After being expelled from the mansion, I changed the dynasty by writing novels.

The man standing in front of the wooden table wore a patched blue robe. He didn't even have a wooden chair. He stood tall and elegant beside the wooden table, engrossed in painting with a brush and ink. Because he was bent over, his face was not visible.

Ye Yuwu looked around and found that the man's stall was too far out in the corner, with few people passing by. Moreover, he didn't call out to attract customers. If Ye Yuwu hadn't happened to glance at him as she passed by, she probably would have just walked past him.

As Ye Yuwu pondered this, she approached his stall, stopped near it, and carefully examined his calligraphy and paintings.

His paintings are excellent; the fish, birds, flowers, and plants are full of spirit, as if they are leaping off the paper. Unfolding a landscape painting on rice paper, his masterful use of ink tones and shades is truly remarkable, making one exclaim, "Wonderful!"

He seemed unaware that someone was approaching his stall, and Ye Yuwu did not disturb him. She stood in front of the stall for a long time until the man finished painting and looked up to see her.

He seemed surprised to see someone at the stall, his eyes filled with barely concealed panic. He quickly asked her if she wanted to buy calligraphy or paintings.

Ye Yuwu reached out and pointed to the painting he had just drawn.

"This one is good, I'll take it."

"This, this painting was just finished, the ink is still wet, young lady..." He finished speaking with some annoyance, inwardly scolding himself for saying such a thing when someone was finally willing to buy the painting. What if the person didn't buy it then?

"Then I'll take this one. It's a portrait, very lifelike." Ye Yuwu picked up the painting below and examined it.

The man followed her gaze and glanced at the portrait she was holding; it was a painting of a court lady.

"Who is the young master painting?" She had just seen many portraits of ladies, each with a different appearance and dressed in gorgeous attire.

The man only realized what she meant when he was asked, but he blushed a little. He still answered her, "These are all goddesses I imagined. They do not refer to any particular woman in the painting. Please don't misunderstand, young lady."

The man took the drawing paper from her and wrapped it up.

"I see. It's a good painting. I wonder if you, sir, can paint portraits?"

"Huh?" The man didn't expect the words to change so quickly and couldn't react for a moment.

"Like, drawing for me?"

"Of course, now?"

Ye Yuwu nodded, but because she was wearing a veil, her nod was not very pronounced, yet the man understood what she meant.

So Ye Yuwu removed her veil, revealing her beautiful face, like a fairy from a painting. Her bright eyes and radiant gaze were not enough to describe her beauty. Her skin, as white as snow, made the goddess he had painted earlier have a real face.

There was nowhere to sit, so the two stood in the corner. One of them just stood there supporting himself with his hands, without posing at all, while the other stood in front of the wooden table and drew her portrait.

The process was somewhat boring, so Ye Yuwu used it as an opportunity to find out his name.

This man, named Hao Yili, was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations. He had a wife and children, but he was unlucky and failed the exams several times. He had no interest in painting and supported his family by selling paintings at a stall. Sometimes he would go to brothels to paint portraits of courtesans to supplement his income.

Because he was too timid, someone had taken a liking to his stall on East Street and forced him to sell his paintings here, so business was naturally dismal. Ye Yuwu was his first customer this month.

Somehow, they started talking about the novel "Starfall Rain".

"This is all the rage in Bianjing! I only managed to read it because I borrowed it from a friend. I heard it was even adapted into an opera, but unfortunately I haven't saved enough money to take my wife and children to see it." The man's tone was full of regret.

"So you've heard of this storybook, sir. In that case, would you be interested in collaborating with our bookstore?"

Hao Yili didn't react until Ye Yuwu paid and left with the two paintings, satisfied.

He slapped himself twice, muttering incredulously to himself, "Did I hear that right?!"

Just then, a child with a flower bud in his hair jumped out of the alley and stared blankly at Hao Yili.

"Mother, there's a fool here, he's slapping himself!"

Before evening, Hao Yili took the calligraphy and painting home.

His wife saw him return through the dilapidated wooden window in the kitchen. Thinking it had rained, she poked her head out.

"Huh, it didn't rain today? Why are you home so early?"

Hao Yili's five-year-old son, being quite sensible, came out of the house to help his father carry the portrait.

"I won't be setting up a stall tomorrow."

"What's wrong, my husband?" The woman immediately came out of the kitchen upon hearing the man's words.

Hao Yili pushed his wife into the house, closed the door, and then told her with a smile what had happened that day.

"Really? Is it that bookstore that sells 'Starfall Rain'?" His wife, Wang, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

Hao Yili nodded.

Wang almost went crazy. "My goodness! It seems our Hao family has gotten a great deal. Things will get better soon!"

Wang couldn't help but wipe away her tears, and almost burned incense and paid her respects to the family's memorial tablet.

Hao Yili stopped her, feeling that Wang was exaggerating.

"How can this be an exaggeration, my lord! In Bianjing now, who doesn't know Mr. Wuming of 'Starfall Rain' and Manager Ye of Zhiyu Bookstore?"

The daughter of the Yao family in our neighborhood once said she was going to work as an editor at Zhiyu Bookstore.

Originally, Yao's parents were vehemently opposed, but in the end, they couldn't resist their parents' insistence and let her go.

Now things are much better; jobs at bookstores have become highly sought-after, and everyone is scrambling to get them.

This bookstore pays well; a month's wages there are equivalent to three months' wages at their home. Even the waiter's job is highly sought after!

Now the Yao family has completely changed their attitude. They pamper their daughter every day, telling everyone that their daughter works as an editor at the Zhiyu Bookstore! If my husband could also have work at the Zhiyu Bookstore, then our family wouldn't be eating cornbread every day.

If the Yao family hadn't been talking about it to everyone they met in the alley every day, the people in the alley wouldn't have known so much.

Wang's optimism did not affect Hao Yili; he was still very anxious, fearing that he would lose the hard-won opportunity.

The next day, after changing into clean clothes, he took his usual brushes and ink and went to Zhiyu Bookstore.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the bookstore, he saw a beautiful woman standing at the door with a blank expression. She did not change her expression when she saw him, but simply gestured for him to enter.

I was somewhat surprised when he got closer.

This girl is so tall!

Hao Yili felt instantly shorter when she stood next to "her," and the other woman had an aura that made Hao Yili not dare to look at "her" a second time before entering the bookstore.

At the same time, he thought to himself that Zhiyu Bookstore was indeed a hidden gem, even the girl standing at the door was different from others!

It wasn't just him who thought this way; everyone who entered the store would have the same thought upon seeing "her".