When Qiaoniang brought it up, Yaoniang lost interest. Asking about gossip should be a lighthearted, spontaneous conversation. This made it seem as if Yaoniang was throwing a tantrum, and that Qiaoniang had only brought it up to appease her. Yaoniang, however, didn't know how to respond.
She said dejectedly, "I suddenly forgot."
Seeing the hint of guilt on Yao Niang's face, she quickly added with a grin, "Consider today's debt to Sister Qiao Niang. If I ever think of asking again, you must tell me!"
Qiao Niang readily agreed.
The three of them were sitting in a private room by the water. When they looked out through the open window, they could vaguely see the upturned eaves of Jinyulou.
Jin Yu Lou is on the east bank, where lotus leaves sway in the nearby pond. Zui Yue Lou, on the west bank, is different. The pond water ripples and ripples, and a few small boats are moored along the shore, allowing visitors to stroll and enjoy the water.
Tonghua Lane meanders along the pond. Yao Niang pointed to several painted boats not far away and asked curiously, "Why are there painted boats moored over there, but they look like no one is there?"
Qiao Niang pursed her lips: "Those are the flower boats that the ladies in Tonghua Lane usually use."
Seeing that Yao Niang still seemed confused, she added, "The ladies in Tonghua Lane mostly rest during the day and only come out to greet guests in the evening."
Yao Niang suddenly realized that Tonghua Lane was probably the brothel district of Shuojing! A blush suddenly rose on her face.
Just as I was about to close the window, I saw the most luxurious-looking painted boat start moving, slowly sailing away from the shore and drifting leisurely towards the pool.
Yao Niang asked curiously, "How come there are people boating on the lake with them during the day?"
Qiaoniang leaned over and looked out the window, and she immediately understood what was going on.
She said, "That painted boat should belong to the Wufan Pavilion."
Seeing that Yao Niang's curiosity remained undiminished, she added, "Wu Fan Ge is different from other brothels in Tong Hua Lane. The women in Wu Fan Ge are all unfortunate women who sell themselves, and they mostly work as dancers and entertainers."
Yao Niang then understood; in that case, it wasn't so strange that she went boating on the lake during the day.
Bitao curled her lip: "Why not find a good family to marry into? Why insist on selling yourself into a brothel? Isn't that demeaning yourself?"
Qiao Niang seemed surprised by Bi Tao's words. After calming herself down, she said, "There are fixed numbers of maids in aristocratic families. They can't just sell themselves whenever they want. Besides, even if they enter a high-class family as maids, they are still just doing the work of serving others."
If you encounter a good master, that's fine. But if the master is harsh or lecherous, your life might be worse than living in a brothel.
"A brothel like Wufan Pavilion is willing to spend money; if it weren't for the contractual obligations, they wouldn't force customers to take clients. They also have tutors to teach them music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so their lives are more comfortable than those of ordinary young ladies."
Bitao stammered, "But ultimately it's a hindrance to one's reputation."
Qiao Niang chuckled: "Little Bitao, you're still young and don't understand. Sometimes, if life is too hard, reputation is the most ephemeral thing, and no one will care."
Bitao seemed to understand but not quite. She had been sold into servitude since childhood and grew up with Yaoniang. The greatest hardship she had endured was being separated from her parents at a young age, and she had long forgotten what her home looked like.
How much suffering must one endure to become indifferent to a daughter's most important asset—her reputation?
There was a knock on the door of the private room, and a group of waiters came in and brought the dishes they had ordered. Yao Niang and Bi Tao never followed those rules, and seeing that Qiao Niang had no objections, they pulled Bi Tao to sit down and eat together.
Therefore, Qiaoniang began to reconsider Bitao's place in her heart.
The dishes at Zuiyuelou were nothing special, mostly popular dishes in Shuojing, and comparable to Jinyulou. Since Qiaoniang had mentioned that diners seemed to think Zuiyuelou was more affordable, Yaoniang paid special attention to the portion sizes this time.
But Yao Niang looked at them over and over and felt that the portions were just ordinary. In fact, in order to make the plates look nicer, some of the dishes barely covered the bottom of the plate.
Just like the cucumber dish, the chef's knife skills were superb. The cucumber was arranged in a circle on a round plate, with a small flower carved from a radish in the center. The white plate, the green cucumber, and the orange-red radish flower were extremely pleasing to the eye.
It has a hint of sesame oil aroma upon first taste, and the flavor is indeed quite good.
Today, Qiaoniang also ordered braised pork knuckle from Zuiyuelou. People in Shuojing love pork knuckle; almost every restaurant has this dish.
The braised pork knuckle at Zuiyuelou differs from that at Jinyulou. Zuiyuelou's pork knuckle is braised with soybeans, and the red broth mixed with the soft, white soybeans creates a unique flavor. However, unlike Jinyulou's, it doesn't have the tangy and fragrant plum flavor, so after a few bites, it becomes greasy.
Qiaoniang picked up a small wine pot from the table and poured some wine into Yaoniang's cup.
"The food at Zuiyuelou is fairly ordinary, but the wine is Zuiyuelou's specialty," Qiaoniang said with a smile. "Yaoniang, please have a taste."
For the past nineteen years, Yao Niang had never drunk wine. Now, she seemed a little hesitant, holding the wine cup in her hands, but hesitating to put it in her mouth.
Seeing her hesitation, Qiaoniang assumed she was afraid of the strong liquor and said, "This wine is called 'Sinking Fish,' and it's said to be a wine specially provided for you by Zuiyue Tower. It's brewed with bayberries, and now is the perfect time to enjoy it."
She took a sip herself, savoring it for a moment, and then said to Yao Niang, "I find it sweet and sour, but not spicy. You should have no problem taking a small sip."
Yao Niang tentatively took a sip. She found it sweet and sour with a lingering aftertaste, as if a warm current flowed from her mouth to her whole body, making her feel very comfortable. Since she did not feel any discomfort, she took another sip, and then another, and before she knew it, she had finished the entire cup of Chen Yu.
Qiao Niang found it amusing: "I didn't expect our Yao Niang to be such a good drinker."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
