In the end, Henry Thompson drank three big bowls of noodle soup in a row, and even the tofu was eaten up completely. Only then did he let out a long, satisfied burp, his face full of happiness as he returned to the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and didn’t want to move at all. When people are full, they tend to get sleepy, and Henry Thompson was no exception. In the end, he actually fell asleep just like that.

When Henry Thompson woke up, the western window was already tinged with yellow, indicating that it was dusk. Having eaten and slept well, Henry Thompson felt much more energetic, his mind also becoming very sharp. Freed from the busy life of his previous existence, he now felt as if he had put down a huge burden, his whole body incomparably relaxed.

“I still need to think of a way to make some money, at least so that I and those tenant farmers like Uncle Foster won’t have to go hungry this winter.” At this moment, Henry Thompson suddenly muttered to himself. If he wanted to enjoy a leisurely life, money was definitely essential. Otherwise, what would he eat or wear? If he couldn’t even guarantee food and clothing, how could he enjoy anything at all?

Thinking of this, Henry Thompson immediately began to consider ways to make money. The first thing that came to mind was the information he had previously gotten from William Foster Sr.. If he could grow vegetables in the winter, he would definitely make a huge profit. However, to grow vegetables, he would have to build a greenhouse, which would require a considerable investment. But given his current situation, where could he find the money to build a greenhouse?

Chapter 4: Ways to Make Money

Money begets money—it’s always the easiest way. Starting from scratch is truly too difficult. After thinking for a long time, Henry Thompson finally decided to temporarily give up on the idea of building a greenhouse and instead come up with a way to make money that required little investment and yielded quick results. Once he had saved up some capital, it wouldn’t be too late to build a greenhouse.

However, although Henry Thompson had over a thousand years more knowledge than people of the Tang Dynasty, it still wasn’t easy to come up with a nearly zero-investment way to make money in a short time. So he lay in bed for a long while, coming up with many ideas, but none of them suited his current situation. In the end, he became a bit frustrated, simply got up from bed, and decided to go outside for a walk to clear his mind. Maybe he’d come up with a good idea that way.

At dusk, the mountains behind the courtyard undulated like a winding golden dragon under the setting sun. In front of him was a gently flowing stream, with a few non-migratory waterbirds playing on the shimmering surface. As Henry Thompson approached, the waterbirds were startled, their wings beating rapidly against the water before finally flying up into the sky toward the sunset, perfectly illustrating the saying, “The setting sun and the solitary duck fly together; autumn waters share a single color with the vast sky.”

Admiring this rare beauty that was hard to find in later generations, Henry Thompson couldn’t help but walk with a lighter step. Unconsciously, he arrived at the riverbank, crossed to the other side on a small bridge made of a few logs, and found himself beside dozens of acres of farmland belonging to Henry Thompson. All of it was top-quality land, yielding a good harvest every year. Unfortunately, the past few years had been tough, with natural disasters and man-made calamities one after another, making life difficult for both Henry Thompson and the tenant farmers.

After crossing the small bridge, there was a winding path through the fields, at the end of which lay the Thompson Manor where tenant farmers like William Foster Sr. lived. It was dinnertime, and the few households in the village were all sending up wisps of cooking smoke. Seeing this, Henry Thompson suddenly had an idea—he wanted to see with his own eyes what people like William Foster Sr., those at the very bottom of Tang society, usually ate.

As soon as this thought appeared in Henry Thompson’s mind, it grew wildly like weeds. But it didn’t seem right to visit empty-handed, so Henry Thompson turned back home, picked up the grass carp he had caught today, and then went to the village to find the home of William Foster Sr. from his memory.

It was a small courtyard, surrounded by a fence serving as the wall, with a simple wooden frame for a gate and a movable section of the fence acting as the door. There were only three thatched huts in the yard, with a shed on the left serving as the kitchen. Standing outside, Henry Thompson could see William Foster Sr. and his wife cooking in the kitchen, while three children played in the yard—the oldest about eleven or twelve, the youngest only three or four. According to Henry Thompson, William Foster Sr. originally had two more sons, both older than Henry Thompson, but they had died on the battlefield a few years ago. This was very common in the early Tang period; almost every family had lost someone to war.

“Uncle Foster!” Henry Thompson called out from outside the gate.

“Oh, master, what brings you here?” William Foster Sr. saw Henry Thompson at the gate, quickly put down the firewood in his hands, and came out to greet him warmly, enthusiastically inviting Henry Thompson into the yard. By contrast, William Foster Sr.’s wife and children seemed a bit nervous when they saw Henry Thompson, especially the oldest girl, who quickly picked up her younger brother and ran into the house.

“Uncle Foster, thank you for bringing me grain today. I happened to catch a fish, so I brought it for you!” Henry Thompson said with a smile, handing over the fish.

“Master, you’re too kind—there’s no need to bring fish when you come to my place.” Although William Foster Sr. declined verbally, he was beaming with joy, because Henry Thompson bringing a gift showed how much he valued him. So after saying this, he didn’t refuse, took the grass carp, and handed it to his wife, saying, “Go, cook the fish, and have Sunü fetch some wine. I’ll have a drink with the master…”