Chapter Twenty-One: Tinglan Courtyard

"Of course, these are all books suitable for your early studies," Han Qing said as he took out a few storybooks. The texts were composed in simple, easy-to-understand language, with accompanying illustrations and musical notations—perfect for beginners.

"But I've never heard of them before," Jiang Xiuxiu asked, her face full of confusion.

That was as it should be—he had compiled them himself. He had broken down the written language of the era into its basic components and devised a way to learn through pronunciation. If he’d relied on the old, clumsy methods, it would have taken three to five years just to master the basics.

"Alright, I’ll start studying in earnest tomorrow," Xiuxiu said, nodding with determination.

Han Qing smiled, reassured. He was relieved to have come—if not, the former Han Qing would have thoroughly ruined this household. A wise wife was worth ten thousand pieces of gold.

He had scarcely rested at home for two days before being disturbed by visitors.

"Brother Han, how can you miss the capital’s Flower Viewing Poetry Gathering?" Young Master Zhu had come personally to persuade him, clearly hoping Han Qing would display his literary talent.

"I’ve said before, I’m not interested in the poetry gatherings organized by the sons of noble families," Han Qing refused directly.

"Don’t be so hasty," Zhu replied. "This year’s Flower Viewing Poetry Gathering is different. I hear the champion will receive Tinglan Pavilion as a prize."

Tinglan Pavilion—he had heard of it before. It was famous, once the residence of great writers, later acquired by wealthy young men. Currently it belonged to Young Master Wenxuan, who had yet to part with it. For the poetry gathering to offer it as a prize would certainly attract even more scholars and poets.

"I recall you mentioning you wanted a new place to live. But now, any good residence in the city is already in the hands of the aristocrats. With this opportunity before you, don’t you want to try?"

This piqued his interest.

"Very well, I’ll go and see. But I tend to act as I please—should I offend anyone, I hope you’ll forgive me," Han Qing replied politely.

Zhu nodded contentedly; clearly, Han Qing valued their friendship and was even willing to share the opportunity.

But from what Han Qing had learned, the poetry gathering wasn’t just about composing a few verses. There would likely be appraisals of objects, perhaps even auctions of rare items—an event requiring considerable silver.

There was something important he needed to check: it had been a while since he’d visited his storybook shop. How had business been these past two weeks? He had to summon Erzhuang and inquire.

"How are the profits these days?" Han Qing asked bluntly. Business was about making money—there was no need for pretense.

"Big brother, the situation’s been steady. No real changes," Erzhuang hesitated, but answered truthfully. Previous marketing efforts had drawn in customers, but most were returning patrons; attracting new ones was proving difficult. If things went on like this, there might be losses.

"Didn’t I tell you to send extra rewards to our members?" Han Qing wondered if this hadn’t been handled properly.

"We’ve been sending gifts regularly, but they’re trivial items. The recipients show little interest," Erzhuang admitted.

Clearly, something bigger was needed to stimulate their spending.

"The original members were mostly young men from merchant families, right? Apart from a few noble scions at the start," Han Qing mused. The influence of the nobles had brought some attention from merchants.

"Yes, eighty percent are merchants’ sons. Our membership fee was high—others couldn’t afford it," Erzhuang confirmed.

That made sense. In this era, merchants were often looked down upon by the nobility. Though wealthy, they occupied a lower social status. They longed to form connections but doing so required effort and resources. Wasn’t this exactly the opportunity Han Qing could provide?

"Notify them over the next few days—there’ll be a special, mysterious benefit for members next week," Han Qing said with a mysterious smile.

Originally, he’d thought to try his luck at the poetry gathering, but now it seemed he could use it to boost his shop’s business.

He penned a letter, specifically requesting Young Master Zhu’s help.

"I’m willing to attend the poetry gathering, but I’d like to bring a few people with me. Do you have extra invitations?"

This question caught Zhu off guard—he’d never known Han Qing to enjoy such occasions. How had his attitude changed so quickly? And enough invitations for several people?

"At most, I can provide a dozen or twenty," Zhu replied.

That would suffice. Excluding the noble sons, all the merchant members could attend, especially those who loved literature and longed to make like-minded friends. They’d never had such a chance before—how could they let it slip by now?

Though Erzhuang had no idea what the mysterious benefit was, he continued to trust Han Qing completely. He believed that as long as he followed his big brother, good days would follow.

When the merchant members received the invitations to the poetry gathering, they were stunned. Some doubted the authenticity of the offer and went to the storybook shop to see for themselves.

"Young Master Li, have you found a new storybook you like?" Erzhuang greeted the familiar customer happily.

"I want to know if this week’s special benefit is real," Li asked.

Erzhuang nodded. If big brother said to do something, it was genuine.

"But you’re just an ordinary storybook shop—how could you have invitations to Young Master Wenxuan’s poetry gathering?"

Li’s words were not accusatory—he simply found it hard to believe.

"Perhaps my big brother should explain this in detail," Erzhuang replied shrewdly, recognizing the significance of the benefit but unable to elaborate himself.

"I’m not in a rush. I can wait," said Young Master Li.

Half an hour later, Han Qing entered the shop. He immediately noticed the peculiar air about the visitor.

"If you have any questions about this benefit, you can ask me. But rest assured, the invitations to the poetry gathering are genuine."