Xu Jiang smiled, turned around, took down a blue book from another shelf, and presented it to Du Hui. Du Hui took a closer look and saw the words "Yunxiao Annotations" written on the cover, with a red seal with cloud patterns underneath.
"This copy of 'Yunxiao Annotations' was printed by Mr. Yunxiao. It bears a cloud-patterned seal, verifying its authenticity. It contains an appendix of his early annotated verses. However, due to age, many of Mr. Yunxiao's early works have been lost, leaving only titles. Among these titles is a record of his annotations to 'Ziyun's Four Fu'."
Du Hui took the blue book and read it, and saw the incomplete title she mentioned. It did contain Mr. Yunxiao's record of "Ziyun's Four Fu".
"This set of 'Ziyun's Four Fu' was a gift from Mr. Yunxiao to his good friend Zeng Yan after he annotated it. It later became a lost cause when the Zeng family perished, and after several twists and turns, it finally found its way into the hands of my teacher and survived."
After saying this, she took down the set of "Ziyun's Four Fu" and carefully peeled back the covers, revealing the well-preserved text inside. Du Hui carefully flipped through the pages, noticing the legible handwriting and pliable paper, and knew that meticulous care had been taken to preserve it.
"If Mr. Du still has doubts, we have other collections written by Mr. Yunxiao in our shop. We can compare the handwriting to determine the authenticity."
"The authenticity has been verified, so there's no need to bother." He put the book down, seemingly no longer interested in the collection, and walked towards another shelf. Xu Jiang, however, was in no hurry to collect the books. Instead, she followed him, explaining the versions and origins of other classics. He walked back and forth, finally picking up the set of "Ziyun's Four Fu" and, after a moment's deliberation, asked, "How much would you like to pay for this collection, Shopkeeper Zixu?"
It is true.
Xu Jiang's heart trembled slightly. She had observed Mr. Du's style of doing things. He wouldn't make a decision immediately after seeing something he liked, but would compare it carefully before making a choice. However, once he had decided on something, he wouldn't let it go easily. Once he asked the price, he was determined to get it. This kind of person was decisive in his business dealings, generous, and quick to buy, making him a very pleasing customer.
But Xu Jiang dared not sell this rare copy easily, as it would drop in value, and if it did, it would be easily lost due to improper storage. Therefore, the Master had established a rule that even if she were to sell these rare copies, they had to be sold to someone who truly loved them, to ensure they would not be damaged or lost.
People all toss and turn because they cannot get what they want. Only after tossing and turning do they learn to cherish it. So, this deal still needs to be polished.
Xu Jiang first bowed to Du Hui and apologized, then politely declined, saying, "Mr. Du, this collection was printed by Chen Liang. Due to damage to the printing plates, only three hundred copies have been published. It is truly priceless. Furthermore, with Mr. Yunxiao's annotations, it is an extremely rare and unique copy. Therefore, we do not sell it in this shop. It is only available for borrowing."
Du Huiben had already prepared for her to pay a high price and had made up his mind to buy it. When he heard that she was not selling it, his brows immediately frowned and he said unhappily, "Not selling it? Are you afraid that I can't afford it?"
Xu Jiang said anxiously, "How dare I look down on you, sir? It's our rule that only rare and out-of-print books are loaned, not sold. If you really like them, I can copy them and bind them into a book and give them to you. Is that okay?"
"Why do I need to copy the copy? I have it at home. What I want is this unique copy and the annotations. Just name your price. I can afford any price." Seeing her sincere expression, Du Hui's expression eased a lot, but his attitude remained firm.
Unfortunately, Xu Jiang was determined to let him return empty-handed. No matter how much he tried to persuade her, she wouldn't budge, only agreeing to lend him the book or give him a copy. Unable to persuade her, and unable to force a sale, Du Hui left with a cold face, not even accepting the chrysanthemum wine Xu Jiang had given him.
After the guests left, Xu San came in and asked worriedly, "Boss, why did this guest leave in such a huff?"
Xu Jiang raised the corner of her mouth and said, "It's okay, he will come back."
The morning passed quickly, and the bookstore had no income. Xu San and A'er were a little anxious, but Xu Jiang calmly brought out several plates of fruits, snacks, and cold dishes, and asked A'er to take them to the stone couch under the tree and have a drink with them.
"Everyone, please don't be polite. Today is Double Ninth Festival, and it's also the day when the bookstore opens. We should have a drink and celebrate."
Ah-po grabbed a piece of Chongyang cake and stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation. Xu San was in charge of pouring the wine. Carpenter Cao stood up and raised his glass to congratulate him, saying, "I wish you a prosperous opening and a healthy Chongyang Festival."
Ah Qu and Xu San also raised their glasses together, "Good luck on the opening of the business, and good health on the Double Ninth Festival."
Xu Jiang smiled and touched their lips, "I hope everyone is well."
After a round of drinking, everyone's faces flushed. Uncle Cao, after drinking, became more talkative and advised, "Don't be discouraged, Boss. The market opens at twilight hour. It will be crowded and lively then, so there will always be customers."
"Don't be discouraged. I'm still motivated. Come, Uncle Cao, I toast you."
"Okay." After they finished drinking, Uncle Cao savored the wine in his mouth and said, "This wine is still a little light. It needs to be roasted over fire to make it more flavorful."
Xu Jiang became interested after hearing this and asked, "Is that the method of roasting wine that Uncle Cao is talking about?"
"The boss also knows?"
"There's a kind of potato wine in Yuzhou, made from wild yams dug by mountain dwellers. They wash the yams and air-dry them, then chop them and ferment them with koji. After three months of fermentation, the wine is filtered out, placed in a jar, sealed with yellow mud, and then buried in rice ash. It's roasted away from fire at a low temperature for seven days, then stored in an earthen cellar for three years. The resulting wine is rich and sweet, but the aftereffect is like a deadly backstab, leaving you disoriented."
Uncle Cao sighed, "The boss is quite knowledgeable. He even knows about this potato wine."
"I was lucky enough to try it when I passed through Yuzhou two years ago." Xu Jiang held her chin and savored it, as if recalling something anecdotal, and smiled. "When I first tasted it, I thought it was a local sweet wine, so I drank a few more and ended up drunk for three days. Fortunately, the local people are simple and honest, otherwise I might have lost my life and property."
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