Chapter 68
The time agreed with the visitor from the Beijing tabloid was the next morning.
Fu Wenyu attached great importance to this and set out early the next morning. Then he and the slightly nervous shopkeeper Zhang waited in Kaiyuan Bookstore for nearly a quarter of an hour, and the other party came in accompanied by a scholar named Yang.
The visitor's surname was Gong, a man in his thirties with a short beard. Perhaps because this scholar Gong Wenbin grew up in Beijing, he looked a little arrogant, but fortunately his tone was still calm.
"Gong heard that the number of copies sold by Liuzhou tabloids has tripled in just one year. I was really curious, so I came to see it."
"Brother Xiao, is this all your credit, Mr. Fu?"
"I don't deserve it," Fu Wenyu said modestly, "I just wrote a few stories. The current achievements of Liuzhou tabloids should be attributed to Mr. Yang and Mr. Xiao."
In fact, he also felt that he just came up with an idea, and his credit was there, but not great. Liuzhou tabloids have grown so big now, not only in Liuzhou and its twelve counties, but also in nearby Jiangzhou, Anzhou and other places. Other passing merchants will also buy some back. It is more about their own ability.
Especially being able to decisively "revise the version" in the middle, increasing the quantity without raising the price, this is not a simple matter.
But Fu Wenyu didn't expect that his modesty would be looked down upon.
The accompanying Yang Shusheng, who was also from Liuzhou Tabloid and had a rather sour face, suddenly slowed down his tone and said, "Yes, you are quite sensible. Liuzhou Tabloid is the hard work of us. It took us a lot of energy to achieve today's success. We are of course very responsible and cannot be refuted."
Fu Wenyu: "......?"
Ah, why does this person speak strangely...
But I didn't expect that there would be something even weirder behind. Yang Shusheng, who was over 40 years old, actually started a long speech in the tone of an elder in such an occasion, "Although your storybook is good, the words are weird and there is no allusion or reason. Only those who are not very literate will like it. You must know that storybooks are like articles. They should pay attention to allusions and profound meanings. People will feel deafened when they read them. Only in this way can it be a good article and a good storybook."
Fu Wenyu: "..."
His expression became cold.
If Yang Shusheng in front of him said nicely, "Your storybook is too colloquial, and you should add some profound content," then Fu Wenyu would thank him for his reminder. But now he was being belittled in such a condescending tone, which made him unhappy.
Fortunately, the person who could be sent by the tabloids in Beijing on a "business trip" would not be the kind of guy who didn't know how to read people's faces. Seeing this, Gong Wenbin interrupted Yang Shusheng's words.
"Brother Yang, this is wrong."
"Storybooks are not poems, songs, or articles."
"I think Mr. Fu's storybooks are easy to understand. As long as you can read, everyone can read them. Even if you can't read, you can understand, be interested, and remember them. This is a good storybook."
At this point, he jokingly added, "If Mr. Fu's storybooks are not good, then why am I here? Hahaha, to be honest with Mr. Fu, I have read all three of your storybooks."
"That one "The True and False Young Master" made me realize that there are such vicious people in the world who dare to replace the pillars with the fake ones. I also heard that Tang Yuanwai from your Liuzhou was the victim? Fortunately, according to the rumors, he finally found the child, otherwise it would be a pity. "
Fu Wenyu's expression eased, and he nodded and said, "Yes, I met them father and son some time ago, and the culprit has been executed." As for the aunt and sister-in-law, I don't know where Tang Yuanwai sent them, anyway, no news has been heard.
"Great." Gong Wenbin praised, and then said: "As for the second book "Legend of the Divine Eye", it is even more surprising. I'm afraid you don't know yet. Before I left, I learned from my friends in the official newspaper that the court had issued an edict to praise the Mu Lord in Chen County. I guess he will be promoted at the end of the year. "
Fu Wenyu and Manager Zhang really didn't know about this, and the scholar surnamed Yang should not have heard of it, so the three of them were surprised one after another.
"Really?"
"That's great. Lord Mu is a good official."
"Hey, this, this, it's so easy to get promoted?"
Gong Wenbin certainly wouldn't lie in such a place, and confirmed: "It can't be false."
After saying this, he turned to Shopkeeper Zhang and smiled: "Actually, I came here this time to ask if you still have these two stories. Before I left, several of my friends were very interested in these two stories and asked me to bring them a few copies."
Shopkeeper Zhang immediately asked Zhang Er to bring a few copies over, "The previous prints were sold out, but because people kept asking about it later, I asked someone to copy some."
After saying this, Gong Wenbin returned to the main topic.
"Mr. Fu, your storybook is also very popular among the people of Beijing. Some merchants bought some of it before and sold it to bookstores in Beijing, and it was sold out very quickly."
"So this time, in addition to asking whether the storybook "Rebirth Treasure Map" has been completed and whether Mr. Fu can agree to let us print it in the Beijing tabloid, I also want to ask about your hardcover edition, the regular edition, and the pre-orders, peripherals, etc. What is going on?"
Gong Wenbin boasted that he had read many storybooks, but most of them were not to his liking. After all, he lived in the capital, not Liuzhou, but at the foot of the emperor. The capital not only had many people, but also many scholars. Especially during the imperial examinations held every three years, talented young people came one after another.
Some of the candidates and even officials in the capital had run out of money, so it was normal for them to write a storybook or paint a few paintings to sell for money. Even if they were rich, some people liked to write one or two storybooks or humorous articles to relax the tense feeling of reading, or simply wanted to be admired.
So the two storybooks of Fu Wenyu before, although they were also good-looking, could not attract him to come to Liuzhou in person.
One of the reasons for coming this time was that Liuzhou tabloids were selling well, even in the capital, and another reason was that he learned that there was a wave of "martial arts" in Liuzhou. Whether it was people who had been to Liuzhou recently or people in Liuzhou they knew, they repeatedly emphasized that he must come and see, and they would be surprised.
After arriving, he was really surprised.
What is the ‘Thirteen Styles of Yunxiao’?
What is ‘surroundings’?
Some men are wearing strange clothes.
And why are there so many people holding a wooden sword or a bamboo sword, or even holding the same fan? When they greet each other, they like to clasp their fists and say something like ‘how many moves have you learned’?
These words sounded a bit strange, and if you hadn’t seen them with your own eyes, you wouldn’t understand them, which shocked Gong Wenbin. In the first two days after arriving in Liuzhou, he was immersed in this atmosphere. Not only did he go to see the ‘Thirteen Styles of Yunxiao’ several times in person, but he also bought the ‘Yunxiao Sword’ and the ‘Thunder Sword’, and he even tried them out in the inn.
For some reason, he couldn’t let go of the sword once he held it in his hand, and for this reason he accidentally broke the vase and teapot in the room, and compensated the store with dozens of coins.
But there’s no need to say this.
Fu Wenyu answered Gong Wenbin’s doubts one by one.
When Fu Wenyu finished speaking, Gong Wenbin suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. Not bad, not bad. In this way, it will indeed make people who have read it unforgettable. This is what is called 'paper is in great demand in Luoyang'."
Seeing his eyes rest on the sword manual of the first ten styles of the 'Thirteen Styles of Yunxiao' that Zhang, the shopkeeper, had just printed but had not yet started selling. Fu Wenyu simply took two more sets and gave them to the other party. Gong Wenbin didn't want to accept it at first, but when he heard that the sword manual would not be officially sold until a few days after he left, he happily accepted it.
Next, Zhang, the shopkeeper, asked Yang Shusheng to leave, and then Fu Wenyu discussed the specific cooperation matters with Gong Wenbin.
There is no doubt that the story book "Rebirth of the Treasure Map" will be serialized in the tabloids in Beijing. Although the silver paid per month is not much, Fu Wenyu also agreed.
As for the sales of the ordinary version, hardcover version and various peripherals, because Kaiyuan Bookstore has no branch in Beijing, and Tang Yuanwai has no plan to expand his business to Beijing, the tabloids in Beijing will be responsible for it. Since they didn't know how much they could sell in the early stage, neither party mentioned printing in Beijing. Instead, after discussion, they decided that Liuzhou would prepare the books according to the number of books and the surrounding number given by the other party, and then arrange for people to transport them.
After the contract was signed, Fu Wenyu invited them to the teahouse for tea, because the performance of the martial arts team today was different from before. After a period of practice, they were able to feed each other moves.
Gong Wenbin was very curious about this and agreed immediately.
Along the way, only Yang Shusheng was not very satisfied, thinking that there were too many idle people in the teahouse, which was not elegant.
Seeing this, Fu Wenyu quietly asked Zhang, "Uncle Zhang, what does this Yang Shusheng do?" Judging from the attitude shown by the other party today, he didn't seem to be the one who agreed to add the books to the tabloid before.
Zhang, the shopkeeper, whispered: "He usually manages poems and articles. People who wanted to print their articles in Liuzhou tabloids before praised him. It is probably because of this that they don't like you."
"I didn't expect him to come today."
So that's it...
Fu Wenyu immediately had a plan in his mind.
When they arrived at the teahouse, he asked the waiter to arrange a seat closest to the stage.
The waiter smiled and said, "So you are Mr. Fu's guest. Since you are Mr. Fu's guest, you must have a good seat. You don't know, because the closer you are, the clearer you can see, and it is easier to learn the sword moves of the martial arts team, so now no one likes to sit in the box, even the guests on the second floor come down to watch."
Before Yang Shusheng, who was frowning, could speak, Gong Wenbin nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, not bad, it's a good seat."
So the four of them sat down.
Halfway through, Fu Wenyu apologized, went out and came back.
Not long after he came back, there was a burst of intense music, and then a group of figures with stern faces and swords rushed out quickly, they drew their swords while rushing, and then stabbed in a certain direction together!
Yang Shusheng, who was sitting not far from the stage, was drinking tea. Suddenly, he saw that the tips of more than a dozen swords were less than a foot away from him. He was shocked and almost fell off his seat.
But the brave guests around him were amazed by this unusual detail and cheered loudly.
"Good!!"
"What is this? Is it a new move?"
"Another one!"