Money is far too vulgar for you.
Shen Zhizhou, with Shuyi in tow, found the publishing house from back then based on information in the old newspaper. Now, due to the suppression of digital media, the former print media has lost its former glory. It was once brilliant and prominent, but now only a few employees are left struggling to keep it afloat.
"Hello, I'd like to speak with the editor-in-chief. Are you here?" Shen Zhizhou looked around the publishing house and asked a tall, thin man with glasses who came to greet him.
The man hesitated for a moment before speaking, "That's me. May I ask what's the matter?"
Shen Zhizhou gave a brief explanation of the situation, and then the editor-in-chief led the two of them into the office. The editor-in-chief took the old newspaper that Shen Zhizhou had handed him, examined it carefully, and recalled the situation at the time. After a while, he pushed the old newspaper back to Shen Zhizhou.
"I remember this guy. He was the one who hit me... He was so arrogant. I told him his work didn't meet our publishing requirements, but he insisted on having it published. But rules are rules, and there's nothing we can do about it. He kept arguing, so I cursed at him a few times, and then he hit me! If I hadn't felt sorry for him, I would have sent him to jail for a few days..."
"Did he submit any more comics to publishers after that? Publishers usually share information, so you should have heard something about it, right..." Shen Zhizhou asked from the side, his hands clasped together.
The editor-in-chief thought for a moment, shook his head, and replied that he wasn't sure. He was too busy with work afterward and didn't pay much attention to the matter. He asked if there were any other matters. If not, he said he should start working. Shen Zhizhou didn't speak, tapping his index finger on the tea table again and again, thinking about what to do next.
Seeing that Shen Zhizhou had no intention of leaving, the editor-in-chief had no choice but to start organizing the materials himself, implying that he should see the guest out. Shen Zhizhou did not get up, but changed the subject.
"Actually, my father has been a comic book enthusiast since he was a child, especially fond of works with unique art styles. Now that he's older, he often reminisces about his youth when he was reading comics. You know, we younger generations always hope that our parents' retirement life can be more enjoyable. Moreover, I myself have been deeply influenced by my father since childhood and aspire to become a comic book artist... So, it's possible to self-publish here, right?"
Seeing Shen Zhizhou's sudden change in demeanor, the editor-in-chief remembered the current predicament of the publishing house. He immediately grabbed Shen Zhizhou's hand and flattered him, "I see. Indeed, we should fulfill your father's wish. I am a few years younger than your father and understand the mind of the elderly best. With our years of publishing experience, we can communicate with him... As for that person, I seem to have some impression of him."
In order to obtain relevant clues, Shen Zhizhou signed a publishing agreement with the editor-in-chief. After leaving, Shuyi curiously approached Shen Zhizhou and asked, "Are all humans so immoral? You have to pay money first to get a clue. Isn't that just a casual thing to do? Besides, you don't have the talent to write or draw. It would be better to give me the money."
Shen Zhizhou, with a touch of OCD, shoved the dusty, cobweb-covered comic book in his hand into Shuyi's hand, slowly wiping his hands with a napkin as he replied, "When I'm old, I can write a memoir called 'The Demons I've Eliminated Over the Years'... (cannot be said)."
Shu Yi rolled her eyes and couldn't help but curse in her heart, "Idiot Shen Zhizhou." She successfully earned a glare from Shen Zhizhou, who then pouted and opened the comic book to enjoy it.
After flipping through just two pages, I understood why the publisher absolutely refused to publish it, even if it meant getting beaten up.
Help! Who would draw a school comic like a ghost story? And why is the male lead a double-door refrigerator with a rocket head, while the female lead is a torchbearer in stockings and suspenders? Is this art style even right?
The two drove to the address of the hometown provided by the editor-in-chief of the publishing house. After driving around the village for half a day, they still couldn't find it. Shuyi went up to ask an old man.
"Grandpa, do you know how to get to No. 42 Tianhu Village? We've been looking for this place for a long time but haven't been able to find it."
"What did you say? What lake?" The old man leaned close to Shuyi's ear, seemingly a little hard of hearing.
"No. 42, Tianhu Village, sir, do you know how to get there?" Afraid that the old man wouldn't hear her, Shu Yi practically shouted, so loud that even Shen Zhizhou, who was standing to the side, took a few steps back and covered his ears.
"I don't know him." The old man replied crisply, his steps as he turned to leave were even more resolute.
She was so foolish as to ask humans for directions that she must have broken her head. She turned around and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, used her demonic language to summon a few little mice to ask them questions.
Shen Zhizhou watched as Shu Yi chattered away with the few gray mice she had summoned for a long time. He squatted down and poked Shu Yi, very curious about the interspecies communication.
After finishing her conversation, Shu Yi stood up and reported the situation to Shen Zhizhou: "That person left his hometown many years ago and hasn't come back much. The only time he came back was when his mother passed away, and people in the village are saying that..."
"You're asking about that kid from the Li family, right? That kid said he was going out to make his way in the world, but he came back empty-handed without accomplishing anything. Then his mother died soon after, and he sold the house and land. What a spendthrift."
The old man appeared behind the two of them without them noticing, and his sudden voice startled them.
"Grandpa, why do you walk so silently? It's like a ghost." Shen Zhizhou frowned, somewhat dissatisfied.
"You're not afraid even if your wife talks to mice, so you're afraid I won't make a sound? You should be scared if I don't breathe a sound." The old man, hands on his hips, continued nonchalantly, "What's your relationship with that kid from the Li family?"
"No..." Shen Zhizhou didn't know whether to explain that Shuyi wasn't his wife or Li Yan, so he mumbled something in one go and then shut up.
Shuyi watched Shen Zhizhou get the short end of the stick and mentally gave him a thumbs up. Who told her that she was always bad at arguing with Shen Zhizhou and could never win?
"If you ask me, it's because Li's mother spoiled him too much. His father passed away early, and his mother worked odd jobs everywhere to support him. She thought she could finally enjoy a few good days, but who would have thought he'd turn out to be such a good-for-nothing..."
Shen Zhizhou and Shu Yi listened to the old man reminisce for two hours, head to head, but they didn't get any useful information. In the end, their legs were sore from standing and they still hadn't heard the key points. Shu Yi's patience ran out, so she interrupted the old man's reminiscence and even declined his invitation to dinner.
Looking at the darkening sky, Shu Yi decided to rely on herself. "Let's go to Li Yan's house in the dark later. I'll ask the rats to lead the way. You just follow me and listen to my instructions."
"Are you sure you can do it?" Shen Zhizhou was very skeptical of Shu Yi's suggestion.
"Do you have a better idea?" After thinking it over, Shen Zhizhou shut up.
That night, the rats led the way for Shu Yi and Shen Zhizhou. Shu Yi followed the rats, transformed into her original form, and crawled through the dog hole. After crawling through, she kept waving and calling for Shen Zhizhou to follow.
Shen Zhizhou stood beside the overgrown dog hole, looking at the weathered and crumbling wall, and wondered if his intelligence had really declined after spending so much time with a rat.
So he quickly climbed up the wall and jumped down. As soon as he jumped down, Shen Zhizhou wanted to slap himself.
—Damn it, why climb over the wall when there's a door? That's just plain crazy.
Shen Zhizhou strolled into the house, refusing to speak to Shuyi. He maintained his aloof demeanor and tried to bring his intelligence back to the surface. Shuyi, seeing this, tried to rub against Shen Zhizhou, constantly muttering his name beside him.
Shen Zhizhou was fed up with being nagged so much that he covered his ears and said impatiently, "What do you want? I've said it eight hundred times already. Hurry up and get back to work. It takes a long time to drive."
"Could you give me a bigger commission this time? I'm even using my own magic to help you, it's really hard work for me~"
Shen Zhizhou looked at Shuyi, who was blinking her dark eyes and acting coquettishly, and pushed away those charming, pitiful eyes with his palm: "Don't even think about it, making money is hard, okay?" After thinking for a moment, he added, "At most, I'll get you a cell phone, after this matter is over."
"Long live Shen Zhizhou! Long live Shen Zhizhou!" Shu Yi was so happy that her eyes were practically popping out of her head. She hugged Shen Zhizhou and kept rubbing against him. It was such a rare opportunity to get something from Shen Zhizhou, she couldn't be happier.
"Do your job well, don't whine."
Shu Yi hummed in response as if she had received an order. She took out a comic book from her pocket, found the room where Li Yan had once lived, closed her eyes, and began to cast a spell to locate and track his position.
Shen Zhizhou crossed his arms and looked at Shuyi, who was standing in the moonlight with her eyes closed and head bowed. He raised an eyebrow slightly. With her almond-shaped eyes, pink cheeks, and bright red lips, this divine beast in human form certainly had a charming face. It was just that she chattered incessantly, like she was at a bustling market.
He's definitely cuter when he's not talking; you can tell he's a country bumpkin the moment he opens his mouth.
However, mountain products also have their charm; they are simple, honest, and easy to fool. Thinking of this, Shen Zhizhou couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle.
Shu Yi felt as if she had entered a painting, watching Li Yan's past as an observer. Frame after frame flashed before her eyes: a boy secretly drawing in his notebook with a happy smile on his face; a young man frantically tearing up a comic book in a corner with a ferocious expression; and a man kowtowing and weeping at his mother's funeral, his eyes filled with grief and indignation.
Shu Yi felt a little sad. How exactly does a person go from being full of expectations at the beginning to being full of resentment at the end?
The final scene focuses on a middle-aged man in a lavish hotel, dressed in a suit but with a large belly that looks like he's eight months pregnant, pouring drinks for someone next to him with a somewhat obsequious expression.
"Found it!" Shuyi suddenly opened her eyes, her voice jubilant.
Shuyi raised her head slightly at Shen Zhizhou with a hint of pride. She had told him she was amazing, but Shen Zhizhou hadn't believed her. Shuyi leaned closer to Shen Zhizhou, wanting praise. Shen Zhizhou saw through Shuyi's thoughts and could only pat her hair and coax her gently, "You're the best!"
But a second later, Shu Yi's mood plummeted. "If that's the case, then forgoing commissions is fine, right? After all, money is far too vulgar for someone as noble as you."
Shu Yi punched Shen Zhizhou on the shoulder with a pounding fist. She knew that Shen Zhizhou was unpredictable, like a baby in swaddling clothes.
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