The Wildly Popular Dream of the Red Chamber (7)

When the scholars heard Boss Yan Liusheng say that, it seemed he hadn't lied to them after all. They apologized to him, then all dashed off to their gatherings.

Boss Yan Liusheng, meanwhile, was overjoyed, dancing with delight. Our Liusheng Bookshop is going to strike it rich... strike it rich... hahaha...

The scholars who had left went off in twos and threes. Some attended dinner parties or drinking parties, some went to brothels, and others went to the red-light houses to listen to songs.

These little groups sat down with their other friends. Everyone else was chatting, joking, and telling stories, but they were talking about the contents of the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, making them stand out like sore thumbs.

The others were as baffled as a monk scratching his head beneath a ten-foot hat when they heard them discussing the novel, so they asked what story they were talking about.

They said it was a newly released novel called Dream of the Red Chamber, and that it was simply the best and most captivating story, bar none.

They then told the others present a little about the novel. Everyone listened, utterly enthralled—and then the speaker stopped.

Everyone there grew terribly anxious and protested. The speaker smiled and said, "If you want to know what happens in Dream of the Red Chamber, why don't you go to Liusheng Bookshop and buy a volume containing ten chapters? Read it yourselves, and won't you find out?"

The same thing happened elsewhere in Stone County, and this made Dream of the Red Chamber a complete sensation. Crowds of people poured into Liusheng Bookshop to buy the novel.

Boss Yan Liusheng was so delighted that he couldn't stop grinning. In no time, all 1,500 volumes of Dream of the Red Chamber that had been printed in advance sold out.

Those who hadn't managed to buy Dream of the Red Chamber refused to let the matter go. They cursed Boss Yan Liusheng, demanding to know why he hadn't printed more. Other people had bought it, but they hadn't, and Boss Yan Liusheng owed them an explanation.

Yan Liusheng hurriedly explained to those present who hadn't gotten a copy of Dream of the Red Chamber, "Our Liusheng Bookshop is already working overtime to print Dream of the Red Chamber, my novel.

"Come back tomorrow morning, everyone, and you'll definitely be able to buy Dream of the Red Chamber."

After hearing this explanation from Boss Yan Liusheng of Liusheng Bookshop, everyone's anger mostly subsided, and they declared that they would come back early the next morning to buy it.

After a night for word to spread, more than a thousand people had read Dream of the Red Chamber, and the novel became even more popular.

Early the next morning, many people began lining up at Liusheng Bookshop to buy Dream of the Red Chamber.

That day, Liusheng Bookshop sold 3,000 volumes of Dream of the Red Chamber, but as soon as the shop opened, all 3,000 were snapped up.

Many of those who hadn't gotten a copy of Dream of the Red Chamber once again refused to let the matter go. They cursed Liusheng Bookshop, asking what was wrong with it. Why hadn't such a big bookshop prepared more copies of Dream of the Red Chamber, leaving so many of them unable to buy it?

In fact, Boss Yan Liusheng still had several thousand volumes of Dream of the Red Chamber on hand. But he understood scarcity marketing: what people couldn't get was the best. Stoking their desire made it easier to earn money, and only then would all the copies of Dream of the Red Chamber sell out.

Boss Yan Liusheng smiled and said, "Please come earlier tomorrow, everyone. Our Liusheng Bookshop has been working overtime these past two days to print Dream of the Red Chamber. If you come tomorrow, we definitely won't let you leave empty-handed."

Boss Yan Liusheng certainly had a way with words! Just like that, he talked everyone there into going home and coming back earlier the next day to buy it.

Sure enough, early the next morning, many people lined up outside the doors of Liusheng Bookshop to buy Dream of the Red Chamber.

When Liusheng Bookshop opened for business, everyone swarmed inside and took out their money.

This time, Boss Yan Liusheng didn't hold back any copies of Dream of the Red Chamber, so everyone who came to buy the novel got one, and they all went home happy.