27: Xu Qing

The young man heard footsteps and looked up. When he saw that it was Su Ming and Zhao Rui, a faint hint of surprise flashed across his calm, deep-pool-like eyes. He clearly recognized them, especially Su Ming — from the entrance of the Literary Treasure Studio. He showed no expression, merely giving Su Ming a small nod, acknowledging their presence. As for Zhao Rui, he merely glanced at him before refocusing on the book in his hands.

"Master, it's him! The one from the Literary Treasure Studio..." Su Ming said to Lin Yu in his mind.

"Oh? The kid who was protecting the book?" Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of playfulness and understanding. "Interesting. He's here... It seems the man you saw at this bookstall last time was, in all likelihood, his father. The Waiter at the Literary Treasure Studio drove him away, probably because he wanted to copy books there. Tsk, this bookstall is his 'territory,' isn't it? Disciple, an opportunity has arisen, have a good chat!" Lin Yu's mind was extremely sharp, instantly connecting the two events and pinpointing the crucial detail.

Su Ming's mind suddenly cleared. So that was it! No wonder he was chased out of the Literary Treasure Studio; he must have been copying books there.

"I've come to look at books." Su Ming suppressed his thoughts, walked up to the bookstall, and also nodded at Xu Qing.

"Mm, please do." Xu Qing's voice was still cool and clear, but it seemed less tense than when they met at the Literary Treasure Studio's entrance.

Zhao Rui stood to the side, looking at the piles of yellowed old books on the ground, and instinctively frowned. In his past understanding, books should be new and crisp, like those in the Literary Treasure Studio, not casually spread out on a straw mat like this.

Su Ming, however, naturally squatted down, his gaze sweeping through the piles of books. The variety of books here was more diverse than at the Literary Treasure Studio, and the prices were much lower. He picked up a copy of “Records of Qingzhou Customs” with elegant handwriting and then chose a basic arithmetic book, “Simple Explanation of the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art.”

"Disciple, ask him." Lin Yu's voice was encouraging. "Establishing effective communication is the first step to building connections. Start with this bookstall."

Su Ming picked up the “Records of Qingzhou Customs” and looked at Xu Qing: "Are all the books here copied by you alone?" His tone was one of genuine curiosity, not doubt.

Xu Qing paused in his action of wiping the cover and looked up at Su Ming. He seemed not to have expected this question, and perhaps because Su Ming was the only one who had spoken up for him at the Literary Treasure Studio, he remained silent for a moment before replying: "Not all. Some are copied by me, and some are hand-copied by classmates from the County School who had no place to sell them, so they entrusted them to my father to sell here." Although his voice was flat, it carried a hint more of explanation than before.

"Students from the County School?" Zhao Rui couldn't help but interject from the side, his tone carrying a trace of imperceptible complex emotion — envy? Or some kind of disappointment?

Xu Qing glanced at Zhao Rui but didn't respond, tacitly acknowledging it.

"So that's how it is." Su Ming nodded in understanding.

"Do you see, disciple?" Lin Yu's voice was a little excited. "This is a ready-made, potentially huge information node! He not only sells books, but more importantly, he connects with those poor students in the County School who copy books to make a living, yearn for knowledge, yet are short on funds! This channel is far more valuable than a mere bookstall. This person, look at the long-term, is worth befriending!"

"How much for these two?" Su Ming handed over the selected books.

Xu Qing took the books and glanced at them: "The 'Records of Customs' is forty wen, and the 'Simple Explanation of the Nine Chapters' is fifty wen, totaling ninety wen." The price was still far lower than at the Literary Treasure Studio.

Su Ming readily counted out ninety wen from his pouch and handed them over. Xu Qing took them, carefully counted them, and put them away. He looked at Su Ming, a hint of imperceptible approval in his eyes. This young man, dressed in equally coarse clothes, was not like many scholars in town who only focused on the imperial examination as a stepping stone. The books he chose, one on local customs and geography, and one on practical arithmetic, both showed a sense of practicality and broad-mindedness.

"Are you buying these for the imperial examination?" Xu Qing, uncharacteristically, asked a question, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

Su Ming put the books into his satchel and said frankly, "Studying is not just for examinations."

The same words, once again, came from Su Ming's mouth.

Zhao Rui stood to the side, feeling as if something had struck him, a dull ache, and a touch of bewilderment.

Xu Qing's eyes, however, suddenly lit up. He looked at Su Ming, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "You... if you often come to town, you can come here to read. It's fine to just read and not buy." He said this very quickly, and after speaking, his gaze lowered slightly to the book in his hands, as if unaccustomed to proactively extending such kindness.

This was almost the greatest generosity a poor scholar could offer.

"Many thanks!" Su Ming bowed formally and reported his name, "My name is Su Ming, from Su Family Village."

"Xu Qing." The young man also briefly responded with his name.

Two simple lines of dialogue, without unnecessary courtesies, yet they seemed to silently build a bridge between the two.

"Done! Excellent!" Lin Yu praised in Su Ming's mind. "The initial interpersonal relationship node has been successfully anchored! Ninety wen bought two practical books, and more importantly, a single phrase 'studying is not just for examinations' opened the heart of this reserved young man, also earning a precious 'knowledge access' permission. This investment is farsighted and will yield long-term benefits!"

"Alright, disciple, both the primary and secondary objectives of this trip have been achieved, with significant additional gains. Zhou Kang remains a hidden danger, so it's not advisable to linger here. It's time to go home."

"We should go home now."

Su Ming nodded, cupped his hands to Xu Qing, and then, leading the still somewhat dazed Zhao Rui, turned and walked towards the city gate.

Xu Qing watched their retreating figures until they disappeared around the street corner, then he squatted down again, continuing to wipe his precious old books. Only this time, a faint smile seemed to hang at the corner of his mouth.