Chapter 202: The Time Gap

Wenlan Studio was decorated in a style of understated luxury. At first glance, it looked simple and elegant, but anyone with a discerning eye would recognize that every ornament in the room was worth a small fortune.

However, Bai Tian and Jiang Dai were not among those with such discerning eyes.

Jiang Dai picked up a copy of The Tale of the Stone Monkey^[1] and flipped through it casually.

【They really didn’t change a thing. It’s exactly the same as what the storyteller^[2] at Shiwei Restaurant recited, word for word!】

Juanjuan, who was being held in her father’s arms, tilted her head to sneak a look. She felt she still had a lot to learn.

The book her mother was holding, The Tale of the Stone Monkey, had so many characters she didn’t recognize yet.

But if her mother said it was copied, then it must have been copied.

Jiang Dai strolled around the study for a bit, then finally chose a copy of The Tale of the Stone Monkey and went to pay, looking every bit the ordinary book lover.

“When will the second volume be released?” she asked.

The shopkeeper beamed. “You’ll have to wait! A biography this good isn’t something that can be written overnight!”

A bright smile lit up Jiang Dai’s face. “Shopkeeper, who’s the author? With such literary flair, I’d love to pay them a visit.”

Seeing the beauty before him and the extra silver she slipped him, the shopkeeper was happy to share a little more. “I don’t know who wrote it. All I know is that it came from the boss. I’m curious myself who the author is. Hopefully they’ll write more soon.”

Jiang Dai smiled and thanked him, then left with the book in hand.

Bai Tian and the others followed her out and headed to a nearby teahouse.

Jiang Dai placed The Tale of the Stone Monkey on the table.

“Well? Got any ideas?” Bai Tian asked.

“It’s definitely copied. But this story is mine. No one can steal what’s in my head.”

Jiang Dai wasn’t in a rush. She was now certain that the version of The Tale of the Stone Monkey circulating in Jingcheng had come from the storyteller in Songyuan County.

Since the person had heard it from the storyteller, they must have been traveling back and forth between Songyuan County and Jingcheng. That kind of back-and-forth took time.

Jiang Dai slowly laid out her thoughts:

“If I hadn’t come to Jingcheng, then this person could’ve just kept copying what the storyteller said in Songyuan County, then sold it here in Jingcheng. No problem at all.”

“But now that I’m here, we don’t need to waste time on travel. We can release the sequel faster than anyone else.”

“They’ve already built up the name of The Tale of the Stone Monkey. We can ride that wave and release the sequel to make some silver.”

“With storybooks, it’s all about timing. The first batch is always the most valuable.”

Bai Tian nodded. “That’s true. Then let’s get started and release the sequel before they do.”

“But before we publish, we need to find out whether Jingcheng has any protections for written works. And we should also look into the owner of Wenlan Studio.”

When it came to business, Bai Tian had a decent sense for these things.

Doing business in Songyuan County didn’t require too much caution. There were only a few wealthy households, and conflicts or tangled relationships were rare.

But Jingcheng was a different story. The relationships here were far more complex, and there were many more things to watch out for.

“For such a small place like Songyuan County, it’s amazing someone in Jingcheng recognized the value and brought it here.”

Bai Tian couldn’t help but sigh, then turned to Juanjuan. “Did you understand what your mother and I were talking about?”

Juanjuan blinked, caught off guard by the question, then nodded.

She more or less understood.

“Did it seem boring to you?”

Juanjuan shook her head. “Not boring.”

Looking at his clever and adorable little daughter, Bai Tian couldn’t help but say, “Since it’s not boring, then it’s not a bad thing to listen in on these discussions with your parents more often.”

After all, that’s how he was raised.

Sometimes, when you let education seep into daily life like a slow stream, children absorb it naturally, just by being around it.

【Especially kids in ancient times—they mature so fast. It’s better not to raise Juanjuan too sheltered.】