HEFEI, April 16 -- Do not let the size of Zhu Chuanguo's bookstore in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, fool you -- it may be small but its substantial collection, which includes titles dating back to the turn of the last century, will excite any true bibliophile.

Zeng Zhi, literally "improve your knowledge", Bookstore was the talk of the online community this week after customers found its doors closed for over a month.

After being diagnosed with rectal cancer two years ago, a relapse in late February meant Zhu, 53, had to return to hospital.

When his clients learned of this they rushed to help.

"Zeng Zhi Bookstore is the cultural heartbeat of our city," one patron remarked on Wechat, the popular instant messaging service. "Its owner is ill and he needs our help. Please visit and buy some books."

When Zhu and his wife, Chen Guixia, saw the messages of support, they knew they had to keep the business going.

"Zhu insisted that I reopen the store immediately," said Chen.

As news of Zhu and his store went viral, crowds of bookworms flocked the tiny 20-square-meter emporium, resulting in over 10,000 books flying off the shelves in just 10 days, about a quarter of the collection.

Some people even offered to donate money to help with Zhu's medical bills, but the couple politely turned them down.

The bookstore's annual turnover is around 20,000 yuan (3,229 U.S. dollars) a year, cancer treatment can easily top twice that amount.

"We might not make a substantial amount of money from our bookstore [but] we won't accept charity," Zhu said, adding that he had even turned down an offer to buy the bookstore.

"I love books and we hope to keep the business running ourselves," said Zhu.

AN INSPIRATIONAL BIBLIOPHILE

Zhu began buying and selling old books after he and his wife were laid off by their state-firm employers in the 1990s.

By 1998, the couple felt confident enough to start a new chapter in their lives and opened the store in downtown Hefei.

Many customers compare Zeng Zhi Bookstore with Marks &Co, the antiquarian bookstore in Helene Hanff's epistolary novel "84, Charing Cross Road"; and Zhu with its chief buyer Frank Doel.

"Zhu does not just sell books. His passion ignites people's love for knowledge," said Cheng Zhanpeng, a regular patron.

"Whenever I need a book that is out of print, I just call Zhu and he finds it for me," said Zhang Yuzheng, a journalist based in Hefei. "Like Frank Doel, Zhu loves books, knows precisely what you need, and is always ready to help."

Zhu has kept a diary for nearly two decades; a first-person account of his experiences, which includes notes on how to spot forgeries and how to price books.

Some of Zhu's friends and customers are hoping to finance the publication of Zhu's diary, so that more people can benefit from the passion the avid book collector has poured into his work.