Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Today was a momentous day for the cultural circles of Nanshan City. It was the release date for the second volume of *Mandarin Duck Dream*, penned by Zhu Wenhua, the great prodigy of a powerful and noble family. The city’s bookstores were experiencing an unprecedented boom.
This was no exaggeration. The sales of the first volume of *Mandarin Duck Dream* had been record-breaking, creating a legion of readers. Its primary audience, women, had been eagerly awaiting the sequel for over half a year. The young ladies of the city had turned out in full force, forming long lines at every bookstore to purchase a copy.
Although the book was printed exclusively by the Jade Pavilion, other bookstores had been busy stocking up on copies to sell. From early this morning, long queues had formed at every shop. The line at the Jade Pavilion, in particular, numbered at least two hundred people.
Street vendors, hoping to seize the opportunity, moved frequently through the crowds, trying to sell fans. The area in front of the bookstores was a rare sight, so packed with people that there was hardly room to stand.
The scholars of Nanshan City watched the scene with a mixture of envy and jealousy.
‘Who does he think he is? We’re all scholars, so why is he the only one so popular? There are so many women here… he could meet a new one every day and it would take him more than a year to get through them all.’
“The doors are open!”
The moment the sunlight streamed through the opened doors, bookstores across the city began their sales. Hundreds of people, clutching gold coins, surged forward, desperately grabbing for the books. Within two hours, all the stock in the bookstores was sold out. The speed at which the books sold was truly frightening. The shop owners lamented not having ordered more, quickly sending their clerks to the Jade Pavilion to buy additional copies.
Buying more books at a time like this was a surefire way to get price-gouged, but with sales this good, they had no choice. *Mandarin Duck Dream* was practically walking money. For a moment, complaints rose from those who couldn't get a copy, while those who had already bought one couldn't wait, starting to read right there in the store. As they read, they offered endless praise.
“Master Zhu is truly a rare talent. This is so well-written.”
“Indeed. The opening poem captures all the joys and sorrows of life.”
“He truly deserves to be called the foremost prodigy of Nanshan City.”
“It’s the release day, so why isn’t Master Zhu here? I came hoping to catch a glimpse of him.”
“Master Zhu is not a frivolous man. He is a man of great pride, devoted only to crafting fine works. He doesn’t care about sales figures. He doesn’t even care who reads his books.”
“That’s right. Our Master Zhu has always been noble and full of pride.”
Had Zhu Wenhua come to the bookstore? Of course, he had. Disguised as a middle-aged man, he mingled with the crowd. Hearing countless women swoon over him and countless people praise him filled him with satisfaction. While Zhu Wenhua secretly reveled in the situation, he also looked down on them.
‘You common women, who only know how to apply rouge, want to see me? You are nothing but the backdrop that enhances my fame and makes me shine ever brighter. Only a woman like Zhang Chunhua, who possesses both beauty and talent and comes from a powerful family, is worthy of me.
Chunhua, my dear, are you watching? Do you see how brilliantly I shine? Do you see how many women are mad for me? And yet, my eyes are only for you.’
Zhu Wenhua paid no mind to Shen Lang's attempt to release a book in Nanshan City. After all, with a single word from him, the bookstores in the surrounding prefectures would neither stock nor buy Shen Lang's book.
Though he had heard his fill of the crowd’s praise, Zhu Wenhua still left the bookstore with a sense of lingering regret. Everyone had expected the second volume of *Mandarin Duck Dream* to sell well, but no one had imagined such an explosive response.
***
Around nine in the morning, a total of thirteen stalls were set up at the entrances of Nanshan City’s major bookstores. Each stall was stacked with several hundred books, but only their spines were visible; the covers were hidden. The books piled there were *Boundless Wind and Moon*, a joint creation of Shen Lang and Jin Mucong.
While Zhu Wenhua's book was sold inside large bookstores, Shen Lang's was displayed at a street stall, a rather shabby comparison. It was like one person performing comedy in a theater while another did so from a mat on the street.
‘Should I ask the price? Wow! Sixty copper coins a copy. That’s much more expensive than *Mandarin Duck Dream*. Is he desperate for money? Who’s the author? The Scoffing Scholar of Langling? Never heard of him. Where did this guy crawl out from?
Master Zhu Wenhua is famous, yet he sells his book for fifty copper coins a copy. This nobody with no reputation is selling his for sixty? Is his brush inlaid with jewels?’
As a result, no one showed any interest in Shen Lang's book. The crowds continued to swarm inside the bookstores, waiting for *Mandarin Duck Dream* to be restocked. Half of them were women, the other half men.
In truth, many of the men were there not to buy the book, but to see the women. In such a crowded space, wasn't it normal for chests and buttocks to brush against each other?
Just then, a man suddenly cried out in surprise.
“Look outside!”
Instantly, the several hundred men in the store all turned to look outside.
‘My heavens!’
The stall outside had just unveiled a large, colored painting. It was a shocking image, the likes of which they had never seen before. The painting depicted a handsome man, Zhu Wenshan, and a woman, Xiwen Xianxian. The woman's coquettish posture was so sensual that it had an explosive impact on the men of this world.
Furthermore, Shen Lang had used the realistic techniques of Western painting and added color, making his illustration far more lifelike and alluring than the traditional beauties painted in this world. The woman in the painting looked as if a real person had been imprinted onto the paper.
No, that wasn't right. She was more beautiful than a real woman. The curve of her waist, the pose she struck... The woman in the painting wore silk undergarments, but they were sheer, making her appear even more sensual than if she were naked. It was not only captivating but also instantly awakened the hidden desires of the men.
The image was so vivid that, though it was a still picture, the men could almost see the woman moving in their minds. Having never seen anything like an erotic film, they were unable to handle the visual shock of the painting. It was utterly explosive. The temperature inside the bookstore suddenly rose.
“What the! Who’s poking me with a stick?”
A woman suddenly cried out in anger. Her words were like a small stone dropped into calm water, creating massive ripples. The men inside the bookstore surged out like a wave, surrounding the stall outside.
The small stall was encircled three layers deep. The scholars, needing to maintain their decorum, approached by asking about the book. The ruffians, however, had no need for such pretenses and went straight to the enormous color poster, staring at it intently and analyzing it.
“Hey, why are you looking so closely? You think you can see through her clothes like that? I tried. It doesn't work.”
“And you there, what are you sniffing at? Hoping to catch a scent?”
“You, the short one! Don’t lick it. If you get your spit on the painting and ruin it, you'll have to pay for it!”
The clerk selling the books shouted loudly.
“*Boundless Wind and Moon* is truly a masterpiece of the century, written by the son of a noble family. The stories within are all based on real people. Read it first, and if you don't find it interesting, you don’t have to pay.”
The men present, whether they were scholars or merchants, each picked up a copy and began to flip through it.
‘This is quite a book. The cover is incredibly provocative and realistic. And the title alone suggests a tale with a story to tell.’
An impatient man immediately flipped through the book, found another illustration inside, and let out a gasp of admiration.
‘This is absolutely stunning. Each illustration has a different mood. Some are seductive, some innocent, some tempting, some sensual. Every depiction of the woman is beautiful, each one makes the heart pound. I’ve never seen such alluring pictures of a woman in my life.’
The scholars present were well-learned but critical people. Drooling, they still looked down on the book as they turned the first page. They began to read with the intent to find fault, thinking they could write better themselves.
They had assumed this kind of erotic book would have alluring pictures but that the writing and plot would be unreadable, riddled with flaws and vulgarity. However, after just a few pages, they were completely captivated.
Putting aside the quality of the story, the literary skill was truly outstanding. The author’s insight into the ways of the world was profound, cutting to the bone, and every paragraph revealed his cunning and brilliant wisdom. The more they read, the more exquisite the book seemed.
After ten pages, they judged it to be an excellent book. After a few dozen, they considered it an exceptionally brilliant work. By the time they were halfway through, praise escaped their lips unconsciously.
‘A fine book. A rarely seen, well-written book. A masterpiece for the ages! I must buy a book this good! I must take it home to read it carefully, again and again!’
Good wine and good tea must be savored slowly. The men who considered themselves learned all generously opened their purses.
‘Marvelous, simply marvelous! To think such a classic and outstanding book is being sold on the street. It feels like I’ve just drunk a full cup of fine wine!’
The men who were literate but not scholarly thought the erotic scenes in the first part were very well-written. The book described situations with such delicacy that it couldn't be compared to other books filled with vulgar scenes. Just from reading, the images formed vividly in their minds.
When they turned to the second erotic passage, they thought, ‘So, so well-written.’ And upon seeing the third, they thought, ‘I can’t, I just can’t take it anymore. I have to get home, quickly.’
The rest, the men who were neither scholarly nor literate, opened to the first illustration.
‘I’m going to die. After seeing this, I won’t be able to look at my wife’s face. It’s so real. How can this be a drawing? This is pure art.’
They turned to the second illustration.
‘Perfect. Now I have something to look forward to on those lonely nights I can’t sleep.’
They turned to the third illustration.
‘No, I can’t. I have to go to the Lichun Courtyard.’
Scholars who knew literature, merchants who didn't, and even the common folk—regardless of their status, they all reached into their pockets with the same thought and bought the book. Even those who couldn't read bought a copy if they had the money. From now on, during their nightly tumbles with their wives, they could pull out this book, look at the pictures, and their vigor would instantly surge, their fighting spirit soar. The days of struggling to stand at attention would become a distant memory.
Whether they were learned or not, even men who couldn't read, if they had money, they all bought Shen Lang's book.
***
The same scene unfolded at all thirteen stalls across Nanshan City. It was an explosive popularity the likes of which had never been seen. Shen Lang’s book sold out completely, utterly eclipsing the momentum of Zhu Wenhua's new release. Just how many were sold? Only the heavens knew!
Deng Xian had known Shen Lang’s book would be popular, but he had never imagined it would catch fire with such ferocious speed. The large, colored poster that captured people’s hearts was truly a secret weapon. The moment they saw it, countless eyes were glued to it.
The cover was the second secret weapon. The moment people saw the cover, they picked up the book to flip through it. Of course, that wasn't the only reason they bought it. The book's true strength lay in its outstanding content, its excellent prose, and its entertaining story.
“Boss, quickly, give us more stock! People are buying them like crazy!”
“We’re sold out, completely sold out! Boss, hurry and give us another hundred copies! No, two hundred! No, give us three hundred more!”
The clerks sent out to sell the books all ran back, one after another, with the good news. Just moments ago, Deng Xian had deliberately set up stalls opposite each bookstore to ride the coattails of Zhu Wenhua’s new release. But now, there was no need.
If Zhu Wenhua's new book was a large stone dropped into a lake, creating big ripples, then *Boundless Wind and Moon* was an explosion in the center of the lake, creating a massive wave. The books sold faster and faster, until they were completely gone.
Originally, Deng Xian had estimated that even if Shen Lang’s book sold well, it would be three or four hundred copies at most. In the past, no book he had released in Nanshan City had ever sold more than five hundred copies. The reality surpassed his projections tenfold. Three thousand copies sold in a single day. Zhu Wenhua’s *Mandarin Duck Dream* had only sold five or six hundred…
‘What kind of madness is this? Was I wrong? Three thousand copies!’