Chapter 56 Jinjiang First Release Chapter 56 It turns out that writing a storybook is...
Fang Shu and a few others fought until midnight, and Yu Qinglong's story was expanded by several thousand words.
At dawn, they all got up and while they were eating, Fang Shu said to his parents, "Father and Mother, I want to take Long Ge'er, Xi Kuan, and my entourage with me to the county town tomorrow."
"What are you going to do in the county town?" Fang Wu asked.
"There are a few books that are not available in the town's bookstore, and my son wants to go to the county town to look for them."
This is obviously nonsense. I haven't heard Fang Shu mention a lack of books recently.
Yu Qinglong lowered his head while eating noodles, feeling somewhat guilty.
Fang Shu rarely lied to his parents, but this time he lied about his situation. He didn't say directly that he was going to the county town to sell his storybooks, probably because he wanted to leave him a way out, so that if he couldn't sell them, he wouldn't be criticized again.
When Fang Wu heard that they were going to buy books, she was very pleased. She asked, "How long will it take for you to be back?"
Fang Shu said, "If it's fast, we can be back in three days. If it's slow, it might take five or six days."
I'm planning to hire a carriage.
Fang Wu said, "That's fine. I'll make you some extra steamed buns to take with you on your journey. You want to go to town at noon, stay overnight, and then leave directly from there tomorrow morning, right?"
This way they wouldn't have to travel at night, and her son had done the same thing in the past.
Yu Qinglong said, "Mother, we plan to leave before dawn tomorrow. Right now, the city gate charges ten coins per person for entry, and if you stay overnight, you'll have to pay another ten coins. If you bring any belongings, you might have to pay even more. So we're thinking of leaving early in the morning. Once we get to town, we'll just have one person go into town and hire a carriage."
Otherwise, if four people went together, he and Fang Shu would have to spend the night in the town, which would cost another fifty or sixty coins, which was really not worth it.
Fang Wu had heard about the money collection at the city gate yesterday, but she had forgotten it overnight. Now, hearing her son-in-law's careful calculations, she smiled and said, "You're right. I'll steam the buns after noon."
That’s how it’s settled.
In the morning, the group went to Shangxi Village. Yu Qinglong gave the proceeds from selling medicinal herbs to his master and asked for a few more days off. He wasn't one to become an apprentice within a certain timeframe, so the two of them taught with ease and learned with flexibility, without rushing.
After returning from Shangxi Village, Yu Qinglong and Fang Shu continued writing. They wrote furiously during the day and worked hard on the story by lamplight at night, striving to write as much as possible.
Their goal was to collect as many copies as possible of the entire book and to make as many copies as possible so that they could at least borrow them for easy reading.
Yu Qinglong had already written ten chapters, nearly twenty-eight thousand words. The story had progressed to the point where Gu Xiucai began to doubt Mo Lanzhou's identity.
This matter has not been exposed yet, but it makes people feel itchy and they can't wait to read the whole story in the next moment.
Yu Qinglong didn't intend to write a long story. Firstly, this was just a test run, and secondly, he worried he wouldn't be able to control the length of a story if it was too long. He wanted something shorter, more concise, something novel and endearing to begin with.
Seeing that it was midnight, Yu Qinglong put down his pen and yawned, "Husband, I'm going to take a nap and come back to write later."
Seeing that his other two friends also looked a little sleepy, Fang Shu said, "Okay. Xikuan and his followers, why don't you go and rest first? We can talk about it after I finish polishing it. What you've written now is enough to complete the whole book, so there's no need to rush."
Ma Qinsui and Yan Xikuan stood up, stretched themselves, tapped their shoulders and went to the wing room.
When Fang Shu turned around again, Yu Qinglong had fallen asleep at his desk because he was so sleepy that he didn't even have time to go to their bedroom.
It was difficult for people to control their bodies when they were extremely exhausted. Fang Shu simply picked the man up, gently placed him on the kang, and took off his shoes and socks.
He knew that his husband loved cleanliness, so he washed the towel and wiped his husband's face and feet.
During this time, Yu Qinglong felt a chill and half-opened his eyes hazily to look around for a while.
It seemed as if he had taken it in, yet it also seemed as if he hadn't. Soon he closed his eyes and fell asleep again, unconsciously leaning towards Fang Shu.
Fang Shu found it interesting and stroked his eyebrows carefully, then let his hair down completely.
Country people are constantly exposed to the sun and wind, so even young people rarely have hair as black and smooth as silk. But his husband has smooth black hair that never gets tangled. Every time it slides through his fingers, he can't let it go.
Fang Shu played with it for a while before he suddenly remembered that he still needed to polish the part his husband had just written before going to bed, so he quietly returned to his study. After polishing it, he packed up everything he was going to take away, made sure nothing was missing, and then went to wash up and lie down next to Yu Qinglong.
It was as if I was shaken awake just after falling asleep.
The light was on in the room. Yu Qinglong was sitting on the kang and called out to him, "Fang Shu, Fang Shu?"
Fang Shu opened his eyes with great effort: "Is it time?"
Yu Qinglong said, "Well, we have to pack up and go out. Father and Mother are awake. We have to hurry. You also have to go wake up Brother Xikuan and the others."
Fang Shu yawned as he got up, went to his room, and washed his face with cold water. After refreshing himself, he took the steamed buns and spring rolls his mother handed him.
"When you get back outside, discuss anything with Long Ge'er," Fang Wu instructed. "And don't buy junk!"
"Oh, I understand, Mom. Besides, with Brother Long making new and interesting things for me, why would I care about those things out there?"
"You're not sure," Fang Wu said. "Brother Long, keep an eye on him. Your husband can't control his purse once he's out of the house."
"Pfft, okay, mother, don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't spend a penny carelessly."
After saying this, Yu Qinglong went out with a lantern.
The moonlight wasn't bright right now; it was waning. It was pitch dark on the road, and walking alone would have been terrifying. But chatting with a few people wasn't so bad, and as we walked, daybreak was approaching, giving us hope.
Arriving in town, they could see people entering and leaving the city gate from half a mile away. Fang Shu, Yu Qinglong, and Yan Xikuan waited outside while Ma Qinfu went into town to hire a carriage. The young men boarded the carriage smoothly and headed for the county.
After two hours of walking, Yang Ping finally found someone who could contact the bandits. He promised them ten taels of silver, and they took him to Fuhu Mountain. He was led around many mountain roads but didn't see a village. Instead, two men, not particularly strong, with their faces covered, sat on the top of a tree and asked him, "What do you want us to do for you?"
Yang Ping said that he was going to meet someone.
The thinner of the two jumped down from the tree and said, "You said you'd go meet me? Tell me what you want to talk about first."
Yang Ping said he wanted to buy someone's life. Just an ordinary farmer's boy, no matter what method he used, he would just kill him.
The thin man looked Yang Ping up and down: "Want to buy my life? Then you have to pay at least this amount."
He stretched out his five fingers and turned his palm over.
"One, one hundred taels?! That's so much!"
"If you think it's too much, you can go back."
"No, no, no, no, I'm not the main payer here, so I can't make the decision. If you think this deal is feasible, then go meet someone at the leather shop in our town."
"You can meet me, but you have to tell me in detail what kind of life you want to buy. Is it a valuable life or a cheap life? If you dare to lie and we get into trouble, you will pay with your life."
Yang Ping was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly: "I dare not hide it from you two gentlemen. He is just an ordinary farmer. But I don't know the details. You can only find out when you meet the real buyer in town."
The thin man asked, "What time is it?"
Yang Ping mentioned a time, and the thin man signaled him that he could leave.
That afternoon, Yang Feng waited in the leather shop. Soon, a sign saying "Closed" was hung, and then she saw someone sitting in the window. She could only see the man's thin back, and when she tried to move forward, the shopkeeper stopped her. She heard the man demand a hundred taels of silver for her business, not including the deposit her brother had given her, so she blurted out, "How could that bastard be worth so much?"
The thin man said, "Whether it's worth it or not is not up to you to decide. Do it or not. If you don't, leave twenty taels and you can leave."
Of course Yang Feng wanted to do it, but one hundred taels of silver was too much. Unless she sold her land, she simply couldn't come up with the money!
But if she really sold the land, her life would be over. The Wu family would never keep her.
"Can't it be less?"
"That's the amount," the thin man said. "But if you really can't come up with it, there's another way."
"What method?"
"Don't buy his life," the thin man said. "Since he's a brother, he should keep his name clean. Let's capture him and lock him up in the village for a few days before releasing him. He'll be too embarrassed to face anyone. Whether he wants to die or live on is up to him."
"How much does this cost?"
"half."
"Fifty taels?!"
"What? Still think it's too much? If you think it's too much, go find someone else."
"No no! I'll go!"
Yang Feng gritted her teeth and said, "As long as you can really catch the man and show him to me, I'll pay! His name is Yu Qinglong. I know he goes from Xiaxi Village to Shangxi Village every day. He always leaves early in the morning with his husband and returns in the afternoon. You can kidnap him on the way."
The thin man said, "Let me ask again, is he just an ordinary farmer?"
Yang Feng was worried that if she said Fang Shu was a scholar, the man would raise the price, so she insisted, "Yes! Although her husband is a man, he is also weak."
The thin man waved his hand. The shopkeeper told Yang Feng, "Go back and wait for news."
As dusk fell, Yu Qinglong and his party arrived at the county town. After all, it was a higher-level city, and the city gates were much more impressive than those in the town.
You have to pay to enter the city, but only two coins per person. You put the money between your hairbands and squat for a moment when you enter. The officer guarding the city gate will take the money away.
Yu Qinglong and Fang Shu exchanged their money and, after entering the city, went straight to the inn they had stayed in before. This inn was far from Dexin Book House, but it was cheaper and relatively clean.
Fang Shu requested two guest rooms, and after settling in, the four of them sat around and ate a quick meal before naming the book "Picking the Moon." Yan Xikuan had come up with the name, saying it would spark imagination.
Yu Qinglong didn't know much about the local situation, so he listened to Yan Xikuan's advice. He later gave himself a pen name: "Future Lay Buddhist".
Several people were quite confused. The author here often refers to himself as a lay Buddhist, a wanderer, or a guest. But what does this "future" lay Buddhist mean?
Never been here?
Yan Xikuan asked, "What's the meaning behind this nickname, Brother Xiaoyu?"
The few of them knew that what a boy wrote was often difficult to be recognized, let alone a boy from a farming family. Even if his writing was really good, many people would look at it with prejudice, so they decided to call Yu Qinglong "Brother Xiaoyu" in public, and at the same time hide the fact that the future layman was a boy.
Yu Qinglong said, "There's no deep meaning to it. It's just a reminder to myself from time to time not to tell anyone that I've been here."
Is that so?
Yan Xikuan always felt that this was not the case.
Fang Shu felt even less so. He was struck by a strange thought as to how his husband had once jokingly mentioned himself as a "fairy" sent by the heavens to help him.
Come to think of it, hadn't his Long Ge'er been helping him since they first met? He'd helped him move rocks, made fun wooden toys, rescued his friends, and driven off the Wu family.
Also, his husband had been said to be timid in the past, but he had actually been quite courageous since they met. There were also rumors that his husband was afraid to speak, but in reality, ten people tied together might not be able to outtalk him.
His husband learns everything very quickly and can make many things that he has never seen before.
He also wrote a story about a fairy and a down-and-out scholar.
Could it be that...
Could it be that her husband is really an immortal?!
The word "future" can have multiple meanings. In addition to the commonly seen "future," it can also be interpreted as "the next life" in the "Book of Wei: Records of Buddhism and Taoism."
No wonder you don’t want children. Are you afraid that you won’t be able to bear the separation when you separate in the future?
Or maybe it's because immortals can't be with mortals, and if they have children, they will be punished by heaven...
The more Fang Shu thought about it, the paler his face turned, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case.
Yu Qinglong noticed that his partner looked like he was about to faint, so he asked, "Shoucheng, what's wrong with you?"
Fang Shu wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "Nothing. Maybe I ate too fast just now and my stomach is not feeling well."
Yu Qinglong asked him, "Is it painful? Or is it bloating?"
Fang Shu said, "I feel a little bloated."
Yu Qinglong wanted to massage him.
Seeing this, Ma Qinfu said, "Then Xikuan and I will go back to our room to rest first. You should also go to bed early."
Yu Qinglong nodded and began massaging Fang Shu's Neiguan acupoint. After Ma and Yan left and closed the door, he reached into Fang Shu's clothes and massaged the Zhongwan acupoint in his upper abdomen.
In fact, Fang Shu did not have any gastrointestinal discomfort, but he did not dare to say it at this time, nor did he want to say it.
Yu Qinglong's hands were warm, and it hurt a little, but despite the pain, he felt extremely happy.
At least his husband treats him genuinely well.
Although he didn't know how long he could keep this good thing...
When sleeping at night, Fang Shu hugged Yu Qinglong tightly, as if he was afraid that Yu Qinglong would disappear.
Yu Qinglong thought he was just having trouble sleeping in a new place and didn't think much about it.
In the morning, the waiter called out for a few people who had to go to work early. Yu Qinglong heard it and woke up with Fang Shu. After breakfast, he took the manuscript and went to Dexin Bookstore with Yan and Ma.
The young master was reading a storybook, muttering that there had been no interesting stories recently. Seeing Yan Xikuan coming, he quickly stood up from his rocking chair and said, "Yan Xikuan? Why are you here? And Ma Xiucai!"
Yan Xikuan bowed and said, "I brought a new storybook here for you to take a look at and see if I can sell it here."
This was a good job, so the young master quickly reached out and asked, "Who wrote this?"
He knew that these two people did not write these.
Yan Xikuan handed over the manuscript and said, "This was written by a good friend from my hometown. But since it's inconvenient for him to come, I brought it here for him."
The young master glanced at Yu Qinglong and Fang Shu. His family had run the bookshop for many years and had seen all sorts of people. He knew at a glance that these two were no ordinary folk.
But he didn't ask, and hurried to flip through the notebook Yan Xikuan gave him.
He was so excited that the more he read, the more he wanted to know how the story would develop. He read faster and faster, turning four or five pages without stopping, as if he had forgotten that someone was waiting for his reply.
Yan Xikuan didn't rush him and found a place for them to sit down and wait together.
After about two quarters of an hour, the young master finally finished reading. He asked Yan Xikuan, "What about the sequel? This isn't complete."
Yan Xikuan said, "It's not finished yet. If it can be sold here, he will continue writing."
The bookshops didn't only sell printed books; they also had many handwritten copies. Handwritten copies were cheaper and more varied. They wanted to sell only handwritten copies.
The young master said, "You can sell it, but it has to be at least halfway completed. Otherwise, if he only gives the beginning to keep people hooked and then leaves the rest, wouldn't that bring criticism upon my library?"
Yan Xikuan said, "It won't be lost in the future. I will definitely finish it. My friend is thinking of making money by writing storybooks. Besides, this book will only be sold to you, not anywhere else. This storybook has exquisite words and novel stories. I haven't seen it anywhere else. You are an expert, so you must know that it will be in demand. How about selling it here first? As for the next volume, I'm already working on it, and it will be available in about half a month."
The young master asked, "Are you really only letting my family go?"
Yan Xikuan said: "Of course, how about I give you a fingerprint?"
Exclusive sales are a great way to attract customers. This story is truly unprecedented. There are many strange tales on the market these days, but they're all the same old clichés. Unlike this one, the protagonist is lively and interesting, and his thoughts are different from those in other stories.
Such a storybook would be a hit the moment it was released. He had been reading storybooks in the bookstore since he was twelve years old, and he knew at a glance what would sell well and what wouldn't.
"So what price does your friend want?"
"What do you think?" Yan Xikuan said, "To be honest, my friend's ideas are extremely profound. I dare say he will write more interesting storybooks in the future, all of which have never been seen before. Please give him a good price."
"How about this, I'll give you one or two taels of silver for this scroll first. If there are more later, the price can be negotiated. I'll also put it in the library to see if there are many people who like it."
Their county is located on the coast, with many business travelers and a large population. Many people still love good storybooks.
A book with so many words like this can easily be sold for about a hundred coins.
As long as I can sell eleven or twelve copies, I'll break even. Not to mention the rentals, which are what make a long-term profit.
Yan Xikuan seemed to be thinking.
At this moment, Yu Qinglong tapped the table twice. There was no sound, and if you didn't look at him, you wouldn't notice.
Yan Xikuan watched from the corner of his eye and said, "Young Master, isn't one tael a little too little? When I was here, I used to pay one tael for some very ordinary writings. This should be worth at least two taels, right?"
Books are not cheap, but whether a storybook can be sold depends entirely on whether the story is interesting. In his opinion, Yu Qinglong's works are worth more than this price.
The young master said, "Those who offer one or two taels have been working with me for years. I've never even met your friend. So, since we've known each other for a while, I'll offer one and a half taels. If he can write the sequel as soon as possible, I'll increase or decrease the price appropriately depending on how good it is."
Yu Qinglong placed his hands flat on the table. Yan Xikuan said, "Okay, I have a few books here. I'll sell them to you first. Just let me pay for them together."
Including the ones he had taken out earlier, there were exactly five. The young master looked at the quality, signed a contract with Yan Xikuan, and gave him two taels of silver in total.
Although Yu Qinglong showed no expression, he was extremely happy in his heart!
This is much more profitable than he had thought!
He had thought five hundred wen would be good. After deducting the cost of traveling back and forth, he might still have a hundred wen left. He hadn't expected so much!
If he could consistently publish two books every month, wouldn't that mean he'd make... thirty-six taels of silver that year?!
Even after deducting the costs of transportation and round-trip fares, plus the cost of accommodation and food, I could still make over twenty taels! This is much more profitable than farming!
And there is no need to expose it to wind and sun!
After leaving the library, they hurried back to the inn. Yan Xikuan wanted to give Yu Qinglong some money, but Yu Qinglong refused. He waited until the door was closed before accepting the two taels of silver!
He kept one ounce and gave the remaining one ounce to Yan Xikuan and Ma Qinsui.
Yan and Ma said, "That's not necessary, Brother Xiaoyu."
They followed him, and Fang Shu paid for their food and accommodation. They also copied books using the blank notebooks Fang Shu bought. How could they have the nerve to ask for money?
Yu Qinglong said, "If it weren't for Brother Qin Sui mentioning it, Shoucheng wouldn't have known that you, Brother Xikuan, knew the young master of Dexin Bookstore. Without Brother Xikuan's help, this book wouldn't have sold so quickly, so it's only right that I give you a share of the money. When I write a new one in the future, if you're still willing to help me, I'll still look for you. I wouldn't trust others to copy my work, and besides, their handwriting might not be half as good as yours."
Apart from anything else, Fang Shu and his two classmates all had first-rate calligraphy, and each had their own unique style.
The two still felt that it was inappropriate to take it.
Fang Shu said, "Just listen to him. I listen to him too, so he's right."
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that Yu Qinglong has indeed made more decisions recently, but they all seem to be very reasonable, and the problems encountered have been properly resolved.
The two men put the money away. Coincidentally, the two taels of silver contained three pieces, two of which were small change. Ma Qinsui gave the larger piece to Yan Xikuan, who readily accepted it.
Yu Qinglong took the one or two taels of silver and, when they were alone, asked Fang Shu, "Is it okay if I take care of all this?"
Fang Shu was now worried that Yu Qinglong would suddenly disappear one day. Not to mention a tael of silver, he would even let Long Ge'er take care of him!
He said, "What's mine is yours, and what's yours is yours. It's all yours."
Yu Qinglong said with a smile, "Come on, this is my first time back. Take me around so I can see if there's anything I need to buy. I was thinking of making you a stationery container. Let's go see what the four treasures of the study look like and what they're used for."
Fang Shu quickly agreed and took Yu Qinglong out of the inn again. He whispered to Yu Qinglong, "Are we still going to see Master Ma?"
Yu Qinglong asked, "Do you want to go?"
Fang Shu said frankly: "Not really."
Yu Qinglong said, "Then don't go for now. If you really need to see me, I have other ways."
Fang Shu smiled and said, "Okay, then I will take you to Wenbaozhai first!"
The couple went to a place selling pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, and Yu Qinglong looked at each one to see what was popular at the time.
Fang Shu also bought a portion of meatballs for Yu Qinglong.
Yu Qinglong saw that the meatballs were wrapped in paper and asked Fang Shu, "Shoucheng, have you ever seen meatballs skewered on bamboo sticks?"
Fang Shu said: "No, there are meatballs like that?"
Yu Qinglong thought to himself, that must be Chuan Chuan Xiang! And Oden! They are quite popular in modern times.
There's none here?!
I’ll think about this carefully after he gets back!
Yu Qinglong was searching his memory to see if his grandmother had ever made something similar.
Little did he know that someone was also looking for him, but they were not looking for his memories.
The people from Fuhushan Village received the deposit and sent out two people.
I didn't give more because I was thinking about taking care of a guy. It would be embarrassing to give more, and I really don't need it.
So after the two of them came down the mountain, they went to wait on the road between Shangxi Village and Xiaxi Village.
The buyer said that their target passed by this place every day, exactly.
However, the two men had been guarding since dawn, and three hours had passed, but not a single young man had been seen.
What about a couple going to Shangxi Village together?! What about rain or shine and unshakable? That's all bullshit!
They waited for a long time, and all they saw were three old men passing by! There were no young men or boys, not even two male flies!
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Author's words: Fang Shu: Oh my god, my husband is really a fairy boy [burst into tears]
Qinglong: I'm Xian Ge'er, why are you crying? It's obvious that you got a great deal [roll eyes]
Fang Shu: What if you fly away one day? [Please]
Qinglong: Don't worry, even if I fly away, I will take your little tail with me [dog head]
Fang Shu: I know my husband loves me the most [let me know] I beg you aunts to give me some nutrient solution, and bless my husband not to fly away [laughing]
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