Zhilan pushed open the door, and Ning Yao stepped in. The five people inside looked up at the doorway.
Seeing that there were three women, the five of them breathed a slight sigh of relief.
But Tingyun stood up warily and asked, "Who are you?"
Ning Yao sized up the five people and said after a while, "As expected of Pinglan Tower, the girls are all so beautiful and charming!"
Each of the five people has their own unique characteristics.
The eldest sister, Ruoxiang, has a striking appearance with bright red lips, but her personality is the opposite of her looks; she has a bit of a silly beauty vibe.
The second sister, Yue Die, has a cool and aloof demeanor, just like her name suggests, like a butterfly born under the moon.
The third daughter, Qinya, is a girl from a modest family, gentle and quiet, with the air of a woman from the Jiangnan water towns.
The fourth brother, Tingyun, was calm and composed. His skin was not as fair as the other four, but it had a unique charm, and he resembled Ning Yao from her previous life.
The fifth sister, Xiang Ning, has a sweet and lovely appearance, like the girl next door.
As Ning Yao sized them up, they were also sizing up Ning Yao and her group.
The three women who entered, Ning Yao and her companions, were all quite attractive. Ning Yao, in particular, exuded an air of nobility that made them feel uneasy.
At the same time, Ning Yao walked to the seat of honor and sat down, with Zhi Lan and Hua Yan standing behind her.
Zhilan said, "Didn't you just ask about the new master's family? Let me introduce you. This is my young lady, your new master's family."
The five men looked at each other in bewilderment. A young woman running a brothel? Were they joking?
Tingyun stepped forward and said, "Miss, you must have come to the wrong place. This is not a place for a respectable woman like you to come to."
Tingyun spoke cryptically, but everyone understood.
Ning Yao smiled and looked directly at her, asking, "What's your name?"
Tingyun was taken aback, and subconsciously said, "My name is Tingyun."
Ning Yao nodded: "Tingyun, a good name. I am indeed your new master. The shops and properties in this city, as well as the manor outside the city, all belong to my family now. My surname is Ning, and I am the third child in my family."
Ning Yao named several properties, and Ting Yun was surprised to learn that they all belonged to the previous owner's family.
She began to believe Ning Yao's words.
Ning Yao didn't make things difficult for them and had Zhilan bring out the contract for them to read.
After a long while, the five looked at each other, and all of them saw surprise in their eyes.
Led by Tingyun, the five women knelt down in unison: "These servants greet the Third Miss!"
Ning Yao raised her hand: "Get up, everyone sit down, don't be shy. My family and I only arrived a few days ago, and we've come to the city for a stroll today."
"Seeing that one of my properties was a brothel, I came to take a look."
After the explanation, Tingyun and the others relaxed their guard and said respectfully, "Miss, you are a young lady from a respectable family. It is probably not appropriate for you to come to such a place. If you have any arrangements, you can simply send someone to let us know."
Ning Yao chuckled lightly: "You are quite honest. But don't worry, from today onwards, Pinglan Tower will still be Pinglan Tower, but I will use it for something else. As for you, if you do not wish to stay, I will restore your freedom and give each of you ten taels of silver and twenty catties of dry rations."
Tingyun and the others did not reply immediately, and Ning Yao was not in a hurry.
"Third Miss, may my sisters and I discuss this before making a decision?"
Ning Yao agreed.
The five members of Tingyun didn't hide anything from Ning Yao and started discussing it directly.
The issue boils down to whether to stay or leave, and whether to keep the silver and provisions.
At this critical juncture, everyone would prioritize food, because that's what keeps them alive.
Listening to their discussion, Ning Yao found it quite interesting.
It seems they only want the girl named Xiang Ning to leave, while the remaining four have the option to stay at Pinglan Tower.
Ning Yao found the girl named Xiang Ning in the crowd. Her chubby face was full of anxiety, and she was pouting as if she was about to cry.
Despite appearing to be the oldest and being addressed as "Big Sister," Ruoxiang was always asking the others for advice on everything.
After a while, the group finished their discussion.
"Third Miss, my sisters and I are all willing to stay. Please let Xiangning leave."
Xiang Ning remained silent with red eyes, clearly unwilling, having been scolded by her older sisters and forced to compromise.
Ning Yao nodded, respecting their choice.
“Okay, Zhilan, prepare ten taels of silver and twenty catties of grain, give them to Xiangning, and then send her out.”
Zhilan did as she was told: "Please, Miss Xiangning."
Xiang Ning reluctantly accepted the gifts and left the Pinglan Tower, looking back every few steps.
The gate closed again, leaving only Tingyun and the other three.
"We will obey the Third Miss's orders."
Ning Yao stood up, looked around, and then said, "Don't rush, show me around this Pinglan Tower first."
The Tingyun sisters couldn't figure out Ning Yao's thoughts, so they could only obey.
"Third Miss, please come with me."
Hua Yan was one step ahead of the crowd, curiously observing the railing tower.
Ning Yao asked questions, and the others took turns answering, so she quickly figured out the general situation of Pinglan Tower.
The four sisters, including Tingyun, had their own memories of being in this Pinglan Tower.
At first, she only did odd jobs like sweeping and cleaning. As she got older, it was only natural that she started to show her face in public and begin to entertain customers.
In their minds, as long as they were in this boudoir, there was nothing wrong with using their looks to please others; it was just a matter of time.
Ning Yao felt a chill run down her spine. Whether one acted voluntarily or passively, there were reasons to blame, but ignorance was the most terrifying thing.
Some people love money and choose this path willingly; others are forced onto this path and do not have a good end.
Those whose minds have been eroded and who genuinely believe that this matter is wrong are the most tragic.
"If that's the case, why let Xiang Ning leave?" Ning Yao asked.
Yuedie adjusted the butterfly hairpin in her hair and said casually, "How could we not understand? Everyone who can thrive in this place is a shrewd person. Even if we didn't know we were wrong at first, we all know now."
She chuckled to herself, "Even if I knew, it would be too late."
“Xiang Ning is different. She was raised by us. It’s better for her to be clean and pure.”
Ning Yao understood what she meant. Xiang Ning embodied their hopes and was a reflection of themselves.
"Second sister, you should say less in front of the master," Tingyun said, trying to stop her.
Yuedie smiled slightly, her beauty captivating: "This servant understands."
"It's nothing, just say what you have to say. I'd like to hear your opinions on Pinglan Tower so we can prepare for its future reconstruction."
The four sisters paused, wondering if they were going to rebuild the railing pavilion.
Tingyun asked calmly, "What does Third Miss mean?"
Ning Yao brushed past the second-floor railing and looked down. Below was the very spot where they had just been sitting.
"Besides using their beauty to please men, what other merits do the women leaning on the railings have?"
Ruo Xiang and the others were momentarily stunned. They knew that they could only earn money by using their looks to please men, and they didn't know any other ways to earn money.
Yuedie, however, had a different idea. She asked, "Does being able to play the zither and being skilled in dance count?"
Ning Yao nodded approvingly: "Of course it counts."
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