spoiled brat

Chapter 46, Section 45: Flying Catkins (Part 5)

The soldier, his face being stepped on, remained defiant, gritting his teeth and saying, "Why should we Southerners abandon our families to guard your Northern lands!"

He sneered twice, pointed at himself, and said, "We Northerners?"

Seemingly finding the argument utterly absurd, he was too lazy to argue any further. He kicked the soldier far away and said coldly, "Get lost."

The soldier, helped up by his colleagues, wiped the blood from his mouth and said, "Mad dog!"

He Bi, who had already turned to get into the sedan chair, suddenly turned back and said viciously, "Good to know. Anyone who dares to speak ill of my master on my territory again, I won't let them off!"

The soldier dared not argue anymore and could only let He Bi swagger away.

After all that commotion, the once bustling street was now deserted. As they passed Steward Sun's carriage, He Bi glanced at it and waved, saying, "Stop."

The sedan chair landed, and the curtain was slightly parted.

Steward Sun, with an impeccable smile, said, "Guard He, what a coincidence."

"What a coincidence, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Steward Sun." He Bi glanced at the dozen or so carriages in front of him and asked, "What a grand procession! Where did you come from, and where are you going?"

The Prince of Ning's family had just moved here from the north, and although their foundation was not yet stable, they absolutely could not be offended. Steward Sun replied flawlessly, "These are all singers and dancers selected from the villages and counties, and have already been registered with the city defense department."

"Is it for Xu Feng's birthday celebration?"

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but as soon as Xu Feng uttered those two words, Zhao Zhao noticed that Wang Liuer beside her froze for a moment.

"It's for Lord Xu's birthday celebration."

Why sneer, "The emperor is far away, he must be having a really comfortable job as an official."

Manager Sun nodded without saying a word, then said goodbye, got into his sedan chair, and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Steward Sun muttered a curse under his breath and quickly told the coachman to hurry up, afraid of getting involved in the farce that had just happened.

-

The Jiaofang was a seven- or eight-story riverside building, cast in gold and carved in jade. Lanterns hung from the eaves of the flower-decorated building, their red glowing brightly in the misty gray night.

The group disembarked from the carriage and obediently followed the lame old woman to the personnel department to register their names.

Zhao Zhao was the youngest among them. The head of the department examined her thin register closely, then asked, "Thirteen years old? Too young. How were you selected?"

The girls around her laughed, "That's right, that's right, what's a little kid like him doing here?"

Before Zhao Zhao could explain, the department head had already tossed her register aside, tapped the table with his pen, and said, "Next!"

Zhao Zhao was pushed outside by the people around her. She wanted to ask the old woman for help, but she couldn't find her. So she pulled a pimp aside and asked, "Where is Steward Sun? I need to talk to her."

The pimp pulled her hand away and said irritably, "The manager has been gone for half a month, and she has a pile of accounts waiting to be sorted out. She doesn't have time to deal with you."

Helpless, Zhao Zhao had no choice but to wait outside the door.

After all the girls had been registered, Zhao Zhao grabbed the manager who was about to leave: "Uncle, I was personally selected by Steward Sun."

The foreman waved his hand to interrupt her: "All the little girls who sneaked in in previous years have said the same thing as you. Go find Manager Sun and write a note, then I'll believe you."

Zhao Zhao patiently replied, "Manager Sun is busy."

"That's none of my business then," the foreman yelled at the girls outside the door who had their names recorded. "Stand up neatly by township/county!"

It's time to assign accommodations for the night.

Zhao Zhao was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat. A seasoned woman patted her shoulder and warned, "He's deliberately picking on you to extort money from you."

He then pointed to the corner of the wall, where a girl was standing there dumbfounded: "Look, she was also extorted."

Zhao Zhao walked to the corner and asked the girl, "Did the department head also pick on you?"

With the world people.

The girl stomped her foot angrily: "That green-haired bastard said I'm dark-skinned, so I must have sneaked in! Dark, dark, dark, but not as dark as this bastard's ass!"

After exchanging a few complaints, the two devised a plan and decided to go together to report Manager Sun, determined not to let their subordinate's evil scheme succeed.

Everything was going smoothly until the group leader assigned the accommodations and was about to leave with the roster when the girl suddenly realized what had happened.

A white shadow flashed before Zhao Zhao's eyes. Almost instantly, the girl who had been fighting alongside her enemy rushed to the head of the department, handed over a silver note, and said ingratiatingly, "Uncle, the lights in that hall weren't bright enough, so I looked a bit dark. Can you take a look at my face now?"

The department head glanced at the numbers and shook his head, saying, "It's still not white enough."

The girl was sensible and took off the jade bracelet, placing it in the servant's hand.

The head of the department picked up the jade bracelet and looked at it, then laughed and said, "It's white enough, white enough."

Zhao Zhao, standing to the side, cursed herself for being foolish. Who would dare to make enemies so soon after arriving? Paying money to avoid trouble was the only sensible thing to do.

Zhao Zhao watched as the girl bribed him, recorded his name, and assigned him lodging. After she left, Zhao Zhao hurriedly went up to the steward and asked, "Uncle, how much did that lady give you?"

The official stroked the jade bracelet with one hand and fanned himself with a silver note with the other: "What tribute? I don't know anything about it?"

affectation.

Zhao Zhao noticed that the silver note was worth ten taels, so she took out a ten-tael silver note and handed it over, imitating the girl from before, saying, "Uncle, I didn't stand up straight just now, which made me look short and young. Can you tell how old I am now?"

The foreman glanced at the silver note and said disdainfully, "Minor."

Zhao Zhao took out another ten taels.

The head of the department remained dismissive: "Still too small."

Zhao Zhao steeled herself and asked directly, "How much is considered big?"

The headman held up one finger and shook it: "Fifty taels."

Zhao Zhao paused for a moment. She had only brought a limited amount of silver this time, so she had to be careful with her spending: "Why does she only have to give ten taels plus a jade bracelet, but I have to give fifty taels?"

"As the tide rises, so do all the boats; if you want to curry favor, do it while you can." The official looked down at Zhao Zhao. "Don't want to give it to me? Then go back to your hometown."

Seeing that Zhao Zhao had no intention of paying more, the foreman hummed a little tune and prepared to leave.

Zhao Zhao stopped him and said, "My madam and Manager Sun have been friends for many years. If you dare to cause trouble for me, I'm afraid you won't be able to get away with it so easily."

The head scooper's eyes darted around: "Is that really true?"

"really."

The head of the department stared at her, then suddenly laughed: "So you're one of us! What a coincidence!"

He walked to a stone table and sat down, flipping through the register to ask, "Miss, what's your name?"

Zhao Zhao registered, and the head of the department took out a charcoal pencil from his sleeve. As luck would have it, the pencil rolled off the stone table and landed at Zhao Zhao's feet. The head of the department smiled at her, indicating that he would help her pick it up.

As Zhao Zhao bent over, a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck. Her vision blurred, and she collapsed to the ground, dizzy and disoriented.

Her consciousness was hazy, but she could still sense the movements around her. Zhao Zhao knew she had been dragged aside and stuffed into a sack.

The foreman kicked her and said to his pimps, "Damn it, what bad luck! They picked a tough one out of a hundred or so people!"

"Is there someone who came from this girl in the sack?"

"She said her madam knows Steward Sun." The head steward spat. "Whether it's true or not, just throw it out there first... If anyone asks, just say she's lost her mind and ran off somewhere."

The pimp received the order and pulled the sack toward the west gate. There was an oxcart parked there, piled high with the prostitutes' worn-out clothes, which were taken to the county town to be sold every month.

The pimp threw the sack up, untied the drawstring, and examined Zhao Zhao's face by the moonlight.

"What a lovely little girl..."

Zhao Zhao was nauseated by the pungent smell of the pimp's sweat and desperately tried to wake up and escape, but she couldn't even muster the strength to open her eyes.

Fortunately, the pimp preferred voluptuous and charming women, and had no interest in young girls. He stepped back and sighed, "It's a pity she's too young, not useful, I can only sell her off."

The disgust in Zhao Zhao's heart gradually froze into fear. The boss only wanted to throw her out, but this beast wanted to resell her to human traffickers and make a good profit.

Want to escape.

The wheels rumbled across the empty street, the cobblestones uneven, bouncing along. The pain and numbness in the back of Zhao Zhao's neck gradually subsided, her consciousness clearing, but she still couldn't muster any strength in her hands and feet.

The pimp hummed a little tune as he drove his cart, calculating where he could sell Zhao Zhao to make the most money. Brothels paid more but weren't very efficient, while brothels paid less but were quick to pay... He was counting on his fingers when he heard a loud thud behind him as the sack containing Zhao Zhao fell to the ground.

"No wonder!"

The pimp stopped the oxcart and threw the sack back into the shed. After walking a few steps, he turned back, tore open the sack, and slapped Zhao Zhao's face.

Still unconscious. The pimp grunted twice in satisfaction and drove the oxen back on the road.

The wheels rumbled on, and Zhao Zhao was frantic with worry. She was of lowly status, requiring a travel permit to enter or leave the city. If she were stuffed into a sack and unknowingly taken out, she wouldn't be able to get back in no matter how much she cried!

It has to be quick.

Zhao Zhao bit her tongue with her canine teeth, and her strength gradually returned with the pain and the metallic taste. She tried to bend her arms and legs, but her muscles and bones were still weak and she couldn't run very far.

For some reason, the oxcart suddenly stopped, as if it was blocking someone's way.

The pimp pulled the oxcart to the side of the road and greeted people with a fawning grin, "Oh, Sister Liu, which noble family's mansion did you just come from?"

His words were respectful, but his tone carried disdain and mockery.

Prostitutes usually stay overnight after serving customers outside the brothel. If a prostitute takes a carriage back to the brothel in the middle of the night, it's likely because she has upset a customer and has been kicked out.

"None of your business!" the coachman on the carriage cursed. "You worthless idiot, all you do is gossip all day long!"

The pimp chuckled, his cunning eyes peering into the carriage curtain. Sure enough, he spotted red finger marks on Wang Liuer's face. This slut had offended his mistress; she deserved to be beaten by her patron.

He cleared his throat, about to say a few words, when suddenly he heard a thud from the back of the carriage, and the Tibetan's sack fell out of the carriage shed again.

The pimp's expression changed, and he hurriedly turned around to throw the sack back. Unexpectedly, the sack rolled on the ground and spoke in human language: "Sister Liu, save me!"

Hearing the sound, Wang Liuer put down the egg she was applying to her face, peeked out from under the carriage, and stared at the burlap sack that the pimp was thrashing about in his hand: "Who is it?"

Before the pimp could even argue, the coachman had already grabbed his hand and torn off the gag. Zhao Zhao crawled out, her face flushed red, panting heavily, and said, "This pimp wanted to sell me!"

The pimp knew he was in trouble and immediately began to argue, "It wasn't me who sold her, it was Director Li..."

Having spent a long time in the music academy, Wang Liuer understood the intricacies and vested interests involved. She coldly said, "Will you go and apologize to Manager Sun yourself, or should I take this little girl with me?"

Helpless, the pimp had no choice but to return to the brothel to confess his sins.

"Thank you, Sister Liu'er."

Wang Liuer turned her head away uncomfortably: "If you want to thank someone, thank God for his blessing. You're lucky to have met me."

Looking at the red marks on her face, Zhao Zhao thought that her previous mercenary and crazy behavior was indeed an act. She must have encountered something now that made her lose even the mood to amuse herself.

"Sister Liu'er," the coachman glanced at Zhao Zhao, "are we still going to the You Mansion?"

In business, it's all about networking; in prostitution, you have to learn to protect your resources.

The newly appointed top courtesan drowned herself in a lake in grief and anger after Wang Liuer stole You Ming away.

Now that You Ming is Wang Liuer's biggest customer, how could she bring Zhao Zhao to show her face in front of him?

Zhao Zhao understood the coachman's meaning and made as if to leave, but Wang Liuer grabbed her hand: "You stay and come with me."

Seeing her confusion, he added, "Manager Sun specifically asked me to mentor you, have you forgotten?"

Zhao Zhao would not forget, but why was Wang Liuer willing to do so tonight when she was unwilling before?

Why did Manager Sun give her such high regard, letting the top courtesan take her out to show off?
Something seemed amiss, so Zhao Zhao declined, saying, "Sister Liu'er, I've started my period, so I'm afraid I can't go to serve the adults."

Wang Liuer, who had been mistreated at her patron's house and was already feeling down, laughed mockingly after hearing Zhao Zhao's words: "You tender little bitch, your excuses are so lax. Men who sleep with you don't care if you're dirty or not; they have plenty of ways to torment you."

Zhao Zhao wanted to leave, but the coachman had already closed the door tightly, and she couldn't push it open no matter how hard she tried.

Seeing Zhao Zhao's unease, Wang Liu'er stopped laughing: "I won't tease you anymore. Your fifty taels of thanks last time wasn't enough, so do me another favor."

"What's the deal?"

In the shadows, Wang Liuer looked weary as she slowly removed the jewelry from her head and hands, placed it in a small wooden box, and handed it to Zhao Zhao: "Keep this safe for me for a while. You little pauper, you won't steal my things, will you?"

"We're not that poor." Without her jewelry, her complexion seemed a bit duller. Zhao Zhao asked, "Does Lord You prefer something simple and understated?"

Wang Liuer smiled, but didn't laugh out loud: "You'll find out why I took off my jewelry later."

A short while later, the carriage arrived at the You residence and stopped outside the side gate where servants entered and exited.

The steward, who had been waiting for a long time, said in a sarcastic tone, "The Zhang family arrived half an hour ago, but you've been dragging your feet and only just arrived! The master is furious; he's practically ready to tear the roof off!"

Wang Liuer apologized humbly, but the steward was furious and pointed to two maids to help her into the mansion.

Zhao Zhao and the coachman waited outside, watching Wang Liuer's figure disappear into the night.

After hearing what the steward had just said, she roughly guessed why Wang Liuer had come to the You residence, and asked the coachman, "Sister Liuer, are you here to confess your sins?"

The coachman leaned back in his seat, head down, shelling peanuts: "Sister Liu'er had just returned to the music academy when she was assigned to serve Lord Zhang. The old man was immediately disappointed when he saw that she had bound feet. Not only did he kick her out, but he also sent his servants to the You residence to complain."

The small wooden box in her hand suddenly felt heavy. Zhao Zhao guessed why Wang Liuer had taken off her jewelry: "Does Lord You intend to hit her?"

(End of this chapter)