Encountering Rain at West Lake

At night, the wind howled. As one walked along the second-floor corridor connecting the Golden Phoenix Brothel and the inner courtyard, one could hear the sound of a woman shouting abuse.
"You heartless wretch! You ingrate—"

The voice was shouting at the top of her lungs, sounding like Yang Mama, the owner of the Golden Phoenix Brothel. However, Yang Mama was in her forties, and although she was past her prime, she usually dressed and carried herself well. It was hard to imagine that elegant and refined woman screaming like this, disregarding her image. Xi Junyu, hearing this, stopped with interest. Then, a counter-argument rang out, also from a woman, with a voice full of vigor and pleasing to the ear.

"You insatiable woman! You leech—"

The Golden Phoenix Brothel was structured with an outer layer and an inner layer, the inner building connected to the outer one. The inner building then led to the inner courtyard. All levels were open for business, but Xi Junyu often preferred to entertain guests in the outer building. There wasn't really a difference in class, it was all a matter of preference. At this moment, he stood before the corridor listening to the words inside. Someone smashed something, probably Yang Mama.

"You're cheap! A young mistress's life…it was supposed to be a young mistress's life…you're cheap…"

"What about being a young mistress, I don't care!"

"You're cheap—"

It was sweltering at noon, and the sky looked a little off. As evening approached, the wind began to blow. It looked like it would pour tonight. Business at the Golden Phoenix Brothel wasn't exactly booming. A woman hurried out from that side, and upon seeing him, she gave him a light bow, smiling: "Young Master Xi." He had met her before. "Entertaining guests today?"

"Yes, outside, in the Chunxiao room. It's almost over," Xi Junyu nodded. "What's going on inside?"

The woman hesitated slightly: "Mama is angry, sigh, this matter…"

She trailed off, seemingly reluctant to continue. Xi Junyu didn't intend to press the issue. Then, the voice of a Su family shopkeeper came from behind: "Junyu, what's wrong? What took you so long?" He turned around and said: "Coming." Then, he turned to say goodbye to the woman.

Today, he was entertaining guests here with the shopkeeper. It was almost over. He had just gone to the restroom. Now that he was back, the parties were already saying their goodbyes. The shopkeeper led them away, and he only saw them to the door before returning to settle the bill and clean up. Having nothing else to do, he dismissed the other women who had been accompanying him, only keeping one with whom he was familiar, asking her to play some simple tunes in the room. He then sat there eating and thinking.

He sat by the window. Although the window was closed, the soothing music was mixed with the loud voices coming from inside, serving as an interesting counterpoint.

"If some young master, some wealthy man, redeems you, I won't say a word, I'll even give you a dowry. But you're just being cheap now—"

"I'm being cheap with my own life! Is the money for redemption not enough or what!"

"I don't care about your little money! Without me, without the Golden Phoenix Brothel! You want money? Where does the money come from—"

"You just want me to keep working here, keep making money for you! You just want me to never be able to leave—"

"Bullshit! You ingrate! Bullshit…Ask yourself! Go ask yourself! When have I, Yang Xiuhong, ever not happily and willingly sent someone off to be married! Sisi, Xiaoyu, Lihong, Baiduoer, Pan Shi… Even Baiduoer I matched them up with! Which of them wasn't a top courtesan in the brothel! They found a good home, and every time I happily sent them off with a dowry! But what are you going to do now…"

"I! Li! Ke!" ("I like it!")

"You're blinded by lard! You're just exposing yourself after being redeemed. So what's the point of redeeming yourself! I knew I shouldn't have been kind. That Nie… She used to be from an official's family, her head full of impractical ideas…I shouldn't have been kind and let her work here. She doesn't understand the world, and you don't understand either? What was your background before! You're blinded by lard…"

"I'm fine with being blinded by lard, even blinded by lard I still want to do this…"

"I won't let you! So what if I won't let you!"

"…"

"…That Member Chen, Young Master Tie, and that Master Zheng, which one isn't good? It's not like I'm making you marry an old man. If you want money, become a young mistress, then go and be one! Who I don't want you to marry? Oh, they don't like them, Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi, great talents, right? A little less money, but they're still from wealthy families. If they become officials in the future… A young mistress's life! Who you marry isn't marriage! Are you really not going to marry anyone in the future? See if anyone will want you if you go and sell those eggs. Embarrassing! Embarrassing! In the future, they'll all say the daughter Yang Xiuhong raised is a freak! With a weird personality—"

The two were arguing loudly in the room. When Yang Mama got to the point of anger, she was crying in anger. Xi Junyu found it interesting. She said Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi… Was it possible that the one leaving was Yuan Jin'er? This woman was one of the four top courtesans in the last two beauty contests, but who would have thought that she would want to redeem herself after only two months? A losing business. No wonder Yang Mama was so angry. And it sounded like she wasn't going to get married, but wanted to redeem herself… Was she starting her own business? It didn't seem like it…

With Xi Junyu's status, if he wanted to support such a top courtesan, it wasn't impossible, but it would indeed be a big expense. Therefore, although he had been to the Golden Phoenix Brothel many times, he didn't have much contact with Yuan Jin'er. He had only seen her perform a few times in public. She was always lively and animated, but who would have thought that she would be so fierce when arguing, not giving in to Yang Mama at all.

"Anyway, the money is here! If you think it's not enough, just say it, I'll just take it all out and give it to you…"

"What's so good about exposing yourself outside, still exposing yourself to those people? At least it's talented scholars now!"

"The head and face are my own!"

"It'll be for a lifetime! No man will want you!"

"I don't want a man either!"

Yang Mama was so angry that her voice became hoarse.

"…Even if you went out and started your own business, I wouldn't be so angry… At least there's still a young mistress's life, at least there's still a young mistress's life…"

Yuan Jin'er stubbornly remained silent.

"…What are you dissatisfied with! What are you dissatisfied with! You came to the brothel, I helped you become a top courtesan, made you famous. You know people that others can't even dream of knowing: talented scholars, high officials, famous people, wealthy landlords. I let you be willful, didn't make you open your legs to customers. You didn't like it, so I didn't let those people touch you… Now you're blinded by lard, you want to walk on a dead end path. What are you dissatisfied with… Selling smiles, exposing yourself… That's a woman's fate! Rely on yourself, what a joke! Can you rely on yourself for a lifetime? Being a young mistress is the best, something others can't even ask for! What good fortune you've accumulated! You don't like it? Then go die and be reborn as a man in the next life… That's a woman's fate! It's all a woman's fate! You're cheap—"

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A few "pat pat pat" sounds rang out on the roof. The next moment, a downpour arrived, enveloping the entire city. The sounds became unclear. He vaguely heard Yuan Jin'er shouting: "Then just beat me to death…"

Xi Junyu pushed open the window. Because the eaves above extended far out, the heavy rain didn't blow into the room. Looking out from here, in the inner layer of the Golden Phoenix Brothel, on the second floor facing the Qinhuai River, figures flickered. Two women's shadows were arguing. The scattered arguing sounds carried over with the wind and rain, but he couldn't hear them all. He could only vaguely make out who the figures arguing fiercely belonged to. At one point, probably Yuan Jin'er's figure walked towards the window and directly pushed open the two windows facing the river. The candlelight in the room flickered.

"Jump! Jump into the river and be done with it! I'll just pretend I never raised you as a daughter—"

Amidst Yang Xiuhong's shouting, Xi Junyu saw that figure by the window climb up without saying a word, then half her body stretched out from the rain in his field of vision, leaping down with a "thump," plunging into the Qinhuai River below, which was beginning to churn in the downpour.

"Ha!" Xi Junyu laughed. Who would have thought there would be such a woman in this day and age.

"Miss—" A shout faintly came from the building. Another woman went to the window, probably Yuan Jin'er's maid. Yang Mama also shouted: "Shout until you die! Shout until you die! It would be best if she died… Her swimming skills are so good! A turtle would drown before she does! Bastard! Ingrate—"

"Miss…"

"Take it! Take it! Take your miss's things… Here, the contract of indenture, yours, your miss's… Get out! All of you, get out!"

Yang Mama was throwing things again. The maid knelt on the ground and kowtowed a few times, then picked up the things, shouting "Miss" and running out.

"Call Master Chen! Get on a boat and follow her! Fish that death-seeking woman out for me! Don't let people say I, Yang Xiuhong, forced someone to die!"

In the heavy rain, one side of the Golden Phoenix Brothel became lively. Xi Junyu watched this scene and laughed for a long time upstairs. Soon after, he went out from the room, preparing to leave. On the corridor, he ran into some acquaintances: the eldest young master of the Wu family, Wu Qilong, and the second young master, Wu Qihao. Seeing them, Xi Junyu stood to the side of the corridor to let them pass. The two looked pleasantly surprised.

"Haha, Shopkeeper Xi, what a coincidence! You're also at the Golden Phoenix Brothel today. Do you have some social engagements?"

"I was just entertaining Shopkeeper Yu of Siqing Workshop. Shopkeeper Yu has already left."

"Oh, we have nothing important to do anyway. Why don't you come and chat with us? It's fate that we met."

Xi Junyu smiled and shook his head, then politely declined: "Thank you for your kindness, but Junyu still has some things to take care of. I won't disturb you. Next time, next time…" The two Wu family members were known for their enthusiasm and respect for talent. Wu Qilong had always admired Xi Junyu. The two sides talked for a while. Finally, the two Wu brothers smilingly said goodbye with regret. Xi Junyu waited for them to pass before turning and walking towards the outside of the building.

Such heavy rain today was unfavorable for travel. Counting the days, Xiaochuan's father was only buried today. Ning Yi…would probably be back tomorrow night. As for here, the Siqing Workshop affair was almost over. He should report the situation…

He stood at the door, looking at the astonishing rain. The follower brought the carriage over: "Shopkeeper Xi, where to next?"

"Back to…" He thought for a moment, "The Su Manor."

The carriage clattered into the curtain of rain, heading towards the Su Manor along the still brightly lit street. Not long after, another carriage belonging to the Su Manor drove through the rain curtain on the street by the river not far away, heading this way. Dongzhu, wearing a raincoat, was driving. They had finally returned to Jiangning at night.

The night life of the Wu Dynasty was relatively rich. The city usually didn't close its gates at night, or closed them very late. But recently, refugees had gathered outside, and Ning Yi was worried that the city gates would close early at night. On the way back, he also saw the gloomy sky. Fortunately, the heavy rain only started after they entered the city gates. He called Guardian Geng into the carriage, then took a raincoat and put it on Dongzhu, who was driving. As they passed by here, he faintly heard someone shouting: "Miss…"

He lifted a corner of the side curtain and looked out. There were many buildings near the Qinhuai River, mostly brothels, with lanterns illuminating under the eaves. Although there were people in the buildings, there were no pedestrians on the street. As he lifted the curtain to look, a woman seemed to be climbing up from the bluestone steps between two wooden buildings by the river. Her maid had a small bundle beside her.

This woman didn't know why she had fallen into the river. Because it had just started raining, the Qinhuai River was also rolling in waves at night, which was quite dangerous. It was rare that she could still climb up, still looking like she had plenty of energy. However, the woman was wearing thin clothes when she fell in, and her whole body was soaked at this time. Her clothes were clinging to her curvy body, almost becoming transparent. Her legs were beautiful and slender. One of the embroidered shoes on her feet had probably fallen into the water, and her slender feet were bare. Standing in the heavy rain at this time, this scene was really tempting.

Some people across the street or on the nearby buildings probably saw it unintentionally. Dongzhu, who was driving the carriage, was probably also looking. The woman reached out and wiped her face, then noticed this, looked down at herself, then frowned and looked up: "Haven't you seen a woman before…"

These words seemed to be scolded out quite fiercely, but she was rather guilty, and her voice wasn't loud. After saying these words, she turned around and jumped back into the river with a "plop," and in the blink of an eye, she had swam far away in the waves.

"Miss, miss…" The maid followed her along the roadside, chasing along the riverbank…

"Tsk tsk." A hot girl…

Ning Yi sighed in his heart. He vaguely felt like he had seen that woman somewhere, but his impression was a little off. Maybe he had seen a similar scene in a movie star before. Thinking like this, Xiaochuan also leaned over: "Master-in-law, what are you looking at?"

"Hehe, nothing."

"I don't believe you," Xiaochuan shook her head.

"…Dongzhu should have seen it too, go ask Dongzhu."

"Uh?" Xiaochuan was puzzled for a moment, then lifted the front curtain: "Brother Dongzhu, Brother Dongzhu, what did you see just now?"

"Wh-what?" Dongzhu was stunned for a moment, then became embarrassed: "N-nothing, I didn't see anything, I didn't see anything…"

"Huh?"

Ning Yi laughed in the carriage. Xiaochuan looked at Dongzhu in front of her with confusion, then looked at Ning Yi in the carriage, then sullenly returned to her seat: "Bullying people…"

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I wanted to update three chapters in a row to see how it went, but it's still only two chapters in the morning. But these two chapters are also 8,000 words. Asking for monthly votes!!! (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log in, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
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