Chen Xiaocai's business in Kyoto was booming. The three volumes of Journey to the West sold like hotcakes, and even after several reprints, they were still selling extremely well.
After publishing the three volumes of Journey to the West, Ji Yun'an released a deluxe edition, with illustrations drawn by Ji Yun'an and Chen Xiaocai.
One hundred copies of the deluxe edition of Journey to the West were printed, each set costing eight taels of silver.
After the deluxe edition of Journey to the West was released, it was met with a buying frenzy, with many people who bought the three volumes of Journey to the West also buying another set as a collector's item.
Chen Xiaocai heard that this Journey to the West seemed to be very popular among wealthy young ladies, and many young ladies from rich families had their maids come out to buy the book.
Chen Xiaocai discovered that many people in Kyoto didn't treat money like money; they would buy a set of books that cost eight taels of silver without hesitation.
Because the hardcover edition of the book is sold in limited quantities, many people consider it an honor to be able to snag a set.
Chen Xiaocai originally thought that eight taels of silver for a set of books was too expensive and that not many people would buy them. However, he found that there were simply not enough books to sell. Even the deluxe editions, which cost eight taels a set, still had some buyers. Some even bought seven or eight sets at a time. The behavior of the wealthy in Kyoto always refreshed Chen Xiaocai's understanding of the rich.
Chen Xiaocai, her eyes sparkling as she calculated, exclaimed, "That's a lot of money!" Ji Yun'an nodded and said, "Yes!"
Ji Yun'an thought to himself that most of his uncle's money had been used to help his former comrades-in-arms, and there were many places in Kyoto where money was needed. Now that he had earned so much money, he should be able to ease his uncle's burden.
Chen Xiaocai stayed in Kyoto for more than a month and, after deducting all expenses, earned about a thousand taels of silver.
If he didn't share the money with Ji Yun'an, he could have earned more than two thousand taels of silver.
However, Chen Xiaocai also understood that it was necessary to share the money with Ji Yun'an. Kyoto was a place where powerful and wealthy people gathered, and he needed a backer. This money was going to Ji Yun'an, which was also equivalent to giving it to Ji Chengkang.
If he had come to Kyoto alone to sell books, he might have been targeted long ago. With Ji Chengkang as his protector, people would have some reservations.
Chen Xiaocai discovered that he seemed to have become a celebrity these past few days.
Ji Chengkang was worried that he would be robbed, so he would have someone follow him whenever he went out. Many people respected him because of the Ji family.
Chen Xiaomai walked in with a candied hawthorn and called out, "Second Brother, Second Brother."
Chen Xiaocai looked at Chen Xiaomai, a gentle light flashing in her eyes. "You went out to play?" Chen Xiaomai nodded and said, "Yes! Brother Ji took me out to play, and we went to see the monkeys together."
Chen Xiaocai: "..." Monkeys. These days, it's fashionable for wealthy families in Kyoto to keep monkeys. Originally, it seemed like not many people kept them, but after the story of Journey to the West spread, everyone's interest in monkeys increased, and monkey performances could be seen everywhere on the streets.
He seems to have inadvertently started a trend.
"Where's Ji Yun'an?" Chen Xiaocai asked casually.
Chen Xiaomai shook her head and said, "He went to see a guest, and he didn't seem very happy."
"Do you know who the guest is?"
Chen Xiaomai shrugged and said, "It seems to be his father and mother."
Chen Xiaocai narrowed her eyes. Ji Yun'an's biological mother had died long ago. If his mother were to come, she would probably be his stepmother. Ji Yun'an was raised to the brink of death by his stepmother back then.
Chen Xiaomai and Chen Xiaocai were chatting when Ji Yun'an walked in, startling Chen Xiaocai.
Chen Xiaocai glanced at Ji Yun'an and asked, "Are you alright?"
Ji Yun'an shook his head and said, "I'm fine, Uncle is back."
Ji Yun'an clenched his fists. His father had never cared about him. When he first returned to Kyoto, his uncle was busy with the affairs of the academy, and his father, afraid of trouble, didn't get involved. This time, he must have heard that he had made a lot of money, so he wanted to get a share of it.
His uncle is back, so his father has to leave. His father is a bit intimidated by his uncle.
Chen Xiaocai looked at Ji Yun'an and thought to herself: It seems that even a second-generation official like Ji Yun'an has a hard time getting by. Just as Ji Yun'an thought, Zhao Heng could still put on airs with Ji Yun'an, but he cowered in front of his brother-in-law Ji Chengkang. After saying a few words, he slunk away.
Ji Chengkang harbored resentment towards his brother-in-law Zhao Heng and didn't give him a friendly look. Zhao Heng and the woman were kicked out by Ji Chengkang.
"Uncle, the person is gone?" Ji Yun'an asked as he walked up to Ji Chengkang.
Ji Chengkang nodded and said, "Yes! Your story has had quite a wide impact."
Ji Chengkang originally thought that this storybook was just something to pass the time in his spare time. Now it seems that the nobles in the palace have taken a liking to it. Since these people have taken a liking to this storybook, Ji Yun'an has also made a name for himself in the palace. This is a rare and good thing.
His brother-in-law probably couldn't sit still because of this.
"You've made quite a bit of money lately."
Ji Yun'an nodded and said, "We recently received another eight hundred taels of silver."
Ji Chengkang smiled with satisfaction. Many people in Kyoto look rich, but in reality, many of them are just putting on a show. Ji Yun'an's father is one such example. He was born into an ordinary family, but he appeared very aloof. However, he also liked to pretend to be cultured, and it costs money to be cultured.
Zhao Heng held a sinecure with little financial reward. That bastard took one concubine after another, spending most of his sister's dowry. With this kind of spending over the years, the Zhao family is probably already an empty shell.
With Ji Yun'an making so much money these days, Zhao Heng is probably getting envious.
He acted like a saint, but he was actually after a child's money. The more Ji Chengkang looked at Zhao Heng, the more he felt that his sister had been blind back then. Zhao Heng and Liu Qingmei were kicked out by Ji Chengkang, and Zhao Heng's face was very unpleasant.
“That brat Yun’an, following his uncle, doesn’t even recognize me, his own father.” Zhao Heng, who was born into a humble family, always felt inferior when he saw Ji Chengkang.
"Aheng, don't be angry. Why bother arguing with a brute?" Liu Qingmei comforted him.
Zhao Heng said sullenly, "This kid is neglecting his duties and getting into storytelling. He's actually made a name for himself!" Ji Yun'an is, after all, Zhao Heng's son, and Zhao Heng had been paying attention to Ji Yun'an since he returned.
When Zhao Heng heard that Ji Yun'an was tinkering with storybooks, he was very dismissive. He felt that Ji Yun'an had been following Ji Chengkang, that brute, for too long and had started to neglect his duties, tinkering with vulgar and unrefined things that were beneath his dignity.
Unexpectedly, Journey to the West became a hit. According to Zhao Heng, it seemed that the nobles in the palace all liked this story.
Zhao Heng held a sinecure in the Hanlin Academy and dreamed of being promoted. Upon learning of this news, he wanted to try to establish connections, as even a small connection with a noble person in the palace would be of great benefit to him.
Judging from Ji Chengkang and Ji Yun'an's attitude towards him, Zhao Heng realized that this path was probably not going to work.
Liu Qingmei clutched her handkerchief, feeling quite displeased.
After Zhao Xue's death, Ji Yun'an was cared for by Liu Qingmei for a period of time. Back then, Ji Yun'an was just one step away from dying. As a result, Ji Chengkang came looking for her and almost strangled her to death. To this day, Ji Chengkang is still her nightmare.
Liu Qingmei originally thought that Ji Yun'an, who was following Ji Chengkang to the frontier, would be killed by those barbarians at any time, or that Ji Chengkang would spoil him. However, she did not expect that Ji Yun'an could catch the eye of the court nobles by relying on the unorthodox method of storytelling. He was really lucky.
In contrast, her son studies hard every day but struggles to stand out, which is truly difficult.
In Shaxian, Chen Xiaomi looked at the account book and pondered, "Xiao Cai has been gone for a while now!" Lu Lin nodded, "It has been a while. I wonder when Ji Chengkang will come back."
Chen Xiaomi said with some worry, "What if they're so happy staying in Kyoto that they don't want to leave?"
Lu Lin stroked his chin and said, "Probably not. Our Xiao Lai should be a person of strong will."
Chen Xiaomi said worriedly, "I've heard a story."
"What story?"
“There was a scholar who studied diligently for years, and his wife managed everything at home. After he went to the capital, there was no news of him for several years. When we finally heard from him again, it was because he had passed the imperial examination with flying colors and had been chosen by a young lady in the capital to be his son-in-law,” Chen Xiaomi said.
Lu Lin: "..." He had heard many such stories before. As the saying goes, "The most righteous are often from humble backgrounds, while the most ungrateful are often scholars." There are just too few truly kind-hearted people.
Chen Xiaomi looked at Lu Lin's smug expression and said with a dark face, "What nonsense are you thinking about now?" She looked like she wanted to punch him.
Lu Lin waved his hand and said, "It's nothing." Lu Lin composed himself and looked at Chen Xiaomi, saying, "Are you worried that the young lady from Kyoto has taken a liking to Chen Xiaocai?"
"I have a lot of confidence in Xiaocai, I'm just afraid that Achi will overthink things."
Lu Lin thought it made sense. Shen Chi's physical condition was special now, and Chen Xiaolai was practically a golden son-in-law. Before, Xiao Cai was quite popular in Da Shi Village. Lu Lin even encountered villagers several times who wanted to give their daughters to Xiao Cai as concubines, but Lu Lin naturally refused them firmly.
You can take good care of Achi. This capital city is a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy, and there are countless romantic figures. Xiao Cai is just a country bumpkin in the capital. The young ladies in the capital have high standards, and no one would look at a simpleton like him.
Chen Xiaomi: "..."
Looking at Chen Xiaomi's expression, Lu Lin smiled awkwardly and said, "Actually, Xiao Cai is a very cultured person. However, those people in Kyoto don't know her value. They only look at her appearance and mostly think that our Xiao Cai looks like a silly roe deer."
Chen Xiaomi: "..."
Lu Lin blinked, suddenly realizing that he seemed to be making things worse by trying to explain.
"I don't know when I'll be back, or if I've encountered any trouble on the way," Chen Xiaomi said with some concern.
Lu Lin said dismissively, "Don't worry, General Ji is looking after them. General Ji is a very responsible person." Otherwise, he wouldn't have felt at ease letting those boys go to the capital with him.
Chen Xiaomi nodded and said, "That's true."
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