Chapter 34: Value

Wu Liniang stared at him for a long time and finally left, probably to go back and use eye drops.

Shen Zuijin snorted with displeasure beside him, then went to instruct the girls to freshen up and prepare to open for business.

Miss Liuyun stood awkwardly on the stairs. She looked towards Young Master Ye’s room upstairs, then towards Wu Liniang’s room. A relaxed smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. Her phoenix-like eyes, filled with affection, swept over Liu Liwa’s face like a spring breeze brushing willow branches. That moment of tenderness made Liu Liwa’s heart flutter. Just for that one look back, Liu Liwa felt that helping her was worth it.

Miss Liuyun was graceful, pure, and stood out from the crowd. He really couldn’t bear to see such good “cabbage” being spoiled by a “pig.” Moreover, Young Master Ye genuinely didn’t like her type—he preferred women with “flavor.”

As Miss Liuyun turned away, Liu Liwa still caught a trace of misery on her face. It seemed she still hadn’t adapted to this sudden change. Yesterday, she was a superstar, the Flower Queen admired by all. Today, she was like wild grass, at others’ mercy.

Liu Liwa curled his lips helplessly. Psychological issues were beyond his help. He could only hope she would quickly calm down, accept her position, and face it correctly—just like Liu Liwa himself. A Brothel Steward was still better than a turtle.

Under Shen Zuijin’s supervision, the girls gradually emerged. Some were gorgeously dressed, some were disheveled. Some complained about how rough last night’s clients had been, while others counted the tips in their pouches. It was a scene mixed with laughter and tears.

With the girls out, the errand boys and maids began to busy themselves—fetching water, serving tea, buying rouge. Yang Xiaosi, who had won money last night, was in a good mood for several days. He chatted and laughed with familiar girls and even secretly slipped one of them some face powder. It wasn’t hard to guess there was something between them.

Liu Liwa watched coldly from the side. He realized he was still detached from this world, but he had to work hard to fit in—because he had to survive, live with dignity, and enjoy his hard-won second life.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze blew by, and a red silk handkerchief brushed past his eyes. A fair, delicate hand rested on his shoulder, the strong scent of powder making him want to sneeze. “Brother Xiaoqi, will you tell stories again tonight?”

Hmm? Liu Liwa turned around. This girl was as tall as him, and in this era without high heels, that meant nearly six feet. She was slender and slim, but with curves in all the right places—her figure was explosive. However, nobody was perfect. Though this girl named Yanhong had a supermodel’s body, her face looked deeply resentful. Her eyebrows were too thick and almost merged together, and her small, pouting mouth made her look like she had a bun on her neck.

Her bun-like eyes stared at Liu Liwa, her arm hooked around his shoulder so he couldn’t escape. He feared he might lose control and bite her head. Liu Liwa forced a bitter smile and said, “If the guests enjoy it and the Madam agrees, I suppose the stories will continue.”

“That’s great!” Sister Yanhong immediately became excited. Liu Liwa didn’t understand—it was just a few risque stories. As an experienced professional, why was she so thrilled? Just then, he noticed Sister Yanhong’s other hand secretly poking him from below. Looking down, he saw a silver piece the size of a thumb being slipped to him. Liu Liwa was stunned. Sister Yanhong said generously, “This small token is for Brother Xiaoqi to buy some wine. Please take good care of me.”

Liu Liwa was confused but instinctively took the silver. Though he still had no clear concept of money, he knew it was important to him. If he saved five hundred gold taels, he could buy his freedom. Only as a free man could he truly enjoy life.

Seeing Liu Liwa accept the money, Yanhong’s smile brightened even more, her nose, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth all scrunching together. She whispered, “Please look after me, Brother Xiaoqi.”

“Sister Yanhong, look at me—I’m just an errand boy. How could I possibly look after popular sisters like you? It’s more like I should ask you to look after me,” Liu Liwa mumbled.

“Brother Xiaoqi, you’re too humble. Taking care of me is just a matter of you saying the word.” Yanhong giggled, pressing her whole body against him. Liu Liwa focused his mind, feeling her supermodel-like hot figure. He wished he could poke his eyes out—it would be more perfect if he couldn’t see her face. Since it wasn’t work hours, girls chatting and flirting with errand boys didn’t break any rules, so no one paid them any attention. Yanhong whispered, “Brother Xiaoqi, the guests really liked your stories last night. Now look at those vixens.”

Liu Liwa followed her gaze to the girls counting tips in their pouches. Yanhong said, not without jealousy, “Last night, you told ‘Lanlan’s story,’ describing Lanlan’s looks and figure in detail. Those vixens resembled your description, so after your story ended, guests specifically chose them and treated them according to your tale. They earned plenty in tips today. So I wanted to ask you, Brother Xiaoqi—if you tell stories again today, could you create a character matching my height and appearance? It would be best if her name was ‘Jingkong.'”

“Huh? Why Jingkong?” Liu Liwa was instantly stunned, thinking he might have met a fellow time-traveler. But Yanhong shyly replied, “Yanhong is my professional name here. Jingkong is my real name!”

“What was your father thinking, naming you Jingkong?”

“Because when I was born, my hometown was suffering a severe drought—so bad the wells went empty!”

Liu Liwa walked away, wiping cold sweat. Once again, he confirmed that Japanese culture mainly originated from Chinese civilization…

Regardless, the silver in his hand was real. He hefted the piece—less than one tael. He didn’t know how to calculate smaller units, but this single piece was worth a month’s wages for someone like him.

The girls earned money easily but spent it just as fast. This was true across society—from top to bottom. Palace ladies had to bribe eunuchs for a chance at the emperor’s favor. Pleasure House girls had to tip the stewards for more clients…

Just after Sister Yanhong left, several other girls surrounded him. They were the ones who had earned tips yesterday, the ones whose looks and figures resembled the Lanlan from his story. The way they looked at him was like village girls seeing their sweetheart after sneaking into the sorghum fields—all winds and sands. Could it be they made money and wanted to give him a cut? Or offer themselves? It scared him, making his hair stand on end. Though he had unusual talents, even a good dog couldn’t handle many wolves, and a strong man couldn’t withstand constant rounds.

The girls pulled Liu Liwa aside. Even bold as they were, they now acted shy and timid. Blushing, they asked, “Brother Xiaoqi, in your story yesterday, what exactly was the ‘scissor legs’ position that Lanlan liked best? Could you teach us?”