May, the tenth year of Chongzhen.
Gao Family Village. The main village. The Gao Family Village Bookstore.
Song Yingxing stood in front of a tall bookshelf, both hands clasped behind his back, trying very hard to look calm and dignified. In reality, his fingers were trembling.
On the shelf before him sat a neat row of newly printed books.
The Exploitation of the Works of Nature.
The cover was thick, sturdy, beautifully printed. The ink was rich and dark. And right there on the front, bold and unmistakable:
Written by Song Yingxing.
He stared at his own name for a long time.
For a scholar, for an author, for a man who had poured years of sweat, ink, and sleepless nights into paper, there was no sweeter sight than seeing his own work bound and printed properly. Not copied by hand. Not passed around in scraps. Printed. Distributed. Real.
His chest swelled.
This book was not something dashed off in idle hours. It was the result of years of observation, of travel, of questioning craftsmen, of studying tools, furnaces, looms, mills, presses, engines. Every ingenious device he had ever seen, every practical innovation that had improved people's lives, he had recorded it all carefully.
He had revised it again and again. Polished descriptions. Corrected diagrams. Argued with himself over terminology.
It had not been easy.
Not easy at all.
But now that it was here, a new fear crept in.
Would anyone buy it?
Song Yingxing slowly retreated to a corner of the bookstore, ordered a cup of tea, and picked up a random book to half cover his face. Through a narrow gap between the pages, he began observing the entrance like a spy on a battlefield.
Every customer who walked in made his heart jump.
Soon, two men entered.
Their clothes were simple, rough fabric, patched at the elbows. Laborers, without question.
Song Yingxing's eyes sharpened. He followed their movements as they approached the shelves. One of them stopped right in front of his book.
He picked up The Exploitation of the Works of Nature.
Song Yingxing nearly stopped breathing.
The man flipped through a few pages.
Buy it. Buy it. Buy it.
The worker frowned slightly, scratched his head, then slowly placed the book back.
Song Yingxing felt something inside him crack.
The man turned to another shelf and pulled out a different book.
Continent of War Gods, written by Gao Sanwa.
He grinned. "This looks fun."
They went to the counter. Paid. Left.
Song Yingxing clutched his chest.
"Ah," he groaned softly. "I have been defeated by Gao Sanwa."
He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe.
It is fine. It is fine. They are laborers. Perhaps they do not enjoy technical writing. Comic books are lighter reading. That is understandable. Completely understandable.
He repeated this several times until he almost believed it.
Then two more men entered.
These two wore scholar's robes. Clean. Proper. Ink stains on the sleeves. They carried themselves like minor administrators from the Gao Family Village Council.
Song Yingxing straightened.
"These two," he whispered to himself, "will understand quality."
The scholars walked directly to the same shelf.
They picked up The Exploitation of the Works of Nature.
They flipped through it carefully.
One of them chuckled. "This is quite interesting."
Interesting?
Song Yingxing's heart pounded so loudly he was certain it could be heard across the shop.
Yes. Interesting. Buy it. Take it home. Study it thoroughly.
The two scholars nodded at each other.
Then they put the book back.
Song Yingxing froze.
The scholars moved to another section and selected a different title.
How to Handle Public Relations, by San Shier.
They carried it to the counter, paid calmly, and left.
Song Yingxing lowered his head slowly.
"Ah," he muttered in despair. "Defeated by San Shier as well."
He took a long sip of tea that tasted like bitterness itself.
Moments later, another customer entered.
This one wore a Blue Hat.
A senior technical engineer.
Song Yingxing's eyes lit up again.
A Blue Hat. Surely a man of engineering would appreciate a comprehensive scientific compendium.
The Blue Hat did not even glance at Song Yingxing's shelf.
He walked straight to the miscellaneous non fiction section.
He picked up a book titled Earn Your First Hundred Thousand Taels, written by Wu Shen.
He flipped through it enthusiastically.
He nodded vigorously.
He paid and left.
Song Yingxing let out a strangled sound and collapsed onto the table, pressing both hands to his chest.
"I am finished," he whispered. "All the machines, all the craftsmanship, all the knowledge I painstakingly compiled. No one even wants to read it."
He felt worse than if he had suffered a romantic betrayal.
He genuinely felt like crying.
At that exact moment, Gu Yanwu walked in.
He smiled warmly and approached the counter. "Shopkeeper, did you not say that Master Song Yingxing's monumental scientific work, The Exploitation of the Works of Nature, would be published today?"
The shopkeeper nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir. Right over there. That entire row is his book."
Gu Yanwu turned immediately.
He picked up a copy.
He flipped through several pages.
His expression changed at once.
His eyes shone.
"It is all here," he breathed. "So comprehensive. This is practically a complete compendium of all the scientific inventions across our Great Ming, with Gao Family Village's new technologies appended at the end. This is exactly what I have been searching for. Magnificent."
In the corner, Song Yingxing nearly jumped out of his skin.
He is going to buy it.
Gu Yanwu strode to the counter with determination.
Song Yingxing gripped the edge of the table.
Finally. One copy sold.
Gu Yanwu spoke clearly. "I will take two hundred copies to start."
The shopkeeper blinked.
"What?"
Song Yingxing's mind went blank.
Two hundred?
He had been praying for one. This man wanted two hundred?
The shopkeeper stammered, "Master Gu… why so many? We assumed it would not sell widely, so the first printing was only one hundred copies."
"Only one hundred?" Gu Yanwu frowned. "That is far from enough. The school I established in Luoyang has already opened. Though we do not yet have many students, each student must have a copy. Books are easily damaged or misplaced. We must prepare extras. Please arrange another printing immediately."
The shopkeeper gasped. "It is to be used as a textbook?"
Gu Yanwu smiled. "Of course. It is perfect as a textbook."
Before the excitement could settle, two more figures entered the bookstore.
Dao Xuan Tianzun and Gao Yiye, walking side by side, both smiling.
The moment they stepped inside, Dao Xuan Tianzun spoke.
"Shopkeeper, The Exploitation of the Works of Nature is officially published today, correct?"
The shopkeeper immediately bowed deeply. "Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun, yes, it has been published today."
Li Daoxuan smiled lightly. "The Thirty Two Middle School in Gao Family Village requires five hundred copies for textbooks. The schools in Xi'an will require another one thousand. How many were printed in the first batch?"
The shopkeeper broke into a cold sweat.
"Only… one hundred copies," he admitted weakly. "Master Gu already wishes to purchase two hundred. I will arrange reprinting at once. The printing blocks are still here. We can produce more immediately."
"Only one hundred?" Li Daoxuan laughed softly. "So little faith in this book?"
The shopkeeper could only bow repeatedly.
In the corner, Song Yingxing felt his entire body go numb.
The schools of Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Using his book.
As a textbook.
Joy flooded him so intensely that he felt dizzy.
He could barely sit still.
Suddenly he leapt up and rushed forward.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
Li Daoxuan turned with a smile. "Ah, Master Song. You are here?"
Song Yingxing's voice trembled with emotion. "Dao Xuan Tianzun, I truly do not understand. You possess so many Heavenly Books of immense power and profound knowledge. Why would you choose this humble book of mine as a textbook? Surely your Heavenly Books are far superior?"
Li Daoxuan shook his head gently.
"The Heavenly Books are too advanced. They stand somewhat apart from the practical realities of our present society. Your book, however, is rooted in the current technological level of our world. Every device you describe is something that has already been implemented. Students can study it and immediately apply what they learn. That is true education."
He paused, then added with a faint smile.
"My own materials are better suited for those who wish to go further, to innovate, to shape the future. But before one reaches the heavens, one must first stand firmly upon the earth."
Song Yingxing stood there, speechless.
His eyes turned red.
All the bitterness from earlier vanished completely.
In its place remained only pride, relief, and a quiet, steady flame of purpose.
His life's work would not gather dust.
It would shape minds.