Lin Mao placed his hands on the vendor's shoulders.
"Don't let your wife's love go to waste, my friend. Accept your past and move on to a new present. Make a new future where you can proudly say, 'If my wife were here, she would be proud of me.' Even if you feel the sadness of her absence, you will learn to accept the importance of her presence, not through her... but through you."
He gently moved his hands to the vendor's chest.
"Her love lives on in you. Don't let it fade. Let it guide you forward, not as a memory, but as a force that shapes the man you become."
The vendor stood still, blinking with more tears. His heart felt heavy but somehow lighter at the same time.
Lin Mao stepped back as his work was done. With a final nod, he added, "Remember, my friend, life isn't just about surviving—it's about living. Truly living."
He smiled and turned to leave the shop, satisfied with the conversation and the small change he had brought to the vendor's life.
Any moment now.
As he was about to leave, the vendor suddenly rushed forward and bowed deeply.
"Young master, please accept these books from me," he pleaded.
Lin Mao couldn't help but smile wickedly. "No, friend," he said warmly. "Those words were not currency, but support for your soul that was fighting alone."
The vendor gasped, his tears falling once more.
"Uwahhh... Young master, please stop... I don't want to cry anymore..." His voice trembled as Lin Mao's words seemed to pierce through his heart.
Lin Mao's expression softened slightly. "If you say so..." he said, his grin widening.
Without further hesitation, he accepted the three books the vendor offered him.
"Thank you," said before stepping away from the vendor.
With that, he swiftly exited the shop, the vendor's cries fading behind him. As he walked through the market with the books safely tucked under his arm, he could not help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
This world sure is interesting.
**
Lin Mao continued walking through the market, and his attention was suddenly drawn to a strange shop that was sandwiched between two larger stalls. There was a massive board hung above it, and it read HIDDEN SCHOLAR in large, bold letters.
"What kind of idiot creates a giant sign with 'Hidden' on it?" Lin Mao chuckled.
Intrigued, he approached the shop and noticed an eerie silence surrounding it. Unlike the noisy, busy market, this place felt oddly strange, almost as if it existed in a separate world.
With a cautious step, Lin Mao entered the shop.
Inside, the atmosphere was even stranger. A dark hallway stretched before him, and at the end of the hallway stood a guard, watching Lin Mao closely.
"Buy or sell?" the guard asked.
Lin Mao glanced around in confusion.
"What?" he asked, unsure if he had heard him correctly. "What do you mean by buy or sell?"
The guard didn't explain and only repeated the same phrase, "Buy or sell?"
Lin Mao tilted his head. What kind of place is this? he thought.
"I am not here to buy or sell anything," he said.
The guard didn't move and stood still in his position. It was clear that entering this shop wasn't going to be as simple as it seemed.
With a sharp exhale, Lin Mao said, "Buy."
"Follow me," the guard said without any change in his expression.
Lin Mao stepped inside and followed the guard through the dark hallway. He was led to a large room filled with countless bookshelves that stretched as far as he could see. The room was three times the size of the vendor, where he had just been, and the shelves seemed to be filled with endless rows of books.
"I can feel my head spinning just from their presence alone," he said as he processed the overwhelming sight.
Before he could fully take it in, a young man in his twenties entered the room. He was handsome, with perfect features that could rival even Lin Mao's senior brother, Ti Xin.
The man greeted Lin Mao with a smirk.
"Welcome to Hidden Scholar," the man said smoothly.
"Here, you will find any and all... degenerate books and novels. Whatever your preference may be, just say the word, and I will find it for you."
Lin Mao was taken aback for a moment. "Degenerate?" he repeated with a small smirk forming on his lips. "Is that the kind of place this is?"
The young man nodded. "Exactly. No judgment here. If you seek knowledge, pleasure, or anything in between, this is where you will find it. Feel free to browse and choose freely."
Lin Mao raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's certainly a... unique approach to running a business."
He looked around at the shelves, now even more curious about what kind of books could fill a place like this.
"Go ahead, take your time," the young man continued. "If you're looking for something specific, just ask. We have a vast collection.
He paused for a moment as his grin widened, "If you are here to sell, that's even better."