Chapter 90 If he's dead, who was that five years ago?
Unable to resist asking, "So, in your opinion, will I continue to lose money?"
He didn't expect to make a lot of money by opening this bookstore. After all, books are elegant things. If it weren't for the fact that long-term losses would make it impossible for the bookstore to continue operating and would force it to close down, he wouldn't even care about profits and losses.
Yu Zhiyi looked at him strangely: "Why ask such a pointless question when you can see the results in a few days?"
Her abilities are quite valuable, and she generally won't use them unless it's a matter of life and death.
Of course, if the other party pays you, that's a different story.
Unfortunately, Du Ziheng didn't understand her meaning this time. Hearing this, he actually nodded in deep agreement: "You're right, we'll know in a few days."
He'd just lose a little more, but compared to the several thousand taels he lost before, this time it would only be a little money for paper and pens. A few taels of silver a day was something he could afford.
He didn't tell Yu Zhiyi that he was actually very confident because she had previously affirmed the feasibility of his plan, so even if he couldn't make a lot of money, he wouldn't lose money.
As it turns out, Du Ziheng's overconfidence this time was not an illusion.
Nanfeng Bookstore has three floors. Originally, the first and second floors were used to store bookshelves, while the third floor was used for the host's activities and for guests to rest.
After Du Ziheng took over the management, he had the bookshelves on the second floor moved down, and the second and third floors were converted into places for reading and communication.
However, the third floor is not open to the public for the time being.
Apart from her own room, the rest of the third floor was converted into partitioned rooms, which he planned to use as prizes for the competition in the future.
Students with good grades can get the right to use the upper partitions, so they don't have to squeeze in with a group of people below.
To put it bluntly, being able to get to the third floor is a symbol of status.
Either you have money and are willing to spend a fortune to get the opportunity to study in peace and quiet.
Either you are truly talented and can earn this opportunity through your own knowledge.
After the reforms, the bookstore's business is not as good as it used to be, and there are no long queues in front of the door. However, if you turn your attention inside, you will find that the atmosphere is more lively.
After all, two-thirds of the people who came into the bookstore before were there for the free tea and snacks. Even if they had books in their hands, they were basically just there to watch the excitement.
Some ordinary people, in particular, not only ate the food, but also secretly took it.
True scholars, ironically, rarely manage to snag these free resources.
In the midst of the chaos and commotion, even scholars couldn't concentrate on their studies.
Now, although the bookstore is noisy, it is not filled with the sounds of fighting and playing, but with students discussing brilliant articles and offering insightful criticisms of current affairs.
Furthermore, there were too many ordinary people there before, so the bookstore's original regular clientele stopped coming.
After all, these days most people who can afford to go to school are rich and powerful. They may not openly discriminate against the poor, but they also don't really like being in the same space as a group of uncultured people.
Now, although there are still students from impoverished families in bookstores, these people are genuinely there to learn, and they have lost many of the crude habits that make them seem like uncouth individuals.
To put it bluntly, as long as this bookstore is owned by the Du family, it will inevitably attract the sons of wealthy and powerful families.
However, You Bingyue's previous actions had the opposite effect, driving these people away.
After Du Ziheng took over, although these people didn't really want to study and discuss knowledge with students from poor families, they would put up with it in order to curry favor with Prime Minister Du and Du Ziheng.
Besides, there's a third floor too.
After Du Ziheng left, Li Rou served Yu Zhiyi a cup of milk tea and then stepped aside, her eyes full of curiosity, but she didn't ask any questions.
She knew there was a gap between herself and Zi Yuan; Zi Yuan could ask her whatever she wanted without restraint, but she didn't dare.
Seeing the girl's conflicted expression, Yu Zhi chuckled, "You're thinking about whether the bookstore can turn a profit?"
Li Rou nodded shyly: "Miss, I am indeed a little curious."
Yu Zhiyi said calmly, "It's not something that's hard to guess."
"Du Ziheng's measures may not yield high returns in the short term, but over time, as everyone strives to improve, they will naturally no longer be satisfied with just spending an hour or two reading in the bookstore, but will think about taking the books home to continue studying."
"Whether you buy books or borrow them, you have to pay money in the end."
"It's even easier for students from wealthy families to get ahead; they can spend hundreds of dollars with a wave of their hand."
"Once Nanfeng Bookstore gains a reputation, it will attract more and more ambitious people."
This didn't happen in the previous life, and Nanfeng Bookstore was always just a small bookstore.
But for some reason, from the moment Yu Zhiyi saw Nanfeng Bookstore with her own eyes, she always felt that it shouldn't just be a small bookstore.
It should be a sacred place for scholars.
But why should it be this way?
Yu Zhiyi couldn't sort things out, but she didn't dwell on it too much.
She's not a deity; there are many secrets of the world that she can't fathom.
At lunchtime, Yao looked worried and was clearly preoccupied. Several times after swallowing her food, she forgot to pick up another bite.
When Yao was lost in thought again, Yu Zhiyi finally couldn't stand it anymore: "Mother, what happened?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yao hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yi'er, do you know the Divine Physician Chunyu?"
Yu Zhiyi's previously calm expression suddenly turned cold: "What's wrong with him?"
Madam Yao sighed, "The Yu family said that they could help the Empress Dowager regain her senses, and that Yu Jiaojiao has a close relationship with Physician Chunyu and is the only person who can persuade Physician Chunyu to come. His Majesty has already granted Yu Jiaojiao permission to redeem herself through meritorious service. If Yu Jiaojiao really manages to get Physician Chunyu to cure the Empress Dowager's illness, that would be a good thing."
She spoke of good things, but her face clearly showed no joy.
This indicates that she had more to say.
Sure enough, Yao said again, "But as far as I know, Physician Chunyu passed away eight years ago."
Yu Zhiyi's eyes narrowed: "What did Mother say? The Divine Physician Chunyu has passed away?"
Madam Yao didn't know why she had such a strong reaction, but she nodded honestly: "Yes, I took Youlin to Baihua City to admire the flowers. On the way, we accidentally saved a man who was being robbed by bandits."
"Although the man was physically weak, he single-handedly kept more than a dozen bandits from getting close, and they only dared to attack him from a distance with bows and arrows."
"Unfortunately, we arrived too late; the man had already been hit by seven or eight arrows."
“I wanted to take him into the city for treatment, but he refused. He said he was the Divine Physician Chunyu, and he knew better than anyone that he was not going to live. He also asked us to help him send his belongings to the Valley of Divine Physicians.”
"Is Mother certain that he really is the Divine Physician Chunyu? Is he really dead?"
She was somewhat stubborn, wanting to know the answer.
If the divine physician Chunyu had died eight years ago.
Who was it that Yu Jiaojiao invited back five years ago?
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