This was the sentence that made the Shopkeeper make up his mind: "Alright, I’ll trust you this time. Come, follow me. You can write over here in the side room. Will an hour be enough?"

"It’s enough, it’s enough. Come back in an hour, and I promise you’ll be satisfied."

The Shopkeeper gave her ten sheets of rice paper, the kind used for writing letters. The brush, ink, and inkstone were already in the side room. After placing these items down, he had his own child watch her from the side and went to the front yard.

With this opportunity, Ma Lu hesitated no longer. Ignoring the curious stares of several children aged six or seven, she propped her chin up, thought for a moment, and wrote down—

"Cold Door Brocade" was the title, then she penned a synopsis and began the first Chapter of the story.

The plot followed the usual romance tropes: no reincarnation, and it wouldn’t include overly modern terms that people here wouldn’t understand.

But she couldn’t just write the same old pedantic stuff, so she changed the routine to be a reincarnation story.

Although it was an era of feudal superstitions, literature still needed to innovate. If she could write something refreshing and captivating, she would carve out her own style amidst a sea of novels.

If you say reincarnation involves superstitious concepts, what about Pu Songling’s stories?

So she believed her way of writing could stand its ground.

Before an hour passed, no, even less than an hour, the Shopkeeper couldn’t hold back and came to the side room.

He didn’t disturb Ma Lu but picked up the draft paper she had covered, flipped it over, and started reading from the first page. As he read, he was stunned.

Unconsciously, he sat down beside her, flipping through page by page until he reached the end. Looking at Ma Lu who was still writing, he suddenly felt his face burn with embarrassment, because this young person in front of him had truly astonished him. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would have definitely voiced his doubts.

Not until Ma Lu finished the first Chapter of reincarnation and the second Chapter of arriving in a new place did the Shopkeeper eagerly ask her.

"Your idea is quite interesting. I think it’s great and creative, and the name is good, especially for female readers. Very nice! How did you come up with it?"

"The female protagonist was a high princess but became a tool for the male protagonist’s revenge. Not only did she lose her country, but she was also sent away for a political marriage and died on the journey. Imagine how much hatred she must have felt. However, when she reopened her eyes, she was reborn in the same time and space, as a ten-year-old farm girl. Being young, she has plenty of time to plan her revenge. I wanted to capture that feeling of falling from heaven to hell, then climbing back up from hell to regain control. I believe readers can immerse themselves in the story with my narration. Didn’t you get absorbed when you were reading it?"

"Yes, yes, I felt that way and had an eager desire to keep reading. I never expected someone so young to have such talent. Your writing is excellent, and the story suits my taste well. Although our bookstore is small, I won’t treat you unfairly. State your price."

"I don’t want a specific price, I want a split, fifty-fifty. It’s fair; for every book sold, half of the profit each for you and me."

The Shopkeeper frowned, "Fifty-fifty? That’s not how the industry works. If you want a split, it’s seventy-thirty my way!"

Ma Lu refused, "No, just fifty-fifty. No more, no less. You saw yourself, this is just the first book. If it sells, there will be a second and third book. If it doesn’t sell well, I also share your risk. But don’t think you can take advantage of me; I’m not easy to fool. Since this is a partnership, it should be beneficial for both parties. Writing a novel is tough, and I give my all, writing word by word, painstakingly revising. I only want what I deserve."

"Then I’m afraid we can’t work together. You can try elsewhere. Before you go, settle the money."

Ma Lu saw the Shopkeeper’s intentional difficulties and couldn’t help but laugh: "Even if I signed now, in the future, I’d just carelessly deal with you and the readers due to a lack of balance. But if you put me on equal footing, the book’s sales will relate to my effort and quality. Do you think I’d deliberately write a bad ending? Shopkeeper, a fifty-fifty split is fair and reasonable, reducing your risk and enabling a long-term partnership. Why focus on immediate interests?"