Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 861 "Let's Talk" Literary Salon

Thinking of the few customers he saw outside, Fang Minghua understood what Lei Xuecheng meant, so he said:
"I've been there. Business is good and bad, but online bookstores are popular in the United States now, and buying books online has a big impact on traditional physical bookstores."

"Buy books online?" Lei Xuecheng found it a little new.

"It means buying through the Internet. There is a website in the United States called Amazon, and its main business now is selling books online."

Fang Minghua briefly described the model of Amazon's online book purchase, and then said: "Although Amazon was founded only six or seven years ago, it has developed rapidly and has defeated the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the United States, which has a history of more than 100 years, forcing the latter to set up an online bookstore to cope with it."

"Will there be online bookstores like Amazon in our country in the future?" Lei Xuecheng asked again.

"Of course, you don't know? There is one in our country, called Dangdang.com, which specializes in selling books."

After hearing what Fang Minghua said, Lei Xuecheng seemed a little embarrassed: "I rarely go online."

Fang Minghua said "oh" and said nothing.

Lei Xuecheng took a sip of tea and asked again, "According to what you said, our physical bookstores will have no way to survive in the future?"

"To be honest, it will become difficult to operate. After all, online book shopping is much more convenient and faster than offline book shopping. However, physical bookstores will not disappear completely, which requires physical bookstores to have their own characteristics."

Fang Minghua expressed his views.

"For example, we could set up special themed bookstores to attract specific groups of people, rather than selling all kinds of books like we do now."

"In addition, there is a complex reading space and a leisure area where readers can drink coffee, read books and enjoy an immersive reading experience," said Fang Minghua.

"Like I am now?" Lei Xuecheng added.

"Yes, that's right. Of course we have to keep pace with the times," Fang Minghua replied.

Indeed, what makes Leixuecheng Bookstore different from other bookstores is that it provides some space for readers to rest and read, and also provides free tea - of course, it is cheap tea, and you have to buy books in the store before you can have it.

After listening to this, Lei Xuecheng fell into deep thought again.

While drinking tea, Fang Minghua suddenly thought, should he suggest that Lei Xuecheng also "go online" and set up an online bookstore, just like Dangdang.com?

Dangdang.com was established less than two years ago and is in a period of rapid development. It is not too late to catch up.

If Lei Xuecheng doesn’t have enough funds, he can invest on his own.

But when this thought came to his mind, he quickly dismissed it.

Lei Xuecheng is of the same age as me, also in his early forties, and has long passed the best age to start a business.

More importantly, his knowledge, vision and ability are not enough to engage in Internet entrepreneurship - this is the world of young people.

Although the founders of Dangdang.com, Li Guoqing and his wife, fought internal strife and filed lawsuits in their fight for control of Dangdang.com, it ended up in a mess and became a laughing stock.

But this couple both graduated from Yan University!

It doesn’t matter whether you lose money or not, but let’s not bother this old friend.

Lei Xuecheng didn’t know that he had “lost” an opportunity to start a business. He was still thinking about what Fang Minghua had just said.

"I will seriously consider the direction of physical bookstore development you mentioned. I originally wanted to continue to expand the store and open another branch, but now I think it's better to keep these three stores first."

Fang Minghua nodded after hearing this.

Although he didn't know how much money Lei Xuecheng made from running the bookstore, just based on the first batch of Longjing tea he was drinking now and the consumption level, Lei Xuecheng's wealth had already exceeded that of most people in the country.

As long as there are no major problems in the second half of my life, there will be no problem living a life without worries about food and clothing even if the bookstore closes in the future.

Of course, Lei Xuecheng doesn’t think so now. He is still thinking about how to develop his own career.

"Minghua, I read in the newspaper a few days ago that a bookstore invited a writer to the bookstore to hold a book club face to face with readers, and the response was very great." Lei Xuecheng said, and suddenly looked at Fang Minghua.

"How about I invite you to have a book club at our City of Learning bookstore?" "A book club?"

"Yes, it's on the second floor of the bookstore. In the 1980s, people often held various kinds of reading clubs in schools, factories, and libraries, where people discussed, exchanged ideas, and shared their thoughts on reading a certain book. But after the 1990s, these clubs gradually became less common."

"I really like the atmosphere back then, it was so happy and simple. Now, how about we relive those days? As for the lecture fee, you name a price."

"Look at what you said. If I really come to your bookstore to give a lecture, why would I need to pay any lecture fees?" Fang Minghua replied.

"So you agree?"

Fang Minghua understood Lei Xuecheng's thoughts.

Borrow reading lectures to increase the popularity of his bookstore.

But it feels good to read and communicate with a group of people who love literature.

Fang Minghua was somewhat tempted since he had nothing to do anyway.

He thought for a moment and then replied, "I can come and talk, but there are a few requirements."

"You said."

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"First of all, I don't do book signings."

"can."

“Every time I talk about a book, you can ask for the opinions of readers and customers in advance, but it should focus on pure literature.”

"Yeah, that's what I mean too."

"Also, I don't talk about what I wrote." Fang Minghua said finally.

"Huh? All right then."

The two discussed it again and decided on a literary salon called "Let's Talk".

Fang Minghua plans to give three consecutive lectures, starting at 2: p.m. every Saturday. Each lecture will last about hours. The main content of the lecture will be a book selected in advance by readers, and everyone will communicate and discuss together.

The first episode is scheduled for this Saturday at noon.

"I will select the books to be talked about through readers as soon as possible and send them to you in advance so you can prepare." Lei Xuecheng said finally.

Fang Minghua sat for a while, drank his tea and then left.

When Song Tangtang returned home in the evening, Fang Minghua mentioned this matter when the couple was chatting.

Song Tangtang smiled and said, "You are so free. If you want to give a lecture, go to a university. Not to mention Xi'an University, Qinling Normal University, Lanzhou University, and other universities you are familiar with, even Yanjing University would welcome you if you want to give a lecture."

Fang Minghua shook his head.

"That's a different feeling. When I go to any university now, I'm always surrounded by people. There are thousands of people in the lecture hall. I stand on the stage and talk a lot, while the students below behave themselves. It's so boring. I always feel like there's a layer of distance between us."

“But it’s different when we go to Lao Lei. There are fewer people, about thirty to fifty at most. Everyone just sits there casually, drinks tea, and communicates with each other. Maybe they even argue with each other. It feels pretty good.” Fang Minghua finally said.

"You." Song Tangtang shook her head.

"Let's start talking!"

"Invite our famous writer Minghua to hold a literary salon in my bookstore."

Xuecheng Bookstore quickly put up posters and collected books for the first lecture.

Soon, Lei Xuecheng sent the title of the book to Fang Minghua via his mobile phone, and it turned out to be Han Han's "Triple Door".

(End of this chapter)