spoiled brat

Chapter 6.6. The Opportunity (Part Two)

She managed to lift the corners of her mouth with difficulty, but couldn't manage a smile.

"Zhao Zhao'er is naturally suspicious and afraid of being robbed, so he acquired multiple properties after becoming wealthy."

“I don’t know where he usually stays. I only know that he has a house in the south of the city, but he has never taken me there, so I don’t know exactly where it is.”

Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo offered a few words of comfort, then left the house to find Mother Yu and tell her about their plan.

After pondering for a moment, Yu's mother granted them leave, then sent Xiao Duo away and privately said to Zhao Zhao:
"Zhao Zhao'er, you and Xiao Duo are getting too close."

Zhao Zhao paused, recalling the scene of Xiao Duo staring at her blankly. Was there any attraction in his eyes?

it goes without saying.

"Mom, he's a pimp and I'm a prostitute. We're just friends who huddle together for warmth because we're in the same boat."

Mother Yu said calmly, "Some people wanted to take on this dirty business of abortion before, but I didn't agree. Guess why I chose you."

"Because you think highly of me and want to cultivate me." Zhao Zhao lowered her eyes:
"You want me to see clearly what happens when a woman falls for a man, and to understand that the last thing people like us should get involved with is relationships."

“No.” Mother Yu gave a mocking smile, raising her finger to poke Zhao Zhao’s heart:
"Because you are a heartless little beast with a filthy heart, you are a natural material to be made into a knife."

*
As Yao Niang's belly grew bigger and bigger, Zhao Zhao's savings were all gone. The allowance from the brothel was not enough for the two of them to live on. Zhao Zhao was extremely anxious and knew that she could not delay making money any longer.

Before dawn, Zhao Zhao pulled Xiao Duo out of bed.

The two disguised themselves as servants, sneaked out into the streets in the dark, and dodged the night watchmen along the way, finally squatting outside the brothel with the secret door where Zhao Si was having an affair.

The sky was a grayish blue, and the streets were deserted.

The two huddled in a large water vat behind the pile of firewood, their eyes peeking out from under the wooden lid.

Zhao Zhao was as energetic as a night owl, while Xiao Duo drooped her eyelids and yawned.

“…Zhao Zhao’er, why don’t we go to the city gate to guard it, instead of coming here? Zhao Si is going to collect debts, he will definitely come out of the city gate, he probably won’t have time to come here to meet his lover.”

"It would be too conspicuous to guard the city gate, and who knows how long we would have to wait."

Zhao Zhao shook her head: "I asked Mother Yu a few more questions yesterday, and she said that this woman always closes her door around the fifteenth of each month, mostly because she is menstruating and therefore refuses guests."

Not far away, next to the street, stood a small, low house with several reeds stuck in the handle of its wooden door.

This is the rule of the clandestine brothels: customers must bring a flower and tuck it into the doorknob before gently knocking. The harder the knock, the higher the price.

"The reeds on the door are withered." Xiao Duo perked up a bit. "Today happens to be the nineteenth, you thought Zhao Si would come, so..."

Zhao Zhao suddenly pressed his head down and whispered, "Here it comes!"

Through the water vat, the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, stopping outside the low house and knocking softly on the door a few times.

Zhao Si has arrived.

Xiao Duo scoffed softly, "What a grand display! Riding across the street before curfew, aren't you afraid of being caught and flogged?"

With a creak, the wooden door outside the vat opened.

The woman smiled charmingly, "Fourth Brother, you've finally arrived! I've missed you so much these past few days."

Zhao Si seemed to have put his arm around her, touching her all over, which made the woman shy and timid, and she kept saying that she should go inside.

The door was closed, and the two people couldn't hear each other through the water tank, nor did they dare to.

Zhao Zhao and Xiao Duo each looked to one side, huddled together to pass the time.

Xiao Duo's face burned with embarrassment at the thought of what would happen after Zhao Si and that woman went inside. She clenched her fists, and without even looking at Zhao Zhao, said:

"It's too crowded and stuffy in this tank, I'd better get out." He thought Zhaozhao would shyly agree, but unexpectedly, Zhaozhao asked him in return:
"Xiao Duo, do you not see me as an outsider, and think we have strict separation between men and women?"

Zhao Zhao's voice lingered in Xiao Duo's ears, making his heart skip a beat and his ears burn. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Zhao Zhao laugh:
“We’ve been best friends since we were kids. We made a promise that I’ll be the top courtesan and you’ll be my pimp. I’ll ride on your shoulders, going from street to street, and you’ll steadily deliver me to the beds of various masters.”

Xiao Duo paused, the burning sensation in her face freezing into frost, floating on her face and turning into a self-deceiving smile:
"Not only that. I also hope that you will soon rise to prominence and be redeemed by a wealthy man to become his concubine, so that you will never have to stay in this filthy place again."

He felt that this statement was too unconditional, and that Zhao Zhao, with her suspicious nature, wouldn't believe it, so he added:

"Zhao Zhao'er, when you become successful in the future, don't forget to help me out. Please, your husband, give the little pimp who has been with you for so many years a good job."

Back to back, Zhao Zhao smiled and said she would never forget the friendship forged in adversity.

Xiao Duo heard her laugh and vaguely thought that she was amused by her.

He actually had a thousand or ten thousand more things he could say to make Zhaozhao happy, but what good would it do for a powerless pimp to talk to a prostitute who had no control over her own life?

The two remained silent and did not speak again.

Fortunately, time passed quickly, and the sound of a door opening was heard outside the vat, followed by the sound of horses' hooves gradually fading into the distance.

Zhao Zhao opened the wooden lid: "Zhao Si is gone."

Xiao Duo pulled out the water vat and glanced at the direction of the horse's hoofprints: "They went south of the city. If we follow the hoofprints, we can find his house and then trace the clues back to him."

Just as I was about to follow the horse's hooves, I heard a man's voice again from inside the low house:
"My dear, it's really unfair to make you play along with him..."

Is there more to this story?

The two approached slowly, and the woman inside dropped her affectedly seductive tone, her voice now filled with disdain:

"Stop pretending with me, take the money and get out."

How could there be such an arrogant woman in a brothel?

A clinking sound rang out, most likely from the man stuffing the wrapped money into his pocket, followed by an embarrassed smile.
"I'll come see you another day."

With a creak, the door was pushed open again.

The man looked at Zhaozhao and Xiaoduo, his face instantly turning pale, and he uttered two words in a daze:
"What happened..."

This person was none other than Manager Zhang, who ran the pharmacy outside the building.

He married a wife he couldn't control; she was a notorious henpecked husband.

If his wife found out about his dirty deeds, she would definitely tear him to pieces.

Zhao Zhao greeted him with a smile: "Uncle Zhang, it's been a long time!"

Manager Zhang took a few steps back and sat down in the chair with a thud.

He was so panicked he was out of his mind, but the prostitute in the dark was not afraid at all, and sneered:
"With such a cowardly attitude, no wonder you're useless in bed!"

Shopkeeper Zhang was sweating profusely. He was convinced that Zhao Zhao had deliberately followed him, trying to find fault with him and extort money from him. So he quickly handed over the money he was carrying.
"Zhao Zhao'er, Xiao Duo, you two are good children, please don't tell anyone."

Zhao Zhao glanced at the pile of loose silver coins, then looked away.

"Uncle Zhang, there's no need."

Shopkeeper Zhang thought she was trying to extort more money, and pitifully wiped away his tears:

"I'll give you whatever you ask for. If your mother needs any medicine in the future, just say the word and I'll give it to her for free... I only ask one thing of you: please don't tell my wife."

(End of this chapter)