Early morning, the sound of roosters crowing broke the quiet.
Children walked along the bluestone road, carrying single-shoulder hemp sacks, shouting as they wandered through streets and alleys: “Jing Kui’s strategies by Young Master Lin Chaojing on reforming the salt policy’s entrenched problems!”
“Young Master Chen Wenzong’s new annotations on the ‘Book of Rites’ in the Classics Examination, acclaimed by the Academy!”
“Tiger Hill Poetry Society leader Shen Ye’s astonishing words in the Timing Examination: the problem of salt policy is not the private smugglers, but the long-standing flawed laws; reforms must be made to investigate corrupt officials and embrace innovation—open up state salt taxes from grain payments to silver payments!”
On Right Street by the government offices, the grand vermilion gate of the Chen family compound was opened just a crack, and someone beckoned to the children: “Kid, come here, I want one copy each.”
The child beamed happily: “Alright, sir. That’ll be thirty copper coins all told.”
A servant of the Chen family widened his eyes in surprise: “That expensive?”
The child hurriedly explained, “You don’t know—this is a unique piece from Wenlong Bookstore. Even if I sold you ten, I’d only make one copper coin profit.”