Ch 195: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Mushui City, Lingxiao Pavilion.

Ming Shi and Shui Shan bumped into each other at the entrance. Ming Shi was carrying two uniquely styled paper bags, while Shui Shan held a bundle of pastries wrapped in oil paper. Their gazes lingered briefly on each other’s hands, but neither asked any questions as they proceeded together toward the Pavilion Master’s residence.

The old Pavilion Master was resting in the courtyard under a tree, with Jin Lu and Qi Wu beside him.

All three were martial artists, and upon hearing footsteps, they turned their heads. Seeing Ming Shi and Shui Shan, smiles of delight instantly appeared on their faces.

Qi Wu called out, “You two came back just in time! Die Qi just sent over Mid-Autumn Festival gifts from Liangjing. We were just about to open them. Come, take a look!”

The Pavilion Master raised a hand, calming the eager Jin Lu and Qi Wu, and first inquired about Ming Shi and Shui Shan’s missions.

Ming Shi and Shui Shan exchanged a glance, unsure of what to expect.

Both had been out gathering information, with Ming Shi heading south and Shui Shan to the northern borders. They hadn’t left together but coincidentally returned at the same time.

Both missions had gone smoothly, with no incidents on the road, and the information was already on its way to the capital.

Lingxiao Pavilion had long collaborated with the elite of Liangjing, focusing more on intelligence gathering than on assassination.

Once the two had reported on their missions, Jin Lu eagerly called them over to help unpack the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts sent by Die Qi.

The gifts had been prepared by three members of the “Little Digits” group, with Die Qi handling delivery back to Mushui City and writing the accompanying letter.

The large box had surprised Jin Lu and Qi Wu upon arrival.

The material of the box was quite unusual—not wood, but seemingly made of paper, yet very sturdy.

Jin Lu used a short dagger to cut open the box, revealing five boxes of mooncakes, a bottle of hand sanitizer, five bars of soap, and a pack of tissues.

Ming Shi eyed the hand sanitizer and tissues with a look of puzzlement.

Qi Jin Lu examined each item with wonder. “Ah Shi, is there something amiss?”

Ming Shi lifted the paper bag she’d brought, taking out a box of mooncakes and a pack of tissues with a slightly embarrassed expression. “I bought these while returning from Jiangnan. I saw a merchant selling them at the docks, claiming half his goods were novel items transported from the capital. I hadn’t seen such things before, so I bought a few.”

These items were not cheap, and demand was high.

Ming Shi had originally wanted to buy some hand sanitizer too, but she didn’t have enough silver with her, so she settled for mooncakes and tissues. When she returned from the silver shop, barely half an hour later, the rest was sold out.

She had felt a bit disappointed at the time but quickly let it go, thinking that such things would be new to Die Qi, Ku Ba, and the others in the Pavilion. Little did she expect they would send back a whole box of similar items.

After comparing the gifts from Ming Shi and Die Qi, Qi Wu and Jin Lu confirmed that they were the same items. The difference was that Ming Shi had bought them individually, while Die Qi’s were in complete sets, with more quantity and variety.

Qi Wu said, “What a coincidence. Ah Shi actually bought goods from the very shop that Ku Ba targeted for his mission.”

Jin Lu couldn’t resist opening the mooncake boxes, distributing them among everyone, while joking, “At least this proves the merchant wasn’t lying. These items truly are novelties from the capital.”

Nearby, Shui Shan leaned over to the Pavilion Master’s side, looking through the letter sent by Die Qi, which included a few photographs.

Shui Shan couldn’t help but flip through them, “What are these? They look like portraits, but so clear. And why is Ninth Senior Brother with them?”

The “Little Digits” were all orphans taken in by the Pavilion Master, who also taught them martial arts, so they referred to each other as senior and junior siblings.

At first, each of them had a single-character name, but later, the Pavilion Master assigned numbers according to their strength, with the highest number going to the strongest.

Ever since his first competition with his junior siblings, Xiao Jiu had never lost.

After five years, the rankings among the Little Digits had barely changed, and the names became fixed.

Of all their peers, Ming Shi most admired Xiao Jiu. Her eyes lit up upon seeing him in the photograph, wearing sunglasses. “It really is Ninth Senior Brother! Why isn’t he wearing his black veil? And what’s that he’s wearing over his eyes?”

Jin Lu and Qi Wu were munching on mooncakes and paused upon hearing this. They wanted to see the photo, but couldn’t bear to put down their mooncakes.

Jin Lu quickly devoured a mooncake, cheeks puffed out. “This mooncake is delicious—definitely top-quality goods from the capital!”

In her letter, Die Wi provided an update on the cinema, explaining that she, Ku Ba, and Xiao Jiu were all currently working there. Each day brought new and curious things, and there was so much to investigate that they wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon.

She also included detailed explanations of the hand sanitizer, soap, and tissues and reminded them to eat the mooncakes quickly before they expired.

After reading the letter, Jin Lu and Qi Wu exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them.

Qi Wu spoke up first, “It seems this mission in the capital is quite a formidable task. Even three people might not be enough.”

Jin Lu folded his arms, frowning, nodding repeatedly. “We may need to send more people to get it done swiftly. Since Ming Shi and Shui Shan are back, this is the perfect opportunity for them to learn how to manage the pavilion’s logistics as part of their training.”

Qi Wu agreed, “Jin Lu and I will take the trouble to head to Liangjing ourselves and help Ku Ba complete the mission.”

Before Ming Shi and Shui Shan could react, Jin Lu and Qi Wu quickly grabbed a few interesting items from the table, informed the Pavilion Master, and disappeared in an instant.

Ming Shi & Shui Shan: “…”

Pavilion Master: “…”

It seemed the pavilion couldn’t keep anyone around for long.

…

Liangjing, Song’an Street.

Early morning, carriages filled the cinema entrance. Ever since the trailer for Someday or One Day was released two days ago, the people of Great Wu had been eagerly anticipating it.

By now, the cinema had gathered quite a following of loyal fans. Each new release was met with excitement, as patrons vied for seats at the premiere, wanting to be the first to uncover the story.

Even the trailer for Someday or One Day had provided a lot of intriguing hints.

The characters’ attire was closer to what the shop owner typically wore, and the houses, tools, and relationships hinted that this might be a glimpse into the world behind the cinema itself.

Whether die-hard fans of the cinema or those with other motives, many had arrived early to queue up for tickets.

The Jinghong Pavilion carriage was parked at the back of the line. Chen Lianlian lifted the curtain and saw the congestion ahead, with most of the vehicles belonging to nobility and wealthy merchants. Unable to proceed after waiting for fifteen minutes, she decided to get out and instructed Xiao Tao to gather the others to walk.

Leaving the carriage behind, Chen Lianlian, Madam Xu, Xiao Tao, and six or seven other Jinghong Pavilion girls walked to the cinema, drawing numerous glances.

The crowd at the entrance was even thicker, but with Ku Ba and Xiao Jiu standing guard, no one dared to cut in line or cause trouble.

Upon entering, Hongyu led Chen Lianlian and her group to a private room.

They’d arrived rather late, and the other private rooms were already full. As they passed by, they could hear sounds coming from inside, prompting the girls to quicken their pace, eager to start the film.

Originally, they had planned to choose between When blossoms fall and The Sea Train. However, with the release of Someday or One Day, many people had been waiting to see the new film, so the girls changed their minds and opted for the latest release.

In the mini-theater, after a short safety message and some advertisements, the screen went dark, then immediately lit up.

The film had begun.

Chen Lianlian sat in the middle, clutching a bucket of popcorn, her heart racing slightly with excitement.

The other girls were just like her—it was their first time sitting properly in a cinema to watch a movie.

Madam Xu sat to Chen Lianlian’s left, her expression focused, with a glass of orange juice on the armrest beside her.

In the film’s opening frame, the gentle rustling of cicadas blended with a soft breeze stirring clusters of osmanthus flowers, which fell to the ground like a rain of petals.

The scene shifted, and amidst the gradually rising noise, a pair of white canvas shoes appeared on screen. The camera panned up, showing a girl in a navy-and-white school uniform sitting in the third seat of the first row by the window, her gaze calm and steady.

The girl’s name was Yan Jianing, a freshman at Mingde High School.

It was the first day of high school, right before study period, and the classroom was a lively mess.

Groups of students clustered together, busy making friends and chatting about their holiday adventures.

Yan Jianing sat at her desk, a book open in front of her, though her gaze seemed unfocused.

Beside her was an especially energetic boy, who after teasing his seatmate in front, turned to chat with the students behind them.

Yan Jianing overheard them discussing her, daring each other to talk to her. Feeling a bit anxious, she shifted slightly toward the window.

At that moment, the homeroom teacher entered through the front door, carrying a notebook. She walked up to the podium and tapped the blackboard with an eraser. The chatter faded, and the classroom gradually quieted down.

…

In the cinema, Chen Lianlian listened carefully to the teacher’s lecture on the podium, her eyes widening in surprise.

Could this be a school?

But why were girls allowed in this school?

Not only that, but male and female students sat together, as if this was perfectly ordinary.

In the neighboring room, Xie Wan, Sun Qinghe, and several noble ladies looked equally perplexed.

Unlike the men in their families who attended academies, they had never gone to school. Most of them had private female tutors at home who taught them literacy and reading.

It was customary for women to stay in the inner quarters, learning from a female teacher while also studying skills like managing a household, accounting, and embroidery. They had never heard of women attending school alongside men.

The only exception was Princess Deyi, the late Crown Prince’s daughter.

Greatly cherished by Emperor Wu, Princess Deyi was even allowed to study with the princes and noble sons at Chongwen Hall. However, in the last two years, as she approached marriageable age, she had ceased attending.

These young women had never imagined a school where both men and women could attend.

Men and women, reading the same books and doing the same assignments.

Truthfully, the opening of this film wasn’t as captivating as the previous stories because it was so foreign.

The setting exceeded the familiar world of Great Wu, making it difficult to relate to their daily lives or predict the plot, leaving them unsure what to expect.

Yet, the scenes had an indescribable authenticity. Certain elements appeared in the cinema itself—like the separated men’s and women’s restrooms, the sausage grill in the corner of the concession stand, or the bottled drink called cola—all of which led the audience to wonder: could such a world really exist?

If it did, what would it actually look like?

Unable to imagine it, there was nothing left but to keep watching.

Perhaps by the end of the film, they would have the answer.

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