Zhan Yongwen calmly picked up the copper kettle and made a cup of tea for Huang Wanzhen. "Oh? What's going on?"
"There is a servant in my family who was sold to the 'Fragrant Tea House' in the Eight Great Hutongs. My mother wants me to redeem him. I heard that you intellectuals like to go there to drink tea and listen to music, so I came here specifically to ask what the customs are." Huang Wanzhen finished speaking in one breath, leaving no room for Zhan Yongwen to interrupt.
Zhan Yongwen frowned slightly and asked softly, "Is it the 'Tea House'? If you redeem her, it won't be good to keep her at home. It will affect your reputation."
Huang Wanzhen didn't understand the unspoken rules of this era very well and was always confused. Fortunately, she listened to advice and said, "Oh! Then what should I do? It would be better?"
Zhan Yongwen suggested, "I think since the money has already been sold, you should just leave it alone. If you rush in, the person may not be grateful to you. You will lose money, and the person will have no way to survive if he gets out."
"What do you mean?" Huang Wanzhen asked humbly.
Zhan Yongwen counted on his fingers and analyzed it for her, "If you redeem her, she'll be criticized and criticized. She'll most likely not be able to withstand the world's gaze. Even if she's a capable person and survives, how will she make a living? The best outcome is to find a man to marry, but most men wouldn't accept their wife's background. If she wants to be a concubine, coming from a 'tea house' isn't enough."
Huang Wanzhen pondered for a moment and asked seriously, "How about finding her a job?"
Zhan Yongwen curled his lips exaggeratedly, "How dare I hire her? She can't even get laundry work. Working as a waitress in a tavern like that is worse than staying in a 'tea room'."
Huang Wanzhen clasped her fists in admiration and said, "Thank you for telling me. My mother seemed to want to compensate her..." At this point, Huang Wanzhen thought of Mrs. Huang's character. Although she was conservative and old-fashioned, she had a kind heart.
This made Huang Wanzhen think of herself. If one day she was forced into that situation, she hoped someone would save her.
"Well, is there really no other way? Could you please give me some advice?"
Zhan Yongwen chuckled and crossed his legs. "You could change her household registration, open a shop somewhere where no one knows her, and hire her to work. The whole thing would cost more than her ransom."
Huang Wanzhen smiled helplessly, feeling that Zhan Yongwen was joking. "Editor Zhan, please don't laugh at me. I don't have that kind of ability."
Zhan Yongwen immediately sat up straight, his hands on the table, and said, "Why not? You earn over a hundred yuan in royalties every month now, so opening a grocery store or something like that shouldn't be a piece of cake. It all depends on whether she's worth your time."
"If she doesn't appreciate it, she might even take revenge on you. After all, she was sold from your family."
Zhan Yongwen saw Huang Wanzhen lost in thought and didn't bother her. He sipped his tea contentedly, thinking, "Mr. Huang is so naive! He's actually trying to redeem a prostitute. She's just a servant. If she's gone, he can just buy another. You can buy a person for a dollar or two these days. I heard the Shanghai newspapers are reporting on people selling their daughters for 50 cents. With wars everywhere, people are the cheapest. Why would anyone want to redeem one?"
"Excuse me, Editor Zhan, if you're free to walk with me. I've never been to the Bada Hutongs and I'm not familiar with them." Huang Wanzhen thought of the lively and cheerful Xiuqing of the past and couldn't bring herself to ignore her. But she was a little timid about the Bada Hutongs, mainly because someone had looked at her with lustful eyes when she was looking for a hotel.
The original owner's body was so fragile that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was weak. How could a man who went there all day be any good? Now she was using this body, so she didn't dare take any risks with it.
"Have you thought it through? Do you really want to redeem it?" Zhan Yongwen looked at Huang Wanzhen with some surprise. He didn't expect that after all the effort he made, she still didn't change her original intention.
"Well, I want to ask her. If she doesn't want to come out, then I won't care. But if she wants to come out, I will pay to redeem her." Huang Wanzhen said seriously.
Zhan Yongwen simply stood up and went to get his hat. He could still do this little thing. Mr. Huang was a writer with a bright future. It was worth it to exchange this for a favor!
Zhan Yongwen put on his hat and looked Huang Wanzhen up and down in an exaggerated yet not frivolous manner. "Mr. Huang, if you want to go to the Eight Great Hutongs, you'd better change your clothes. The way you're dressed, you clearly come from an old family. You definitely wouldn't be in that kind of place. Modern ladies in Western-style dresses, on the other hand, would occasionally go there for tea and music."
Huang Wanzhen had bought a dress before, but she didn't want to go back and change it, fearing that Zheng Liushi would see it and cause more trouble. After thinking for a while, she said, "Then I'll go to the foreign store and buy one."
When the two arrived at the Eight Great Hutongs, it was particularly deserted. Although the doors were not closed, there was no one on the street.
Zhan Yongwen walked in front, and Huang Wanzhen followed curiously, "Editor Zhan, why is there no one here?"
Zhan Yongwen took out his pocket watch and looked at it. "What time is it now? I told you, let's go have dinner and watch a play first, and then come back in the evening. Why are you so anxious to come? They are working the night shift and are all asleep now."
Huang Wanzhen pulled the corner of her mouth awkwardly, "Well, I have to go home in the evening. My family is very strict. Sorry, Editor Zhan."
Zhan Yongwen thought of her background and smiled good-naturedly, "It's okay, it's okay, you don't have to be so cautious, modern women are very generous, just go ahead and let go."
At this point, he raised his hand to cover his mouth and whispered, "Some who lose money gambling will become high-class prostitutes. Of course, they keep it secret and won't let their relatives and friends know."
"I'm telling you this to help you improve your writing. Sometimes, readers enjoy including this in your novels." Zhan Yongwen glanced at Huang Wanzhen's expression and saw that she didn't show any disgust. He continued, "Many concubines are like this. Sometimes the mistress can't get pregnant, but the concubine can. Maybe it's not the mistress's fault." Zhan Yongwen made a funny face at Huang Wanzhen, who nodded quickly, "I understand."
"Hey! Our Xinmin Daily is a serious newspaper. When Mr. Huang writes, he shouldn't just blindly copy the story. He can write from the side more cleverly."
Huang Wanzhen continued to nod, "I understand."
Zhan Yongwen smiled happily, held his head high and chest high, and continued walking forward.
The two of them walked one after the other and came to a two-story building. They looked up and saw a corridor on the second floor, similar to a horse racing corridor. Their eyes moved downwards and they saw the facade was designed in European style with an arched doorway. The arch top was equipped with a trapezoidal keystone with the word "fragrance" carved on it. It looked pretty good. If you didn't know, you would have thought it was some kind of elegant palace.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com