Get rich overnight
Everyone got up especially early.
Qian Jin not only brought along carefully selected storybooks, but also went to the Dragon Palace's kitchen to ask for some soft and easily digestible spiritual fruit pastries and sweet honey nectar, which she packed in a small food box.
She silently hoped that today's attempt would go as smoothly as expected, because it was not only about the production of the Rainbow Tears, but also about whether the merfolk could be freed from their suffering.
The guards simply bowed respectfully to them and did not ask any further questions.
When the merfolk saw Qian Jin, their initial fear lessened, replaced by a sense of dependence and anticipation. However, when they saw Ao Ming, Lan Jie'er, Ban Ge'er, Da Qiangzi, and a large group of others following behind her, they immediately tensed up, shrinking deeper into the coral reef with wary eyes.
Qian Jin quickly gestured for everyone to stop a little further away, then slowly approached alone, carrying the food box. Her voice was extremely gentle: "Don't be afraid, they are all my friends, here to help. They won't hurt you." She opened the food box and took out some snacks. "Look, I brought you some food too. Come and have some!"
She gently pushed the food box toward them, her voice as soft as if she were coaxing a child: "They're all soft and sweet, you'll definitely like them."
The aroma of food eased the tense atmosphere slightly. The slightly bolder little mermaid was the first to be attracted, cautiously swimming closer, taking a piece of spirit fruit cake from Qian Jin, taking a small bite, and her eyes immediately lit up, emitting a soft, joyful chirping sound.
Seeing this, the other merfolk gradually relaxed and gathered around, curiously observing these unfamiliar visitors.
Qian Jin asked everyone to sit on the soft seaweed a little further away, while she herself was surrounded by everyone in the middle.
Looking into the pairs of eyes that were either numb, sad, or filled with a faint hope, she said earnestly, "I have found a way that might... might allow you to no longer suffer the pain of being whipped."
Upon hearing this, the merfolk were all stunned. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
No more whippings? How could that be? They could hardly imagine such a future.
“It’s very simple,” Qian Jin said, taking out a prepared storybook with the title “Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai” on the cover. “It’s just a story I’ll tell you.”
The merfolk were even more confused. Telling stories? What did that have to do with avoiding being whipped? But trusting Qian Jin, they quieted down and waited patiently.
Qian Jin didn't explain further. She took a deep breath and began to recount the timeless love tragedy in a clear and gentle voice. Her voice flowed like a clear spring, slowly seeping into the hearts of every mermaid.
A faint sadness seemed to permeate the seawater as well. The light filtered through the water, casting gentle shadows on her face, making her expression appear even more focused and emotional.
At first, the mermaids listened blankly. But as the story unfolded, they were gradually drawn in. When the story reached the part about Shanbo's death, several female mermaids began to sob softly. When the story reached the part about Yingtai crying at the grave and throwing herself into it, ultimately transforming into butterflies together, a sorrowful atmosphere filled the air, and more and more mermaids began to shed tears.
Crystalline tears rolled down their cheeks, solidifying into beads the moment they left their sockets. This time, while most were still ordinary, soft-looking white mermaid pearls, there were a dozen or so rainbow teardrop pearls mixed in with them, radiating a faint seven-colored halo! They blended among the white mermaid pearls, like stars fallen to earth, exceptionally dazzling.
The story was over, but the merfolk were still immersed in sorrow, their low sobs echoing throughout. Qian Jin's own eyes were red. She looked at Ao Ming and the others; everyone was deeply moved by the scene.
Lan Jie clapped her hands gently and said softly, "This method... is actually feasible."
Ban clicked his tongue and said, "This story is quite tear-jerking; I almost cried again."
Daqiangzi was already wiping his eyes with his paws: "Waaah...it's so awful..."
Looking at the dozen or so rainbow tears, and then at Qian Jin, whose eyes were red but bright, Ao Ming felt a mix of pride and indescribable heartache.
Qian Jin carefully separated the rainbow tears from the ordinary mermaid pearls and picked them up. The mermaids watched her actions, then looked at their own tears, which fell out of emotion rather than pain, their eyes filled with astonishment and a faint glimmer of hope.
...
The Dragon King and Dragon Queen were handling affairs in the palace when a servant came to report that the Third Prince and Miss Qian Jin had important matters to discuss.
After the two entered, Qian Jin presented the small handful of shimmering, iridescent teardrops and gave a detailed account of what had just happened.
The Dragon King picked up a Rainbow Tear Bead, sensing its pure and abundant spiritual energy. After listening to Qian Jin's narration, his majestic face revealed great shock and emotion. The Dragon Queen covered her mouth, her eyes filled with pity and joy: "This...this is truly wonderful!"
The Dragon King stroked his beard thoughtfully, then looked sharply at Qian Jin: "Qian girl, you have done a great service!"
...
In the days that followed, they practically lived in the coral prison. Every day, they would go and tell the merfolk different stories.
The despair and steadfastness of "Meng Jiangnu's Lament at the Great Wall," the deep affection and obstacles of "The Legend of the White Snake," the helplessness and sorrow of "The Peacock Flies Southeast"... one story after another deeply touches the emotions of the mermaids.
The results were surprisingly good.
The production of the Neon Tear Beads gradually increased from a dozen or so at the beginning to dozens, or even hundreds! Moreover, the quality is extremely stable, with each bead being round and full, shimmering with iridescent light, and brimming with spiritual energy.
More importantly, the merfolk's mental state visibly improved. Their wounds were gradually healing, the numbness in their eyes was replaced by vivid emotions, and they even actively looked forward to Qian Jin and the others' arrival. When they heard sad parts, they would hug each other and cry, and when they heard happy parts, they would gently wag their tails and emit a joyful hum.
Sometimes, after the story was finished, they would surround Qian Jin, looking at her with expectant eyes, not letting her leave, hoping she could tell more.
The coral sea, once filled with sorrow and fear, is gradually being enveloped by a warm atmosphere.
The Dragon King beamed with joy as he looked at the report presented by the Turtle Prime Minister, which showed that the output and quality of the Rainbow Teardrops far exceeded those of previous years. This was not only a huge profit, but also the resolution of a long-standing concern in the East Sea.
That day, he specially summoned Qian Jin and Ao Ming to his side and said loudly with a smile, "Qian girl, your method not only brings blessings to the merfolk, but also brings unprecedented riches to my East Sea. I have decided that from this day forward, half of the profits from any additional Rainbow Tear Pearls produced, regardless of quality, will belong to you!"
Qian Jin was immersed in the joy of the "project's success" when she heard this and was suddenly stunned, not reacting for a moment: "...Huh? It...it belongs to me?"
Seeing her dazed expression, Ao Ming couldn't help but gently nudge her with his elbow and whisper, "Are you silly? Your father is rewarding you!"
Qian Jin finally snapped out of her daze, her eyes widening instantly, and she gasped! Half?! She knew the value of the Rainbow Tear Pearl very well; it was worth a hundred times more than a regular mermaid pearl! Half the profit… She pinched her palm hard—it hurt!
The enormous, sudden wealth left her dizzy and speechless: "This...this...Your Majesty! This is too much! I...I just came up with an idea and told a few stories..." She really didn't expect to make money when she did this; she just couldn't bear to see the merfolk treated that way.
The Dragon King waved his hand, his tone brooking no refusal: "An idea is priceless. This is what you deserve. Or perhaps it's not enough?"
"No, no, no! Not too much! Too much!" Qian Jin waved her hands hurriedly, and in her excitement, she grabbed Ao Ming's arm, her voice trembling, "Ao Ming! Your father... no, His Majesty the Dragon King is just too good!!!"
Her reaction immediately amused the Dragon King and Queen, as well as the shrimp soldiers and crab generals serving in the palace.
...
Happy times always pass quickly.
After enjoying a pleasant Lunar New Year holiday at the Dragon Palace, Lan Jie'er, Ban Ge'er, and Da Qiangzi had to return to the God of Wealth's Mansion to continue working.
Everyone was reluctant to part ways.
Lan Jie'er held Qian Jin's hand: "Take good care of yourself. Write to me often when you have time."
Ban patted Ao Ming on the shoulder and winked, "Brother, keep it up!" Then Lan secretly pinched him.
Daqiangzi clung to Qian Jin's leg and cried loudly, "Little sister! I'll miss you! Save some good food for me!"
Finally, the three of them said in unison, "Remember to send us a copy of those good storybooks too!"
After seeing their friends off, the Dragon Palace seemed to quiet down considerably.
Qian Jin and Ao Ming continued their work of telling stories to the merfolk. The days were peaceful and fulfilling. Seeing the merfolk getting better and better, the production of Rainbow Tears becoming stable, and Qian Jin's savings growing fuller and fuller, she almost felt that this was her ideal life.
However, a month later, problems still arose.
The production of Neon Tear Pearls began to decline significantly, and sometimes for several days in a row, only ordinary white shark pearls could be produced.
Qian Jin quickly discovered the reason: while telling the same familiar stories would still move the merfolk, the novelty and impact were not as great as before, making it difficult to evoke the truly pure "Rainbow Tears".
"It's alright! The supply has run out, let's go restock!" Qian Jin pulled Ao Ming up and headed back to the human world to buy new storybooks, plays, and even folk tales.
After bringing back the new story, production indeed rebounded.
But this period of prosperity was short-lived; after some time, the same situation occurred again. The rate at which novels were created in the human world clearly couldn't keep up with the rate at which the Dragon Palace consumed them. Moreover, the quality of many new stories varied greatly, significantly diminishing their emotional impact.
Upon learning this, the Dragon King was quite magnanimous: "It's alright. We've already gained quite a lot recently, far exceeding our expectations. Let them rest for a while. Anyway, our inventory is enough to meet orders for the next hundred years."
Qian Jin frowned, looking at the listless merfolk who seemed dejected from the lack of new stories, and felt a pang of pity. It wasn't just a matter of production; she didn't want to see the sparkle in their eyes fade again. She recalled some of her earlier ideas; perhaps now was the time to put them into practice.
She pondered for a long time, then suddenly raised her head, her eyes gleaming with eager anticipation, and solemnly said to the Dragon King, "Your Majesty, I have a method I've always wanted to try, and I hope you will agree."
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