Volume 1: River City Melody, Chapter 4: The Path to Prosperity (Part II)

The Gu Family Bookstore is situated in the southeast of the county seat. While it lacks the bustling atmosphere of the East Slanting Street area, it remains one of the primary commercial hubs in Jiangcheng County. The neighborhood is particularly dense with bookstores and calligraphy shops, imbuing it with a profound literary aura and the faint, pleasant scent of paper and ink.

Walking and observing, Li Ling easily located the rather substantial storefront of the bookstore. He stepped inside and was promptly greeted: "Is this young master looking to purchase books? However, I must state upfront: if you are looking to buy single volumes, our store does not cater to such requests. You would be better off browsing the nearby bookshops."

The term "bookstore" here is more akin to a modern publishing house; naturally, they do not engage in single-copy retail, as is the custom of the trade. Li Ling took no offense and replied with a smile: "Since I have come to a publishing house, I naturally intend to conduct a larger transaction. To be honest, I also run a bookstore in this county. Recently, my shop has been short on stock, particularly the *Jizi’s Interpretation of the Spring and Autumn Annals*. I wonder if you have copies available?"

Upon hearing this, the manager offered an apologetic smile: "I see. That makes things much simpler." He looked Li Ling up and down before asking, "May I ask your name, young master, and which bookstore you operate? I don't believe I have seen you before."

"Oh, my name is Li Ling, from the Li Family Bookstore on East Slanting Street. We only recently reopened, so I haven't had the chance to come in for stock before. That is why we haven't met."

"The Li Family Bookstore? You are the one... the owner who rents out books to the scholars at the county academy?" The manager’s expression shifted, filled with sudden curiosity. Seeing Li Ling nod, he rose immediately: "Please wait a moment, young master. I shall return shortly."

This left Li Ling quite surprised. What was this about? Had his book rental scheme offended some unwritten rule? Was the manager going to find someone to deal with him? Honestly, Li Ling couldn't be entirely sure he hadn't committed some faux pas, and he felt a lingering sense of unease as he stood alone in the somewhat empty hall.

Before long, the manager returned, accompanied by someone else—not a group, but a single individual. This man was older, dressed in more refined attire, and sported a thick beard that gave him an air of authority. It seemed he was someone of higher status than the manager—perhaps the owner of the shop himself?

Just as Li Ling was speculating on the man's identity, the manager introduced them: "Young Master Li, this is Gu Yuezi, the proprietor of our Gu Family Bookstore. Proprietor, this is the owner of the Li Family Bookstore..."

"Li Ling greets Proprietor Gu," Li Ling said, cupping his hands in a salute. "May I ask why you are interested in me? Is it because of the book rentals at my shop?"

"Young Master Li is truly a straightforward person. Since you speak plainly, I shall not beat around the bush. Yes, it is precisely because I heard that your shop had suddenly launched a book rental business, attracting many students from humble backgrounds, that I became interested in you. I specifically instructed old Zhao that if anyone from your shop came to order books, he was to report it to me so that I might meet you."

Having said this, he looked Li Ling up and down again, marveling with a click of his tongue: "I never imagined that someone with such business acumen would be a youth who has yet to reach the age of twenty. I am truly impressed. By the way, are you aware that because of your strategy, many nearby bookstores have seen their business drop by twenty or thirty percent?"

Li Ling offered an awkward smile: "Is that so? I personally felt my business wasn't as good as I had imagined; I hadn't realized it would impact other shops."

"That is where you are mistaken. If people buy books, they might keep them as personal collections. But if they rent them, it is different. They will pass them on, or several people will pool their money to rent a few books, then copy them by hand. In this way, while it seems you have only rented out one set, the impact reaches many times that number. Naturally, the bookstores in town are suffering."

Li Ling nodded, finding the logic sound, and smiled: "Is that why you are willing to sell books to me—because it also affected your business?"

"Not quite. Books are meant to be read, especially the classics and their commentaries. Every scholar must read them. I have always advocated for lowering book prices, but unfortunately, I found no one to join me. Your approach has forced other bookstores to consider lowering their prices slightly. So, in truth, I admire you, which is why I wanted to meet you personally."

So that was it. Li Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Proprietor Gu is too kind. I was merely forced by circumstance to adopt this strategy."

"Hmm, I have made inquiries about your shop, and it is as you say. But one thing still puzzles me: are you not afraid that other bookstores will copy your method and use their larger inventories to steal all your business?"

"No, they cannot. Most of the books in my shop are old copies from decades ago, so I have fewer concerns and can lend them out without worrying about wear and tear. Other shops cannot imitate me; their stock is all new. If they were to start a rental service, the losses would outweigh the gains. Furthermore, those bookstores value their reputation and would never stoop to my low-level tactics. I am certain that even if they tried to copy me, they would only meet with failure and could never affect my shop."

Watching Li Ling’s confident demeanor, Gu Yuezi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "That is why I say you are a great commercial talent. Your vision is deep and thorough; I am impressed. I accept your order, and I will sell them to you at a twenty percent discount off the market price. Consider it a small contribution from the Gu Family Bookstore to the scholars of humble origins in this county."

Li Ling did not decline and immediately thanked him: "Thank you, Proprietor Gu, for your generous support. Now, the books I wish to purchase are five sets of *Jizi’s Interpretation of the Spring and Autumn Annals*..."

After Li Ling recited the list of titles and quantities, Gu Yuezi nodded and agreed, instructing the manager to calculate the total cost.

As they were busy with the accounting, a young scholar entered. He was handsome but looked pale, as if he had been hollowed out by indulgence. He clutched a stack of papers under his arm and approached Gu Yuezi happily: "Proprietor Gu, this is a new novel I have just finished. I hope you can offer your critique."

"Ah, Master Dai. A new masterpiece is ready for publication—truly a cause for celebration." Gu Yuezi stepped forward to greet him and accepted the manuscript. Li Ling realized the scholar had come to sell his writing.

In this era of delayed information and poor transportation, entertainment was primitive. Listening to operas and reading books were among the few available diversions, and every county had its share of writers. Many of the old novels in Li Ling's store had been written by local scholars and never traveled beyond the borders of Hengzhou Prefecture. Only the most exceptional stories could circulate as widely as the Four Books and Five Classics, passing down to future generations.

Seeing that Gu Yuezi had business to attend to, and with his own bill settled, Li Ling did not wish to intrude. He agreed with the manager to have the books delivered to his shop the following day and prepared to leave. However, just as he reached the door, he heard Gu Yuezi’s tone turn troubled: "Master Dai, this *Fate of the Jade Hairpin* doesn't seem much different from your previous works..."

Master Dai’s expression flickered, but he defended himself: "The story is quite different. You see, Wang Sheng and the young lady of the Chai family meet at a temple fair, and then there are many twists and turns, including the Chai family being wronged by the imperial court..."

"I am not talking about these details, but the core of the story. To put it bluntly, it is another tale of the lingering, sentimental love between a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. It is not much different from the three or four books you have written over the past few years."

"This..." Master Dai’s expression darkened. He could not refute this, as he knew himself that his half-dozen books all shared the same core—it was the same old wine in a new bottle.

Gu Yuezi continued: "Furthermore, you know that people in Hengzhou Prefecture have grown weary of these scholar-beauty stories. Stories about seeking immortality and the Tao are quite popular now. If you could write something like that, we could certainly discuss a better price."

"Shall I go back and try?" Master Dai was tempted, but reluctant to see his current effort go to waste. He looked at Gu Yuezi again: "What about this book?"

"Tell you what, I will lower the price for this one. Fifteen taels per volume—forty-five taels for the three volumes. I’ll round it up to fifty taels. How is that?"

"But my previous books could fetch eighty taels for a set..."

"As long as you write a novel about seeking immortality, you will get the original price. If it is even better, the price can increase. What do you say?"

"Then... I shall follow your advice, Proprietor Gu." Master Dai knew the bookstore held the leverage and had no choice but to agree; otherwise, he would find no other place to publish his work.

Li Ling, standing to the side, was stunned. He had never imagined that writing books in this era could be so lucrative. Even if the stack of papers was thick, it was written with a brush—even in small script, three volumes would only be about two hundred thousand characters. That could sell for fifty taels of silver?

Compared to his own shop, where he worked for ten days and made less than three taels in net profit, the disparity was staggering. Li Ling was deeply intrigued. Since he could make money by writing, he could certainly give it a try. As a transmigrator, beyond his massive advantages in accounting and mathematics, he possessed a wealth of knowledge and stories far exceeding those of the ancients. He had read countless novels—martial arts, science fiction, romance, horror—he had it all...