Chapter 24 The Evil Courtesan (6)
Just as Xiangyu said, the next day, Xiaotao was found hanged on a rockery in Yuejian Tower.
Xiangyu also knew that Xiaotao was instructed by Fanhong and was harmed by Fanhong.
She knew Fanhong's character very well.
He has been competitive since childhood, cruel to himself and even crueler to others, and will resort to any despicable means to achieve his goals.
This time her personal maid was bribed, it was her own mistake.
Xiangyu was not feeling very comfortable without someone by her side. When she was considering a replacement, she thought of Shisui, who had saved her once and was smart and careful...
But Madam Ya firmly opposed it.
The reason was still the same old one - Shisui had a tattoo on her face, and it would be inconvenient for her to follow Xiangyu in the future, and she would be gossiped about.
Madam Ya even threatened Xiangyu, saying, "If you have such a lowly peasant girl by your side, it will be hard for you to become an Oiran. Don't you think about how demanding the landlord is? He can't stand ugly women appearing before him."
Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.
Xiangyu had not spent more than ten years in Yuejian Tower in vain. She knew that if she gave in at this time, or just stood still, she would be taken advantage of.
She had just defeated a maid and had already lost a round. If she didn't try her best to win back her face, that group of people who took advantage of others would dare to look down on her in the future.
Xiangyu then retorted, "Madam Ya, you are right and make sense, but I have decided on Sui Sui. As for whether I can be chosen as the top courtesan, that is my own business. You are old and worry too much. Be careful not to get wrinkles."
Madam Ya was so angry that she walked away on the spot.
Xiangyu was relieved, but the practical problems at hand still had to be solved.
The peasant girl that Tokiho possessed actually had a very pretty face, and a perfectly naive air. After dressing up, she was still very outstanding. As for the tattoo on her face...
"Sui Sui, go find Mr. Songshan and ask him to help you modify the pattern on your face. You got the tattoo because you wanted to disfigure your face. From now on, just treat this flower as an ornament on your body."
Xiangyu paved the way for Shisui's future, but Shisui had other plans in mind...
…
In a tattoo shop in Songshan.
"I thought you were gone forever. Are you doing well in Yuejianlou? Were you driven back?"
It is already late autumn.
Songshan smoked a pipe with one hand and put the other hand in his pocket to keep warm.
Tokiho pointed at the poppy on her face.
"Well, Miss Xiangyu said I want the tattoo to be more beautiful. I want to follow her to meet people in the future."
She took out a silver bracelet from her arms and placed it in front of Songshan.
"Here's the wages."
"Miss Xiangyu still likes to use jewelry as collateral."
Songshan exhaled a puff of cigarette, put down the pipe, picked up the silver bracelet and looked at it carefully under the candlelight. His cold and slender eyes softened.
Can't fool anyone.
The little expression on Songshan's face couldn't lie at all.
This guy is definitely interested in Xiangyu!
He turned around, facing Shi Desui with his back, and took the tools needed for tattooing.
"How did you two meet?" Shi Sui suddenly asked a heavyweight question.
Songshan's back trembled noticeably.
"What are you talking about..."
"I'm asking you how you and Miss Xiangyu met. If you don't tell me, I'll go back and say bad things about you in front of Miss Xiangyu, saying that you flirted with me!"
Tokiho spoke each word clearly and forcefully, and his threat was obvious. Even if Songshan wanted to hide, he couldn't.
"You little girl..." Songshan smiled helplessly, "You can see all this?"
nonsense.
Tokiho rolled her eyes in her heart.
I've been practicing for thousands of years, and I've seen all the infatuated men and resentful women in the past five thousand years. If you don't even have this much vision, you can just lie down and retire!
"Then let me tell you..." Songshan started reminiscing.
His mother was an ordinary prostitute in Yoshiwara who died early. To this day, he still doesn't know who his father is, and perhaps even his mother doesn't know.
Two years ago, on the anniversary of his mother's death, Matsuyama went alone to Jingxian Temple near Yoshiwara to pay his respects.
Most of the courtesans of Yoshiwara were buried here after their death.
Only a very small number of people have memorial tablets, while the vast majority of helpless and nameless prostitutes are simply buried on the hill behind Jingxian Temple.
It was on that day that Songshan met Xiangyu who sneaked out of Yuejian Tower.
She deliberately smeared mud on her face to hide it from others, like a dirty little kitten.
"Miss Xiangyu had a sister who was three years older than her, but she was tortured too much during her virginity and died... Xiangyu wanted to set up a memorial tablet for her sister in the temple and ask the abbot to help with the salvation."
When Songshan talked about this past event, a gentle and slightly bitter light emanated from his face.
"She managed to sneak out once, but the abbot was away on business that day, and Miss Xiangyu was almost crying. I helped her make a memorial tablet out of wood and gave her the offerings and incense I had prepared for my mother."
This is how Songshan and Xiangyu became connected.
They chatted for a while in Jingxian Temple, and then Xiangyu hurried back to Yuejian Tower.
Before leaving, she took off a valuable ring from her hand and stuffed it into Songshan's hand, saying it was a thank you gift for his help.
"Ms. Xiangyu has always disliked owing favors to others. Perhaps it's the rules taught by Yuejianlou, or perhaps it's just her nature."
Songshan put the tobacco into the pipe, lit it, took a deep puff, and then exhaled slowly.
He fell in love with Xiangyu at first sight.
But his love is extremely restrained.
Songshan was of low status and had little influence, so he could only send Xiangyu some of his homemade rouge, powder, incense and dried flowers from time to time, hoping to help her on her path to becoming an oiran.
"Miss Xiangyu will serve high-ranking officials in the future. When she becomes an otaku and shines brightly on the brothel, I will be very satisfied just to watch her from afar. In a few years, I will probably find an ordinary woman to marry and have children."
I have no choice.
This is the most common and profound feeling that Tokiho has encountered since coming to Yoshiwara.
Women here live like grass, fighting to the death for money and a meal.
Is it sad? Very sad!
Is it funny? Very funny!
But they had no choice.
Everyone is trapped on the chessboard of fate, like a chess piece at the mercy of others.
If you don't break the invisible cage, you will be trapped in the vortex forever and unable to extricate yourself.
"Go back and tell Miss Xiangyu that I didn't tattoo you well last time, so this time it's a redo and I won't charge you."
Songshan returned the silver bracelet, which still carried his body temperature.
Tokiho grabbed his wrist.
Under Matsuyama's surprised gaze, Shisui firmly said to him: "Don't give up. At least don't give up before you are sure of Xiangyu's feelings!"
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