Chapter 49: Eighteen Beats of the Hujia
In front of Yuanchun Tower, the vermilion gate looks bright and dazzling in the early morning sun. The door is inlaid with golden door nails, shining with metallic luster.
Because it was daytime, there were few prostitutes in the building. The prostitutes stood listlessly at the door, waving their handkerchiefs to solicit customers.
Just when they were half asleep, a fair and delicate young man walked straight in at the door. Their eyes lit up instantly, but when the "young man" started talking, the brightness in their eyes suddenly dimmed.
The "young master" was seen wearing a water-green robe made of fine material, with his long hair tied up high, revealing his smooth forehead. His eyebrows were drawn slantingly into his temples, and his eyes were bright as stars under his eyebrows.
"Sir, are you here to listen to some music, or to meet some girl?" The fake mother who was still at the door locked onto Chen Qing with her discerning eyes.
Seeing that she was born with delicate skin and tender flesh, and had an elegant temperament, and even her robe was made of precious materials, the fake mother immediately realized that she was a rich girl made of gold and jade, and hurriedly put on a smile to greet her.
Facing the enthusiastic fake mother, Chen Qing asked, "Listen to the music, is there any young lady in your building who can sing "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia"?"
When she got closer, the fake mother discovered the mystery of Chen Qing.
Although from a distance, she truly looked like a young man of fourteen or fifteen, with a flat Adam's apple and a clear, melodious voice, her fake mother had lived in the building for many years, having experienced the vicissitudes of life. With her discerning eyes, she instantly saw through the girl's identity hidden beneath the Hu robe.
She immediately looked embarrassed and lowered her voice and said, "My little lady, this is not the place for you to make trouble. Go home quickly!" What if Qi Ye Niang was someone in Chang'an who could not be offended, and she happened to know that her daughter had come to her Yuanchun Tower to make trouble, she would definitely turn her building upside down.
Chen Qingyan smiled and said, "Don't worry, my fake mother. My parents went to Youzhou for something, and I'm really bored staying at home alone. I can't help but miss the song "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia" that my mother invited the singers to sing in the mansion a few years ago. Now I came here just to try my luck and see if there is any woman who can sing this song."
After saying that, she hooked her fingers, and a string of gold beads was taken off from her wrist and stuffed into the fake mother's hand.
Father had made many military achievements in the early years, and the rewards from the saints were piled into the family treasury like water. Father's mother never liked extravagance. Over the years, the gold, silver and treasures in the treasury were piled up like a mountain. Chen Qing casually found some small items that could be spent but were not conspicuous in the treasury and took them out. Now that he had "squandered" like this, he didn't feel too bad about it.
The fake mother held the golden beads in her hands. She saw that each bead was round and smooth, with extremely delicate lines engraved on the surface. She immediately realized that this was a valuable item. Even if she couldn't sell it, it would be a pleasing thing to carry with her.
It was rare for a guest to be so generous upon arrival. My fake mother was very fond of the golden beads, and her heart suddenly wavered. "This..."
She walked into Yuanchun Tower, and her fake mother had no choice but to accept the golden beads and follow her in.
"Don't worry, I came here just to book a room and listen to some music. If I'm happy, you'll definitely get some benefits."
She stuffed another bag of things into the fake mother's hand. The fake mother held the brocade bag and felt that the heavy feel was not right. She widened her eyes slightly and untied the bag. She saw stacks of silver cakes inside, the luster was dazzling.
Some people rushed to open their purses, spending money and silver, and it was easy to serve them. It was just to listen to a song, so what was wrong with that?
The fake mother's face was so bright with smile that even the fine lines around her eyes became smoother. "Yes! Of course! But this 'Eighteen Beats of the Huqie' is an old piece from more than ten years ago. The girls who can sing it are probably a bit old. Why don't you listen to something else, young master?"
To put it bluntly, "Eighteen Beats of the Huqie" is an old song from the past and has lost its popularity. Girls nowadays are unwilling to waste time learning something outdated. The top girls who could sing this song back then are already old and ugly, and are not as young as the new batch of girls today. Even their prices are not satisfactory.
A generous "silly young man" has finally come tonight, why not send those young, beautiful and expensive girls forward?
Chen Qing obviously saw through the calculations behind her fake mother's eyes and just smiled faintly and said, "It doesn't matter if it's a young lady or a middle-aged lady, I'm here to listen to the music, not for anything else. Just line up all the ladies who can sing "Eighteen Beats of the Hujia Opera" for me. I want to hear which one sings the most to my liking."
Finally, without caring about her fake mother's surprised look, she waved her hand and added, "I just hope that she gets as old as possible. After all, she will be more skilled and charming when singing."
Listening to the music was fake, but gathering information was real. Liu Wanxiu was sixteen this year. In the memories of that time in the world, Liu Wanxiu was only about five years old. At that time, it was unknown whether the Happy Funeral Demon was alive or dead. But judging by her madness and the hidden meaning in her words, Shen Qing guessed that even if she was not dead, she was not far away.
Now just ask about what happened ten years ago.
She generously booked a superior room and waited quietly for her fake mother to bring someone up.
While waiting, Chen Qing pushed open the window with some boredom. When she looked further away, she was surprised to find that the direction of this house was facing the water, and the water of Huachun Pond was downstairs.
The lotus leaves in the lake are round and the lotus flowers are blooming luxuriantly. When the breeze blows, the green leaves and pink lotus flowers sway on the lake surface, which really reflects the momentum of "the lotus flowers lifted by the wind".
There are many ripe lotus pods mixed in, which reminds Chen Qing of the lotus seeds that his mother peeled every year at the end of midsummer.
The peeled lotus seeds are plump, smooth and delicate, just like white jade. Take a bite and you will find the taste is soft and glutinous with a hint of sweetness, which makes you want to eat it.
Thinking of this, Shen Qing suddenly became greedy.
She thought that after a few days, while the lotus pickers hadn't come yet, she would go boating on the lake and experience the joy of picking lotus pods. In the past, her mother had always taken the trouble to peel the lotus seeds for her, but this year, she would peel the lotus seeds for her herself and eat them.
Just as the thought came to an end, two women dressed in fancy clothes came in one after another, led by the fake mother. They stood in a row in the room, bowed to Chen Qing who was standing by the window and said, "Your servant greets the young master." Their voices were as clear and melodious as always, which made people feel melted.
The fake mother smiled and said, "Sir, the girls are here for you. Please enjoy them. If there is a girl you are not satisfied with, just tell me and I will punish her!"
Chen Qing asked with some confusion: "Why are there only two girls?"
The fake mother said with an embarrassed look on her face, "Young Master, you don't know, there are very few girls in this building who can sing 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia Opera'. Over the years, some girls have been redeemed, some have fallen ill, and now, after all, there are only two girls who can sing well."
"Well, go out." Chen Qing waved his hand in disappointment.
"Okay!" The fake mother stepped out and closed the door for her with a considerate look on her face.
Shen Qing took a sip of tea and observed the two people in front of him calmly.
The two of them had their own beauty and charm. Although they were not as lively as the teenage girl in the building, they were not too old either, only about thirty years old.
Perhaps because their fake mother had given instructions in advance, they restrained themselves and stood aside in an orderly manner, not doing anything out of the ordinary.
The purple-robed woman in the lead was the first to hold her zither and bow: "My name is Shancha, and I am honored to meet you, sir."
Next came the woman in green: "My name is Haitang, and I am honored to meet you, sir."
The two of them reported their names one by one. Chen Qing asked in surprise, "Are you all named after flowers?"
The woman named Shancha clearly had the more say of the two. She took a step forward, harping on her zither, and said softly, "That's right."
"But there are so many girls in the building, more people than flowers. What will you do when the flowers run out?"
Shancha pursed her lips and said, "My lord, you may not know that the girls in this building are not named just after flowers. They are named after scenery and objects as well. It just happened that we happened to be there at that time, so we were lucky enough to get a satisfactory name."
Chen Qing nodded lightly, and said with a smile: "Then let's start with Haitang. Sing this "Eighteen Beats of the Huqie" well. If you sing well, there will be a reward."
Haitang was stunned when her name was called. She thought Shen Qing and Shancha were chatting happily and would ask her to start singing first, but she didn't expect that she would be the one to start.
Haitang frowned and lowered her brows, immediately placed the zither on the table, and played the piano casually. In a flash, two graceful notes came out. As the tunes gradually became more numerous, she also began to sing.
The timbre is like the gurgling of water, crisp and lively. The melody in the mouth is sometimes like a gentle breeze, sometimes like a sudden rain, with a hint of melancholy and sadness.
However, the song is already sad and paired with an overly crisp voice. Even if it is sung beautifully, it inevitably lacks some charm.
Chen Qing waved his hand and called Shan Cha, who was the leader and the oldest one.
Shancha walked over and said, "Sir."
Chen Qing's eyes curved as she said, "Sister, you don't have to be polite with me. We can just chat like ordinary sisters in the pavilion."
Shancha looked up when she heard that, with shock in her eyes.
Perhaps he was surprised that Chen Qing had so openly exposed her identity as a girl in front of him. Although most of the girls who had been in the building for a few years could tell her identity at a glance, it was rare to see someone so straightforward and kind as to reveal her identity to a prostitute.
Chen Qing politely held her elbow and led her to sit down, "This zither is heavy to hold, sister, please put it down."
After hearing this, Shancha's impression of her improved a little.
The person in front of him seemed to be a young lady who was raised to be innocent and noble, and she came to the legendary Yuanchun Tower only out of curiosity.
Shancha's tone softened a bit, and she lowered her eyebrows and said, "Thank you, sir."
She held her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling with a lively light as she said, "I don't know how old you are, but you look so familiar to me, just like the singer my father invited to sing at our house ten years ago."
She continued, "I still remember ten years ago when I was bedridden. I was confined to my room every day, drinking bitter medicine and unable to get out of bed. My father felt sorry for me, so he invited a singer to come to our house to sing songs to relieve my boredom. She was also a kind and gentle sister. Seeing that I was bored and my mother was busy, she stayed with me for a few days and sang songs for me every day."
"Later, when I grew tired of the overly righteous music, that sister secretly sang 'Eighteen Beats of the Hujia' for me. She then gave me the amulet her mother had asked for, and brought me little trinkets and snacks. She treated me very well. Eventually, my illness was truly healed, but I could never find that sister again. I only heard from my mother that she was a singer hired by Yuanchun Tower."
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