Chapter 201: Wenlan Studio, A Copycat

Bai Tian had to admit he was stumped. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out where this young lady in front of him had come from.

He was pretty sure he’d never seen her before.

Bai Yun’an raised an eyebrow slightly and gave his father a curious look, as if wondering how his dad knew this girl from Jingcheng.

The girl blocking their path had a faint blush on her ears and seemed a little embarrassed. She couldn’t even meet Bai Tian’s eyes directly.

“M-my name is Qin Erniang, from Precious Ink Bookstore.”

“It’s not surprising that you don’t recognize me, sir. Last time at Liuyun Pavilion, I had the honor of hearing you speak. I was deeply impressed by your talent, and I wanted to ask for your name so I could properly credit the line ‘From the vast waters of the world, I choose just one ladle to drink’.”

After Qin Erniang explained her reason, Bai Tian found it all a bit absurd.

He’d only mentioned that line once at Liuyun Pavilion, hadn’t he?

Just once, and this girl had heard it? Not only that, she had seen him once and could still recognize him?

Well, then again, he had to admit—his face was indeed handsome. What could he do?

“So it’s just to cite the source? Then just write ‘Zhong Hua^[1]’! Zhong as in loyalty, Hua as in splendor.”

Bai Tian never missed a chance to promote his beloved Great Zhonghua.

“Alright, th-thank you, sir.”

Qin Erniang grew more nervous and, having gotten the name she came for, turned to leave.

Although social norms in Jingcheng weren’t as strict for women in informal settings, the man before her was still a stranger. She couldn’t help but feel shy.

But Bai Tian called out to her.

“Erniang, does your family run a bookstore?”

Qin Erniang nodded.

Bai Tian asked, “Then, do you sell story books?”

“Of course we do.” At the mention of her family’s shop, Qin Erniang frowned slightly. “But… our story books don’t compare to those from Wenlan Studio. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, Young Master, you might want to check them out instead.”

Bai Tian replied, “No worries. Can I take a look at your shop first?”

Bai Yun’an reminded him, “Dad, weren’t we going home?”

“Just checking things out so we can report back to your mother!” Bai Tian turned to Qin Erniang. “How far is it to Precious Ink Bookstore?”

“Not far. About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea^[2].”

Qin Erniang answered honestly.

Bai Tian was never one to sit still, and along the way he peppered Qin Erniang with questions.

That’s how he learned that Precious Ink Bookstore had been around for quite some time. Back when Qin Erniang’s grandfather ran it, it had a decent reputation. But after her father took over, business gradually declined. Now they were barely scraping by.

Once they arrived, Bai Tian took a quick look around. Story books made up only a small portion of the inventory. Most of the shop was filled with serious literature, along with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

“Dad, take a look at this.”

Bai Yun’an handed a story book to Bai Tian.

Bai Tian glanced down and blinked. Huh? This looked familiar.

“The Tale of the Stone Monkey?”

Wasn’t this the version of Journey to the West^[3] that Jiang Dai had painstakingly adapted?

Why was it renamed and being sold in Jingcheng?

“This is the latest release from Wenlan Studio. A lot of people are reading it, so I bought a copy to check it out.”

Qin Erniang was literate. In Jingcheng, literacy rates were much higher than in Songyuan County.

Even so, the majority of people in Jingcheng still relied on storytelling rather than reading. That was why Jiang Dai had never considered publishing back in Songyuan County. Publishing for an illiterate audience? What a joke.

“Wait, you said this is a new release from Wenlan Studio? When did it come out?”

Now Bai Tian was intrigued.

This book was written by someone from his hometown. How did it end up under Wenlan Studio’s name?

Wenlan Studio really was clever—making money out of thin air. They knew how to hustle.

Qin Erniang didn’t understand why Bai Tian’s tone had suddenly turned strange, but she thought for a moment and answered, “It’s been out for a while. I saw it last month.”

Bai Tian narrowed his eyes, his mind racing with calculations.

He clasped his hands and bowed to Qin Erniang. “I have some matters to attend to, so I won’t trouble you further.”

Qin Erniang watched the tall and short figures walk away, a puzzled look on her face.

She couldn’t help but feel… that gentleman seemed a little off.

The moment Bai Tian got home, the first thing he did was go find Jiang Dai.

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw her still scribbling away.

She wasn’t sitting properly at all, just lounging comfortably in her chair. Her long hair, which had been tied up earlier, now hung in loose waves. The golden hues of the setting sun spilled through the window, outlining her striking profile.

Bai Tian couldn’t help but think—his fellow townsman really was beautiful.

“Dad? Are you frozen? Why are you just standing there?”

The ever-unromantic Bai Yunqi poked his head in, staring at his father who was rooted to the spot.

Jiang Dai snapped out of her focus and turned toward the door.

To cover his awkwardness, Bai Tian quickly shouted, “Jiang Dai, Dai-dai! My dear Dai! Stop writing for a second! We’ve been set up!”

Jiang Dai: ???

Watching Bai Tian rush over, Jiang Dai instinctively pulled out the charcoal pencil she’d made herself and gently pressed it against his waist to keep him at bay.

“Speak clearly. What do you mean, we’ve been set up?” Jiang Dai sat up straight and looked at him in confusion. “We haven’t even done anything yet. We just got to Jingcheng.”

Bai Tian said, “The story book that was only available in Songyuan County is now being sold in Jingcheng. And it’s a hit.”

Jiang Dai narrowed her eyes. “Word for word? And it’s selling well?”

Bai Tian nodded. “Pretty much identical. However you rewrote Journey to the West, that’s exactly how it appears.”

Jiang Dai let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Someone copied my adaptation word for word? Do they even realize how much I had to change just to pass censorship, avoid trouble, and still make money?!”

“They didn’t just plagiarize—they didn’t even bother to tweak it! It’s not even fan fiction at this point! This is outrageous!”

【Sure, I know there’s no copyright in ancient times, and even in modern times plagiarism happens. But at least they usually change a few things. This? This is a straight-up copy.】

【W-h-a-t d-o I d-o! I really want to gut someone right now!】

Just then, Juanjuan walked into the courtyard: ??

What happened to Mom? Why does she want to gut someone? Who made her mad?

Leaning against the doorframe, Bai Yun’an glanced at his little sister who had just entered the courtyard, then back at their parents inside the room. He kindly reminded them, “Dad, Mom, Juanjuan’s back.”

Jiang Dai exhaled, trying to calm herself. She turned to her third son and said, “Take your sister out for a walk.”

Bai Yun’an nodded. “Alright.”

【Just as I thought. I totally called it.】

Still standing in the courtyard, not yet inside, Juanjuan watched as she was swiftly sent away.

Bai Yun’an threw an arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Come on, Third Brother’s taking you out for some tasty treats.”

【Gotta keep racking up those Favorability Points.】

Juanjuan: Honestly, more than snacks, she’d probably like Third Brother to just tell her what happened. That would earn even more points.

“Third Brother…” the little girl asked hesitantly, “I just got back. Why are you taking me out? What’s wrong with Mom?”

Everyone in the family knew Juanjuan was unusually mature for her age.

And since the earlier conversation between her and their mom hadn’t exactly been quiet, even a child could tell she was being deliberately sent away.

So Bai Yun’an decided to be upfront. “Someone took Mom’s story book from Songyuan County without her permission and brought it to Jingcheng to make money off it.”

The next second, Bai Yun’an saw the child’s brows furrow.

“Then isn’t that stealing from Mommy?”

Bai Yun’an nodded. “Yes, that’s why Mommy is discussing with Daddy how to get her things back.”

“We have to get them back. What’s Mommy’s is Mommy’s.”

“Exactly! What’s Mommy’s is Mommy’s!”

Jiang Dai pushed the door open and stepped out of the house. Her expression was calm, but there was a simmering anger beneath the surface that could be felt.

Seeing the two children still standing in the courtyard, she called out to them directly.

“Come on! We’re going to take a look at that Wenlan Studio. Let’s see exactly who they think they are.”