Ye Yuwu: ??
Amused, she walked into the courtyard, and the crowd that had been discussing the huaben stories fell silent.
When she wrote huaben, Huaping was by her side, so Huaping knew that The Overbearing Prince Falls for the Little Maidservant was written by her mistress. However, she also knew that her mistress did not want anyone to know the author’s identity.
Upon learning that everyone had finished copying the books, Ye Yuwu paid them each their due.
Before they left, someone asked Ye Yuwu:
“Shopkeeper Ye, who is this Wuming? The huaben they wrote is so captivating.”
“What will happen in the next installment? Do you know, Shopkeeper Ye? Could you give us a hint, just a tiny one?”
Some even got straight to the point: “Shopkeeper Ye, when it’s time to start copying the next installment, you must call on me.”
These people meant no harm; on the contrary, they greatly enjoyed the huaben written by Ye Yuwu, though they had no idea that the Wuming they spoke of was her.
Ye Yuwu patiently answered their questions.
“This Wuming does not wish to reveal their identity. As for the next installment, you can look forward to it—it will only be more exciting. If you enjoy it, could you recommend our bookstore’s books to those around you? Thank you all.”
Ye Yuwu’s reply was flawless. Though disappointed they couldn’t learn the story’s plot in advance, their anticipation remained undiminished.
Finally, after sending them off, Ye Yuwu stood before the desk and stretched.
Just as she finished stretching, a figure gracefully approached the desk—a woman dressed in a light blue dress, her robe unadorned with any patterns. Her light movements rippled like a breeze swaying willow branches.
When Ye Yuwu opened her eyes, she saw it was this familiar woman.
By now, the woman had already put on her veil hat. It seemed she had intended to leave but, for some reason, had not gone.
It turned out she had waited until the crowd gathered around the desk had dispersed before daring to step forward.
She seemed to have deliberated for a long time before speaking: “Shopkeeper Ye, could you sell me a copy of this installment?”
“Ah, of course. But if I may ask, why are you buying the book? You were copying in the courtyard today, so I assume you’ve already read the stories inside.” Ye Yuwu’s bright, sparkling eyes gazed at the woman.
“Shopkeeper Ye, to be honest, this is the first time a story I’ve written has been recognized—no, more precisely, recognized by a bookstore. They all refused my huaben simply because I’m a woman, and they wouldn’t even give me copying work. I was almost ready to give up, but I never expected to earn money from my own story for the first time. I’m truly overjoyed and grateful to you. That’s why I want to buy a copy as a keepsake, and I genuinely love the huaben story in this installment…” As she finished, her face flushed red.
“Which story?” Ye Yuwu asked curiously, thinking to herself that this young woman was quite shy.
“Um… it’s the serialized huaben… The Overbearing Prince Falls for the Little Maidservant.”
For her, raised since childhood in ancient times on texts like Admonitions for Women, this was a novel story.
It completely opened up a new worldview for her. After all, ancient society was strictly hierarchical, and few dared to write stories about nobles and princes. This was why she wanted to keep a copy.
Ye Yuwu pulled a book from the desk and handed it to her. “Here, for you.”
The woman joyfully took it and was about to ask how much it cost when Ye Yuwu spoke first.
“Miss, I still don’t know your name!”
“My surname is Zhang, given name Ruyan. Shopkeeper Ye, how much does this book cost?” She held the book tightly, nervously peering through her veil at the bright-eyed, fair-skinned woman before her.
“It’s a gift, no charge.”
“This… this won’t do.”
“Why not? I’m delighted that you like this book. Consider it encouragement for me, and you’ve also shared your name with me.
We… we can be considered friends now. As fellow women, I understand the difficulties you face. Judging by your speech and knowledge, you don’t seem to come from an ordinary family.
I imagine you must have encountered some hardship, forcing you to step out and seek work. For now, treat this book as a gift from me!”
Yesterday, when she went out to find a carpenter on the street, she happened to see Zhang Ruyan being turned away everywhere while looking for work—all because she was a woman.
Just as she was about to be tricked into a brothel by a madam, Ye Yuwu stepped forward and exposed the scheme. Recognizing her talent and needing someone to copy books in her bookstore, she asked about her interest, which led Zhang Ruyan to come and work as a copyist.
At that time, Ye Yuwu vaguely sensed that Zhang Ruyan was no ordinary person, at least not before. She wondered what misfortune had befallen her, forcing a woman to seek work openly—a truly challenging endeavor for any woman.
With tears in her eyes, Zhang Ruyan expressed her gratitude. Though she had nothing now, she would always remember this kindness.
She promised that if Ye Yuwu ever faced difficulties in the future, she should not hesitate to seek her out.
Ye Yuwu smiled and agreed.
After Zhang Ruyan left, Uncle Li was organizing the books in the bookstore for the next day, while Huaping was still cleaning the courtyard. Looking at the stack of books on the table, Ye Yuwu sighed.
The road ahead is long and arduous, she thought.
For the past few days, she had been eating porridge with plain vegetables, and her taste buds were growing weary. To save money, she had pushed herself to the limit, hoping only that the book would sell.
To make the book known and visible, Ye Yuwu and Huaping set up a stall near the bookstore.
It was somewhat simple, but its advantage was its affordability.
Early the next morning, she and Huaping tidied up the stall and erected a long vertical banner, inspired by the fortune teller’s method.
They hung a long bamboo pole with written characters on cloth, which read: Zhiyu Bookstore—Buy one book and get one free, limited to thirty copies, first come first served.
These bold characters stood prominently in front of the stall.
As for the free books offered in the “buy one, get one” deal, they were unsold books sorted out from Zhiyu Bookstore.
They included classical literature and works by renowned scholars, as well as the Four Books and Five Classics, which were mainstream literature in the Jin Dynasty.
If it weren’t for the competition from the bookstore across the street, these books wouldn’t have remained unsold.
Since these books had been in stock for a long time, why not use them to attract customers? If the strategy worked well, they could earn some money and replace them with new books—a win-win situation.
Although her idea was good, in reality, most passersby were in a hurry, giving only a fleeting glance before moving on, unwilling to stop.
Thus, after standing there all morning, they hadn’t sold much.
There’s always a gap between reality and ideals, but Ye Yuwu wasn’t worried because she had confidence in her book.
Faced with dismal sales, Ye Yuwu already had a plan—she still had a trump card up her sleeve!
Ye Yuwu raised an eyebrow, signaling Huaping to bring out the pre-prepared ancient-style mascot costumes, which they then changed into behind the stall.
Though they couldn’t achieve the same level of intricacy as modern versions, the novelty was enough to give these ancient folks a little surprise.
Once suited up, they stood in front of the stall, holding booklets to show passersby.
People passing by had never seen anything like this and stopped one after another, curiously watching them. In no time, the stall was surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
“What kind of book is this? Which master wrote it?” asked a man standing at the front of the stall.
“This is the latest publication from our Zhiyu Bookstore. It contains many short stories to pass the time. Today, buy one and get another book free.”
“You can choose any one of these as the free book,” Ye Yuwu added, pointing to the selection.
The man glanced at the books Ye Yuwu indicated, and his eyes instantly lit up. “Alright, I’ll take one!”
Selling one copy smoothly made Huaping very happy.
Once the first copy was sold, it became easier to sell more.
However, because her booklets were too novel and unfamiliar to people, and since a single book in ancient times could cost as much as several meals, many were hesitant and just observing. Only a few genuinely wanted the free books.
Since Ye Yuwu had priced the booklets lower than classics like the Four Books and Five Classics or works by renowned Confucian scholars, most buyers were drawn to those books instead. The booklets didn’t gain much popularity.
This was something Ye Yuwu had anticipated. In business, the beginning is always tough. As long as they sold some books early on and people started reading them, they could gradually win them over.
Just as Ye Yuwu and Huaping were energetically promoting their wares, a servant approached, bought a booklet, and was about to leave. Ye Yuwu immediately stopped him and asked him to pick another book as his free choice.
Without even looking, the servant randomly selected one, paid, and left.