Chapter Sixty-Nine: Moved to Tears

After all this hustle, it was as if he had lost money just for the sake of making noise, and the losses weren’t insignificant. For a money-grubber like Mr. Hu, it was no different from being stabbed a hundred times.

"Master Gou, you’re finally here! I’m about to lose my mind, do you know that? You must have heard from the clerk and those outside—your books were all taken by the county magistrate’s men early this morning, and now they’re banned from sale. Banned, do you understand? Not only did I lose all the books I stocked up on, but even the new machines I bought are a loss." Mr. Hu looked so anxious and miserable, he was nearly in tears.

Everything had started with him, and no matter how you looked at it, it had indeed dragged down the bookshop’s business and cost Mr. Hu a good sum. Gou Ye had worked with him for some time, but this was the first he’d seen Mr. Hu so flustered—he truly seemed desperate. Gou Ye felt a pang of guilt. He patted Mr. Hu’s shoulder and gestured for them to sit and talk.

"Mr. Hu, don’t worry. There’s nothing that can’t be solved. Haven’t you noticed? Everything that’s happened is aimed squarely at me, Gou Ye. The constables took the books and banned their sale, but they didn’t really give you much trouble. You can still do business."

Mr. Hu looked at him with the grievance clear in his eyes; he understood well that all of this was directed at Gou Ye. "Easy for you to say. I’ve invested everything in you, and now, with the sudden ban, I’m suffering. Do you realize how much silver I stand to lose? Master Gou, you’ve really put me in a tight spot this time. Cry out to heaven, and heaven won’t answer; cry out to earth, and earth won’t respond."

But Gou Ye suddenly smiled. Mr. Hu, annoyed, glared at him, not knowing what the smile meant. Gou Ye chuckled, "Alright, my dear Mr. Hu, I know it’s not easy for you. We’ve worked together for days, and I appreciate your care. I can’t let you bear such a loss at the end, especially knowing how fond you are of money. Ha! I’ve already thought of a solution on my way here. I guarantee you’ll be able to keep selling books—maybe not making much more, but at least you won’t lose out. Would you like to hear it?"

Seeing that things might turn around, Mr. Hu’s eyes lit up at once. Gou Ye smiled at him and cleared his throat, prompting Mr. Hu to catch on. "What’s the matter, Master Gou? You’ve been here half the day and haven’t even offered me tea?"

Gou Ye laughed, seeing the longing in Mr. Hu’s eyes, and stopped keeping him in suspense. "Now, let me be clear with you. Yes, I do have a personal grudge with Magistrate Qin and his wife, but it’s nothing more than that. As you’ve seen, the book ban and the removal of snack vendors from the marketplace were all targeted at me, Gou Ye. It has nothing to do with how you run your bookshop. I don’t want any more conflict with them, so my plan was to finish this book and then leave this place."

"Leave the county? Are you planning not to return?"

"Whether I return or not, I haven’t decided yet, but leaving is certain. I have neither power nor influence and don’t wish to endure such humiliation. I’ll go for a few years—come back once I’ve made something of myself. But let’s not dwell on that. If I leave, I can’t let you down. ‘The Celestial Eagle’s Companion’ is nearly finished, which is enough for you to publish four or five times. If you split it up, you could even get more. I’ll give you the rest of the manuscripts for free. You can sell them as you like—the proceeds will make up for your losses. Change the title if you must—call it ‘The Tale of Companions’ or ‘The Celestial Lovers’; once I’m gone, print the books quickly. Readers will recognize the story and connect the content, so they’ll know what’s happening."

Hearing this, despite his love of money, Mr. Hu was truly moved. He hadn’t expected Gou Ye, at the end, to pave the way for him and spare him from loss. He even squinted, trying to squeeze out a few tears to show Gou Ye his heartfelt gratitude.

"Stop that—oh, goodness, you’re already round, squeezing your face just makes you uglier. You needn’t be so moved. I’m doing this out of conscience. When I first started, you picked up my manuscript from the ground and bought it. That gave me the capital I needed. Truth be told, you’re a bit stingy and overly fond of money, but you’ve always treated me honorably. For all your shrewdness, you never fiddled with the accounts. As the saying goes, a gentleman loves wealth, but takes it with integrity. You deserve to be called a gentleman. We’ve worked together for so long, but I’ve never thanked you—not even invited you to a meal. Thank you, Hu." Gou Ye said this last part earnestly, looking straight into Mr. Hu’s eyes, then stood and bowed deeply to him.

Mr. Hu was deeply moved. In all his years running a bookshop, it could be said the days with Gou Ye had been the most exciting. Making money aside, nowhere else in the county drew crowds to the door each day, eager to read the latest books. He quickly helped Gou Ye up and listened as he continued.

"Alright, I’ll only get sentimental this once. Second, I’m acting out of friendship. Though we’ve always had a business relationship, over time you’ve treated me well. You love money, but your heart’s not bad. So I, Gou Ye, also consider you a friend. That’s why I just called you Hu—from the heart." Mr. Hu nodded as he listened. Truth be told, Gou Ye’s words had truly moved him.

"If we’re friends, I won’t cheat you. I don’t want you cursing me behind my back after I leave, saying Gou Ye is worthless—causing trouble and then running off. I won’t be able to help much once I’m gone, but this is what I can do. I can’t let you make more money, but at least before I leave, I’ll repay your kindness. Besides ‘The Celestial Eagle’s Companion’, I’ll also give you a detailed outline. Find someone with good writing skills to keep producing manuscripts and earning for you. Consider it a parting gift from your brother." Gou Ye smiled as he spoke, watching Mr. Hu’s expression shift from worry, to dejection, to surprise, to emotion, to excitement, and finally to sadness. He thought it a pity that Mr. Hu wasn’t an actor.

Mr. Hu then solemnly stood, swept his sleeves aside, and, with a serious face, bowed deeply to Gou Ye. "Master Gou—no, Brother Gou. Your noble spirit will be remembered by Hu. I thank you here and now."

The two stood facing each other, as if returned to their first meeting. Then, they both broke into hearty laughter—everything understood without a single word.