On the day of the Beginning of Winter, a biting cold wind raged through the capital like a roaring beast. Fine snowflakes, like sand driven by the wind, clattered against the tiles of Jinyun Bookstore. The sound was like the pounding of drums, adding a touch of clamor and restlessness to the cold winter day.
Su Jinli was crouched behind the counter, intently flipping through the ledger. Her nose nearly brushed against the still-wet ink stain, completely absorbed in the world of numbers. Just then, a sudden "bang" like a hammer struck the bookstore, shattering the previously relatively quiet atmosphere.
Su Jinli looked up and saw a bearded man standing at the counter, his broad hands pounding against it, his face filled with anxiety and urgency. His coarse cotton coat was still stained with the morning's snow, slowly melting under the warmth of the fireplace. He clutched a few copper coins tightly in his hand, which seemed to be scorched by his passion and eagerness.
The bookstore was already packed with people. A stove crackled in the corner, its orange flames dancing cheerfully, trying to dispel the winter chill. However, the throng made the air inside the bookstore hot and murky, the scent of ink and sweat intertwining, permeating every inch of the space and even obscuring the window paper.
"Miss Su! When will the second volume of "The Oil Seller" be published? My wife is looking forward to seeing Yue Niang and Ah Qi get married!" The bearded man shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice heavy with the smell of fireworks, echoing in the bookstore.
"What's the rush?" Su Jinli frowned slightly, reaching out and slamming the abacus. The beads clashed against each other, making a sharp, rapid sound that instantly drowned out the clamor of voices in the bookstore. She turned to Lingge and shouted, "Lingge, bring me the manuscript of 'Jianghu Xiao'! Yes, the one wrapped in blue cloth!"
Upon hearing this, Lingge hurriedly turned around, soon arriving with a stack of manuscripts. As she placed the manuscripts on the table, Su Jinli appeared like a dark shadow, swiftly pulling out the topmost sheet of rice paper. Then, she picked up a wolf-hair brush, dipped the tip deeply into the ink, and scribbled eight characters on the cover: "Paid serialization, one chapter, one read." The tip of the brush paused at the last hook of the word "read." A drop of rich ink, like a playful elf, splashed onto the corner of her moon-white sleeve, resembling a quietly blooming plum blossom, adding a unique touch of poetry to the hectic atmosphere.
"Miss, what are you going to do..." Lingge widened her eyes and before she could finish her words full of doubts, Su Jinli pulled her onto the counter.
"Everyone, be quiet!" Su Jinli stepped on a bench and stood tall in front of everyone. She shook the abacus in her hand, and the wooden beads on the abacus shone with circles of golden light in the morning light, like a mysterious halo. She shouted loudly, her voice clear and loud, like a bell echoing through the bookstore: "Listen up! From now on, the first volume of the new book will be published first, and the second volume will be sold by chapter! Want to know if the courtesan married the oil seller? Sure—" At this point, she suddenly knocked the abacus on the table, and the crisp sound was like a command, "One tael of silver for one chapter!"
"What? One chapter for one tael?" The bearded man's eyes widened when he heard this. The copper coins in his hand creaked as he squeezed them. "Miss Su, aren't you robbing me?"
"Too expensive?" Su Jinli raised her eyebrows slightly, a sly look in her eyes. She pointed to the bookstore owned by Qian Zhanggui outside the window and said slowly, "The boss next door sells pirated copies, three cents a chapter. Go buy some!"
The moment these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in excitement. The lady in silk, clutching an exquisite handkerchief, shook her head gently, a look of discontent on her face. Meanwhile, the boy patching a piece of clothing beside her suddenly had a light in his eyes, as if he had seen a new possibility.
At that moment, Shopkeeper Qian was hiding in a teahouse on the corner, secretly observing the goings-on at Jinyun Bookstore. When he heard Su Jinli's words, the lid of the purple clay teapot in his hand clanged and fell into the tea bowl, splashing a little water. His eyes widened in surprise, and he muttered, "Crazy! Su Jinli is obsessed with money!" The accountant beside him was about to agree when he saw Jiang Yan, carrying a stack of account books, slowly approaching through the snow. Jiang Yan was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, and the snowflakes fell on him like a beautiful snowy scene.
"Madam," Jiang Yan approached the counter gently, his voice low and soft, the white breath he exhaled blending with the scent of ink in the room, "I just calculated that if we charge according to the regulations, the profit can be tripled. If we add in the tips from readers..."
"I know, I know, Mr. Accountant." Su Jinli smiled and took out two copper coins from her purse and gently patted Jiang Yan's palm. "I'll advance your wages first. When we make a lot of money, I'll exchange it for silver ingots for you."
Jiang Yan was slightly startled, then slowly pinched the copper coin, a faint blush appearing on the tip of his ear. The bearded man in the corner saw this scene and couldn't help but gasp: "Tsk tsk, the top scholar works as an accountant for his wife, how rare!"
At dusk that evening, darkness, like a piece of black satin, quietly enveloped the capital. Su Qingyao hurriedly kicked open the door of the bookstore, her newly mixed "Chasing Red" rouge in her dressing table making a loud noise. She said anxiously, "Su Jinli! Your broken rules have ruined my rouge sales! The girls from Jinxiu Pavilion are squatting outside your bookstore, saying they won't go back to dress up until they see the next chapter of "The Oil Seller"!"
Before she could finish her words, Young Marquis Su rushed in like a whirlwind, carrying a toy sword. The red silk tassel on the sword danced in the wind, accidentally knocking over the inkstone on the table, splashing ink and leaving a black mark on the table. Young Marquis Su shouted indignantly, "Sister! Wang Er from the East Market said you were cheating people out of money. I'm going to kill him!"
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