spoiled brat

Chapter 40, Section 39: Against the Current (Part 9)

Because of her experience, her shrewdness is not something to be wary of, her smoothness is not something to be disliked, and her smiling face is like the spring sunshine, making everyone who sees her feel warm and cozy.

She sat in the armchair, sipping her tea and looking down. The girls seemed to be jumping into her eyes like shrimp in a pot, but she just smiled and looked at Madam Yu beside her, asking softly:

"Old Gen, do you have a girl down there?"

She and Yu's mother were old friends. When they were young, their two families' courtyards were separated by only a wall. They wore the same floral dress and studied the same stale book, "Instructions for Women." Later, fate played a cruel trick on them. Their families fell into poverty, and one after the other, they entered a brothel to become prostitutes.

Because of this relationship, she would agree to whatever Yu's mother said.

Madam Ke Yu remained silent, holding her pipe as she glanced down, not even glancing at Yun'er and Zhao Zhao, and said indifferently, "They do exist, but I'm too lazy to point it out. Even if you give me special treatment, they won't teach you properly when you take you to Yunzhou."

Manager Sun smiled, stood up, and looked down at the women below, who resembled spring flowers.

Having served as a manager for decades, she knew best what kind of women officials liked. First, they had to be charming and gentle; second, they couldn't be too shrewd. As for their bedmates, the best they wanted was a beautiful, quiet vase who would only be pouted and endure criticism.

She selected a few women, and the old woman behind her banged a gong, pointing with a gong mallet wrapped in red cloth: "You few, come up and show yourselves!"

The woman who was chosen was overjoyed. She smiled, straightened her dress, and walked into the inn under the gaze of everyone. She went up to the third floor and met Manager Sun.

Manager Sun looked them up and down; they were pretty and slender, good material for prostitution.

The pity and discomfort she felt had long since faded with time. She smiled and sighed, then ordered, "Take off your outer garment and show your feet."

Even prostitutes have a sense of shame. Seeing their hesitation, the old woman banging the gong tore a piece of cloth from inside the house, which was better than nothing to cover themselves:
"Take it off, there are women down there, none of them are missing anything."

The girls shyly took off their clothes and shoes.

Manager Sun stood up from the armchair and used his soft yet rough hands to knead each of their bodies, leaving two of them alone.

One was delicate and graceful, the other voluptuous and alluring.

Madam Yu glanced at him and saw through Steward Sun's thoughts: "Yangzhou slender horses, Datong women, you certainly know how to cater to the tastes of the gentlemen."

"It's not about pandering; sending these two types up is less likely to go wrong," Manager Sun chuckled. "The gentlemen are getting a bit tired of them now, so they asked me to get some boat girls and nuns to try something new. I finally found a few a few the other day and happily sent them to the gentlemen's beds, just waiting to receive my reward... Who knew that seven out of eight were old prostitutes, just old cucumbers painted green, changing their names to sell at higher prices."

“We’re tired of playing with docile and obedient girls, it’s time for a change of pace.” Yu’s mother started the conversation seemingly unintentionally. “If you ask me, men still prefer fish that are hard to steal, fish with a few bones.”

Manager Sun understood the implied meaning and glanced down at the crowd again. She pointed to a few girls with upturned eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and inadvertently saw Yun'er and Zhaozhao.

Yun'er had a charming yet spirited appearance, and it was clear she was a feisty person. Steward Sun gestured for the old woman to bring Yun'er up.

After she finished, she looked at Zhao Zhao again, hesitating and unable to make a decision.

This girl is pretty, but she's too young and too sharp. Her beauty is undisguised, making her both captivating and unsettling.

Who would dare put such a clumsy little beast by their pillow?
Manager Sun sighed, withdrew his gaze, and gave Madam Yu a meaningful look: "What a pity."

Yun'er and several other girls were brought up, and as usual, Steward Sun gave them a thorough check-up. Of all the girls, Yun'er was the one she was most satisfied with, and she asked with a smile, "Can you control your temper?"

When Yun'er became gentle, there was not a trace of flattery; instead, she was exceptionally straightforward. She curtsied and said respectfully, "Please rest assured, Grandma, I can swallow any hardship for the sake of my future." Steward Sun nodded in satisfaction: "Clear-headed, a good girl."

We've pretty much chosen the right people.

Manager Sun waved his hand, signaling the old woman banging the gong to write down the names, and then looked at the silent Madam Yu with a smile: "Is there really no one for your daughter?"

While Yu's mother was smooth and diplomatic in public, she was stubborn and inflexible in front of her friends. She shook her head and said, "She doesn't have enough good fortune, yet she always thinks about soaring to the sky. She should honestly cultivate herself for a few more years."

These words piqued Steward Sun's interest.

Manager Sun peeked down and saw a little girl in red standing out in the crowd. Her beautiful eyes were filled with a captivating smile as she looked directly at him without flinching, as if she had already guessed that the girl's gaze would eventually fall on her.

"She really is a little girl who wants to soar to great heights..."

Steward Sun smiled helplessly, turned to the old woman and instructed her:
"Go down there yourself and invite her up."

The sun was scorching, and Zhao Zhao's hands, holding the moon lute, were already slightly sweaty. Her face remained calm, but her mind was in turmoil.

Just now, Steward Sun's eyes swept over her several times, but he didn't call her up. After finally making eye contact with her for a long time, he sat back down. I don't know what he meant by that.

Manager Sun stopped looking down, seemingly having recruited enough people. The girls, dejected and with ashen faces, scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhao Zhao glanced at Yu's mother on the balcony, resisted the urge to ask Yu's mother to intercede on her behalf, and walked into the crowd of those who had not been selected.

Her heart sank. She had thought she had it in the bag, but she hadn't even seen Steward Sun, and none of the skills she had prepared to show off had been put to use... If she couldn't go to Yunzhou, how could she make a fortune if she stayed stuck in the shallow and barren Qingyang County? And how could she possibly give Madam Yu the money she had promised?
Is she really going to be put on stage by Madam Yu, to be watched like a cat or a dog, to expose her flesh and try to sell it for a good price... and end up like Yao Niang in the future?

"The one in the red shirt!"

A rough voice sounded behind her. Zhao Zhao turned around and saw the old woman banging the gong beckoning to her: "Yes, it's you."

Zhao Zhao ran over with her lute in her arms and asked softly, "What did Grandma want to see me about?"

The old woman said, "The person in charge wants you to go upstairs."

She had lost it and found it again. Zhao Zhao felt as fortunate as someone who had been rescued from the water. She smiled and thanked the old woman, then followed her upstairs.

The old woman was a bit fat, and her footsteps made the stairs creak. Seeing that she was limping and unsteady, Zhao Zhao held her lute in one hand and supported her with the other.

"Please take your time."

The old woman glanced at Zhaozhao, then noticed the moon lute in her hand, and sighed, "Give me the lute."

Zhao Zhao hesitated slightly: "Does Steward Sun find the Yueqin jarring?"

“No, that’s not it,” the old woman retorted. “Did you see any of the girls who came up just now carrying musical instruments? Only a naive girl like you would think that the steward of my household would value talent when choosing women for the masters.”

(End of this chapter)