spoiled brat

Chapter 24 23. Spring Harmony (3)

The next day, a large wooden sign was hung in front of Su Chunfeng's building, which read "Poverty Alleviation and Relief".

At first, everyone was curious how a group of prostitutes could say such big things.

It wasn't until Manager Zhang walked in hesitantly that everyone realized what was going on.

Manager Zhang stood on the platform where Xiao Duo was telling stories, his face flushed, and began to speak:

"I need to borrow money."

Below the stage, the prostitutes, who had always been treated as playthings, sneered like condescending buyers:
"Whenever we go to buy medicine, you always act all sarcastic and disdainful. Why are you begging us today?"

Zhao Zhao tapped the table with the handle of her calligraphy brush and asked, "Manager Zhang, how much do you need to borrow, and what is it for?"

Manager Zhang lowered his head, his face flushed red to his neck: "...Lend me ten taels to supplement my household expenses. I'll pay it back once this batch of medicine is sold."

He paused, then pulled out an old sandalwood abacus inlaid with silver from his sleeve: "You can use this as collateral."

Ten taels wasn't much; the girls in the audience could easily chip in. But they were used to Zhang the shopkeeper's disdain, so why would they lend him any?

The girls made a few light, sarcastic remarks, then got up to leave. Xiao Duo quickly stopped them, saying earnestly:
"He spent all his money on prostitutes' funerals!"

Which prostitute?

"That girl from the secret service who returned your gold jewelry," Zhao Zhao said calmly, "hanged herself. Only Manager Zhang and his wife went to see her off."

The women all froze, then sat back down in their seats. After a moment of silence, someone finally asked:

"What percentage of interest? When will it be repaid?"

Before Manager Zhang could answer, Zhao Zhao held up the paper in her hand, on which were crookedly written 'Nine out, eleven back', and said:
“If you are willing, you can let him go out nine times and return ten times, or go out out ten times and return ten times.”

Where is there any profit to be made then?

The girls started chattering. Some said it was risky and not worth it; others said he didn't borrow much anyway, so it was just a way to repay a favor; still others said he spent all the money on that girl's funeral, so we should lend a hand out of both compassion and reason.

After some discussion, the girls looked at Zhaozhao and said, "We'll borrow it."

Zhao Zhao picked up her pen, preparing to write a complaint based on the IOU at hand: "What percentage of interest?"

But the girls said, "We don't want interest, and we don't need to pay it back."

Shopkeeper Zhang looked up in shock at the prostitutes he usually despised, never dreaming that they would not only lend a helping hand but also refuse any interest.

The girls smiled and said, "You're kind and loyal, and we're not heartless beasts either."

After saying that, they went up to the stage one by one and took out different amounts of silver from their sleeves and placed them in front of Zhaozhao.

Zhao Zhao was just learning to write, and her handwriting was slow and ugly. It took her a long time to remember their names and signatures before she finally finished writing them.

When Manager Zhang came to sign the document and collect the money, he felt as if he were in a dream. He originally thought that Zhao Zhao had called him here just to put on a show, but he never expected to actually receive help.

"Thank you all..." He was so grateful that tears streamed down his face as he looked at the girls and said, "Once I've recovered my financial situation, you can all get a discount when you buy medicine."

The girls have never done anything good, but when they occasionally show a bit of kindness, they end up feeling embarrassed.

They waved their handkerchiefs and said they were annoyed and told Manager Zhang to leave quickly and stop occupying the table.

Manager Zhang walked out of Su Chunfeng with an IOU that didn't need to be repaid and a heavy bag of silver in his arms.

The onlookers who had been waiting outside crowded around him and asked, "Are you sure you don't have to pay it back?"

Manager Zhang shook the IOU in his hand, letting everyone see it clearly: "They didn't even ask me for collateral."

The onlookers looked surprised, yet somewhat disbelieving: "...Is this silver fake?"

Shopkeeper Zhang casually took out a piece of loose silver from the cloth bag in his arms, bit it with his teeth, and showed the teeth marks to everyone: "See them clearly?"

He turned and headed towards his own pharmacy, but the onlookers wouldn't let him go, stopping him to continue asking:
"You're old and have a wife, why would those whores give you money?"

The men looked down on these girls, calling them "bitch" all the time.

But prostitutes are still beauties. Who wouldn't hope to encounter such a good thing as a beauty giving money away?
Shopkeeper Zhang stopped, adopted a mysterious expression, and casually recited the lines Zhao Zhao had taught him:

"They say I am virtuous."

Virtue?
What kind of bullshit is "De"?
Whether someone is handsome or not can be seen at a glance, and whether someone is talented or not can be verified with pen and paper, but how can one judge whether someone has virtue?
Everyone stood there, speechless, when suddenly someone slapped their forehead and shouted, "I have virtue too!" After shouting, they rushed into Su Chunfeng's room in a panic.

The other man, fearing he wouldn't be able to keep up, quickly followed, shouting, "I got one too!"

Virtue can be transformed into wealth; who the hell doesn't have some vague and ethereal virtue?
Like fish biting the bait, everyone swarmed into Su Chunfeng's net and crawled into Zhao Zhao's trap.

*
Su Chunfeng's name spread like water through every street and alley of Qingyang County.

Everyone saw this as an opportunity to make money, and they regarded how much money the prostitutes were willing to lend and how much interest they asked for as a measure of their worth.

If you borrow a lot with little interest, you are highly respected; if you borrow a little with much interest, you are of questionable character.

As soon as it was light, everyone lined up at the entrance of Su Chunfeng, waiting for Xiao Duo to strike the gong and call out numbers. Like actors in a play, they would take turns to show the girls below the stage how virtuous and kind they were, and how bitter and resentful they were.

We're all from the same village, who doesn't know who else?

Whenever someone puts on an act, a group of people below will jeer and expose the person's true colors in just a few words.

The girls watched the show while munching on sunflower seeds, occasionally adding a sarcastic remark. If they encountered someone truly pitiful, they would offer gentle words of comfort and, with a wave of their hand, have Zhao Zhao sign a contract and release the money.

This is much more entertaining than a play.

Madam Yu was a shrewd woman. Although Zhao Zhao's creation of such a blazing scene hindered her from arranging for her girls to engage in prostitution, she could still make a fortune by utilizing this customer base.

She set up tables downstairs and in front of the door, selling tea, snacks, wine and braised dishes. She had her idle employees run errands in the front and cook in the back, and then sold them at twice the usual price. In just a few days, she made a fortune.

Not everyone is a fool.

Soon it was discovered that these prostitutes only lent out small amounts of money, and the number of times they waived interest and did not repay was extremely rare. Wasn't this just using petty profits as a gimmick to lure everyone into becoming suckers?

One day, several men who had been cheated out of their money for food and drinks by Madam Yu got together and started a riot, cursing Madam Yu for running a shady business under the guise of doing charity.

They had just smashed a few plates and dishes, preparing to cause a scene, when they heard a smiling voice coming from outside the door:
"Who is it that slanders the good people here?"

Chen Jianshi walked in with several soldiers, smiling as he sized up the troublemakers:

"I think this is an excellent deal, what do you think?"

The men cowered at the sight of the official, stammering as they replied, "...We share the same thought as Master Chen."

Chen Jianshi and his soldiers found a table and sat down. Yu Mama quickly served them wine and dishes, welcoming them with a smile.

His arrival immediately cooled the previously lively atmosphere. The people watching the show and those queuing outside made a move to disperse, but then a clear, bright voice rang out from the crowd:
"I need to borrow two hundred taels!"

The crowd stopped and looked toward the source of the sound, curious about what kind of person would be so desperate as to try to borrow such a huge sum of money from a group of prostitutes. Then they saw Ah Ming walk out of the crowd, stepping over the gazes of everyone around him, and onto the empty platform.

He hasn't done any work these past few days, so he's been clean and tidy. With less pressure and life getting better, his face has become more handsome.

"I need to borrow two hundred taels." He took out a warrant from his sleeve and placed it on the table, saying:

"This is an official appointment for a night soil worker issued by the imperial court. Although it's not a prestigious position, it's still a secure job that you can't lose. I'll pawn this and borrow two hundred taels."

The audience burst into laughter, thinking that this manure collector was really desperate for money. Even if the edict was real, would these prostitutes really lend him two hundred taels of silver?
You know, the girls only lend small amounts of money, and they lend it to respected, kind-hearted people who can't afford to lose face. Why would they lend it to a latrine carrier?

As everyone expected, the prostitutes remained silent, presumably looking for a reason to refuse.

Everyone was waiting for this shady establishment to make a fool of itself, but instead, a young woman who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old stood up and said decisively:

"I'll offer thirty taels."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other prostitutes stood up one by one and quickly raised the two hundred taels together.

Even at this point, everyone still suspected foul play and shouted, "Where's the money? Where's the two hundred taels of silver?"

Xiao Duo led several pimps out of the backyard and carried out a box of gleaming silver, placing it firmly in front of A Ming.

Zhao Zhao deftly wrote the IOU, handed it to Amin with one hand, and took Amin's order with the other, saying softly:
"I promised you that I would waive interest for the first three months. After that, you'll have to pay interest as usual, 10% each month."

This is the girls' money, and a considerable amount at that; Zhao Zhao must help them make a profit.

Compared to Zhao Si's 30% monthly compound interest, Zhao Zhao was incredibly generous. A-Ming nodded gratefully.

"Thank you very much."

The die is cast, but some outside still protested:

"Didn't they say they'd give money based on character? What kind of character does this stinking manure collector have!"

Supervisor Chen stopped peeling peanuts, looked over coldly, and said in a threatening tone:

"He's immoral, but are you? Without these porters, what kind of stench would our inner city be in? Calling someone a stinking manure carrier, I'll arrange for you to carry manure tomorrow!"

*
Zhao Zhao spent half a month establishing Su Chunfeng's reputation for charitable donations, and the lending business gradually got on track. Although the profits weren't much, it provided the prostitutes with an extra source of income besides their earnings from prostitution.

As the frenzy of exploiting customers subsided, Madam Yu, no longer having the opportunity to rip off them, changed her tune and became a kind-faced Buddhist madam.

She renovated the building and hung some Buddha statues in the hallways.

There are specific rules for hanging Buddha images. Hanging images of Mahayana Buddhism from the Central Plains is not advisable, as those Buddhas are too detached from worldly desires, and guests will lose interest if they see them.

So, Mother Yu hung up a Buddha image from the Western Regions, which was full of images of the Buddha of Joy and Yin-Yang spiritual practitioners, making the guests' desires burn.

Every time Madam Yu collected payment for her services, she would hold her prayer beads, close her eyes, and silently recite a phrase to her customers:
Good deeds bring good results. May you rest in peace.

After her comment, Su Chunfeng's regular customers stopped saying they were going to brothels and started saying they were going to do good deeds instead.

Zhao Zhao counted the silver in her hand, observing everything with a detached eye; her former carefree attitude towards life had vanished.

She had grown up in the lower rungs of society, witnessing all sorts of absurdity and ugliness, and now she was truly fed up with it all.

How can someone like her stay stuck in the mud forever? She should fly to the sky.

While Zhao Zhao was lost in thought, Manager Zhang had already taken Yao Niang's pulse and let out a deep sigh:

"Zhao Zhao'er, I'm afraid your mother isn't well."

Zhao Zhao snapped out of her daze and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with it?"

Shopkeeper Zhang said, "The fetus is too big, and it's almost full term but there's still no sign of labor..." He paused, looking at Yao Niang lying in the bedchamber. She was fast asleep, as if the child in her womb had drained all her life force. "I'm afraid it will harm the mother's body. This is a wicked child."

Zhao Zhao's heart sank. She stuffed the silver in her hand into Manager Zhang's hand: "Uncle Zhang, use whatever medicine is good. If you need more money, just tell me... I only ask that you cure my mother."

Shopkeeper Zhang put the money in his hand on the table and shook his head: "Zhao Zhao'er, I don't want your money."

He hesitated for a moment, "but we are missing a few expensive medicinal herbs, so we can only buy them from the largest pharmacy in Yunzhou."

Zhao Zhao handed the paper and pen to Manager Zhang: "Uncle Zhang, write this down, and I'll go buy it."

Manager Zhang picked up his pen and wrote down some more instructions before leaving with his wooden basket on his back.

The room was quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the window screen and the flickering of the lamp. Zhao Zhao felt empty inside. She piled the silver coins on the table high, only to have them collapse and then be piled up again, only to have them collapse again.

Without her family, she would be like a rootless duckweed in the world. What good would it do to earn more money or climb higher?

As she thought about it, Zhao Zhao's nose tingled, but she felt it wasn't time to cry yet, so she held back her tears.

Money makes the world go round; is there any disease that money can't cure?

"Zhao Zhao'er".

There was a knock on the door. It was Xiao Duo: "Aunt Yu wants you to come over."

"Coming." Zhao Zhao wiped her eyes, got up, and opened the door. "What did Aunt Yu want me to do?"

It was late at night, and everyone in the building was asleep. I'm afraid Madam Yu had something to tell her.

...Could it be another abortion?

Seeing the worry on Zhao Zhao's face, Xiao Duo smiled and said, "It's a good thing, go quickly."

Yu's mother lived in a small courtyard house with two courtyards. She kept many cats, and at night, a bluish-green light would float in the air.

As soon as Zhaozhao arrived, the cats surrounded her. She walked in front, and they followed behind, as if they had grown a green tail.

Surrounded by cats, Zhao Zhao pushed open the door.

Yu's mother was a Buddhist and loved to burn sandalwood incense in the house, which was mixed with the bitter smell of tobacco leaves, just like the dullness of her life over the past few decades.

"You're here." Madam Yu, who was lying in the armchair, opened her eyes and pointed to the low stool next to her with her pipe. "Sit."

Zhao Zhao said thank you, Mom, and sat down.

“You’ve helped the building make a lot of money these days.” Mrs. Yu bent down and pulled out a small cloth bag from the side. “This is for you.”

Zhao Zhao opened it, and inside were heavy silver coins, a considerable amount.

"Mother……"

"That's all." Mrs. Yu closed her eyes and waved her hand wearily. "Go back to sleep."

Zhao Zhao held the silver but didn't leave.