Chapter Thirty-Eight: Divorce
He actually bore such a tremendous mission?
“So, have you made your decision?”
“Yes, but is it truly impossible for me and your sister?”
Even when fate hung by a thread, he still clung to futile dreams.
“While you enjoyed carefree days outside, did you ever think about my sister waiting alone? The household is buried in debt, debt collectors come knocking with vicious intent, and she weeps herself to sleep every night. Who are you feigning affection for now?”
Liu Iron Ox knew he was in the wrong and fell silent.
He had indeed managed to procure over two hundred taels of silver, and the Bai family's gambling house would not trouble him. In fact, they began to see him in a new light.
“Master, perhaps this Liu Iron Ox could truly be of use to us? That he managed to obtain so much from Han Qing’s hand—no money house would dare make such a bold request.”
The retainer was bewildered, caught in an unfavorable scheme.
“Yes, and it’s not necessarily because the Han family and the Liu family are relatives by marriage. Their fortunes rise and fall together—he cannot be blind to this truth.”
The vision must be long-term. It was merely a plot within a plot.
A series of trivial matters recently had kept Han Qing from venturing out.
Young Master Zhu originally wished to invite him for a lakeside outing, but after hearing about their family troubles, he spoke no more.
Moreover, most affairs of the storytelling shop were controlled entirely by Young Master Zhu.
“Young Master Zhu, recently some manuscripts have appeared on the market, bearing striking similarities to ours, and their prices are much lower.”
This was malicious competition, and it violated copyright.
Er Zhuang was anxious. As the shopkeeper, he had countless affairs to manage, and now someone was employing such underhanded tactics behind their backs.
“But how similar are they? Are the works identical in their entirety?”
Young Master Zhu knew the peculiarities of this bookstore, yet for someone to blatantly replicate entire works seemed excessive.
“Half the content is the same. Just since last week, their manuscripts suddenly began to show a great deal of overlap.”
Er Zhuang spoke slowly.
None had thought much of it at first, assuming it was mere homage or admiration.
Who could have guessed there’d be so much duplication?
“We tried confronting their shop, but they refused to admit it. They even claimed their reasons were not intentional.”
There was no concrete evidence.
Especially here, the law did not prohibit books from bearing resemblance to others.
“This is a major issue—I must consult with others before deciding.”
He could not make such a choice alone.
If left unresolved and the other party became more audacious, what then?
Still, he arranged for someone to investigate that bookstore—to discover why such similar manuscripts appeared. Was it merely for quick profit, or a deliberate attempt to disrupt the market?
No one knew.
“Brother Han, you finally have time. If you don’t take charge soon, your businesses will descend into chaos.”
“Is it really that serious?”
“You can’t imagine. There’s a shop called Number One Academy. The manuscripts they sell are almost identical to our first fantasy manuscript.”
Young Master Zhu spoke indignantly.
What? There was even outright plagiarism?
Han Qing had not expected this; he thought local merchants might use tricks with materials, but never that they’d seek profit with no investment at all.
“Did you bring a sample?”
“Look, none of the names or places have been changed.”
Han Qing flipped through it quickly.
Indeed, it was so—but not limited to that.
He waited.
“Aren’t you worried?”
“According to current law, we can at most rebuke them, but there’s no real system to change this situation.”
He waved dismissively.
But he could not simply ignore it.
“We worked hard to create these manuscripts, only for others to sell them cheaply. What profit is left for us?”
Young Master Zhu asked hesitantly.
It was hard to accept.
“I never said we’d ignore it. Let it ferment a while longer, and things will change.”
Their manuscripts infringed not just upon one small shop’s interests.
Now, their storytelling shop had become a platform for many scholars to showcase their work.
The greater the interests involved, the less they need act themselves; someone else would clear the obstacles away.
“You mean the scholars will intervene?”
“Yes—and no. They can only voice their dissatisfaction through words, but if their voices grow loud enough, will the officials ignore them?”
He offered a slight smile, speaking calmly.
“That makes sense. But our little shop’s profits may plummet, perhaps even disastrously so these months.”
“A merchant must not fixate only on present gain, neglecting future prospects.”
This remark utterly awakened Young Master Zhu.
“Are you truly on good terms with the Bai family now?”
“You speak as if I had a choice. They’re the foremost clan—if I resist, won’t that truly ruin me? But if I comply, I cease to be Han Qing.”
Ambiguous words, full of meaning.
It was only part of his strategy.
Sure enough, within a week, some scholars realized their manuscripts at the storytelling shop were being undersold elsewhere.
They were furious.
At first, they suspected the storytelling shop itself, but learned the truth and grew deeply concerned.
They quickly joined forces with other scholars, writing down every injustice they encountered.
Some pieces even reached the capital at Luojing.
This caused an uproar in the court.
The matter extended far, not just ordinary plagiarism, but potentially the copyright of any item.
Even some tools crafted by artisans could become someone else’s claim to fame.
Was this not impersonation?
The court took the matter seriously, issuing several decrees.
Especially, they mandated protection for literary works.
“Big Brother, now we can formally demand Number One Academy destroy all those works, right?”
Er Zhuang brought the news, elated.
“Yes, but act with caution, lest others exploit loopholes.”
Though the new laws were valuable, if anyone played word games to circumvent them, vigilance was essential.