Chapter 182 Rescuing a Brothel Woman on the Side
Shen Zheng was an educated man, and he explained his purpose in just a few words.
He was dressed in new clothes, spoke with composure, and had the air of a spoiled young master. The maidservant, fearing that it would delay important matters, invited the person in charge.
After the person in charge came out, it was Zhao Ergou's turn.
He had previously discussed the braised food business with the two managers of Zuixianlou and Jixiang Restaurant. He was very experienced and persuaded the manager of Yihonglou in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The main reason was that the goods were of good quality and completely different from the braised food of other restaurants, so the business was easy to negotiate. In the end, the price was 75 copper coins per catty, and 60 catties would be supplied every day thereafter.
Today's goods weighed a total of 85 jin. After delivering the goods, Zhao Ergou had more than 6 liang of silver in his hand, which felt quite heavy.
He was satisfied and ready to leave.
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the lobby.
Immediately afterwards, the wooden stairs began to creak and groan as a group of people ran downstairs.
The one at the very front was a girl in her early teens. She was staring at the direction of the gate and rushing forward recklessly.
"Stop her! Don't let her get away!"
The steward, who was talking to Zhao Ergou, rushed forward and grabbed the girl's hair.
The girl was pulled and thrown to the ground. She rolled over and landed in front of Zhao Ergou. She looked up at Zhao Ergou, her eyes filled with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Take him back, lock him up, and discipline him properly. If he dares to run again, break his legs." The manager coldly ordered his men, then looked at Zhao Ergou and Shen Zheng, "I'm sorry to have made you two laugh. This way, please."
The manager usually looked down on people who came to sell goods, but in a place like Yihonglou, he was in contact with the richest people in Hekou Town every day. He was quite good at judging people, and he could sense that this young man surnamed Shen must be someone special, so he was full of flattery in his words.
Shen Zheng frowned. He had heard his classmates talk about the scandalous affairs of Yihonglou at the academy, but he never expected to stumble upon it himself.
He has no right to interfere in such trivial matters.
He pulled Zhao Ergou along, preparing to leave.
But then Zhao Ergou bent down, helped the girl who had fallen to the ground up, and then shielded her behind him.
Shen Zheng lowered his voice: "Zhao Ergou, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. It's obvious that he was sold by his own family. The indenture is in the hands of Yihonglou. You can't do anything about it."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a madam from upstairs chased down, shouting, "This little slut refuses to put her fingerprint on the contract. It's not even written yet. Quickly hold her down. If she resists again, give her a beating, just don't hit her in the face."
“If she was sold to a place like this by her family, shouldn’t the indenture have been written long ago?” Zhao Ergou said in a low voice. “This girl must have been kidnapped.”
Shen Zheng also realized the seriousness of the matter.
Brothels are legal in this dynasty, but the girls in them either sell themselves voluntarily or are forced into prostitution. Brothel owners kidnap innocent girls, which is forcing them into prostitution and is illegal.
He glanced at the girl's clothes; they weren't coarse cloth, but rather seemed to be made of silk. This girl must come from a well-off family; her family would never sell their daughter to a brothel.
Shen Zheng shouted in a low voice, "Er Gou, you take her and go first, I'll cover the rear!"
"Let's see who dares to leave!" the manager roared. "Dare to interfere in the affairs of my Yihong Pavilion? You're asking for trouble! Guards, seize these two, beat them up, and throw them out into the street!"
Seven or eight servants entered through the door, each one strong and robust.
Brothels are places where trouble happens every day, so they keep a group of thugs to suppress troublemakers and guard the entrance to prevent the girls from escaping.
These servants had long since mastered their skills.
Shen Zheng cursed inwardly, "Zhao Ergou, you've really ruined me."
Zhao Ergou glanced at the girl hiding behind him and tentatively suggested, "How about we run away first, and then bring the government officials over?"
"Don't you have any backbone of a man?" Shen Zheng cursed. "Since we've already saved him, we might as well see it through to the end. Fine, I'm the only one who can step up. After all, I'll be your brother from now on."
If she runs away now, when the authorities come to investigate, this girl will definitely have been sent to another place to avoid trouble.
Shen Zheng sneered, put one foot on the chair, and said nonchalantly, "I'm not leaving today. Let's see who dares to touch me!"
After he said that, the servants dared not approach.
The manager narrowed his eyes: "Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just a scholar," Shen Zheng grinned. "My father was born a farmer..."
The manager was relieved; a farmer was nothing to be afraid of. He made a gesture to surround him.
“My father was good at farming, but he was even better at studying. He became a student at the age of thirteen, a scholar at sixteen, and then passed the imperial examinations all the way to become a magistrate. He eventually became the magistrate of Ping’an County,” Shen Zheng said with a smile. “If I lose even a single hair at Yihonglou, you can forget about keeping Yihonglou open.”
The steward was taken aback.
Students often come to Yihonglou to drink and talk. He vaguely heard people talk about the deeds of Magistrate Shen from Ping'an County next door, and it was exactly the same as what this boy said. Could he really be Magistrate Shen's son?
How could the son of Magistrate Ke Shen be selling food in a brothel?
“You must have heard it at the brothel, my father is currently highly regarded by the prefect. Even the deputy magistrate of your Hekou County has to bow down to him.” Shen Zheng slowly stood up. “Come on, try hitting me. Let’s see what happens.”
Yihonglou was a place frequented by all sorts of people, and it was also well-informed. Naturally, he knew about Magistrate Shen's sudden rise to prominence.
These days, offending a rich person can be resolved, but offending an official is like sealing your fate.
The person in charge had already given up and waved his hand.
The servants at the gate made way for them, and Zhao Ergou escorted the girl out, while Shen Zheng swaggered out.
As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and said with a grin, "Actually, everything I just said was a lie. I'm not the son of a county magistrate. Would the son of a county magistrate be as dashing as me? Hahaha, you've been fooled!"
After he finished speaking, he grabbed Zhao Ergou's hand and ran forward as fast as he could.
Zhao Ergou never expected this guy to say such a thing. He grabbed Shen Zheng with one hand and pulled the girl with the other, and the three of them ran wildly down the street. They ran for an unknown amount of time before finally shaking off their pursuers by disappearing into a small alley.
Zhao Ergou gasped for breath: "If you hadn't said that last part, we wouldn't have been chased for so long."
“If I don’t tell, that manager will definitely spread my story around the brothel. If my father finds out I went to a brothel, he’ll chop me up. My image in my father’s eyes has finally improved, and I can’t let it be ruined. Don’t worry, they’re the ones who did the bad things; they won’t dare to actually chase me to Dahe Village to cause trouble.” Shen Zheng paused and looked at the girl beside him. “Hey, where do you live? We’ll go all the way and take you home.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
