spoiled brat

Chapter 47, Section 46: Flying Catkins (Part Six)

The coachman nodded and said in a low voice, "Being the top courtesan isn't easy. Lord You didn't promote her for nothing. Guess why Lord You and our Steward Sun are so close?"

He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered his voice and said to Zhao Zhao, "Although he is the commander of the military command, he's all show and no substance. His command token is as useless as a chicken feather; he can't mobilize troops at all. All the talk about his power and prestige is just empty rhetoric. Everyone knows he got to this position by currying favor with his superiors and flattering his colleagues."

He scoffed and said disdainfully, "He even calls our Prefect Xu his godfather, he's more filial than a biological son."

She's a corrupt official, no wonder she's so close to the brothel, showing no shame whatsoever.

Zhao Zhao said, "He made Sister Liu famous, and then had her serve those masters?"

“It’s not just about sleeping with someone. You can hear everything clearly and speak loudly by their pillow.” The coachman shook the peanut crumbs off his robe and said sullenly, “I’ve seen this kind of thing seven or eight times tonight.”

Before he could speak, a noise suddenly came from a side door not far ahead. The latch swayed from side to side, and a fat monk in a cassock squeezed out.

The fat monk waved to the door, and a dozen or so young novices in robes followed. They were younger than Zhao Zhao, both boys and girls. They bowed to the fat monk, then lined up and entered the side gate of the You Mansion. They didn't even glance at the carriages as they passed by, looking dull and lifeless, as if they had gone mad from chanting scriptures.

Zhao Zhao then realized that the You residence was right next to Funing Temple, which was not surprising. What was surprising was: "Where did he get so many dolls?"

"He bought them," the coachman said dismissively. "He's forty years old and still has no children. To make a good impression, he brought back a bunch of kids to call him 'Dad.' Of course, he can't just keep people around for nothing, so he orders the kids to chant sutras and pray for him."

Yu's mother also believes in Buddhism. She said that people who believe in Buddhism either seek liberation or atonement for their sins.

Judging from You Ming's behavior, he must be the latter. Such fear and trepidation likely indicate that he carries heavy karmic burdens.

Zhao Zhao's heart sank lower and lower. Wasn't the implication that Steward Sun was telling Wang Liuer to mentor her more, essentially implying that he wanted to introduce her to You Ming?

As they pondered, a servant boy emerged from the side gate and asked, "Are you from the music academy?"

The coachman nodded. The servant clicked his tongue and said, "Come in and lead the people away."

The coachman's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly followed the servant through the side gate.

A little while later, he carried the unconscious Wang Liuer out and put her into the carriage, not forgetting to tell Zhaozhao, "Don't stand next to her."

On the surface, Wang Liuer had no external injuries, but her pale face and sweat-drenched hair indicated that she had fainted from the pain.

The wheels rolled forward, and moonlight squeezed through the wind curtain. In the dim light, Zhao Zhao could clearly see Wang Liuer's bleeding fingertips and the needle marks on her arm.

This is like being pricked by a needle; it hurts terribly but doesn't damage the skin. Brothels and entertainment venues love to use this trick.

When the three returned to the music academy, it was already dawn. Manager Sun was still awake, waiting for Wang Liuer to return.

The groom and Zhao Zhao briefly explained the situation. Manager Sun impatiently closed his eyes and said to the old woman beside him, "Splash her awake."

The old woman felt a pang of pity, but she couldn't sway Steward Sun's anger. She drew cold water from the well and poured three buckets of it over Wang Liuer, who was lying on the ground, before she could finally open her eyes weakly.

Steward Sun sat upright and asked in a low voice, "Did Lord You say anything?"

Wang Liuer struggled to sit up, unwilling to appear so disheveled: "Lord You asked you to return the money stored in the music academy."

These words struck Manager Sun like a boulder, leaving his head buzzing.

"You bastard...you bastard!" Her vision went black, and she fainted in the old woman's arms. She was only woken up after her philtrum was pinched several times.

After regaining her senses, she slapped Wang Liuer several times: "You've offended the God of Wealth!" The force was so great that it hurt Zhao Zhao's ears.

"Grandma!" Seeing that she was about to hit her again, Zhao Zhao stepped forward to protect her, blocking Wang Liuer's way: "Things have come to this point, why do you have to hit her again? If you damage her face, won't things get even worse?"

"Face? Does she even have a face?" Steward Sun pointed at the embroidered shoes under Wang Liuer's skirt and cursed, "Have you ever seen a cat shave its fur and a dog stop wagging its tail? A prostitute who makes herself ugly deserves to be rejected by her patrons!"

Wang Liuer was dripping wet, her cheeks were red and swollen, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. Even in such a disheveled state, her back was ramrod straight.

“You’re right to curse me.” She sneered. “I only hate that I’m not a cat or a dog. Even as a prostitute, I still consider myself a human being, with emotions and desires, and with a sense of propriety and shame. From now on, I’m not living in the human world, but in a raging hell!”

Her eyes were filled with hatred and despair. Steward Sun couldn't let his anger continue, so he shifted his gaze to Zhao Zhao's face and asked, "You may not know how to serve men, but you should at least know how to introduce your own sisters, right? I asked you to take her under your wing, and when you went to the You residence, didn't you even introduce her?"

The tone was quite strange, as if he was certain that You Ming would keep Zhao Zhao as long as he saw her.

"Our own sisters?" Wang Liuer stared at Steward Sun, as if she saw right through him, and scoffed, "I told you long ago not to try and use me as a scapegoat. Why should she earn the money I can't?"

"Very well, you're doing great!" Steward Sun sneered, then ordered the old woman, "Our Miss Liu'er is becoming increasingly eccentric. She must have been blinded by all the praise she received. Quickly hang her from the tree to sober her up!"

Although the old woman was reluctant, she still agreed and grabbed Wang Liuer by the collar and left.

Zhao Zhao wanted to plead for mercy, but was silenced by a cold glare from Steward Sun.

How could a madam who runs such a large brothel not have ruthless methods beneath her kind face?
"Zhaozhao," Manager Sun pointed to the chair next to him, "come, sit down."

Her mood suddenly changed, and Zhao Zhao became a little cautious. She nodded respectfully and said, "You are an elder, how can I sit on the same level as you?"

Manager Sun didn't want to flatter her too much, so he straightened his clothes and said, "I'll have someone throw that foreman and pimp out at dawn. Besides those two, has anyone else been making things difficult for you?"

Despite being spoken softly and gently, Zhao Zhao's right eyelid twitched violently. She knew her place; even if Steward Sun had a relationship with Mama Yu, there was no need to treat her like this.

Could it be...

"Grandma, there aren't any left."

"That's good." Manager Sun took Zhao Zhao's hand and held it. "Just stay here and behave yourself. If anyone bullies you in the future, just report it to me."

Zhao Zhao was absolutely certain that Steward Sun wanted to push her away. It was true that she came to Yunzhou to make money and to look for opportunities, but among all her options, selling herself for a good price was not one of them.

"Grandma," Zhao Zhao smiled, "even someone as patient and tolerant as Sister Liu'er can offend customers sometimes. I'm too simple-minded and foolish; I'm afraid I might—"

With a creak, the door suddenly opened.

Manager Sun pretended not to hear Zhao Zhao's excuses and beckoned to the old woman, saying, "You've been making a scene all night, and you're all exhausted. Take Zhao Zhao downstairs and settle her in properly, find her a clean room."

The old woman agreed and led Zhao Zhao to the low building where the girls lived.

The night was as still as water, and the moonlight as silvery as silver.

When they reached the low building, Zhao Zhao immediately saw a person hanging under the big tree in the courtyard. The thin body swayed in the wind like a withered leaf. Who else could it be but Wang Liuer?

The old woman led Zhao Zhao by the hand, checking each room one by one. All the empty beds had been given away, and there was nowhere for Zhao Zhao to sleep. Suddenly, Zhao Zhao asked, "Grandma, which room does Sister Liu'er stay in?"

The old woman pointed to a room ahead. Zhao Zhao pushed open the door. It was a small room with little decoration, so simple that it was almost shabby. There was a wooden screen in the room, and a bed on each side.

The bed on the west side was covered in dust, as if no one had slept on it for a long time.

Zhao Zhao threw her bundle upstairs, turned to the old woman and said, "I'll stay here."

Although she didn't understand why Steward Sun was praising her so much and trying to push her towards You Ming, she knew that something was definitely amiss.

Wang Liuer has been manipulated by You Ming for a long time, and now she has offended You Ming. Zhao Zhao is close to her, so maybe she can find out some clues.

The old woman's expression changed, and she advised, "Someone has died in this house; it's haunted."

Zhao Zhao leaned lazily against the headboard and pointed to the dusty wooden bed on her body: "Could it be that he died right here?"

"Yes, you're sitting on the bed of the former top courtesan," the old woman said in a horrifying tone. "She used to help Liu'er a lot, but in the end, she died because of Liu'er. Don't you think she's pitiful? Besides, Liu'er, out of all the people in our brothel, not a single one gets along with her. She's universally disliked. If you live next to her, you're likely to get bad luck."

Despite such obvious advice, Zhao Zhao ignored it and got up to sweep and make the bed.

The old woman didn't want to force her, so she sighed and turned to leave.

-

As soon as it was light, the ruthless gang leader was beaten out with sticks. He clung to a large pillar at the entrance of the brothel, his face bruised and swollen, and cried out, "Boss Sun, I've worked for you for four or five years, why are you kicking me out for some little bitch!"

News travels fast among women.

During the rehearsal, everyone whispered and chuckled, but they weren't discussing who the department head had offended; they were talking about Wang Liuer:
"She used to be so arrogant because of Lord You, and she didn't respect the sisters at all!"

"Exactly! That ungrateful wretch thinks he's finally got the upper hand... He got slapped and sent back last night, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs, it was hilarious..."

As they talked, their eyes all drifted to the person hanging under the big tree in the courtyard, and they said sarcastically, "Manager Sun isn't showing her any favoritism now. She'll have a lot of good days ahead of her."

Someone suddenly said, "Hey, I heard some unlucky guy got assigned to live with that bitch."

Another burst of laughter followed. While everyone remarked that Wang Liuer was eccentric and difficult to get along with, they were also curious about who the unlucky one would be.

Later, someone pointed at Zhao Zhao, and the girls all moved their stools and surrounded her, earnestly advising, "Sister, you should quickly spend some money to find another room... That prostitute is the most promiscuous in our brothel, she'll sleep with anyone who pays her, she's probably got a lot of diseases on her, you should stay away from her and not get involved."

Zhao Zhao said, "I don't think living with her is unlucky."

Everyone was stunned, wondering if they had misheard. One of the girls reached out and touched Zhao Zhao's forehead, asking blankly, "What did you say?"

Wang Liuer was the target of everyone's hatred, and everyone avoided her like the plague. A stone thrown into a pile of dogs would barely make a sound, but if you cursed Wang Liuer in the brothel, you would get countless unanimous responses.

The sun had disappeared from the sky, and dark clouds rolled in, completely obscuring the bright light from the shadows cast by the people sitting around.

She still said, "I don't think Sister Liu'er has done anything wrong."

The heat on everyone's faces gradually dissipated. Although they didn't say anything, they unconsciously moved away.

Someone scoffed, "She's heartless and killed her benefactor. You're so close to her, what good can you be?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a shout rang out from outside the crowd: "The musicians have arrived!"

Lord Xu was a government official sent down from the capital, and had only been there for less than a year. He couldn't stand the local folk songs of Yunzhou. So Steward Sun had to invite musicians from the capital to the music academy to teach the girls new tunes.

The noisy crowd quieted down as soon as the musicians arrived. She played at the front, and the girls in the audience awkwardly joined in.

Everyone thought this new music, which had no set script, was difficult, but Zhao Zhao quickly figured out the tune. Amidst the chaotic string sounds, only her pipa playing kept up with the musicians.

The musician praised him highly, as if he had finally met a talented person: "Come forward and play a piece with me."

That was too much of a compliment, and all eyes in the string section were fixed on Zhao Zhao.

Zhao Zhao stood up, holding her pipa, and was about to step out of her seat when something bumped her knee, causing her to fall to the ground with a thud.

The surrounding area erupted in laughter.

Zhao Zhao scraped her hand and hissed in pain. A hand was held out in front of her—it belonged to the musician, whose face was grim. She helped Zhao Zhao up and coldly swept her gaze over the crowd: "Who kicked her?"

Immediately, someone in the room cried out in protest: "Instructor, you're wronging us! We're all good sisters in the music hall, why would we make a fuss over such a trivial matter?"

Zhao Zhao stood up, clutching her arm. Seeing that the musician was about to speak up for her, she said, "Teacher, I accidentally tripped and fell."

She tried to smooth things over, dusted off the hem of her clothes, picked up the pipa from the ground, and played a duet with the instructor.

After the piece ended, the musician clapped his hands and exclaimed, "What a talented child!"

After playing the piece several more times, Zhao Zhao had memorized the score.

A young maidservant came and asked the musician to go out and discuss some matters. Helpless, the musician had no choice but to let Zhao Zhao teach in his place.

After the musician had gone far away, Zhao Zhao flicked her fingers and produced a jarring, chaotic sound. Everyone looked over, their faces filled with disdain and contempt.

Zhao Zhao asked knowingly, "Who just kicked me?"

No one answered.

Since that's the case, Zhao Zhao no longer held back. She rushed into the crowd, grabbed a prostitute by the collar, dragged her out, and threw her to the ground: "You dare to do it but not admit it?"

The prostitute on the ground was stunned for a moment because she didn't expect her to attack directly. She immediately retorted, "I'm going to kick you, so what!"

Zhao Zhao's face turned cold, and she raised her pipa to smash it down. Seeing the young prostitute hurriedly cover her face and put down the pipa, she mocked, "What a coward."

The crowd berated her for being rude, but Zhao Zhao sneered, "Whether you try to make things difficult for me or trip me up, it doesn't matter. Bring it on."

She swept her gaze across the crowd without fear, showing no timidity whatsoever: "I welcome anyone who tries to make things difficult for me—as long as they don't worry that I might become powerful in the future and take revenge tenfold for every bit of hatred."

(End of this chapter)