Chapter 137: The News Broadcast Ends

Liu Liwa sat up straight, looking serious, speaking in a deep voice. The girls had never seen this kind of speech before and didn’t know what “Girls Listen to the World” meant, so they all listened attentively. Liu Liwa glanced at the draft paper beside him and began the broadcast: “Welcome to ‘Girls Listen to the World.’ Today’s main topics are as follows. Madam Wu Liniang warmly met with Shopkeeper Wang of the ‘General Store’ at a small teahouse on North Street. In a friendly and harmonious atmosphere, the two held a cordial conversation. Wu Liniang highly praised Shopkeeper Wang for his responsible business philosophy and thanked him for providing Intoxication Pavilion with low-priced, high-quality cotton-padded clothes and quilts year after year.

It is because of Wu Liniang’s dedication and hands-on efforts that everyone in Intoxication Pavilion has cotton-padded clothes and quilts to use each year. Outside, it may be freezing cold and covered in snow, but inside Intoxication Pavilion, it feels like spring all year round.

The chief manager, Shen Zuijin, visited the ‘Everyday Black Coal Shop’ on East Street today and was warmly received by the shopkeeper, Xiao Erhei. Xiao Erhei highly praised the relationship between Intoxication Pavilion and the ‘Everyday Black Coal Shop’ and strongly condemned the ‘White Plus Black Coal Shop’ for their poor practice of not delivering coal and charcoal promptly after winter began.

Chief Manager Shen Zuijin has been working tirelessly and making quiet contributions to ensure Intoxication Pavilion’s heating during winter.”

“Miss, what nonsense is he talking?” Behind the crack in the upstairs door, Shen Zuijin asked, utterly confused, to Wu Liniang, who was holding back laughter beside her.

Wu Liniang laughed so hard she shook, tears streaming down her face, and she put her hands on her hips, saying, “Don’t worry about it for now; keep watching.”

Downstairs, the girls started off puzzled and confused, but now they gradually understood. In the past, they never paid attention to the benefits Intoxication Pavilion provided them; they only resented that most of their hard-earned money was taken from them every month. Hearing Liu Liwa’s words made them realize that every winter, they had cotton-padded clothes and quilts to keep them warm. In the hallways outside their rooms, there were multiple charcoal stoves for heating, with someone specially assigned to guard them to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. It was just as Liu Liwa said: every year when it was bitterly cold outside, Intoxication Pavilion remained warm like spring. It turned out that all of this was because of the seemingly harsh Wu Liniang and Shen Zuijin working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Liu Liwa carefully observed the girls’ expressions. It seemed the first segment of the news, ‘The Leaders Are Very Busy,’ had achieved its intended effect. Now it was time to move into the second stage: ‘People’s Lives Are Very Happy.’

“Today, Miss Xiuzhu and Young Master Wang Erdao held a grand and solemn wedding outside Intoxication Pavilion. The groom, Wang Erdao, defied societal prejudices and broke free from feudal constraints, bravely pursuing the girl he loved. Miss Xiuzhu remained equally steadfast, guarding her love for over a dozen years. Their union is a happy one, and their married life is sure to be harmonious and joyful.

Also today, our dear sister, the good girl of Intoxication Pavilion, Cuiping, left us forever, traveling light and with modest belongings. Although she left with tears in her eyes, they were tears of happiness, joy, and the tears of someone regaining freedom. Over the past dozen years, through diligent study and hard work, she finally earned the freedom she desired and gained a chance for renewed happiness. For more than ten years, she was warm-hearted, humble, and cautious, treating everyone with the care and affection of family, just like an older sister to us. Although she is gone, her voice, smile, and appearance will remain in all our hearts forever. Let us quietly wish her well and hope she has a smooth journey ahead!”

Liu Liwa spoke with deep emotion, successfully evoking memories of Cuiping and stirring envy for Xiuzhu among the girls. Many of them shed tears of emotion. Even Shen Zuijin upstairs sniffled and said, “Miss, what he said is so touching; it makes me want to pack my things and go home!”

Liu Liwa paused briefly to let the girls digest his words, feel the emotions, and cry a little longer. During this break, he called Zi Long to pour him a cup of tea to moisten his throat. It was a pity that this was only the first episode of ‘Girls Listen to the World,’ with no sponsors yet. Otherwise, inserting a few advertisements during this time would have been very effective. And these ads shouldn’t just go to anyone who paid; they should be bid on, with the highest bidder winning!

Liu Liwa was very satisfied with the girls’ reactions, which proved the program was a success. Next, it was time for the third stage: ‘People in Other Countries Live in Dire Straits.’ After talking about their own happiness, mentioning others’ misfortune would make their happiness feel even greater.

He cleared his throat and continued with a slightly gloating tone: “Due to the recent storm, many tiles on the roof of Qifeng Lou at the end of the alley were blown off, causing serious leaks inside. This led to flooding in many girls’ rooms, numerous expensive dresses being soaked, and high-quality Rouge and Face Powder being ruined. The direct financial loss amounted to over three hundred Silver Taels. Yet, the owner of Qifeng Lou ignored the situation, paying no attention to the girls’ suffering. Instead, under these conditions, he forced the girls to increase their workload, requiring them to entertain at least two customers each night. He used their hard-earned money to cover Qifeng Lou’s losses from the storm. His actions are utterly appalling.”

Upon hearing this news, the girls reacted strongly as expected. Their reactions clearly showed that most happiness is built on others’ misery.

After their emotions calmed down a bit, Liu Liwa continued to escalate: “This morning, on the street next to ours, outside Yicui Lou, a large-scale strike and protest took place. Most of the protesters were girls from Yicui Lou. They held signs, shouted slogans, and expressed strong dissatisfaction with Yicui Lou’s owner. This was because the Rouge and Face Powder provided to the girls were mixed with horse dung, cow dung, and cat urine—all counterfeit and shoddy products. After using them, many girls developed pimples, dark spots, acne, and other adverse skin reactions. The most severe cases even showed symptoms of stroke, like facial distortion and limb twitching. The girls declared that they would ensure Yicui Lou’s owner provided a reasonable explanation and proper handling of the situation. Otherwise, they would continue the strike and protests indefinitely.”

Hearing this news, the girls reacted even more strongly. Immediately, they took out their own Rouge and Face Powder to check, only relaxing after confirming it wasn’t made from horse dung, cow dung, or cat urine. Yicui Lou and Qifeng Lou were Intoxication Pavilion’s biggest competitors, often fighting over business. Hearing about their misfortune, the girls expressed that they deserved it.

For the final piece of news, Liu Liwa spoke in a grave tone: “In the early hours of the morning, during the Chou hour, the old shopkeeper of the East Street Silk Shop—who was particularly kind to the girls, generous with his money, and spent lavishly—was found dead on a girl’s bed in Fenglai Lou. After examination by the coroner, it was determined that the old shopkeeper died from overwork. As soon as this news spread, it caused a stir among the customers. Some seasoned figures, like Lord Zeng and Brother Chun, went to pay their respects. The scene was extremely moving… Well, that concludes all the content for this episode of ‘Girls Listen to the World.’ That’s all for today’s broadcast. See you tomorrow.”