When Yu Li entered the bookshop, there weren’t many people inside. Only two scholars wearing traditional attire were searching for books in front of a bookshelf.
The shop assistant was carefully organizing the books.
The bookshop had three storefronts, making it quite spacious—it was considered the largest bookshop in the county. It was said that the owner of the shop was from the prefectural city.
Upon entering, one would find an area dedicated to selling writing tools—brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Further inside were bookshelves filled with books.
The bookshelves were crafted with exquisite detail, and the books on them were arranged neatly, giving off an impression of high value.
Yu Li glanced around. The books on the shelves were a mix of old and new, with various bindings, including thread-bound, butterfly-bound, and wrapped-back styles. Most of them were intricately made, but handwritten manuscripts dominated the collection.
Printed books were prohibitively expensive, unaffordable for most people. Handwritten manuscripts, on the other hand, were much cheaper. Ordinary folks generally bought these handwritten copies, which also provided a livelihood for many who specialized in copying books.
As Yu Li was observing, the shop assistant noticed her and approached. “Miss, what are you looking to buy?”
Those in business tended to be perceptive. Although Yu Li’s attire was quite plain, making her seem like someone unlikely to afford books, and it was rare for women to visit bookshops, there were exceptions. Sometimes, women would come to buy brushes, ink, paper, or books for the scholars in their households.
Even if Yu Li didn’t look like a potential buyer, the shop assistant didn’t treat her with disdain.
Most of the bookshop’s patrons were scholars, who were generally aloof and placed a high value on virtue. If a shop assistant were to belittle others, it could tarnish the bookshop’s reputation.
Yu Li asked, “Is the shopkeeper here?”
Fu Wenxiao had mentioned giving his handwritten manuscript to the shopkeeper, suggesting familiarity between the two. Yu Li thought it best to ask for the shopkeeper directly.
The shop assistant, hearing this, glanced at her again and replied, “The shopkeeper is in the backyard. Please wait a moment; I’ll go fetch him.”
Yu Li stood and waited.
Meanwhile, the two scholars who had been browsing books turned to glance at her. Seeing that she was a plainly dressed woman, they quickly lost interest and resumed searching for their books.
After a short while, the shopkeeper emerged. Upon seeing an unfamiliar face dressed so plainly—bordering on shabby in his view—he looked somewhat puzzled. Yu Li’s attire was simple because she had dressed for work that day.
Without saying much, Yu Li took a book wrapped in cloth from her basket and handed it to him.
The shopkeeper first wiped his hands before taking the cloth-wrapped book, a gesture that revealed his love for books.
He unwrapped the cloth, and when he saw the bold and spirited calligraphy on the pages, his expression shifted slightly. He hurriedly flipped through the book and found the writing to be full of vigor and character.
At first, he admired the calligraphy for a while, then began carefully reading the contents.
As he read, he became engrossed, motionless for quite some time.
Yu Li stood waiting for a while but eventually couldn’t help but remind him, “Shopkeeper?”
The shopkeeper finally snapped out of it. He hurriedly asked, “Miss, is this a handwritten manuscript by Master Songhe?”
Before Yu Li could respond, the two scholars who had been searching for books shouted in surprise and rushed over, gingerly snatching the book from the shopkeeper’s hands.
They eagerly yet cautiously flipped through the pages, exclaiming with delight as they read.
“Look at this handwriting—bold yet refined, strong yet unrestrained… It truly is Master Songhe’s calligraphy! What is this manuscript? How come we’ve never heard of it before?”
“It seems to be from a prominent figure of the previous dynasty. Master Songhe actually owns such a manuscript…”
“Ah, Master Songhe has brought another handwritten manuscript—Shopkeeper, I’ll take this book for twenty taels of silver!”
“Ah, Master Songhe has delivered another handwritten manuscript—Shopkeeper, I’ll take this book for twenty taels of silver!”
One of the scholars, dressed in a luxurious manner, immediately called out his offer.
The other scholar grew anxious and gritted his teeth before raising the bid: “I’ll pay thirty taels. Let me have it!”
“Absolutely not! I saw it first; I’ll pay fifty taels!” The well-dressed scholar frowned, displeased. “Brother Fang, how can you compete with me?”
“Brother Yan, how can you cut me off like this? Why not let me have it instead?”
“…..”
Seeing the two begin to argue over the book, the shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his brow and cautiously reminded them, “Gentlemen, this book…”
The shopkeeper knew both men; they were both titled scholars, or xiucai.
In their ranks, a xiucai was addressed as “gentleman” (xiangong), while a juren (successful candidate in provincial examinations) was called “master” (laoye).
The two scholars turned to the shopkeeper. The well-dressed Scholar Yan said, “Shopkeeper, I want this manuscript. Name your price.”
“Brother Yan…” Scholar Fang was visibly unhappy.
Scholar Yan replied, “Brother Fang, don’t rush. I’ll buy the book and then lend it to you to read.”
But borrowing a book could never compare to owning it outright.
Not only was this a handwritten manuscript from the previous dynasty, but Master Songhe’s calligraphy alone was enough to make it a prized collectible. Scholar Fang wanted it just as much.
However, his family’s financial situation wasn’t as good as Scholar Yan’s. If he competed with him, the price would only climb higher and higher, and in the end, he might not be able to afford it.
After a moment of deliberation, Scholar Fang had no choice but to withdraw, albeit reluctantly.
The shopkeeper, seeing Scholar Yan ready to make the purchase, sighed inwardly. He had expected this outcome.
Every time Master Songhe sent a manuscript to the shop, it was a rare find. The shopkeeper made considerable profit from these manuscripts and always hoped for more deliveries.
Unfortunately, only a few manuscripts were sent each year, leaving him waiting with growing anticipation. Today, at last, another manuscript from Master Songhe had arrived.
The shopkeeper said, “Scholar Yan, you know this is a unique manuscript. Our shop needs to make a transcription before selling it.”
In truth, the shopkeeper preferred to sell transcriptions. Master Songhe’s handwritten manuscripts served as treasures of the shop, often displayed to attract attention.
Of course, these treasures were eventually snapped up by scholars and didn’t stay in the shop for long. Over time, Master Songhe’s calligraphy became widely recognized, and demand for his manuscripts soared.
Master Songhe had first sent a handwritten manuscript to the shop three years ago. At the time, the shopkeeper hadn’t thought much of it. What caught his attention first was the striking calligraphy, and only later did he notice the content.
However, with his limited knowledge, he hadn’t realized that the manuscript was an ancient rarity from a past dynasty. It was only when a juren from the prefectural city, visiting friends in the county, stopped by the shop and recognized the manuscript’s title that the shopkeeper understood its value.
That juren, a highly respected scholar from the Yanshan Academy in the prefectural city, personally authenticated the manuscript. News of this spread quickly.
Eventually, the handwritten manuscript was sold to the juren for a high price.
Since then, Master Songhe had become well-known in the county, and even some people from the prefectural city traveled there specifically to try to acquire one of his handwritten manuscripts.
The shopkeeper couldn’t help but marvel at the mysterious Master Songhe, wondering who he was. How could he know so many rare manuscripts, let alone reproduce them by hand?
After all, rare manuscripts were typically guarded by aristocratic families, and even borrowing one for a glance was difficult.
Many speculated that Master Songhe must be a disciple of one of these prestigious families. Judging by his calligraphy, it was clear he must have received guidance from a renowned teacher from a young age. Such skill and character in his writing could only have been achieved with at least a decade or two of dedicated practice.
The contents of the handwritten manuscripts were so rare that even families who prided themselves on their scholarly heritage found them difficult to encounter.
Master Songhe’s identity became even more mysterious, completely beyond anyone’s guesses.
No one could understand why Master Songhe would send such rare handwritten manuscripts to a remote county town for sale. If they were sent to a prefectural city or other major locations, the price would undoubtedly be much higher.
The juren who bought the handwritten manuscript back then had truly gotten an incredible bargain.
After that, the shopkeeper became more shrewd and began raising the price. Even so, people still flocked in hopes of acquiring one of Master Songhe’s handwritten manuscripts.
Scholar Yan nodded eagerly. “Of course, that’s only fair. But shopkeeper, after you’ve finished making the copy, you must sell me the original manuscript. I’m determined to have it!”
He had already made up his mind to stay at the shop until the transcription was completed, just to ensure no one else could snatch it away.
Scholar Fang even offered to help with the transcription for free, suggesting that this way, he could at least study the manuscript in advance.
The shopkeeper: “…”
The few of them continued their discussion, completely ignoring Yu Li, who stood silently to the side.
Yu Li hadn’t expected a single handwritten book to incite such excitement and fierce competition between the two scholars. She suddenly realized that Fu Wenxiao’s book copying was not just a simple act of transcription.
The true value lay in the content.
Seeing Scholar Yan willing to pay fifty taels for the book made this clear.
Fifty taels!
Since arriving in this world, Yu Li had never seen so much silver in one place. Even the Yu family’s total of ninety taels, when divided among the household, amounted to only twenty taels per person.
She was beginning to understand why people in this world held such high regard for scholars—scholars could truly make money.
Fortunately, the shopkeeper soon remembered Yu Li.
Now, his gaze toward her was no longer that of someone looking at a destitute woman. Instead, it was as though he were looking at a walking God of Wealth, someone connected to Master Songhe. After all, why else would Master Songhe entrust her to deliver a handwritten manuscript a year after his last one?
“Miss, may I ask what your relationship with Master Songhe is?” he asked warmly, his tone full of respect.
The two scholars, still clutching the manuscript as though it were a treasure, also turned to look at her.
Previously, they hadn’t paid her much attention, assuming she was an ordinary woman. Her plain clothing, lacking even a single piece of jewelry, and her thin frame—though slightly better than a month ago—made her look like someone from a poor household.
What could a woman like her have to do with Master Songhe?
No one knew Master Songhe’s true identity, his place of residence, or why he only sent his handwritten manuscripts to Shanping County for sale.
Some had tried to investigate, but Master Songhe had only sent two manuscripts before, delivered by a middle-aged woman in her forties. That woman had been timid and excessively silent, refusing to answer any questions. People had eventually given up, and at the time, no one thought to stop her for further inquiry.
By now, Yu Li had realized that this “Master Songhe” was actually Fu Wenxiao, likely a pseudonym or pen name he used while copying books.