Volume One: Riverside City Chapter 27: Counterattack (Part Two)

The biting autumn wind began to stir, sending leaves fluttering to the ground; it was already the end of August.

Inside Lin’s Bookstore, the owner beamed as he saw a scholar in his forties enter. He rushed over with a welcoming smile, “Mr. Zhou, how have you been lately? What kind of books are you looking for today?” As a regular patron of the shop, he naturally received extra-attentive service.

Mr. Zhou returned the smile, his gaze sweeping quickly over the rows of neatly arranged books. “The volumes of the *Spring and Autumn Annals* I have been reading were gnawed by rats, and they look quite unsightly now. I intend to buy a new set. Do you have any good ones?”

“You have come to the right place. My shop just received a batch of high-quality classics that I am sure will suit your tastes. Come, take a look!” Mr. Lin smiled as he pulled a book half again as large as the others from the shelf and handed it over. Mr. Zhou took it, a faint look of surprise crossing his face—he had truly never seen a book of such large format—but he was immediately drawn in by the cover design.

At that time, books were almost entirely plain, consisting of a pale blue cover with the title and author written in regular script. This book, however, was quite different. The pale blue cover featured a subtle illustration of soldiers in chariots attacking one another, which complemented the title “Spring and Autumn” printed in the upper right corner perfectly.

“This is quite interesting…” Mr. Zhou smiled. He opened the book and found that while the content was the same as before, the font size had been nearly doubled, making it much easier to read. He nodded in approval. Flipping through a few more pages, he found embroidered illustrations interspersed throughout—simple drawings that depicted the text, yet were still evocative.

Seeing his satisfied smile, Mr. Lin was delighted and hastened to ask, “How is it? Does this book meet your expectations?”

“Excellent. I have found reading at night quite strenuous lately, but this book will make it much easier. Is this a new release?”

“Indeed, it was just printed by the Gu Family Publishing House. They say it was designed specifically for scholars who have spent years studying in dim light and whose eyesight is failing. What is especially rare is that the price remains the same as before; you can buy a single volume for eight coins, and the five-volume set of the *Annals* comes to exactly four taels,” Mr. Lin said, immediately launching into his sales pitch.

Just then, another customer preparing to buy books chimed in, “But I heard that books from the Wan Family Publishing House only cost six coins a volume.”

Mr. Lin shook his head immediately. “My dear sir, you know only one side of the story. Look at these two books—both are the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, yet their size and thickness are entirely different. When you factor that in, the production costs are significantly higher, which is why this version from the Gu family is more expensive. Mr. Zhou, wouldn’t you agree?”

Mr. Zhou, who was flipping through the volume as if he couldn’t put it down, nodded. “Well said. This book is indeed much better than the previous ones. I’ll take it! Also, please get me the *Analects*, the *Doctrine of the Mean*, and the *Great Learning* in this same version. I want them all. Such a fine book is a must-have for any reader.”

“Mr. Zhou is truly a man of discernment with a sharp eye for quality!” Having sold over a dozen volumes at once, Mr. Lin was in high spirits. He showered the man with flattery while nimbly stacking the books and handing them over. “Thank you for your patronage. The total is seven taels and two coins; I’ll waive the change, just pay seven taels.”

After Mr. Zhou departed, satisfied with his purchase, other customers grew interested in the new format and asked Mr. Lin to let them see a copy. Upon inspection, they too were swayed. The large font, the comfortable feel, and the illustrations made the books seem far more sophisticated than the old versions, and since the price was comparable to the smaller editions, they felt it was a worthwhile purchase.

Those with extra cash in their pockets immediately bought the books and took them home. When fellow students visited, they would proudly show them off.

***

For the first day or two, only a few people bought the books. But as time went on, especially after students from the county academy brought them back to school and their peers saw them, many began asking about the source, eager to buy a set for themselves.

Who says the ancients didn't chase trends? In fact, they had plenty of trends of their own to pursue. Once you identified their preferences, you could spark a frenzy, leading them to economize on food and clothing just to afford a set of books.

As they inquired, everyone discovered that only Lin’s Bookstore carried them. Over the next few days, they all flocked to the shop, leaving the owner grinning from ear to ear. Though the profit margin on these books wasn't huge, they were excellent for drawing in customers, who would often buy other books or stationery while they were there, effectively boosting overall profits.

While Lin’s Bookstore flourished with customers, other shops were left cold, with barely a single sale all day. Once they found out the reason, they began to panic.

Everyone knew this was the Gu Family Publishing House striking back for past grievances—after all, those shops had sided with the Wan Family Publishing House and were still withholding payment for previous orders. After consulting, the owners decided to visit Gu Yuezi together to beg for mercy.

Gu Yuezi did not refuse to see them, though his expression was somber and his tone less than polite when they met. “What brings you all to my publishing house today?”

“Well, our shops have finally cleared their turnover, so we came specifically to pay the outstanding balance,” said Mr. Liu, taking the lead and placing dozens of taels of silver on the table. Following his lead, the others offered awkward smiles and produced their own silver. “Exactly. We were negligent before, and we hope you won’t take it to heart, Manager Gu.”

“I don’t take it to heart. We have all been in business for decades; why would I hold a grudge over such a trifle?”

“In that case… would it be possible for you to allot us some of those new large-format classics?” Mr. Liu asked, seizing the opportunity.

Gu Yuezi let out a low hum, glanced at the group, and said, “It is possible, but I have conditions.”

“Please, speak.”

“Payment for this batch must be settled in advance, and if any are truly unsold, they can be returned for a refund. Also, this will be the standard practice for all future business between your shops and my publishing house. What do you think?”

“This…” The owners looked at one another, their faces showing their distress. In the past, they had always received goods first and paid later, with no such rules in place. But they realized that times had changed; it was no longer a buyer’s market, but a seller’s. With Lin’s Bookstore around, the publishing house didn’t worry about sales. Moreover, they knew it was their own lack of integrity that had led Gu Yuezi to stop trusting them.

After some hesitation, they finally compromised. “Fine, we will do as you say. Now, about the books…”

“No rush. There is one more point to discuss: the price. You have seen the samples; our costs have increased by over thirty percent, so the price is naturally different. Seventy-five cents per volume. If you have no objections, we can ship them now!”

***

Hearing the price Gu Yuezi quoted, the owners were stunned. “Lin’s shop sells them for eighty cents; this leaves us with far too little profit!”

“What he sells them for is his business; our wholesale price is fixed at this amount!” Gu Yuezi was adamant, showing no room for negotiation. He had them cornered.

The group hesitated, feeling troubled. Although there was still a small margin of profit, five cents was hardly enough to justify the effort—it was practically asking them to work for nothing.

Yet, they dared not walk away, nor were they willing to. Given the current situation, many scholars in the city were buying this new edition. If they didn't have them, their business would all flow to Lin’s shop.

In that moment, they truly regretted their previous choices. Had they known the Gu Family Publishing House could withstand the pressure from the Wan family and print such bestsellers, they would never have conspired to withhold payment.

After struggling for a while, Mr. Liu swallowed his pride and asked, “Manager Gu, is there really no room for negotiation? We have had a relationship for so many years…”

Gu Yuezi’s face remained cold and stern. They had the audacity to mention their long-standing relationship? Where was that sentiment when they colluded with the Wan family to sabotage him? He didn't explode, but wore a mocking smile. “Mr. Liu, you have a point. Since we have been acquainted for so many years, I will give you a little face and set the price at seventy cents.”

The group let out a sigh of relief; at least now there was a bit of profit to be made. But before they could smile or express their thanks, Gu Yuezi leaned forward slightly and said, “However, I have one more condition.”

“You… please say it.”

“It is very simple. Just as I mentioned when we first spoke: boycott the Wan family’s books in your shops. As long as you do this and return their books, you will have this price. Otherwise…”

“This…” Now the group truly felt the difficulty of the situation. They wanted to argue, but Gu Yuezi had already picked up his tea to signal the end of the meeting. “I have matters to attend to and cannot keep you company. If you agree and fulfill these terms, our books will be delivered to your shops at this price.”

As Gu Yuezi walked out of the hall, leaving the bookstore owners behind in a daze, he felt a sense of exhilaration! He had been so stifled lately, with nowhere to vent his anger. Now that he finally had the chance to turn the tables and retaliate against the Wan family, he was not about to let it slide!

Gu Yuezi believed that these shop owners, who cared only for profit, would eventually make the wisest choice.