Chapter 416 Men in the Entertainment District

Bai Youran clenched her fists, feeling estranged from Yan Yan. Her mother was right after all. Yan Yan, being a widow, couldn't stand seeing others do well, so she definitely didn't want her to have a good marriage. Not only could her cousin not be relied on, but she also dragged her down at crucial moments!

"No matter who that young lady is, she's an acquaintance of Doctor Liao. You don't need to point fingers at her."

Seeing that Bai Youran was clearly unconvinced, Doctor Yan didn't want to argue with her. That was just her nature. She hurriedly ate a few bites of noodles and got off the carriage first.

The cousins ​​were arguing, and Lin Yuesha was caught in the middle. She felt that she was neither right nor wrong, so she could only bury her head in her food and not say a word.

"Sister Yue Sha, you be the judge, have I done anything wrong?"

Bai Youran had long since lost the composure of a prefect's daughter, and said angrily, "Traveling with such a shady woman, anyone who doesn't know the truth would think we're just like her!"

She said this in the hope that Lin Yuesha would take the same stance as her, and that Bai Youran did not want to personally intervene in the matter of questioning Doctor Liao.

"Sister Bai, how do you know that woman isn't from a good family?"

Lin Yuesha didn't want to continue the topic, so she simply said, "For example, if she really isn't from a good family, then it's Liao Langzhong's reputation that's damaged, what does it have to do with us?"

The young lady was traveling with Physician Liao, not with Lin Yuesha, so it had nothing to do with her.

Bai Youran glanced at Lin Yuesha in surprise, then chose to remain silent, but in her heart she harbored hatred for Yan Yan and Lin Yuesha.

It all started when Lin Yuesha's sickly stepfather needed to go to the capital for medical treatment, and Yan Yan helped him. Yan Yan was useful to Lin Yuesha, so the two of them were in cahoots.

Traveling during the day, Physician Liao got into that young lady's carriage without any attempt to avoid suspicion. Bai Youran's face twisted with anger, but she tried her best to suppress it and appear natural.

As evening approached, the group still couldn't find a town and once again spent the night in the mountains near the official road.

Fortunately, there was still a small village not far away, so Qingxing and Baicha took some loose silver to the village to buy food.

Lin Yuesha was preparing medicine for her father, Xiao Chenggui. She held a palm-leaf fan in her hand and fanned the stove from time to time. The bitter medicine soup had a strong fishy smell that made people nauseous.

Just by smelling it, this medicine tastes awful. My father has to drink three big bowls of it every day, and I don't know how he can swallow it.

"Little girl."

A soft laugh came from behind her. Lin Yuesha turned around, her mouth agape in surprise. She stood there stunned for a long time before finally saying, "Sister Ziyuan!"

It was simply that Shion's face was so beautiful that she couldn't help but be infatuated with her.

Ziyuan was veiled, yet her eyes could draw people in, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Lin Yuesha's impoverished dictionary couldn't find the right adjective; if Ziyuan were a dish, it would undoubtedly be a top-grade one, embodying all the flavors of life—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—and possessing a perfect balance of color, aroma, and taste.

"Could it be that you are an acquaintance of Physician Liao?"

Lin Yuesha was very excited to see a familiar face. She had spent a lot of effort looking for Ziyuan to ask for information, but she had never been able to meet her. She never expected to run into her after leaving the North. What a coincidence!

Ziyuan nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, it's not good for a woman like me to travel alone. I happened to meet Doctor Liao, so I decided to travel with him."

As for how the two met, Ziyuan remained silent.

Lin Yuesha knew that Ziyuan had always been in the brothel, selling her art but not her body. Even the Prince of Zhenbei was her lover, so it was likely that Physician Liao had long been infatuated with Ziyuan.

The desire to appreciate beauty is universal and a natural human trait!

"Sister Ziyuan, your trip to the capital is for..."

Before Lin Yuesha could finish speaking, Ziyuan interrupted her. She blinked and saw that Lin Yuesha was staring blankly again. With a smile in her eyes, she teased, "Of course, you should find a brothel and continue to be the top courtesan."

"So you really are a prostitute!"

Bai Youran, who had been eavesdropping behind the carriage, couldn't help but step forward immediately. "Lin Yuesha, so you actually know a butcher!"

Not only did Bai Youran know Lin Yuesha, but she also discovered that Doctor Liao was traveling in the same carriage as Hua Niang. Bai Youran couldn't keep up the act any longer and looked at the two of them with disgust. "No wonder my mother said you're a country bumpkin; although you're clever, you lack perspective..."

Disgusting, so disgusting!

Bai Youran resolutely refused to travel with a courtesan. What kind of art does she sell but not her body? She still relies on her smiles to make men spend money. No matter how noble she sounds, it doesn't change the fact that she is of lowly status!

"Miss Bai, please watch your words and do not insult Miss Ziyuan."

Liao Jianghan had just returned from washing up when he heard Bai Youran spouting nonsense, and couldn't help but retort angrily.

Nonsense, Ziyuan isn't a woman from the pleasure quarters... but a man from the pleasure quarters, the owner of Jishetang.

"Dr. Liao, I never imagined you were also someone whose mind was bewitched by beauty!"

Bai Youran had her own bottom line, which she could not accept under any circumstances. She looked at Doctor Liao with a disappointed gaze, her eyes filled with tears.

Faced with the accusations, Lin Yuesha remained silent, but in her heart she was thinking that it would be best to break off relations as soon as possible. If relations were broken off, Bai Youran would not come to her to hitch a ride on her carriage, which would save her from having to talk to her maid so inconveniently.

Bai Youran lost her temper, spat at Ziyuan, and ran away.

"Miss Ziyuan, I'm so sorry."

Liao Langzhong bowed to his master, and seeing that Ziyuan and Lin Yuesha had something to say, he wisely withdrew.

"Little girl, is that how you see me too?"

Ziyuan lowered her head, looking quite dejected. Lin Yuesha knew Ziyuan a little; how innocent could someone be who could pull off something right under the nose of the Prince of Zhenbei?

"no."

Lin Yuesha, who had something to ask of her, said very generously, "Sister Ziyuan, don't worry, I certainly don't look down on you."

In those days, a man who frequented brothels was considered a romantic, so prostitutes, like coachmen, actors, and butchers, were also considered professions, albeit low-class ones.

Getting men to spend money is Ziyuan's skill, and Lin Yuesha, as an outsider, shouldn't say too much.

As for reputation, whether it comes from the modern era or not, Lin Yuesha's mind doesn't have a clear distinction, so she wouldn't look down on Ziyuan.

"is that so?"

Ziyuan smiled faintly, and Lin Yuesha immediately felt as if she were surrounded by colorful flowers, her whole body light and airy. She touched her burning cheeks, thinking to herself that it wasn't just men who were attracted to beautiful women; women were too. Ziyuan's appearance was simply too lethal.

"Sister Ziyuan, actually I've been looking for you all along."

Lin Yuesha lowered her head and drew circles on the ground with her toes, looking very nervous. Remembering her important matter, she felt a little dizzy and said, "I want to inquire about two people."

"Jiang Huai and Zhang Jing, right?"

Ziyuan directly pointed out what Lin Yuesha was about to say, shocking Lin Yuesha once again. Then she thought about it; Ziyuan was well-informed, and Jiang Baozhu was making a big fuss about finding people, so it was possible that Ziyuan knew in advance.