Chapter 2, Prosperous National Customs

Another slap on the head, and a not-so-friendly voice from the butler echoed above: "Put it down, there is no reason to take back something meant for someone else. It is against the rules! If you have taken the food, hurry up and get lost!"

Having lived two lifetimes, Li Su finally encountered a food crisis

The butler laughed heartily: "What a little rascal, you used to be so foolish that it made people want to hit you. But today, you seem a bit more agreeable. Speak up, what exactly are you doing at my house with all these antics?"

No amount of explanation is as effective as showing him directly, so the butler had no choice but to take Li Su to the outhouse of the Hu family, then frowned and glared at him with an unfriendly expression

The only tool available at home was a chipped firewood knife. Unable to afford an oil lamp, Li Su had no choice but to light a few pieces of firewood in the yard. By the flickering, dim red glow of the flames, he used the knife to scrape and carve the pieces of wood he had found, one by one. The red flames illuminated his young and tender face, and in his bright, star-like eyes, two flickering flames could be faintly seen dancing incessantly.

Li Su, being quite sensible, circumvented the main entrance and arrived at a small side door on the west side of the Hu residence, which was ajar. In front of the door stood a middle-aged man dressed in coarse linen, slowly sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground. Li Su squinted to observe him and felt a surge of joy in his heart, for he recognized this man as the steward of the Hu residence. He quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.

"You little rascal, are you quite awake?" With a gentle tap on Li Su's head, the butler praised her incessantly. Turning to look at the newly installed toilet, the butler's expression changed, seemingly tempted to relieve himself right then and there

In the yard quietly lies Li Su's masterpiece from last night, a collection of oddly sculpted objects whose purposes remain unknown

Having arrived in the Tang Dynasty for three days, Li Su gradually understood a principle

Find the restroom

The water tank was filled to the brim. Under the astonished gaze of the steward, Li Su gently pulled the handle, releasing the round stone that blocked the outlet, and the water flowed in a rush, washing the wooden post that served as a toilet.

Li Su : `` ... ... ''

Feeling a bit anxious, throughout the journey, Li Su's mind was constantly filled with the image of Ge You wearing a melon hat, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he would say in a sarcastic tone, "Even the landlord's family has no surplus grain..."

Theoretically speaking, at this time, it should be the father frowning and anxiously searching for rice to cook, while Li Su, this fifteen-year-old child, should be carefree, lying in bed and snoring.

Thank you, Uncle Xie, for your praise; your comfort is the joy of this young man

"Butler, as the saying goes, 'eating, drinking, and relieving oneself,' this one item of mine takes care of all your household's 'relieving' and 'discharging'..." Li Su softly explained

"Is there any grain in the house..." Li Su had no choice but to repeat it.

The center of the wooden stump has been hollowed out and placed directly over the pit. At the back, a wooden water tank is connected, and a leather tube made from sheepskin links the water tank and the wooden stump. A small round stone is used to block the water outlet in the water tank, while the other end is tied with hemp rope extending outside the water tank, connecting to a rudimentary wooden handle

How carefree... Li Su felt somewhat envious of her father

It is now evening, and the villagers go to bed early. The village is shrouded in darkness and silence, with only the occasional sound of a dog barking.

"Renovate your family's toilet, and from now on, using the toilet will be a pleasure for the Hu family..." Li Su began to advertise.

Li Su was not angry either. After experiencing a lot in the past few days, she realized that although the temperament of the men from Guanzhong was not good, there was still a sense of warmth and straightforwardness that shone through their fiery words. Li Su enjoyed interacting with such people, as it was not exhausting

Thank you, Uncle Butler. In that case, I will take the toilet back home first... Li Su's skill in burning bridges after crossing them is quite profound, and she immediately bent down to prepare to lift the toilet and leave

Feeling a slight stir in her heart, Li Su thought that perhaps she should take a closer look at the Tang Dynasty during the Zhenguan era. Under the rule of the Holy Son of Heaven, what kind of scene did it truly depict? A prosperous age may refer not only to national strength and military prowess, but more importantly, to the hearts of the people

The steward pointed at him and scolded with a smile: "The task is done, but the dough has become thin. If you don't say it, I will say it for you. The food at home must be finished, right? This year, due to natural disasters, the farmers have not harvested much grain. Counting the days, you should be coming soon. The master has already prepared food for you, and you can repay it when the harvest is good next year, or you can go to the west side of the farm this year to dig ditches and work off the debt. Your father and you count as one and a half laborers, but we cannot let the villagers starve; otherwise, we will be held accountable by the officials."

The taste is indeed unpleasant

Having not slept well for a night, Li Su is still growing. It is quite difficult to endure without a meal, feeling uncomfortable with an empty stomach. She got up several times in the middle of the night to drink cold water in order to suppress the overwhelming hunger.

... ...

"Pull" and "Scatter"? The butler finally realized how inappropriate it was to stick his head in here and hurriedly pulled his head out

Thus, Li Su decided to use a simple and effective method to address the issue of her stomach

Through a series of transactions, the Hu family quickly accumulated initial capital, and their business grew larger and larger. It is said that they have opened three shops in Chang'an City. Over the course of about ten years, they coincidentally encountered several natural disasters, resulting in nearly half of the land in Taiping Village being purchased by the Hu family. Many villagers thus inexplicably became tenants of the Hu family, including the Li Su family

Li Su suddenly realized that this toilet was in vain, reality is just so disheartening, originally intending to use this small invention to exchange for food, but it turned out to be completely unnecessary, even before she could visit, they had already prepared the food.

"Ah, whatever, go to the front yard and fetch three sheng of millet, then get lost," the steward waved his hand.

After scooping a ladle of water from the family water tank and drinking it down, her growling stomach was finally somewhat appeased, and then Li Su rolled up her sleeves and got to work

Hmm? Li Daozheng did not get up, he merely turned his head to glance at Li Suyi.

Li Su's destination after leaving the house was the Hu family.

Come find the restroom

In a family, if the father is unreliable, then the son must certainly be dependable

Ah? Now it was Li Su who was left dumbfounded

Using a hemp rope, Li Su tightly bound the pile of items and then carried them out the door

This time, Li Daozheng couldn't even be bothered to turn his head, dismissively waving his hand with his back turned to him, a standard gesture to shoo away flies, and then continued to sleep

"There is an urgent matter, there is an urgent matter!" Li Su said anxiously, "Steward, please do not be angry, there is indeed something important."

Tonight's hunger has become a foregone conclusion, Li Su sighed, groped her way out the door, and searched around outside the wooden gate. She found a few straight pieces of wood, a log about the thickness of her arms, two very smooth pebbles, and a small piece of sheepskin that had been stored for a long time

What? The butler was somewhat incredulous

Li Sujia is a peasant, simply put, a tenant farmer. Tenant farmers do not own land and can only work the land for the landowners, paying rent on time each year

Therefore, Li Su decided to become a reliable person

... ...

What a careless father, Li Su really wants to consult her predecessor about how he has survived these fifteen years

The broom swept down with the force of wind and thunder towards Li Su's head, causing Li Su's eyelids to twitch as he quickly dodged out of the way

Li Daozheng grunted again, continuing with his head facing inward and his back facing outward, mumbling: "Coward, if we go hungry for a meal, tomorrow I will borrow some grain from the Shi family..."

... ...

"Yes, you just need to sit on it, and after you are done, pull the handle next to you..." Li Su demonstrated, and after a while, the butler finally understood the purpose and method of the toilet, and his not-so-friendly expression gradually changed from gloomy to sunny.

If Hu the landlord truly looks like this, Li Su decided to give him the middle finger in front of him, as he surely would not understand its meaning

Li Su ignored him and began to display the masterpieces she had created over the past half evening one by one

What accounts for the seemingly warm and harmonious relationship between the wealthy gentry, traditionally seen as irreconcilable with the proletariat, during the Tang Dynasty, where they appeared more like a family than mere acquaintances?

Daylight has arrived, and Li Su rubs her sleepy eyes as she gets out of bed

With a delicate appearance reminiscent of a gentle breeze, Li Su Meng gazed at her father and said, "I am still just a child..."

Li Suxin felt somewhat comforted; even a stone lion could be so lewd, which showed how unwilling the Hu family was to distance themselves from the masses, and how approachable they were. The Hu family certainly did not follow a cold and glamorous path, and there was finally a glimmer of hope regarding the matter of grain production.

Li Su believes that she should be considered a smart person, as a smart person can always solve the most troublesome problems in the simplest and most effective way

The main entrance is not to be used by the commoners; this is a rule established between the classes. Unless the magistrate of Jingyang County pays a visit, ordinary people are not qualified to use the main entrance

What is this... the butler was increasingly astonished and couldn't help but stick his head into the wooden post, a rather frustrating action; after all, Li Su would never have the courage to put his head in there in his lifetime

A simplified version of a flush toilet from the Tang Dynasty was created in the hands of Li Su

The butler raised his eyes to look at him: "What brings the young master of the Li family here?"

Where there are tenants, there are naturally landlords. The family of Li Su and his son is surnamed Hu. It is said that their ancestors came to Taiping Village as refugees many years ago. Among this group of refugees, the ancestor of the Hu family was the most intelligent and also the most restless. After settling in Taiping Village, not only did they farm the land, but they also brought small items such as needles, threads, and hairpins from the city to sell in the village. When the villagers had no money to buy, they would barter with grain, which they would then sell in the city.

The current family atmosphere is quite abnormal

"You brat have no manners, running over here to find the restroom, I'll have your father beat you to death when you go back." The steward scolded Li Su while pointing at him.

Li Su's eyelid twitched, which is an ominous sign that his father is about to hit him

The butler was taken aback: "What enjoyment?"

Li Su rudely struck the empty ceramic pot in her hand, creating a clanging noise that quickly disrupted Li Daozheng's rhythmic snoring, which soon ceased, replaced by heavier breathing

"What is it? If you can't explain it clearly, I will take it upon myself to discipline you on behalf of your father," the butler said angrily

"Starve for a meal?" Li Su was not very satisfied with this answer

This is not right

Li Su scratched her head, smiling shyly

Li Daozheng lay on the bed fully clothed, with his head facing inward and his back facing outward, curling his body like a large shrimp, even emitting a snore that was neither too loud nor too soft

This is the helplessness of the poor; survival has become the greatest issue. Li Su lived a very affluent life in his previous existence, and he has never tasted what it feels like to be hungry

Li Daozheng got up earlier than Li Suqi, and there was no one to be found inside or outside the house, leaving one to wonder where they had gone

The Hu family residence is not far from Li Su, approximately two miles away. Although it is considered a prominent household in the village, the Hu residence appears only slightly more impressive than an ordinary peasant's home. At the entrance stand two stone lions, poorly crafted, small and grotesque, cowering on either side of the main gate, lacking any majesty, even less imposing than the local guard dog.

Thus, Li Su hurriedly said: "Father, the family has run out of grain"