Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

On the shimmering river, an elegant pleasure boat glides slowly forward. In the bow of the boat, Gu Changfeng and Ye Qingchen sit facing each other. On the table is a beautiful tea set, with hot water steaming in the kettle, and several plates of delicious-looking pastries are placed beside it.

Gu Changfeng gracefully lifted the teapot and gently poured the boiling tea into a cup. Instantly, the aroma of tea filled the entire boat. The two sat there quietly, savoring the fragrant tea and admiring the picturesque scenery around them.

Gu Changfeng occasionally glanced at Ye Qingchen beside him out of the corner of his eye. She was dressed in men's clothing, and her originally beautiful face, after simple makeup, had lost some of its stunning beauty. However, her calm and composed gaze and innate noble temperament were unmatched by others. Although she was not yet 15 years old, her every move exuded the demeanor of a big sister, as if she had everything under her control. Moreover, her ethereal气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance or aura) was like that of a fairy descended to earth, captivating all who beheld her.

At this moment, Gu Changfeng's heart was filled with sweetness and happiness, for the beautiful and charming woman before him was his beloved wife. However, immersed in happiness, he seemed completely unaware that he himself was also handsome and ethereal, with a beauty that was far beyond the reach of ordinary men.

The two men had been boating for a while when they realized their boat had stopped moving. Upon closer inspection, they discovered their boat had collided with a pleasure boat on the river. They hadn't actually collided, but the people on the other boat were cursing the two young men on their boat. Listening closely, they learned that these two boys had released a newly arrived girl a few days earlier. Apparently, the madam had lost 10 taels of silver and was going to cripple the two boys that very day. The two boys had run off to the riverbank to row boats for customers, and it seemed fate had brought them together again. Ye Qingchen felt the two boys had done nothing wrong, so she decided to intervene and save them. She glanced at Gu Changfeng, who, knowing she wanted to meddle, didn't stop her. Therefore, Ye Qingchen began to intervene, saying, "I understand what happened just now. These two young men were in the wrong!" The two boys were about to retort, but Gu Changfeng gently patted them, using his eyes to stop them from speaking further. At this moment, Ye Qingchen continued, "Since they let the people go, if you want to kill them, then just pretend they didn't exist. I'll compensate you with 10 taels of silver, so you won't lose money. Let's just call it even. Consider these two as me buying them. How about that?"

The madam, who had been hoping to get more money, saw Ye Qingchen throw ten taels of silver over, which landed perfectly on the pillar of her boat. The madam, a shrewd woman, knew better than to mess with such a powerful figure, so she immediately said, "Since this gentleman has said so, we'll let these two rascals go. Sir, they're yours now. We'll send someone to deliver their indentures tomorrow."

Ye Qingchen nodded and said, "Very well, then just send him to the inn we're going to. He's a guest at the Ya Ke Ju, a top-tier inn. You can send someone to the waiter. My brother and I are guests in Jinzhou, and it's fate that we met you, Madam. We had no intention of causing trouble here, so please keep your word, Madam!"

The madam quickly replied, "Of course! We're fortunate to have met Young Master Ye; it's always good to have more friends and more opportunities. Besides, these two wild boys are infuriating to me. I'll send someone over first thing tomorrow morning." With that, she had the boat moved aside and quickly rowed away.

Seeing this, the two young men immediately knelt on one knee at Ye Qingchen and Gu Changfeng's feet: "Thank you, Young Master Ye and Young Master Gu. We truly had nowhere else to go. Now that you two have become our masters, we will certainly serve you with utmost loyalty." Ye Qingchen found the two boys interesting; they looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old. He asked, "How old are you two? What are your names?" The older boy said, "My name is Han Zhi, I'm thirteen years old, and his name is Zhao Fei, also thirteen years old. We were both sold to her family's workshop as thugs when we were ten years old. We know some kung fu, but we've never harmed anyone!"

Ye Qingchen observed the two children with interest, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. He noticed that the thugs in this establishment began their brutal training from a very young age, only to be forced to work alongside experienced and ruthless adult thugs on missions, such as punishing new girls or dealing with customers who refused to pay. These two children, seemingly new to this despicable profession, still possessed a pure and kind heart, daring to let the poor girl go. In this respect, they were, at their core, decent children.

Thinking of this, Ye Qingchen suddenly realized that since he had already planned to travel by carriage, and now that he had these two children who could act as drivers, it would save him the trouble of finding more help. So, he smiled slightly and said gently, "Since you are so willing to stay and travel with us, then let's set off together! Let's go back to the inn first." After saying that, he turned and walked towards the carriage parked to the side. The two children exchanged a glance, their faces lit up with joy, and they quickly followed him.

The four reached the shore, and Han Zhi and Zhao Fei followed Gu Changfeng and Ye Qingchen back to the inn. Ye Qingchen had intended to book a room for them in the "Heavenly" tier as well, but it was full. They could only get a room in the "Human" tier, which wasn't a suite; you could see the bed as soon as you entered. The two children were still overjoyed. For dinner, the four ate downstairs. They ordered six dishes. Gu Changfeng and Ye Qingchen only had a few bites, while the two children ate the rest. It seemed their lives were far from comfortable. Ye Qingchen felt a pang of sympathy for the two children, so she left them two taels of silver to buy some clean clothes and shoes before going upstairs.

Han Zhi and Zhao Fei's eyes welled up with tears as they looked at the two taels of silver. It had been so long since they'd had a full meal, worn new clothes, or stayed in such a nice room. The two boys took the silver and went out. They bought a few sets of clean clothes, shoes, and socks. They didn't spend all the remaining money; they discussed buying their master a gift later. They didn't have much money now, but they would buy it when they had more. They weren't worried about not having enough now; there was plenty of time.