Volume One: River City Chapter Two: The Only Hope

It is indeed different; everything has changed…

Li Ling said this to himself, but he couldn't speak the truth, or he would be branded a freak. After a moment of thought, he came up with an explanation: "It must be the protection of our ancestors. Didn't I almost die before? At that moment, I saw an ancestor of our Li family who had become an immortal. He tapped my forehead, which not only saved my life but also suddenly enlightened me. He told me that since only you and I are left in the family, as your older brother, I must take good care of you and this home."

Li Yue'er was completely stunned, her large eyes blinking. Auntie Jin, however, who was a firm believer in such supernatural matters, immediately put her hands together, prayed to the heavens for protection, and said happily, "Who would have thought your Li ancestors would manifest to protect you? You have finally come out of the bitterness into the sweetness. Eldest Brother, I watched as your father passed away, and you fell ill; I know how difficult it has been for this girl, Yue'er. If you truly have found your way, you must never let her suffer any more grievances."

"Auntie Jin is right. I will certainly take good care of Yue'er and never let her suffer another grievance," Li Ling declared immediately.

"Brother..." Li Yue'er was moved once more, and any lingering doubts she had were immediately cast aside. A moment later, she remembered something and looked at Li Ling: "Brother, is our ancestor really that powerful, to have become an immortal?"

"Of course. Have you heard of Li Chunfeng? That must be our ancestor." Seeing that his sister's attention had been diverted, Li Ling was happy to oblige and began spinning a tale, regardless of whether the man was actually his ancestor or not.

By now, not only Li Yue'er but even Auntie Jin, standing across the courtyard wall, were captivated by Li Ling's story, completely forgetting to question his sudden change in personality.

However, as he told the story, Li Ling knew that while these two women were easy to handle, the debt they owed would not be so easily resolved. Although his words had indeed scared off Baldy Huang and his men, the massive debt of two hundred taels of silver still weighed on him and his sister like a mountain. He had to come up with a way to make money as soon as possible. As someone who had traveled through time, and an accountant at that, surely he could easily earn that amount of silver in this ancient era?

Actually, he couldn't... After thinking carefully for a while, Li Ling suddenly realized that as a promising youth from the twenty-first century, he really didn't possess any skills that could support him in ancient times. The "three treasures of time-travel wealth"—cement, glass, and soap—he knew nothing about. As for business, he had some grasp of it as an accountant, but he lacked the starting capital.

"Capital, capital..." Li Ling muttered to himself, and a sudden thought struck him. He remembered a piece of the Li family's property he had overlooked.

...

A few days later, in the afternoon, a recovered Li Ling and his sister wandered to East Slant Street, not far from their home, and went straight to a bookstore located in a remote corner. Through the original owner's memories, Li Ling knew that the Li family had once been quite wealthy in the county, owning seven or eight shops on East Slant Street. But ever since his grandfather, Li Han, repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, and his father, after failing as well, devolved into a gambling addict who squandered the family fortune, only this unsellable bookstore remained.

After opening the shop and scanning the dust-covered shelves, the first thing Li Ling and Yue'er had to do was clean. However, a question from Yue'er before she went out to fetch water troubled him: "Brother, do you think our bookstore can really make money?"

Indeed, the shop was too small, too remote, and the books were too old; it had no appeal at all.

As Li Ling thought this, his hands reflexively pulled a few books from the shelves. The rows of books were neither new nor old, and the categories were simple: aside from some popular romantic fiction, there were only the classics used for imperial examinations, along with some Tang and Song poetry.

If he tried to sell them, no one would pay, and even if he held a clearance sale, it wouldn't attract many customers. Besides selling, were there any other ways to make money?

Li Ling's mind raced, and he suddenly recalled something from his later life.

Back when he was a middle school student, the small bookstores near his school had books that were just as tattered and poorly located, yet they were thriving! They weren't selling books; they were renting them!

Yes, renting books! Although this business had quickly vanished after the proliferation of computers and mobile phones, it was a viable option in this ancient era. Not only could the fiction be rented out, but even the bulky Four Books and Five Classics could be rented to those who lacked the money to buy books but were eager to study.

Realizing this, Li Ling clapped his hands together with a sharp sound.

Just then, Li Yue'er came over with a heavy bucket of water, and startled by his noise, her hand trembled, spilling much of the water on the floor. She looked at him with curiosity: "Brother..."

"Yue'er, I've found a way!" Li Ling declared loudly.

...

Li Ling was a man of action. Once he had an idea, he didn't just dwell on the plan. After finishing the cleaning and returning home, he began the preparatory work—advertising.

As a time-traveler, Li Ling knew that even a high-quality product could suffer if the alley was too deep. Even for a small book rental shop, if he advertised well and let more people in town know about its existence, he could generate considerable income.

As a non-typical "scholarly family," paper and brushes were readily available. Li Ling initially worried he wouldn't be able to write good calligraphy, but when he ground the ink and picked up the brush to draft the advertisement, he discovered his body was quite proficient. With a light flick of his wrist, a column of neat and elegant "official script" appeared on the paper, almost without conscious effort.

Beside him, Li Yue'er watched with shining eyes, reading softly: "Are you troubled by the lack of books in your home? Are you distressed because you lack a specific classic yet have empty pockets? Now, this will no longer be a problem. Starting from the 27th of this month, the Li Family Bookstore will rent out all our collection to anyone with a desire to learn at the most affordable rates. In ancient times, Kuang Heng studied by the light of fireflies to become a great scholar; today, students from poor families can rent books to study hard and become pillars of the nation. Address:..."

Clearly, influenced by her father and brother, Li Yue'er had some education and could read the advertisement fluently. Understanding its intent, she asked excitedly, "Brother, will we really be able to make money just by posting this?"

Li Ling was silent for a moment before nodding: "It should be feasible."

"Then shall we go post them? Where should we put them?"

"We should put a few near the County Academy, on the notice wall near the County Office, and at the busy city gates." After a quick calculation, Li Ling realized he needed fifteen or sixteen copies. He didn't delay and immediately set about writing out the advertisements.

Although these slogans would be considered trivial in the modern era, Li Ling was certain they would be effective in this time.

...

The long night passed, the sky brightened, and the small Jiangcheng County finally became lively again.

As pedestrians filled the streets, students from the County Academy arrived in groups at the simple, solemn public school.

Xu Cang was one such student. Despite his poverty, he was dedicated to his studies, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and change his fate. Though he was still only a child scholar, he studied tirelessly.

But two days ago, a disaster had struck, and his entire set of precious books, which he had saved up for so long to buy, had been soaked and destroyed, leaving him in despair. His family couldn't afford a new set, and even if he tried to borrow from classmates to copy them, the cost of paper and ink was significant.

This morning, having no solution, Xu Cang arrived at the academy in a daze, only to see a crowd gathered at the gate, whispering and pointing at something. Before he could react, a classmate shouted, "Xu Cang, you're just in time! Come and look at this notice."

"Eh?" Xu Cang walked over, bewildered. His eyes swept over the notice, and he froze. He rubbed his eyes—it was true. The notice stated there was a "Li Family Bookstore" that would rent books, specifically mentioning the classics and histories required for candidates.

"Is this real?" Xu Cang was skeptical. Books were highly valued, especially those related to the imperial examinations; few were willing to lend them out. A bookstore offering rentals? It seemed too good to be true.

His classmate laughed, "Why don't you go and see? You need books, don't you? If you can rent them, wouldn't that solve your urgent problem?"

"Right, I'll go tomorrow... no, at noon today." Xu Cang nodded hurriedly.

When school let out at noon, Xu Cang skipped lunch and rushed to East Slant Street. After searching, he found the dilapidated little shop at the end of the long street. A young man was inside organizing books. Hearing the noise, he turned and smiled: "Are you here to rent books? I am Li Ling, the owner. May I ask your name?"

"I... I am Xu Cang, a student," Xu Cang bowed slightly, feeling a bit awkward. "I saw the notice this morning. Is it true that your bookstore rents out classics like the Spring and Autumn Annals?"

Li Ling's smile became more professional. He nodded: "Of course. Why else would I go to the trouble? So you are a scholar from the Academy? My apologies for the lack of courtesy." As he spoke, he deftly pulled a dozen books from the shelves and placed them on the table: "Take a look. From the Analects to the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean, all the classic commentaries are here. Are these what you need?"

Xu Cang's eyes widened. They were not only what he needed, but even volumes he hadn't possessed before were here. However, he immediately worried about the price: "What is the cost..."

"It's easy. As you can see, the books aren't new, so if you want to buy, the price is 30% off. Alternatively, you can rent them—one copper coin per book for every three days." Li Ling had planned the rental rates based on the current market; it was certainly attractive to poor students in a small county.

Upon hearing the price, Xu Cang's eyes lit up. He was frugal, but a few dozen copper coins a day was manageable, and this would immediately solve his predicament.

"I... I would like to rent all the relevant classics."

"Very well. I can give you a discount: for twenty books, I'll take 20% off, charging you sixteen copper coins for two days. You can pay when you return them. However, you must pay a deposit of one tael of silver per book."

"Ah..." Xu Cang was stunned again. The deposit was too high.

Li Ling noticed his dilemma and smiled: "I see you are a true lover of books and a student of the Academy, so I can make an exception. You can leave your Academy credentials with me as collateral, and I will waive the deposit." He was using the same trick he had seen in his own school days, where students could leave their student IDs as collateral.

Xu Cang hesitated for a moment before nodding. He urgently needed the books, and leaving his credentials was a necessary compromise.

After Li Ling registered the transaction and handed the books over, Xu Cang held them to his chest as if they were treasures. Li Ling added, "According to our rules, rental fees are settled every two months, or they will be deducted from your deposit. Please keep that in mind, Brother Xu."

Xu Cang agreed repeatedly and hurried away with the books in his arms.