Chapter 43 Ding Xian's Biography: A Small Gift
Ding Xian's biography was more popular than Yao Xiaoyu had expected. After inquiring about the style of the publishers that approached her and considering factors such as the royalty and the initial print run, Yao Xiaoyu chose Kaiming Bookstore, with an initial print run of 12,000 copies and a royalty rate of 11%.
The terms offered by this publishing house were unremarkable compared to other publishing institutions, but its advantage lay in its prompt payment and the absence of negative news such as oppressing authors or misappropriating royalties. Yao Xiaoyu is currently just a rubber-coated persimmon whose family has fallen on hard times, and finding a good partner is crucial before she becomes a hard persimmon.
As the saying goes, rather than choosing someone who is good to you, you should choose someone who is good to you. The same applies to choosing a publishing house; Yao Xiaoyu is willing to make concessions in exchange for peace of mind.
"It's better to play it safe for your first book."
Pi Kangxiu agreed with Yao Xiaoyu's choice, and the two reached an agreement. Yao Xiaoyu then entrusted Pi Kangxiu with the entire publishing matter, and she continued to slack off at the hospital, writing manuscripts while lying on her desk, feeling carefree.
Days passed by, and the story of Ding Xian finally came to an end. From its very first publication, the story had been accompanied by bloodshed and turmoil, and Yao Xiaoyu was prepared to stir up a storm, but...
"What do you mean by 'many people banding together to demand a marriage for Ding Xian and the schoolteacher'?"
Yao Xiaoyu looked at Pi Kangxiu in astonishment, unsure whether he had gone mad or she had. Pi Kangxiu, seeing the frantic Yao Xiaoyu, also gave a bitter smile.
The ending of Ding Xian's biography dropped too many bombshells, but whether it was the mindset of the administrators or the female successor, these were unfamiliar areas for the old-fashioned people. Therefore, their attention was focused on the parts that they could understand: the part where Ding Xian and the schoolteacher did not formally establish a relationship.
The previous attacks caused quite a stir, but back then it was a multi-pronged attack with a comprehensive strike. Even the strongest attack was weakened to a manageable level after being dispersed. But now it's a concentrated attack, which makes it seem much more powerful.
"Play dead."
Yao Xiaoyu solemnly offered her advice: changing the ending was out of the question. Giving her a perfect ending was already her bottom line. Let me repeat, she really wasn't good at romantic scenes. Ding Xian's first wedding had already used up several months of her romantic talent!
And don't think she doesn't know that the newspaper may seem distressed on the surface, but they're actually quite pleased with themselves. As the saying goes, even negative publicity is still publicity. They're not afraid of being criticized, they're only afraid of being forgotten.
"Or release the story of getting rich in advance and let Miao Wuni go out to attract attention."
Yao Xiaoyu writes a light novel, but that doesn't mean she just closes her eyes and writes whatever she wants. She researched a lot about Miao Wuni's career path and added a lot of information that wouldn't be considered anything special in modern times, but was definitely valuable information at this time. Especially the flower-selling business at the beginning, which had no initial investment, was practically like a hands-on tutorial.
As long as someone is the first to try something new, Yao Xiaoyu believes that Ding Xian's discussion will be drowned out by the vast ocean of public opinion. After all, China has a history of five thousand years, and the God of Wealth has always been at the forefront of trends.
"Let's think about it again..."
Once he was sure Yao Xiaoyu wouldn't budge, Pi Kangxiu could only frown and send her away. Yao Xiaoyu didn't take this small matter to heart and went to eat hot pot while humming a song—a beef hot pot made by a Chaoshan family, the taste was amazing!
...
The docks bustle with people and goods, and people can be seen everywhere saying goodbye or reuniting with their families.
“Study English well, and I will write to you.”
Tan Qingyue looked at Meng Mingzhu with reluctance, and Meng Mingzhu nodded with tears in her eyes. The two said goodbye again and again, but they were still unwilling to let go of each other.
"Remember me. Overseas is a long way and letters are easily lost. If you don't get a reply to a letter, write a few more."
Meng Mingzhu gave her detailed instructions and watched Tan Qingyue board the boat, turning back every few steps. She watched the boat, spewing black smoke, disappear into the horizon where the sky meets the sea before hailing a rickshaw to go to the Zhuo family. On the way, she saw a man arguing heatedly with a vendor over a melon-shaped hat, but she pretended not to see him.
She is no longer a daughter-in-law of the Su family, so no matter how dire Su Junwen's situation is, it has nothing to do with Meng Mingzhu.
As soon as Meng Mingzhu entered the Zhuo family, Miss Zhuo rushed over excitedly—she was truly afraid that Meng Mingzhu would never return.
There is precedent for this. Some people go to see off their relatives and friends, only to find that they really can't bear to part with them when they arrive at the dock. If the relatives and friends are not capable, that's fine. But if they are capable, they can buy the tickets and the person they are seeing off will go with them.
"I won't just wander off."
Meng Mingzhu reassured Miss Zhuo, as she always finished what she started.
After calming down the somewhat anxious students and meeting with their parents, Meng Mingzhu was finally able to return to her room to rest. Unusually, she didn't change her clothes before sitting on the bed, but instead went straight to the soft pillow, rubbed her shoes off with her feet, and lay on the bed in a daze.
So much has happened during this period. When she was busy, it was fine, but when she had some free time, Meng Mingzhu always felt like something was not real. Many days ago, she would open her eyes and sit up, only breathing a sigh of relief when she was sure that she was not in the Su family's room and that Su Junwen was not lying next to her.
Divorce is a very time-consuming process, and if it really was all a dream, she wasn't sure if she would have the energy to go through it again.
Looking at the beam that seemed perfect for hanging herself, Meng Mingzhu realized something was wrong with her thoughts. She immediately flipped open the thick stack of newspaper clippings by her bedside and carefully read the part about Ding Xian leaving the Wen family.
It may sound exaggerated, but her life really did restart from this story.
After she and Tan Qingyue slapped Su Junwen until his head was swollen like a pig's head at the Su family's gate, Tan Qingyue left without the ostentatious gesture of a formal betrothal ceremony. However, after staying at the house included in her dowry for a few days, she still returned to the Su family.
Her parents had already come to her door to demand justice, and her brothers had also stood up for her. Everyone said that no man is immune to infidelity, and since they had already made their stance clear, continuing to make a scene would only make her seem unreasonable. Meng Mingzhu knew they had a point, but she was still unhappy.
She seemed to fall ill from being unhappy, losing interest in everything, until a maid, trying to please her, brought over a newspaper delivered by Ding Xian.
The newspaper published the initial sweet five thousand words, and she unsurprisingly fell into the trap. Then she found that her situation was subtly similar to Ding Xian's, except that she chose to back down, while Ding Xian chose to tear off the mask.
She initially treated it as just a story, but when Ding Xian found a job as a tutor, Meng Mingzhu's heart suddenly stirred.
She had also attended school, managed the household affairs, and was renowned among women—if Ding Xian could be a female tutor who could support herself, could she do it too?
Once a spark is ignited, it is difficult to extinguish. Meng Mingzhu did not know what she was thinking when she sent someone out to inquire about the salary of the tutor, but when she finally settled on a job with the Zhuo family, she hugged her quilt and cried for a long time.
Then comes divorce.
Unlike Ding Xian's decisiveness, Meng Mingzhu's relationship with the Su family became a laughing stock. The two sides almost broke off all contact before finally separating. Her family felt sorry for her marrying the wrong person and asked Meng Mingzhu to go home temporarily. They vowed to open their eyes this time and find her a man a thousand times better than Su Junwen. This scared Meng Mingzhu so much that she moved into the Zhuo family mansion.
She appreciated her family's good intentions, but everyone has their own destiny. Meng Mingzhu was not keen on starting a second marriage at the moment. She only wanted to contribute to the cause of education. Seeing her determination and her noble reputation as a female teacher, her family stopped pressuring her.
Meng Mingzhu's life in the Zhuo family was not bad. One day during her day off, she met Tan Qingyue. The two chatted peacefully for a while and found that they were very compatible. Their friendship developed rapidly, and after meeting two or three times, they became bosom friends.
Tan Qingyue's successful boarding of the ship was inseparable from Meng Mingzhu's help; Meng Mingzhu's English learning was taught by Tan Qingyue step by step.
"Be safe and sound."
Looking at Ding Xian's words, "The mountains are high and the waters are wide, the world is vast, there is nowhere you can't go," Meng Mingzhu silently wished her friend a safe journey and hoped that she could successfully study under Tan Qingyue as a graduate student. Then her thoughts jumped to whether Mr. Xiaoyu had received her letter.
"Miss Tan, have some water."
Zhang Zibao, also known as Granny Zhang, patted Tan Qingyue's back to help her catch her breath and handed her a glass of water. Tan Qingyue, who had just vomited, thanked her with a pale face and lay on the bed without daring to move.
How come she developed seasickness after only a few months back?
Tan Qingyue thought back to her past strolls on the deck, completely baffled. In the end, she could only attribute it to being controlled by her father. Ever since his letter traveled across the ocean to reach her, her life had been on a downward spiral.
If he hadn't pressured her to get married, Tan Qingyue wouldn't have been in such a hurry to find a partner; if she hadn't been in such a hurry to find a partner, she wouldn't have been bewitched by Su Junwen; if she hadn't been bewitched, she wouldn't have returned to China; if she hadn't returned to China, she wouldn't have become a mistress, and she wouldn't have been locked up, almost becoming a stepping stone for her father.
In conclusion, her father is the origin of everything, the plague among plagues.
Tan Qingyue, who never wastes her energy, confidently reached a conclusion. A wave crashed in, and the ship began to rock again. Tan Qingyue, who had just recovered a little, turned pale again. Zhang Zibao quickly opened the bag to avoid the need to clean the room.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness..."
Fortunately, she had already sold her mother's dowry and run away. Her scumbag father had kept her locked up for so long, but in the end, it was all for nothing. Moreover, she had planted a landmine for this father, just waiting to explode. A mother is strong when she is a daughter. She really wanted to know how much real affection there was in the relationship between an older man and a younger woman.
She still wanted to thank the piece of paper that Grandma Zhang might have left behind. If she hadn't seen Ding Xian's story, she didn't know how long it would have taken her to figure things out. As a token of her gratitude, she sent "A Little Fish" a small reward, hoping that she would accept it.
Tan Qingyue was muttering something, and Zhang Zibao curiously leaned over, but couldn't hear anything. Seeing that Tan Qingyue's breathing gradually calmed down, he sat down next to her and counted the money again.
After Tan Qingyue gave in, she went out less often. Having been a pampered young lady for so many years, she couldn't find any secret ways to make money in a short time. Granny Zhang, on the other hand, knew all about these ways, but she didn't want a share of the money. She just wanted to go abroad with Tan Qingyue.
He also gave himself a name, Zhang Zibao, which means to be his own treasure.
Zhang Zibao didn't know if this decision was right or wrong, nor did she know what life was like abroad, but she knew that if she continued to stay in Shanghai, given her son and daughter-in-law's attitude, she wouldn't have a good life.
Now that I'm out here, all I do is eat and sleep. If things get really bad, I'll just have to put a bandage on my neck.
...
So many letters?
Zhou Chunhua looked at her granddaughter in surprise, while Yao Xiaoyu just smiled awkwardly.
late at night.
Yao Xiaoyu yawned and decided to open two more envelopes before going to sleep. The envelopes were opened, and two banknotes floated out.
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Author's Note: Meng Mingzhu/Tan Qingyue: A small reward.
Upon opening the envelope, Yao Xiaoyu exclaimed: "Where did this rich woman come from?!"
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I've wanted to write about the ending of the trio for a long time, and now it's a happy ending. The two girls chose the bright path, Yao Xiaoyu became rich, and everyone has a bright future.
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