Tao Qian himself had not expected that in this strange otherworldly realm, he would once again experience the joy of a happy homebody.
However, to be honest, this so-called "Dutch Water" soda didn't taste as good as Cola; it was roughly equivalent to a lemon-flavored soda.
But since he was in another world, having soda to drink wasn't too bad.
He no longer dwelled on why this world and a certain dying dynasty of his previous life were so similar, yet had many completely different details.
Take history alone, it had left Tao Qian completely baffled.
Although he was a history ignoramus, he was certain there had been no "Longevity Heavenly Dynasty" that lasted a thousand years in his previous life.
The current state of affairs was extremely chaotic and complex. Though the court of Tian Chao owned vast territories and appeared mighty from the outside, it was actually showing signs of senescence.
External enemies abounded, while warlords rose internally, carving out their own territories.
And there were numerous natural and man-made disasters, with various plagues rampant.
Tao Qian wanted to learn more about the details, and talking with two natives was undoubtedly a good opportunity.
However, the more one talks, the more mistakes one can make, so Tao Qian didn't plan to guide the conversation too deliberately.
He just needed to play well the role of the original person who treasured words like gold, occasionally inserting a remark to direct the conversation toward the information he wanted.
Who would have thought that just as he had settled on this plan and sat down, those two men directly turned their attention to Tao Qian.
It seemed like they felt they were involved, or perhaps they were genuinely concerned.
The odd stone shop owner Li Sanyu, who resembled Lin Yongjian's younger brother, ate a slice of marinated beef. After swallowing it, his small eyes sparkling, he seriously asked Tao Qian:
"Tao Scholar, I see that you've been seriously selling books all morning, which is completely different from your usual laziness and perfunctory attitude. Could it be that you're planning to live a good life?"
"If that's really the case, I do have a few small business tricks I could share with you."
"It won't cost you much, just a meal of lamb hot pot at Taian Inn could appease this brother's stomach."
Li Sanyu had just patted his belly and finished speaking when the cunning Jia Qiang also suddenly laughed.
His expression carried a bit more teasing, as he pinched a peanut and tossed it into his mouth, then said:
"What a coincidence, Boss Li has some money-making tricks, and I have a few too. Might as well give them all to Tao Scholar."
"However, I don't have much craving for food, but rather a feast for the eyes. I hear that in the provincial capital they've already started a trend of color advertisements that can miraculously print various colors onto promo pages."
"Those Great Merchants sure know how to have fun. Rumor has it they can directly depict those beautiful and delicate 'lamuchun' girls, lifelike as real people, even more charming."
"Take this 'Crown Life Dutch Water,' for example, the big boss actually invited Huang Yueying as whatshisname spokesman, and even drew eighteen different poses for promo pages. My friend from the provincial capital described them to me, said they were so stunning they bubbled with zest."
"Although our Seeking Immortal County has a port and is considered prosperous among the dozen surrounding counties, it still can't compare with the provincial capital; such things haven't reached us here, which I regret a lot."
"But it's not without opportunity."
"I hear many booksellers compile those promo pages into booklets for sale, and although they are priced high, they are definitely worth it."
"In a moment, the book market is about to open. I don't have a 'book token,' so I can't board those big Book Ships. Since Tao Scholar, you're going to restock anyway, would you mind taking the trouble to help out this brother and look around for me? Huang Yueying would be the best, but if there's also Bai Feifeng, Li Zhuzhu, Feng Heng, Hua Rongrong... I won't complain, the more the merrier."
After this barrage of words, not only Tao Qian, but also Li Sanyu on the side cast a scornful glance at this guy.
Then, turning to Tao Qian added, "If it's not too much trouble, help this brother find a copy as well, book funds aren't an issue; I've got plenty of money."
The two lustful... Tao Qian swallowed the heartless taunt that had reached the tip of his tongue.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: so spokespersons and the effect of female stars had started at this age.
Despite the scorn, Tao Qian actually wanted to... cough, after all, he had no feud with those shiny and bright silver coins.
These two old guys seemed to really have a good relationship with the original person, and seeing him buck up, both wanted to earnestly offer some advice.
With a quick thought, Tao Qian mimicked the scholar's manner and got up, bowed to the two men, and said very seriously, "Please do not hesitate to enlighten me, brothers; the scholar is endlessly grateful."
Seeing Tao Qian's gesture, both men were in an excellent mood.
It was still Li Sanyu who pulled Tao Qian to sit down and pointed to a little stool before saying:
"Tao Scholar, although I'm best at selling stones, the act of selling, in general, is just the same things. You insist on genuine books, so I won't tell you about those truly profitable and easy tricks."
"What you should do now is to expand your sales channels. Just sitting in the store waiting for sales won't do; it's too foolish."
"Look at Shiyu Hall and Daguan Hall on the main street; aside from their shops, they have relationships with the city's government school and various private schools and go directly to sell books. I even heard that they keep addresses of most scholars, Great Scholars, and old academics, and send clerks to promote new and Secret Books."
"You don't have the connections, and you can't bear to lower yourself, so you must find a different path. Shiyu and Daguan are limited by government rules, and certain book categories are restricted."
"Your little bookshop is free from those restrictions, so you might as well reduce the focus on classics, historical, and philosophical texts, and instead feature more tales of the supernatural, martial heroes, devils and Immortals, and romance novels. Add to this almanacs, daily-use character books, and commonly used medical texts, focusing on small profits but quick returns. It will be hard to become rich, but ensuring a living is no problem."