Before Shopkeeper Wu could finish speaking, Ji Xinhe interrupted his endless babbling, "I was also just thinking that time is running out so I came here today with a special intent. I want Guilin Residence, as the largest tavern in Lian’an Town with the greatest flow of customers, to help promote our event. A short time of three days is enough to have the best impact at this place."
Shopkeeper Wu promptly replied, "Whatever you need me to do, just tell me! I’ll announce it to everyone right now, that Hua Man Lou will open in three days and host the Oiran competition!"
Shopkeeper Wu had been itching to say these words for a long time. He rose from his seat, ready to rush outside and make the announcement.
Ji Xinhe chuckled, "Sit down, Shopkeeper Wu. Why are you in such a hurry? Announcing it publicly, although a good idea, is not enough. Do you remember what reputation Hua Man Lou had? It was seen as an insignificant Flower House, and when this almost bankrupt Flower House reopens, who really would take this seriously?"
Shopkeeper Wu looked troubled, "That is indeed a problem."
Then he looked up at Ji Xinhe and laughed, "Why am I worrying about this? You must have a foolproof plan for coming to me today. The greatest benefit of collaborating with you, Ji Xinhe, is that I don’t need to think much."
Ji Xinhe smiled and raised her hand. Shulan promptly delivered a scroll of a painting.
Shopkeeper Wu was stunned while looking at the painting. "Why are you giving me this painting?"
Ji Xinhe smiled, "This is not an ordinary painting, nor is it a gift for Shopkeeper Wu. I just need it to be put up at Guilin Residence for a few days."
Upon her saying this, Shulan and Xiaoyu each held one end of the scroll and slowly unrolled it. The scroll was three meters long and one meter high; it was quite large when fully spread out.
The painting portrayed beautiful women in various postures - some were alluring, some pure, some peaceful, some frosty. All their clothes were unlike anything seen before. These lifelike beauties on the painting were so attractive and diverse that one’s eyes could hardly shift away.
As the painting was revealed, Shopkeeper Wu also became mesmerized. It took him a while before he woke from his astonishment.
"What, what is this?"
Ji Xinhe looked at the diverse beauties in the painting and a hint of a smile graced her lips, "This is the Hundred Beauties painting of Hua Man Lou."
Shopkeeper Wu stared and asked, "These are the girls from Hua Man Lou? I’ve been there before, and it wasn’t like this in the past."
Ji Xinhe lightly laughed, "Can you expect the girls who’ve been trained by me for a month to remain the same as before?"
Shopkeeper Wu excitedly replied, "That’s great! This is really great!"
He thought, if Hua Man Lou doesn’t become popular with all these beauties that he couldn’t even finish looking at, it would truly be against the law of nature!
"I’ve put the girls’ names on this painting. This masterpiece will be hung in the middle of the hall in Guilin Residence so that all guests can see it. If interested, they would naturally come to Hua Man Lou’s Oiran competition in three days." Ji Xinhe laughed. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Ji Xinhe was actually very confident. Although these were just painted images, their innovative and beautiful dresses alone would likely attract many people. After her training, the girls’ disposition had also completely changed.
She had hired the best painters to sketch the girls one by one. They donned the outfits that Ji Xinhe prepared for them to use in the upcoming Oiran competition, their poses highlighting their own unique temperaments. After being carefully painted one after another, they finally resulted in the Hundred Beauties painting.
In a flash, Shopkeeper Wu’s eyes widened, and he pointed at a beauty in the middle of the painting, "I find this beauty quite unfamiliar. Her appearance is stunning, so I should have seen her before."
If there was such a breathtaking beauty in Lian’an Town, surely everyone would’ve known. Could it be that the painter was overdoing it and blindly drew her?
But Ji Xinhe just shook her head with a smile, "Shopkeeper Wu, you should know who she is."
Shopkeeper Wu looked puzzled, but after a closer look, he noticed the name "Ah Lian" beside her.
Shopkeeper Wu furrowed his eyebrows, "This name...why does it sound familiar?"
Ji Xinhe’s voice was clear and lighthearted, with a touch of pride, "Ah Lian, the top courtesan in the capital city for ten consecutive years, whose name is known throughout the country. You recognizing this name is not surprising."
Shopkeeper Wu’s eyes almost bulged out, "You, you, you’re saying she’s ... . . Ah Lian?!"
Ji Xinhe nodded with a smile, "Yes, she is. She is my trump card."
Shopkeeper Wu cried out in surprise, "You were actually able to invite her?! She, she, she really... . . "
"Indeed, she is Ah Lian. When I went to the capital city this time, I met her. She wanted to follow me and wanted to repay my kindness. So she agreed to come here. For her and for me, it’s an opportunity," Ji Xinhe said.
Shopkeeper Wu burst into laughter, "No wonder you didn’t seem worried at all. You even managed to invite Ah Lian! Well, well, well! Hua Man Lou will indeed be the center of an excellent show!"
"Shopkeeper Wu, once you hang this painting in the hall, if any guests inquire about it, I need your help in explaining," Ji Xinhe said. Then she pointed to a line of characters written above the center of the painting, "15th of the eighth month, watch Hua Man Lou’s Hundred Flowers Blooming at the Beauty Contest! The country’s number one courtesan Ah Lian will be present to greet you!"
"When reading this line, people might not believe it, but when you explain it, Shopkeeper Wu, they will. With your many years in business, I should be able to trust your eloquence, right?"
Shopkeeper Wu nodded repeatedly, "Don’t worry, I’ve got this! You’ve arranged everything so well. If I can’t even handle this, wouldn’t I have been living in vain all these years?"
"Thank you then," Ji Xinhe said, smiling.
"Hey, hey! What’s there to thank? Hua Man Lou’s banquet will be run by Guilin Residence, we are on the same boat," Shopkeeper Wu laughed heartily and immediately left with the painting.
It was clear that he couldn’t wait any longer.
Watching Shopkeeper Wu’s hurried figure, Ji Xinhe laughed lightly. Yes, she too, couldn’t wait any longer.
"Let’s go see," Ji Xinhe said as she leisurely stepped out of the private room and stood on the second-floor corridor, where she could see the entire hall below.
Shopkeeper Wu was giving loud commands to his servants to carefully hang the scroll at the most conspicuous place in the hall.
"Hey, hey, hey! Be careful, if you damage it, you’ll be in big trouble! Move it a bit more this way. Yes, yes, yes!"
Shopkeeper Wu’s loud instructions attracted some customers’ attention. They chuckled, "Shopkeeper Wu treasures this so much. Is it the masterpiece of a famous artist?"
Shopkeeper Wu gave a mysterious smile, "Whose masterpiece it is doesn’t matter. What’s important are the people in the painting."
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