Without the slightest hesitation, the handsome man said, "Hongniang is the purest woman I have ever met. When I achieve my goal, the first thing I will do upon returning is to marry you."
And so, the poor scholar left with the money.
For a whole year, the matchmaker waited and waited.
When the results of the imperial examination were announced the following year, she clearly saw the name of the poor scholar above the third-ranked scholar—Lin Bichen. The name she had longed for appeared before her eyes.
At that moment, the matchmaker's clever mind shut down, and she foolishly guessed that Lin Lang might have encountered other things and therefore couldn't pick her up in time.
Later, for a year or two, Hongniang was just a lowly maid in the Red Mansion, unable to find out about the imperial examination graduates and Lin Lang's current status.
Then came another year, two years, and the matchmaker waited and waited, growing from a young girl into an old maid, but still never saw her Lin Lang.
Instead, she learned about Lin Lang from a rare friend in the Red Chamber. The third-ranked scholar had already married the daughter of the Prime Minister's family after his ranking was published in the newspaper. After that, Lin Bichen's career in the court became increasingly successful.
At that moment, the woman who survived in the brothel lost her heart, and the matchmaker fell seriously ill.
After waking up, Hongniang said to the madam, "She wants to entertain guests and no longer work as a lowly maid."
The madam sized up the matchmaker as if evaluating a piece of merchandise. The matchmaker, who used to get angry with such a look, stared at the madam without saying a word. In the end, the madam agreed to her request, probably because of her rather attractive, voluptuous figure.
From that day on, Hongniang was no longer Lin Lang's matchmaker, but everyone's matchmaker.
Her demeanor changed; she became somewhat alluring.
At night, Hongniang entertained customers. During the day, she diligently studied music, opera, and dance. If she couldn't learn something, she would practice relentlessly. Her skin became rough, so she used the money from her customers to carefully maintain it. Eventually, her figure improved, her skin became more delicate, and she acquired more and more skills. She replaced the previous courtesan of the Red Mansion and became the new courtesan.
Its reputation is growing.
Even wealthy people from thousands of miles away are willing to spend a fortune to buy her for one night.
“I’ve met so many men who were willing to spend money to redeem me, but all I feel is disgust. I know what these people want. They just see a pretty flower on the road, and since it’s a special one, they want to pick it. It’s ridiculous. They’re as stupid as pigs, and they’re easily pleased.”
"It's laughable. My heart was already dead, but last month I heard news of that man. Lin Lang, oh Lin Lang, what a heartless man he is. Even after arriving in Huaihe County, he didn't want to come and see his old lover. He's so cruel."
The matchmaker laughed, and tears welled up in her eyes.
But everyone in the room knew about her inner pain and resentment.
“So many years, so many years, Lin Lang, a mere man, has achieved fame and success in the imperial examinations, and even abandoned me so easily. How could he do this? How could he do this... If I were a man, I would definitely be more capable than him.”
Soon, the matchmaker composed herself and wiped away her tears with a handkerchief.
"Unfortunately, I am just a woman."
"So, little girl, I'll give you two paths. One is to become the next top courtesan in the Red Chamber. I'll teach you skills, teach you how to seduce men..."
"I'll choose the next one," Qingyin said, looking earnestly at the matchmaker.
"You're really impatient, girl."
The matchmaker paused for another second before speaking.
Do you know what the second path is? How difficult and even dangerous it is?
Qingyin tilted her head back and knelt on the ground, her eyes burning with fervor: "I want to avenge Hongniang, I want that Lin Bichen to die."
"Alright, alright." The matchmaker smiled, this time not out of sadness but out of anticipation.
The matchmaker's eyes flashed with madness. As she laughed, she seemed to see the once dashing Lin Lang kneeling on the ground, having lost all his proud achievements, looking as pathetic as a rat in the worst gutter in the world.
Her face flushed, and she began to play Qingyin with great seriousness.
"From now on, you will be called Xie Yin."
Hongniang's real name was Xie Hongyu. After so many years, she suddenly remembered this unfamiliar name. Looking at Qingyin, who had taken her name, her eyes softened a lot.
"good."
...
Qingyin became Hongniang's personal maid.
During the day, she learned to dance, play the zither, and the pipa from the matchmaker.
The matchmaker "didn't have" time at night, so she would diligently read books late into the night.
In January and February, in order to resemble the man's physique, the matchmaker specially arranged some body shaping for Qingyin.
To the matchmaker, Qingyin was like a small seedling that needed to be trained and matured slowly, growing rapidly by her side.
Sometimes, Qingyin admired Hongniang's intelligence, while Hongniang was amazed by Qingyin's rapid learning speed. Whether it was dancing or reading, Hongniang deeply felt that Xieyin was a genius, a very rare genius.
She was even more convinced that Xie Yin could avenge her.
Over the past six years, daily medicinal baths, dances, and ample nutrition have restored Qingyin's body. Because she has not yet left the Red Mansion, Qingyin has not taken the beauty pills, and she cannot cause any unexpected trouble in the Red Mansion for the time being.
The body itself wasn't too bad-looking, with delicate features, and combined with Qingyin's own temperament, it seemed like a slender young man.
That evening, Qingyin habitually went into Hongniang's room.
She wasn't surprised at all by the decadent scent of cosmetics in the room.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
