Chapter 445: The Manners of the Literati

Tan Fu hired over a dozen rickshaws to take everyone to Yan Sha Zhai.

Along the way, he said not another word, and the accompanying officials dared not speak either; before these rickshaw pullers, Tan Fu and his group felt ashamed of their own coarseness.

Li Banfeng was curious—what was there to be ashamed of? Tan Fu had always been such a carefree man; why had he suddenly turned against himself today?

Lu Chunying and Lu Yuanxin seemed unaffected.

"Ah."

Li Banfeng heard another sigh.

The rickshaw puller set down the pole and said to Tan Fu: "The so-called destination is merely a brief pause in the journey; after pausing, people must inevitably set foot on new paths.

The cycle of life is but a scene along the journey; only the footsteps on the journey remain unchanged, eternal."

Tan Fu bowed deeply and instructed his men: "Never say again that I pulled a rickshaw—I am truly unworthy."

Yan Sha Zhai was a study hall with over ten thousand volumes, also functioning as an inn; many literati came here to read and, unable to put down their books, stayed on.

This lodging was chosen by Xiao Yeci; she had long yearned for Yan Sha Zhai, and upon seeing the Cengcengdiedie bookshelves in the library, her breathing quickened.

"Mom, your face is flushed and you're sweating."

"Mommy loves this place!"

"Mom, let's arrange lodging first—Brother Tan seems to have lost his voice."

Tan Fu stood at the front desk, drenched in sweat; Xiao Yeci stepped forward and spoke politely: "We need ten rooms."

Behind the desk stood a young woman, sporting the standard Puluozhou bob—a short haircut unique to female students.

She wore a blue-green long robe, styled similarly to a qipao but looser, not accentuating the waist—Puluozhou's distinctive female student attire.

The woman gazed at Xiao Yeci and asked in a low, profound voice: "Humans are merely transient guests of time; why must you stay here?"

Xiao Yeci answered honestly: "The books here have deeply drawn me in. I come with a reverent heart to study and wish to stay longer."

The young woman nodded: "The study hall offers upper, middle, and lower rooms—which do you choose?"

Though none had revealed their identities upon arriving at Moxiangdian, they were all people of status; their lodging could not be too poor.

Xiao Yeci said: "We will take the upper rooms."

The woman asked: "Do you choose upper rooms for pleasure?"

Yes! I came to study—how could I be picky about lodging?

Xiao Yeci felt deeply ashamed and quickly corrected herself: "Then let us take the middle rooms."

The woman frowned: "Do you switch to middle rooms to feign humility?"

Xiao Yeci was troubled: "Are you telling me to choose the lower rooms? Those aren't very good."

The woman's brow tightened further: "Are you so fond of vanity? If you seek only pleasure and vanity, the world outside is so splendid—why come to Moxiangdian? Why stay in a study hall?"

Xiao Yeci lowered her head, face flushed with shame: "I was presumptuous…"

"It is not presumption—it is that your desire to study is impure."

Xiao Yeci felt even more ashamed and nodded repeatedly: "Then we'll take the lower rooms."

The woman looked at Xiao Yeci with disappointment: "You chose the lower rooms—is it out of stinginess, or an insult to the study hall?"

"I—I didn't mean that!" Now Xiao Yeci didn't even know what to say.

"Ah."

Li Banfeng heard another sigh.

Xiao Yeci stammered, unable to speak; Lu Yuanxin glanced at Lu Chunying and prepared to use extreme measures.

Lu Chunying nodded.

Lu Yuanxin walked to the counter and said to the woman: "Open ten upper rooms. Send someone to fetch our luggage."

The woman looked at Lu Yuanxin: "Do you choose upper rooms for pleasure or vanity?"

Lu Yuanxin tapped the counter; a spherical object appeared atop it.

The woman initially thought it an egg; after a moment, the "egg" suddenly unfolded, revealing countless legs.

It was not an egg—it was a curled-up thousand-legs insect.

The insect stretched out and slowly crawled across the counter.

The woman gasped, stepping back two paces: "Is this an insult to scholarship, or a disgrace to students?"

"This is my warning. I want ten upper rooms." Lu Yuanxin tapped the table again; the thousand-legs insect crawled onto the woman's face.

The woman quickly arranged the rooms; everyone checked in, but Xiao Yeci felt sorrowful:

"Nannan, is my heart truly impure?"

"Mom, you're the purest—don't take that woman's words to heart!"

At noon, after eating, Xiao Yeci took Lu Chunying to the study hall to read; Li Banfeng went out alone to wander.

Moxiangdian had a quiet kind of prosperity, unlike Lüshuicheng.

The streets were narrow, shops lined up tightly, yet none shouted to attract customers.

To buy something, you first had to understand the sign, then judge the quality, then negotiate price with the shopkeeper.

Bargaining involved no quarrels or noise—only poetic exchanges.

"This pen deserves a worthy owner; once you see my handwriting, you'll understand—its owner is me."

"I believe you and this pen share a past-life bond, but if you still hesitate over twenty yuan, I think your present-life connection ends here."

This was still direct; some shops, Li Banfeng couldn't even read the signs.

For example, Zuyifang—someone wanted to go in for a foot bath, but it sold socks.

For example, Chuohua Ge—someone wanted to go in to blow air, but it sold toothbrushes and toothpaste; after brushing, your breath carried a floral scent.

For example, Lu Family Bookhouse—it looked like an ordinary bookshop, but it also sold old newspapers.

Strange—why did Moxiangdian have a Lu Family Bookhouse too?

Was it a coincidence, or a branch?

Li Banfeng pushed open the door and found the shop small, yet its decoration and layout identical to the two bookshops in Lüshuicheng and Yaowanggou.

Master Lu stepped forward: "Master Li, long time no see!"

The shopkeeper was the same too.

Li Banfeng smiled: "Master Lu, you opened a new shop?"

Master Lu shook his head: "This isn't new—Moxiangdian is my hometown; this is my family's old shop. I came back for the New Year."

"Master Li, are you here to buy newspapers again?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not newspapers—I want to read books."

"This way, please!"

As a regular customer, Li Banfeng could browse freely; Master Lu brought him a chair and poured tea.

"Master Li, what kind of books are you looking for?"

"Books from this region."

Master Lu pulled out a dozen books from the shelf and placed them on the table; Li Banfeng flipped through them and settled on a set called The Wise Scholar.

It was a biography in two volumes, recounting the anecdotes of a gifted literatus who had formed a karmic bond with wisdom.

This "Wise Scholar" was born in Moxiangdian; Li Banfeng checked other books and found this figure frequently appearing in Moxiangdian's local literature—he was unquestionably a legend here.

He was brilliant beyond measure—could discern others' intentions with a few words, detect their weaknesses after a few probes; not only gifted in writing, but also skilled in martial arts, carrying a judge's brush that could write and serve as a weapon.

Li Banfeng bought the first volume, marked the second with a fold, and left it behind.

At the counter, when Master Lu saw Li Banfeng had taken only the first volume, he hurriedly told his assistant to fetch the second: "Master Li, you can't read half a book—I'll give you the second volume."

Li Banfeng stopped the assistant: "No need—I'm not refusing because it's expensive, but because carrying it is inconvenient. I'll buy the second volume after finishing the first."

Master Lu asked: "May I ask—among all these local books, why did you choose The Wise Scholar?"

Li Banfeng said: "Because this book captures the local customs. I've just arrived in Moxiangdian—I'm still unaccustomed."

Master Lu smiled: "Master Li, don't say you're unaccustomed—I was born here, travel for business, return once every year or so, and still feel out of place."

"You've run into something, haven't you?"

"Indeed." Li Banfeng recounted the incident at Yan Sha Zhai. "Master Lu, does that woman at the study hall even want to do business? Why make things so hard for guests?"

Master Lu replied: "Of course she wants to do business—you chose upper rooms, she earns more, she's happy."

"But she can't let that happiness show, or others will think her greedy, lacking literary integrity."

"When she asks if you chose upper rooms for vanity, you reply: 'It's out of reverence for the study hall.' That's the right answer."

"But when you switched to middle rooms, she earned less—she naturally wasn't pleased. Then you chose lower rooms—now the business is ruined."

Li Banfeng frowned: "If she wants to do business well, why not explain clearly from the start?"

Master Lu shook his head and smiled: "In Moxiangdian, that's the rule—too direct speech is considered coarse."

Clearly, there was much to learn here. Li Banfeng took his book and left; the shop had no other customers. Master Lu returned the books to the shelf, about to nap, when a man in a white long robe and white top hat entered.

"Sir, buying books?"

He Jiaqing shook his head: "I need a few newspapers."

"I don't sell new ones."

"Coming here, I obviously want old newspapers."

Master Lu added: "I don't sell trash either."

He Jiaqing nodded: "I understand the price."

After buying several newspapers, He Jiaqing left the bookhouse. Checking the time, he still had hours to spare, hailed a rickshaw, and headed to Xiaoyao Wu—Jiang Mengting had a solo performance this afternoon.

…

Li Banfeng wandered the streets all afternoon and gained a general sense of Moxiangdian's layout.

This was a city of considerable size, with crisscrossing streets, distinct character, ancient-style architecture, a sizable population, and thriving industries of all kinds—plenty of business opportunities, but as Ma Wu said, doing business here required understanding the temperament of literati.

For instance, if you wanted to sell sundries, you could name your shop Linglong Baobao Pavilion—but if you called it "So-and-So's Sundries Shop," you'd have no customers at all.

If you wanted to open a pleasure house, the girls needed talent and grace; they had to understand sentiment, and only when emotion ran deep could things flow naturally—if the water came before the emotion, that would be a disrespect to the literati.

Up ahead was a poetry society.

Poetry societies existed elsewhere too—poets gathered regularly to form one, and this was nothing unusual in Pulu Province.

But the poetry society at Moxiang Store was different: it was a type of shop, a specialized matchmaking business.

At first glance, the poetry society resembled a teahouse, but the owner provided the Four Treasures of the Study, arranged men and women to sit facing each other, and facilitated poetic exchanges as a means of courtship.

A man with golden hair and blue eyes had just finished composing a poem, and recited it with clear, resonant diction: "I wish to gaze into your eyes, I wish to hold your arm, I wish to press my cheek against yours, I wish to guard the garden of your heart—I truly love you, great Moxiang Store!"

The girls present offered their critiques:

"Vulgar phrasing!"

"Crude and explicit!"

"Shouting like a madman!"

"Coarse and uncouth!"

Amid the girls' scathing evaluations and disdainful glares, Cui Ti ke stumbled out of the poetry society—and ran straight into Li Qi.

Cui Ti ke exclaimed in surprise: "What a coincidence—what are you doing here?"

Li Banfeng was equally startled: "What are you doing here?"

Cui Ti ke said: "I'm studying Pulu Province's culture. Moxiang Store is the pinnacle of Pulu's culture—I love Moxiang Store."

Li Banfeng asked: "Did you change your tattoo?"

Cui Ti ke pulled open his shirt, revealing five large characters: "That was inevitable."

"You just casually altered it—aren't you afraid your ancestral master will see?"

Cui Ti ke fastened his shirt: "When he comes, I'll change it back."

Li Banfeng glanced at the poetry society: "This must be a matchmaking place. You want to settle down in Moxiang Store?"

Cui Ti ke sighed: "I have the desire, but the girls of Pulu Province don't like foreigners."

As he spoke, a pustule swelled on Cui Ti ke's face.

Li Banfeng stepped back half a pace; Cui Ti ke waved his hand, signaling he meant no harm.

The pustule burst, and green fluid coalesced into a tiny emerald-green figure with wings, flying to Li Banfeng's ear and whispering:

"I have a business proposition to discuss with you." Cui Ti ke gazed earnestly at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng lifted his hat brim with a finger, revealing his eyes, urging Cui Ti ke to continue.

Cui Ti ke guided the little green figure as he spoke slowly: "Chu Shaoqiang is coming—he wants control of Moxiang Store's territory."

"My ancestral master is also nearing—he wants Chu Shaoqiang's life."

"And one of your good friends is coming too—I have some news about him."

PS: Why did Chu Shaoqiang choose Moxiang Store?

No matter how the world changes, I love my readers the most!

(End of Chapter)