Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

Ji Nuan stuffed Yin Dou'er into Qiu Shizao's arms, picked up the top book and slowly opened it.

In just half a cup of tea, Ji Nuan had already quickly skimmed through the 20,000-word story, its content truly astonishing. Unlike the now-common cliché of the impoverished scholar and the rich daughter, it was clearly written by a frustrated scholar whose talent was unappreciated. They were downtrodden in reality, yet within the world of storytelling, they wove dreams of a carefree and prosperous life, seeking solace for their regrets and a chance to earn a small fortune.

"Mr. Qiu Ye?" Ji Nuan's eyes fell on the signature at the end of the page and asked in confusion, "Which elder of the Qiu family wrote this book?"

It's no wonder Ji Nuan had such doubts. After all, it was the book that Qiu Shi had taken earlier, and it was signed by Mr. Qiu Ye. The surname Qiu is not common, so it's inevitable that people would think that it was written by a member of the Qiu family.

Qiu Shi had already stopped feeding Yin Dou'er water. Her little face instantly flushed, her eyes filled with both anticipation and trepidation. She looked at Ji Nuan and asked softly, "Sister Nuan Nuan, is this story not well written?"

Ji Nuan smiled and shook her head. "How could that be? Most of the storybooks on the market are the same old storylines, with stories of talented men and beautiful women, and happy endings. People are no longer interested in reading storybooks. But this one focuses on the emotional entanglement between a loyal female bandit and a general who suppresses bandits. The story is novel and unique, and the emotions are sincere and full. Tell me quickly, which talented person in your family wrote this?"

Qiu Shili covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly, "Who else could it be? In our family, the only one who has the leisure time and enjoys reading is Shi Zao. When she was recuperating at her grandparents' house, she would stay in the yard all day, reading storybooks one after another. Later, probably because she read too much, she felt that the ones available on the market were not satisfactory, so she started writing her own."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Qiao's eyes lit up and she exclaimed in amazement, "Wow! Shi Zao is such a talented woman! I used to flip through a few storybooks when I was free, but I always felt that there was nothing new. Since it was written by Shi Zao, and Sister Nuan Nuan also praised the story for being well written, then I can't miss it. Let me read it carefully!" As she said that, Qiao Qiao reached out to Ji Nuan to ask for the book.

Ji Nuan suddenly recalled the scene where the bookstore owner urged her to find folk ghost stories, but she was too lazy to copy them and wanted to escape. An idea flashed through her mind, and her eyes lit up instantly.

She smiled like a brothel owner who kidnapped little girls. "Shi Zao, your storybooks are so brilliantly written. Wouldn't it be a shame if only a few of us could enjoy them? Have you ever considered cooperating with a bookstore to spread your stories throughout the city, and even throughout Dongchu, so that those who love storybooks can have a glimpse of them?"

Qiu Shizao showed hesitation and asked softly, "These are just random things I wrote for fun when I was bored. Will the people in the bookstore really appreciate them?"

Ji Nuan tapped her shoulder lightly and tried to persuade her again, "Hey, Shi Zao, don't underestimate yourself! The storybooks in the bookstores now are all those clichéd stories. If you take these books of yours to the shopkeeper, I'm afraid he will laugh his ass off. Once they are printed and put on the shelves, I guarantee that they will be sold out like new soap!"

After listening to Ji Nuan's description, Qiu Shizao couldn't help but feel eager to do something, but she couldn't make up her mind for a moment, so she turned to Qiu Shili and sought her sister's advice.

Qiu Shili gave her sister a soothing look, thinking carefully for her: "Nuannuan, do you have any trustworthy bookstore recommendations? Shi Zao is a girl, so it's best not to reveal her identity to outsiders."

"Haha, I recommend the talented regardless of their relationship. The bookshop on East Street is owned by me, and Manager Zhou is desperately looking for books." Ji Nuan glanced at the sisters with a smile, "If you don't feel comfortable coming in person, you can let me handle it directly. If you have any special requests, you can raise them now."

Qiu Shizao's face lit up with a brilliant smile. He excitedly manipulated Yindou'er's little hands, shaking them with joy. "It's great that Sister Nuannuan has her own bookstore! This way, I have nothing to worry about. I can rest assured leaving my books to you."

Ji Nuan used the vital water that she had prepared in advance to make tea, poured a cup for everyone present, and asked Xue Qing to send the rest to Ji Chuan.

As the aroma of tea wafted in the air, she casually flipped through the few remaining books on the table while discussing with Qiu Shili.

"Shi Li, regarding the profit sharing of these books, I have two plans..." Ji Nuan's tone was filled with a mix of friendliness and business acumen. "As for publicity, our bookstore has its own methods. Combined with some innovative tactics, we'll definitely attract the public's attention. As for selling them to places further afield than the capital, that will require some careful planning."

The Qiu Shili sisters listened quietly, asking questions from time to time or nodding in agreement.

Suddenly, a "boom" sound came from the distance. As the sound approached, it seemed that even the ground beneath the feet was shaking slightly.

"Sister Nuannuan, what's that noise?" Chen Rong, who had been playing with the little one, immediately stood up upon hearing the unusual noise. Like the others, she cast her gaze toward the foot of the mountain. A cloud of dust rose like a streaking arrow, obscuring their vision and making it impossible to discern the rapidly approaching object.

Ji Nuan quickly focused her attention and was secretly shocked. At the foot of the mountain, there were no fewer than ten wild boars, large and small, rushing towards them frantically, their momentum fierce, as if they were determined to crush everything in their path into dust.

She and Ma Duo were the only kung fu experts left in the clearing; the others were ordinary, powerless people. She immediately realized the dire situation and shouted, "Oh no! It's a herd of wild boars! There's nowhere to hide here! Hurry and get to my third brother. Ma Duo will protect you. Xueqing, quickly grab Yin Dou'er and go over there too!"

Ji Nuan picked up Yin Dou'er and stuffed her into Xue Qing's arms, then pushed them and urged, "Hurry up and go, don't hesitate!"

Xue Qing held Yin Dou'er in her arms and turned to face Ji Nuan, her face full of anxiety: "Miss, the wild boar is rushing towards us. It's too dangerous for you to stay here. Come with us."

"Sister Nuannuan, let's go together." The other people also echoed, unwilling to leave Ji Nuan alone to face the danger.

Yin Douer seemed to feel the tense atmosphere around her and started crying loudly, stretching her little hands towards Ji Nuan, wanting to return to her arms.

- ??(?????) Thanks to Xuanying and Baoer for their support!