He Youyou asked, not understanding, "Where is Cuihua Tower?"
Matthew shook his head and waved his fan: "It's the biggest brothel in the city."
Upon hearing this, He Youyou excitedly slapped her thigh: "Then I have to go!"
Brothels are great places to broaden your horizons.
Butler Qian quickly stopped her, saying, "Madam, you are a woman. How can you go to such a filthy place as a brothel?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuyuan was displeased: "What nonsense are you spouting, you lackey?! Who says brothels are filthy places? They are the favorite haunts of scholars and poets, and fine poems have been born from brothels since ancient times. We refined people certainly cannot miss them."
He Youyou nodded in agreement, saying, "Absolutely right, absolutely right."
Drinking wine and women in brothels in ancient times was like booking a night out at a modern karaoke bar – both were simply business entertainment.
But when she arrived, she was immediately dumbfounded.
Matthew Yuan is really good at this.
The main hall on the first floor of Cuihua Tower is where banquets and parties are held.
He gathered eighteen or nineteen male prostitutes and had them sit together...
Play drinking games.
He Youyou's head was throbbing from looking at it.
Instead of having her play drinking games, you'd be better off having her do some math problems.
He Youyou couldn't help but ask, "I didn't realize Mr. Ma was such a refined person. This thing... you're quite good at it?"
Matthew Yuan chuckled: "Not at all, I'm just a dabbler in this field, merely indulging in a bit of intellectual pursuit."
He Youyou thought he was just being modest, but she didn't expect him to be so ignorant.
This guy blatantly hired a ghostwriter.
A dark-faced boy hurried from the backyard toward the banquet hall.
When Matthew saw him, it was as if he had seen a savior. He waved his hand and patted the seat next to him.
"Ah Li, come quick!"
As he spoke, he explained to He Youyou, "With Ah Li here, I'm sure to win this time."
He Youyou: You won, what am I supposed to do? I don't even know the basics.
Just as she was in despair, she suddenly caught sight of the housekeeper beside her.
"I'm illiterate, so...you go ahead?"
"Okay." Unexpectedly, Butler Qian rubbed his hands together and readily agreed.
His expression even carried a hint of... eagerness?
Matthew Yuan selected one of the dozen or so courtesans to serve as the supervisor.
Holding flags and tallies, they began issuing commands.
With the help of the housekeeper, He Youyou felt much more relaxed and had the leisure to look around.
She saw that the young Ah Li that Ma Xiuyuan had brought had very dark skin, and his facial features were also dull and colorless.
However, he performed exceptionally well during the performance.
He could be described as fluent in his answers and possessing remarkable literary talent.
To her even greater surprise, the housekeeper was equally determined and followed closely behind.
Wow, not bad, this old Qian has some skills.
The courtesan, Ah Li, and Steward Qian, who were all present, were all skilled at composing poetry.
Back and forth, beautiful phrases flowed one after another.
When artistic ideas collide, sparks fly everywhere.
Only He Youyou and Ma Xiuyuan are illiterate.
At first, the two watched with great interest. But after sitting for a while, their interest waned, and they only felt pain in their buttocks.
In the end, seeing that there was nothing more for them to do, the two of them picked up their teacups and went to chat.
"Master Ma, you're not good at writing poetry, so why do you insist on organizing this kind of literary gathering?" He Youyou asked, puzzled.
Not only that, his clothing, appearance, and every move he made were all imitating the literati and scholars.
Matthew Yuan chuckled: "Hehe, you don't understand. It's a trend that's spread from the capital. Everyone in business does this."
"Why is that? Do you think that by indulging in some refined pursuits, you can make your business even more prosperous?" He Youyou asked, puzzled.
Matthew Yuan glared at him: "Of course! Do you know the Cheng family, the richest family in Beijing?"
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