The bookstore faced two pressing issues to revive it.
Customer attraction and inventory.
Attracting more customers to increase sales was the goal. I could modernize the bookstore to improve accessibility and stock high-demand books to boost revenue, but that alone wouldn’t be enough.
On top of that, there were issues with dead stock.
The bookstore inherited by Lady Tang was run at a maintenance level by her maternal grandfather for 50 years. As a result, the accumulated stock of books had become overwhelming.
After 50 years of operation, the bookstore had turned into a massive book warehouse.
I filled the first floor with commercially viable books, and the dead stock was sorted out for liquidation. Yet, I couldn’t dispose of all the inventory.
The remaining stock had to go to the second floor.
Lady Tang suggested using the second floor as a storage area, but I had a better idea than that.
I needed to find a way to attract more customers while organizing the inventory.
“What on earth…?”
When I went up to the second floor, I saw someone resembling a scholar looking around with a surprised expression. No wonder! He probably had never seen a structure like this in this world.
“I came up to the second floor of the bookstore, but this is strange. Isn’t this a bookstore? No, there are definitely books here.”
I followed the scholar’s inquisitive gaze and took a look around.
Bookshelves filled the walls like an ordinary bookstore. Inside the bookstore, numerous books were placed on the shelves. However, when I turned to look out the window, the atmosphere was quite different.
There were long tables lined up with desks. In the corner, a cozy chair. Just next to the entrance, turning my head revealed a long counter, and on the counter’s wall were various tea-making tools.
Books and tea.
A modern person would immediately recognize what this place was.
“This is Dasogeok (Tea Bookstore).”
A book café. It was the identity of the second floor of the bookstore that I had renovated.
“Whoa! It’s you from the entrance! Are you a clerk?”
The scholar jumped slightly when he heard the voice from behind and turned to look at me.
“I am the manager of this bookstore.”
It’s different from a clerk! Different! I introduced myself to the scholar with a relaxed expression.
“Bookstore management seems to suit you well, Yoon Ho. You be the manager. I’ll be the owner.”
Is this the ease of a landlord? Lady Tang declared a separation of management and ownership that would make chaebols weep.
It felt like we were both holding the titles of CEO and president in this start-up with just two people, but still, going from a homeless barbarian to a bookstore manager was a tremendous rise in status, right?
Now, when someone says, “The manager’s here!” I can flex a bit and say, “What are you going to do about it? I’m the manager!”
“So you’re the manager. I’m Son Seosaeng, studying here nearby. By the way, Dasogeok? What is that?”
“It’s a place that’s both a tea house (Daruru) and a bookstore popular in Joseon.”
“A tea house and a bookstore? That’s puzzling.”
“As long as you pay the entrance fee, you can read as many books as you want here in Dasogeok all day long.”
I pointed to the sign near the entrance detailing the entrance fee and rules.
“No way! You mean I can read all these books just by paying for one meal? Really? With this many books? Are you not concocting some kind of plot?”
How did he know? He completely saw through my plot to turn this bookstore into Yichang’s best!
Books are not a luxury in this world, but they aren’t something you come across easily either.
In this world, the illiteracy rate is low enough that at an inn, the clerks just hand you the menu and tell you to order on your own.
Thus, while there exists a broad demand for reading and enjoyment, the problem lies with supply.
There are printing presses, but they’re rare, and the costs of paper and ink lead to high production values. While the costs of printing aren’t exorbitant, books are still not cheap.
In this world, reading is a hobby that is burdensome to enjoy casually unless for educational purposes.
I was introducing a book café in such a world. At a reasonably low price, too.
“Yes. As long as you pay the entrance fee, you can use this Dasogeok. Plus, to celebrate our opening, we’ll be offering free admission for a week, so feel free to come and read any books you wish.”
Upon hearing my explanation, the scholar began weaving through the book shelves.
“This book! Wasn’t this written by a grand scholar who retired 30 years ago? And this one! A poetry book that was briefly popular 20 years ago! Wow! There are so many books I wanted to read! Am I dreaming…?”
As expected, I quietly smiled while watching the scholar’s reaction.
The books in the book café were the so-called dead stock—a catch-22; they were fun or valuable reads but too precious to sell.
However, if they are available to read in the book café, the narrative changes. They turn into a delicious Chuncyeon Dak-galbi (Korean dish) instead of just being available for sale.
And that, at a low price.
‘These awkward dead stocks become a means to attract customers to the bookstore in no time.’
Customers visit the bookstore to read the books in Dasogeok. Simply put, more people will visit the bookstore compared to those who come to buy books.
All of them become potential customers for the bookstore. Of course, even if they don’t buy books, that’s fine.
We can generate revenue from the entrance fee from the dead stock that wasn’t selling and just taking up space. A cash cow without selling a single book!
“I was guided on the first floor—this is where you can read books freely?”
“Yes, that’s right. Welcome to Dasogeok.”
“Wow. So many books! Oh! I wanted to read this one!”
“I can read such great books for free!”
Starting with the scholar, customers began flowing into the book café one by one.
‘Should I go over to my seat now?’
While the entrance fee was free for a week, there were other ways to make money!
I watched as people settled down and began reading books before heading to the counter.
—–
“Manager, my throat feels dry. Could you please give me some water if you have any?”
The man, overly emphasizes his throat’s itch, was Son Seosaeng, who came in first.
“Ha ha. We don’t have water, but we sell tea.”
I pointed to the large price list written behind me from the counter.
“Then I should order some tea… Oh no, what’s this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why is an Americano 40 Cooper? That’s more expensive than a bowl of hangover soup!”
The scholar looked shocked, his expression akin to that of a student who naively offered to pay for dessert after finishing their meal but was taken aback by the franchise coffee shop’s prices.
“This place is a bookstore but also a tea house, so that’s why. Still, unlike a tea house, you’re not obliged to order tea, so don’t feel pressured if you don’t want to.”
“Well, if I go outside then…”
“Once you leave Dasogeok, you can’t re-enter for the day.”
“Ugh… What kind of place is this?”
The scholar looked at me with an unsatisfied expression. Do they think I’m digging a well to do business? The books didn’t cost me anything, but I paid for the interior myself.
Moreover, I didn’t even have enough money to buy the coffee-making tools, so I got them cheaply from a general store. Ah ha ha. How I felt guilty when the head of guards gave them to me, trembling with his hands!
“Excuse me, if you’re not going to buy, please move aside. Master, one hot Americano, please.”
“How delightful for Dasogeok’s first customer to be such a lovely lady. It’s an honor. I’ll brew a cup for you right away.”
“Hehe, make sure to put your heart into it.”
“But why do I look way younger than you, yet I’m referred to as ‘Master,’ and you’re called ‘mister’? …”
Ignoring the muttering scholar, I began preparing the first Americano.
Making an Americano in this world is quite a fresh experience. In the past, I would have immediately shouted ‘Delicious!’ but now…
Well, this world has a rice cake business, so if Americano exists, it must be authentic coffee, right? Sure.
“… I see the entrance fee is cheap, but the drinks are quite the moneymaker. Is this how they do things in Joseon? Ruthless but understandable business strategy. I like it! Okay, then, I’ll have an Americano.”
As I handed the Americano to the lady customer while thinking of how annoyed an Italian martial artist would be if he heard this, the scholar reluctantly placed his order for an Americano with a frown.
“Do you want it hot or cold?”
“Of course, an iced Americano would be the way to go, even if it kills me!”
“Iced requires an additional 5 Cooper.”
“Ugh! Is there no discount for students?”
Nope. None.
————-
I didn’t create this book café just to utilize dead stock and drink profit.
The benefits of a book café.
They turned out to be much more than expected.
“Excuse me, can I not just read this book but also buy it?”
One customer got up from their seat and brought a book to me. This is the kind of customer I hoped for from the very first day!
“Of course. The books available in Dasogeok are sold for a discounted price of 30% off the market price.”
“You’re telling me this book is 30% off? Is that really true?”
The customer looked back and forth between the book and my face with disbelief.
You can believe it. They are just old stock that have been taking up space for decades, so selling them is a profitable deal.
This was my goal.
Even if it’s dead stock, if enough hands touch it, there will come a day when someone desires it. Then, I can quickly sell it off to clear the stock.
The vacant spots can be filled with second-hand books, which will further speed up the sales.
In this way, the first floor transforms into a modern bookstore, and the second floor becomes a book café and second-hand bookstore.
I pointed to the sign that said the books on the shelf were sold for 30% off to ease the man’s doubts.
“Of course. Shall I ring you up?”
“I’ll buy it right away. But don’t ask for a return after selling it.”
Of course not! Don’t come asking for returns on books that are decades old.
“Here, they’re offering a 30% discount, should we buy them and take them home?”
“Let’s do that. I’ll get one, and you’ll get one, and we can read them together. Please ring us up!”
“30% off! This will be an exploration of the shelves! We should find something decent!”
“Hey! Buy this for me!”
The customers, upon hearing the 30% discount, began eagerly buying the dead stock.
If it sells this well daily, those dead stocks will clear out in no time!
‘Also, there’s another reason for setting up the book café on the second floor.’
I smiled to myself as I watched the customers buying books, heading down to the first floor.
“The book I bought on the second floor! There’s a new release after 20 years!”
“I don’t have money… Should we split it between us?”
“Sure!”
The longest path from the book café to the first-floor exit was crafted deliberately. Anyone visiting the café would naturally have to look around the first-floor stock as they went up or down.
Using book stock for the café. Customers can buy the appealing inventory for cheap. Even if they don’t, they can still enjoy the drinks.
Plus, as Dasogeok grows in popularity, the number of first-floor customers will naturally increase.
It would become a cycle of success.
————-
“We’ll be closing soon.”
I felt a warm sense of satisfaction as I looked around at the steadily prosperous bookstore from the very first day.
I’d hope that my rice cake recipe would be this popular, too! I’ve been so focused on preparing the bookstore opening that I’ve only laid the groundwork for my plot.
“Manager. Please sell me this book.”
“‘The Record of the Lee Clan Rebellion’? You’re purchasing a fine book.”
I casually spoke to the scholar as he joyfully prepared to leave at the end of the workday, despite not knowing the content of the book.
“Oh? Have you read this one?”
“I know a bit about it.”
Actually, I don’t. Please don’t ask me about the content.
“A bit of knowledge might lead to some discrepancies. ‘The Record of the Lee Clan Rebellion’ covers a rebellion from 50 years ago, so it’s still printed today, but this version from 30 years ago is special.”
“How is it special?”
“Of course, rebellions involve looting, and, uh, well… quite a bit of ‘that’ too. It’s a version that describes such things in detail. To see it here, though…”
“So, it’s a story capturing real events?”
“It’s not based on real events.”
“What? Isn’t a rebellion story based on reality?”
“The rebellion and the characters existed, but everything written here is fiction. Besides, this version from 30 years ago… the Lee Clan that took the castle… and… hehehe…”
So the rare historical text or novel wasn’t just a historical piece—it was an erotic story!
“Could it be that this historical novel from 30 years ago is… Oh no, uh, hmm. As a scholar, one should be well-versed in classics, so please ring me up.”
Son Seosaeng calculated the book with a mischievous smile, sneakily hiding it so that no one would notice as he left Dasogeok.
Looks like he’s preparing for the exams. I wonder if he’ll pass like that. It seems like faction novels are popular in this world as well.
‘Oh? Faction?’
Wait a second. If I think carefully about this, I could use it for my rice cake recipe.
————-
I hurriedly sat at the desk in the attic and dipped my brush in ink after closing the bookstore.
‘There’s a way to grab the readers’ attention immediately.’
Simply writing a rice cake recipe won’t garner instant attention.
Should I employ the beginner writer’s favorite trick of eye-catching titles?
‘No, there’s something better.’
My story is, after all, a fictional one.
The characters are fake. The story is fake. But what if I include a real family?
The staple family of rice cake novels.
‘Sichuan Tang Family.’
Setting the protagonist as a person from the Sichuan Tang Family.
The protagonist is relatable yet gets embroiled in absurd rice cake-like events.
Just having the name of the Sichuan Tang Family would draw a huge amount of attention from readers.
I could quickly come up with a title in my mind.
My second novel and my first rice cake recipe.
Your name is…
“‘The Rise of the Tang Family.’”
