Chapter 51 The Stubborn Woman's Lament (Part 1) At least she didn't lose her innocence, did she...?
The refreshing scent of bamboo leaves lingered in her nostrils, and almost unconsciously, Song Qiling swallowed hard.
Gu Lianzhou silently took a step back, distancing himself from his senior brother.
"Gentlemen, please." The man standing in front of the cabin door raised his hand and lifted the hanging beaded curtain. His fingertips were as white as jade, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. His skin was delicate and tender, unlike that of an ordinary man who had done rough work.
After the two passed through the beaded curtain, those hands slid down as if boneless, leading the way and saying, "Follow me."
The spacious painted boat is a hidden world inside; the moment you step inside, you feel as if you are in another world, separated from the outside world by a quietness.
The lower level of the painted boat is divided into several semi-open rooms by carved mahogany screens. On the sandalwood tables are celadon tea sets, and brightly colored fruit drinks are served in between. From afar, you can smell a sweet and sour aroma.
Light gauze curtains hung beside the vermilion railings, swaying in the wind, and the brocade couches laid out inside could be vaguely seen.
Song Qiling looked up and saw dozens of glass palace lanterns hanging from the top of the cabin. The firelight shone through the colorful glass and was projected onto the four walls, reflecting the shimmering water outside the window, like a cascading galaxy, unlike anything in the human world.
After walking more than ten steps, the sound of string and wind instruments grew louder. In the right corner, a musician was holding a pipa, half-concealing her face. Her fingertips lightly plucked and slowly strummed the strings, producing a melodious and graceful tune. When she saw the two young men approaching, the woman smiled, her eyes alluring and captivating.
As you walk further in, you suddenly see a high platform in the center of the ship, covered with a fiery red carpet of intertwined lotus patterns. The dancers step on it barefoot, and the golden bells on their ankles jingle with their movements.
More than seven men sat in mahogany armchairs in front of the stage, clapping their hands and occasionally letting out applause as they watched the wonderful performance.
The man who had led the way turned around and asked, "Are you here to listen to music or to find someone?"
Upon hearing this, Song Qiling glanced at her junior brother, discerning the emotion in his eyes, and replied without hesitation, "Find someone."
“Alright,” the man chuckled, “then come upstairs with me.”
After bypassing the high platform, the group walked inside and stopped behind a landscape screen.
The man said "Wait a moment," clenched his fist, and knocked on the bulkhead of the cabin. He repeated the knocking sound three times before taking a step back.
After a short wait, the partition quietly slid open, revealing a dark and secluded staircase behind it.
"Please, sir." The man gestured with his sleeve and raised his hand in an inviting gesture, but his legs seemed to be nailed to the spot, and he would not move.
Song Qiling couldn't help but ask curiously, "What does this mean? Are only my brother and I going up?"
The man nodded and chuckled, "The second floor is for distinguished guests; this servant is not qualified to enter."
There are so many rules for a painted boat.
“Alright, junior brother, let’s go up.” Song Qiling didn’t hesitate, touching the dark wall as he stepped onto the narrow stairs and climbed up.
The two walked a few steps when they suddenly heard a "bang" behind them. They turned around with difficulty and saw that the door had been closed. In an instant, darkness swallowed up the gloomy space.
After a moment of silence, Song Qiling asked softly, "Junior brother, can you see the road?"
Gu Lianzhou nodded, then belatedly realized that his senior brother was unable to see, so he replied, "He can barely find his way."
That's still much better than her.
Song Qiling reached out and touched a soft piece of fabric, finally feeling relieved: "Junior brother, I'll have to trouble you to take me upstairs."
Gu Lianzhou lowered his eyes and looked at the hand hooked around his belt. After a moment, he reached out and grasped his senior brother's wrist. "Senior brother, watch your step."
The two supported each other as they climbed the winding, narrow stairs until their toes touched something hard.
Song Qiling touched the wall panel in front of her with her foot and asked in confusion, "The road has come to an end, why can't I see the exit?"
Gu Lianzhou also raised his hand and touched around, then hesitated for a moment before looking up at the sky.
After waiting a moment, I suddenly felt a cool breeze brush against my forehead.
“The exit is here.” He raised his arm and moved it against the wooden plank above his head. With a “click,” light streamed in through the crack, causing him to instinctively close his eyes.
It's likely that not everyone can access the second floor of Pingkangfang. Nowadays, even finding an exit is so difficult, which gives you an idea of how many shady transactions are hidden there.
The two struggled to climb out of the skylight. As soon as they landed, they saw a cloud of colorful silk approaching at an extremely fast speed. Before they could dodge, the silk brushed against their faces along with the woman's voice.
"My lord."
The fragrance of cosmetics wafted into Song Qiling's nostrils. She squinted, gazing in a daze at the woman's rosy cheeks, fragrant face, and jade-like hair, as if she were a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
It turns out that the "information hub" was unwilling to reveal such a treasure trove.
As the soft, fragrant breasts were brought closer to her face, Song Qiling was terrified. She didn't know whether to reach out or pull away, so she simply turned her head away, closed her eyes, and shouted, "I... I came to find someone, not for this!"
The woman chuckled and pulled Song Qiling's hand, leading him towards the bed. "My lord, you jest. Everyone who comes here is looking for someone."
Song Qiling refused to move and struggled backward: "I really am looking for someone, fairy sister, please let go of my hand."
Distracted, she looked back and saw her junior brother being pushed forward by a crowd, just like her. Anxious, she quickly called out, "Good sister, I didn't bring enough money!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the hand holding hers suddenly froze.
Seeing that things seemed promising, Song Qiling continued, "My brother and I just came here to broaden our horizons, but we didn't expect the sisters to be so enthusiastic. If things don't work out today, that's fine, but if they do... I'm afraid I won't be able to afford this headband even if I sell everything I own."
The woman turned her head to the side and said slowly, "Young master, don't be afraid. Someone as elegant and graceful as you is certainly not someone who can be overcharged."
After saying that, he pulled the person along and continued walking forward.
Song Qiling's smile was more like a grimace: "Sister, dear sister, where are we going?"
Where else can we go?
Looking at the only red-curtained soft couch a few steps away, Song Qiling's legs went weak. She must have forgotten to check the almanac before going out today, how could she have encountered such a terrible thing?
On second thought, could Pingkangfang really be a place where people are forced to buy and sell? If she doesn't want to, no one will do anything to her.
Thinking this, he hardened his resolve and opened his mouth to negotiate, but the woman pushed him away forcefully, and in an instant, the thin red gauze curtain covered his face.
Suddenly falling into the layers of brocade quilts, the fluffy mattress immediately sank in. Song Qiling looked up and saw the semi-transparent gauze curtains being blown by the wind, and felt her side suddenly sink down.
"Please wait here for a moment, gentlemen. I will go find Miss He now."
With a burst of laughter, the women left in groups, leaving Song Qiling bewildered and looking up at the sky.
After a moment of stunned silence, she murmured to herself, "Who is Miss He, and why did you seek her out?"
"Perhaps he's in charge here," Gu Lianzhou said quietly.
Song Qiling suddenly shuddered and turned to look at her side. She saw her junior brother staring at the top of the tent with his dark, empty eyes. He spoke without any life, like a corpse.
After this ordeal, he's practically as good as dead.
"Junior brother, cheer up." She patted Gu Lianzhou on the shoulder and advised him gently, "At least you haven't lost your innocence, have you?"
Gu Lianzhou closed his eyes and said helplessly, "...Senior brother, you don't need to comfort me like this."
After waiting for about half an incense stick's time, the leading lady returned, followed by a beautiful musician carrying a pipa.
Song Qiling was puzzled: "What's wrong, sister?"
"Young master, this is your first time here, so you may not know the rules of our Pingkangfang." The woman smiled gracefully. "Since you have come to the second floor of the painted boat, you cannot come empty-handed, nor can you leave empty-handed. Since you do not enjoy flirting, you can only listen to a song so that I can inquire about the news."
Although these words were unreasonable, they were exactly what Song Qiling wanted to hear. She lowered her head, took off the money pouch from her waist, and handed it to the woman. "Sister is right. Let's do it according to the rules of Pingkang Ward."
After receiving the money, the woman bowed to the two men and retreated with small steps. The musician standing to the side immediately understood and stepped forward, sat down on the low stool in front of the couch, tuned the pipa for a while, and then looked up at Song and Gu.
"What tune would you like to hear, my lord?" The musician was beautiful, and her voice was so melodious and sweet, it was like a mouthful of honey, making one's heart flutter.
Song Qiling had no idea about these things. While he was hesitating, he suddenly heard his junior brother say from the side, "Let's play a piece called 'Sunset Flute and Drum,' which would be appropriate for the occasion."
"Yes." The musician lowered her eyes in thought, her right wrist suspended in the air, her left hand supporting the neck of the pipa, and the sound of the pipa poured down like flowing water, just like "large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate".
When the music ended, Song Qiling clapped her hands and cheered. Seeing that the musician showed no sign of stopping, she couldn't help but interrupt, "Miss, I'd like to ask you something."
"Ah." The musician reluctantly stopped, looked up at Song Qiling, and said, "My lord, please ask."
Song Qiling cleared her throat and asked seriously, "Did a one-armed man visit Pingkang Lane a few days ago? Did you see him, young lady?"
"One-armed?" The musician raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and her voice also became lower. "Why is my lord asking about this? I have never seen a one-armed man."
Seeing her displeased expression, Song Qiling asked suspiciously, "You really haven't seen her before?"
The musician laughed and said, "Would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, ask someone else."
Song Qiling was silent for a moment.
Could it be that Uncle-Master Nie really never came to Pingkangfang? Was the 'Information Provider' lying to them?
After going over the matter in her mind, Song Qiling felt increasingly uneasy. When she looked up again, she saw the musician put away her pipa and turn to leave.
"..."
A bag of silver coins was exchanged for a little song; this deal was indeed "worth it".
"Junior brother, how much truth do you think there is in this person's words?" She fiddled with the tassel at her waist and turned to look at Gu Lianzhou.
“This person is a liar.” Gu Lianzhou exposed her without mercy: “Just now, she looked unhappy, clearly resisting the topic of her one arm. If she hadn’t met her martial uncle, why would she have acted like that?”
Song Qiling was even more puzzled: "But why did she keep it from us?"
Gu Lianzhou frowned and slowly shook his head, saying, "I don't know about that."
During the conversation, the woman who had led the way earlier walked towards the two of them carrying a mahogany tray. Upon seeing this, Song Qiling immediately pursed her lips and fell silent, watching as this person, carrying a teacup, squeezed into the red gauze curtain and sat down beside her.
“My lord must be thirsty from sitting for so long. I’ll serve you some tea.” With that, the woman lifted the lid of the teapot and held it to Song Qiling’s lips. “Open your mouth, my lord.”
Song Qiling quickly reached out and took it, saying, "I can do it myself."
Just as my fingers touched the warm teacup, I felt it suddenly tip over towards me, and before I knew it, all the tea had spilled onto half of my sleeve.
"Oh dear, my hand slipped." The woman's face immediately paled, and she pulled off the handkerchief from her waist to wipe Song Qiling's face.
In the midst of the chaos, someone lifted up the cuff, revealing a section of the forearm underneath.
The woman's gaze swept over the gold mark on the inside of his arm, her hand suddenly froze, a shadow of gloom flashed across her eyes, and then she lowered her gaze to conceal her emotions. "It's all my fault, my lord, please wait here for a moment while I fetch a clean set of clothes."
Song Qiling waved his hand repeatedly: "No, it's getting late, my brother and I should go back."
After saying that, she stood up, walked around the woman, and headed outside.
"Without a guide, my lord, you may not be able to find your way back," the woman chuckled softly from behind.
Indeed, the visitors were not well-intentioned.
Song Qiling raised her hand and pressed it against her forearm, her brows slowly furrowing.
Then the woman sneered, "Today is truly a good day; the people from the Heavenly Mystery Sect have come knocking on our door."
Upon hearing this, Song Qiling quickly turned around and looked at the woman in front of her: "Who exactly are you, and how do you know about the Xishan Golden Seal?"
The woman's red lips parted slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth, and her smile was as sweet as honey: "My surname is Luo, and my given name is Qingyu. I am the owner of this painted boat."
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