Chapter 9 – Relief

In the study, He Zhiqiu watched the young servant boy bring over steaming tea and freshly baked Hu cakes, smiling as he said, “Scholar, please have some refreshments. My employer still has a few accounts to settle. Once they’re done, they’ll come to see you.”

He Zhiqiu hadn’t eaten a grain of rice since early morning and had endured the cold for half a day. He was truly famished now, his stomach growling even louder at the sight of the fragrant Hu cakes on the plate. Seeing the servant boy place the tea and snacks down and bow before leaving, with no one else around, the warmth of the charcoal stove in the study only emphasized his hunger.

The refreshments were quite abundant. A large tray of fried rice flowers, oiled fruit, and Hu cakes cut into small pieces, sprinkled with sesame seeds, covered the plate. There was also a box containing red dates, walnuts, candied fruits, and dried fruits, neatly arranged. He knew these were common treats used by wealthy merchants to entertain guests. Eating some wouldn’t be too obvious. So, with hot tea, he nibbled on rice flowers, red dates, and cherry preserves, but didn’t touch the larger portions of food, fearing it might look bad when the bookstore owner arrived.

The sugar-coated rice flowers were crispy and delicious. The filling of the hot Hu cakes even contained precious pepper. After eating a few, He Zhiqiu felt a bit more energetic. He took a sip of tea, which was brewed from osmanthus, sesame, and bamboo shoots with a sprinkle of salt, tasted almost like fresh soup. Half a cup warmed him up completely.

He Zhiqiu soon felt half-full. Leaning back in the soft recliner, he smelled the warm scent of agarwood. Looking around the study, the magnificent screen behind the desk, the exquisite decorations on the multi-treasure shelf, and the famous calligraphy and paintings on the walls, all displayed opulence. His heart stirred slightly, sighing as he thought, indeed, wealth can move the heart. Even if he passed the spring examinations next year and obtained a minor official position, it would take years of effort to enjoy such luxuries. At this moment, he couldn’t help but have a fleeting thought of abandoning literature for commerce.

However, after years of reading Confucian classics, he had finally become a scholar. His future was right in front of him. He couldn’t let the allure of wealth cloud his judgment and risk losing everything at the last minute. As He Zhiqiu thought about this, he remembered why he had come today, feeling somewhat nervous. Then, he heard footsteps outside the door. Presumably, the owner was coming, so he looked up.

A youth in a snow-white fox fur robe walked in as the servant boy lifted the wind-blocking curtain at the entrance. The youth wore a dark velvet headband with a bright pearl pendant, shining brilliantly. His demeanor was graceful, but a closer look revealed some youthful innocence, suggesting he was still young. He Zhiqiu was puzzled. Although the visitor was dressed extravagantly, he was far too young to be the owner. He stood up, unsure how to address him.

Xu Chun smiled before speaking, making a bow. “I apologize for keeping you waiting, sir. My name is Xu, and I am the owner of Leisurely Clouds Bookstore. Business is busy during the New Year season. The manager told me that you are a regular customer of our bookstore. Now, I understand you wish to print and sell your work?”

He Zhiqiu realized that the visitor was indeed the owner of the bookstore. Suppressing his surprise, he bowed in return. “My surname is He, He Zhiqiu. I live nearby. Because my mother is critically ill and we are in desperate need of money, I heard from friends that Leisurely Clouds Bookstore accepts manuscripts. If published, there could be some royalties and dividends, so I’ve come to offer my work.”

Xu Chun showed concern with a worried expression. “You have been a loyal customer of our Leisurely Clouds Bookstore and possess exceptional talent. Logically, we should publish your book to alleviate your troubles and allow your mother to recover sooner. However, the manager should have informed you that the cycle of printing and selling books is long. Moreover, not many people in the neighborhood are literate, so sales are generally mediocre. We cannot set the book prices too high, and the cost of engraving plates and printing is high for the bookstore. Therefore, most bookstores typically accept works by well-known scholars to avoid losing money. You know that we don’t rely on selling books to make a profit; we barely get by with the monthly fees from the Leisurely Cloud Society and the sale of calligraphy, paintings, brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.”

How could He Zhiqiu not know? But what he came to sell today wasn’t an ordinary collection of poems or essays. Yet, it was too shameful to open his mouth.

Seeing his awkward expression, Xu Chun sympathetically suggested, “If you have confidence in your book, you could sell it on consignment. That is, our bookstore would advance the costs for engraving plates, printing, and binding. Then, we would deduct those costs from the sales, and the rest would be your profit. But this is a slow process. Based on our experience, without a pre-planned market, it might take one or two years to recoup the costs. If you need money urgently to treat your mother, it may not be feasible.”

He Zhiqiu’s face flushed red. He had naturally inquired about the market conditions beforehand, but his current situation was truly dire, even preventing him from making it through until the spring examination after the New Year. People usually lend in times of crisis, not poverty, let alone when most families are struggling to survive.

Observing his expression, Xu Chun asked, “Your book must be excellent. Can I take a look? Perhaps I can connect with other literati and scholars. If we can secure some pre-orders from academies, clan schools, or private schools, which would ensure sales, the repayment might be faster. In that case, our bookstore could pay you some dividends in advance.”

He Zhiqiu opened his mouth, feeling embarrassed, but ultimately said nothing. He handed over the book wrapped in cloth. Xu Chun took the book, opened it, and saw the title “Record of a Journey to the Immortal Realm,” signed by “Guest of the Chu Pavilion.” Upon flipping through it, he read lines like “In the embroidered quilt, phoenixes fly in pairs; on the ivory bed, Qin and Jin share harmonious moments.” He understood that this was a type of frivolous literature beloved by debauched youths. This Scholar He, who possessed the title of scholar-official, had genuine talent, and wrote more subtly than crude and explicit popular tales. The parallel prose was well-arranged, clearly demonstrating his better literary skill.

Looking at Scholar He, he noticed his purple-red complexion and smiled warmly. “Your writing is truly remarkable, sir. We are severely lacking in this genre of books. Your writing skills are impressive. Do you intend to sell the rights outright, or do you prefer royalties? How much are you asking for?”

Feeling utterly humiliated, He Zhiqiu simply said, “Sell outright.” He clenched his teeth, remembering what he had learned through inquiries. With determination, he said, “Fifty taels of silver, an outright purchase. Whatever the bookstore does with it afterward, I won’t interfere.” His face had turned the color of pig liver, knowing that other bookstores would at most advance ten taels of silver, which is already considered generous. But he had no choice now. Seeing that Leisurely Clouds Bookstore was doing good business, he could only endure the humiliation and come here.

His father, owing compound interest on debts amounting to over a hundred taels of silver, was unable to continue gambling after breaking his leg. He still needed treatment. His mother was also seriously ill due to anger. Previously, their family income relied on He Zhiqiu’s tutoring job, income from leased land, and his mother’s weaving. Now, it was a drop in the bucket. Fifty taels of silver was just enough to repay the most urgent gambling debt and protect their house. The remaining amount would require further maneuvering. After the festival, once the spring examination was over, if he passed, it would be for the best. If he didn’t pass, he could find a tutoring job and advance payment for his teaching fees to manage to get by.

Xu Chun said, “Fifty taels of silver is a bit high. I can only advance twenty taels of silver to you…”

Disappointment flashed across He Zhiqiu’s face. Did he have to find another place? He thought about going through the humiliating experience again, pleading with other bookstore merchants. The humiliation nearly overwhelmed him. However, Xu Chun then said, “However, if Mr. He can write another book similar to this one in half a month, I can pay thirty taels of silver for it.”

He Zhiqiu’s emotions swung wildly as he hurriedly asked, “What should I write?”

Xu Chun actually had no intention of having him write anything. He merely wanted to find a reason to help the scholar out of his predicament. He thought carefully and smiled. “It’s difficult to find Southern Wind editions on the market right now. I happen to have some business in Fujian and want to collect some Southern Wind editions along the way. I wonder if you, with your writing skills, can produce a good one. Please rest assured, sir. Our bookstore will keep your secret.”

Southern Wind?

He Zhiqiu was taken aback. Looking at the young master in front of him, he saw that his fox-fur-trimmed robe was unbuttoned, revealing a red imperial brocade robe embroidered with qilins inside. He wore a golden eight-jewel necklace around his neck and a gold-inlaid double fish pendant hanging from his waist. His face was handsome, his eyes sparkled like stars, his lips were full and lustrous, and his smile carried an inherent charm. He had a striking appearance. He couldn’t help but speculate whether this young master of a wealthy merchant family was fond of Southern Wind. Judging by his accent, he seemed to have a Fujianese accent, where Southern Wind was most prevalent.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Xu Chun assumed he was not skilled in that area. He had only mentioned it casually as a condition and tried to cover it up. “If it’s a Southern Wind edition, we’re willing to increase the price to forty taels per book. But if Mr. He finds it difficult and isn’t skilled in that genre, it’s not a problem. Just write another similar book, and I can advance…”

He Zhiqiu interrupted, “It’s possible. For a Southern Wind edition, is there a requirement for word count?”

Seeing that he agreed, Xu Chun’s brows relaxed, and he smiled. “There’s no limit to the number of words. As long as your writing is captivating and the language flows smoothly, sales will likely be good. It will be a bother for you, sir. Since I’m not often in the capital, you can just seal the manuscript in a box and deliver it to Manager Luo. I’ll instruct him accordingly.” He then called out to Donghai, “Bring me the silver from the drawer on my bookshelf. I remember the shop below sent it yesterday. It’s exactly sixty taels of official silver.”

He Zhiqiu watched as another quiet and reticent servant boy entered and soon returned with a chest of silver. At this point, he noticed that the several servants around this young master of the wealthy merchant were all finely dressed, with clear and refined features. They all wore dark green velvet robes, with embroidered sachets at their waists and satin shoes on their feet, dressed more splendidly than He Zhiqiu himself. He couldn’t help but speculate further about Young Master Xu.

Xu Chun was unaware of the other party’s thoughts. He was indeed fond of Southern Wind and didn’t hide it. Therefore, he took the chest of silver and handed it to him, then took out a red envelope from his pocket and placed it on top of the chest. “During the New Year, it’s fortunate that you’ve come to our door, Mr. He. We businessmen love auspicious signs. This is for your writing fee. Please accept it, sir. May you have good fortune every year. I wish you success in the imperial examinations and prosperity in both your career and wealth!”

He Zhiqiu noticed the thinness of the red envelope and didn’t think too much about it. He had heard that southern merchants indeed loved to exchange pleasantries. Smiling, he clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, Young Master Xu. I wish you prosperous business!” He opened the chest to verify the amount and saw that it was indeed six ingots of pure white official silver. Feeling reassured, he hurriedly wanted to return home to protect their house and got up to bid farewell. Xu Chun personally escorted He Zhiqiu out of the door with clasped hands.

After seeing He Zhiqiu off, Chunxi said, “Your Highness, He Zhiqiu isn’t a renowned scholar. His book probably won’t sell for much. Sixty taels is really too high.”

Xiaochao stuck out her tongue and added, “Furthermore, Your Highness, asking him to write that Southern Wind book… If Old Manager Sheng finds out you plan to print and sell that kind of book, he might report it to Madam…”

Xu Chun replied, “We’re not selling it. Just keep the book. I merely saw that he was in trouble and found a reason to give him some money. Even if he’s a scholar-official, the market value of his book couldn’t possibly reach sixty taels of silver. If I had given him that much money outright, he might have sighed with relief at the time, but upon reflection, he might suspect that the bookstore had ulterior motives. It’s better to have a clear transaction.”

Qiuhu praised, “Your Highness is benevolent. This man is already a scholar-official. If he obtains the title of Jinshi through the spring examination, he will surely be grateful to Your Highness.”

Xu Chun waved his hand. “Please, don’t mention it. He’s in such dire straits that he has to stoop to selling such vulgar literature to make a living. When he truly achieves an official title and becomes a government official, he might consider this a disgrace. Regardless of whether he becomes a Jinshi or not, if any of you encounter him in any situation in the future, pretend not to know him. Also, keep this a secret and don’t spread it around, or we’ll end up as enemies.”

Xiaochao was astonished. “In that case, aren’t we giving away so much silver for nothing? Sixty taels of silver! Even in the capital, it’s enough to buy a little bit of land.”

Xu Chun chuckled. “Sixty taels of silver isn’t even enough for my father to hire an opera troupe for a day. Without mentioning anything else, I know about Grandpa’s side. Sixty taels of silver is just enough to buy a set of jewelry. Either way, the money would be spent, so it’s better to help someone in dire straits.”

“Besides, I don’t expect anything from him. I merely pity his misfortune. He had a promising future ahead of him but was ruined by his father during the New Year. However, he knows how to lower his head and make a living through his writing, showing resilience. He won’t remain in hardship for long and will surely have a bright future. Well, didn’t we say we were going to watch the opera? Let’s go.”