After the Frost Descent, the capital seemed to be quietly draped in a thin veil by nature. Fine snowflakes drifted down like ethereal fairies, adding a touch of poetry and tranquility to the ancient city. Inside Jinyun Bookstore, the fireplace burned brightly, its orange flames dancing cheerfully, suffusing the entire place with a cozy warmth. However, Su Jinli had no intention of enjoying the warmth. She stared at the empty submission box, her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with confusion and worry.
Just three days ago, the bookstore was bustling with activity, with authors submitting their works in an endless stream, even scrambling to get their work selected by Jinyun Bookstore. But today, the submission box was deserted, with no one submitting a work. Even the bearded man, who was usually the most enthusiastic and enthusiastic, was nowhere to be seen. This sudden change made Su Jinli feel a sense of unease.
"Miss, Manager Qian from the Jiangnan Booksellers' Union is yelling at the street corner!" Lingge hurriedly opened the cotton curtain, letting in a gust of cold wind, carrying snowflakes. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, and she was panting slightly as she spoke. "He's saying... he's saying you're being harsh on authors and taking too high a commission!"
Su Jinli's heart surged with rage upon hearing this. She slammed the abacus in her hand down on the table, the beads clattering and shaking the account books beside her. She couldn't help but think of the time three days ago when Shopkeeper Qian had caused trouble at the door of the bookstore and fled in disgrace after Jiang Yan saw through his trick. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, she sneered, a glint of determination flashed in her eyes, and she said, "Let's go and take a look."
Su Jinli walked with determined steps towards the bookstore entrance. Sure enough, a crowd of people had already gathered at the entrance, three layers deep inside and three layers deep outside, making it impossible to get through. Shopkeeper Qian, wearing a gorgeous mink coat, stood in the center of the crowd, gesticulating and spitting, as if he were describing a truly earth-shattering event.
"Su Jinli only pays 10% of the royalties to the authors, but she makes a fortune herself!" Shopkeeper Qian yelled loudly, the fat on his face shaking as he spoke, "Don't submit your works to such a black-hearted boss anymore!" His voice was sharp and piercing, like a whistle in the cold wind, trying to incite the emotions of the people around him.
Su Jinli looked closely and found several familiar contributors hiding behind Manager Qian. They avoided Su Jinli's gaze and did not dare to look her in the eye, as if they were hiding a secret in their hearts.
"Oh?" Su Jinli looked calm. She pushed through the crowd and slowly walked to Shopkeeper Qian, holding the contract document high in her hand. Her voice was crisp and loud, spreading among the crowd like a bell, "Look everyone, it clearly says 30% of the royalties, plus readers' rewards. Is Shopkeeper Qian presbyopic, or is he deliberately slandering me?" Her eyes were like sharp swords, shooting straight at Shopkeeper Qian, her eyes full of questioning and disdain.
Shopkeeper Qian's face froze instantly, his previously unstoppable mouth suddenly blocked, leaving him speechless. However, at this moment, a scholar beside him suddenly shouted, "Even if you give her 30%, Miss Su shouldn't have exclusive rights to the copyright!" The scholar's voice was soft, but in the quiet atmosphere, it was remarkably clear.
"Copyright?" Su Jinli raised her eyebrows slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She looked at the scholar and said slowly, "You wrote this story, and when it was printed, it was under your name, and you got 30% of the profits. How come I have exclusive rights to it?" She turned to face the onlookers, her eyes sweeping over each of them, and then said, "Do you think my name is on the cover of the book you bought?"
The crowd immediately erupted in discussion, each one commenting and re-examining the matter. Someone murmured, "Yeah, the books I buy are all named after the author; I've never seen Miss Su's name." Someone else chimed in, "Perhaps Shopkeeper Qian is deliberately picking a fight."
Seeing that the wind was blowing in his direction, Qian, the shopkeeper, was secretly anxious. His eyes rolled, and he suddenly covered his chest, gasping for air, a pained expression on his face, and shouted loudly: "Ouch, my heartache is coming back..." As he shouted, he secretly observed the reactions of the people around him, trying to divert everyone's attention and get rid of the current embarrassing situation.
"Manager Qian is worried, why don't you go to the clinic?" A steady and familiar voice came from behind. Everyone turned to look and saw Jiang Yan, who had changed into casual clothes at some point, slowly approaching with an exquisite food box in his hand. His eyes were cold and majestic, making people shudder.
Jiang Yan walked to Su Jinli, gently placed the lunch box on the table beside him, looked at Shopkeeper Qian, and said coldly: "It's my wife who hasn't eaten anything yet because she was busy with the manuscript last night. If Shopkeeper Qian really cares about her, he shouldn't make trouble here and disturb my wife's work." Jiang Yan's voice was not loud, but every word seemed to carry invisible pressure, making Shopkeeper Qian a little breathless.
When Shopkeeper Qian saw Jiang Yan approaching, he felt a surge of panic. He knew Jiang Yan's status and influence in the capital, and knew he would gain nothing if he continued to pester him. He waved his hand awkwardly, a flicker of resentment in his eyes, and said, "We...we'll come back another day!" Then, dejectedly, he led the contributors out of the crowd and hurried away.
Watching the figure of Shopkeeper Qian leaving, Su Jinli's anger subsided slightly. She knew very well that this was just another conspiracy of Shopkeeper Qian, trying to suppress the development of Jinyun Bookstore by discrediting them. Jiang Yan gently held Su Jinli's hand and comforted her, "Jinli, don't be angry. I'm here and won't let them succeed." Su Jinli nodded slightly, looked at Jiang Yan gratefully, and said, "Well, I know. It's just that these people are really too much. They always try their best to make trouble."
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