Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"They say it's all for making money, but the boss is doing it all for us." A girl next to me was sobbing, tears welling up in her eyes.

"If it weren't for the boss, Shuiyuelou would have gone out of business long ago, and we wouldn't know where we'd be begging for food."

"Yes, ever since the boss took over Shuiyuelou, we've learned to read and write, and we've learned a lot of things. We've also earned more money."

"..."

The girls spoke one by one, their gratitude towards Madam Yan overflowing.

Shen Qing gradually pieced together a complete story.

The girls at Shuiyuelou back then lived a miserable life. They were forced to entertain customers, and the madam would beat and scold them, treating them entirely as tools to make money.

A young woman could no longer bear such a life and wanted to jump off a building to escape. Coincidentally, Madam Yan happened to be passing by that day and witnessed the incident.

What happened next was quite logical. Madam Yan protected the girl and, after hearing about her tragic experience, she found a way to sabotage Shuiyuelou's business.

The business failed, and the madam couldn't make any money, so she wanted to transfer Shuiyue Tower to someone else.

Madam Yan immediately bought the Shuiyue Tower, intending to set the girls inside free.

But the girls were all incredibly beautiful, and apart from singing and dancing, they had no other skills. They all cried and refused to leave.

So Madam Yan began to run the Shuiyue Tower.

She hired people to teach the girls music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and to teach them how to use various methods to entangle themselves with men.

After all, physical desires are easy to satisfy, but a truly caring person is hard to find.

In modern terms, it means providing emotional value.

They devised different strategies for different types of men, with the primary focus on winning their hearts.

Gradually, Shuiyuelou became more and more upscale, attracting many literati and scholars who came there solely to seek spiritual fulfillment.

Even with money, you can't necessarily meet the girls here. Only if the girls agree will those patrons have the chance to see the girl of their dreams.

Nowadays, the girls in the brothel have saved up a lot of money, and Shuiyuelou has become the most famous brothel in the entire capital.

"Look, these are all old, trivial matters. Why bring them up? Besides, I wasn't just trying to help you back then; I was mainly trying to make money."

Madam Yan waved her hand, wiped away one person's tears, and patted another's back, still maintaining her carefree demeanor.

Shen Qing couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Madam Yan.

No, that's not right, it's not Madam Yan, it's Tao Wanrong.

Her surname was Tao and her given name was Wanrong. She was the legitimate daughter of a general, the wife of the Minister of Revenue, and the owner of Shuiyue Tower.

"Sister Wanrong, you are really amazing."

"Of course! I told you you wouldn't regret it if you recognized me as your older sister. I'll protect you in the capital!" Tao Wanrong put her arm around Shen Qing, her tone full of pride.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "I've always thought of you as my older sister."

"That's more like it." Tao Wanrong smiled brightly, then said to the girls, "Everyone, stop crying! We're here to have fun, so let's be happy, no tears allowed!"

"That's right, the eldest brother and Madam Shen are here to have fun today. We can't act like this. Everyone, use all your skills to 'serve' the eldest brother and Madam Shen well!"

"good!"

Laughter filled the air as the girls played music, sang songs, fed grapes and snacks, and massaged each other's shoulders and backs.

The entire private room was filled with a happy and joyful atmosphere.

In this atmosphere, Shen Qing couldn't help but relax. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, her eyes were smiling, and her heart was filled with joy.

[Ding—Host's positive mood detected]

[Ding—A brothel at a specific location has been detected]

[Ding—Congratulations, host, you have triggered a hidden quest: Sell snail rice noodles in front of a brothel. Quest reward: A restaurant on the street.]

Shen Qing: "..."

No, is it right for the system to suddenly pop up at such a happy and joyful moment?

Although she enjoys cooking, she doesn't think about cooking all the time.

Also, selling snail rice noodles outside a brothel? Is that appropriate?

These girls all smell so good. If she puts out her snail rice noodles, won't all the customers in the brothel be driven away by the stench?

Shen Qing gave an awkward smile: "Um... Sister Wanrong, may I sell food at the entrance of Shuiyue Tower?"

"Of course! Why not? If you sell food, Shuiyuelou's business will definitely be even better!"

Shen Qing: "...The food I sell might not smell very good."

"Is it stinky tofu? I've heard Yan Wenli mention stinky tofu, but I've never tried it before!" Tao Wanrong was overjoyed, showing no concern whatsoever for Shuiyuelou's business.

Shen Qing shook his head: "No, it's a different kind of food."

"That's fine, Aqing. As long as it's something you make, anything is fine! Just sell it, sell it without worry. Just tell Mudan what you need. Mudan is my manager."

Upon hearing this, the peony-wearing girl smiled and said, "Madam Shen, please sell them as soon as possible. If you need anything, I will definitely cooperate."

Thank you.

Shen Qing nodded, but felt somewhat guilty.

Luosifen (river snail rice noodles) is a food that people either love or hate.

This is not something that everyone can accept.

So she looked at the table in front of her.

Several plates of almonds, walnuts, fruit, and a few plates of snacks were laid out on the table.

These are the most common foods served in brothels.

The girls had just fed her; those dishes of pastries weren't bad, just average.

But for Shen Qing, such pastries were unacceptable.

So she picked up the nearest plate of jade belt cakes, took a small bite, and then said, "This jade belt cake is soft but not delicate enough, sweet but not fragrant enough."

"You can use osmanthus honey instead of white sugar, add a little smoked tea to the filling to increase the fragrance and reduce the sweetness, and at the same time, mix lotus root starch and yam paste into the glutinous rice flour to make it more dense and chewy."

The girls present were stunned. They hadn't expected Shen Qing to suddenly start talking about pastry making in such a serious and earnest manner.

Tao Wanrong reacted quickly, shouting, "Hurry, quickly call the cook from upstairs! Tell him to change it exactly what Madam Shen said!"

"You guys really hit the jackpot today! From now on, those men will be inseparable from the pastries in our building!!"

"Girls, just wait and see how much money you make!!"

The girls then realized what was happening and were overjoyed. They quickly pulled the cook from the building over to learn from him.

Shen Qing said unhurriedly, "These 'joy dumplings' can be made more flavorful by adding some chopped almonds and peanuts. Sesame seeds can also be added during frying to enhance the aroma..."