Chapter 79 Cousin, wake up!
Shen Lingyue's creative work lasted for three days.
The story hadn't been written for more than a few pages, but the three main rooms of Dan Yue Xuan and Jiu Si Yuan had been cleaned spotlessly.
Over the past three days, the scene Yan Yi saw most often was Shen Lingyue running ahead with a rag and broom, while Qing Chan led a group of maids chasing after her.
"Miss, please stop wiping! The water is too cold; it will hurt your hands!"
"...Hot water won't work either. These are not things you should be doing."
"Quickly, quickly, go get the ladder! Miss can't get down from the roof beams while sweeping the dust!"
The news even reached Songhetang. The old lady couldn't understand it at all and complained to Qian Mama, "Has this silly child had enough of a good life? Why is she now competing with the servants to do chores?"
While verbally agreeing, Mrs. Qian secretly regretted not being able to witness this scene firsthand.
...If only we could trick the second young mistress into coming to Songhe Hall to sweep the floor, so she could experience what it's like to be the mistress.
That morning, the weather was fine and the sun was shining brightly. Shen Lingyue finally stopped working and, carrying her writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, strode into the garden pavilion.
"It must be that the room wasn't spacious enough, which hindered my train of thought. I need to get closer to nature and breathe fresh air."
Shen Lingyue confidently assured Yan Yi, "I will definitely be able to write the first chapter today!"
Yan Yi smiled without saying a word, found a seat, gently fanned herself, and gazed at the scenery in the distance.
Unlike Xiaoyue, she wasn't active and loved going out. Even after being married into the Marquis's mansion for more than half a year, she hadn't even explored the entire garden, at most taking a stroll around the vicinity of Jiusi Courtyard.
Sitting in the pavilion now, with a warm breeze on your face and the fragrance of spring in the air, it is a peaceful and serene experience – a true pleasure.
The tranquility was soon broken.
"Yan Yan, should I write 'She gave him a reproachful look' or 'She glared at him'?"
"Yan Yan, what do you think? Should the female lead's family support or oppose her returning home after her divorce?"
"Yan Yan, what do you think about using Dan Yue Xuan as the model for the layout of the female protagonist's courtyard?"
“Yan Yan…”
Yan Yi closed her eyes in despair, decisively placed the fan on her face, and leaned back.
Don't ask me, I'm asleep.
Shen Lingyue called out a few times, but when she didn't respond, she bit her pen and pondered deeply.
There were more crumpled pieces of paper scattered on the ground in the pavilion.
"I never knew writing a book was so difficult."
Shen Lingyue pouted, slumped onto the table, and fumed like a pufferfish.
I'm not writing anymore.
Some money really should be earned by others QAQ
...
Yan Yi was pretending to be asleep at first, but she dozed off and when she opened her eyes again, Shen Lingyue had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a pile of messy scraps of paper on the table.
She asked Si Xiang, "Where is the Second Young Mistress?"
"It seems they went to Tanghua Garden to play with the cats."
Yan Yi: ...Not surprising at all.
She got up and stretched a bit, then walked to the table, ready to admire Little Moon's masterpiece.
The first few pages showed some semblance of a plot, but it was clearly fragmented, written as thoughts came to mind, lacking connection and logic.
The handwriting became increasingly messy as it went on, with the charcoal pencil cutting deep into the paper as if it carried some deep-seated hatred.
The last page was filled with "scumbag" written all over it, and marked with countless crosses.
Yan Yi sighed and smiled wryly, realizing that she hadn't written much of the story yet, but had already made herself quite angry.
"Sister-in-law, what are you looking at?"
Dong Lanyi also came to the garden for a spring outing. Curious, she walked into the pavilion and asked, "What are these...?"
She looked at the crumpled pieces of paper scattered on the floor, her eyes filled with confusion.
Yan Yi smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just that your second cousin-in-law suddenly had the idea to publish a book, just like Young Master Xiaoxiang."
"Can I take a look?" Dong Lanyi asked, pointing to the stack of manuscripts in her hand.
Yan Yi thought for a moment. Since she figured Xiao Yue Liang didn't want to write anymore, there was no point in keeping the manuscripts. So she generously handed them to her, saying, "Take a look."
Just then, Diancha came over and said, "Madam Hou requests your presence at Tanghua Garden to help with some accounting."
Yan Yi agreed and said to Dong Lanyi, "Cousin, take your time looking at it. Once you're done, just send someone to bring it to me."
Dong Lanyi seemed completely absorbed in the contents of the paper, and without looking up, said, "I understand, Cousin-in-law, you can go ahead and do your work."
Yan Yi, accompanied by two maids, hurried towards Tanghua Garden.
Dong Lanyi sat in the pavilion for a long time, reading over and over the fragmented plots written by Shen Lingyue. Not satisfied, she picked up the crumpled pieces of paper on the ground, unfolded and smoothed them out, and then picked out some content to rewrite.
"This story is really good," she murmured as she copied it down. "Why isn't my second cousin-in-law writing anymore?"
...
Writing a book can be a matter of moments, from beginner to giving up.
After Shen Lingyue completely let go, she immediately ate and slept well, and no longer had to think about the plot every time she opened and closed her eyes.
Yan Yi deliberately asked her, "Are you really not going to write anymore?"
Shen Lingyue shook her head frantically: "I still think it's happier to be a pure reader."
She has already finished reading all three volumes of Xiaoxiang Gongzi's "Qilan Biography" and now she just hopes that he will release another hundred volumes soon!
As they were chatting, Dong Lanyi arrived, carrying a stack of manuscripts in her arms.
Yan Yi then remembered that she had left Shen Lingyue's discarded manuscript in the pavilion last time. She stood up and took two steps to greet her, "Cousin, why did you bring it here in person?"
Dong Lanyi shook her head, glanced at Shen Lingyue with a hint of trepidation, and said, "Second Sister-in-law, I took it upon myself to continue your story. You won't be angry, will you?"
Shen Lingyue opened her eyes wide. "Continue writing? Let me see it quickly."
Dong Lanyi handed the manuscript to her, and Shen Lingyue quickly flipped through a few pages, her eyes shining.
"My goodness, cousin, you wrote so well."
Shen Lingyue ran to Yan Yi's side with the manuscript in her hand, "Yan Yan, look, my cousin has continued my story from where I started, and it's so wonderful."
Yan Yi leaned over to take a look. Dong Lanyi had developed the plot logically based on Shen Lingyue's story, and the writing was beautiful and fluent, with the characters speaking eloquently, adding a touch of antique charm.
Shen Lingyue gave her two thumbs up and gestured up and down, "Wonderful, a masterpiece, a worthy candidate for the top spot!"
She then threw herself into Yan Yi's arms and sobbed, pretending to cry: "All the talent belongs to others, I have nothing, waaaaah..."
She could only write "big eyes", "red lips", "faint smile"... but in Dong Lanyi's writing, these characters seem to come alive, possessing both form and spirit, and having their own unique character.
Shen Lingyue originally intended to act coquettishly towards Yan Yi, but Dong Lanyi took it seriously and waved her hands repeatedly, "No, second cousin-in-law, without your previous ideas, I would never have been able to come up with such a wonderful plot on my own... I've at most read a few more books on poetry and prosody than you, and I can barely write a few casual poems. I'm not good at storytelling."
"Who said that? I think you're obviously very capable."
Shen Lingyue straightened up in a second, her eyes darting around, and she quickly came up with a brilliant idea.
“Cousin, let’s work together. I’ll provide the inspiration, you write the script, and once you’ve finished writing a book, I’ll find a bookstore to print and sell it. I’m sure I can make you a star, just as famous as that Young Master Xiaoxiang!”
Dong Lanyi was just writing for fun and was a little nervous when she returned the manuscript. She didn't expect that Shen Lingyue would not only not blame her, but also want to write the book with her.
She was somewhat tempted, but still waved her hand uncertainly, "I've never written a storybook, how can I compare to Young Master Xiaoxiang?"
"So what? He can write books and buy houses, what makes you any worse than him?"
Shen Lingyue was very persuasive when she tried to convince people. "I heard that the Young Master Xiaoxiang is just a scholar who has failed the imperial examinations many times. You are a cousin of the Marquis's family and the county magistrate's own daughter. The teacher who taught you since you were a child is much more capable than him. Why do you think you can't do it? If I say you can, then you definitely can."
Then she pulled Yan Yi along, saying, "Sister-in-law, tell me, if my cousin's writing isn't published, it's like a pearl being buried in dust, a complete waste of talent!"
Yan Yi nodded in agreement with a serious expression: "Cousin, I think you should really give it a try. Be more confident. Your talent is no less than that of the Young Master Xiaoxiang."
With the two of them working together, Dong Lanyi was finally persuaded, "Then I'll give it a try?"
She pointed to the last page of the manuscript, "I've only written this far, and I can't think of how the plot should develop from here. Second cousin-in-law, do you have any good ideas?"
Shen Lingyue rubbed her hands together. Telling stories? She's an absolute master at that!
...
A large study was set up in Danyue Pavilion.
Yan Yi had the craftsmen of the Marquis's mansion make three simple blackboards, each with wooden wheels, so they could be moved around and brought into Shen Lingyue and Dong Lanyi's "studio".
Dong Lanyi would come every morning without fail to listen to Shen Lingyue tell stories with great enthusiasm. The two of them would take charcoal pencils and draw on the blackboard, recording their inspirations, and then refine them, compiling the plot into a book.
Yan Yi was responsible for overseeing and reviewing the content, including the appropriateness of certain scenes and whether they would be interpreted in a way that could be misinterpreted by malicious individuals, so that she could make timely revisions.
To this end, she also specifically studied the legal provisions related to printing and publishing in the laws of Daye, serving as an advisor.
The three of them spent all their time in the room, working together in a harmonious atmosphere.
Half a month later, Dong Lanyi came to find her two cousins-in-law in high spirits.
"Today is the day that Xiaoxiang Gongzi's new book is reprinted and released. He will be there in person to sign and sell the books. Let's hurry up and line up, or we'll be too late."
Shen Lingyue asked in confusion, "Haven't you already bought several copies of his new book? Why do you need to buy another one?"
Dong Lanyi blushed. "It's different this time. I can meet him in person and discuss literature with him on the spot... I want to bring our storybooks with me and ask him for his comments."
Despite Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi praising her stories every day, Dong Lanyi still lacked confidence and always felt that she needed the approval of an "authority".
Shen Lingyue understood; this was a little fangirl wanting to meet her idol in person.
She stretched and said, "Okay, let's go together. It's a good day off. Getting out and about might give us some inspiration."
They sent a maid to prepare a carriage, and the three of them changed their clothes and prepared to go out.
However, they were stopped halfway by Pei Yuzhen, who had rushed over after receiving the news.
"Where are you taking Lanyi?" she asked, her eyes full of suspicion. "She's not engaged yet, so don't take her to some random, shady place."
Pei Yuzhen was puzzled. Recently, her daughter seemed to be possessed, running to Pei Jinghuai's courtyard every day.
She almost thought her daughter had changed her mind and was now eyeing her second cousin.
Although Pei Jinghuai is indeed her nephew, he cannot inherit the title and has no proper job. Even if she marries him as his principal wife, there is no future for her, let alone as a concubine.
Besides, she and Meng Wanyin have always been at odds. If Lan Yi falls into her hands, who knows how she'll be tormented? No way.
Without a word, Pei Yuzhen grabbed Dong Lanyi's hand, "Why are you running around? Come back with me."
Dong Lanyi was anxious. She had finally managed to attend one of Xiaoxiang Gongzi's book signings, and if she missed this one, she didn't know how long she would have to wait.
“Sister-in-law…” She subconsciously turned to the two for help. After spending these days together, she had developed a great deal of trust and reliance on Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi.
Shen Lingyue didn't hesitate; she grabbed Dong Lanyi's wrist and pulled her back.
"Aunt, why are you in such a hurry? We just want to take our cousin out for a stroll. What's the point of her staying cooped up in the house all day? Besides, it's broad daylight, and everyone in the mansion is watching. Do you think my sister-in-law and I would sell our cousin?"
Pei Yuzhen was skeptical. "Lanyi, are you really going out with them?"
Dong Lanyi nodded vigorously, "Mother, please let me go with my cousin-in-law. We'll just wander around and be back before dark."
Pei Yuzhen subconsciously reached for her sleeve, then remembered that she had been swindled out of a large sum of money by that damned Hua Ming last year. Feeling penniless, she called Dong Lanyi over and whispered some instructions to her.
"If you see anything nice outside, just ask them to pay for it for you. As your sisters-in-law, they're much wealthier than you, so don't be shy. Besides, their money originally belonged to the Pei family anyway, so you can spend it as you please!"
Dong Lanyi: "...Oh."
She gave a perfunctory reply and returned to Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi's side, not daring to look up and meet their gaze.
Since my mother suddenly fell ill last year, she has become increasingly stingy and miserly. She also throws tantrums at the drop of a hat, complaining that her maternal grandmother no longer loves her, and that her uncle has forgotten his old love for someone new and doesn't even care about his younger sister anymore.
This made her and Azhi afraid to make too much noise in the room, lest they be scolded by Pei Yuzhen if they weren't careful.
Dong Lanyi vaguely guessed that Pei Yuzhen might be short of money, which was why she agreed to Shen Lingyue's proposal to cooperate.
If their storybooks could actually make money, she could help ease some of her mother's burden, right?
The three of them took a carriage to a medium-sized restaurant in the east of the city.
Today, Xiaoxiang Gongzi's autograph session will be held here.
As soon as they stepped off the carriage, they were startled by the seemingly endless queue ahead. "So many people?"
Dong Lanyi looked anxious. "What should we do? I heard that only the first two hundred people can get the young master's autograph today... It's all my mother's fault for nagging me for so long, otherwise we would definitely have made it."
Her eyes were red, as if she was about to cry at any moment.
Shen Lingyue quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll go ahead and think of a solution."
She strode forward, looking at each person in the line, and soon her eyes met those of a tall, sharp-looking boy.
Shen Lingyue walked over, and before she could speak, the other person took out a small wooden sign that read "128" and waved it at her.
"Five taels of silver, will you buy it or not?"
Shen Lingyue chuckled dryly; she knew it!
So even in Daye there are scalpers...
A rough count revealed that the queue had already stretched to over three hundred people.
Shen Lingyue no longer hesitated, stuffed a five-tael silver ingot into his hand, handed the wooden plaque to He Rong who was leaving, and told him to wait in line. The three of them went directly into the restaurant lobby, ordered tea, and sat down to wait.
The hall, which used to be a stage for performances, now has a long table set up with Xiao Xiang Gongzi's new books on it, and you can still faintly smell the fresh ink.
This restaurant is not large and its business is probably not very good on weekdays, but today the main hall is full and even the private rooms upstairs have signs up.
Looking around, one sees either wealthy young ladies or young women, all book lovers similar to Dong Lanyi, drawn by the story of Xiaoxiang Gongzi.
The restaurant owner was overjoyed. His plump and agile body moved around the lobby, doing everything he could to entertain these pampered guests.
Shen Lingyue glanced at the attire of the other guests at the tables, noting that they were all wealthy and powerful. She clicked her tongue twice and discussed with Yan Yi, "Xiaoxiang Gongzi's readership is quite high-end."
Yan Yi nodded, "In ancient times, the literacy rate was already low, and those who could afford to send their daughters to school were extremely rare. Today's book signing is so popular that people even have to pay extra to buy a ticket from a scalper... After rounds of selection, those who can sit here are certainly not ordinary people."
Shen Lingyue's eyes were sharp. These people were currently fans of Xiaoxiang Gongzi's books, but they might become her cousin's readers in the future. She needed to study carefully what these young ladies and wives liked to read.
Market research launched!
The official sale hadn't started yet, and the stage was empty. Shen Lingyue, curious, asked Dong Lanyi, "Have you ever seen Young Master Xiaoxiang? How old is he, and what does he look like?"
“I haven’t met him yet,” Dong Lanyi said with longing in her eyes, “but someone who can write so many beautiful articles must be a man of exceptional talent and refined character…”
Suddenly, an unremarkable middle-aged man emerged from behind the hall, wearing a lake-green silk robe, and gracefully walked onto the stage.
Shen Lingyue's eyes showed disappointment: "This is Young Master Xiaoxiang?!"
Dong Lanyi couldn't help but glare at her. "This is the owner of Xuelangzhai. All of your books are published and sold by this bookstore."
"Oh, oh, oh, I was wrong, cousin." Shen Lingyue poured her a cup of tea.
Dong Lanyi didn't hold it against her. After spending time together, she had long been impressed by the many stories in her second cousin's head.
She felt she had taken advantage of Shen Lingyue; if it weren't for Shen Lingyue's inspiration, she would never have been able to come up with so many intricate and moving plots.
The owner of Xuelangzhai went on stage and gave a speech, "...Let's welcome Young Master Xiaoxiang!"
A scream erupted in the lobby, and everyone stared intently at the door to the right rear of the stage.
With a creak, the door opened, and a tall, slender figure dressed in a moon-white robe walked out gracefully, holding a folding fan to cover his face.
The screams grew louder and louder as the excited ladies called out "Young Master!"
Under the spotlight, the young master of Xiaoxiang finally slowly put down his folding fan and smiled.
— Half of a silver mask was revealed.
Dong Lanyi's face flushed red, and she clutched her wildly pounding heart. "It really is Young Master..."
Shen Lingyue lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and remained speechless with emotion.
Cousin, please wake up! Please, have something good to eat!
There are three handsome men in the family, young and old, of all types. How could you think that Xiaoxiang Gongzi is handsome?
Even with a mask on, you can still tell he has small eyes, a flat nose, and rather thick lips... but his physique is not bad, so he could be considered a headless, edible shrimp-type man?
A truly handsome guy would never wear a mask! He'd love for everyone to see him clearly.
Perhaps Shen Lingyue's silent protest was too strong, for even Dong Lanyi sensed it and cleared her throat uncomfortably, "Young Master is exceptionally talented, thoughtful, and understands the thoughts and feelings of us women..."
Finally, she mustered her courage and looked at Shen Lingyue with strong disapproval, "Second cousin-in-law, you can't be so superficial as to judge people by their appearance."
Shen Lingyue looked like a lazy bum, "Sorry, I'm just that shallow. I can eat two extra bowls of rice every day when I'm with your second cousin."
Unable to argue with her, Dong Lanyi turned to Yan Yi for help, "Big Cousin, take a look at her."
Caught in the middle, Yan Yi wanted to laugh but had to desperately hold it in. She could only pat Dong Lanyi's hand to comfort her: "What your second sister-in-law said makes some sense. Think about it, if you marry a handsome man, the children you have in the future will be better looking, right?"
Women often admire a man's talent or character, and automatically apply a ten-level filter to him, as if he were the most perfect man in the world.
She did not deny Xiao Xiang Gongzi's talent, but his unattractive appearance was also a reality.
“Since you like his work, cousin, just focus on the work and don’t have any thoughts about him personally,” Yan Yi added. “...Besides, your aunt wouldn’t agree.”
Dong Lanyi lowered her head and hummed in agreement, but it was unclear whether she had taken it to heart.
Shen Lingyue was greatly disappointed ever since the appearance of the young master Xiaoxiang. Even though the ladies and wives in front of her had started lining up to buy books and get autographs, she was still not interested.
After drinking her tea, she stood up and said, "Please wait here. I'm going to change in the back."
The waiter led her to the official residence in the back.
As I walked out through the corridor, I turned a corner and saw several young men dressed as scholars standing diagonally behind the stage, pointing and gesturing at the young master of Xiaoxiang.
"Tsk tsk, just look at them and you'll know what it means to be a dragon in the sky and make mortals look like mud underfoot. After today's performance, they'll probably earn enough to buy a room in the capital."
"I really can't figure it out. How did he suddenly become so good at writing stories? He was about the same level as us before."
"When will I have so many rich young ladies chasing after me? If I'm lucky enough to marry one, I won't have to worry about the rest of my life..."
Shen Lingyue, intrigued, cleared her throat and gave a friendly smile: "You just mentioned that Young Master Xiaoxiang wrote some stories before? Could I take a look?"
Those few people were hiding in a corner talking badly about Young Master Xiaoxiang, but they didn't expect to be caught red-handed. They were a little embarrassed and pushed each other, none of them willing to speak first.
Shen Lingyue took out a silver ingot from her purse. "Whoever is willing to tell me, I'll treat them to a meal."
...
"Yan Yan, I've just gotten some big news!"
Shen Lingyue returned to her seat, while Dong Lanyi was still staring intently at the young master Xiaoxiang on the stage. She took the opportunity to whisper to Yan Yi.
"It turns out that Xiaoxiang Gongzi had another pen name before, 'Boqing Shusheng,' and he became popular after changing his pen name."
Yan Yi frowned. "Why does this pen name sound familiar?"
Shen Lingyue curled her lips, "It's that story about a poor scholar who was unwilling to be a live-in son-in-law, so he pushed his wife into the river, but they eventually reconciled!"
Yan Yi paused for a moment, then looked up at the man on the stage who was chatting and laughing with a wealthy young lady.
It is said that literature carries the truth, and a person's works often reflect their truest thoughts.
From the story of a son-in-law killing his wife to the tale of a young girl running away from her arranged marriage in "The Story of Qi Lan," can a person's mind really undergo such a dramatic transformation in a short period of time?
Just then, He Rong suddenly jogged over and said, "Young mistresses, Miss, it's almost our turn."
Dong Lanyi immediately stood up, still somewhat excited, her fair face flushed. "Sister-in-law, shall I go upstairs first?"
Yan Yi snapped out of her daze, smiled and nodded at her, "Go ahead, we'll wait for you here."
Dong Lanyi took a deep breath, hugged the manuscript tightly, and solemnly walked to the front of the stage.
-----------------------
Author's note: [cheering][cheering] This month is finally coming to an end. 31 days felt so long! (But August is still 31 days long [crying][crying])
Yesterday I saw someone ask how to participate in the lucky draw. Are you a newbie to Jinjiang Literature City? [Let me see][Let me see] You'll automatically participate as long as you meet the draw requirements!
[doge][doge] Another day where you guys didn't guess the plot, hehehehe
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