The Heavens Begin with Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 15 Not an outsider
The lights are on, and night falls.

The capital's entertainment venues also lit up their own red lanterns and began a new round of nightlife.

The out-of-town guests did not need to ask anyone. They just had to head towards the places with magnificent buildings and bright lights, and they would surely find a den of brothels in the most prosperous areas.

Among these numerous dens of illicit sex, Jinxiangyuan ranks among the top.

In order to welcome Mr. Zhan and the young master, Xue Zhong and others specially booked a banquet at Jinxiangyuan.

One afternoon was enough time for the two young masters to have some basic understanding of the Xue family's business in the capital. The rest was how to please them so that the managers could continue to deceive their superiors and subordinates and make money.

And for young men, what could be more attractive than a beautiful woman?

At night, everyone took a car and went straight to Jinxiang Courtyard. From afar, they could hear the sound of stringed instruments, which was lingering in their ears. The soft tune was like scratching the tip of the heart, making people feel itchy.

When they arrived at the gate, Zhan Ershisi got off the car and looked around. He saw that the street was full of cars or sedan chairs, everyone was dressed in fine clothes, and there was an endless stream of carriages and horses. The street was much more prosperous and lively than the Ministry of Personnel.

The Jinxiang Courtyard was a large and extremely spacious courtyard. On the plaque in front of the gate were inscribed the three large characters "Jinxiang Courtyard". The writing was vigorous and powerful, with dragons flying and phoenixes dancing in the air. It was obviously the work of a famous calligrapher and was extraordinary.

In the middle of the courtyard, there are pavilions, towers, ponds and waterside pavilions on each side. There are countless guests inside, drinking by the pond and enjoying singing and dancing.

In the middle stood a brothel, with flying eaves and pointed corners, red walls, green tiles, and mottled red paint, with an antique style. The building was hung with red and pink lanterns, the red was warm, the pink was hazy, and they complemented each other. A bead curtain hung under the eaves, swaying in the wind, the light and shadows danced, hazy and blurred.

The servants welcoming guests at the door were all in blue clothes and small hats, and they were all smart and energetic. Seeing that Zhan Ershisi and others were unfamiliar, they became more enthusiastic and came forward to bow and greet them.

"My lords, are you here to entertain guests or enjoy singing and dancing? Do you need me to recommend a girl to you?"

Xue Zhong poked his head out from behind him and waved his hand:

"We have made an appointment with Miss Yun'er. You can just take us to the private room upstairs and ask Miss Yun'er to come over."

The clerk took a closer look, nodded and said:

"It's Mr. Xue, please come this way!"

The young man led the way and took a few people into the building. Instead of entering the lobby, they went upstairs along the escalator beside the door.

They sat down in the box and the waiter brought up the wine and food. After a while, the door rang and a beautiful woman came in first, followed by a row of women holding musical instruments such as zithers and pipa in their arms. They bowed to Zhan Ershisi and others, and sat down on one side of the box, ready to play music at any time.

The woman in the lead was Yun'er, the top performer tonight.

She was covered with a thin veil, as thin as a cicada's wing, and was barely visible. Her skirt trailed the ground, hiding her pair of golden lotus feet, and the pearls on the tip of her shoes could be seen. Her hands were as white as jade, with well-proportioned flesh and bones, and her fingers were dyed red with red cardamom. Her smile was as beautiful as a flower, and her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as a painting.

She glanced around and saw Zhan Ershisi sitting in the main seat at the top. Seeing that he was a handsome young man, a smile immediately broke out on her face. She moved lightly and sat down next to Zhan Ershisi. She poured herself a glass of wine, held it with both hands and offered it to him, chuckling:

"Yun'er greets you, sir. I haven't asked what your name is yet." Zhan Ershi was also used to the nightclub scene. He subconsciously reached out and embraced Yun'er. He lowered his head and held the rim of the glass. He raised his head and drank the wine in the glass. He took the glass in his hand and replied with a smile:

"The master's last name is Zhan."

Yun'er was originally a prostitute and had never been groomed, but she knew in her heart that this day would come sooner or later. Now that she saw that Mr. Zhan was handsome and elegant, her heart was moved and she immediately tried to please him, hoping that good things would happen tonight.

Anyone who sleeps with her has to pay anyway, so she is happy to find someone she likes for the first time.

If she was lucky enough to meet a good man and be redeemed and taken home to be a concubine, she would live a happy life.

Naturally, there were girls sitting next to Xue Pan and the others. They ate and drank, listened to soft words, and kept flattering the two young masters, making sure they had a good time.

Just when I was feeling happy, I suddenly heard a noise coming from outside.

This entertainment venue has always been a breeding ground for trouble, with countless cases of jealousy. Zhan Ershisi and others ignored them, but there were chaotic sounds of footsteps, and someone was actually rushing towards their box.

Zhan Ershisi frowned, feeling unhappy. He looked up and saw a man rushing in from outside the door. He was in his thirties, slightly fat, wearing a brocade robe and a mustache. He looked respectable, but his face was pale and his eye bags were swollen. It was obvious that he indulged in alcohol and sex too much, especially his eyes, which revealed greed and lust everywhere.

After this man came in, he was happy at first when he saw Yun'er, but when he saw Yun'er smiling and lying in Zhan Ershisi's arms, he immediately became angry and embarrassed.

He first glanced at the people at the table, and seeing that they were all strangers, he didn't care and burst out directly, pointing at Yun'er and cursing:

"Good you little whore!"

"Master, I invited you many times but you refused to come. It turns out you are here to flirt!"

"I just want you to come over and sing a song. I'm not hiring you. Why do you have to make trouble for me?"

"You are just a whore who sells smiles. How dare you embarrass me in front of my friends? How despicable!"

"If I don't teach you a lesson today, won't people look down on me, Master Jia?"

When Zhan Ershisi saw someone breaking in, he wanted to start a fight. But when he heard that this person claimed to be Master Jia, his heart was moved, and he lowered his head and asked Yun'er in his arms:
"Which family does this Mr. Jia opposite come from?"

Yun'er was just an ordinary prostitute, so she didn't dare to offend the customer. She was so frightened that she was at a loss for words and said tremblingly:
"This master is Master Zhen from the Ningguo Mansion."

"Ah!" Zhan Ershisi smiled happily after hearing this, "I was wondering who it was, it turned out to be Brother Zhen. We are not outsiders!"

Jia Zhen's second wife, Youshi, and his daughter-in-law, Qin Keqing, were both the "wives" reserved for Mr. Zhan. Seeing the future victims coming to his door, Zhan Twenty-four was of course very enthusiastic.

(End of this chapter)