Chapter 21: Browsing Books at the Bookstore

After leaving the Silk Shop, Madam Zhou's mood seemed somewhat downcast, and the joy she had felt upon receiving a reward from Manager Rong had also faded slightly.

Wufu watched, silently shaking her head; her hearing was good, and she had overheard the conversation between Madam Zhou and Manager Rong just now.

To look for that faithless man?

Wufu disagreed. First off, it was uncertain where this man was, whether his identity was real or fake; with just a name, how could one possibly find him in this vast sea of people?

All right, let's say they were lucky enough to find him, Wufu would not believe that after so many years, the man hadn't married yet and was still waiting for a no-name scholar's daughter.

If her "father" had married, then their mother and daughter showing up to acknowledge kinship would become a source of embarrassment.

Wufu imagined the scene of acknowledging kinship involving chaos and conflict, and couldn't help but shiver in trepidation.

Putting herself in an awkward situation was something Wufu would not do.

However, if Madam Zhou truly harbored the thought of seeking out her father, Wufu probably wouldn't try to stop her; after all, deep down she was just an "outsider". Who was she to judge a woman filled with earnest love?

Madam Zhou then took Wufu to the town's bookstore once again.

"Manager, is there a letter for me?" Madam Zhou asked the bookstore manager, hope shining in her eyes.

Seeing the manager shake his head, her eyes dimmed.

Wufu caught a glimpse of this and couldn't help but sigh softly—such a dreamer, still hoping for a letter from that person.

She was quite interested in the books on the shelves, pulled one out and flipped through it. Very good, it wasn't those hard-to-read classical texts but all traditional characters, understandable to her.

"Do you have any history books?" Wufu asked the manager.

Madam Zhou was a bit puzzled: "You want to buy a book?"

"Just looking." Wufu smiled as she took the thick history book handed over by the manager.

Wufu knew only superficially about the world she was in from the original host's memories, which were not clear, likely because she had always lived in a rather sheltered village, without much exposure to the outside world. Thus, Wufu didn't have much information about Nanyue Kingdom, where she resided, only that the world was divided into four parts: Nanyue Kingdom, neighboring Dongying Country, Beiyan Country, and Xisheng Country.

Among these, Nanyue was the most prosperous, followed by Beiyan. The cultures of the two countries were almost indistinguishable, but Beiyan people valued martial strength more highly and were brave and good at fighting.

Wufu flipped through the book quickly, reading ten lines with a single glance. Madam Zhou walked over and said, "If you want to read, why not rent it and take it home?" What could you possibly learn just flipping through like that?

Moreover, such a thick book—surely there are words in it you don't recognize?

Madam Zhou remembered how this girl used to dislike reading and writing. Although she herself had learned to read from her father, she only read things like Female Precepts and women's scriptures; there was a limit to what she could teach.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Zhou said, "Why not buy some paper and ink so you can practice your writing?"

Her daughter would be reaching the age of marriage next year; learning more would certainly be beneficial.

"Sure!" Wufu didn't even look up, the book had already been half read by her, its information steadily pouring into her mind.

Madam Zhou was delighted to hear her agreement and promptly asked the manager for paper and ink. Of course, she purchased the cheapest items as her money was limited. Madam Rong was right—the time was coming to prepare for her daughter's marriage and dowry, and she could not afford to waste money.

Once all the items were ready, Wufu had finished looking through the book; she returned it to the manager and left Zhou's Bookstore.

"Mother has accepted a big embroidery order, so we have to hurry with the work. Shall we buy some more things to take back today?" Madam Zhou said to Wufu with a smile.

She bought a bamboo basket woven by a young girl, and Wufu volunteered to carry it on her back. She also put Madam Zhou's small bundle and all the purchases into the basket and headed for the market.