Chapter Fifty-One: Establishing a Bookstore

Upon returning to the manor, Li Pingyang and Li Hu slept for an entire day, only waking at midday the following day, still feeling exhausted. If not for Little Dragonfly’s eager knocking to share good news, they would have continued sleeping until dusk.

After several days of fervent promotion at Pingyang Restaurant and everyone’s tireless efforts, their net profit soared to over nine thousand taels. To put it in perspective, compared to the previously most popular Su Family Tofu, Pingyang Restaurant’s sales in just a few days exceeded their monthly earnings.

Little Dragonfly was especially delighted to see the Li family growing stronger, genuinely happy and finally able to hold her head high in front of others. True to his philosophy of shared prosperity, Li Pingyang made sure everyone benefited from their earnings, not leaving a single staff member out. He set aside a portion of the money to treat everyone to a proper meal. The rest he split, giving half to Zhou Changkun, whose sponsorship and tofu shop had made the success of Pingyang Restaurant possible.

Zhou Changkun’s admiration for Li Pingyang grew deeper. The original three-day promise not only went unbroken, but their business flourished beyond expectation. Those who once doubted Li Pingyang, siding with the Su family, now rushed to follow the trend, willing to sell everything just to join.

With the restaurant earning gold by the day, Li Pingyang conceived a new idea. He noticed that people had little in the way of hobbies; scholars might read storybooks to pass the time, but the few available tales were long worn out, offering nothing fresh.

Since this era lacked captivating novels, there were no tales of warrior kings, unwanted sons-in-law, divine doctors, or those mainstream stories that would one day become popular. It was an opportunity for him to make a fortune.

Using part of his savings, Li Pingyang personally selected a site with pleasant surroundings and decent foot traffic, spent money to buy the land, and opened a bookstore. He named it “Jade Beauty.”

Inside, he sold books unseen in the marketplace, stories no one had read before. There was “The Second Young Master’s Gun,” and now a new one, “Spare the Son-in-law.”

“Spare the Son-in-law” blended the popular themes of unwanted sons-in-law and divine doctors from modern times. Upon release, it captured the hearts of countless fans, gaining great attention. The rise of the young son-in-law in the story, overcoming political villains, was thrilling and addictive—missing a day left readers restless.

Li Pingyang made a fortune selling novels; just “Spare the Son-in-law” brought in thousands of taels daily. At its peak, earning ten thousand taels of silver in a day was common. Surprisingly, Li Hu, rough and brawny in appearance, also loved these storybooks. Since reading this novel, he became a devoted fan, urging Li Pingyang to update daily, eagerly volunteering for dirty and tiring tasks, just to see more chapters each time.

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One day, Li Pingyang was minding the bookstore, reclining in a bamboo rocking chair, gently swaying with his eyes closed in rest. Suddenly, a shadow flickered outside the window, followed by a rush of wind. Li Pingyang’s eyes snapped open to find a dart embedded in the wooden pillar beside him.

The shadow swiftly vanished; when Li Pingyang chased after it, no trace remained. Returning to the bookstore, he discovered a note pinned to the dart’s tip.

The note invited Li Pingyang to meet at an address—a secluded courtyard in the city.

Curious about who sought him, Li Pingyang went alone to the address. He found an ordinary yard with a thatched cottage, a small patch of land growing wild vegetables—a pastoral scene.

Though not luxurious, it was beautiful.

As he wondered about the owner’s leisurely life, the cottage door creaked open from within. Out stepped a familiar elder. Li Pingyang, puzzled, exclaimed, “Why is it you?”

It was Old Lin, Lin Bowen. Seeing his young friend arrive, Old Lin beamed, warmly grasped Li Pingyang’s sleeve, and pulled him inside.

“Come, come, I’ve been waiting for you…”

Inside, a low table was set with a chessboard, black and white stones in their boxes at each side, though not all the pieces were present. Some stones were already placed on the board; while waiting, Old Lin had been playing against himself, finding amusement in solitude.

Tomorrow, Old Lin would return to the capital; before leaving, he wanted to see Li Pingyang alone and speak a few words.

“Come, young friend, please!”

“I wonder, Old Lin, what brings you to see me this time?”

“Let’s play chess first, chess first…”

Old Lin swept the black stones into their box, pushed the white stones into theirs, and impatiently wanted to begin, holding black stones in hand.

Li Pingyang smiled, picked up a white stone, and placed it near his side, slightly to the left on the lower part of the board—a mysterious opening! Old Lin frowned, puzzled, but recognized it as his young friend’s style and laughed heartily.

The two began to play, move by move. Soon, Li Pingyang’s white stones trapped Old Lin’s black, forcing him into a difficult contemplation.

While pondering his next move, Old Lin found time to chat.

He asked, “Young friend, with your talent, do you truly wish to remain in this little Cangzhou, a merchant for life?”

Li Pingyang’s hand paused on the white stone, looked up at Old Lin, who met his gaze. The question carried a deeper meaning.

Seeing Li Pingyang thoughtful, Old Lin pressed on, “So… would you, young friend, be willing to return with me to Songdu tomorrow, enter the court as an official, and employ your strategies for the nation?”

Li Pingyang hesitated.

He had once considered becoming an official, earning a post, and when the time was right, finding a gentle wife, raising a son and daughter. But he feared being entangled in court intrigues, unable to extricate himself, with family and friends drawn into the fray.

When he first arrived in this world, his only wish was to live well, let his father enjoy life, alter their environment, help those he cared about, and change their fate.

He had achieved this and was content.

Old Lin’s stay in Cangzhou was not the idle retirement of an aging heart, but a mission of great importance. He had also come to meet one person—Li Pingyang.

For reasons unknown, upon hearing the poem “Tune of Water Melody,” he felt that Li Gou Dan was not of this world.

He sensed that someday this prodigy might be of great help, someone he could use.

Now, Northern Qi was poised to swallow Jin, seemingly inevitable. If Northern Qi grew unchecked, Song would be its next prey.

Old Lin hoped to seize the moment while both countries were at war and wounded, petition the court to lead a northern campaign and crush the threat.

But the problem lay in military logistics.