Chapter Five: Little Brother, have you ever read The Golden Lotus?

As twilight approached, Ye Xiu slumped his shoulders, looking at the tidy little courtyard, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He drew a bucket of water from the well and drank greedily; it was clear and sweet. Refreshing! He cupped the water in his hands to splash his face, the cool sensation instantly washing away his worries. Sitting on the threshold, Ye Xiu began to ponder the future.

The life he was living now was not the one he wanted. He had crossed a millennium to get here, not to endure hardship and suffering. To break this impasse, the first step was for his father to pass the imperial examinations. Studying required a good environment, and that was an expense he couldn’t skimp on. He would also have to attend poetry gatherings. To truly step into the limelight, he needed to make an appearance at these events and build a reputation.

But after thinking it over, Ye Xiu realized that the most pressing issue remained money. Without money, everything else was just empty talk.

Just then, Ye Wuji’s voice drifted in from outside: "Son, I'm home."

Ye Xiu looked toward the sound and saw Ye Wuji carrying a food box, followed by a porter. "Just put the things in the room," Ye Wuji instructed the porter, paid him, and sent him on his way.

Ye Xiu stepped forward to sort the items. His father had bought firewood, rice, oil, and salt, along with daily necessities like washbasins and bedding. There were even candles and a fire-striker. Just as he was marveling at how reliable his father was, he caught a whiff of something fragrant. Turning around, he saw Ye Wuji opening the food box to reveal two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes laid out on the square table.

It was only then that Ye Xiu remembered he had been busy all afternoon and hadn't yet eaten.

"Son, you must be starving," Ye Wuji said, tearing apart a smoked chicken and handing the largest leg to Ye Xiu.

"I've been hungry for a while," Ye Xiu replied, nodding repeatedly. He wolfed down the food, a wave of warmth rising in his chest. Ye Wuji, on the other hand, leisurely produced a wine flask, took a sip, and looked completely content.

After a long while, he opened his eyes with a look of self-satisfaction and glanced at the hole in the roof. "There’s a unique charm in being able to see the moon and stars just by looking up."

"We need to fix the roof before the Grain Rain season, otherwise..." Ye Xiu said, feeling somewhat depressed, "otherwise, when it rains, our house will turn into a water curtain cave, and we won’t even have a place to stand."

Once he had eaten his fill, Ye Xiu rubbed his bulging stomach. "Dad, this meal couldn't have been cheap, right?"

"Only six hundred copper coins," Ye Wuji replied casually.

"What?" Ye Xiu’s eyes widened as he stared at his father in disbelief. "A single meal cost that much?"

"It’s a housewarming, we naturally had to celebrate," Ye Wuji said dismissively. "We can just be a bit more frugal later on."

Though his heart ached for the silver, Ye Xiu felt helpless. His father had always lived a life of luxury, so spending only six hundred coins to celebrate moving in was already a rare act of restraint. But letting him continue to be this extravagant definitely wouldn't do; the money would be gone in a few days. After weighing his options, Ye Xiu decided to seize control of the household finances.

"Dad, I’m not really cut out for studying. Why not leave the household chores to me, and you focus on your books?"

"You’re so young, how could I bear to let you take on the burden of supporting the family?"

"Dad, the hardship is only temporary," Ye Xiu said, his expression serious. "As long as you can pass the provincial examination, what does a little suffering on my part matter?"

"But I’ve failed the exam four times..."

"Dad, in my heart, you’ve always been a man of profound learning. You only failed those four times because you didn't want to rely on Grandpa’s connections. Now, without those social obligations or worldly entanglements, not only will you pass the provincial exam, you’ll even rank high in the imperial examinations."

"Indeed, I was just held back by your grandfather," Ye Wuji said, pursing his lips and sitting up straight. "Then I shall pass the provincial exam for you this year and let you enjoy a life of glory and wealth."

"Deal." Ye Xiu gave his father a thumbs-up. "From now on, you focus on studying, and I’ll handle the accounts and the household."

"It’s settled then."

With the atmosphere perfectly set, Ye Wuji handed over the financial control without any suspicion. Ye Xiu had expected a struggle, but he hadn't imagined it would be this easy. However, when he opened the money bag, he was stunned—only three taels of silver remained.

"Dad, where’s the money?" Ye Xiu asked, his body trembling with agitation. "Tell me, where did our money go?"

"It’s all in your hands," Ye Wuji said, his eyes darting away, clearly feeling guilty.

"We had twenty taels. The rent was two taels and seven hundred coins, the meal was six hundred coins, and you bought bedding and supplies for three taels. There should be thirteen taels and seven hundred coins left!"

"Son, you calculated wrong," Ye Wuji began to account for the expenses. "When I paid for the house and the meal, I didn't ask for change, so that was seven taels in total."

"No, you gave them tips?" Ye Xiu was furious. "Do you have any idea how poor we are? Thirteen taels would have been enough to cover our expenses for a whole year!"

"I... I..." Ye Wuji felt wronged. "In the past, when we tipped servants, we gave five or ten taels at a time. I was just acting out of habit."

Ye Xiu was torn between anger and laughter. "That’s seven taels gone. What about the rest?"

"I had just exchanged the money into banknotes when I ran into an old classmate outside the money shop. He said he needed to borrow money to go to sea. He couldn't go to sea with mere scraps of silver, so I lent him ten taels." After explaining, even Ye Wuji realized it sounded a bit unreliable. "From now on, you manage the money, and we’ll just spend carefully."

Hearing this, Ye Xiu managed a smile that looked worse than crying. "I’ll find a way to earn money tomorrow. Poverty is only temporary."

Ye Xiu refused to believe that with the wisdom and experience of a thousand years beyond this era, he couldn't make any money.

The next morning, after breakfast, Ye Xiu brewed a pot of tea for Ye Wuji. "Dad, if you have nothing else to do, stay home and study. I’m going out to look around and see if there are any ways to make money."

Ye Wuji sipped his tea. "I’m going to the Jinling Academy today to process the paperwork for my re-enrollment."

"Dad, you must get that done quickly."

Ye Xiu gave a few earnest instructions, left ten copper coins for his father’s lunch, and headed out. He wasn't just wandering aimlessly; with only three taels left, they wouldn't even be able to afford a meal after fixing the roof. He headed to the North Gate Bridge Market to see if there were any quick ways to earn money.

Walking through the market, Ye Xiu was stunned by the thriving commerce of Jinling City. A rough estimate suggested there were over three hundred shops of all kinds at North Gate Bridge. Eventually, Ye Xiu chose the largest bookstore in the city—the Yuquan Studio.

"Shopkeeper, are you hiring anyone to copy books?"

The shopkeeper, who was reading, looked Ye Xiu up and down. "We sell books we print ourselves; we don't need anyone to copy them."

Ye Xiu felt a bit disappointed, but asked politely, "Then are you looking for an illustrator?"

The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, glanced at the scholars picking out books in the shop, and lowered his voice. "Young man, have you read *The Plum in the Golden Vase*?"

Ye Xiu looked puzzled but answered honestly, "I prefer the illustrations in it!"

The shopkeeper’s face lit up. "Some books sell better when paired with vivid and interesting pictures... You understand what I mean, right?"

"I understand, I couldn't understand better!"

Ye Xiu’s eyes sparkled, and he rubbed his hands in excitement. Just as he thought, Heaven wouldn't let a clever man starve. A path to quick money had finally appeared.