Opening a Snack Shop at the Imperial College

[The print edition goes on pre-sale October 30. Thank you for your support~] Yao Qizhao, the Director of the Imperial College, was a man of impeccable character, honest and public-spirited all his life, and never at fault. Then one day, he suddenly broke off his granddaughter’s engagement in the street and even assaulted a court official. From then on, his reputation was sullied, and his health rapidly declined. He had lived in poverty all his life. His entire family fortune amounted to just over twenty strings of coins and a small house beside the Imperial College… And this little house in the heart of Bianjing was still saddled with a huge mortgage from Xingguo Temple! When Yao Ruyi, who had lost an eight-year battle with cancer, transmigrated into this world, the temple’s debt collectors were at the door, the kitchen rice jar was empty, and the original owner had just taken her own life along with her gravely ill grandfather. With a healthy body like this, she had to keep living, no matter how hard things got. Besides, Grandpa Yao’s house connected to the Imperial College’s back gate. What could be better than that location? Yao Ruyi rallied her spirits and revived her family’s old business from her previous life, opening a little shop on campus. She sold stationery, grilled sausages, fruit, breakfast, collections of excellent poetry and prose, “three years to become a successful candidate, five years to become the top scholar,” and even washbasins, buckets, toothbrushes, towels, and laundry detergent… While earning money to pay off the debts, she could also admire the Imperial College’s handsome young scholars every day. Life was pretty sweet. After years away from the capital due to an injury and his mother’s death, Lin Wen’an finally returned, only to hear that his mentor’s family had fallen apart. He hurried back, weary from the road, and found the little courtyard transformed into a street-front shop, its shelves packed with goods. A petite girl with smiling eyes peered over the tall counter. “What would you like to buy, sir?” “…” Was this really his mentor’s granddaughter, the timid girl who was too afraid to speak to anyone? Lin Wen’an hesitated for a long moment. From the back courtyard came his mentor’s booming tirade: “You’ve botched this problem too! You’d be better off dropping out and going back to the countryside to farm!” He poked his head around the corner. Several students stood beneath the covered walkway, cowed like wilted vegetables. His mentor held a huge teacup, spat out the tea leaves, and rapped them all over the head with a ruler. Lin Wen’an: “…” Who started that rumor? Who! Read before eating: 1. A cozy slice-of-life story about running a business, with a little ensemble cast. Very everyday. 2. Customs are inspired by the Song dynasty, but everything is fictional. 3. All-sugar romance, older man and younger woman. The male lead is seven years older: a girl who only pretends to be socially anxious versus a quiet, big, loyal wolfdog. 4. 70% advance protection Core message: Work hard, live wholeheartedly, and love life