Chapter 4 Profitable

Although novels were popular in the Ming Dynasty, this was a bit bold after all, and Yan Chengjin was not sure.

"Wait a minute!" Yan Keshou stopped He Neng and said heartbrokenly: "Dad's original intention was to pass it on to future generations. How could it be to make money for booksellers? Booksellers are treacherous and cunning, and deceive others for profit. Dad won't give it! "

If you don’t find a bookseller, do you still want to publish a book at your own expense?

My father was a scholar by background, and he had serious class-consolidated ideas among scholars, peasants, industrialists, and merchants.

Many scholars who are barely above the food and clothing line also look down on businessmen.

Let you make money, not let you lose money!

Yan Chengjin held the manuscript in his arms.

"Dad, you are confused. If you don't let more people see it, how can you be remembered for generations to come? Besides, the world should judge how good your writing is. If you don't let others see it, how can you evaluate it?" Yan Chengjin said while tugging hard. Open Yan Kesong's hand.

"The world's evaluation? Yes...what will the world's evaluation be like?" Yan Kesong murmured.

Yan Chengjin was not worried: "Dad, it's time for you to go to court."

"Oh, I almost forgot as a father. I have to pay brother Jing Ming's debt today."

Before leaving, Yan Kesong warned: "Don't let the bookseller sell the book at a high price, otherwise the poor people will look down on it. Even if you don't get a penny, just print the book."

Yan Chengjin is so well-behaved, sensible and filial, so of course his instructions to his father are...

It's both positive and negative.

Yan Chengjin went out in person and finally found out about the largest Jinglun Bookshop in the capital. He was dismissed without even meeting the shopkeeper.

Yan Chengjin's face instantly darkened. He gave him two cents and said, "I didn't know this book was edited by Chao Zhong... my father wrote it."

The waiter in the bookshop said in a low voice: "I told you, but the shopkeeper tried to shirk it in every possible way, but he just refused to come."

All right……

The editor-in-chief is indeed smaller than Sesame in the capital.

When I came out of the bookstore just now, a person came up to chat with me.

"You want to print a book?" Wang Busui heard what he just said.

Wang Busui smiled and said: "The owner of Jinglun Bookstore must have thought that the books written by the editors were historical books, which were old-fashioned and jerky, unlike those brilliant brothel talents whose romances were widely circulated. He Of course I don’t want to come.”

Yan Chengjin thinks it makes sense, businessmen pay attention to profitability.

Even if there was engraving printing in the Ming Dynasty, the speed was not very fast.

After printing this, other books cannot be printed. To choose one of the two, Yan Chengjin has to choose, and he also chooses Fenghuaxueyue.

Yan Chengjin's eyes fell on that man, who looked like "I'm going to go bankrupt tomorrow". His clothes were sloppy, but his face looked a bit rich.

"What's the matter with you?"

Wang Busui smiled and said, "I'll be the host. Let's find a teahouse and talk slowly."

"Don't talk about it."

Suddenly, the man prostrated himself at Yan Chengjin's feet and said, "The business of the villain's bookstore is bleak and about to close down. That's why I dared to come over to Jinlun to see if there were any fish that slipped through the net." He also risked his life.

Yan Chengjin thought about it, thinking that the cheap dad was a dead horse? You didn't miss it, I thought so too...

The room manager who came with him felt very uncomfortable at the moment. This was an insult to the ink he had spent last night.

He stood all night, grinding the ink very finely. At least half of this book was his own hard work. This dog was so insulted that at this moment, he let out a dog-like roar.

Yan Chengjin decided to give him a chance and found a teahouse to sit down.

"Is your bookstore hand-copied or printed with movable type?"

The bookseller showed a bit of pride: "It's a movable type seal. The villain's bookstore is called Lao Wang's study. It's also a bookstore, isn't it?"

Yan Chengjin nodded and started to negotiate the price. Naturally, he would not let him see any emotion: "One book will be sold for half a tael, eighty-two cents will be divided. I will pay you two. If possible, let my housekeeper get the receipt."

Wang Busui almost choked to death.

A young master from a wealthy family, who doesn't know how to eat, dares to sell a book for half a tael of silver?

You must know that one acre of land only costs thirty taels of silver. How can ordinary people see such money? This is deliberately trying to shut down their business.

Suddenly I felt a little regretful. I lost money even if the transaction failed.

The editor was an official after all, so Wang Busui didn't dare to contradict him directly: "Master, the price of this book... is too expensive. I'm afraid I won't be able to sell a few copies. Can you let me read the book first?"

He planned to slip away, and it would be rude to leave directly.

Wang Busui knows that scholars have a good reputation.

It is a courtesy to read the book before leaving.

If business cannot be done without benevolence and righteousness, even the young master of the official family cannot say much.

Yan Chengjin wanted to set a higher price, but he was afraid of being beaten to death by his father, so he settled on half price, which sounded very cheap.

"This is a legend. You have to read it carefully and savor it carefully."

Wang Busui took the manuscript suspiciously. After a moment, his expression became richer and his eyes were straightened. He said with a sigh: "It can be sold! Master, this book can be sold. Even if it costs one tael of silver, there are still people who want it!"

"Young master opened half a liang, how dare you add another half a liang? How dare you ruin my master's book like this!" The housekeeper chattered his teeth.

Wang Bu Sui trembled and said: "Master, this book can really be sold for one tael of silver. Let's print it in two batches. One batch will be bought on the best paper, printed and sold to the dignitaries in the capital, and another batch will be bought on the worst paper. The paper is printed and sold to ordinary people. This high-ranking official is not short of a tael of silver!"

Selling by group, this person has great business vision!

Do you still want the entire user portrait?

In fact, Yan Chengjin thought so too.

The Matthew effect in the capital of the Ming Dynasty was serious. There were many wealthy gentry. For wealthy families, spending one or two taels of silver to buy a pastime was nothing to worry about.

Wang Bushui put the manuscript in his pocket and immediately wrote a receipt. Seeing Yan Chengjin sign on the receipt, he secretly felt that his bookstore, which was about to go bankrupt, had hope!

"The division of the accounts will be as the young master said. I have only one small request. You can... not find another bookstore."

Yan Chengjin said seriously: "This young master said that it will only be given to you, so it will only be given to you. You must not spread it to others!"

A few days later, the Yan Mansion was as calm as usual.

The capital was already in an uproar. In the deep courtyards, many young ladies from wealthy families were holding a book called Menglou and reading it obsessively.

Teahouses, taverns, inns and some romantic places all talked about this book. Many readers criticized the author of this book for being vulgar and shallow, but read it with relish.

The eleventh year of Hongzhi was the year of the prosperity of the Hongzhi Restoration, and most people had some money in their hands.

As the saying goes, when you are well fed, you will think of your desires. When you are well fed and well drunk, you will naturally want to do something else for fun.

I have long been tired of listening to operas, and the rise of novels at this time just meets the needs of the time.

The housekeeper who went out to purchase goods couldn't help but trot back: "Master, the book is printed!"

"Hurry up and let this young master take a look." Yan Chengjin took the book.

Because the pulp was not ground finely, it was very rough. It should be the poor version mentioned by Wang Bushui.

"Show it to Dad first!" Yan Kesong smiled happily, and looked at the housekeeper nervously: "Now...what is the evaluation of the capital?"

The housekeeper hesitated: "Master, I dare not say."