’t good at anything.”
“Nonsense. You just praised me as strong-willed like a bamboo. Why are regretting it now? This isn’t what a scholar does.”

“Ha…” Huang Hao sneered at him.
“What’s with that expression?” Liao Tingyu said with a smile and pinched the round cheek.
“Don’t do anything. I’m telling you, if you do anything. I will go back and tell Zilan. Anyway, he doesn’t want to pay attention to you now.” Huang Hao threatened and slapped Liao Tingyu’s paw away.

“Why?” Liao Tingyu asked pitifully.
“What are you doing recently, you still have the nerves to ask?”
“I’m not doing anything!” Liao Tingyu scratched his head in confusion.

“His father has several large shops in this town, including grain stores, restaurants and cloth shops. There are four shops in the county and some in the capital. They aren’t small at all. It wasn’t hard to leave one place to another…” Huang Hao didn’t say anything.
Liao Tingyu laid on the table dejectedly and turned into a salted fish. ‘What is this life?’