While others transmigrate and become princes, Zhao Bozhu transmigrates and gets a leaky shack and forty-three taels of loan-shark debt.
A top modern construction contractor, Zhao Bozhu only sneers: “That's what you call putting up the capital to get a project started!”
His mother-in-law pressures him to break off the engagement? His rivals cut off his paper supply? The Minister of Works uses regulations to bully him?
No panic. Watch me bring out the abacus! Presales and crowdfunding, price wars to tie up capital, calculating gradients to build waterworks...
The entire court is going mad: “We told you to marry into the imperial family, and you're setting up nationwide infrastructure tenders?!”
The empress's secret agent whispers, “Young master, just say the word, and this realm...”
Zhao Bozhu cuts her off: “Stop! Don't talk about the realm. First pay me the 110,000 taels you still owe for the bridge project!”
The next day, another group arrives. They say they're from the capital, and they're carrying a marriage contract too.
The bride's column on that contract bears two names he doesn't recognize.
And his mother's name is signed on the earlier contract.
A Northeastern flavor