spoiled brat

Chapter 12. Eliminating Evil (Part 12)

help him?

Amin thought Zhaozhao was referring to the flower wreath on his head: "Thank you."

Zhao Zhao retorted, "Is this the only trouble you have?"

Amin's expression froze. He couldn't figure out Zhaozhao's connections and dared not say more.

That's all.

But he clearly had injuries on his face, and his body was covered in blood and mud, looking utterly wretched.

He turned to leave, but Zhao Zhao called him back:

"Will you be able to pay me back by the fifth of next month?"

Amin stopped in his tracks, and Zhaozhao walked around to stand in front of him, getting straight to the point:

"To be honest, I'm a virgin prostitute from a brothel outside. We're the same, both from the lowest rungs of society."

Ah Ming lowered his eyes, thinking that it was no wonder that her tender face had such a worldly and shrewd look; it was because she had been immersed in the brothel for so long.

"Young lady, what do you want with me? And why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Zhao Si?"

"Trying to steal my boyfriend, huh?" Zhao Zhao smiled. "His interest rate is 30% per month. If my interest rate is lower than his, would you be willing to borrow from me from now on?"

Amin couldn't understand how a mere virgin prostitute could dare to spout such nonsense.

He shook his head and answered truthfully, "I dare not lend it. He has connections in high places and he's got us officials all to our deaths."

Zhao Si was indeed making money for the county magistrate.

Zhao Zhao rolled her eyes and tentatively asked, "What if my backer is as powerful as Zhao Si's?"

Upon hearing this, Amin chuckled: "Does Qingyang County have a backer even more powerful than the county magistrate?"

“County Commandant, Lord Huang,” Zhao Zhao answered without hesitation. “The county magistrate is not involved in military affairs. Lord Huang and the county magistrate are like two mountains standing side by side, neither superior to the other.”

"You know Lord Huang?"

Zhao Zhao wasn't ashamed at all when she lied: "Of course."

Amin shook his head, exposing Zhaozhao's lie:
"Lord Huang is incorruptible and loves the people like his own children. He is definitely not a mediocre official who tries every means to bleed people dry."

Upon discovering that Zhao Zhao was a little liar, A Ming lost all affection for her and, too lazy to continue the conversation, pulled his manure cart away.

Zhao Zhao, shameless as ever, followed and continued to ask:

"If Lord Huang is willing to stand up for me, I'll lend you money. Will you lend it to me?"

Amin felt that Zhaozhao's words were an insult to an honest official, and coldly replied:
"If you can truly turn white into black and good into evil, I'll lend you the full amount, not just 30%!"

Zhao Zhao chuckled. She knew that A Ming had very few coins in his pocket, so where would he get any other money?
It was just something said in anger.

She proceeded slowly and deliberately, casting her line:

"In that case, I'll waive 10% of your interest for the first three months, but you have to persuade the other officials who are in charge of cleaning duties to come to me when they have financial difficulties."

Ah Ming was beaten today and was worried about money. After listening to her rambling on and on, his patience ran out.

"Little girl." He stopped, took out the last few copper coins from his pocket, and handed them to Zhaozhao:

"You're talking big, but I know you're just a nobody like me. You don't even know Lord Huang, and you can't help me at all... You can go now, I'll treat you to candied hawthorns."

Zhao Zhao lowered her eyes and examined the copper coins in his rough, calloused palm:

"I'll repay you tenfold in the future."

She snatched the money from Amin's hand, yet still said such things. Amin thought she was crazy and laughed:

"I bet you don't even have ten copper coins on you right now. If you're like this now, how dare you say you'll repay tenfold in the future?"

As Zhao Zhao walked, she tossed copper coins into the air, saying nonchalantly:
"Let's make a bet then."

"What bet?"

She smiled and raised her hand, and the copper coins in the air fell one after another, returning precisely to her fair palm with a tinkling sound:
"Let's bet on this time being different from that time."

Before Amin could say anything more, Zhaozhao had already run off like a cat, her voice carried on the wind:
See you another day.

Why does this little prostitute love to talk so much?

Amin felt he was really unlucky today, shook his head with a wry smile, and continued walking forward.

He gave Zhao Zhao eight copper coins, just enough to buy two strings of candied hawthorns, one for Zhao Zhao and one for Xiao Duo. Xiao Duo, biting into a hawthorn ball, asked, "Where are we going now?"

Zhao Zhao thought for a moment: "Go find A Zhuo."

She deliberately led people to investigate Zhao Si's courtyard so that they would discover her former master.

Now that Zhaozhao has figured out the key, it's time to talk to her about what happens next.

The market is very close to West Street Hutong; it only takes a short walk to get there.

The door to the low house was closed, but there were no reeds stuck in the handle.

Xiao Duo thought A Zhuo wasn't home and was about to knock on the door when she heard hurried, panting breathing coming from inside.

He blushed and withdrew his hand, saying that they were busy inside, and then pulled Zhao Zhao to sit down to the side.

Zhao Zhao knew what was happening inside, and as if her appetite had been ruined, she twirled the bamboo skewer of the candied hawthorn, unwilling to eat it anymore.
"Xiao Duo, have you seen your mother?"

Xiao Duo shook his head. His mother was also a prostitute who died before he was weaned. He was breastfed by a stranger.

Zhao Zhao looked at the bright red candied hawthorn in her hand. The golden sugar coating shimmered with iridescent light in the sunlight. It was truly beautiful.

She was reminded of her childhood.

She was probably only four or five years old at that time?

In short, she was too young to understand what a prostitute's profession was.

Once, Yao Niang encountered a difficult customer, and afterwards she was covered in injuries.

Zhao Zhao heard Yao Niang's soft sobs coming from inside the bed curtains. Not knowing what was wrong with her mother, she hinted in her childish voice:
"Mom, if you're unhappy, just eat a candied hawthorn skewer and you'll feel better."

Actually, she wasn't concerned about Yao Niang; she was just indulging in her gluttony.

She knew that Yao Niang was most vulnerable when she cried, so she would try her best to fulfill her wishes, as if she were very sorry for her.

Yao Niang stopped crying and stretched out a scarred arm from behind the bed curtains, her palm holding the tip from the customer:

“If Mother won’t eat, Zhao Zhao will.”

Zhao Zhao noticed the scars on Yao Niang's arm, but her longing for candied hawthorns wouldn't allow her to delay.

She grabbed the copper coins and ran to the street, where she bought five skewers of candied hawthorns.

She ate four skewers, so full she kept burping, and when she couldn't eat the last one, she remembered Yao Niang sobbing softly behind the bed curtains.

The last skewer, the one she couldn't finish, she'd leave for her mother.

But when she returned, Yao Niang was entertaining customers again.

That was the first time Zhao Zhao realized how despicable the prostitution profession was.

No matter how humiliating it is, you have to please others; no matter how much you want to cry, you have to force a smile.

Even though they know they are just playthings to be manipulated, they still have to pretend they are enjoying it.

Zhao Zhao sat on the ground by the door, listening to the woman's crying and the man's panting inside the room.

The candied hawthorn in her hand melted, and the sugar dripped onto her hand, sticky and greasy, like bright red teardrops.

When the man came out, he was still pulling up his pants. He hadn't had enough fun yet. He spat at the woman on the bed and called her a "stinking bitch," then kicked Zhao Zhao and stomped downstairs.

A moment later, shouting came from downstairs. The man complained that Yao Niang was not serving him well and insisted that Yu's mother refund the money. The two sides started arguing.

Amidst the cacophony of arguments, Zhao Zhao strained her ears, hoping to hear even the slightest sound of Yao Niang crying, but this time there was no sound at all.

Holding the melted candied hawthorn, she knelt before Yao Niang's bedside and said in a very, very soft voice:
"Mom, the candied hawthorns are very sweet today."

no respond.

Could it be that Yao Niang is unhappy because she got extra pocket money today?
Zhao Zhao poured the copper coins out of her shoe and placed them on the edge of the bed: "...Mother, I'm returning the money to you, please don't be angry."

The dimly lit room was deathly silent; there was no response.

A wave of overwhelming fear washed over Zhao Zhao. Did she lose her mother and become an orphan?

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She leaned against the bed and started crying. She kept crying and crying, but she never had the courage to lift the bed curtains and take a look.

A trembling hand peeked out from behind the bed curtains and gently stroked Zhao Zhao's head.

Yao Niang's voice was already hoarse, but it still carried a faint trace of affection:
"...Zhao Zhao'er, Mother doesn't want you to return anything...Mother just wants you to be happy."