Chapter 287: Thirteen, Pei Pei Shisan Niang

Thirteen, Pei Pei Shisan Niang

Leading the distinguished guest to the entrance of the Orchid Courtyard.

The pretty maid completed her task, lowered her head, and quietly retreated.

Not long after leaving, she turned around a small rockery pond, passed through a shadow wall, and walked into a pitch-black courtyard next to the Orchid Courtyard.

This small courtyard next door was not lit.

The pretty maid walked into it silently.

She saw that in the pitch-black hall, there was a noblewoman in a black dress with a purple-gold scarf, alone, sitting gracefully, wearing a veil on her cheeks, with her head raised and eyes closed.

A pleasant and melodious pipa piece was leaking from the brightly lit Plum Forest Courtyard next door, passing into this pitch-black hall.

The noblewoman in the black dress seemed to be immersed in the pipa sound and did not notice the person coming from outside.

"Madam Pei."

The pretty maid called out cautiously, knelt down obediently, and reported:

"The Commandant has been led into Qin Xiaoniangzi's courtyard."

The noblewoman surnamed Pei seemed not to have heard the words, did not move a muscle, slightly raised her chin, turned her head toward the Plum Forest Courtyard, and listened with her eyes closed.

The pretty maid lowered her head deeply, not daring to make a sound.

The incoming pipa sound echoed melodiously in the unlit hall for a while.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang, who was listening, suddenly spoke:

"Why is there still pipa sound?"

Her voice was lazy and magnetic, with a little bit of the soft accent of the Wu dialect.

At this moment, her small round face with closed eyes was full of confusion.

The pretty maid was stunned: "Ah?"

Pei Pei Shisan Niang frowned slightly and suddenly changed the question:

"Just now on the way you led this Commandant young master over, did he say anything?"

The pretty maid thought for a while and answered truthfully: "The lord asked for this servant's name, and then he didn't say anything else."

In the darkness, Pei Pei Shisan Niang opened her eyes, sized up the pretty maid in front of her, and asked the same:

"What is your name?"

"Reporting to you, Madam, this servant's nickname is Hongxiao."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang stood up, circled around Hongxiao, walked behind her, and suddenly stopped, raising her jade hand high:

"Slap—!"

With a crisp sound, the slap landed firmly on the maid Hongxiao's buttocks.

"Ah!" Hongxiao exclaimed.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang nodded to herself: "The buttocks are quite perky, and you know how to dress; the waist of the skirt is cut tightly, specially to set off this advantage, heh."

She commented with a light laugh.

Hongxiao was stunned.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang, who had a purple-gold scarf trailing on the ground draped over her two arms, suddenly pointed a finger at the Orchid Courtyard next door, where the pipa sound was still faintly coming, and said calmly:

"Take off your skirt, remove your bodice and underpants, carry a plate of pastries, go in naked, kneel down, and ask the Commandant young master to enjoy the delicious food."

Hongxiao's face flushed red to the roots of her ears, she knelt on the ground and trembled: "This servant is a broken branch and withered leaf, how can I climb high to reach the young and promising Commandant? No... I dare not take humiliation upon myself."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang looked down from a high position, her voice cold: "How old are you."

"This servant is twenty-eight this year."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang laughed: "Heh, no matter how old a man is, he will always like girls of eighteen and twenty-eight."

She paused, "Unless there is some special hobby. That Qin Siyu is too young, eighteen won't do, so let's try twenty-eight."

She pinched the pretty maid's chin, her tone light:

"Alright, take off your clothes, carry the plate, and walk in. Do it while the pipa sound next door hasn't stopped yet."

Hongxiao's face was flushed red, and she kowtowed desperately:

"Madam Pei, I beg you, let this servant go. This servant came here at eighteen, and it has been ten years. I have been trembling and have never done anything wrong. The proprietor pities this servant and tacitly allows this servant not to sell her body...

"After this end-of-year Winter Solstice, this servant will redeem herself and return to her hometown. Madam Pei, let this servant go. I know all the young ladies in the building who are willing to sell their bodies; I can help you call them over immediately. They will definitely satisfy you and satisfy the Commandant."

Bang bang bang—!

A series of muffled kowtowing sounds from the pretty maid rang out in the hall.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang looked at her strangely:

"Why are you kowtowing to me? I won't find the proprietor of the Xunyang Tower to force you. I never do such low-class things. I am a merchant; it's a matter of mutual willingness. This is the top rule for our Yangzhou merchant group to do business."

"The ancestors said, walk the world, and harmony brings wealth. How can one force buying and selling."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang shook her head.

"Really?!"

Hongxiao was stunned, immediately knelt forward, hugged the calf under her black skirt, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said timidly:

"Madam, let this servant go... After this servant marries a good family in the future, I will definitely burn incense and worship Buddha for you, praying for you every day,"

"Good." Pei Pei Shisan Niang nodded, touched the head of the pretty maid with perky buttocks at her feet, and said with a smile:

"I didn't expect you, a maid, to also 'sell art but not body,' exactly the same as Qin Xiaoniangzi next door. Jiangzhou is indeed quite different from our Yangzhou. I remember, who said it, this is called the divine beauty of Mount Kuanglu, nurturing a style of high-mindedness and heavy integrity."

Hongxiao smiled forcefully to please her and echoed a few times.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang pushed her head away and walked toward the door with her back turned.

Hongxiao exhaled carefully and wiped her sweat.

The next moment, a magnetic and lazy voice belonging to a noblewoman came along with the faint pipa sound next door, falling into Hongxiao's ears:

"Thirty taels."

Hongxiao was stunned.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang continued to quote lightly: "One hundred taels."

Hongxiao's mouth opened wide.

Without much pause, the noblewoman's voice came leisurely:

"Five hundred taels."

A slight pause:

"Five hundred taels won't do, then one thousand taels. If one thousand taels won't do, then two thousand taels. If you strip naked immediately and carry the plate in, after tonight, you can take two thousand taels back to your hometown."

The hall was silent.

Finding no movement behind her, Pei Pei Shisan Niang curled her lips:

"Three thousand taels."

In the center of the pitch-black hall, the pretty maid knelt on the ground, stunned, her expression unclear.

"Three thousand taels and you still won't go?"

Pei Pei Shisan Niang did not look back, laughed and nodded:

"Alright then, I can only send it myself. However, this price of three thousand taels per time is valid within one hour. If you change your mind, you can come to the next door to find me."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang smiled, carrying a plate of pastries, and walked slowly out of the dark hall.

It was as if nothing had happened, with no sign of anger.

She walked toward the courtyard gate with her usual expression.

Before she had taken two steps, suddenly a figure ran out of the pitch-black hall behind her, eagerly blocking Pei Pei Shisan Niang.

"Madam Pei! This servant will go, this servant is willing to take off her clothes and go!"

Hongxiao's face was flushed with an abnormal flush, her hands trembling eagerly as she reached out to take the pastry plate, which was worth as much as its weight in gold, from the noblewoman with the purple-gold scarf.

She grabbed at empty air.

It turned out that Pei Pei Shisan Niang had nimbly retreated a step, dodging her. She carried the plate with one hand, tilted her head, and smiled:

"Didn't you say you sell art but not body? Didn't you say you wanted to redeem yourself and marry a good family? Are you sure you're willing to go? I never force people, you know. On this point, Qin Siyu next door can testify for me."

"Yes, yes, yes! It is this servant's own willingness."

Hongxiao nodded vigorously, and as if to prove it, she began to undress in the open courtyard, not afraid of the biting cold winter wind.

Her fingers trembled as she untied her belt, taking off her clothes piece by piece. Although the cold wind was drilling into her back, Hongxiao only felt her whole body burning hot.

She swallowed her saliva and asked in a low voice:

"Madam, when will the three thousand taels be given..."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang shook her head and interrupted, holding up a finger:

"It's not three thousand taels anymore. It's been delayed for so long, so unrefreshing, I only offer one thousand taels."

Hongxiao's flushed face froze.

"This servant... this servant..." She stammered, full of regret, wanting to explain.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang handed the pastry tray in her hand forward, signaling her to take it, and asked in a light tone:

"Do it or not? If you don't dare, say it quickly. Why are you being so long-winded again?"

"Do it! One thousand taels, this servant will do it!"

Hongxiao hurriedly went to take the pastry tray, but her hands grabbed at empty air again.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang suddenly changed her face and dodged. She coldly bypassed the very impatient Hongxiao, walked toward the outside of the courtyard, and mocked:

"Don't you look in the mirror? Do you think you are worth one thousand taels? You low-class thing, I offer at most one hundred taels. If you don't do it, there are plenty of people who will. There are plenty of young ladies in the Xunyang Tower who sell their bodies. I also raise a bunch of Yangzhou slender horses. One hundred taels can buy two good seedlings.

"Just one hundred taels. If you want to do it, kneel down, crawl over, and take the tray. If you don't do it, get out immediately."

After a series of ups and downs, like a bolt from the blue, the pretty maid fell to the ground.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang did not even look at her, carried the tray and left the courtyard, her pace leisurely, her expression unhurried. Just as she walked to the courtyard gate, sure enough, she felt her calf being hugged tightly by two arms again.

"Madam Pei, this servant will do it, one hundred taels is fine, I beg Madam to give this humble servant a chance..."

Hongxiao buried her head deeply, her voice hoarse.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang bent down, touched the obedient head below, and finally handed out the pastry tray with a smile.

"This is more like it, much more obedient than Qin Siyu, and much more time-saving." She patted Hongxiao's lowered head:

"Go, don't keep the Commandant young master waiting. Someone like you with a bit of a 'good family' temperament is interesting. Don't change the beautiful maid uniform of the Xunyang Tower; men all like this serious look."

A moment later, watching the white figure in front carrying the tray, walking into the Orchid Courtyard tremblingly.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang straightened the purple-gold scarf she loved on her arm, and a brilliant smile suddenly appeared on her face.

She was very good at spending money, and also very good at making money.

Tonight was still the same.

Inside the Orchid Courtyard, the hall was brightly lit.

Ouyang Rong stepped into it.

Around him was a rather familiar pipa piece, being played by the world-weary-faced young lady, but it was slightly different from the pipa-playing style of Qin Xiaoniangzi that Yuan Huaimin described vividly to him every day when he was on duty.

Ouyang Rong silently raised his hand and held the waist knife.

After confirming again and again, he had not seen wrong.

He looked at Qin Xiaoniangzi, who was meeting him "frankly" and did not treat him as an outsider at all.

Well, he guessed right before. This world-weary-faced courtesan was not only very slender from the outside, but also very thin from the inside. Not only was she very thin when looking from top to bottom, but when looking from bottom to top...

Ouyang Rong moved his gaze away.

Anyway, combined with her melancholy, furrowed world-weary little face, in his previous life, this was called a high-class bony beauty.

In addition, he could now be very certain that tonight's matter had nothing to do with Yuan Huaimin, and this matter... he had better not talk about it to his friend who likes to "chase stars" when he looks back...

The lamps and candles in the hall were placed as if they were free, in great numbers, and it was incomparably bright. The light from all directions fell on Qin Siyu's body, shining like a white sheep, revealing every detail.

She lowered her head deeply, holding a pipa tightly, barely able to cover one white rabbit, leaking out the other.

The pipa beauty wanted to get up to welcome him.

"Continue playing, don't stop yet."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand to stop her, did not look at her again, held his waist knife, and walked around the hall for a circle.

Confirming that there were no "audience" hiding.

Ouyang Rong turned back.

He walked straight to Qin Xiaoniangzi, pinched the pipa courtesan's chin, and looked carefully at her melancholy, furrowed world-weary face.

There was no dazed or infatuated look of being controlled, and he only saw her ashamed and avoiding eyes, with some bloodshot in the whites of her eyes, as if she had cried, and even light makeup could hardly hide the red eye circles.

Ouyang Rong took off his outer robe and threw it on her and the pipa.

He turned his body sideways, looking straight ahead.

What was so good about that kind of bony airport-like world-weary-faced supermodel from his previous life?

Ouyang Rong shook his head. This was called not knowing the goodness of the "Junior Sister" when young, and mistaking bony for a treasure.

Qin Xiaoniangzi held the green-white literary robe full of masculine aura with both hands, bit her lip, and was stunned: "My lord..."

"Shh, shut up first, and don't come near me.

"A silly girl who is very important to me might rush over in a while. If there is a misunderstanding, I might not see tomorrow's sun, but you will definitely be worse off than me, and won't even be able to see the moon..."

A certain Senior Brother, whose palm had never left the skirt knife at his waist, curled his lips and continued to nag:

"Now you listen to me. Tonight I was only invited by you to come here, and I happened to see you suspected of being hot and cooling off, or having some strange habit, playing the pipa without covering your body. I did not force you, and I kindly gave you clothes to cover your ugliness."

He glanced at the tea set on the table, poured a cup of tea first, and handed it over gently.

"I'm done, it's your turn. If you really have a strange habit, you drink the tea, and I will leave immediately, treating it as if nothing happened. If someone coerced you, you nod, treating it as reporting a case quickly. This official will solve it. It just happens to be the end of the year, so let me boost my performance."

Qin Xiaoniangzi hurriedly shook her head and did not drink the tea.

Ouyang Rong stared at her tangled, furrowed face for a while, then suddenly nodded:

"Alright, this official understands. Go call your master. If you have something to say, say it directly, don't beat around the bush."

After giving a light instruction, Ouyang Rong walked to the side to sit down and drank tea by himself.

Qin Xiaoniangzi was lost: "Is the lord not satisfied with this servant's body that has been pure for more than ten years?"

Women's focus has always been quite strange.

Ouyang Rong was speechless.

At this time, a white figure suddenly walked in from outside.

He turned his head to look, and it was the pretty maid named Hongxiao.

He saw her carrying a plate of pastries with both hands, walking in naked, kneeling down in front of him, her ears flushed red, and she lowered her head to present the pastries.

"You all like to cool off, right." Ouyang Rong shrugged helplessly: "I don't have any extra clothes."

Hongxiao and Qin Xiaoniangzi were instantly ashamed to death.

The pipa sound in the latter's arms also stopped at the right time.

Ouyang Rong turned his head and said calmly: "If you don't come out again, this official will leave, and don't come out again in the future."

"The Commandant is worthy of being a gentleman who is famous all over the world, with upright character and worthy of respect."

A laugh came first.

The noblewoman with the purple-gold scarf walked in gracefully from outside, bowed: "The Commandant can just call me Madam Pei."

"So you used this to test me?" Ouyang Rong asked with an expressionless face. Under the table where no one could see, he silently took off the skirt knife at his waist and pressed it against his abdomen.

After all, he was a normal man.

"You really don't guard against gentlemen." He sighed.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang covered her mouth and laughed, suddenly changed her face, turned her head and said sharply:

"Who told you to stop the pipa? Don't you know the Commandant likes to listen to music?"

She walked up, raised her palm, and slapped Qin Siyu: "You cheap maid, you can't even play the pipa well!"

Qin Siyu fell, covering her face in sorrow.

Pei Pei Shisan Niang wanted to slap her again with her backhand, but suddenly found that she could not exert force. She turned her head and saw that her wrist was being firmly grasped by a large hand like an iron clamp.

Ouyang Rong nodded and said: "The young lady is as beautiful as a flower, this Madam, don't be fierce."

"Madam?" Pei Pei Shisan Niang's body stiffened slightly. She looked sideways at the young Commandant who had a somewhat unfathomable smile. The next moment, she lowered her head submissively, her eyes charming, and she pouted coquettishly:

"So the young master likes this style, do you like role-playing with elder status?"

"...??" Ouyang Rong.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 288 =====