Chapter 81 Their days of making big money are yet to come…
The young master of Xiaoxiang arranged to meet Dong Lanyi at the same restaurant as last time.
He arrived fifteen minutes early, confidently waiting in the private room.
Although the other party was a cousin of a marquis, many of his readers were also ladies from prominent families, and they were all captivated by him.
Besides, Dong Lanyi was not a proper daughter of a marquis. It is said that she lost her father at a young age and now lives with her mother and sister in her uncle's house. She inevitably felt like she was living under someone else's roof, which is why she wrote such a delicate and subtle story.
Girls who lacked love from a young age are the easiest to fool. As long as he fully utilizes his mature male charm and coaxes her like a little darling, she will be willing to give everything for him...
The Young Master of Xiaoxiang has succeeded with this trick many times, so he can be said to be very experienced.
As the appointed time approached, he hurriedly took out a small bronze mirror and began to fix his hair.
With a creak, the door was pushed open from the outside.
He immediately looked up, revealing what he believed to be a flawless smile, and said with deep affection, "Miss Dong, you've arrived. I...who are you?"
Upon seeing that the newcomer was a young man in his twenties, Young Master Xiaoxiang's expression changed, and his gaze turned somewhat unfriendly.
"May I ask if you are Young Master Xiao Lang?"
He Rong bowed slightly to him with neither arrogance nor servility, "I am a servant from the Changning Marquis's residence, and I have come here specifically to deliver a message for my young lady."
Upon hearing him introduce himself, the young master of Xiaoxiang breathed a slight sigh of relief.
That's right, his real name is Xiao Lang. With the Marquis's mansion's capabilities, finding out his real name wouldn't be difficult.
Xiao Lang couldn't help but glance at He Rong a few times.
He wore a thin indigo cotton jacket, with a narrow strip of lake-green silk trim around the collar and cuffs. His belt was likely made from old brocade discarded by the master of the Marquis's household; its subtle pattern exuded understated nobility. A slightly worn kesi (silk tapestry) pouch hung at his waist, probably a gift from his master. He wore dark blue cloth trousers and cloud-patterned shoes with blue cloth uppers and white soles.
Although he called himself a servant, he was tall, with regular features and a ruddy complexion, clearly someone who had grown up in a wealthy family.
A secret jealousy arose in Xiao Lang's heart; this servant was truly lucky to have been born into such a family.
His face remained impassive, revealing only a hint of surprise at just the right moment. "Has your esteemed cousin arrived? Where is she now?"
Having received instructions beforehand, He Rong became even more arrogant, looking down at her and saying, "My young lady said she doesn't like the tea here; the taste is too rough. She has booked a private room at Fenglelou today. If you, Young Master Xiao, wish to see her, you can go to Fenglelou to find her in half an hour."
After saying that, she didn't look at him again and swaggered away.
Xiao Lang clenched his fists in anger, and sneered, "Is she still angry that I borrowed her story, and is she deliberately putting on airs with me?"
However, he had to admit that Fenglelou was much more upscale than this restaurant.
That was the largest restaurant in the capital, frequented by the wealthiest and most powerful people, where a single meal would start at twenty taels of silver.
Even though he made a fortune from publishing books, he didn't dare to spend money at Fenglelou easily.
The fact that a young lady living in a noble family could have such a grand display demonstrates the extravagance of powerful and wealthy families.
Xiao Lang was so jealous that his heart ached: it was as normal for others to go to Fenglelou for a meal as it was for him to go to a teahouse on the street.
He reaffirmed his determination to climb this high branch.
Half an hour later, Xiao Lang arrived at Fenglelou on time, pretending to be a regular customer and very familiar with the place. He said to the waiter, "I'm here to see Miss Dong from the Changning Marquis's residence."
"Alright!" The waiter led the way enthusiastically, chatting with him as he went: "Is this your first time at Fengle Restaurant, sir? Would you like me to recommend a few of our signature dishes..."
Xiao Lang's face darkened: "...Lead the way!"
Upon reaching the second floor, as he stepped into the corridor, he saw several middle-aged men dressed as managers emerging from a private room ahead, each carrying a large or small mahogany box.
A tall, pretty maid came out last, holding a handkerchief and instructing them: "My young lady doesn't like these old-fashioned jewelry styles. You'd better put some effort into it and not try to fool us with these inferior items."
Several shopkeepers nodded in agreement. As they passed by Xiao Lang, he turned his head and saw a box half-open, filled with gold and jade jewelry, which almost dazzled his eyes.
"As expected of a girl who grew up in a marquis's mansion, she has a sharp eye."
"I heard she's the most beloved granddaughter of the Dowager Lady of the Marquis's mansion, and her dowry alone has cost this much over the past few years..."
The shopkeeper, speaking mysteriously, extended a hand to his companion.
"Could it be fifty thousand taels?!" his companion exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice, which could no longer be heard as the two walked further and further away.
...Fifty thousand taels!
Xiao Lang stood frozen in place, feeling like he couldn't breathe.
The immense wealth of the Marquis's mansion once again exceeded his expectations.
After the shopkeepers went down the stairs, he mustered his courage and stepped forward, forcing a smile at the maid standing at the door, "Is Miss Dong inside?"
The maid raised her chin and glanced at him indifferently. "Young Master Xiao? Come with me."
Xiao Lang felt a strange sense of unease. He followed her into the private room, passed through two layers of beaded curtains, and finally saw Dong Lanyi sitting at the table in a daze.
Startled by the sound of footsteps, she came to her senses and waved her hand, "Qingchan, you can go out now."
"Yes, Miss, I'll stand guard at the door."
Qingchan respectfully withdrew, not forgetting to glare at Xiao Lang as she closed the door.
Only Dong Lanyi and Xiao Lang remained in the room. The incense burner in the corner emitted a faint fragrance, and the young girl's face was heavy with worries beneath layers of gauze curtains.
Dong Lanyi's gaze was resentful, and her fingers, hidden under the tablecloth, clenched tightly.
"Young Master Xiao, did you invite me to meet you to tell me that the similarity between the beginning of 'The Romance in the Mirror' and my story is purely coincidental?"
Xiao Lang opened his mouth, but his previously confident prepared statement seemed to be completely overturned at this moment.
He suddenly knelt on one knee, looked up at her with a sincere expression, and said, "Miss Dong, I have come to apologize to you and ask for your forgiveness."
Xiao Lang took out several silver notes from his pocket and solemnly placed them in front of her.
"This is the royalties for 'The Romance in the Mirror,' a total of eighty taels... I know this amount of money is nothing to you, but it is all I have to say. Please accept it, otherwise you will not forgive me."
Xiao Lang forced himself to speak. He had thought that offering this sum of money would be a "huge sum," enough to intimidate an orphaned girl living under the roof of a marquis's mansion. But everything he had seen and heard along the way had completely overturned his understanding of Dong Lanyi.
Today she wore a tribute-grade brocade, and her hair was adorned with pearl hairpins, each pearl as round as a thumb. Her dress shimmered and flowed like mist, making her incomparably noble.
Xiao Lang was so regretful he almost tore his palms apart. He secretly blamed Dong Lanyi for dressing so shabbily that day, causing him to be blind to the beauty of gold and almost miss this hidden gem.
This isn't some pitiful child without a father at all; it's clearly a golden child.
His sudden kneeling startled Dong Lanyi, who looked somewhat flustered and stammered, "Young Master, there's no need for this. You, you should stand up and speak first..."
Xiao Lang said solemnly, "If Miss cannot forgive me, I would rather kneel here forever!"
Dong Lanyi lowered her head and remained silent for a while before whispering, "Get up first. I... I'm not angry with you anymore."
Xiao Lang was overjoyed. It seemed that Dong Lanyi still harbored feelings for him, which made things easier.
He stood up as if he had heeded advice, and sat down opposite Dong Lanyi, appearing very polite.
“Miss Dong, thank you for listening to my explanation. Actually, you don’t know this, but the contract I signed with the owner of Xuelangzhai is extremely harsh. If I can’t write the new book on time as he requires, I will have to pay a huge sum of money.”
Xiao Lang looked guilty: "I was forced into a corner by him, and then I remembered the story you showed me that day, so in desperation I borrowed a little bit of your plot... But the rest of the story is all my own original work. If there is any falsehood, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
His oath was made with exceptional solemnity, his words were earnest and sincere.
Dong Lanyi was indeed moved by his words, and bit her lip lightly, "Since you used my opening, it means that my story has some merit, right?"
Xiao Lang nodded repeatedly, "Of course! Your writing is elegant and graceful, and your stories are imaginative and bold. Given time, you will surely become a rising star in the literary world!"
"Then why did you criticize my story so harshly last time?" Dong Lanyi suddenly stared intently at him, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance and stubbornness. "Why did you say that about me?"
Xiao Lang was taken aback at first, then his eyes reddened, and he quickly turned his face away, sniffing to hide his embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, it's just that the first time I saw you that day, I was reminded of my... deceased fiancée."
Xiao Lang said with a sorrowful expression, "You and she are so alike. You look alike, you have the same temperament, and even your writing style is like a carbon copy... It's just that she was frail from childhood, yet she was so engrossed in writing that she would often forget to eat and sleep once she started, which led to her exhaustion and premature death in the prime of her life..."
He quickly wiped his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I couldn't help myself when I saw you... I was afraid you would follow in her footsteps, so I deliberately belittled your work, hoping you could give up writing and stay healthy and safe..."
"So that's how it is."
Dong Lanyi listened intently, her eyes seemingly welling up with tears, and a touch of girlish shyness appeared on her face. "Do I look a lot like your fiancée?"
Xiao Lang sighed softly: "Since she left me, this world has held no joy for me. Until I finally saw you... Lan Yi, do you know, the moment you appeared before me, the world seemed to regain its color. You are a goddess bestowed upon me by the heavens. Whenever I see you, the creative inspiration in my heart flows like an endless flame!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and grabbed Dong Lanyi's hand, asking in a trembling voice, "Would you be willing to give me a chance to write more stories for you?"
Dong Lanyi resisted the urge to pull her hand away, lowering her head as if shy and unable to look at him. "What do you mean by that?"
"I want to take care of you, I want to see you every day, we want to go on spring outings together, watch the stars and the moon together, day and night, never to be apart."
Xiao Lang gently stroked her fingertips, his face full of affection, "From now on, every heroine in my stories will be you."
...
Clang.
A heavy thud came from outside. Xiao Lang turned his head in confusion. "What was that noise?"
Dong Lanyi snapped out of her daze, her eyes flashing slightly. "Maybe the little one slipped and knocked something over."
Xiao Lang didn't think much of it, but he muttered to himself that the waiters at Fenglelou weren't very good.
He asked again, "Lan Yi, will you say yes? Although I'm just an ordinary writer now, our souls resonate with each other, and only I can give you the happiness you want!"
Dong Lanyi blushed and withdrew her hand. "...This is a matter of life and death, and I cannot make a decision on my own. I need to go back and discuss it with my elders."
Seeing that her attitude had softened, Xiao Lang was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "That's the way to do it. I will definitely let the elders see my sincerity."
Before parting ways, Dong Lanyi made a request to him.
"I've never seen what you look like before. Could you take off your mask so I can see?"
Xiao Lang hesitated for a moment, but with the mindset of "you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub," he raised his hand and slowly took off his mask, giving her a deep smile.
Are you satisfied with this?
...
When Shen Lingyue and the others rushed over from the next room, they saw Dong Lanyi squatting next to the spittoon, retching incessantly.
What happened?
Pei Yuzhen rushed over like a whirlwind, grabbed her daughter and looked her up and down, "Why are you vomiting so badly? Did he bully you?!"
"No……"
Dong Lanyi's face turned pale. She waved her hands repeatedly and held her handkerchief for a while before she calmed down.
She looked at Shen Lingyue listlessly, "I just think my second cousin-in-law is right, he really is a... shrimp-headed man."
His speech is disgusting, his acting is disgusting, and his appearance is even more disgusting!
Shen Lingyue let out a breath and said to Yan Yi, "This shrimp-headed man is beyond my imagination. How dare he make a move on my cousin? And he even said he wanted to marry her???"
Yan Yi's expression turned serious. "I'm afraid he's taken a liking to his cousin's talent and wants to trick her into coming up with more good stories for him."
What could be more alluring to a naive young lady than "I'll marry you"? Especially since the young master is someone she admires; who could resist such sweet words?
They had overheard the whole thing from the next room. Pei Yuzhen almost rushed over to beat them up several times, but Shen Lingyue stopped her in time.
At this moment, she was poking her daughter's forehead in exasperation, "These kinds of tricks only work on a young girl like you! Humph, if I hadn't noticed in time, you would have been taken advantage of by him if you had gone to the date alone like a fool!"
Pei Yuzhen, hands on her hips, cursed Xiao Lang and his ancestors for eighteen generations, "...No man is any good!"
Shen Lingyue secretly gave Yan Yi a teasing look. Could this be considered a case of "once bitten, twice shy"?
The next second, Pei Yuzhen looked over with an annoyed expression: "What are you two saying behind my back?"
Shen Lingyue waved her hand: "No, no, what I meant was that thanks to my aunt's sharp eyes and meticulous attention to detail, she was able to detect that fellow's schemes in time!"
It turns out that when Dong Lanyi received the letter from Xiaoxiang Gongzi yesterday, she did waver for a moment.
After all, she had read all of Xiaoxiang Gongzi's works, and subconsciously she always felt that he shouldn't be the kind of despicable person who plagiarized other people's stories. She still held a glimmer of hope for him and wanted to hear if he really had some kind of hardship.
...Then Pei Yuzhen, who came to check on her daughter, caught her red-handed and asked Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi to come up with a solution.
That's why we had this meeting at Fenglelou today.
From He Rong relaying the message to the shopkeeper's flattery and Qing Chan's arrogance, every step was meticulously planned to give Young Master Xiaoxiang a taste of his own medicine and expose his true colors.
Shen Lingyue picked up the eighty taels of silver notes that Xiao Lang had left on the table, shook them twice, and snorted, "Does he think he's being particularly sincere? If my cousin is really the kind of girl from an ordinary family, wouldn't she be fooled by his 'generous gesture'?"
Pei Yuzhen snatched the silver note and stuffed it into her sleeve. "Why not take it? Anyway, he stole Lan Yi's story, so this money is rightfully ours."
“Mother, this story is actually…” Dong Lanyi frowned, wanting to say that the inspiration came from her second cousin-in-law, and even if she took the money, she shouldn’t have kept it all to herself.
Shen Lingyue gently shook her head at her, indicating that she didn't need to argue with Pei Yuzhen about this.
Their big money days are yet to come.
...
This meeting completely shattered Dong Lanyi's idolized image of Xiaoxiang Gongzi. She no longer had any lingering regrets or attachments, turning her grief and indignation into motivation, and throwing herself wholeheartedly into creating the new story.
She was determined to write a better and more commercially successful work than his.
During this time, Xiao Lang sent several more letters to the Marquis's residence, hoping to arrange a meeting with her. However, the gatekeeper had already been instructed to tell him that his cousin had accompanied his aunt to visit relatives in another place, and her return date was uncertain.
Xiao Lang was secretly anxious. Had she changed her mind again? Had his charm failed him?
However, Xue Lang Zhai was pressing him hard, so he had to lie and say that he had no new inspiration for the time being and that he needed to focus on creating the sequel to "The Story of Qi Lan".
In any case, "The Story of Qi Lan" is still being serialized and selling well, and he remains the highly sought-after talented scholar.
...
That day, Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi went out to look for a bookstore to cooperate with, and happened to arrive near the Imperial Academy.
She introduced to Yan Yi: "This is what the locals call 'Top Scholar Street.' There are a few bookstores here, but they mostly sell collections of essays from past imperial examinations, such as those for the three provincial examinations and the five metropolitan examinations..."
For students of the Imperial College, storybooks were the root of all evil, leading to the loss of their ambitions. They were not even allowed to be brought into the school dormitories, let alone sold in shops.
But as I said before, since we're already here, let's just treat it as market research.
Shen Lingyue flipped through the directory of major bookstores in the capital that He Rong had collected, "Go straight ahead, turn left at the second intersection, walk another two hundred steps and turn right, there is a Lianji Bookstore at the end..."
A loud commotion came from ahead.
"Hey, hey, be careful, don't scare it!"
"Left, left, step on it."
The two quickened their pace, turned a corner, and saw a large crowd gathered under a big willow tree by the roadside, with a young man clinging to the trunk and struggling to climb up.
"What's going on here, a tree-climbing contest?"
Shen Lingyue curiously stepped forward to inquire, and an aunt wearing an apron, her eyes fixed on the sky, pointed and said, "Look, Grandma Huang's kitten is stuck in the tree and can't get down."
She quickly pulled Yan Yi through the crowd, looked up for a long time, and finally saw a black and white kitten curled up among the branches of a tree, its back arched, its eyes wide open, meowing incessantly in fear.
With the help of the chattering crowd below, the man climbing the tree slowly approached the treetop and, taking advantage of the kitten's inattention, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.
The kitten was suddenly "ambushed" and started hissing frantically, its little paws flailing wildly, scratching several bloody marks on the back of his hand in a few swift movements.
He winced in pain, his body swayed uncontrollably, and he barely managed to grab onto the tree trunk.
The neighbors watching below didn't dare to breathe loudly, afraid of disturbing him again.
Accompanied by the kitten's meowing and whining, the man slowly climbed down, his movements steady. When he was just one meter away from the bottom, he let go and jumped, landing safely on the ground.
"Phew..." He let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his face, grinned and handed the little black and white cat to an old lady, "Grandma Huang, next time you must lock the door properly, so it doesn't run out again."
The old woman hugged the kitten tightly, nodding repeatedly with gratitude. "Oh, thank you, Lian Shu. When I get back, I'll give my grandson a good beating and see if he dares to open the door and sneak out to play again."
She affectionately stroked the kitten a few more times, gently coaxing it, "Little thing, see if you dare climb trees like that again? Let's go home, I'll make you some fish soup..."
The thrilling rescue operation has come to a temporary end. The neighbors, having had their fill of the excitement, dispersed in twos and threes to go about their own business.
As Shen Lingyue watched the young man named Lian Shu walk into the alley, she remarked to Yan Yi, "That guy is actually quite nice."
Not everyone would dare to climb a seven or eight-meter-tall tree with their bare hands just to save their neighbor's kitten.
She had only mentioned it casually, but when she turned the second corner, she saw a shop with the sign "Lianji Bookstore" not far away, and the man who had climbed the tree to save the cat was standing behind the counter.
Shen Lingyue's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward. "You're the owner of Lianji Bookstore?"
Lian Shu was busy calculating accounts, her brows furrowed and her face full of worry. Startled by her sudden voice, she took a half step back and cautiously asked, "Madams, are you here to buy books?"
He forced a polite smile. "Would you like to read storybooks or travelogues? Let me introduce them to you."
“We’re not here to buy books,” Shen Lingyue shook her head. “I’m here… to buy your bookstore.”
She looked down at the booklet written by He Rong and checked it again, "Your study is being sold recently, right? Can I ask why?"
After all, this place is very close to the Imperial College. Although it's not on the main street of Zhuangyuan Street, it's only two alleys away, so business should be pretty good.
Lian Shu's smile turned bitter. "The family owes a huge sum of money, and if we can't pay it back, we might lose our lives. We have no choice but to sell our property."
Realizing that the two women might be potential buyers, Lian Shu quickly composed herself and focused intently on introducing the shop to them.
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi pretended to be knowledgeable and listened attentively. After browsing around the shops in front, they asked, "Does the shop have a printing permit issued by Shuntian Prefecture? Can we print our own books? Do you have skilled craftsmen?"
“Yes, yes, the government permit is valid for another five years, and the tools for woodblock printing are in the backyard.” Lian Shu nodded quickly, then added in a low voice, “It’s just that we’ve been short of money lately, so the craftsmen have been dismissed and sent to work elsewhere.”
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi followed him to the backyard, whispering among themselves.
"The location is quite good; we can open for business right away after taking over."
"But we're opening this shop to help my cousin publish her book. Without craftsmen, who will print it?"
"If we can't gather enough manpower in a short time, how can we compete with a large bookstore like Xuelangzhai?"
Lian Shu walked ahead and vaguely heard a few words, and made a decision in her heart.
"Do you two want to publish a collection of poems?" Lian Shu turned around and smiled generously at them. "Actually, my father was a skilled craftsman in engraving and printing. I also learned some from him when I was young. If my father and I take the lead and recruit a few of our former apprentices, we should be able to meet your needs."
He looked to be eighteen or nineteen years old, tall, with a round face and big eyes that made him very likable, and he also seemed exceptionally sincere.
Shen Lingyue still had a bit of a soft spot for him; how could someone who liked kittens be a bad person?
She nodded and then shook her head. "We're not going to print poetry collections for our own amusement. We're going to write storybooks to sell, and sell them like hotcakes, all over Beijing and all over the country!"
Lian Shu stared wide-eyed, as if stunned.
Yan Yi spoke up at the opportune moment: "We want to know, given your and your father's engraving speed, how many days would it take to complete the engraving of a storybook at the fastest, and how many books could be printed at most per day?"
Lian Shu realized this was a "big business" and was racking her brains when a shout came from the front yard.
"Lian Shu, where did you go? Did you find the collection of Mr. Yingchuan's works that I asked for?"
That voice sounds familiar?
Shen Lingyue turned around and took a few steps forward, then suddenly smiled and waved vigorously, "Big brother, I'm here!"
Shen Ming'an looked up and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you that," Shen Lingyue said, walking over. "Are you very familiar with the owner of this bookstore?"
Shen Ming'an nodded, "We're more than just acquaintances; we were classmates before."
Even Yan Yi couldn't help but glance at Lian Shu a few more times. So he was a student at the Imperial Academy?
Lian Shu coughed lightly and explained to her, seemingly embarrassed, "That was true before, but I dropped out of school last month."
"It's all because Uncle Lian was tricked and owes a lot of money. You had to drop out of school and come back to manage the business. Otherwise, with your talent, you would definitely be on the list in the next imperial examination."
Shen Ming'an shook his head, clearly feeling sorry for him for giving up such a promising future.
He then asked Shen Lingyue, "Little sister, what are you doing here? Are you buying books?"
Lian Shu's expression changed, and she was about to give Shen Lingyue a wink when she heard her say, "No, we're here to buy a shop."
Shen Ming'an: !
"How could things have deteriorated to the point of having to sell the shop in just a few days?" He looked at his former classmate in shock. "How much money does your uncle owe? Is it loan sharks?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Let me see][Let me see] I see everyone is so worried about my cousin, haha. Although she's young and prone to making mistakes, there are so many people at home watching over her~ Losing fans and turning against her takes time [doge][doge]
I also found out from my research that ancient book printing was actually quite complicated and tedious, no wonder each book was so expensive... But since we're all in fiction, I'll just rearrange things here [doge][doge] All the printing techniques and speeds are just made up by me~~
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