Chapter 14: Brother Chun, A Real Man

Lord Zeng was smilingly escorted by a hostess to the front row. The Hall Manager, Shen Zuijin, had been waiting for a long time. She noticed Liu Liwa’s two silver taels. Also watching were the security captain Wang Meng in the corner and Wu Liniang secretly observing from upstairs. Liu Liwa’s actions were seen by them immediately.

Liu Liwa knew nothing about this. He only felt the two silver taels in his pocket, heavy and real.

After settling Lord Zeng, he quickly went back out. He continued to follow Yang Xiaosi in welcoming another VIP who even made Lord Zeng change expression. This big spender had already stepped down from his carriage. He was a young man around thirty years old, with a slender build and thin cheeks. It was clear his body was worn out by excessive drinking and womanizing. A lecherous aura hung about his brow. Yang Xiaosi carefully accompanied him and said, “Lord Li, it’s been a while since you last visited.”

Lord Li coughed twice and completely ignored Yang Xiaosi. Instead, he pointed at Liu Liwa and said, “You, come here. I just heard what you said to that old fool surnamed Zeng. Something about him being able to drill wells and beat longbows? Are you saying I, Li Yuchun, am not as good as that Zeng Yike?”

Liu Liwa was startled, then broke out in a cold sweat. Forget the name; it was just fate! And this rivalry, even getting serious over flattery, was really looking for trouble.

Yang Xiaosi widened his eyes but didn’t dare speak. He knew well that this Lord Li was hard to please. Whoever spoke too much would suffer. He could only let this new Liu Xiaoqi fend for himself. Were rewards that easy to get?

But Liu Liwa wasn’t afraid at all. He cupped his hands and said, “Oh, I just saw your majestic walk and impressive bearing and was wondering which nobleman had arrived. So it really is Lord Li Yuchun! What I said earlier about Lord Zeng wasn’t my own words. I heard them from the girls in this building. But they didn’t just talk about Lord Zeng; they were full of praise for you too.”

Li Yuchun glanced at him sideways. He could naturally tell he was making excuses. He snorted angrily and said, “You all praised that old fool Zeng as if he were a god descended from heaven. What could you possibly say about me? That I’m not even fit to hold his horse’s reins?”

“Not at all, not at all.” Liu Liwa mysteriously leaned close to his ear. This time he learned to be smart; flattery only needed to be heard by the beneficiary, otherwise it could cause trouble too. “Lord Li, you have a mighty reputation in the hearts of the girls at our Intoxication Pavilion. The girls all say: ‘In the Pleasure House, Lord Zeng is like a dragon, commanding the world of pleasure, none dare disobey. Without Brother Chun appearing, who can challenge him?'”

Li Yuchun was stunned. He thought it over carefully and suddenly burst into roaring laughter. In the past, when he was in high spirits, he loved it most when the girls called him ‘Brother’ Chun. It seemed in the girls’ hearts, after all, he, the ‘brother,’ was younger and more domineering than that ‘lord’!

Brother Chun was greatly pleased. He casually tossed out a silver ingot. This one was even heavier, a full half-pound. All eyes in the hall watched, not just for the amount of silver, but more importantly, for whom it was given. Liu Liwa had just arrived yesterday and only made his appearance today—a fresh, new face. The moment he showed up, he received rewards from the two biggest spenders in Yulin County. What did this mean? It meant Liu Liwa was a top talent, born to serve patrons, one that only appears once in a hundred years!

Yang Xiaosi’s eyes were red, and his words were sour. He settled Brother Chun at a table next to Lord Zeng. The two big spenders sat side by side but acted as if they didn’t see each other, secretly competing. Shen Zuijin had already spotted them and arranged for the girls they usually favored to accompany them. These were all gold-tier girls from the third floor, with outstanding looks and refined temperaments. Moreover, they were very skilled. They didn’t go weak and flirtatious at the sight of big spenders. Instead, they chatted casually like ordinary friends, deliberately keeping their distance, which further stirred the men’s possessiveness. But Liu Liwa knew their principle was: no rabbit, no hawk; no silver, no intimacy.

With the girls there, naturally, they didn’t need to serve anymore. Liu Liwa followed Yang Xiaosi out again to welcome guests. However, Yang Xiaosi didn’t even give him a direct glance. Liu Liwa certainly knew he was jealous that he had received rewards. Since he still had to rely on him for work in the future, Liu Liwa didn’t want to offend him over a bit of silver. He immediately secretly passed the large silver ingot that Brother Chun had just rewarded him from behind to Yang Xiaosi’s hand.

The moment the silver touched his hand, Yang Xiaosi immediately became excited. “Xiaoqi, you… what are you doing? This was rewarded to you by that lord…”

“Fourth Brother, don’t stand on ceremony.” Liu Liwa smiled sincerely. “If I received rewards, it’s all because of your excellent guidance, Fourth Brother. This is what you deserve. Just take it as me, Xiaoqi, treating you to a drink to thank my teacher.”

This kid really knows how things work! At this moment, not only Zhang Xiaosi thought this, but also Wu Liniang, Shen Zuijin, and Wang Meng, who had been secretly watching this scene, all had the same thought. Not greedy for credit, not greedy for money—travel the world without facing difficulties.

Zhang Xiaosi was extremely excited. He heavily patted Liu Liwa’s shoulder. Everything was in that silent gesture. This was exactly the effect Liu Liwa wanted. If you eat someone’s food, your mouth is soft; if you take someone’s gifts, your hands are short. Working under someone, he would need his help in the future. And this help was immediate.

After receiving two more big spenders, Zhang Xiaosi directly pulled him into the break room for tea. The tea was skimmed from the guests’ supply—top-quality tea. At the same time, he used this action to teach Liu Liwa a lesson. This Intoxication Pavilion was the city’s top Pleasure House and also had official backing. As the saying goes, a big shop bullies customers. Even the lowliest brothel servant treated customers differently based on their status. Unless they were big spenders like Lord Zeng and Brother Chun, Zhang Xiaosi would personally receive them, all for the sake of getting some reward money. As for other ordinary customers, only junior servants and hostess girls received them. A few small coins naturally weren’t worth their attention. If they offended their customers, they could even refuse service.

After hearing his teachings, Liu Liwa became more and more satisfied with this job.

Before long, the grown girls from the first floor appeared. Some carried tea and snacks, some held dried and fresh fruits, a dazzling array placed before Zhang Xiaosi. Among them were some who had just woken up. It was their first time seeing Liu Liwa, and the intense looks in their eyes made his face burn. After Zhang Xiaosi introduced him as the new ‘Hall Manager,’ the girls became even more enthusiastic. Some even directly fed him fruits. A brothel servant could engage in a little flirtation with the girls but must never cross the line. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the rules. Unless you saved enough silver to redeem both yourself and the girl you fancied, the light punishment would be breaking your legs, and the heavy punishment would be conscription and exile.

Liu Liwa carefully dealt with these enthusiastic girls. He knew they were deliberately currying favor to prepare for future shift schedules. Among them were also some who were interested in him personally. Liu Liwa took the opportunity to borrow a mirror from one of the girls. Finally, he saw the face from this life that made the girls flock to him…