"Young master, please wait a moment," Manager Jin said with a light cough. "I will go and urge them right away."
Manager Jin turned several corners in the hall, and once he felt out of Young Master Jin's sight, he found an empty seat and sat down.
As a seasoned veteran, he understood the meaning of "self-preservation" all too well. He originally wanted to find an excuse to decline, but then he thought it was better not to go with the simpleton, so as not to get implicated.
With a sigh of relief, Manager Jin waved his hand and ordered, "Young man, could you please bring me a pot of tea and a plate of osmanthus cakes?"
"Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go get it right away."
"Mmm," Manager Jin nodded and closed his eyes contentedly.
Since there are free tea and snacks, why not eat them? Besides, we've already paid ten taels of silver for the entrance fee; it would be a waste not to eat our fill.
Since the young master won't pay for it, and the money has already been spent, the only option is to try and recoup the losses.
Over here, Manager Jin was completely relaxed, while over there, Young Master Jin was getting anxious.
He kicked the foot away and asked irritably, "What's wrong with Jinming? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
"Young Master, shall I go and take a look?"
"Where are you going? If you go, who will serve me? Come here and pour me some tea!"
"Yes, young master!"
As Jin Shao waited impatiently, time slowly passed.
Feeling that it was about right, Manager Jin, having eaten and drunk his fill, wiped his mouth and came over.
"Why are you only coming back now? I told you to urge them, and you've been urging them until now?" Young Master Jin was very dissatisfied.
He had brought Manager Jin along because he thought he had some ability, but it turned out that the man was just so-so. He regretted it a bit, thinking that he should have found someone clever and perceptive to come with him when he got back home.
Honestly, what a waste of his romantic life!
He glanced at Manager Jin with dissatisfaction before turning away.
Then, the red cloth lifted from the platform caught his full attention. He closed his fan with what he thought was elegance and spoke eagerly, "It's finally starting! Ladies, wait for me..."
On the high platform adorned with lanterns, a charming woman walked up and said, "Gentlemen, I am Jing Hong, the madam of Fei Hua Lou. I greet you."
"Jinghong, don't waste time, hurry up and let the girls go on stage!" the hecklers downstairs urged impatiently.
"Don't be in a hurry, Master Gao," Jing Hong said slowly, raising her pinky finger. "You are an expert, and you know the rules without me having to explain them. But I still need to explain them clearly to the new gentlemen before we can begin."
After saying that, he stood on the stage and shouted:
"In a little while, everyone will come up on stage to perform. If you find it satisfactory, please throw flowers into the basket in front of you. The one who gets the most flowers will be this year's Flower Queen."
"After the courtesan is chosen, the most important moment will come. Whichever gentleman is willing will be able to win the beauty's heart."
"Enough with the small talk, now, please let Nongying from Xiangsi Tower perform."
After saying that, Jing Hong withdrew.
"Jin Ming," Jin Shao asked in confusion, "why didn't we spend any money? How are we supposed to invest?"
“Well,” Manager Jin said with a troubled expression, “Young master, these silk flowers all cost money, five taels of silver each.”
"Why do you want more money?" Young Master Jin frowned. "How much silver did we bring?"
“Three hundred taels,” the person next to Manager Jin said. “Twenty taels have already been spent, leaving two hundred and eighty taels.”
“That’s too little, no way,” Jin Shao said, turning to Manager Jin. “Jin Ming, how much do you have?”
"Not much, only fifty taels," Manager Jin said with a forced smile after cursing the Jin family's ancestors for eighteen generations. "Young master, you know we servants aren't allowed to save money. This fifty taels is from my own account, just in case you don't have enough money."
"Stop talking nonsense," Jin Shao said impatiently, stretching out his hand and saying directly, "Give it to me."
Left with no other choice, Manager Jin had to take out a fifty-tael silver note from his pocket.
He knew it would end like this: it wouldn't be over until he bleeds!
He's the most shameless person in the Jin family. He spends all of other people's money as if it were his own, completely disregarding whether others are happy or not.
Unfortunately, as a servant, he had no human rights whatsoever, and had no choice but to pay up.
What? You won't give it to me!
That shameless guy is absolutely capable of getting himself searched.
“And what else?” Young Master Jin raised his chin and said arrogantly, “Bring it all out!”
"What? There's more?" Manager Jin looked confused.
Seeing this, Jin Shao kicked him, "What are you pretending for? Where's the money? This is just a banknote, where's the loose silver?"
"Young master," Manager Jin said timidly, "you should at least keep some money for your journey home, shouldn't you?"
The prefectural city is two hundred li away from Ping'an County. Without any travel expenses, should I beg for food to get back?
"I don't care, just give it to me, hurry up!"
So, Manager Jin slowly took out all the loose silver and copper coins, and said with a pained expression, "This time, it's really all gone."
Young Master Jin put the silver into his pocket, then patted Manager Jin on the shoulder. "That's right, that's how it is. Since it's a dog, it has to listen to its master. I don't mind beating or killing any disobedient dog."
After saying that, he walked past Manager Jin with his entourage, chin held high.
Seeing this, Manager Jin's expression stiffened for a moment, then he quickly followed.
On the high platform, a beautiful woman sang and danced lightly, drawing cheers from all sides.
Backstage, the master and servant leisurely dressed and groomed themselves.
“Miss,” Qiu Qing pouted, “Are you really going to wear this gauze dress? It’s too revealing. There are a bunch of perverts outside.”
She was truly afraid that her young mistress would be eaten alive, leaving not even bones behind.
"Wear this, it suits you best," Meiyu said languidly.
“But,” Qiu Qing said somewhat reluctantly, “there are so many lecherous men around, Miss is going to suffer.”
Thinking of this, Qiu Qing felt like crying.
If only the master and mistress were still alive, their young lady wouldn't have to end up in a brothel, nor would she have to sell her body to win a man's favor.
It's all because of...
"How is this a loss?" Mei Yu curled her lips into a smile, gently touching her own lips, her deep-seated allure radiating from within. "Only in this way can men go crazy~"
The upward-curling ending tone, the languid and charming voice, is intoxicating to the very core.
“Miss,” Qiu Qing said with great heartache, “just bear with it a little longer. After tonight, we will be able to leave this brothel.”
Her young lady, who was pampered like a precious jewel by her master and mistress, has now fallen into the situation of having to please men.
It's so unfair!
"Leave? Who said I was leaving?" Meiyu covered her mouth and chuckled. "Aren't things going well for you right now?"
"Miss," Qiu Qing was startled by these words and stood up abruptly, "You don't plan to leave the brothel?"
"The time is not right; now is not the time to leave."
Qiu Qing was about to say something when she heard a shout:
"Next, I'd like to invite everyone to come up. Gentlemen, please do me the honor of clapping. If you like her, don't forget to throw flowers."
“It’s time,” Meiyu said slowly, adjusting her gauze skirt. “Wait a moment, I’ll be right back.”
After speaking, she put on a thin red veil, went barefoot, and walked slowly and deliberately onto the high platform.
With snow-white skin, a supple waist, and affectionate eyes, she was captivating the audience the moment she stepped onto the stage.
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