Chapter 10, all things are of inferior quality

The intense impact caused a wave of heat to rise within Sun Dan, and through this one sentence from Zhang Zhixian, he seemed to glimpse a future of luxury and abundance.

What happened

However, this is the Ming Dynasty, an ancient era filled with a large number of illiterates. Even during the prosperous and strong Zhengde period, in a China with a population of 100 million, the literacy rate was only about 1%. Take Zouping, where Sun Dan resides, for example; the entire Zouping has a population of 30,000, making it a well-known county in Shandong. If you count on your fingers, there are only about 300 to 400 people who can read and write.

Yet, despite this, Zhi Niang still felt very uneasy. After returning home, she said she wanted to cook for Sun Dan, but as soon as she sat in front of the stove, she propped her chin up and stared blankly at the blazing fire.

Moreover, the status of ancient merchants was not high. The so-called four classes of society—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—ranked merchants at the bottom. Even if you were as wealthy as a nation, a mere county magistrate could find an excuse to confiscate your property and annihilate your family

For a modern individual, reading is not a peculiar matter. From the day a person is born, by the time they reach two years of age, they are required to enter kindergarten to learn the most basic cultural knowledge. This is followed by nine years of compulsory education. As an ordinary citizen, even if one does not wish to, the law compels them to pursue education. Without a university diploma, decent employment is essentially out of reach.

A person with dignity is one who truly lives a happy life

All things are of low quality; only reading is esteemed highly

Indeed, Sun Dan's mindset was still dark to such an extent. He suddenly realized that although he was currently in a dire situation, as long as he achieved success and entered the system, he could meet officials without bowing, and could transform himself into a respected figure.

The governmental structure of the Ming Dynasty was quite simple, with just over one thousand counties throughout China. This means that only a little over one thousand individuals could hold the position of county magistrate. Take Zouping County as an example; although a county magistrate was merely a seventh-rank official, in the eyes of forty thousand commoners, he represented the imperial court and was regarded as a high and mighty lord. He could order a person to be punished without hesitation, demand kneeling, and one would not dare to stand. The taste of such power, which could determine the life of an ordinary commoner, is not something a modern billionaire could ever experience.

The water has boiled; it's time to add the rice. Sun Dan finally couldn't hold back and coughed softly to remind Zhi Niang

After all, she is a young girl. Although she appears very strong on the surface, she is actually quite fragile. Sun Dan felt a pang of compassion in his heart. Even though Zhi Niang was not his preferred type, and despite his strong aversion to the feudal marriage with Tu Shu, he could not help but be moved by Zhi Niang's kindness towards him. He sighed and, while walking, comforted the young woman, eventually managing to calm her down after a long while.

Speaking of educational attainment, I am at least a university student. In the era of widespread illiteracy during the Ming Dynasty, I would undoubtedly be considered among the elite.

Upon exiting the yamen, the citizens who had previously gathered to watch the commotion had long since dispersed, leaving only Zhi Niang standing there, waiting. Perhaps she had been waiting for a while, as the young girl appeared quite anxious. Upon seeing Sun Danwan emerge unscathed, her eyes reddened, and she hurried over, examining her fiancé from head to toe, whispering, "Are you alright"

Sun Dan was in high spirits, not responding, with a smile at the corners of his mouth, slowly walking forward

I am also a university student, and I am literate. During the Ming Dynasty, I could be considered a first-rate intellectual, akin to a scholar.

There is no rice left... Tears finally fell from Zhi Niang's eyes: "Sun Lang... I, I am sorry for you. Our family is so poor. I know that since you hit your head, you haven't eaten much. Fortunately, I just finished spinning a bolt of cloth last night. I will take it to sell and buy some rice to cook. The cloth shop owner rents my father's shop, and for the sake of my father and the bookkeeper, I will plead with him to see if he can give me a little more pay..." The cloth shop owner rents my father's shop, and for the sake of my father and the bookkeeper, I will plead with him to see if he can give me a little more pay...

He has also considered what he wants to do in the future. Originally, engaging in business is a very good choice. As the saying goes, "No business, no wealth." As long as one has money, it can lead to a complete transformation of one's life.

Ah, I almost forgot! The branch daughter suddenly woke up from her sleepwalking, rubbed her eyes, and reached into the rice jar, but her hand did not come out for a long time.

The future is so clear; once the right path is found, one should walk down it with determination

Reading, the imperial examination, and officialdom! These three glittering goals lie ahead, seemingly distant yet within reach.

This statement held even greater practical significance during the Ming Dynasty

In a certain sense, these three to four hundred individuals represent the elite class of the entire Zouping.

"Sun Lang, are you really okay?" The young girl was so anxious that tears were about to fall. She hurriedly followed him with small steps, murmuring as she walked behind, "This is terrible, you pretended to be someone from the Huichang Marquis's family... If this gets out, what will we do... Sun Lang, no matter how difficult it is, you shouldn't have come to this point! The Huichang Marquis is a person of great importance; how could you deceive them... This is the end, this is the end." Sun Lang, no matter how difficult it is, you shouldn't have come to this point! The Huichang Marquis is a person of great importance; how could you deceive them... This is the end, this is the end.

Sun Dan saw that she was truly frightened, and helplessly stood still, spreading his hands and saying: "I am indeed a collateral descendant of the Sun family of Changhou. I, Sun Dan, am not someone who randomly claims ancestry, so you can rest assured."

In the past, seeing the family in such poverty, Sun Dan had also contemplated what she would do next. One must always strive to survive, regardless of the difficulties encountered; it is essential not to blame fate or others, nor to succumb to despair.

Having encountered such an absurd event as time travel, what else could possibly defeat him

Sun Dan was originally a civil servant. Although his experience in the workplace was dismal, he had nonetheless witnessed the authority of the leaders. A man cannot be without power for a single day; only by having experienced the wonders of power can one truly appreciate the beauty of that landscape.

At this point, Zhi Niang suddenly realized that this shop used to belong to Sun Dan. Aware that she had misspoken, Zhi Niang lowered her head and said, "I am sorry"

However, there are two issues here. First, he lacks business experience. To put it simply, his life trajectory has been very straightforward; he has been studying in school since childhood, and after graduating from university, he did not enter the workforce but directly took the civil service examination. Subsequently, he joined a government agency and became an ordinary clerk. The deceit and intrigue of the business world are beyond his imagination, and he has never been exposed to it. If he wishes to learn about business from scratch now, he is likely to suffer significant losses. Second, he lacks capital; his family is already so poor that they are reduced to eating wild vegetable porridge. Even if he, Sun Dan, is willing to set up a stall on the street, he probably wouldn't even be able to afford the cost of goods.

The room where Sun Dan and Zhi Niang live is very dilapidated and small, lacking a separate kitchen. Cooking and sleeping are done in the same space, making it cramped and dirty, and the confinement is suffocating.

You..." The branch lady stamped her foot: "It's already like this, and you still speak carelessly. It's just two taels of silver, at most we can go ask father again. You cannot resort to such a desperate measure.

In the feudal society, engaging in commerce was not considered a good choice. Moreover, having traversed to the Ming Dynasty with great difficulty, if one were to merely content oneself with becoming a wealthy man, amassing a fortune in silver, marrying seventeen or eighteen wives, and having a large number of children, only to become so overweight that one gasps for breath after every step, such a life would be rather dull and not in line with Sun Dan's life goals

Therefore, there is only one path that truly suits Sun Dan's taste—becoming an official

Examinations, from childhood to adulthood, have I not participated in many examinations?

Sun Dan did not notice Zhi Niang's unusual behavior; he was currently in a state of excitement, lying directly on his bed to ponder his thoughts as soon as he got home. After a while, he finally realized that the atmosphere in the room was somewhat off.

The fire in the stove blazed vigorously, and the water in the pot had also boiled. The steam rose in a haze, mingling with the cooking smoke, making it somewhat uncomfortable for people.