Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 25
by Little PandaVolume 2: The Captivating Splendor of Jingdu
The First Step to Making Money
The paintings sold in those bookshops were meant to be copied and resold.
The technological timeline of Yanxue Kingdom during this dynasty is somewhat similar to the Han Dynasty period [汉朝 | Hàncháo | 206 BCE – 220 CE]. Lacking advanced technology, let alone printing, even paper itself only became accessible to commoners two female Emperors ago, when someone invented a cheap method of production using nettles, bark, and rags.
But without printing, widespread distribution relied on hand-copying. In the capital city, Jingdu, some scholars preparing for the imperial exams, having run out of funds, made a living copying books and paintings.
This is why some of Su Yi’s portraits resembled her while others didn’t – they were copied by different people. Regardless of the resemblance, they all captured some of her charm, which contributed to their popularity.
However, sales volume is key to profit. Other sellers have dozens, even hundreds, of dedicated copyists, ensuring high output. Su Yi only had Ji Qingchi, and even if Ji Qingchi worked herself to death, she couldn’t produce enough.
Su Yi hadn’t considered this yesterday when she came up with her plan to outcompete everyone. She only realized it today, seeing Ji Qingchi painting tirelessly, without food or drink.
Furthermore, Ji Qingchi had a meticulous streak, approaching every task with precision. Every copy she made, she strived to replicate the first one perfectly.
She painted the entire day, and after escorting Su Yi back in the evening, continued painting, only sleeping for an hour.
Although Su Yi worried about potential future repercussions, she eventually succumbed to sleep.
The next day, she went to see Ji Qingchi, feeling refreshed but also apprehensive. She was debating whether to apologize when she entered the courtyard and saw Ji Qingchi walking in with dark circles under her eyes, startling her.
“Fulang, what happened?”
“Nothing. Qizhu [妻主 | qīzhǔ | Wife Master; changing it to be more consistent], I painted two hundred portraits yesterday,” Ji Qingchi said with a faint smile, gesturing for the servants behind her to step forward.
Each servant held one hundred portraits, some still wet with ink, clearly recently finished. Su Yi glanced at the rising sun, feeling a pang of guilt. Had Ji Qingchi stayed up all night?
“Fulang, did you not sleep last night? I am truly terrible. For my own selfish whim, I made you lose a night’s rest.”
Su Yi’s anxiety spiraled. What if Ji Qingchi held a grudge and sought revenge later?
Overwhelmed with fear, Su Yi expressed her deepest remorse. “Fulang, I’m sorry. I was too thoughtless.”
Su Yi’s guilt moved Ji Qingchi. Somehow, the all-nighter didn’t seem so bad anymore. She waved her hand dismissively. “It wasn’t Qizhu’s fault. I insisted on painting them.” She was a perfectionist; having promised to help Su Yi, she would do her utmost.
“Fulang, let me see your hand.”
Su Yi grabbed Ji Qingchi’s hand. Her right index and middle fingers were raw, the skin peeled back. Su Yi, highly empathetic, winced as if the injury were her own. “It hurts!”
Ji Qingchi uneasily withdrew her hand. She was used to minor injuries. This was the first time anyone had cared. “It doesn’t hurt.”
You are made of iron, of course it doesn’t hurt you, but it hurts me to see it. The image of the wound wouldn’t leave Su Yi’s mind. Thinking about adding text next to Ji Qingchi’s paintings, she grimaced. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.”
Ji Qingchi coughed lightly. “It really doesn’t hurt…”
They were talking at cross-purposes. The imagined pain overwhelmed Su Yi. She stumbled, clutching her forehead.
Her servant Yan Can [燕参 | Yān Cān | Yanshen; revising it] quickly steadied her. “Miss, are you alright?”
“I must develop printing as soon as possible,” Su Yi declared, still shaken. Supported by Yan Can, she instructed another servant, Gan Cao [甘草 | Gān Cǎo | Gancao; correction], to fetch a carpenter.
Confused by her behavior, the others watched as Su Yi, after urging Gan Cao to hurry, asked Feng Ruoqing to tend Ji Qingchi’s wounds.
Gan Cao returned with a plain-looking middle-aged woman. “Miss, this is the best carpenter in the area.”
“Good. Could you carve some things for me?”
“At your service, Miss.”
Su Yi nodded, and asked Yan Can for brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. She began writing common Yanxue Kingdom characters, thinking as she wrote.
Yan Can, literate, noticed something odd. “Miss, why are you writing the characters backwards?”
The others looked. The characters were indeed reversed.
Su Yi smiled. “You’ll see.”
As she wrote, she grew weak. Yan Can supported her to prevent her from collapsing. Seeing her pale face and colorless lips, Ji Qingchi hesitated, then approached. As she reached for the brush, Su Yi stopped her. “Fulang, your fingers are injured. Don’t strain them.”
Su Yi was terrified of Ji Qingchi misinterpreting her actions.
Unaware of her thoughts, Ji Qingchi was again touched. “It’s nothing, just a small injury.”
“No, Fulang, don’t push yourself.” She turned to Feng Ruoqing. “Feng-guniang [姑娘 | gūniang | polite form of address for a young woman], can you write characters backwards?”
Feng Ruoqing nodded. “It’s not difficult, but I may not be as fast as you, Miss.”
“It’s fine. Would you please write some common characters?”
“Certainly.” Intrigued, Feng Ruoqing readily agreed.
It took a day for them to write two thousand common characters. Su Yi handed the papers to the carpenter. “Could you carve these characters for me?”
“Of course, Miss.”
“How long will it take?”
“With my apprentice, three days should suffice, given the number of characters.”
“Thank you. Please also carve a wooden block to hold these characters.”
The carpenter listened carefully, memorized the request, and accepted the down payment. Yan Can saw her out.
Three days later, the carpenter delivered the finished products. Su Yi arranged the characters in the wooden block, laid paper on top, and brushed it with ink. Text appeared on the paper.
Yan Can gasped. “Ah, so that’s why you wrote the characters backwards, Miss.”
Gan Cao clapped her hands gleefully. “Our miss is so clever!”
Feng Ruoqing also expressed her admiration. “Miss Su, what a brilliant idea! How did you come up with it?” Such technology was unheard of in Yanxue Kingdom.
Ji Qingchi, observing, suddenly grew suspicious. How did Su Yi, a frail, sheltered young lady, know about this? Neighboring Huachen Kingdom possessed many technologies unknown in Yanxue Kingdom. Could Su Yi have contact with people from Huachen Kingdom?
Nervous about being perceived as strange, Su Yi offered an explanation. “I read about it in a book when I was young.” It wasn’t entirely untrue; she had read about such things in books in her previous life.
Ji Qingchi smiled faintly. “What book is so wondrous? I’d like to borrow it.”
Su Yi felt a cold sweat. She’d known Ji Qingchi’s sharp mind would raise questions. “It was written by an old carpenter. I only had a fragmented copy, and I lost it later.”
“Is that so? What a pity.”
Su Yi forced a smile. “Yes, indeed.” She quickly turned away, hiding her anxious expression.
Though still puzzled, Ji Qingchi reasoned that Su Yi, being frail and sheltered, posed no real threat. She decided to drop the matter.
Su Yi had instructed the carpenter to carve smaller characters, allowing her to print text directly onto the back of the portraits. What took Ji Qingchi a day and a night, Su Yi accomplished in a morning.
Each portrait now had accompanying text – travelogues and fictional stories, with “Su Yi” credited as the author.
People love gossip, regardless of era. Lacking modern media, ancient people relied on chatter and handwritten stories for entertainment. Confined to her home, Su Yi had found existing books dull. She had long wanted to create something entertaining.
Thrilled with the results, she instructed Yan Can. “Send someone to sell these.”
Yan Can quickly departed with the goods.
Gan Cao asked curiously, “Miss, do you think they’ll sell?”
“If portraits of me sell, why wouldn’t my stories and travelogues, accompanied by portraits, sell even better?” Su Yi had confidence in her product.
A day later, Yan Can returned, carrying a heavy bag. “Miss, the portraits from before… they sold very well.”
Ji Qingchi’s skill combined with the public’s appetite for stories led to Su Yi’s product selling out. The copied portraits sold for 300 wen [文 | wén | unit of currency]. Su Yi’s, with added content, sold for 290 wen – cheaper and more interesting.
Yan Can opened the bag, revealing it full of copper coins. Su Yi picked up a string of 1,000 guan [貫/贯 | guàn | string of 1,000 cash coins], a smile brightening her face.
As she reveled in her success, Ji Qingchi stepped closer, giving her a look filled with a mix of playful reproach and mock grievance. “Qizhu, shouldn’t you pay me my wages now?”
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