Su Ming and Zhao Rui walked along the cobblestone-paved street.

The book stall and that aloof youth named Xu Qing faded into the distance with the flow of people.

Zhao Rui remained somewhat absent-minded, like a puppet whose soul had been extracted, mechanically following Su Ming’s footsteps.

Two sentences echoed repeatedly in his mind.

One was what Xu Qing had said: “Some were handwritten by classmates from the County School who had nowhere to sell them, so they consigned them at my father’s stall.”

The other was what Su Ming had said: “Studying isn’t just for examinations.”

Students from the County School actually needed to copy books to earn a few coins?

Studying wasn’t just for examinations? Then what was it for? Zhao Rui’s worldview had been completely overturned and thrown into chaos by these two statements.

“Good job, disciple.” Lin Yu’s lazy voice broke the tranquility in Su Ming’s mind, “The initial interpersonal anchor point has been established. That kid named Xu Qing is a potential stock worth long-term investment.”

Su Ming mentally acknowledged with an “mm” sound, his footsteps never pausing.

“But…” Lin Yu’s tone shifted, “Establishing external connections alone isn’t enough. Fortresses are most easily breached from within. Our ‘base area’ also needs proper maintenance.”

“Base area?” Su Ming was somewhat puzzled.

“Your home, and your Teacher Zhou.” Lin Yu’s voice carried a calculating tone, “Whose effort made it possible for you to come to the County School for registration today?”

“Teacher Zhou.” Su Ming immediately answered.

“Exactly. How much travel money do you have left after saving on accommodation and meals this time?” Lin Yu guided patiently.

Su Ming quietly touched the money pouch in his robe and calculated mentally: “Ninety coins spent on books, eight hundred fifty coins remaining.”

“Over eight hundred coins! A fortune!” Lin Yu’s voice exclaimed exaggeratedly, then turned serious again, “But, disciple, money is just lumps of copper when held in your hand. Spending it wisely, on what truly matters, and next time you come to Qingshi Town, you’ll probably have received the first payment from papermaking!”

Lin Yu’s internal monologue was quite different: “Oh my, my little ancestor, I can’t sleep peacefully with over eight hundred coins on you. What if you get robbed on the road, or you get hot-headed and pick a fight? Who would I complain to then? Quickly convert it into ‘fixed assets,’ and specifically ‘human relationship assets’ that generate long-term benefits—this is the safest investment!”

Su Ming stopped walking, glanced back at the still dazed Zhao Rui, and pulled him under a relatively quiet eave by the street.

“Master, what do you mean?”

“I mean we need to go shopping.” Lin Yu’s voice carried an air of strategic command, “This is called ‘human relationship investment,’ an extremely important aspect of the ‘Way of Survival.’ Spend small money to accomplish big things, use minimal cost to maintain the most crucial relationship network, ensuring you live comfortably and securely in the village—this is more important than anything!”

“Then… what should we buy?” Su Ming was completely clueless about these matters.

“Follow my instructions.” Lin Yu cleared his throat and began issuing orders.

“First, Teacher Zhou. He’s your guide into the scholarly world and a major support for your future in the village. We can’t neglect him. Go to a pastry shop and buy a respectable box of pastries. Then go to a general store and buy two liang of leaf tea. Nothing too expensive, just enough to show sincerity. This is called ‘respecting teachers and valuing principles.'”

“Second, your father. He enjoys his pipe tobacco. Go to a tobacco shop and buy him a pack of the best tobacco shreds. Let him show off to his old friends while smoking, saying ‘My third son bought this for me in town.’ This is called ‘filial piety,’ and it will make him more determined to support you.”

“Third, your mother and your eldest sister-in-law. Women are the most practical. Go to a cloth shop and buy two chi of durable blue cloth, dark-colored and stain-resistant. Let your mother make an apron or your sister-in-law sew sleeve covers—both would be good. This is called ‘thoughtfulness.'”

“Fourth, your eldest brother. As head of the household, he carries great pressure. Let’s buy something substantial—go to the butcher and get two jin of pork belly, so he can satisfy his cravings and add some richness to his meals.”

“Finally, your second brother.” Lin Yu’s voice paused, taking on a solemn tone, “He was willing to risk his life for you—that’s life-and-death friendship. Ordinary gifts would seem distant. You need to be thoughtful. I noticed the blade of his firewood knife is chipped. Go to the blacksmith and buy him a high-quality whetstone. Tell him that good steel should be used for the blade’s edge—a sharpened knife makes chopping wood and hunting easier and safer.”

After Lin Yu finished speaking, Su Ming’s mind had already painted vivid pictures.

His father holding new tobacco shreds, showing a rare smile in the sunset. His mother and sister-in-law holding new fabric, complaining about wasting money but with joy shining in their eyes. His eldest and second brothers eating delicious pork belly, their mouths glistening with oil.

That weight felt much heavier than the nine hundred coins themselves.

“Alright, Master, I’ve remembered everything.” Su Ming nodded firmly.

He turned and saw Zhao Rui staring at him blankly.

“Zhao Rui, I need to buy some things for my family. What about you?” Su Ming initiated the conversation.

“I…” Zhao Rui opened his mouth, his face showing confusion and embarrassment, “My… my father doesn’t lack anything…”

“Your father is the Village Chief, so naturally he lacks nothing. But what you bring back yourself is different from what your father buys, isn’t it?” Su Ming imitated Lin Yu’s tone, speaking a rather philosophical sentence.

Zhao Rui was struck speechless by these words, his face turning red as he lowered his head.

“Come on, let’s go look together.” Su Ming didn’t say more, pulling him toward the bustling East Market of the town.

The East Market was filled with noisy crowds—hawkers’ cries, bargaining voices, and children’s laughter mingling together, creating a vibrant atmosphere of daily life.

This lively energy helped Zhao Rui regain some awareness.

Following Lin Yu’s instructions, Su Ming first found a pastry shop.

The shop assistant glanced at two boys in coarse clothing and barely lifted his eyelids.

“What do you want?”

“Excuse me, I’d like to look at the hibiscus cakes over there.” Su Ming pointed to an exquisitely packaged box of pastries on the counter.

The assistant glanced sideways at him: “Thirty coins per box, no bargaining.”

“Disciple, don’t buy that.” Lin Yu’s voice interjected, “Flashy but impractical, good-looking but not tasty. Ask if they have freshly baked date paste cakes, wrapped in oil paper instead. Affordable, generous portions, and good flavor. We’re giving gifts, not packaging.”

Su Ming followed the advice: “Shopkeeper, do you have loose date paste cakes? Freshly baked ones.”

The assistant finally looked properly at Su Ming. Seeing he spoke clearly, unlike ordinary village children, his attitude improved slightly: “Yes, ten coins per jin. How much do you want?”

“Two jin.”

The assistant quickly wrapped two large packages in oil paper and handed them over. Su Ming paid twenty coins and carefully placed the pastries in his cloth bag.

Zhao Rui watched from the side, his expression complex. When he previously came to town, his mother always bought him the most expensive hibiscus cakes, which he’d reluctantly nibble at.

Next came the tea shop, tobacco shop, and butcher shop.

At each stop, Su Ming first listened to Lin Yu’s analysis in his mind, then spoke calmly. He didn’t say much, but always asked pertinent questions, neither showing timidity nor appearing like an easy target.

When buying meat, he specifically asked the butcher to select good pork belly with balanced fat and lean portions, and sweetly complimented, “Master, your knife skills are really sharp!” The butcher, pleased, even threw in a small piece of bone marrow.

Zhao Rui followed behind like a shadow. Watching Su Ming skillfully interact with various shop owners, his heart felt like a mixed spice jar had been overturned.

He realized he had never truly known this village boy before.

The Su Ming he previously saw was just a quiet, somewhat stubborn bookworm.

But today, he witnessed Su Ming’s principled arguments at Wenbao Zhai’s entrance, his respect for poor scholars like Xu Qing, and now his shrewdness and attentiveness while shopping for his family.

There was something about him that Zhao Rui couldn’t quite describe—a seriousness and engagement with life.

Finally, they arrived at the cloth shop.

The shop owner was a shrewd woman with darting eyes who enthusiastically approached when she saw Su Ming and Zhao Rui.

“Young gentlemen, what fabric would you like? For your mothers or sisters?”

“Shopkeeper, I’d like to look at that blue homespun cloth, the durable kind.” Su Ming said.

The woman immediately guided them to a row of fabrics: “Young sir has good taste. This blue cloth is most wear-resistant, perfect for fieldwork. Fifteen coins per chi.”

“Fifteen coins?” Su Ming frowned—this was higher than he expected.

“Disciple, watch her eyes.” Lin Yu reminded, “Her pupils are darting around—the price is inflated. This cloth is twelve coins at most. Bargain with her!”

Su Ming took a deep breath, imitating how his father usually shopped. He reached out to touch the fabric, then examined it against the light.

“Shopkeeper, your fabric is good, but the color… is too dark. We farming folks aren’t too particular, actually. If it were ten coins per chi, I’d take three chi.”

“Oh dear, young sir, you drive too hard a bargain!” the woman exclaimed, “I’d lose money at ten coins! Fourteen coins at most!”

“I just came from the butcher—the best pork belly was only fifteen coins per jin.” Su Ming said unhurriedly, “Your fabric shouldn’t be more expensive than meat, should it? Eleven coins, that’s my final offer. I’ll buy from you if you agree.”

Zhao Rui watched in stunned silence.

He had never imagined shopping could involve such back-and-forth negotiation.

Seeing Su Ming’s “take it or I’ll leave” attitude, and glancing at Zhao Rui who clearly came from a wealthy family, the woman gritted her teeth: “Alright, alright, you win! Twelve coins, my lowest! Consider it making friends with you, young sir!”

“Deal.” Su Ming promptly took out his copper coins.

Three chi of fabric cost thirty-six coins.

Leaving the cloth shop, Su Ming felt sweat on his back.

“Master, I…”

“Excellent work!” Lin Yu praised generously, “Reminds me of my younger days! Remember, when navigating the world, the ‘Way of Survival’ means not spending an extra coin where you should save, and not blinking at spending a hundred taels where you should spend. This is using good steel for the blade’s edge!”

Su Ming exhaled deeply, feeling he had learned another valuable skill.

They finally found a blacksmith shop at a street corner.

The “clang-clang” of hammering and the wave of heat made Zhao Rui instinctively step back.

But Su Ming walked in.

A bare-chested muscular man was hammering a piece of red-hot iron, sparks flying everywhere.

“Master, pardon the interruption.” Su Ming spoke only after the man finished a strike, “I’d like to buy a whetstone.”

The blacksmith set down his hammer, wiped sweat with a cloth hanging around his neck, and asked in a deep voice: “For what kind of knife?”

“A firewood knife, and a skinning knife for hunting.”

The blacksmith glanced at Su Ming, then picked a grayish-blue rectangular stone from a pile in the corner: “This one, blue sandstone. Fine texture, produces slurry quickly, sharpens blades to be sharp and durable. Fifty coins, fixed price.”

Su Ming picked up the whetstone—it felt heavy in his hand, with a smooth surface and detectable fine granular texture.

“Disciple, this is the one.” Lin Yu said, “This blacksmith is honest—he didn’t overcharge. This stone will last your second brother ten years.”

“Good, I’ll take this one.” Su Ming paid and carefully wrapped the whetstone.

With this, the shopping was complete.

Su Ming calculated: pastries twenty coins, tea fifteen coins, tobacco shreds twenty coins, pork thirty coins, fabric thirty-six coins, whetstone fifty coins—total spent one hundred seventy-one coins.

The money pouch felt slightly lighter, but the cloth bag was stuffed full.

As they left the blacksmith shop, Zhao Rui suddenly stopped and said quietly: “Su Ming, you… wait for me a moment.”

Then, red-faced, he turned and ran back into the pastry shop they had visited earlier.

Moments later, he ran out carrying a box of hibiscus cakes exquisitely packaged in fine paper, his face showing unnatural embarrassment.

Su Ming looked at him and smiled.

Neither spoke further as they walked side by side toward the city gate.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long behind them.

“Disciple, how was today’s harvest?” Lin Yu’s voice carried a hint of laughter on their return journey.

“I learned a lot.” Su Ming said sincerely.

“Remember, we’re not spending money—we’re spending human connections, bonds.” Lin Yu summarized, “Every gift you give weaves a safety net for you in places you can’t see. It lets you study peacefully in the village, eases your parents’ worries, and deepens your brothers’ affection. This net is stronger than any armor. This is the essence of the ‘Way of Survival’—acting subtly, nourishing silently like spring rain.”

Su Ming tightened his grip on the cloth bag containing the gifts. That weight now felt incredibly solid and reassuring.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep