NCCnovel Chapter 41 Book Store
Chapter 41 Book Store
Liu Shan suddenly felt something was wrong, so he began to explain how to eat hot pot.
Amber's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Young master, I know what you're talking about, it's a hot pot, also called a hot pot."
"Really? Hot pot?" Liu Shan then introduced the method of eating barbecue.
Amber immediately understood and clapped her hands, saying, "Young Master, what you're talking about is roasted meat, which is my favorite!"
"Roasting? What a great name." Liu Shan then described the method of making braised meat: "Braised meat is meat cooked with spices and broth."
A flicker of realization crossed Amber's eyes: "So that's how it is. This is 'Border Meat', isn't it? Did you name it 'Braised Meat', son-in-law? It sounds quite nice."
Unwilling to give up, Liu Shan asked about more than a dozen other dishes, only to find that the Xia Dynasty had them all, just with different names.
The only dish left on the paper in his hand was the last one.
Liu Shan took a deep breath and slowly said, "This dish is called 'Mala Tang,' have you heard of it? The preparation process is roughly like this..."
Amber was shocked when she learned about the process of making mala tang (a type of spicy hot pot).
"Uncle/Grandpa, have you ever raised pigs?"
Liu Shan immediately shook his head.
Amber asked in confusion, "Then how do you know how to make pig feed?"
Liu Shan was both amused and exasperated, and clarified, "This is food for human consumption, not pig feed."
Amber was skeptical. "Although they are slightly different, all sorts of vegetables and bones, simmered for several hours, and then rice bran is added at the end—isn't that just pig feed?"
Liu Shan shouted angrily, "I added seasonings to this, including sesame paste, sugar, salt, scallions, ginger, garlic, and so on!"
A hint of curiosity flickered in Amber's eyes: "How is that possible? Pig feed can become gourmet food just by adding seasoning?"
Liu Shan smiled wryly and patiently explained, "Let me give you an example. We drink rice porridge, and pigs also drink rice porridge. So, is this rice porridge a delicacy or pig feed?"
Amber paused for a moment, then suddenly realized: "Young master, rice porridge is definitely a delicacy! It seems I misunderstood. It turns out that pig feed with added seasonings really can become a delicacy."
Liu Shan almost choked on his own words!
He took a deep breath, waved for Amber to leave, and said he didn't want to explain anymore.
Unexpectedly, Amber returned to the room as soon as she left.
"Young master, drink this morning's medicinal diet while it's hot."
Liu Shan immediately showed a bitter expression, his face turning sour.
……
After three days of research, Liu Shan finally made progress. He discovered that the novels of the Xia Dynasty were monotonous in content, dull in plot, and lacked appeal.
He happened to have a lot of interesting stories in his mind.
If he were to enter this field, with China's profound cultural heritage and numerous masterpieces, he would surely create a tremendous upheaval in the literary world of the Xia Dynasty and trigger an industry revolution.
More importantly, you can also make a fortune!
By then, why worry about lacking power and prestige?
A resolute glint flashed in Liu Shan's eyes as he silently vowed, "This is a golden opportunity; I will seize this chance to achieve great things."
He quickly organized his thoughts. From ancient times to the present, "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" has always been one of the most famous collections of classical Chinese short stories.
The ghost stories in "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" are full of twists and turns, and the characters are vivid. Most importantly, this work contains 491 short stories, which is very suitable for publication in volumes.
Liu Shan decided to start with "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and gradually launch a series of works, which will surely cause a huge response.
He excitedly picked up his pen and began copying the first story.
Liu Shan's writing is fluid and elegant, cleverly adapting "Painted Skin" from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and incorporating it into the background of the Xia Dynasty, revealing a sense of eeriness and mystery between the lines.
As the story gradually took shape, Liu Shan became increasingly confident, as if he could already foresee the sensational effect when the work was published, and as if he could see money rolling in.
Of course, he is not a slave to money, but rather uses it to realize a bigger dream.
After writing the first story, Liu Shan had two choices: sell the copyright to an established bookstore or open his own bookstore.
Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Finding an established bookstore is less trouble and effort, but the commission is lower; opening your own bookstore is riskier, but you can control the whole situation and the profits are greater.
After careful consideration, Liu Shan decided to open his own bookstore.
He still prefers to be in control of the overall situation and is unwilling to be constrained by others.
However, opening a bookstore is no easy task, and he encountered difficulties in choosing a location.
While remote locations offer lower rents, they have limited foot traffic; conversely, bustling areas boast high foot traffic but come with exorbitant rents.
His meager fifty taels of silver might not even be enough to pay half a month's rent.
Liu Shan had no choice but to bite the bullet and go find Li Wanqing.
Standing in front of the door, he took a deep breath and knocked.
Inside the room, Liu Shan poured out his grievances, “...whether it’s renting a shop, recruiting craftsmen, carving and engraving, printing and binding, hiring helpers, etc., all of these require money, but I only have a mere fifty taels of silver.”
When he got emotional, Liu Shan even pretended to wipe away non-existent tears.
Li Wanqing almost burst out laughing.
She tried to suppress her laughter and said seriously, "Why worry so much about a small shop? That vacant shop at No. 16 Pear Blossom Street is actually my dowry."
Upon hearing the familiar words, Liu Shan was shocked!
Just how generous is this young lady's dowry?
Liu Shan didn't even dare to think about it too deeply.
Located in a prime location in a bustling district, this is just too extravagant!
Seeing that he was in a daze, Li Wanqing gently nudged him, "Are you even listening to me?"
Liu Shan snapped out of his daze and nodded hurriedly, "I'm listening, I'm listening! I'm just a little excited, excited that I was born into a good family, no, I mean, I married into a good family."
Li Wanqing glared at him and repeated what she had just said, "Let's use that shop to open a bookstore."
Liu Shan was excited and unconsciously clenched his fists, as if preparing to unleash his full potential.
However, Li Wanqing slowly frowned. "A bookstore is a place for printing, publishing and selling books. Simple decoration is enough. Your fifty taels of silver is just right. As for the shop assistants, you can use your servants at home to fill in temporarily."
"But I can't help with the expenses of recruiting craftsmen, carving and engraving, printing and binding. The manor has already spent a lot of money to prepare medicinal meals for you recently, so it's impossible to come up with extra money to open a bookstore now."
Liu Shan naturally understood the predicament of the manor, and he was already overjoyed that Li Wanqing could help him solve this major problem of the shop.
He bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you for your support, Madam."
Li Wanqing was surprised and quickly stood up to return the greeting, saying, "Husband, there's no need for such formality."
Hmm, what a famous scene of mutual respect!