After considering it for a while, Gu Linchen’s father agreed to let him venture out: “Alright, if you have a plan, we support you.” Gu Linchen’s father sighed and continued, “I don’t have much ability in this life; this is how it is. In the future, you’ll have to rely on yourself. Think long-term, don’t be rash. You can take back the hundred taels of silver I gave you. Running a business needs capital.”

“Dad, you can keep the money, I still have some. The braised offal business won’t need much capital,” Gu Linchen replied.

Gu Linchen’s father paused for a moment, looking at his composed son, and said, “Alright. If you need anything from me or your mother, just let us know.”

“Thanks, Dad. If I need anything from you and Mom, I’ll ask,” Gu Linchen replied.

With nothing more to discuss, Gu Linchen’s father stood up and returned to the house. Gu Linchen’s mother was about to speak when she heard Gu Linchen say, “Don’t worry, Mom, I know what I’m doing.”

Gu Linchen’s mother nodded. As a woman, she didn’t understand these big matters, so she started to clean up the dishes. Feng Ge’er, leaning on a stick, also helped with the cleanup. Seeing him struggle, Gu Linchen walked over to him and said, “I’ll clean up here; you go wash the dishes inside.” Feng Ge’er responded and hobbled into the kitchen, with Xige’er following behind. The dishes were all cleared quickly as everything had been eaten, even the soup was gone. It didn’t take long to finish tidying up.

That night, Gu Linchen lay in bed, feeling a little dizzy, but he couldn’t fall asleep. It was still early, and the farmers here didn’t have much entertainment. They worked from sunrise to sunset, eating dinner before going to bed. But as someone accustomed to modern life, Gu Linchen didn’t go to sleep so early. He decided to get up, find some paper and a pen, and enter the space as he usually did.

Since he was planning to start a business, he thought it would be good to make a plan. He needed to figure out things like transportation for goods, how to attract customers, and how to keep them coming back. He needed to consider all these aspects first. He walked over to the boxes of red wine, opened a bottle, and sat down, drinking directly from it. The wine his father bought was too harsh and didn’t taste good at all. He didn’t really enjoy it, but he took a symbolic drink. Seeing all the good wine he had, he realized he couldn’t take it outside, so he’d have to drink it secretly. He wished he could share it with Feng Ge’er. The more he thought about it, the more unwilling he felt.

After drinking a few big gulps, he spread out the paper and began drawing a small cart like the ones he’d seen by the roadside, thinking of a design that would have a stove on one side for heating. He kept sketching while sipping his wine. The cart wasn’t hard to draw, and before long, it was finished. Gu Linchen stood up, shook his head, and looked at the wine bottle. The entire bottle of wine was gone, no wonder he felt tipsy. He stumbled out of the space and returned to his room, falling asleep right away.

At dawn, as usual, Gu Linchen was woken up by his biological clock. As soon as he got up, he felt his head spinning from the aftereffects of the alcohol. He rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the hangover symptoms. Looking at the sketches by his bed, he felt more awake. If he was going to start a business, he needed to act immediately. He needed to go to the town today to have someone custom-make the cart. He got out of bed, changed clothes, and went out for a morning run. He had to keep up his exercise routine.

The morning air was fresh, and Gu Linchen ran along the path near the sheep farm. There was hardly anyone on the road, and he ran through most of the village. He saw the smoke rising from the thatched roofs of the houses, and the sky gradually lightened as he caught his breath and headed back home. Just as he was about to open the door, it swung open from the inside.

“Where did you go so early?” Gu Linchen’s father asked, seeing that his son’s forehead was drenched in sweat and his clothes were soaked.

“Dad, I went running,” Gu Linchen replied.

“Running?” Gu Linchen’s father asked, puzzled.

“Yeah, just exercising, running along the village road,” Gu Linchen explained. “Are you going to work today?”

“Yes,” Gu Linchen’s father replied, nodding, and then walked toward the village entrance.

“Chen’er, you’re back!” Gu Linchen’s mother came out from the house and saw that he was drenched. “What is this… Hurry up and change your clothes, be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Alright, Mom.” After Gu Linchen changed into dry clothes and came out, he saw four bowls of plain porridge on the table, with a few cakes and a small dish of pickled vegetables in the center. Gu Linchen rubbed his forehead. “Are we back to square one?” Gu Linchen’s mother, seeing him, called him to sit down and eat. Feng Ge’er dressed Xige’er and carried him over to sit down.

“Feng Ge’er, we still have a lot of rice, right? This porridge should be thicker,” Gu Linchen said, looking at the sparse breakfast with little flavor. “Also, our family now has some money. We may not be able to have fish and meat every day, but we shouldn’t be this frugal. We should eat what we need and spend what we should. Also, Xige’er is growing, and Dad is working hard every day. We need some oil and nourishment. You and Mom are too thin as well; you both need to supplement.”

Feng Ge’er lowered his head and remained silent. Gu Linchen’s mother knew that these words were meant for her: “Feng Ge’er, from now on, listen to Chen’er’s advice.” After a moment of thought, she added, “Also, the eggs from our chickens, we won’t sell them anymore. We’ll keep them for ourselves.”

“Alright, Mom.”

After finishing breakfast, Gu Linchen hurried to the town. By this time, it was too late, and the village chief’s ox cart had already left. Now, he had to walk to the town. Gu Linchen walked quickly, and within less than half an hour, he arrived. He headed straight for the blacksmith shop. Inside, an older and a younger, muscular man were tidying up.

Gu Linchen looked at the older man and asked, “Boss, do you think this can be made?” He took out the blueprint and explained the details of the cart. The older man took the blueprint, and as he listened to Gu Linchen’s explanation, his eyes lit up more and more. This design was great! Unlike traditional stoves and workstations that are separate, which makes them inconvenient to move, this cart was compact and could hold everything, and the bottom could store ingredients, making it very convenient for food vendors.

“Young man, where did you get this design?” the old man asked.

“I’m planning to sell some food, so I drew it myself according to my needs,” Gu Linchen replied honestly, not knowing the old man’s intentions.

The old man sighed, impressed by the young man’s resourcefulness. He said the cart would be ready in three days and would cost twenty silver coins. Gu Linchen paid a deposit of two hundred coins, agreeing to pick it up in three days, and then left the shop.

“Young Master Gu, Young Master Gu!” Gu Linchen didn’t react at first, but then he was grabbed by the arm. “Young Master Gu, what a coincidence!” It was Qin, the shopkeeper, who had just returned from a business trip to the dock. He had been looking for him and greeted him warmly.

“Oh, it’s Shopkeeper Qin. What is this?” Gu Linchen turned around and saw Qin, who was followed by someone carrying a load of fish.

“I went to the dock and bought some fish. Come, let’s go to my place and sit for a while.”

Gu Linchen looked at the sky—it was still early—and agreed to go along. On the way, Qin told him that sauerkraut fish was very popular. Ever since Gu Linchen and the others had left, Mr. Ma’s gourmet customers had been asking if they could eat the fish in the evening, and if they could, they would come again.