Chapter Fifty-Two: Another Plan

Next, Gou Ye proceeded to demonstrate to everyone how to make pancakes, roasted sweet potatoes, fried meatballs, and other snacks that were common in his era. Although some of them didn’t taste quite the same as he remembered, to those who had never tried them before, they were utterly delicious. Gou Ye sampled each treat before handing them to Yun Niang, who ate until her stomach was slightly swollen; even when Gou Ye created new snacks, she patted her belly and admitted she couldn’t eat another bite.

Since this was only a demonstration, Gou Ye hadn’t prepared many ingredients, and what he did bring was quickly devoured by the villagers. At least half of it ended up in the stomachs of the Guo brothers. Seeing that the moment was right, Gou Ye stood up and called for everyone’s attention.

“Fellow villagers,” Gou Ye began, “I’ve demonstrated these tools for you all, and you’ve tasted the snacks yourselves. It’s clear to see how delicious they are. I can assure you, the cost of these ingredients is extremely low. Because I only needed a small amount, I bought them at the shop at the original price. If everyone works together and orders in larger quantities, it’ll be even cheaper.” As he finished, he saw everyone nodding in agreement.

One villager stepped forward, somewhat embarrassed. “Young Master Gou, you say the cost is low, but the crops haven’t yielded well recently. My mother was ill last month and I don’t have much money left. Even for this small cost, I’m afraid I just can’t afford it.”

Gou Ye chuckled, walked up to the man, and patted his shoulder. He saw many villagers looking dejected. Gou Ye already understood their circumstances from previous inquiries, so he addressed everyone. “Friends, I know many of you are in the same situation as this brother. Many families here are struggling. That’s why I’ve already planned: if you can’t afford the initial costs, you can borrow from me. Those who borrow can pay me thirty percent of their monthly earnings until the loan is repaid. Once you’ve paid off what you owe—or if you pay early—it returns to twenty percent.”

Feeling a little tired, Gou Ye sat down on the ox cart. “And when you’ve made enough money, after the tools are paid off, I’ll only charge a ten percent fee. That’s not just for nothing: if your tools break, you can exchange them for new ones with me. If I develop new snacks, I’ll teach everyone for free. If, after selling lamb skewers for a while, you find pancakes sell better, you can return the lamb skewer equipment and swap it for pancake equipment. I’ve written down the price for each tool. If you’re unsure, you can ask at the county town. If you trust me, register with Yun Niang. Later, I’ll hire a manager to keep track of repayments, tool payments, and monthly shares.”

In this way, Gou Ye was also giving Caisheng a job. He had calculated that even after everyone repaid their loans, the total earnings would barely cover the monthly wages of four helpers. It seemed that writing and publishing books was truly the best way to make a living.

Gou Ye then explained some details to the villagers. After discussion, those who wanted to join registered with Yun Niang. Anyone could opt out at any time, and those who wanted to participate but lacked funds could also have their accounts noted with Yun Niang. To prevent misuse of the money, Gou Ye gave everyone their supplies but not cash.

After all this work, nearly fifty or sixty people had signed up, including some couples wanting to work together. Despite being a twenty-first-century nobody—a typical homebody—Gou Ye was always efficient and decisive, a habit honed through years of disciplined writing. When the registration was complete, Gou Ye instructed Da Li to drive the cart to the county town to commission the blacksmith to forge a new batch of tools.

This arrangement benefited both Gou Ye and the villagers, and since it wasn’t charity but a mutually beneficial venture, there were no further disputes.

That evening, Gou Ye sat in his study, leaning back in his chair as Yun Niang massaged his head. He realized he hadn’t rested much at all lately. He felt exhausted, but when he thought about all he’d accomplished since arriving in this world, he felt he hadn’t disgraced modern people. Once these matters were settled, it was time to consider Wanxiang’s advice. Life had been too quiet lately, so quiet it was unsettling. Gou Ye sensed something was about to happen.

While waiting for all the snack-making tools to be ready, Gou Ye made a special trip to the county bookstore to implement another plan. When he saw Mr. Hu again, though not much time had passed, it seemed Hu had grown even fatter—a sign that business was booming.

“Well, Young Master Gou, it’s been a while! How have you been?” Mr. Hu walked over with a cheerful smile.

“Very well, Mr. Hu! I don’t even need to ask—you look like you’re doing great,” Gou Ye replied with a laugh.

“It’s all thanks to your support, Young Master Gou! How many manuscripts are you bringing today? You probably heard—I’ve acquired a new printing machine and will be selling to nearby counties as well. We need to speed up the manuscript process so I can increase sales.” Mr. Hu stroked his half-inch beard as he spoke.

“I brought manuscripts this time, enough for you to use for a while. But today, I want to discuss something with you,” Gou Ye said.

Mr. Hu eyed him cautiously. “Young Master Gou, you’re not asking for more money because sales are good, are you?”

Gou Ye laughed at his miserly expression and patted his belly, reassuring him. “Rest assured, Mr. Hu, I won’t suddenly raise prices. What I want to discuss is whether, from now on, you can give me the first page of each booklet for printing something of my own. Just one page—I hope you won’t charge me for it.”

Mr. Hu couldn’t quite figure out what Gou Ye was up to. One page wouldn’t add much cost, and he wouldn’t allow anything detrimental to himself in his own books. So, he readily agreed to Gou Ye’s request.