Song Chu: Dad, if you don't work hard, how can I just lie down and relax?

Chapter 1, Year 6 of Xiande

In the summer of the sixth year of Xiande in the Later Zhou Dynasty, the brilliant ruler Chai Rong died young. The entire city of Bianliang was draped in mourning, and the sky above the city seemed to be weighed down by an unyielding dark cloud.

But life had to go on as usual. The Bianhe Wharf was still crowded with boats, and porters were shouting as they carried goods. Not far away, a young man and a boy were selling things in a very novel way. The boy was about eleven or twelve years old, and the boy was about thirty. The boy's voice was loud and clear:

"Thank you all for coming. Some of you here know us, and some don't."

The older one said, "Can you introduce me to someone?"

My name is Wang Lu.

"Yes, it's him."

"This is my father, Wang Xiaolu."

The middle-aged man gave the younger one a push: "Does anyone have a generational system that works backwards?"

Everyone burst into laughter, finding this amusing approach quite novel and something they had never seen before.

"I misspoke, I misspoke. His name is Wang Jun. We are a father and son. We've just arrived in this esteemed place and we're here to sell this." Wang Lu took out a bottle.

"What is this?"

"This is the Vajra Power Pill, which my father made using a secret method after studying under the master Chen Tuan of Mount Hua for many years."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"After taking this pill, going uphill will be effortless, going downhill will not make you tremble, and if your father takes it, your mother will not complain, and your child will not cry. Take one pill, and your back will not ache, and you will be able to cross mountains and ridges, travel through prefectures and cities, and walk three hundred miles in one breath without feeling tired."

"Come and take a look! Whether you're from the south or the north, going to the market or browsing the shops, don't miss our Vajra Power Pills! Buy them here and take them right away. They'll take effect in no time. They're twenty coins a pill. My son and I are standing right here. If they don't work for you..."

"What's wrong?"

"You slap my father across the face."

"Why don't I hit you?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Give me one."

"I'll have one too."

"I want one too."

The father and son had been selling these "power pills" for quite some time, and as soon as they finished speaking, a group of regular customers began to line up to buy them.

"Does this stuff really work?" a new customer asked a regular customer.

"It works! Try one and you'll see."

"Does this pill treat colds?" Suddenly, a man burst into the crowd, his clothes embroidered with dragons and phoenixes and accompanied by his henchmen. Without even introducing himself, one could tell he was a scoundrel. He asked.

"It works immediately after taking it," Wang Lu replied.

"If this doesn't work, I'll slap you across the face."

"If hitting my dad doesn't work, then go ahead and slap him across the face."

Wang Jun: "…………"

A familiar customer behind him spoke up: "Zhang Er, Master Wang and his son are guests of Master Pan. Master Pan has guaranteed the efficacy of this medicine. If you want to cause trouble, you'd better think it over carefully."

The rogue was taken aback for a moment, then immediately laughed and chewed the newly bought "power pill" into his stomach. Without waiting for it to take effect, he shouted, "Hmm! Not bad, good medicine, it really works!"

………………

The father and son sold "miracle pills" until noon. When the customers dwindled, they moved to another spot, banging drums and gongs and performing a short crosstalk routine. They kept selling as long as people bought them.

They finally sold all two hundred-plus "power pills" they had brought with them, earning four or five strings of cash, equivalent to two months' wages for an ordinary dockworker.

Wang Jun strung the money together with a rope, wrapped it heavily around his waist, and covered it completely with a cloth shirt. Then he picked up a horizontal sword, nearly five feet long including the hilt, put it in its sheath, and used it as a walking stick.

Wang Lu also carried a bow and arrow, with the arrow nocked on the bowstring, looking as if he might shoot someone at any moment. He walked home with a smile.

"Dad, be careful. You don't know how to use a knife at all. Don't hurt your hand."

"You talk as if you know how to use a bow. We're both time travelers, father and son, so neither of us should criticize the other."

"Tsk, really, I've already transmigrated, so I should be a protagonist, without a system, but with a dad."

"What, am I, your father, a burden to you, the protagonist?"

"How could that be? Dad, you're way more capable than the system. You exchanged a watch for twenty strings of cash, got some ferrous sulfate and made dilute sulfuric acid, and then used the dilute sulfuric acid and ephedra to make ephedrine to sell as a powerful remedy. The system isn't as good as you."

"Hmph, when I was young, I was a worker in a state-owned chemical plant. In my life, I've been a leader, been laid off, made a fortune, and gone bankrupt. I can do any job that comes my way."

Unlike your generation, who are completely lazy and ignorant, you've learned a ton of random knowledge, but it's utterly useless when it comes to actually doing anything.

"Yes, yes, Dad, you're really amazing. I'm just a useless scholar, okay? But Dad, won't this medicine be addictive or harmful to the body? Ephedrine is a raw material for making ice, right? Why do I feel like the effects of this stuff are also like ice?"

"Don't worry about it. Unless someone eats our miracle pills every day, nothing bad will happen."

The father and son walked home chatting and laughing. They lived in a row of mud houses in Tongjifang. The place was very close to the dock, and the air was filled with the smell of water, firewood smoke, and musty grain, as well as the faint aroma of fermented grains wafting from the small tavern at the entrance of the neighborhood.

As soon as the two entered the neighborhood, they greeted the porters resting by the roadside, but their eyes were fixed on Pan Wulang, who was sitting in the street. He was the most influential leader of the wandering knights in Tongji Neighborhood, and the father and son had rented his house and paid him extra money as protection money.

He did indeed protect you after collecting protection money; the father and son were able to do business peacefully in Tongjifang thanks to his reputation.

Pan Wulang, who was nearly two meters tall, was enjoying the coolness of a bronze ice pot under the shade of a tree. Upon seeing the father and son return, he acted quite differently than usual.

He quickly put down the bronze incense burner, stood up, and greeted them with a smile, "Taoist Master, young master, you're back early today. Did you sell out of the miracle pills?"

"Yes, they were all sold out early. We have to thank Fifth Master for his help. Fifth Master, this is some braised meat and sesame cakes that we just bought from Xiama Market. Fifth Master, please have a taste."

"Don't call me Fifth Master. If you think highly of me, just call me Fifth Brother. We're brothers, isn't that too formal?"

Wang Jun smiled and handed him the bag of dates he had bought in his other hand, saying:

"Fifth Master, I bought this on a whim. Could you please share it with the brothers in the neighborhood later? Also, this money, which I sold today, is about five strings of cash. Could you please exchange it for gold, silver, or other easily portable items?"

"Look at you, still calling me Fifth Master? Am I, Pan Wulang, not worthy to be your friend, Master Wang? I'm getting angry!"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare."

Pan Wulang reached out and ruffled Wang Lu's hair: "With this bow in hand, Dalang is becoming more and more like a little adult."

"Thanks to my fifth uncle's help, he found me this bow. My father often tells me that my fifth uncle is the kindest person to us in Kaifeng, just like his own family. We were really lucky to meet him."

Pan Wulang laughed heartily upon hearing this, and then casually remarked, "By the way, that thing you sold me before, the watch, I charged you twenty strings of cash, right?"

"Yes, my son and I also used this money to rent your room."

"Well, I won't lie to you, I sold your watch again, for a full three hundred strings of cash. I can't take such a big advantage of you, so we'll split it 50/50. One hundred and fifty strings have already been exchanged for silver coins and are in your room."

However, recently silver has been expensive while copper coins have been cheap; 150 strings of cash were only exchanged for less than 100 taels.

Fifth Master.

"I already told you to call me Fifth Brother. Are you trying to force me to turn against you today, you Taoist priest?" Pan Wu suddenly flew into a rage.

"This... Fifth Brother, that doesn't make sense. We've already sold the goods to you. How much you can resell them for is your business. How can you possibly take a share of our money?"

"Alright, you're too much trouble. People in the martial world should prioritize loyalty. I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm leaving."

After saying that, Pan Wu turned and left, leaving Wang Jun completely bewildered, not knowing what had happened.

This person is usually kind and gentle, but this level of politeness is clearly unusual.

Fifth Uncle.

Wang Lu suddenly called out to him, "Fifth Uncle, could you tell us who has such a big spender to buy our watches?"

"Hehe, the one who bought your watch is Han Tong, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, both cavalry and infantry, also known as Grand Commandant Han."

The Grand Commandant was overjoyed to receive this rare object that could accurately tell the time, and he inquired about its origin several times.

The father and son were taken aback and exchanged a glance. Wang Jun didn't seem to notice anything, but he saw that Wang Lu's expression had clearly turned ugly.

"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this Commandant Han?" Wang Jun asked in a low voice.

"During the Chenqiao Mutiny, Zhao Kuangyin did not harm the entire city of Kaifeng except for Han Tong, whose entire family was slaughtered. Han Tong was Zhao Kuangyin's mortal enemy and almost killed Zhao Kuangyin's whole family."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jun's face turned pale instantly.

"We...we only sold him a watch, and it was Pan Wu who sold it to us. That doesn't count as getting involved with him, right? He's a Grand Commandant, he shouldn't...pay any attention to us, father and son, right?"

"I suppose so. Hopefully, this Grand Commandant Han won't really bother with two insignificant people like us."