RPAGF Chapter 276 Buying Books
Chapter 276 Buying Books
Chapter 276 Buying Books
Xiao Jiu never objected to Xiao Tang's decisions, and Xiao Yu was extremely obedient and well-behaved. So, when Xiao Tang went to the study, Xiao Jiu and Xiao Yu immediately followed.
They walked through the market and found a Qingfeng Study, so they parked the carriage outside and went inside together.
Inside the study, there was only an elderly man who looked venerable and had a refined air, and a boy of about eight or nine years old, who was probably the study's assistant, carrying a stack of books neatly.
Since she had already made up her mind to buy books and pick up her studies again, this time Xiao Jiu took the initiative to take care of things herself.
He approached the shopkeeper and asked, "Do you have any ordinary handwritten books in your study?"
Scholars come to the study every day to buy books, and the shopkeeper knows without the shopkeeper even saying what kind of handwritten book Xiao Jiu wants.
These were mostly scholars from poor families who studied very hard. Since they couldn't afford to buy books, they would go to the study to ask for the notes and writings of scholars before they passed the imperial examinations to copy. This way, they could learn something useful and earn some money at the same time, killing two birds with one stone.
The books used by students from poor families before high school will become valuable once they reach high school. This is how they are passed down, and the handwritten books also contain a lot of useful knowledge and extracted essence.
The shopkeeper looked up and saw that the person asking him for a book was a young man dressed in simple clothes but whose aloof and noble air was undeniable. He was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered.
He has run his study for many years, receiving many customers every day and meeting countless people. He knows the impermanence of life. Some wealthy families suddenly collapse due to certain events, while others encounter difficulties and their families decline. Some people achieve enlightenment and their entire family benefits. Some poor families suddenly become rich and powerful. There are all kinds of people!
The shopkeeper waved and called out, "Ji Ling, get some handwritten books for the guests to choose from."
The boy, called Ji Ling, calmly put down the stack of books he was carrying and carefully arranged them before replying, "Okay." He strode to the corner and brought out a neat and clean book.
Judging from the cutting and binding, it's not hard to guess that the stack of handwritten books that Ji Ling brought over was indeed handwritten.
He put down the handwritten book and said politely, "Please wait a moment, there are more over there. I'll bring over a few more so you have more choices."
Look at their attitude, it's hard to leave empty-handed.
Xiao Jiu nodded and said, "Thank you."
Ji Ling is a steady young man, probably influenced by the shopkeeper of the bookstore. He is quiet, patient, meticulous, and efficient.
He brought over two more stacks, and when Xiao Tang saw the three large stacks of handwritten books, she immediately became interested and started looking through them with Xiao Jiu.
Unexpectedly, they found the books they had just picked out in the other bookstore in this Qingfeng Study!
As it happened, Xiao Jiu also took a liking to it. After quickly flipping through it and comparing it carefully, he still preferred the book copied by the scribe. The handwriting style was exactly what he wanted to learn, and the content of the book was something he had never studied before.
So he quickly picked out all the books copied by the same person from the three large stacks.
Thirteen books in total!
He looked up and asked, "How much is this book?"
Ji Ling glanced at them and said calmly, "These are the books you picked out. They were consigned to our shop by a copyist for ten coins a book. But because he urgently needed money, our shopkeeper saw that he was in a difficult situation and bought them for ten coins a book. The wealthy scholars who came to buy the books didn't like them, and the poor scholars thought they were too expensive, so they were put aside. If you want them, I'll give them to you for fifteen coins a book. Don't think it's expensive. Our study also needs some meager income to support itself."
He felt that their manager was too kind, opening such an unprofitable study and frequently taking care of scholars in need, making their study seem like a charity.
The shop next door sells everything at exorbitant prices, boasting that everything in their study is excellent, but in reality, it's not as good as what's in their study. However, the shop owner is eloquent, and the shop assistants are very good at currying favor, so their Qingfeng Study doesn't make any money.
We have quite a few customers every day, but unfortunately the profits are very low.
However, the shopkeeper was stubborn and he couldn't persuade him, so he could only listen to the shopkeeper.
Lin Xiaotang and Xiao Jiu exchanged a silent glance, somewhat surprised. This book and the book in that study were copied by the same person, but the paper used was different, and the selling price was also different. They wondered what kind of bitter past this person had.
The paper in the bookstore she had just visited was rough, and if she wasn't mistaken, it was sold to that bookstore for five copper coins a book. The paper in this bookstore was clearly better, and the books could be consigned for sale. In the end, with the help of the shopkeeper, she was bought by him at the consignment price. It seemed that the shopkeeper was a good person, and the books were more genuine.
This further strengthened Xiaotang and Xiaojiu's resolve to buy the dozen or so handwritten books.
The person who doesn't give up on themselves in adversity and works so hard to write such handwriting shows how resilient their character is, and Xiao Jiu should learn from them.
Xiao Jiu didn't have enough copper coins to buy all thirteen books at once. He was also reluctant to take out a few books and put them down, so he asked, "I don't have enough money. Can I buy a few books first and leave the rest for me? I'll come back to buy more tomorrow morning."
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment, but then he realized that these handwritten copies wouldn't sell so quickly; he'd be lucky to sell two in ten days or half a month. So he nodded in agreement.
"Okay, if you want it, come and buy it soon, and I'll save it for you."
The shopkeeper would not refuse these small requests; he could make the decision himself.
Xiao Jiu saw that the guy, who was about his age, was very easy to talk to, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.
Later, he would have to accompany Xiaotang and Xiaoyu to the Wang family to visit Wang Jiaojiao, so he couldn't guarantee when he would be able to return to the pig's trotter shop or whether he could make it back before the bookstore closed. Therefore, he set the time for tomorrow morning.
Fortunately, the guy agreed.
Xiao Tang said, "No need to wait until tomorrow, let's buy it today. I have enough money with me."
Xiao Jiu's eyes flickered, and he was very touched. However, he felt that he had saved up money and it was really wrong of him to let Xiao Tang pay for the book.
"Xiao Tang, I have money. I'll go back and get it and then come back. If I make you pay for all the books, what's the point of studying?"
He lived with the Lin family, his food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all came from them, and he even received wages from them. If the Lin family supported his education, he would feel that he was a useless and good-for-nothing young man who had to depend on the Lin family in every way.
Lin Xiaotang could certainly guess Xiao Jiu's youthful and impetuous thoughts, but she pretended not to know. "I need to buy storybooks, and I also need some writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. I'll also buy Xiao Yu a copy of the Hundred Family Surnames. I happen to have enough money with me, so I'll pay for it all at once. Don't overthink it. When we go out another day, you can just buy us some good food. We're family, why be so particular?"
Are we family?
Does Xiaotang really consider him family?
Xiao Jiu felt a mix of emotions—bitterness, sorrow, and warmth.
After experiencing the pain of losing her family and falling into despair, she unexpectedly found a family again, a family that Xiaotang herself recognized.