He seems a bit weird on weekdays, but he is actually a reliable person.
Guests are welcome. As for what the two of them are planning, we’ll talk about it first.
Xu Jiang put on a smile and stepped into the bookstore, "Sorry to have kept you waiting."
When the two shopkeepers saw her come in, they quickly stood up to greet her. The three of them looked at each other before introducing themselves.
"Junior Xu Jiang, greetings to the two shopkeepers."
"Hello, Shopkeeper Xu. I'm Wu Qingchuang from Songchuang Bookstore."
"Nice to meet you, Zhenxi Bookstore, Dansi."
Xu Jiang hurriedly invited the two to sit down. Zeng Zhui saw Xu Jiang coming back. Seeing that the three had something to discuss, he said goodbye to them and stood up to walk out. Lin Hongchu hurriedly followed him.
After the two men left, Lou Yunchun finished unloading the goods, tied up the donkey, and came in through the small door. Neither of the two shopkeepers had ever seen Lou Yunchun before, and his scrutinizing gaze made them a little uneasy. Only when he turned his eyes to Xu Jiang did they feel relieved.
Xu Jiang nodded to Lou Yunchun and smiled reassuringly. Lou Yunchun then looked at her deeply and went back to the backyard to get the horse.
After a while, Xu Jiang heard Lin Hongchu saying goodbye to him, and then the reluctant sound of horse hooves gradually faded away.
The water on the stove was boiling. Xu Jiang refilled the tea for the two shopkeepers and brewed herself a cup of Bitan Piaoxue. After a few rounds of greetings with the two, she asked, "I wonder what brings you to this dilapidated place today?"
Wu Qingchuang bowed to her and said, "I've heard about Manager Xu's righteous deeds at Xieyue Tower for a while now, and I've always wanted to come and visit, but I've never been able to. Since the weather is fine today, I've asked Manager Dan to come along. Sorry to bother you."
Shopkeeper Wu had a square and open face and seemed to be upright and honest. However, after Xu Jiang's experience with Feng Miao, she felt a little uneasy and uncomfortable with this talk.
Dan Si saw her frown and said, "Don't worry, Shopkeeper Xu. We are friends from the heart and have no ill will towards each other."
Xu Jiang looked at him. The man was thin and withered, with a beautiful beard, and had a Taoist air.
She smiled bitterly and said, "I really don't dare to trust strangers nowadays. Why don't you two tell me your purpose directly so that I can judge for myself."
The two shopkeepers expressed their understanding, then exchanged a glance. Wu Qingchuang spoke up, "These past few days, students have been frequently inquiring about a collection of poems called 'New Collection of Elementary School Texts,' supposedly printed by the Imperial College. I had someone find a copy and discovered it was published by your shop. I'd like to inquire about the engraver who created the plates for this collection."
Are you here for engraving? Xu Jiang raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "I wonder what you two are looking for this engraver for?"
Wu Qingchuang said, "To be honest, my brother Dan and I wanted to publish a collection of essays together, but we were having trouble finding a suitable engraver. We were so desperate that we happened to come across this collection from your shop. The printing is so neat and beautiful, and the carving is so smooth. You think you are exactly the engraver we have been looking for. That's why we couldn't wait to borrow your help."
If they came just for the sake of the routine and nothing else, they could make a few friends. However, to be cautious, Xu Jiang still asked them in detail.
"Forgive me for my confusion. In this vast capital, under the Emperor's feet, with so many bookshops and bookstores, is there not a single engraver you two find worthy of?"
Dan Si said helplessly, "It's not that there are no engravers, but the ones we value are not what others value. Even if there are people willing to engrave, the price they ask is too high, and a small bookstore like ours can't afford it."
Wu Qingchuang also had a worried look on his face. "These days, good engravers are either in the imperial court, in the homes of princes and nobles, or snatched up by major bookstores. A poor shop like ours can't afford to keep or hire one." He added, "The other day I saw your shop's 'New Collection of Elementary Education' and its printing and binding were so exquisite and sophisticated. Thinking that our shop's size was similar, I thought if you could afford it, then we certainly could, so I shamelessly came here."
Dan Si bowed and said solemnly, "Please ask Shopkeeper Xu to introduce us to a few people."
Xu Jiang pondered for a moment and asked, "May I ask whose collection of essays you two are going to publish?"
Dan Si said, "The collected works of Wang Zhonggong."
Xu Jiang understood. It turned out to be this great sage. No wonder the two men had so many requirements for printing. They probably wanted to produce a set of exquisitely framed volumes for people to collect.
Seeing that she remained silent, the two of them became anxious. Wu Qingchuang pleaded, "Manager Xu, if you're willing to introduce us, we'll definitely reward you. You won't be at a loss."
Dan Si also said earnestly, "If this is accomplished, Shopkeeper Xu will have done us a great favor. We will definitely remember this favor. If Shopkeeper Xu needs help in the future, we two will be happy to help you."
At this point, Xu Jiang considered the feasibility of this matter. The bookstore's business has been slow recently. If he could make some money from engraving to support the store's operations, it would not be a bad idea.
She asked carefully, "I wonder how much the two shopkeepers would be willing to pay for a piece of wood?"
Seeing that this was a promising idea, the two shopkeepers were delighted. Dan Si replied, "If we can achieve the quality of a New Collection of Elementary Education, I'll charge two thousand coins for each piece of wood. What do you think, Shopkeeper Xu?"
Two thousand coins, this price alone is not high. Xu Jiang asked again: "How many boards are there in a set of collections?"
Wu Qingchuang replied, "About sixty yuan."
Two thousand coins a piece, sixty pieces of wood seemed about right, but Xu Jiang didn't agree immediately. "This matter cannot be settled today. Please bring the collection here another day, and we can discuss it after I have examined it."
In addition to the number of boards, the number of characters also needs to be considered. If there are many characters and they need to be engraved small, then the price needs to be increased.
The matter was almost done, and Wu Mengchuang said happily, "No problem." Then he asked worriedly, "Don't we need to ask the engraver about this? Can Shopkeeper Xu make the decision?"
Dan Si also said, "Why don't we ask the engraver to come over so we can meet him and recognize his face?"
Xu Jiang took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Haven't you two already seen it?"
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