"The Farmer's Fat Wife" - Fat Men Are All Potential Stocks (Part 9)...

In order to create a buzz, brothels will spend a lot of money to cultivate their own brand.

Zhu Jun of Chunfeng Tower, whose real name is Wu Xuedi, though not exactly the same, is also known as Zhu Jun.

Zhu Jun was well-versed in literature and history, and his ability to compose poems and couplets with others often left many students feeling ashamed of their own abilities.

Her appearance fee was naturally high; even a simple cup of tea would cost at least ten taels of silver, and that depended on her mood.

It's not so easy for a nouveau riche like Ye Xiqing to hire her.

But Zhu Jun was also curious: why would Ye Xiqing, a female gang leader, spend so much money to hire her and actually come?

Ye Xiqing led her into the tidied room, trying his best to make it elegant, attempting to match her status as a refined scholar.

Zhu Jun patted her, who seemed to be working hard but was still making a mess of things, and couldn't help but laugh. She turned around with a playful look and said, "The host has put a lot of effort into this. May I ask the host's name? Would it be convenient for you to tell me?"

"That's convenient," Ye Xiqing replied without hesitation. "My surname is Han. As for my given name, well, it's quite a coincidence that it's very similar to yours. Your name is Zhu Jun, and mine is Shan Jun."

Zhu Jun couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. "Shan Jun" is a respectful term for tiger. Calling a land tiger "Han Shan Jun" makes sense, very reasonable.

Ye Xiqing didn't reveal a single word of truth, so Zhu Jun naturally went along with it and said in a serious tone, "I see. What a coincidence. My surname is also Zhu and my given name is Jun. Boss Han can just call me Lady Zhu from now on."

The two of them had a very sincere and friendly conversation.

After exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Niangzi, being a straightforward person, got straight to the point and asked, "I wonder what important matter Mr. Han has summoned me for?"

Ye Xiqing dropped the pretense and went straight to the point: "Could you please teach me and my men how to read?"

"oh?"

Bamboo Lady stared wide-eyed, seemingly in disbelief: "Boss Han has invited a teacher to our Chunfeng Pavilion. He really doesn't care about burning money!"

Ye Xiqing remained calm: "It's worth it no matter how much money I spend. My men are all tigers unleashed from their cages. I don't want them to learn some nagging and unpleasant words from men. I'd rather spend more money and have my wife teach them."

Zhu Jun studied the Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and prose under high pressure in the building since she was a child. She was also talented and learned better than men. She was a bit arrogant.

Even the worst man can go to the capital to take the imperial examination and become an official, while no matter how outstanding her knowledge, she can only frequent brothels and be entertained by others.

After repeated setbacks, one inevitably develops sharp edges. Among the famous courtesans, she was the most eccentric. Upon hearing Ye Xiqing's words, she immediately became interested and turned her gaze over.

But interests are interests, and money is money.

Bamboo Lady covered her face with her fan and said with a smile, "Boss Han values ​​me and has entrusted me with an important task, but business is business, and I must charge according to the rules."

Ye Xiqing was very sensible and immediately pushed the tuition fee over: "It's too kind of you, Miss Zhu."

Zhu Niangzi glanced at the money, then at Ye Xiqing, tapping her chin with the handle of her fan. "It's not impossible, but you have to come to my Chunfeng Tower to support me."

Suddenly, the newly rich "Boss Han" in the salt industry and Zhu Niangzi of Chunfeng Tower became very close.

Chunfeng Pavilion immediately gained prestige; their top courtesan had captivated even the tigress—no other establishment could compare!

There was competition and rivalry among the top courtesans in the brothels, as well as in the quantity and quality of their patrons.

The top courtesan needs high-ranking patrons to elevate her status; these patrons are either high-ranking officials or literary figures.

Ye Xiqing is secretly a private salt dealer, and his official identity as a butcher is not really qualified, but his female patrons are a good gimmick.

Courtesans sometimes make unprofitable deals, favoring poor students to earn their gratitude and have them write poems for them, thus boosting their fame. Ye Xiqing, this female patron, is no exception.

Ye Xiqing frequently visited Chunfeng Tower to support Zhu Niangzi, which became a topic of conversation. This not only generated income for Zhu Niangzi but also raised her status. As their relationship grew closer, Ye Xiqing became willing to offer her lessons at a discount.

Zhu Niangzi was quite humble and condescending, but the Green Gang members fell silent. Ah, they wanted to learn?

The people below looked at each other in bewilderment. They were salt smugglers, not exam takers. Why should they learn this?

Ye Xiqing remained calm: "Of course you have to read books. If you don't read books, everything will seem strange. But if you read books, you'll find that there's nothing new in the world. Everything is recorded in books."

Her words sounded so mysterious that Niu Xiaohuan stammered, "Boss, you haven't been to school either..."

"Yes, that's why I asked the teacher. If you were educated, would you be asking such a question?"

Niu Xiaohuan: ...

Not everyone dislikes reading. Reading is definitely a good thing. People didn't have the opportunity to read before, but now that they do, ambitious people like Wu Niang will definitely be eager to read.

But studying in ancient times was not so simple. Modern times have mobile phones, dictionaries, pinyin, and audio-visual teaching, but in ancient times there was nothing. It was all about rote memorization using primitive methods.

As soon as Zhu Niangzi sat down, looking at the overly mature faces below her, she knew that starting with children's primers was too absurd.

She smiled slightly and said, "We've all been through thick and thin together. You don't like listening to other things I teach you, so how about I talk about some military strategy? Maybe it will be useful."

Niu Xiaohuan: ...

art of war?

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes cleared up, and he insisted on learning it no matter what.

Ye Xiqing looked at Zhu Niangzi at the head of the table and was even more satisfied. Such a talent must be brought under his command.

...

Once life settles down, it goes by very quickly.

Zhu Niangzi's teaching style is more like a storyteller than a teacher. Every time she comes, she tells everyone a fun historical story, combining education with entertainment. Everyone loves to listen and finds it engaging.

Stories that leave a mark on history books are all quite valuable. Listening to the ultimate condensed version of these stories accumulated from generation to generation, the villagers felt their minds were enriched and their respect for Bamboo Lady grew even stronger.

Lin Xiaofu and Niu Xiaohuan were assigned by Ye Xiqing to closely follow Zhu Niangzi, both to shield her from some rude people and to allow them to learn from her closely.

Niu Xiaohuan loves listening to stories, Lin Xiaofu loves making up stories, and following Zhu Niangzi is definitely the right choice.

Zhu Niangzi was already busy enough teaching, and now she also had to feed two people. These two had quite a big appetite, so she tapped the table with her fan: "For personal teaching, Boss Han will have to pay extra."

Ye Xiqing chuckled: "Just treat them like your maids, and you can pay them back for their wages."

"We're like family, why bother with all that?"

Bamboo Lady sneered: "Sure enough, people are the most likely to take advantage of kindness. Once you get too close, you can't do business with them."

"Haha." Ye Xiqing laughed, pushed open the window, and looked at the continuous rain.

"It's going to be hard to do business anytime soon."

Good rain knows its season. When it first started falling, the farmers were very happy. In ancient times, when irrigation facilities were not perfect, it was wonderful for the heavens to reward them with rain.

But when it started raining everywhere and it just wouldn't stop, things started to look a little off.

The legend of the flooding of the Niangniang Temple on Mount Tai three years ago has once again swept across the country like a ghost.

Ye Xiqing looked at Zhu Niangzi and said her final goodbye: "After so many years together, I have never told you my real name. My surname is Li and my given name is Sanyue. The person in the story who dreamed that the Taishan Niangniang Temple was submerged is me."

Zhu Niangzi wasn't interested in her real name, but since she was talking about something so seriously, it must be something important. She asked earnestly, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going home. There are more important things to do at home. I probably won't be able to take care of the business here in Weixian."

"But before that, I will redeem you from your servitude. Would you like to come with me?"

Bamboo Maiden: ...

"We met by chance, how could we have such a deep friendship?"

"It's been almost two years now, we're no longer just casual acquaintances."

"Ha, I know you outsiders look down on our kind of business."

“But I live in luxury every day, with servants at my beck and call, and wealth flowing like water. Compared to the old peasant women outside who toil and die young, bearing children and being sold to others, I can only imagine how much more I enjoy.”

What makes you think I'd go with you?

"Of course it's because I'm no ordinary person. Whatever you have now, I will give it to you a hundredfold or a thousandfold in the future."

Bamboo Maiden: ...

She thought Ye Xiqing would, like others, advise her that this place of prostitution was not a place to stay for long, and that she should find a good man to entrust her life to.

But which woman in the brothel wasn't sold into the household by a respectable family? Haven't you seen a man who buys his own wife, and haven't you seen a man who sells his own wife? Even crows can have two colors.

Therefore, when Zhu Niangzi looked at those sisters in the building who dreamed of being rescued from their hellish lives by good men, she scoffed at them, thinking they never learned their lesson.

If the building is a sea of ​​fire, does that mean the outside won't be a mountain of knives? Who says there can only be one place to burn a fire pit?

Instead of going out to serve men and their wives, she'd rather hone her skills in the building, sleep surrounded by gold and jewels, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Even if one's later years are bleak, at worst one can drown oneself in the river; one can still live out one's old age and faded beauty in the building.

Outside, you might be exploited and sold to a second-hand seller.

For someone who is determined to escape their lowly status, the prospect of being redeemed is very tempting.

For Zhu Niangzi, a top courtesan who was living a pretty good life, redeeming herself meant that she wanted to scheme against both her and her money.

Normally, she would be incredibly grateful to this kind of person while simultaneously emptying his purse.

Ye Xiqing was different. Instead of advising her that being a prostitute was bad, she offered her empty promises.

Bamboo Lady couldn't help but think, "What skills do you have? You might as well draw a cake for a good man and live an honest life."

What future can a salt smuggler have?

You might get chopped off any day. The gifts I receive at my poetry gathering in one day are worth more than you could risk your life for a month.

But after Ye Xiqing said those words, for the first time she didn't completely forget about them, but seriously thought about them.

Suddenly, as the girls of Chunfeng Tower were chatting and laughing with the madam, Zhu Niangzi spoke up: "Mama, I want to redeem myself."

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd fell silent. Everyone looked at her in disbelief, even the madam was shocked.

No one in the entire brothel was more stubborn than Zhu Niangzi. While others regarded working in a brothel as a disgrace, she treated it as her career. No one expected that one day she would be the one to ask for her freedom.

But even if an excellent employee wants to leave, their thinking is clearer than that of an ordinary employee. Zhu Niangzi pressed the gold hairpin against her face.

"Mom, I'm not discussing this with you, I'm just informing you."

"If you agree now, I can get a larger ransom. Consider it my final way of repaying you. If I can't get through outside, I'll come back in the future, and you won't lose anything."

"But if we really break off relations, no one will be happy. Mom, you don't think I'm afraid to make a move, do you?"

The courtesan's face is her reputation, and the madam immediately stood up in a panic. What's wrong with her?!

Bamboo Lady didn't actually dare to make any cuts. She quite liked her face, and even if she didn't, she wouldn't like to cut her face casually.

This is her greatest asset; how will she live after it's ruined?

But sometimes deterrence works like this: you don't have to actually do it, you just need to make others believe that you will.

After so many years together, no one understood their "daughter" better than the madam.

Her intelligence saved her a lot of trouble, but it was also her intelligence that made her never look back once she made a decision.

After exhausting all her persuasive tactics, including both soft and hard approaches, the madam angrily demanded three hundred taels of silver: "I never thought someone as clever as you would do something so stupid!"

Every piece of jewelry and every gorgeous garment on Zhu Niangzi's body was removed, yet she looked relaxed: "I never do anything foolish."

Ye Xiqing arrived late: "I'm sorry I'm a little late in collecting the money. Please accept this, Mom."

Upon seeing Ye Xiqing, the madam's eyes widened. It turned out that it was she who had redeemed Zhu Jun.

Both the madam and the onlookers wavered for a moment.

Suddenly, the longing for a good man to redeem one's dream has become more complex, and gender is no longer a singular factor.

...

Not only did Zhu Niangzi redeem herself, but she also redeemed her two maids. They were both clumsy and had no future in the brothel, but she had grown accustomed to them and hoped that her mother would be lenient and give them to her.

The madam was already angry that one of her money-making machines had left, and she immediately asked for a hundred taels of silver, which was paid by the bamboo maid herself.

The girls in the building, of course, have no right to control the property, but the people inside aren't stupid; they'll secretly hide some.

As the top courtesan, Zhu Niangzi had even more secrets hidden away.

She wouldn't redeem herself, but she would redeem her maid.

Dressed in coarse cloth and without makeup, Zhu Niangzi was completely unrecognizable from her former self. She followed Ye Xiqing and his group on a light boat, sailing far away from Wei County, and felt somewhat sentimental.

Along the way, Ye Xiqing told her about the business model of his village, and Zhu Niangzi nodded, finding it quite novel.

But when she actually went inside, she was shocked. The once small village now had more than 300 people and was no longer a small village at all!

Ye Xiqing mainly distributes salt in Weixian County, but the salt processing must be done in his hometown. The village is heavily guarded, and all the nearby land has become the collective industry of Xiawa Village. There are sentries every five steps and guards every ten steps.

Upon spotting a suspicious person, immediately report it up the chain of command, quickly pack up your belongings, turn back to farming, and you'll be a law-abiding citizen.

Even though Zhu Niangzi was very knowledgeable, she was still shocked by this scene. When she looked at Ye Xiqing again, her eyes were completely different. She was truly an extraordinary person!

They arranged for Zhu Niangzi and her two maids to live in a courtyard, where she would stay and do nothing but teach the villagers to read.

Ye Xiqing stopped her business in Weixian County and spent a lot of time at home. She had a lot to talk about with Zhu Niangzi, and when she had nothing to do, she would go up the mountain with her.

After Ye Xiqing became wealthy, he spent money to buy a large area of ​​barren mountains in his hometown. Finished forests were expensive, but barren mountains were relatively cheap, and the trees were not in good condition, so he bought a large area of ​​them.

Looking at the largely undeveloped barren mountain, Zhu Niangzi speculated, "Don't you want to continue smuggling salt and switch to growing tea?"

This is a common tactic of smuggled salt dealers. Once they've made enough money, they'll set up legitimate businesses, run them well, and then turn over a new leaf and go straight to the real world.

If business is not going well, it is easier to smuggle salt under the guise of a legitimate business. For example, the leaders of the Sea Gang and the Well Gang have large estates in the open.

Ye Xiqing listened to her analysis and nodded repeatedly, finding it very reasonable.

But that's the conventional path. Soon, this world will become abnormal.