Paper made from bamboo cannot be stored for as long as Xuan paper, but it can be stored for about seven or eight years. If it is well preserved, it can be stored for more than ten years. As for Xuan paper, it can be said that if it is well preserved, it can be preserved forever. This is why Tong Wenyao said that bamboo paper is slightly worse than Xuan paper. This is also the difference in preservation.

However, if the second brother's purchase price is 100 wen, then he is thinking that the price is similar to that of hemp paper. If so, scholars can also buy bamboo paper, which will not smudge when used, and the price of hemp paper can be comparable to that of rice paper, which is very cost-effective.

Because of this, the price of paper in the market will be depressed, and I don’t know whether my second brother can withstand the resistance from other bookstores.

Tong Bo had been away for the past few days, dealing with this very matter. Even before the soft, comfortable, snow-white paper was even put on the shelves, Tong Bo had already started warming up. He first went to the storyteller at the teahouse and told him that Xing'an Bookstore would be selling bamboo paper soon, and the price was about the same as hemp paper! But unlike hemp paper, which had a smudged and rough texture, bamboo paper was like rice paper, white as snow and with a fine texture.

Teahouses are a popular place for scholars, and after the information was publicized here, it soon became known to all the scholars in Yuguan County. Those who were more proactive went directly to ask the owner of Xing'an Bookstore. After getting the date, they went back and planned to come early that morning to see whether the price of bamboo paper was the same as hemp paper as they said.

He was also thinking that if bamboo paper and hemp paper were similar in price, but bamboo paper was better than hemp paper, then he would definitely buy bamboo paper!

Tong Bo stood at the window on the second floor and looked down. At this time, a group of scholars had gathered at the door early. They all came here to see whether bamboo paper was as cheap as hemp paper and whether it was easy to use.

The ox cart from Changjiang Village also arrived at the back door of Xing'an Bookstore at this time. Shopkeeper Sun had been waiting there for a long time. When he saw that the oilcloth was covered with high-quality paper, he was very happy. The owner was very kind. Such good paper was only priced the same as hemp paper.

But thinking that if this happened, scholars everywhere would be able to buy high-quality paper, he couldn't help but admire the owner's ability to withstand such overwhelming wealth. He randomly pulled out a piece of paper, checked the quality, and found it was perfect. Then he asked someone to bring it to the store. He only put a third of the bamboo paper pulled by the ox cart into the store, and put the rest in the warehouse. Shopkeeper Sun didn't know if they would come to buy after two days of promotion. Although there were many people asking, it would still depend on whether they would buy.

However, when he got upstairs and heard the crowd outside, his worried heart finally relaxed.

"Boss, the bamboo paper has been placed there. Just wait until the morning to open the door."

Tong Bo hummed and said, "When the time comes, you should find someone to keep an eye on it and watch out for other bookstores trying to scam you." He would have kept an eye on it even without his boss telling him. Since the news came out, it has also slapped the faces of many other bookstores, and they are worried that it will disrupt market pricing.

He also told other bookstores that their bookstores would also be able to use bamboo paper in a month, so during this month, other bookstores could only watch them make money. If they did not cooperate, Xing'an Bookstore would not cooperate with them in the future.

However, Xing'an Bookstore had also told them that the price of bamboo paper must be the same as that of hemp paper, and it could not exceed 800 wen per piece! Otherwise, they would withdraw the supply of bamboo paper to their bookstore in the future.

According to normal prices, this bamboo paper is priced at 500 wen per blade. The price of one blade is half a month's wages for ordinary people, and five days' wages for ordinary people. So this price is neither high nor low! If we go by the price of Xuan paper before, one blade would probably cost one or two taels of silver. Better Xuan paper can even sell for dozens of taels per blade, and the best Xuan paper has sold for hundreds of taels per blade. Even when Manager Sun was in the capital, dozens of people would buy hundreds of taels of Xuan paper every day.

When the time to open the door came, Manager Sun started to call people to open the door. A group of scholars had already gathered outside. When they saw the door open, they rushed in.

"Boss, your family said they have some good bamboo paper today. Where is it?" Boss Sun moved the bookshelf at the entrance of the lobby away, and then placed stacks of bamboo paper on it, so that everyone present could see it as soon as they entered the door.

However, even if the scholars present saw it, they did not expect that the snow-white paper in front of them was actually made of bamboo, which is comparable to Xuan paper.

Someone in the crowd asked, "Shopkeeper Sun, why are you putting so much rice paper on the table today? We want to buy bamboo paper, not rice paper." Shopkeeper Sun heard this, but did not get angry. Instead, he said to everyone happily, "Everyone, the paper on the table next to me is made of bamboo paper. There are three kinds of prices. The first kind costs one hundred coins per piece. This is inferior paper. The second kind is good paper and costs three hundred coins per piece. The third kind is the best bamboo paper and costs five hundred coins per piece!"

After hearing this, someone said, "Manager Sun, aren't you afraid of losing money by doing this?"

Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Sun stroked his beard and smiled, he said in a loud voice: "Look, sir, although bamboo paper is thin, it can carry thousands of years of literature. Although the profit is small, it can make good connections all over the world. The boss sells paper at a small profit, not for the sake of making money, but because he hopes that all poor students in the world can use paper and pen to write, and all common people in the market can read and write. Today, I may earn a few taels of silver, but I can make the fragrance of ink spread throughout the market, and educate people's hearts. When the literary style flourishes in the future, there is no need to worry about the business not being prosperous!" His words were very powerful.

Everyone present could not help but stand in awe when they heard his words. Zhou Xueyi bowed to Shopkeeper Sun and sat down, answering in a serious tone: "Shopkeeper Sun's words are really enlightening. I used to think that businessmen only cared about profit, but today I would see a Confucian businessman with a global vision. In your hands, this thin paper has become a vessel for enlightening millions of people. I will use paper as a medium and study the books of sages diligently. If I can achieve success in the future, I will follow the example of the shopkeeper, use pen and ink as swords to cut the haze of ignorance and spread the light of civilization." After he finished speaking, Zhou Xuewen's eyes sparkled, which showed not only his admiration for Shopkeeper Sun, but also his ambition to take the world as his responsibility.

Everyone present was silent for a moment, as if they were stunned by the words of Manager Sun and the scholar. Then, thunderous cheers broke out in the crowd. The people and students present applauded, their palms turning red.

An old man buying vegetables wiped his tears and sighed, "I am a common man and cannot understand great principles or their flowery rhetoric, but when I heard Shopkeeper Sun's words about making it possible for ordinary people to write, my heart warmed."

Several students in coarse linen clothes were so excited that their eyes were red. One of them shouted, "Shopkeeper, you are so kind! We will remember this kindness in our hearts. When we pass the imperial examinations, we will definitely live up to your kindness today."