Chapter 198 3/3

Li Qingzhi and Governor Zhang’s correspondence has never ceased, but Li Qingzhi hadn’t sent any manuscripts to Governor Zhang for quite a few days.

He planned to finish writing before sending it to Governor Zhang… It wasn’t until yesterday that he finally completed it.

Governor Zhang opened the food box and saw that it contained Juewei Restaurant’s spicy duck and some fresh wontons.

Lately, Chang Zhan had been teaching his apprentices to make various types of noodles, so he occasionally got to eat dumplings and wontons sent by Chang Zhan.

Governor Zhang liked eating noodles, so when he saw the wontons, he immediately had Steward Li take them to be cooked. After the wontons were taken away, the manuscripts underneath were revealed.

Governor Zhang took them out and first read the letter written by Li Qingzhi.

“Travels of a Solitary Man” was actually completed…

… Governor Zhang felt somewhat lost, yet impatiently opened the book to read.

The world described in this book is truly wonderful.

If only Daqi could be like this!

As Governor Zhang continued reading, he found that this time Li Qingzhi had written about the military camp.

In that world, the military was divided into the air force, army, and navy, and people took pride in becoming soldiers…

In Daqi, only those who couldn’t afford to eat joined the military, and ordinary people saw military service as a disaster!

And the strict military discipline of “not taking anything from the people”… If there were a military like this, it would surely be invincible.

Governor Zhang read with excitement. Meanwhile, the seventh volume of “Travels of a Solitary Man” had just been printed and today was the day of its release.

The first volume of “Travels of a Solitary Man” had attracted many buyers, and now that the book had reached its seventh volume, even more people were clamoring for it! When Shen’s Bookstore first started selling it, there was a long line outside.

Some people even bought several copies at once, intending to send them to their relatives and friends who didn’t live in the provincial capital!

As usual, some people couldn’t wait to read the book as soon as they got it.

One person exclaimed, “There are diagrams in this book, it’s a textile machine!”

“A textile machine? Can it be used?”

“It definitely can! The diagrams drawn by the Qiongdu Sanren can all be implemented!”

“The design of this bicycle is quite interesting!”

“I wonder if this textile machine is any good.”

…

As people discussed, some were more interested in the factories described in the book than the textile machine.

Li Qingzhi wrote the book based on the development level of the 70s and 80s.

In fact, those were quite poor times, and things like mobile phones and computers weren’t commonplace among ordinary people.

But this already amazed the readers of Daqi.

“These factories are really good!”

“Indeed, they’re not bad, but there’s a lack of traditional virtues, with men and women working together.”

“Since it’s a utopian world, what’s wrong with men and women working together?”

“Women here can even initiate divorces, which is simply unreasonable.”

“I actually think this is well-written. This is what a true utopian world should be like.”

…

As the discussion went on, some people angrily spoke up, “The Qiongdu Sanren’s books I’ve read are just a seeker of fame and reputation, hiding behind anonymity! He doesn’t dare to show his face in public!”

Then… this person was beaten by the people around him.

Those who queued up to buy “Travels of a Solitary Man” were all very fond of this book and greatly admired the Qiongdu Sanren.

At this moment, when someone suddenly said that the Qiongdu Sanren was not good, it was strange not to get beaten up!

As the township examination approached, some scholars arrived early in the provincial capital, visiting each other while also visiting the scholars of the provincial capital, trying to seek their guidance.

With more people in the provincial capital, there were more debates.

“The world described in this book is truly the real Peach Blossom Spring!”

“If only I could go to that world!”

“What’s so good about it? In my opinion, this book should be banned!”

…

As the debates continued, so did the number of book buyers.

Shen Zhilan made a fortune, thinking about her caravan returning from the capital soon, making her even happier.

When her caravan went to the capital, it took thousands of copies of “Travels of a Solitary Man” with them, but she didn’t know if the people in the capital liked the book or not.

Of course, this wasn’t the key. The key was… if everything went smoothly, her caravan would make her a lot of money this time.

Her business was getting better and better, but Yulong Trading Company was on the decline.

Thinking of Yulong Trading Company, Shen Zhilan thought of Qian Fugui.

She felt sorry for Qian Fugui.

Qian Fugui, a businessman, probably joined Prince Yan just to earn a little more money. Now, he hadn’t earned much money and his family had been ruined! There were rumors that Qian Fugui’s wife and nephew were killed by Eunuch Lu’s men, but she didn’t know if it was true or not.

And Qian Fugui… he had been seriously ill for several months and hadn’t recovered yet.

However, although Shen Zhilan sympathized with Qian Fugui, she had no intention of contacting him at all.

Their masters were different… She had already drawn a clear line with Qian Fugui.

Shen Zhilan had thought about contacting Prince Yan before, but now… since Eunuch Lu hated Prince Yan so much, as long as Eunuch Lu didn’t fall, Prince Yan would be his enemy!

But Shen Zhilan couldn’t figure out one thing.

She had dealt with Yulong Trading Company, but for some reason, she hadn’t made much money from Yulong Trading Company.