Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 385: Some Things, He Can Only Guess, Not Be Certain
"Dream of the Red Chamber?"
"Yes, exactly ’Dream of the Red Chamber’."
The top of the four great classical novels, isn’t it indeed Dream of the Red Chamber?
Qu Fulan had already planned, with Dream of the Red Chamber as the main topic, to tell a Chapter each week, while using the rest of the time to narrate other novels as a supplement.
The selection of other novels was easy, the most accessible would be books from the "Ten Thousand Books Bookstore", picking some good books to narrate would not be a problem to stabilize traffic.
She could even use "The Best Storybook" for storytelling, after all, "The Best Storybook" was a hit, and using it for storytelling could drive certain traffic.
Telling stories for free does not mean that physical books won’t have a future; as the books become more famous, people will want to buy physical copies as souvenirs, achieving a win-win situation.
And the key ways her department store makes money.
The first is tenant recruitment, store space leasing is a crucial factor for the survival of a shopping center.
The second is advertising service, placing advertisements has become one of the means for shopping center profitability.
The third is parking fees: as a public place, some fees are charged for the provided security and management.
By that time, there would definitely be people visiting in carriages, who would need a spacious place for parking; in a place like Capital City where land is precious, a parking lot is a very necessary presence.
Otherwise, parking randomly outside would cause blockages on the roads.
The fourth is theme events: holding themed activities regularly or according to holidays within the mall to help attract visitors to the businesses.
While writing a plan for the department store, Qu Fulan didn’t notice Pei Ji’an sitting on the other side, holding a book but frequently glancing back at her with a probing look in his eyes.
When she got tired and took a break to stretch, Pei Ji’an smiled at her, "Finished writing?"
Qu Fulan shook her head, "There’s still a part left."
"Let me take a look."
Qu Fulan handed over the plan for him to see, though there were many modern terms in it, she didn’t worry about him seeing them; after all, it wouldn’t matter if he did, she could easily brush it off with a simple explanation as she’d done before.
As a result, Pei Ji’an finished reading without any questions and just returned the plan to her, not even asking about the origin of ’Dream of the Red Chamber.’
Qu Fulan was prepared with a draft, but ended up having no chance to say it.
She was so unused to his silence that she asked back, "Aren’t you going to ask what kind of book Dream of the Red Chamber is?"
After all, she claimed it was on par with ’Journey to the West’, even the emperor was curious, although she kept it a secret, saying he would understand when the book came out.
But if Pei Ji’an were to ask, she would certainly tell him.
Pei Ji’an smiled and cooperated, "What kind of book is it?"
"It’s a novel about worldly affairs, telling the story of how a great family rises and falls into ruin."
Anyway, the synopsis is that simple, just like Journey to the West, which can be briefed as the story of Tang Seng and his disciples traveling to Western Heaven to fetch scriptures. It sounds simple, but the story content is not simple.
"I imagine it will be very interesting," Pei Ji’an said.
Qu Fulan touched her nose, "It is indeed interesting, written by a gentleman named Cao. I also dreamed about it, you know, just like how Journey to the West came about."
Pei Ji’an nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation, "Feeling tired from writing? Let’s go out for a walk to relax."
Qu Fulan only felt that his tolerance was really big; such an excuse could actually fool others, but he seemed like he would have many questions, yet he never delves deeply, just as in the past and now alike.
"Alright, I actually wanted to go out for a walk, ease my eyes, let me change clothes first."
After saying this, she returned to her room, changed into a pink outfit, and went to stroll in the garden with him.
It was now March with warm temperatures, and the garden was blooming with flowers, very beautiful.
After walking for a while, they sat down in a pavilion, surrounded by flowers that didn’t obstruct the view even when sitting.
However, they were not the only ones visiting the garden today, Pei Yuan and Ren Hua also brought their child out for a walk and were across a river from them.
Tuan had started school, but didn’t need to attend class today, and now the family of four walked around leisurely not far away, a pleasant sight to behold.
Now Ren Hua’s main duty was to support her husband and raise her child; regarding her career, she had essentially left it to the steward to handle, and it was enough for her to check the accounts now and then.
This was the path most women in ancient times took, focusing on family as the primary concern, while career wasn’t something they should worry about, as long as managing the household was well done, it was a big success.
Just most women weren’t as lucky as Ren Hua; although she sacrificed her career, she gained rare love.
Besides those two concubines, Pei Yuan had never taken more wives, and it was said that he recently dismissed those two concubines, giving them both a considerable sum, likely as pension money.
In such ancient times where men had multiple wives, Pei Yuan could be considered a good man, and such men like him were not common.
Not to mention men like Heir Pei, who were so few as to be nearly negligible.
And encountering such a man, Qu Fulan knew she was lucky.
"Sometimes I feel like you’re not a person from this era," Qu Fulan said.
While pouring tea, Pei Ji’an’s hand paused slightly, "On what grounds?"
"It’s your overly open-minded thinking; back when I was your maid, you never interfered with what I did, even if you didn’t understand, you let me do as I pleased, which isn’t what a master would typically do."
Pei Ji’an smiled, "In your eyes, what’s a master’s supposed to be like?"
"Tyrannical, domineering, dictating without allowing contradiction, instructing them to go east and not west, the servants must obey and not act on their own," Qu Fulan counted casually, listing a whole slew of attributes typical of the era’s leaders.
"According to what you’re saying, I don’t seem like a master."
"Right, you’re more like a qualified supervisor instead."
Pei Ji’an’s eyes smiled, "A qualified supervisor? In your eyes, what is a qualified supervisor like?"
"A qualified supervisor is someone who, like you before, judges based on ability."
Pei Ji’an smiled again, "You say I don’t seem like a person of this era, wouldn’t your many words and actions be even less so?"
Qu Fulan paused in her tea drinking, and looked at him expressionlessly, hmm, seemed like he was just making a casual remark.
"In this world, there are always people who are different from the majority; you and I both belong to the minority," she explained herself while pulling him into it as well.
Could she really say she wasn’t from this era? Maybe even if he knew, he wouldn’t mind, but some things aren’t worth the gamble, nor is there a need to gamble.
Just like human nature, it’s best not to test it.
"Lanlan, do you like this world?" Pei Ji’an asked casually.
Someone had asked her this question in the modern world, how did she answer at the time?
—Both like it and don’t like it.
Like it because there are people who matter, dislike it because living alone isn’t easy. But
But everyone only has one life, and it should be cherished.
"Like it, and also don’t like it, I suppose."
"If..."
"If what?"
Pei Ji’an smiled, "It’s nothing."
Some things, he also just speculated, not certain.
