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墨書 Inktalez
Liu Qingxi casually wandered around the bookstore. It was her first time seeing so many books in this era, and fortunately, the characters here were not much different from traditional Chinese characters, so she could recognize most of them.
The books were mostly classics like the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic, along with some miscellaneous story collections. "What are some suitable books for children's enlightenment?" she wondered.
"Hello, miss! We have a complete selection of books here. Whatever you want, we have it. Generally, people use the Three Character Classic for enlightenment. Take a look!" The clerk chattered on as he handed her a copy of the Three Character Classic.
She was unsure what dynasty this was. It felt like many things were similar to those in Chinese history, yet it was a dynasty she had never heard of.
From the architectural style, it seemed to be a relatively backward era. Most buildings were Earthen Houses; although there were some brick and tile structures, they were quite rare.
Even in the town, there weren't many Azure Brick Houses. One reason was their low production rate, and another was that Azure Bricks were expensive, making them unaffordable for most people.
Returning to the matter at hand, she flipped through the Three Character Classic. It felt different from modern printed versions; this one was entirely handwritten, and the calligraphy was decent.
The clerk noticed Liu Qingxi pretending to understand and rolled his eyes in disdain internally. "What a show-off! Can she really read it?" he thought but didn't show it on his face. "So, how do you find this book? Are you satisfied?"
The paper was yellow and rough in texture, but the calligraphy was good. "How much is this book?" she asked.
"Miss, all the books in our store are copied by skilled scholars with excellent handwriting. The quality is absolutely guaranteed. This one is Three Hundred Wen!" he replied.
"Miss, don't think it's too expensive; that's just the price everywhere. We're the only ones selling it in Biqi Town. If you don't believe me, go ask around!" Seeing Liu Qingxi's shock, the clerk hurriedly explained.
Liu Qingxi knew that books in this era were expensive, but she didn't realize they were this costly. Just for a thin volume of the Three Character Classic, it would cost Three Hundred Wen.
To put it into perspective, Three Hundred Wen could last a whole family several months if spent carefully.
No wonder there were so few scholars in this time; the expensive tuition fees and books, which were worth their weight in gold, were truly beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"Can you lower the price a bit? We still need to buy other things!" Liu Qingxi felt a pang in her heart, thinking about how long it would take to save up Three Hundred Wen.
"Miss, I really can't lower the price; this is already the lowest I can offer!" The shopkeeper actually didn't want to deal with them anymore.
It seemed that the siblings couldn't afford much, so his enthusiasm waned as he prepared to return behind the counter.
Liu Qingxi quickly stepped forward and stopped him. "How much for this one?"
She wasn't picking the best ones; Liu Qingyan was just starting her studies and didn't need anything too fancy.
"This one is Ten Wen for fifteen sheets. If you buy more, I can give you a discount!"
The shop was rather quiet; aside from a few regular scholars in town, there weren't many other customers.
In the end, Liu Qingxi haggled persistently and spent three hundred twenty Wen to buy several copies of the Three Character Classic, along with thirty large sheets of paper, a brush, and an inkstone.
After much negotiation, the shopkeeper finally agreed to give her fifteen sheets of hemp paper.
Liu Qingyan excitedly followed Liu Qingxi, her eyes sparkling. These were all things bought for him, and she carefully touched each item, a joyful smile spreading across her face.
"Alright, we have everything we need now; we can go home!"
"Okay!" Kid squinted his eyes and smiled, looking just like a cat that had stolen a fish.
At the same time, across the street, a woman in luxurious attire walked over with an exaggerated grace.
"Auntie, where are you going?" the maid asked nervously.
After being punished by the mistress in the morning and scolded by the master at night, the woman who had clearly been unhappy suddenly seemed energized and wanted to go shopping.
Before leaving the residence, the mistress had instructed them to keep a close watch on Auntie and not let anything go wrong; otherwise, they would face severe punishment. So they cautiously inquired.
The woman was none other than Wandehai's newly appointed Seventeenth Concubine, Liu Qingzhi.
She inadvertently spotted a familiar figure across the street and felt compelled to come over and take a look.
Liu Qingxi and her brother walked out of the bookstore, smiling as they looked down to touch their newly purchased books.
Suddenly, a pair of red embroidered shoes appeared in front of them. Looking up from below, one could see the exquisitely crafted skirt, rosy lips, slightly arched eyebrows, and a familiar face.
Liu Qingyan tightly grasped Liu Qingxi's hand, feeling slightly anxious.
Gently patting his head, she said, "Don't be afraid, let's go!" In that instant, Liu Qingxi decided to make a sharp turn and take another path.
The woman with flower-like features, who had been ignored, felt a surge of anger in her chest. "Liu Qingxi, stop right there!"
Liu Qingxi rolled her eyes in exasperation; dealing with such a brainless woman was simply a waste of time.
After all, she and Liu Qingzhi were not meant to be together. As for this so-called cousin's lofty sense of superiority, it was up to her whom she chose to flaunt it in front of; it had nothing to do with Liu Qingxi.
The muffled laughter from the maids nearby felt like a hard slap to Liu Qingzhi's face, compelling her to regain her composure. She quickly stepped in front of Liu Qingxi and said, "What’s wrong? Are you afraid of me?"
"Hah, what do you have that I should be afraid of?"
"I am now part of Wanjia. The master dotes on me. If I’m unhappy, just one word from me could make your life miserable!" Liu Qingzhi puffed out her chest and raised her chin.
Come on, sister, don’t think so highly of yourself!
However, Liu Qingzhi was completely oblivious to Liu Qingxi's thoughts, strutting before her like a victorious rooster.
Little did she know that what Liu Qingxi said next would wipe the smile off her face.
"What power do you have to control me? Relying on that gluttonous old man who's older than your father? Don’t you find that disgusting? You’re probably the only one who feels proud about being a concubine!
If I were you, I would have found a block of tofu to smash my head against. How embarrassing!"
"You" Liu Qingzhi raised her hand high, a gust of wind swept by, and it looked like it was about to land on Liu Qingxi's face.
The maids' hearts were in their throats, fearing that Seventeenth Concubine would cause some trouble, while also sweating for the dazed Liu Qingxi standing still.
A few brave ones directly closed their eyes, not daring to look, as if they could hear a loud slap in the air.
At that critical moment, a slender arm blocked Liu Qingzhi's attack: "Is this all you can do?"
Indeed, it was none other than Liu Qingxi's arm.
She was no longer the oppressed Liu Qingxi, but an independent spirit from the modern world, unwilling to endure such inexplicable suffering any longer.
In fact, Liu Qingzhi was just a paper tiger, all bluster with no substance. In terms of strength, she was far inferior to Liu Qingxi, who had been working hard and training. In terms of intellect and experience, she couldn't compare either; she was simply brainless.
She was merely relying on the powerful backing of Wanjia!
"Enough, I don't have time to deal with you. Don't flaunt your power in front of me. A woman like you would be lucky to survive three days in the inner courtyard!"
"Liu Qingxi, what makes you so special? You can only fix a few shabby houses; who do you think you are?" Liu Qingzhi forced herself to appear calm.
Suddenly noticing what Liu Qingxi was holding, she immediately had more to say.
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