Chapter 109: Rewards and Punishments

Liu Liwa quietly returned to Intoxication Pavilion. The business was slow that day. There were only a few guests in the main hall. Four girls were helping them drink. Liu Liwa could hear that the accents of those two guests were from out of town.

The girls on the first floor hid in the waiting room, lazily putting on makeup and chatting. Every room on the second and third floors was shut tight. A crying sound came from under the stairs. Liu Liwa didn’t know which girl had been wronged again. As a leader now, even though he had just been wronged himself and got kicked twice in the by others, he still needed to comfort his employees.

But when he walked over to look, he found it wasn’t a girl crying so bitterly, but Yang Xiaosi, who had also been promoted. That morning after getting promoted, Yang Xiaosi had been all high-spirited and happy. Now, he had black eyes, swollen shoulders, and blood at the corner of his mouth. He was crying more pitifully than a girl just sold to a pleasure house.

Liu Liwa squatted beside him and quickly asked, “Big brother Xi, did you meet a real bully or a real hero?”

Yang Xiaosi didn’t lead such an exciting life. Seeing Liu Liwa was like a wronged child seeing a parent. His tears came faster, crying harder. That was when Liu Liwa noticed. The poor guy had two teeth knocked out on the lower left side. Liu Liwa didn’t know who had done it, but it was too cruel.

“Xiao Qi, no, Brother Xiao Qi, I beg you to help me, save me!” Yang Xiaosi looked at him, tears streaming down, but he kept his voice down to not disturb the guests.

Seeing him so miserable, Liu Liwa was shocked and quickly asked, “How come? Did Intoxication Pavilion start a new business? Do they want you to serve guests?”

Hearing that, Yang Xiaosi cried even harder. He nodded and said, “They really did say that.”

Ah? Liu Liwa turned pale with fear. If even Yang Xiaosi with his looks had to serve guests, then a gentleman like himself might suffer badly too. He blurted out, “What happened exactly?”

Yang Xiaosi laboriously lifted his head, tears flowing. He looked upstairs and said, “It’s all because of those cursed girls. They went out nicely to buy clothes today. Who knew they actually helped Clothing Boutique advertise? Some of the customers who came had family members who were regular visitors at our Intoxication Pavilion. Now it was great. Those ladies wore new clothes. The regular visitors of Intoxication Pavilion all went home to play the game of grabbing clothes and marrying a fairy. You see, if people have what they want for free silver taels, who would come to Intoxication Pavilion? So, Madam said I didn’t watch the girls properly. That’s why Wang Meng beat me up like this.”

Oh, Liu Liwa understood. It was serious breach by their signed performers. They used rights that Intoxication Pavilion had bought out to help other companies make profits. Of course, the management was angry… Oh dear, he accidentally found another similarity between pleasure house girls and later-day artists. He believed there would be more in the future!

But Liu Liwa didn’t expect Intoxication Pavilion to manage so strictly and be so ruthless. The first one punished wasn’t the girls who breached rules, but their leader Yang Xiaosi, who was treated as the main person to blame. This spirit and attitude of holding people responsible was worth spreading.

“What did Madam say?” Liu Liwa asked cautiously.

“What could I say after being beaten like this?” Yang Xiaosi sobbed and cried. “I get no salary for half a year. The girls each got a fifty silver tael fine. They were grounded for three days and must not serve guests. Not just them. Even Shen Zuijin, Miss Shen Da, got scolded and was forbidden from eating tonight.”

Huo, it sounded severe. But Liu Liwa still shook his head. This tradition must not be kept. The way this punishment looked was good. But the most unlucky one was the supervisor Yang Xiaosi. Only he had no value, like a scapegoat. In later times, he would have been a ‘temporary worker.’ The girls still had value, so they just got symbolic fines. As for Shen Zuijin, it was all for show, an internal punishment.

“Xiao Qi, Brother Xiao Qi, I beg you. Please don’t help the first-floor girls come up with any new tricks.” Yang Xiaosi sobbed. “You have ability and talent. Since the first-floor girls followed you, business got better and better. The second-floor girls naturally became jealous and envious. They tried to copy and follow blindly. If something like that happened again, my little life would be over.”

In any group, the worst thing is jealousy inside. Competing with each other leads to messy management and people losing focus. They needed to strengthen political study and clarify views on life, values, and development…

Liu Liwa wanted to give Yang Xiaosi a little talk about development and life views. But seeing his state, Yang Xiaosi probably wouldn’t listen. Liu Liwa had built his start on these tricks. When the girls made money, he got unofficial income. Guests had fun too. It was a win-win situation. Of course, it affected the income of the medium-priced second-floor girls. But if some people get rich first, others have to…

Seeing Yang Xiaosi covered in injuries, speaking with a whistle, Liu Liwa really felt bad. After all, Yang Xiaosi had been good to him, giving him blankets and sending him mutton. “Alright big brother Xi, you said it. As your brother, I’ll do as you ask.”

Yang Xiaosi thanked him tearfully. Actually, he hadn’t asked Liu Liwa to do those messy tricks. Liu Liwa had liked the taste and acted on his own. Not doing it now just meant going back to how things were. Nobody lost anything. Also, Liu Liwa had been showing off too much lately, slowly getting pulled into a scary vortex. He had never expected that. So, no matter where a person is, they should keep a low profile.

But some people can’t stay low once they stick out and show their edge. Like Liu Liwa. He had just calmed Yang Xiaosi and wanted to honestly do his headwaiter job. He planned to chat with bored girls to pass the time. Suddenly, he heard a broken voice say, “I, I want, I want a girl…”

Liu Liwa gave a bitter smile. It sounded like singing an old classic. He followed the sound. A drunk man stood outside the door. He carried a wine jug, hair messy, clothes torn and shabby. He stumbled around in front of Intoxication Pavilion. The servant at the door saw his look and was about to shoo him away. Liu Liwa hurried over and waved off the servant. He went out personally and said loudly, “Who are you, drunkard, coming here for a bargain? Want a girl? Go home and find neighbor Widow Zhang, Widow Wang, Widow Li, and Widow Zhao near Widow Village…”

The servant behind Liu Liwa broke out in a cold sweat. This drunk must be a bachelor living in Widow Village.

The drunk caught Liu Liwa pulling him and pushed himself onto him. He said, “I don’t want widows. I want a girl, a girl beautiful as a fairy, charming as a fox…”