Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Ji Xingwang looked at the tipping chart and said, "After you finished storytelling that day and left, someone claiming to be a servant from the Xie family gave twenty gold pieces as a reward."

Just like the first time, Ji Pingan had Ji Xingwang give all twenty gold pieces from Xie Yulin to Shen Yuan.

"I've stored all those gold pieces in a box. Xiao Yuan, do you want to take them home with you today?"

That night, after returning home, Shen Yuan looked at the box filled to the brim with gold pieces for a while.

Then he got up and began rummaging through chests and cabinets, finally retrieving the scroll he had desperately stuffed into the deepest part of the cabinet.

He placed the gold pieces in the spot where the painting had been and laboriously put the bamboo slips back in place.

The next day, Shen Yuan took the wooden box containing the scroll to the yamen to find Ji Pingan.

"Brother, can you ask the Xie family's merchant ship to deliver this to Xie Yulin?"

Ji Pingan said, "Didn't Fifth Granduncle assign you shadow guards? If you have them deliver it, it would probably be faster."

Shen Yuan hugged the wooden box, resting his chin on its lid. "I asked for them to be withdrawn a while ago. I haven't sensed anyone around me for a long time. They probably pulled out right after I said that."

"Only you would dare speak to Fifth Granduncle like that." Ji Pingan took the wooden box helplessly and reminded Shen Yuan, "I can ask the Xie family merchant ship to take it, but I can't guarantee it will reach Fifth Granduncle. You know his status and position. Those on the merchant ships likely can't get close to him. At best, it would be delivered to the Xie residence and then sit in a storeroom, never seeing the light of day."

Shen Yuan nodded. "That's fine too."

Ji Pingan ruffled Shen Yuan's hair. "Still so childish, and quite willful too. If you weren't so young, with a temper like yours, Fifth Granduncle definitely wouldn't let you off the hook. Listen to your brother, don't provoke the old man in the future."

A smile spread across Shen Yuan's face. "I definitely won't provoke him anymore. He's in Youyang, and I'm in Qingyun—we're separated by a hundred thousand miles."

Ji Pingan, who didn't know about *Journey to the West*, chuckled lightly. "It's not as far as you say."

Shen Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up. Hmm... his next story could be about gods and immortals.

Since *Love Between Human and Ghost* involved some elements related to the underworld, he could expand on them in this new story. However, he needed to think carefully about how to present it concretely.

After handing the box to Ji Pingan, Shen Yuan went to see if Guo Mingchen and the others needed him for anything.

With the New Year approaching, the yamen was bustling too.

Guo Mingchen and Xu Kangfu indeed had a matter they couldn't decide on and were waiting for Shen Yuan to discuss it.

"In previous years, the yamen would have holiday gifts for the New Year, but the allocated funds weren't actually converted into gifts and distributed. The lion's share went to Magistrate Pang, and the remaining bit was divided among the other civil officials in the yamen. For this year's allocation, should we continue approving it or block it?"

Magistrate Pang was dead, and the Pang family had been raided and overthrown.

The power structure in Qingyun County had undergone a behind-the-scenes shake-up.

Shen Yuan said, "It was reported to the higher-ups every year before; not reporting it this year would seem odd. However, this year, let's use all this money to buy holiday gifts. Each person should get what they are due. Since we're overseeing this, let's go out together this afternoon to make the purchases."

Guo Mingchen and Xu Kangfu had no objections and immediately agreed.

After settling the yamen matters, Shen Yuan rode his horse to the Storytellers' Union.

He had agreed with Ji Xingwang yesterday to evaluate the newly recruited storytellers today.

Ji Xingwang had strictly followed Shen Yuan's requirements: first looking at a person's moral character, then their temperament, and finally their ability.

All three aspects were required; none could be lacking.

Because Shen Yuan hadn't set strict limits on age or gender, among those gathered, there were quite a few with graying hair and also many who looked very young.

Both men and women were present.

Sturdy young men were surprisingly few.

Ji Xingwang had explained to Shen Yuan in advance, "Most young people who meet the requirements already have jobs in various shops. After all, our storytelling profession has just started. Telling stories on the roadside seems unstable. At their age, with stable jobs, they'd naturally prefer security, especially with whole families to support. As for the others, they fell somewhat short in one of those three requirements."

Shen Yuan understood everyone's concerns. This was typical for a newly emerging industry at the beginning.

It was all a gamble.

Ji Xingwang whispered to Shen Yuan, "For everyone selected, I went and asked their neighbors about their character—no issues there. During the interview, they each tried a segment of storytelling, and they were all decent. I didn't tell them they were all accepted, just that they needed to pass one more round. You take a closer look and decide whether to keep them all or send some back."

"Alright, let me see."

The storytellers recruited this time were all chosen from the ordinary commoners at the bottom of society.

The weather was already cold, and their clothes were threadbare and thin.

However, it was clear they had tried their best to tidy themselves up. Their hair was neatly combed, and although their clothes were old, they were cleanly washed with soapberries. The room had no bad smell, instead carrying a faint scent of soapberries.

The innate fear commoners felt towards officials, combined with the fact that Shen Yuan was not only an official but also the person whose word could determine whether they secured this livelihood, made them even more anxious.

Everyone was nervous, stealing glances at Shen Yuan and breathing slowly.

Shen Yuan smiled and greeted everyone. "Greetings, everyone. I am the president of the Storytellers' Union. You may call me President Shen. Today is our first meeting, and I'm not very familiar with you all yet. Could each of you introduce yourselves so I can get to know you?"

The group, who had prepared for various difficult tests, didn't react immediately after hearing Shen Yuan's words.

What did this mean?

After a moment, when they realized, an elderly man with salt-and-pepper hair at the front stood up, his voice loud and clear.

"This old man will go first."

Shen Yuan smiled and nodded, signaling for him to continue.

After the old man's introduction, everyone else understood what to do.

They talked about their names, where they lived, what they usually did, and what they liked.

One after another, they spoke, and Shen Yuan listened carefully.

He found that what everyone liked was almost the same: all sorts of food.

Some said they liked millet, some said they liked various kinds of meat, some said they liked malt sugar...

All things they didn't get to eat often.

During the self-introductions, it also became clear that Ji Xingwang had a good eye for recruitment.

None of them were stage-frightened; they had the ability to improvise and would likely get better with practice.

The later introductions were noticeably more natural and fluent than the earlier ones, with more details. They all had key points and didn't just ramble.

These qualities were also important for storytelling.

Qingyun County wasn't small. Ji Xingwang had recruited forty people, and Shen Yuan figured that should suffice for the time being.

"Alright, I've got you all down. From now on, you are the storytellers of the Storytellers' Guild. Shortly, I will sign agreements with you. If you have any dissatisfaction or questions regarding the terms, feel free to bring them up."

Shen Yuan's words thrilled everyone. They fought back the urge to cheer, their eyes full of anticipation as they looked at him.

The terms of the agreement were pretty straightforward. These storytellers would be paid a monthly wage.

Any monetary tips received would be handed over, but food items could be kept for themselves. Those who brought in more tips would receive a monthly bonus equal to ten percent of their total tips.

The guild would provide two meals a day, and the monthly wage was set at six hundred wen.

When the illiterate folks heard the amount of the monthly wage, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They held their breath, thinking they had misheard.

Most days, they could only earn five or six wen, and that was for doing odd jobs and heavy labor.

In summer, they would be sunburned until their skin peeled; in winter, they suffered from frostbite that was so itchy and painful they would scratch their skin raw.

A daily wage of twenty wen was something only the strongest young men in their prime could earn.

And even for those young men, earning twenty wen a day meant selling their strength for backbreaking labor—it was incredibly difficult.

But now, they could earn so much just by sitting and talking, with two meals provided to boot. If they performed well and brought in plenty of tips, they could even get extra bonuses.

Could such a good thing really exist? And had they actually stumbled upon it?

While they were still reeling from the shock of this immense surprise, Shen Yuan added, "There's another option. If you are confident in your abilities, you can choose not to take the fixed monthly wage. Instead, you can split the tips fifty-fifty with the guild. How much you earn depends entirely on your skills."

Some were tempted by the second option, but in the end, no one chose it.

Shen Yuan didn't force the issue. He said, "Once you've gotten the hang of things, if you want to change your choice, you can discuss it with me. However, each person only has one chance to change, so please consider carefully."

After signing the agreements and confirming they had work, everyone guarded their contracts like treasure, happily saying, "Yes, President Shen!"

Shen Yuan still remembered when he first arrived at the Ji Family Teahouse, penniless. Fortunately, Ji Xingwang had offered to advance his monthly wage, which helped him through that difficult time.

Now, he said to the newly hired storytellers, "If anyone needs an advance on their monthly wage, you can request up to three months' worth. Go to Vice President Ji for the advance."

The idea that they could receive their wages in advance was another shock to everyone.

After careful consideration, everyone chose to take an advance.

With the New Year bearing down, their families were short on food, firewood, and warm clothing—truly lacking in everything.

Thinking they were destined for another cold and hungry winter, they never imagined they would have a chance to make it through a warmer one. A long line snaked in front of the small desk where Ji Xingwang was advancing the wages.

The people in line wore expressions of hope and anticipation, anxiously yet excitedly waiting their turn.

Seeing those ahead receive their money and leave happily, those behind couldn't help but smile as well.

Meat Market.

Liu Laosan tucked his hands into his sleeves, hunched his shoulders, and walked straight toward Butcher Hu's meat stall.

Butcher Hu saw Liu Laosan and grinned, his thick beard parting. "Oh, Brother Liu, you're here! Long time no see. Have you eaten? I still have some big bones here. Take them back to make soup."

As he spoke, Butcher Hu went to pick up the bones. Liu Laosan smiled and stopped him. "Hey, hey, Brother Hu, no need, no need. Every time I come this way, you try to give me something to take home. I feel too embarrassed to even walk by here."

Both men had fought on the battlefield, saving each other's lives—a bond forged in life-and-death situations.

After returning, Butcher Hu took over his family's butcher business, slaughtering pigs and sheep to sell meat.

Liu Laosan had no family trade to inherit. When he was younger and stronger, he could carry heavy loads to support his family.

As he grew older, he could no longer handle such physically demanding work. With one less income in the household, life became increasingly difficult.

Butcher Hu would occasionally give him some meat to help out, but Liu Laosan always refused.

Later, Butcher Hu only offered bones, which weren't sold for money. However, since firewood cost money and boiling bones required a lot of it, Liu Laosan rarely accepted even those.

But every year, as the New Year approached, Liu Laosan would take the bones. With no meat to eat, no warm clothes to wear, and firewood too scarce to burn often, a pot of hot bone soup at the end of the year meant they had successfully made it through.

Butcher Hu paused, his hand still holding the big bones. He picked up his heavy iron cleaver to cut some meat. "The New Year is coming. Consider this meat a gift for the kids."

Liu Laosan smiled. "Brother Hu, cut me a pound of leaf lard and a pound of leg meat."

Carefully, Liu Laosan pulled out his hand, clutching a worn-out money pouch.

Usually empty, the pouch was now bulging—fuller than it had ever been.

Wealth should not be flaunted. Liu Laosan remained vigilant, checking if anyone was watching him.

"How much is the meat today?" Liu Laosan asked with a simple, honest smile on his rough, dark face. "I've found a steady job, Brother Hu. From now on, I'll be taking care of your business."

Seeing that Liu Laosan had truly earned some money, Butcher Hu was happy for him. "What kind of job is it? Does it pay so much that it's very tiring? Can your body handle it?"

Liu Laosan quietly told Butcher Hu about the Storytellers' Guild. Before it was finalized, he hadn't dared to tell anyone.

Butcher Hu, though older, was still muscular and sturdy, like a small mountain.

Hearing this, his eyes reddened, remembering how Liu Laosan had dug him out of a pile of corpses on the battlefield and carried him back to camp despite his own injuries.

Back then, Brother Liu had said, "From now on, both of us must live well."

Finally, Brother Liu could live a better life.

"At today's prices, the leaf lard will be fifty wen, and the leg meat twenty-five wen."

Liu Laosan didn't quite believe it. "As the New Year approaches, leaf lard should be more expensive."

Butcher Hu deftly cut the lard and meat, quickly tying them with straw rope. "That's all. It's freezing outside, Brother Liu. Hurry home after you buy this."

Liu Laosan knew Butcher Hu was intentionally undercharging him. Taking the meat, he quickly said, "Brother Hu, bring your wife and kids to my place for dinner tomorrow. Consider it adding some joy to my celebration."

"Deal! I'll definitely be there tomorrow!"

...

Chu Xiaoshan jogged all the way home. When someone called out to him along the way, he responded briefly without slowing down.

The Chu family was large, with over a dozen people crammed into three rooms. At night, they practically slept stacked on top of each other.

The advantage of having many people was that more could earn money; the disadvantage was that taxes were higher.

For families like theirs, without any specialized skills, working in the county meant doing hard labor.

The money earned by the family each year was just enough to cover daily expenses and food—not a single coin could be saved.

If anyone in the family came down with a minor illness like a headache or fever, not only would they fail to save any money, but they would also rack up debts.

"Shan, why are you back so early today? Has the dock already shut down?" Mother Chu was doing the laundry by hand, her hands soaked in icy water, chapped and bright red from the cold.

In winter, because the river froze over, water transport would halt for a while.

Porters carrying heavy loads and boat trackers would all be left without work.

Mother Chu looked toward the door again. "Why haven't your eldest brother and fourth brother come back?"

One was a porter, the other a tracker—both did hard labor.

"Eldest Brother says the dock won't shut down until the day after tomorrow," said the wife of the eldest son. After she spoke, both she and Mother Chu looked at Chu Xiaoshan with concern.

They feared he might have got on someone’s bad side and would no longer be able to work as a porter at the dock.

They also worried that something was wrong with him, noticing he kept clutching his stomach. They were afraid he had a stomach ailment, and the family was strapped for cash for medicine right then.

Chu Xiaoshan closed the door tightly, squatted in front of them, and said mysteriously, "Mother, Sister-in-law, let me show you something."

Mother Chu and Eldest Sister-in-law didn't stop washing, but they turned their heads to look at what Chu Xiaoshan was holding against his chest.

Copper coins strung on hemp rope, loop after loop, piled on his worn-out clothes.

They had thought Chu Xiaoshan was clutching his stomach because he was unwell, never imagining he was carrying a whole pouch of copper coins!

Once they saw clearly what it was, Mother Chu and Eldest Sister-in-law widened their eyes in shock.

"Shan! Have you done something awful and wicked?" Mother Chu was so agitated she stopped washing clothes altogether. Her icy, wet hands grabbed Chu Xiaoshan as she urged him, "Whose money did you steal? We must return it. You can't do such things!"

Eldest Sister-in-law had never seen so many copper coins either; her eyes were glued to them.

Seeing his mother so upset, Chu Xiaoshan quickly explained, "Mother, am I that kind of person? This is from a new job I found. The union head advanced me my wages."

"What new job? Weren't you working as a porter at the dock? And what's a union head? You're just a kid; where do you get all these notions? What on earth is going on!"

Mother Chu was getting more and more baffled by Chu Xiaoshan's words, her head swimming with questions.

Chu Xiaoshan then slowly explained.

The news of Ji Xingwang recruiting storytellers had reached the dock, and Chu Xiaoshan happened to hear it. Knowing the Storytellers' Union was Shen Yuan’s initiative and they needed people, he ran over without a second thought.

Earlier, when he had suffered heatstroke and nearly died, it was that bowl of mint and mung bean water that saved him.

At that time, Chu Xiaoshan had only one thought: regardless of whether his savior would take him or not, he had to give it a try.

He hadn't dared to tell his family, as his job as a porter hadn't been easy to get. The family had pulled strings, greasing a petty official's palm with several millet steamed buns and a piece of meat, and agreed to give sixty percent of his daily wages to that official for three full months just to get him into the dock.

Otherwise, there were plenty of strong young men willing to do porter work; it would never have been his turn.

Now that he had signed a contract with the Storytellers' Union and received an advance on his first three months' wages, he could finally let his family know.

Hearing that Chu Xiaoshan was no longer going to work as a porter, Mother Chu was so angry she nearly choked.

Then, hearing he was going to work for the Storytellers' Union and listening to him describe the terms there, her breath caught in her throat again.

But this time it was from shock. "What did you say? They provide you with two free meals a day, pay you six hundred wen a month, and give extra rewards for good work? Are you daydreaming in broad daylight, child? How could such a good job fall into our hands?"

Even if it did fall into their hands, it would surely require emptying the family coffers to secure it.

Chu Xiaoshan didn't argue, just hefted his pouch of copper coins to make them clink.

Hearing the sound of the money, even if they didn't believe it, Mother Chu and Eldest Sister-in-law had to.

Mother Chu said, "Is it really true?"

Upon hearing it was Registrar Shen, Mother Chu completely dismissed the thought that her son might have been cheated.

Such a high official could take their lives with just a word; why would he bother giving them food and money otherwise?

The mint and mung bean water at the dock, the steamed buns at the city gate, the porridge at the alley entrance, and the tales about Shen Yuan during the reconstruction after the fire—the common folk had all heard about these things.

He was a good official, different from the others.

"Heavens! Our ancestors' graves must be smoking with good fortune for us to actually get work from an official!" Mother Chu excitedly knelt on the ground, clasped her hands together, and bowed devoutly to the sky again and again.

Eldest Sister-in-law was also very excited. The Chu family lived as one household; they shared hardships and joys together.

The youngest brother in the family gaining such a great opportunity was good for the entire family.

"Sister-in-law, take this money."

The family's money was managed by Eldest Sister-in-law. She was articulate and quick-witted. Mother Chu knew her eldest daughter-in-law was thrifty and better at managing money than she was, so she had long entrusted the finances to her.

With the family united in heart and effort, they could get by.

Eldest Sister-in-law took the heavy pouch of copper coins. She had never held so much money in her life; she could barely contain it.

"Mother, will we be able to eat meat this Lunar New Year?"

Mother Chu made the final decision. "Yes! And buy some lard and salt, and more firewood too. It's cheaper these few days than later."

Eldest Sister-in-law said happily, "Alright! I'll get up early tomorrow to buy them!"

Chu Xiaoshan's eyes sparkled, full of anticipation for the next day.

He would finally get to eat a bite of meat!

The next day, the storytellers arrived at the Storytellers' Union. Each gaunt, dark face wore a smile, their eyes filled with hope for the future.

Wang Sanhu and Fang Zaoshang were appointed as the teaching group leader and deputy leader of the Storytellers' Union.

Like Ji Xingwang, at the end of each year when the union tallied its income, they would receive a share of the profits.

The two were responsible for teaching these newly recruited storytellers, while Shen Yuan and Ji Xingwang went to the Ji Family Teahouse to hold the exhibition of *The Swordsman* portraits and announce the tipping leaderboard.

The Ji Family Teahouse was bustling and extraordinarily lively.

Tall easels displayed scroll after scroll of paintings.

The handsome and dashing young swordsman Han Ying; the highly skilled, beautiful, and kind-hearted physician Zhao Yue; the carefree, lively, and cheerful Zhao Fan; the chivalrous, sentimental Lu Shuitan; the careless yet warm-hearted and reliable Chen Ranfeng; the resilient and spirited Liu Qingyu.

There were also majestic scenes of clouds glowing with radiant light, the continuous mountain ranges beneath a sea of clouds, the vast and boundless grasslands, and the silhouettes of the six Jiangnan heroes continuing their journey under a desert sunset...

Scene after scene, all were the grand and magnificent settings from *The Swordsman*, scenes the teahouse patrons could not have imagined even one-tenth of in their wildest dreams.

Not only that, Shen Yuan had also painted each character's weapon, as well as the representative attire, weapons, and fighting styles of various sects, accompanied by brief introductions.

The tea patrons were itching to get their hands on them; how happy they would be if they could collect them all!

"Registrar Shen, can these paintings really not be churned out in batches? I'm willing to pay any amount!"

Hearing the patrons' desperate shouts, Shen Yuan said his hand would be worn out from drawing—he truly was willing but unable...

More people had come this time than for the "Love Between Human and Ghost" event, including the two leading families in Qingyun County who specialized in painting.

The head of the Liu family, a master of color, and his son practically pressed their faces against the paintings, intently studying how to capture the characters' forms and movements while learning how to blend and layer colors to produce a richer palette.

The Wang family, masters of figure painting, were no less enthusiastic. The whole family pored over the landscape paintings they usually struggled with, studying them in rapt fascination and occasionally exclaiming in wonder.

"So clouds can be conveyed as ethereal through blank spaces!"

"See here, the colors in this autumn forest—there's actually deep red and turquoise hidden within! So that's how you show colors; autumn isn't all about yellow."

"Look at this technique for painting rocks—was this done by dabbing with a brush?"

"And this desert—it seems like more water was used, with the brush going from heavy to light?"

As they spoke, the two families even started chatting together.

Usually, the Wang family looked down on the Liu family, and the Liu family looked down on the Wang family; the two families would have nothing to do with each other. But today, they were like old friends, opening up and sharing insights.

The other tea patrons weren't bothered; instead, they tagged along, listening and nodding in agreement.

Oh, so that's what this part of the painting meant.

When everyone had had their fill, Shen Yuan nodded to Ji Xingwang, who took out a copper gong and gave it a loud clang.

The patrons' attention was caught by the sound and they turned to look.

Ji Xingwang cleared his throat and called out, "I assume everyone has had a look around. What did you think of the paintings for 'The Swordsman'?"

"Fantastic!" the patrons responded, not forgetting to add, "Too bad we can only look, not take them home—these are all for the top three on the leaderboard!"

Ji Xingwang let out a hearty laugh and continued, "Indeed, because of limited hands, we can't produce more paintings. However, the Storytellers' Union has put together another surprise for everyone. We've got more of these, and I believe you'll all like them."

His words successfully got the patrons curious. What surprise? Hurry up and show us!

At the patrons' urging, the teahouse staff brought out two large, long wooden boxes and placed them on the storyteller's platform table.

Shen Yuan stood on the stage and took out a puppet the size of a palm from one of the boxes.

He held it up, and the patrons closest to the stage could see it clearly. After a moment of recognition, someone burst out in surprise, "That's Physician Liu from 'Love Between Human and Ghost'!"

When Shen Yuan painted the portraits for Qin Xiaoyuan, he hadn't yet drawn the characters for "The Swordsman," so he gave him the ones from "Love Between Human and Ghost."

It has to be said that Qin Xiaoyuan had a talent for this. Through diligent practice, his carvings were incredibly true to life. Even without coloring, those who had seen the paintings could recognize them at a glance, which showed his skill.

The wooden box was divided into three compartments, holding carved puppets of Liu Mingyan, Chu Qi, and Grandpa Liu.

With fewer characters to carve, they could make more sets.

Shen Yuan held up the Liu Mingyan puppet and pulled out an identical one from another long box—this one was colored.

As soon as the second puppet was taken out, everyone exclaimed, "Wow! This Physician Liu looks like she stepped right out of the painting!"

The colored facial features were clearer and more visually striking, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

"These are character puppets from 'Love Between Human and Ghost,' sold in sets of three. There are twenty sets in natural wood and ten sets in color. The quantity is quite substantial. As for pricing, a natural wood set costs ten taels of silver, and a colored set costs twenty taels."

The Storytellers' Union needed funds to operate, and the revenue from puppet sales would count as the union's profits.

This was the first time the Storytellers' Union was launching merchandise, and Shen Yuan felt somewhat nervous. He worried that ancient people might not like the character merchandise popular in later times. If they really didn't sell, he'd have to give them away as rewards for the top ten on the leaderboard.

The thought flashed through his mind, but then shouts of eager buyers erupted from below.

"Me!!!!!! I want two sets, both colored and natural wood!!!!!!"

"I'll take all the rest!!!!!"

"No way! Why should you? I want to buy too! One set of each for me!"

"How do we pay? I want them!"

"How come there are only thirty sets in total? I thought there'd be more—I could buy all thirty sets myself! Give them all to me!"

The patrons' voices grew louder and louder, their hands raised higher and higher, some even jumping up and down while waving, afraid Shen Yuan wouldn't see them.

Swept by the wave of voices, Shen Yuan looked at the puppet in his hand, then at the patrons jumping and waving around him.

Well, he had worried too much.

It seemed thirty sets were indeed too few.

In the end, they had no choice but to resort to a lottery.

The lots indicated whether it was for a natural wood or colored set, and those who drew one could buy a set of the corresponding type.

The lots were made quickly, and the puppet merchandise sold out just as fast.

Those who managed to buy were overjoyed, while those who missed out sighed in regret.

Bad luck! Such bad luck!

They didn't forget to complain to Shen Yuan: only thirty sets in total, and he had the nerve to say it was a large quantity!

They couldn't even get one set each!

Under the patrons' resentful gazes, Shen Yuan could only force a smile. Many patrons asked if there would be more character puppets from "Love Between Human and Ghost" in the future, and whether puppets for "The Swordsman" characters would also be released.

After Shen Yuan gave an affirmative answer, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

There would be more chances; next time, they must draw a winning lot!

Observing the varied expressions of the patrons, Shen Yuan wondered if he could introduce blind boxes...

Recalling the blind box trend from later times, he felt the Storytellers' Union's merchandise department could definitely bring in substantial profits.

Everything was great, except it was a bit hard on Qin Xiaoyuan.

But if they wanted to increase production, they would indeed need to hire more carving masters.

Currently, only Qin Xiaoyuan was doing the carving. No matter how tirelessly he worked, the output couldn't increase much.

It was a pity—this wasn't the later era, where talents were cultivated in specialized schools and companies could simply recruit as needed.

Now, these crafts were all secret family techniques, and the skills varied greatly among different households.

In Qingyun County, the only person he had found so far who could do woodcarving at this level was Qin Xiaoyuan.

Shen Yuan could only mull it over for the time being.

For the top three on the tip leaderboard, the rewards for the second and third places had been sent out; only the top spot's (Xie Yulin's) benefits were pending.

The top three on the leaderboard for *The Swordsman* were the same as those for *Love Between Human and Ghost*, and their positions hadn't changed either.

When handing out the portraits, Qin Wanjin (rank #2) told Shen Yuan that his son had become an official and the family was doing better than before. He said he'd prepared a lot of local specialties from where his son was posted as an official for Shen Yuan and assured him that if Shen Yuan ever needed anything, as long as the Qin family could manage it, they wouldn't hesitate to help.

Zhao Yufeng, ranked third, also shared good news with Shen Yuan: his restaurant in Youyang had opened, with his eldest son's family overseeing it, and business was doing pretty well. He added that if Shen Yuan ever visited Youyang, he should come to the Zhao family restaurant, where he'd be treated to delicious food for free.

Shen Yuan thanked them each in turn. It really was true—if you played your cards right, the rich just kept getting richer.

As the exhibition was winding down, Shen Yuan announced another piece of news.

"The third story will begin on the Lantern Festival, titled *The Path to Immortality*, a tale about cultivating immortality."

This caused quite a stir. The Ji Family Teahouse erupted, even more excited than when they saw the portraits or the *Love Between Human and Ghost* puppets.

Cultivating immortality!

Was this actually a story about the world of immortals?

Was it even possible for anyone to know what the immortal realm was really like?

No, others might not understand, but Shen Yuan certainly did.

He was the one who'd been enlightened by an immortal in a dream, gaining insight into all things worldly, allowing him to write one captivating story after another and guiding them to appreciate the splendors of different realms.

The New Year holidays weren't even here yet, but the patrons were already looking forward to the Lantern Festival.

The Ji Family Teahouse remained bustling for a long time. As dusk fell, the tea guests gradually dispersed.

When almost everyone had left, the head of the Liu family, who was carrying on the family's painting tradition, approached Shen Yuan, saying he had something to discuss.

Shen Yuan had assumed Family Head Liu wanted to discuss painting, but that wasn't it at all.

"Registrar Shen, there's something you might not be aware of. I had the fortune of seeing the *Love Between Human and Ghost* portraits at the Qin residence. When my wife saw Madam Chu's clothing and style in the portrait, she was so taken with it she couldn't look away. She said the clothes were dignified and grand, giving off an exceptional air—just gorgeous. Our Liu family happens to run a dye workshop. My wife loved it so much she buried herself in the workshop, trying to figure out the cloth colors."

The Liu Family Head spoke with a tone of pleasant surprise. "Well, wouldn't you know it, she actually managed to reproduce the exact color from Madam Chu's clothes in the portrait. According to the description in *Love Between Human and Ghost*, this color should be called purple. My wife loved it so much she had our family tailor make an identical outfit based on Madam Chu's style. A few days ago, at a painting-viewing party at our house, my wife appeared wearing that outfit and got a lot of compliments from the other ladies, who all asked about the fabric and the style of the dress."

"Many recognized it as Madam Chu's attire from *Love Between Human and Ghost* and expressed a desire to have a set themselves. I'm here to ask if our Liu family can make cloth in this color and sell clothing from it."

The Liu Family Head sincerely assured him, "I'm prepared to do a 70-30 split on the profits. Your side gets seventy percent—for you and the portrait artist—and we keep thirty."

If it weren't for the fact that his family had no one skilled in jewelry making, the Liu Family Head would have loved to produce the accessories as well.

He finished speaking and looked at Shen Yuan expectantly, waiting for an answer.

When he painted the portraits, Shen Yuan had put some design thought into the characters' clothes, hairstyles, and hair ornaments.

But he only had these images in his head because of his experience acting in historical dramas, his many museum visits, and all the historical artifact photos and costume/makeup reconstructions he'd seen.

Mixing colors to create new ones was the same—it took some basic know-how to do it quickly.

Shen Yuan didn't know if other artworks had achieved the color purple through blending, but according to the Liu Family Head, at least Qingyun County didn't have it.

The Kingdom of Wu was seriously underdeveloped in these areas, so it was natural for people to desire the clothing and accessories of characters from the portraits.

Because they were indeed beautiful.

Previously, he had also considered opening a clothing store and a jewelry store specifically selling the attire and accessories featured in the stories.

Similar to the situation with the character puppets, he lacked the necessary talent to execute this, so he could only entertain the idea and then set it aside.

Now with the Liu family's proposal, working together was a real possibility.

"Family Head Liu, you want the production and sales rights for Madam Chu's attire from *Love Between Human and Ghost*, correct?" Shen Yuan confirmed.

The Liu Family Head chuckled, somewhat sheepishly, and said, "Actually, I also want the rights for Young Master Chu and Miss Liu from *Love Between Human and Ghost*, as well as for Hero Han, Miss Zhao, Young Master Zhao, and Miss Liu from *The Swordsman*."

Shen Yuan couldn't help but give the Liu Family Head an extra glance.

He sure knew how to pick 'em.