Q: How to get rich after traveling back in time to ancient times?
A: Recite ancient poems, copy famous works, or invent something.
In fact, Wei Changtian had always wanted to be like the protagonists in online novels, making grand inventions and creating things like glass, cement, gunpowder, and even steam engines, bringing the light of technology to this backward world.
However, the reality was that these things were a bit too advanced for Wei Changtian, and if he had to invent something… black silk, short skirts, and high heels?
It seemed that being an idol was indeed the primary productive force.
Since he couldn’t invent anything, he could only take the first two paths.
Fortunately, Wei Changtian had received a solid nine years of compulsory education, and his brain was filled with the artistic treasures of China’s five-thousand-year civilization.
Reciting poems wasn’t the right time, but copying books was no big deal.
After all, it was for the sake of making money, and the earlier they started, the better.
As for which of the Four Great Classical Novels to copy… he couldn’t remember “Dream of the Red Chamber”; “Water Margin” and “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” were too lowbrow and didn’t fit this world’s setting; only “Journey to the West” could be used.
“…”
“…This golden cudgel weighs over 13,000 pounds and is the treasure of the East Sea Dragon Palace, but the Dragon King doesn’t know its wonders…”
“Just like that, Sun Wukong hid the golden cudgel in his ear and obtained this convenient weapon…”
Wei Changtian lay on the bed, speaking as he thought, and soon reached the part where Sun Wukong obtained the golden cudgel.
The listeners around him were also increasing in number.
At first, there was only Lu Jingyao, then Autumn Cloud and Yuan’er joined in, followed by a little maid and a big black dog.
“Let’s stop here for today.”
After licking his dry lips, Wei Changtian turned his head back for the first time, and was immediately startled by the four girls and one dog staring directly at him.
“When did you all get here?”
“Ah…”
After Qi Yun returned to his senses, he felt embarrassed and lowered his head: “I was with Yuan’er, and we came in to add oil to the candles. We heard something interesting and decided to stay.”
“Oh, and what about you?”
Wei Changtian looked at Wei Qiaoling, who was lying on the big black dog’s back: “What are you doing here?”
Wei Qiaoling was still immersed in the world of Sun Wukong, her eyes wide with excitement: “And then? What happened after he got the Golden Cudgel? Big brother, please continue the story!”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
Wei Changtian helplessly said: “If you want to hear it, come earlier tomorrow.”
“Okay…”
Wei Qiaoling looked a bit disappointed, but finally remembered her task: “Oh, big brother, it’s Father and Mother who asked me to come! They told me to give this to you!”
“Great devil! Spit it out quickly!”
“Ahhh!”
The big black dog let out a loud cry, hastily opened its mouth, and a porcelain bottle slipped out and fell to the ground.
“…”
Wei Changtian and Lu Jingyao were stunned, while Qi Yun and Yuan’er seemed nonchalant, picking up the bottle with a handkerchief.
“Father said to take one pill a day to heal your wounds quickly!”
Wei Qiaoling proudly showed off: “I even eavesdropped on Father and Mother’s conversation! Do you want to hear, big brother?”
Wei Changtian hesitated for a moment: “Go on…”
“Okay!”
Wei Qiaoling reported truthfully: “Father said that this time, the Wei family’s reputation will be ruined by you, and Mother said it’s true!”
“Then Father said it’s good for you to get a beating, and Mother said Father is talking nonsense!”
“Later, Father said Mother was right, and Mother said she would punish Father tonight…”
“Stop! That’s enough!”
Seeing Qi Yun and Yuan’er trying to stifle their laughter, Wei Changtian hurriedly waved his hand to stop them: “Don’t say anymore!”
“What’s wrong…”
Wei Qiaoling looked puzzled, but pouted and didn’t say anything else.
She deliberately lingered for a while, but when she realized there were no more Monkey King stories to listen to, she lost interest in staying.
“Big brother, I’m going back with the big devil!”
Wei Changtian was eager for this little girl to leave, and hastily nodded: “Good! Go ahead! Qi Yun, Yuan’er, please escort Qiaoling back!”
“Yes, young master.”
The two girls left the cleaned porcelain bottle behind, then accompanied Wei Qiaoling out the door… followed by a big black dog that almost merged with the night darkness.
“Cough!”
Looking at the surprised Lu Jingyao, Wei Changtian awkwardly said: “Well, children say whatever they want, and Qiaoling is actually quite lovable usually…”
“Big devil!”
A distant and dissatisfied cry suddenly came from outside the window.
“You can turn into a god, but why are you so stupid!”
“Look at me, and quickly transform!”
“…”
Wei Changtian: “Heh heh.”
…
“Actually, the people of the Wei family are not like what I thought before.”
In the room, Lu Jingyao poured out a round, shiny pellet from the porcelain bottle, along with a cup of cool tea, and handed it to Wei Changtian.
Wei Changtian took the elixir and smiled, asking, “What? Did you think the Wei family, from top to bottom, were all those three-word killers?”
“Not that exaggerated.”
Lu Jingyao hesitated, “But the rumors in the streets…”
“The rumors in the streets are true. My parents, including me, have killed many people.”
Wei Changtian showed no signs of concealment: “And many of them didn’t deserve to die.”
“…”
Lu Jingyao couldn’t believe Wei Changtian could say such a thing so calmly. She lost control of her emotions and blurted out, “You, you won’t feel guilty?”
“Guilty?”
Wei Changtian didn’t get angry, instead pointing to a ball of fluff on Lu Jingyao’s clothes, asking, “What’s this fur?”
Lu Jingyao looked puzzled: “Snow fox.”
Wei Changtian continued, “You’re wearing a snow fox fur coat, do you feel guilty?”
Lu Jingyao was intelligent and immediately understood Wei Changtian’s point.
A struggling glint flashed in her eyes, and she softly argued, “But it’s an animal…”
“What about animals?”
Wei Changtian smiled: “Isn’t it a life? Including the pigs, cows, fish, and ducks you eat every day, aren’t they lives?”
“Do you feel guilty when you eat meat?”
“…”
Lu Jingyao fell silent, feeling that Wei Changtian’s words had some truth to them, but she couldn’t accept them no matter what. She could only mumble a sentence.
“Sophistry…”
“Think whatever you want.”
Wei Changtian calmly said, “I just want to tell you, in some people’s eyes, the weak are just animals.”
“…”
Lu Jingyao suddenly widened her eyes and murmured, “But, but it shouldn’t be like this…”
“Maybe it shouldn’t.”
Wei Changtian thought to himself that this woman had a lot of thoughts, but ultimately said one more sentence.
“But this is something that only the strong can decide. The weak, no matter how much they criticize or beg, are useless.”
“If you want to change the rules, you have to be able to defeat the ones who set them.”
…
The next day.
The sky had just brightened, and Wei Changtian, who had been fighting in his dreams all night, was woken up by the sound of a dog barking.
As soon as he opened his eyes, it was indeed Wei Qiaoling, the little girl.
“Big brother, big brother! Get up and tell stories!”
“Tell stories?”
Wei Changtian looked out the window at the sun that had just risen halfway, and laughed helplessly: “Qiaoling… I told you to come early, but not this early!”
“Ahh?”
Wei Qiaoling suddenly became unhappy, rolling around on the floor: “No, no! I want to hear the monkey’s story!”
Wei Changtian hurriedly persuaded her, “Listen, listen, big brother has something to do today. I’ll tell you the story when I come back this afternoon.”
Wei Qiaoling pouted and asked, “What could big brother have to do?”
“This…”
Wei Changtian suddenly stuttered.
You can’t say you’re going to continue embarrassing the Wei family, right?
But when he looked up and saw Qiuyun and Juan’er waiting at the door with a copper basin to help him wash up and change, he suddenly had an answer in his heart.
Perhaps he wanted to become stronger just to deal with Xiao Feng before.
But now…