PFC Chapter 15 The Pen That Ends in Romance
Chapter 15 The Pen That Ends in Romance
Wu Wei lived in Bianjing (Kaifeng) for a long time and made a living by selling his writings. He was a typical urban literati in the capital.
From family letters, funeral orations, epitaphs, and birthday inscriptions of prominent families, to shop signs, posters, and account book entries for businesses, as well as legal documents and guarantee contracts required by the government and local communities, and poems, fan paintings, couplets, and riddles favored by literati, he did everything that involved writing and calligraphy.
His writing is skillful and his style is appropriate. Over the years, he has accumulated a large number of regular customers and old clients. His income is stable and abundant, and he lives a comfortable and respectable life with no worries about food and clothing.
In his spare time, he had no other hobbies but loved to frequent theaters and brothels, sitting in storytelling halls and listening to storytellers recite scriptures.
For the past half month, the most sought-after story in Bianjing has been the story of "Du Shiniang". Wu Wei listened to it three or four times in a row, and each time he was so engrossed in it that he was left wanting more. He was eager to get a copy of the printed edition so that he could read it carefully under the lamp.
Despite the fact that this story had been circulating for more than half a month and was the talk of the town, the three major bookstores still had no intention of publishing or selling it.
Wu Wei went to the bookstore several times to inquire, but to no avail. He could only assume that the anonymous author, Mr. Bai, was unwilling to publish his popular stories, and he felt very sorry for him.
Just as Wu Wei was becoming increasingly disheartened, the streets and alleys of Bianjing suddenly became lively.
The three long-established bookstores, Rong Liulang Bookstore, Yin's Bookstore, and Li's Classics Shop, all set out to put up signs in red ink on their storefronts, in the main streets of the market, in teahouses and taverns, and in theaters and brothels. The signs were so eye-catching that passersby could see them directly.
Each bookstore also specially instructed the popular storyteller Li Zao to add a spoken line at the end of each story: "Du Shiniang Angrily Sinks the Treasure Chest" and its sister story "Zhao Pan'er Saves the Courtesan" will be published simultaneously in the three bookstores and will be available for sale immediately.
He also invited unsuccessful candidates in the imperial examinations and famous scholars in Beijing to read and comment on the manuscripts, write poems, prefaces, and annotations to recommend the articles, thus leveraging the reputation of these literary figures to create momentum.
They sent messages to merchants and booksellers in various prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Kaifeng Prefecture even earlier, clearly indicating that the two volumes of the storybook would soon be printed and distributed, and that they could pre-order and purchase in bulk to seize the opportunity.
Even after the prefaces and postscripts of the classics, vernacular stories, and miscellaneous records already published by various publishers, a line of small characters was added: "Du Shiniang Angrily Sinks the Treasure Chest" and "Zhao Pan'er Saves the Courtesan" will be printed today and exclusively distributed by the bookstore.
This kind of propaganda covered everything from the streets and villages to the literary circles, creating an overwhelming momentum. Even those who didn't care about everyday matters couldn't escape this trend.
After eight long days of waiting, Yin's Bookstore broke the ice and the first batch of woodblock-printed editions of "Du Shiniang" officially went on sale.
The Yin family has always been focused on speed and profit, following the path of low profit margins and high sales volume, and they are extremely picky about the materials they use.
The paper used is coarse, yellowed folk hemp paper, and the engraving is sloppy and shallow, with the characters appearing somewhat stiff.
Although there are no typos or omissions throughout the text, the printing ink is messy, with large and small ink dots all over the paper, varying in shade and making the words sometimes bright and sometimes dark, which is quite an eyesore when reading.
Its advantage lies in its extremely low price, with a single copy costing only fifteen coins, just a little more expensive than a meal of bone broth rice, making it affordable for ordinary people and poor scholars.
Wu Wei has always been picky about the binding and quality of books, and he looked down on such a crudely made vulgar edition from the bottom of his heart. However, since this was the world's first edition of "Du Shiniang", he couldn't resist his obsession and had no choice but to hold his nose and pay for it.
Of the three marketing strategies Shen Zhong'an had previously devised, Yin only adopted the method of exchanging profits with storytellers and entertainment venues due to the principle of low profit margins and high sales volume.
Even so, the five hundred copies of the first printing sold out in just five days. Every day, crowds gathered in front of the bookstore, with a constant stream of people rushing to buy them, setting a record for the highest sales of vernacular novels in Bianjing in recent years.
Wu Wei brought the rough copy home and read it day and night without tiring. Whenever he read a moving passage, he was filled with emotion.
But the chaotic ink marks on the paper always made Wu Wei frown and feel extremely uncomfortable, making him even more eager for a finely printed edition to be published.
Three days later, Rong Liulang's bookstore, which has always been steady and reliable, went on sale as scheduled.
Having had enough of the inferior editions by Yin, Wu Wei went straight to Rong Liulang's shop as soon as it was light, determined to exchange them for a neat and clean rare edition.
Wu Wei took the book "Du Shiniang" and was about to pay when the cashier quickly reminded him with a smile.
"If you purchase both 'Du Shiniang' and 'Zhao Pan'er' together, you can get a discount of three coins; your previous receipt for listening to storytelling at the brothel can also be used to offset three coins..."
Three or five coins may not be much, but every little bit saved counts.
Wu Wei had already heard that "Zhao Pan'er" was also a masterpiece, and he was quite curious about it. However, after a slight hesitation, he picked up the sister storybook and settled the accounts together.
After the money was settled, the shop assistant added a timely remark about the shop's new rules.
"If you, sir, introduce your relatives, friends, or classmates to buy books, both new and old customers can benefit from the discount, each saving two coins, or perhaps you can exchange them for a rue-scented bookmark."
"Limited number of participants?"
"No limit on the number of people, as long as they are new customers."
Why wouldn't one take advantage of a free bargain? After leaving the bookstore, Wu Wei didn't even bother going home. He immediately ran through the streets and alleys, attracting more than ten literary friends and fellow villagers to come and buy books together.
After a series of introductions, he saved up nearly thirty coins as a discount, which, when converted, was equivalent to getting a free copy of a storybook, making Wu Wei extremely proud.
With two excellent books in hand, Wu Wei secluded himself for several days, burying himself in the books and becoming so engrossed in the stories that he could not extricate himself.
After he had thoroughly read and studied the two stories, the Li family's bookstore, the wealthiest family in Bianjing, finally officially announced the sale of the complete two-volume set.
The Li family was completely different from the crudeness of the Yin family and the simplicity of Rong Liulang; they followed the route of high-end scholars.
The book is bound in a fine silk cloth cover, with a large format and white, even ink.
Furthermore, a high-ranking scholar from the Imperial Academy was hired to proofread the text word by word, correcting errors, annotating key points, and creating an elegant layout with exquisite binding.
However, the price is high, with a single book costing a full 120 coins.
However, the discounts are also more generous: a 10-cent discount is offered for purchasing two books together, and an embroidered pouch is included as a gift for those who purchase the complete set.
The spices inside the bag were ordinary and worthless, but the bag was exquisitely embroidered with a small portrait of Du Shiniang gazing at the water. The painting style was elegant and unique, which perfectly suited the tastes of scholars, candidates for the imperial examinations, and students of the Imperial Academy.
Many scholars already owned the first two editions, but were still willing to spend money to buy another set for this embroidered sachet.
Wu Wei did the same. In order to collect all the items, he made a special trip to visit his friend and persuaded him to buy the Li family's deluxe edition in exchange for a Du Shiniang fine-textured handkerchief, which was exclusive to attracting new customers, adding another item to his collection.
After much searching, Wu Wei found three sets of different versions and bindings of the storybooks "Du Shiniang" and "Zhao Pan'er" neatly arranged in his study.
This is the general situation for most scholars and ordinary people with sufficient funds.
An unnamed teahouse.
This place was originally a secluded spot that Shen Zhong'an had temporarily chosen to keep his appointment at Sangjia Wazi. After several visits, it became his regular place for sitting quietly with Zhou Cairen and discussing matters in peace.
With so much time having passed, the backlog of accounts had piled up thickly, with many traces of alterations and additions on the paper. These were all temporary notes made by Sangjia Wazi in recent days to add venues, record the number of attendees, and calculate discounts.
During the Song Dynasty, merchants in the city used the mature "Four Pillars Calculation Method," which used four elements—"old management, new receipts, disbursements, and current status"—for accounting.
Shen Zhong'an was new to this field and unfamiliar with this accounting method. He had to check each item carefully and calculate meticulously. It took him nearly half an hour to sort out the accounts. After confirming that there were no errors, he picked up his pen to sign and received his share of the silver.
The total amount was 152 guan, nearly double the amount of the first round of revenue sharing from the entertainment venue.
As soon as the accounts were settled, the servant waiting outside stepped in quietly, bowed, and reported that the three bookstore managers, Rong, Yin, and Li, had already gathered at the Qingfeng Pavilion to wait for the two of them to attend the meeting.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhong'an and Zhou Cairen got up and left the teahouse, walking slowly along the Bianhe River alley towards Qingfeng Tower.
It was the same familiar private room, the same familiar furnishings, and the same familiar dishes. The only difference was that this time, one of the people meeting was missing, Mr. Zhang.
Shen Zhong'an pushed open the door and entered. Upon hearing the sound, the three managers inside immediately stood up and bowed in unison.
As Shen Zhong'an raised his hand to return the greeting, Yin Xiao'er, whose personality was the most lively and cheerful, spoke first.
"Mr. Bai is a great talent!"
Of the three marketing strategies you previously devised, my Yin family only adopted the strategy of exchanging tickets for books in brothels for profit, and it has already yielded amazing results.
In the past, when a new novel was published, it would take about half a month for the first 500 copies to be sold out. Now, "Du Shiniang" and "Zhao Pan'er" were released at the same time and were completely sold out in five days!
Three more printings followed, bringing the total print run to 2,400 copies, a feat unprecedented in the decades-long history of our shop!
As soon as Yin Xiaoer finished speaking, Rong Liulang, the usually prudent and taciturn shopkeeper, immediately stepped forward to continue the conversation, his eyes brimming with undisguised joy.
"With the precedent set by the Yin family, my Rong Liulang Bookstore naturally dares not be negligent."
The first printing was 600 copies, priced at twice that of the Yin family's edition. The materials and printing were of the highest quality, and all three strategies were implemented.
In less than half a month, all 600 copies sold out, the second batch of 300 copies is also about to sell out, and the engraving of the third batch of 200 copies has been completed and will be printed and distributed soon. There is absolutely no worry about sales.
This time, Manager Li was the most composed, waiting for Yin Xiaoer and Manager Rong to report their performance results before speaking.
"Mr. Bai's strategy is indeed ingenious, but the method of including a rue bookmark in the original edition is somewhat simplistic for my Li family's deluxe edition."
I secretly made a slight change, adding embroidered items as a bonus, and invited embroiderers in the city to work overnight to embroider brocade pouches and fine-patterned handkerchiefs featuring the characters Du Shiniang and Zhao Pan'er.
Due to the rushed release date, only two hundred brocade pouches and one hundred handkerchiefs were produced; the remaining one hundred-odd brocade pouches and thirty-odd handkerchiefs are still in short supply and awaiting production.
Manager Li suddenly shook his head, looking both amused and exasperated.
"The appearance of these sachets and handkerchiefs has attracted scholars and literati to flock to them, which has led to the emergence of many people who buy and sell them for profit."
An embroidered pouch that costs no more than fifteen coins to make has been inflated to fifty coins, yet it remains priceless and unavailable.
Those who succeeded often hung the brocade pouch and handkerchief by the window of their study or on the side of their clothes, attracting envy from others and adding considerable unseen prestige to the Li family.
The three of them chatted amongst themselves, recounting the booming sales and the public's reaction, pouring out all the joy they had been holding back for days, and feeling completely relaxed.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they moved on to the routine accounting and settlement.
Yin's bookstore operates on a low-profit, high-volume model, offering affordable prices to the general public. They take a profit of two cash per book, and with one or two thousand four hundred books, the total is four thousand eight hundred cash, which is equivalent to four strings of cash and eight hundred coins.
Rong Liulang's bookstore priced each book at a mid-range price of thirty cash, with a profit of five cash per book. After selling nine hundred books, he earned a total of four thousand five hundred cash, equivalent to four strings and five hundred coins.
The Li family's book shop specializes in high-end, finely bound books, bound with silk, and proofread by the Imperial Academy. Each book costs 120 cash, and all 300 copies in stock are sold out. The shop takes a 20-cash profit per book, totaling 6,000 cash, or 6 strings of cash.
The accounts of the three parties were combined, and Shen Zhong'an received a total of 15 strings of cash and 300 cash from the bookstore's share of the profits.
Although this income was not as rapid and lucrative as the commission from storytelling in Sangjiawazi, it was still an amount that ordinary farmers and minor officials could only accumulate over several years. It was enough to support a family steadily, ensuring they had enough to eat and wear and lived a worry-free life.
Moreover, the businesses of brothels and bookstores are completely different.
The storytelling in the theaters is a quick way to make money while the iron is hot. It relies entirely on the popularity of the locals. Once the trend fades, the number of performances will be reduced, and there will be sporadic returns every ten days or half a month. The subsequent income is minimal.
The three bookstores, which published classics and vernacular stories, were engaged in a long-term business with a steady, sustainable flow of customers.
As long as the woodblocks remain and the pages are intact, "Du Shiniang" and "Zhao Pan'er" can be sold year after year in the streets and markets of Bianliang, circulating continuously and without ever running out of stock.
After the division of accounts was settled, Zhou Cairen and the three managers all changed their expressions and their eyes fell on Shen Zhong'an. Their eyes kept glancing at the blue cloth bundle that Shen Zhong'an carried with him.
Seeing this, Shen Zhong'an could easily guess what they were expecting. He wasn't one to keep people in suspense or tease them, so he reached out and untied the package, taking out four neatly bound manuscripts and placing them on the table.
The covers of the four volumes of the manuscript are undecorated, with only the names inscribed in ink.
"The Oil Vendor Wins Over the Courtesan", "Lady White Snake is Forever Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda", "Cui Yingying Awaits the Moon in the West Chamber", and "Jin Yunu Beats the Heartless Lover".
The manuscript has four volumes, corresponding to the four individuals.
Therefore, the four of them did not fight over it as they had last time. After some polite exchanges, each of them took a scroll and began to read it quickly.
All four were seasoned and knowledgeable individuals who had read countless novels, yet they were still amazed by these four new manuscripts and exclaimed in admiration.
These four volumes of manuscripts share a common theme: love and romance are the main focus, but each has its own emphasis.
The simple and devoted love of "The Oil Vendor," the poignant romance of "The Romance of the Western Chamber," and the love, hate, anger, and infatuation of "Jin Yu Nu" all resonate with the aesthetic sensibilities of ordinary people.
The volume "The White Snake Lady Forever Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda" is even more ingenious, incorporating the supernatural tales that were most popular among Song Dynasty people at the time, the fantastical setting of a love affair between a human and a demon, and the dramatic plot twists and turns, which made Yin Xiaoer slap his thigh and cheer, repeatedly exclaiming how enjoyable it was.
Even with the ability to read ten lines at a glance, it still took more than half an hour to go through all four volumes of nearly ten thousand words.
The four of them finished collecting the manuscripts, and before they could even express their admiration or感慨, Shen Zhong'an spoke first.
"I have been busy with official duties lately, and my days off are irregular. I have already broken my promise last time, and I am afraid that there will be further delays in the future. So I will hand over the remaining four volumes of the manuscript to you all at once."
These four volumes will be published one volume every half month. After two months, all six volumes will be compiled and edited together, named "The Complete Collection of Bai Xiaosheng's Tales", and printed and sold in a unified manner.
The brothel in Sangjia Wazi could also take advantage of the situation to set up a special performance by the "All-Knowing Scholar," where six stories would be sung and recited in turn, attracting a steady stream of visitors, ensuring a large following...
With just a few words, he painted a picture of abundant wealth and a bright future.
Zhou Cairen and the three shopkeepers were deeply moved, and in a daze, they seemed to see the bustling scene of bookstores selling paper books and theaters being packed with people.
Having already secured their cooperation in the previous two collaborations, and having personally witnessed Shen Zhong'an's talent and foresight, the three managers immediately set aside any formalities and agreed on the subsequent terms of the agreement.
The fee for writing remains the same as before, ten strings of cash per scroll.
However, the profit-sharing ratio was adjusted upwards by coincidence.
Yin's Bookstore raised the price by one coin per volume; Rong Liulang's Bookstore raised the price by two coins per volume; Li's Classics Shop was the most generous, raising the price by five coins per volume.
In Sangjiawazi, which was under the jurisdiction of Zhou Cairen, the commission for performances in the entertainment venues was increased from 30% to 40%, an unprecedented increase.
All parties made substantial concessions, demonstrating their sincerity.
After the contract was finalized and the documents were signed, Shen Zhong'an calmly uttered a single sentence.
These words were like a thunderclap, startling the four men so much that they tilted their teacups, spilling scalding tea onto their clothes and soaking them completely, yet they were oblivious to it.
"From that moment on, Bai Xiaosheng ceased writing about romance, and never again penned a poem about love and romance!"