Chapter 21: Smiling Until the Face Breaks

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Xue the Elder was in an especially leisurely mood today. With a newspaper in hand, he wandered up and down the streets and alleys of Shanshan Ward, familiarizing himself with every nook and cranny he had never visited before.

Whenever he encountered someone who looked vaguely familiar and happened to be carrying a newspaper as well, he would ask, “How did you know that my daughter is the editor-in-chief of the Shan Hai Gazette?”

The person addressed would stare at him in bewilderment. “I had no idea!”

Then, realizing what was going on, he would hurriedly unfold the newspaper and take a look. Sure enough, at the very bottom were the words: “Editor-in-Chief: Xue Zhenrui.”

The neighbor did not know the name of the Xue family’s young lady, but the surname matched. Since Xue the Elder himself had said so, it must be true.

Who would have thought that the Xue family’s young lady possessed such ability? It had never been apparent before!

As far as he remembered, the young lady had always enjoyed chatting with the old women and aunties at every street corner. Had she undergone such a tremendous transformation?

The neighbor was inwardly astonished, but naturally could not ask outright. He still knew how to exchange pleasantries.

“Your daughter is a woman of exceptional talent and virtue. To have achieved so much at such a young age—her future is limitless! If she should one day marry into a great and illustrious household, you, Brother Xue, will surely enjoy the benefits as well!”

Xue the Elder’s thoughts had changed completely. He no longer wished to marry his daughter off at all. Even if a man were willing to marry into the family, an ordinary fellow would no longer do. He did not insist on family status, but the man would at least need to possess talent and renown comparable to those of his Precious Zhen.

Naturally, these were merely his private thoughts. Xue the Elder now cherished his reputation dearly and would never say anything reckless that might damage his daughter’s good name.

He waved his hand modestly. “You flatter me, you flatter me. The little girl cannot bear too much praise. It is all thanks to the favor shown her by the esteemed Lady Yue Ming that she has come this far.”

He then launched into another round of seemingly casual boasting, prompting the neighbor to nod repeatedly.

The neighbor studied the newspaper and suddenly sensed that something was amiss. “Brother Xue, how could the young lady’s name be printed in a place like this? It would not be proper for outsiders to see it.”

How could the name of a maiden from a respectable household be known to outsiders?

Only then did Xue the Elder realize the problem. But how could he possibly admit it? Composing himself, he began to bluff.

“Brother, you simply do not understand. What is the purpose of writing an article? Naturally, it is to establish one’s literary reputation. Otherwise, why would all those scholars cultivate their renown? If they did not put their names to their work, how would anyone know who they were?”

The neighbor had stumbled into a realm of knowledge with which he was unfamiliar. He truly knew nothing about the affairs of famous scholars and men of letters, and was thoroughly bewildered. Yet the explanation sounded reasonable enough, and he fell into deep thought.

Xue the Elder pressed his advantage. “Even if one is a young lady, once she enters another person’s territory, she must follow that territory’s rules, must she not?”

He sighed and continued, “Besides, common folk like us are no aristocratic clans. Even if they wrote only our surname and rank, people would recognize us at a glance. But for humble people like us, who scrape a living from the soil—why, even if we listed eighteen generations of ancestors, no one would know who we were!”

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Those words struck a chord with the neighbor. He nodded again and again, clearly moved.

Xue the Elder continued chatting and exchanging pleasantries for a few more moments, then hurried away, afraid that the neighbor might regain his wits and ask another question he could not answer.

*

Xu Chengyue, praised by Jian Hang as someone who disdained fame and wealth and lived for the country and its people, was doing her accounts.

After a period of frantic activity, the successful launch of the first newspaper had finally allowed her to relax.

Xu Chengyue’s hard work had not been in vain. The newspaper had been her idea, and she personally guided and supervised every stage that followed, teaching Xue Zhenrui step by step how to become a competent editor-in-chief. She had even written the lead article for the inaugural issue. The paper’s excellent sales were partly due to her influence, so naturally she was entitled to a share of its profits.

During this period, money had poured into her pockets like flowing water. The newspaper’s profit margin was not high, but it was a business of small profits and large sales. Once the income accumulated, the total became quite substantial.

It was difficult to explain, but Xu Chengyue had never been a lover of extravagance. In her previous life, she did not buy expensive cosmetics or luxury goods. The most common items in her wardrobe were pajamas—for a shut-in like her, pajamas were important. Every month, she kept her expenses at the minimum necessary to maintain her quality of life, depositing the remainder in the bank at regular intervals to guard against depreciation caused by inflation.

Now that she had arrived in the Great Tang, she had somehow become, in other people’s eyes, a woman of extravagant tastes, dressed in silks and feasting on delicacies. The last time she had casually complained to Lu Hongzhuo that she was nearly out of money, he had stared at her in astonishment.

After she answered him honestly, he had looked at her as though she must be a noble young lady who had fled from some immensely wealthy household.

Xu Chengyue had been so exasperated she could hardly stand it. Yet she truly had no choice. The material standards of the Tang dynasty were simply too low. Even maintaining the bare minimum of her former quality of life—without buying hairpins, jewelry, fine silks, or brocades—required money. Expenses for food, clothing, lodging, and transportation flowed away like water. She considered herself fortunate if she had anything left over at the end of the month.

Fortunately, the cartload of silk sent by the Duke of Zheng last time had eased her financial situation considerably. She no longer had to rack her brains over each month’s expenses, patching one hole by tearing down another wall.

But that had been an unexpected windfall. It would be spent sooner or later, and money earned by her own efforts was far more dependable.

The sales of the newspapers and novels had formed a positive cycle, at least doubling Xu Chengyue’s monthly income.

Looking at the sum of money soon to be hers, she could not contain her delight.

Today, she would laugh until her face hurt at the Shan Hai Bookshop.

Once she had finished celebrating, she composed her expression and once again became the poised and elegant Lady Xu.

The day’s business had been concluded, and she was preparing to leave.

As she stepped outside, she heard voices from the newspaper editorial office—the name Xu Chengyue had given it. Inside, the shopkeeper was chatting with Xue Zhenrui.

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She had not intended to eavesdrop. As luck would have it, however, the two were talking about her.

The shopkeeper was speaking in an exaggerated tone. “When I raised my eyes that day, there stood before the counter a young lady of graceful bearing and elegant charm…”

He embellished the story of Xu Chengyue’s first visit to the Shan Hai Bookshop until it became almost unrecognizable, portraying her as a celestial maiden descended from the Nine Heavens. To make the tale more dramatic, he imitated the style of a villain and cast himself in that role, while Lord Lu became the discerning judge who recognized a rare talent.

Xue Zhenrui was an enthusiastic audience, exclaiming in amazement again and again.

The shopkeeper’s expression shifted constantly—now pained, now ashamed. At the end, he sighed with emotion.

“…And that is how the Shan Hai Bookshop came to be what it is today!”

Xu Chengyue’s brows rose higher and higher.

“Ahem.”

When Lu Hongzhuo arrived and heard those words, he grew acutely embarrassed, especially with Xu Chengyue standing right there, and interrupted them.

Silence fell inside for a moment. Then came a flurry of movement, and the two of them emerged.

The shopkeeper wore an unmistakably guilty expression and did not dare meet her eyes.

Xue Zhenrui, swept away by the shopkeeper’s account, was flushed with excitement. Her eyes shone as she gazed at Xu Chengyue, and she opened her mouth, clearly about to launch into a speech of admiration.

Xu Chengyue knew exactly what she intended to say. Although she quite enjoyed hearing people praise her, she would rather be spared in front of an audience.

She hurriedly interrupted. “Lady Xue, you are still new to the work and may not be entirely familiar with it yet. If anything comes up, do not hesitate to ask me.”

The words Xue Zhenrui had been about to say were cut off. After a moment of confusion, her eyes filled with emotion.

Lady Xu was simply too kind to her. What had she done to deserve such a remarkable mentor?

In her heart, she had already begun to regard Xu Chengyue as her teacher. In the future, she would surely honor her and care for her in her old age.

As it happened, there really was something she needed to ask about, so Xue Zhenrui said, “Lady Xu, there is indeed a matter. Among the submissions we received today, several concern the book you wrote. I am not sure whether they should be published in the newspaper, and I cannot make up my mind.”

“What is so difficult about that? I will take a look for you.”

Xu Chengyue had no idea that she had acquired a daughter nearly her own age. All she wanted was to escape this embarrassing situation as quickly as possible, so she readily agreed.