Whether a country is prosperous or not can be judged from many small details.
The most direct manifestation of this is the clothing, appearance, and demeanor of pedestrians on the street.
Under the emperor's nose, in the city of Shengjing, passersby wore both fine silks and satins and coarse linen clothes, but no matter what kind of clothes they wore, they were all clean and tidy.
Although some pedestrians were in a hurry, most walked leisurely with smiles on their faces.
While the prosperity of the capital city may not prove anything, prosperity itself always brings joy.
The group included men, women, and children of all ages, dressed in understated yet luxurious attire, and received the warmest welcome in every shop they entered.
Ye Jingchen took the opportunity of browsing the shops to get a general idea of the prices in the capital.
After getting tired, they found a lively teahouse to rest.
The teahouse has a main hall on the first floor, with a table and a chair in the middle, where a storyteller is performing.
The second floor features private rooms in a tranquil setting, offering a panoramic view of the lobby on the first floor through the carved windows.
Ye Jingchen chose a large private room with two tables, ordered two pots of tea and some of the teahouse's specialty snacks, and had Fangfei and Donggongwei sit down as well.
The storyteller was telling a tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. When he got to the parting of the two, a melancholic and ethereal song rang out, perfectly fitting the occasion.
Ye Jingchen then noticed that there was a little girl sitting next to the storyteller. Her figure was mostly blocked by the table, and only her sideburns could be seen.
The little girl's singing voice won applause from the audience, and many tea drinkers dropped coins as tips. The old storyteller got up, picked up the coins, and bowed to the tea drinkers who had given tips to express his gratitude. Just when the atmosphere was just right, a young man dressed in slicked-back hair and gold and silver jewelry entered the teahouse surrounded by many servants.
"May I ask which young lady was singing just now?" the servant beside the man shouted.
There was a moment of silence in the teahouse.
"Young lady, our young master is very fond of your singing. Would you please show yourself to him?" the man called out again.
No one spoke.
Ye Jingchen noticed that even the sideburns that had been exposed had shrunk back.
"Pah!" The man spat, his face gradually turning ugly. When he spoke again, his voice was sharp and sarcastic, "Since you're already out selling yourself, then sell yourself openly! Are you playing hard to get, hiding and concealing yourself?"
"Brother, what does it mean to sell yourself?" Ye Jinghe asked curiously in the deathly silence, his voice not too loud.
"Uh... quickly cover your ears, children shouldn't hear such foul language!" Ye Jingchen said to Ye Jinghe.
Ye Jinghe obediently covered his ears with both hands, but seeing that Ye Jingchen didn't move, he reminded him, "Brother, you're a child too, you should cover your ears too."
"I don't need it. I'm older than you, I'm already a big kid," Ye Jingchen said seriously.
"Okay." Ye Jinghe agreed with his reasoning, but pouted, looking rather unhappy.
The young master and his servants downstairs, who had overheard their childish chatter, were very displeased, and two of them immediately tried to rush upstairs.
"Find that singing girl for me first. I want to see what she looks like and how she can sing so well!" At the young master's command, his servants rushed towards the table in the middle of the hall like mad dogs smelling blood.
The only place where someone could hide was a small table. Soon, a little girl in a brown dress was forcibly pulled out from under the table.
"Let me go! Grandpa, save me!"
She struggled as several servants dragged her to the young master. Someone grabbed her hair, revealing her pitiful face to him.
This time, not only the young master, but also many customers in the teahouse saw her face clearly, and exclamations of surprise and regret arose everywhere.
Ye Jingchen also saw her appearance; she was indeed very beautiful, with a small, delicate face, fair skin, and exquisite features. Even without makeup, she was very attractive.
Her current terrified expression, on the verge of tears, is even more pitiful.
The young master was clearly very satisfied with her appearance, staring at her face with a lecherous look, and his groping hands reached out to touch her cheeks.
The little girl struggled to back away, but she was held down by several adult men and couldn't move at all.
"Grandpa—Grandpa, save me!" The little girl looked helplessly at the storyteller who seemed to be terrified.
Upon hearing his granddaughter's cries for help, the old man seemed to finally realize what was happening. He rushed forward, stood between the young man and the girl, knelt down, and kowtowed repeatedly.
"Please, kind sir, have mercy and let her go! My granddaughter is a good girl from an innocent family!"
"Old man, you've hit the jackpot! This young master has taken a liking to your granddaughter and wants her to sing for me in the manor. Name your price!" the young master said arrogantly.
Suppressing his anger and fear, the old man gritted his teeth and said, "My granddaughter and I plan to tell stories in this teahouse. We appreciate your kindness, but if you enjoy listening to your granddaughter sing, you can come to this teahouse to listen in the future."
"Don't play dumb with me! I want to listen to her sing day and night, and she can only sing for me. How can I enjoy myself in this teahouse?"
"I really love her voice. Name your price, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied. You'll enjoy wealth and luxury for the rest of your life and never have to tell stories in this teahouse again!" The young master said, stepping past the kneeling old man and reaching out to touch the girl's pale face again.
The old man grabbed the hands, his eyes red as he pleaded, "Please, kind sir, have mercy on us! She's just a child!"
"I only like children. I wouldn't even look at an old woman! My patience is limited. You'll have to sell yourself today, whether you like it or not!" the young master threatened.
"It's your granddaughter's good fortune to be favored by our young master! Old man, don't push your luck!" a servant shouted.
"Yes, isn't it better to eat and drink well in the mansion than to sing for money here?!"
"This is a contract of sale, already stamped with the official seal. Old man, just put your fingerprint on it!" A servant took out a piece of paper with writing on it from his pocket and handed it to the old man.
The old man gripped the young man's hand tightly, shaking his head repeatedly. "I won't sell! I'd rather die than sell! Even if he's the son of the Prefect of the Capital, you can't force a sale!"
As soon as he said that, the young master's expression changed, and he kicked the old man in the chest.
A solid kick sent the old man flying several meters away.
Then, several well-trained servants rushed over, restraining the old man while pulling out a vermilion inkstone to force him to put his fingerprint on the indenture.
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