Chapter 13: The Pleasure Districts

There is strength in numbers.

For three days in a row, the County Marquis Mansion was exceptionally lively, with people coming and going.

Every day, chickens were slaughtered and sheep were butchered, the scent of meat wafting through the air. In ancient times, building a house was considered a major event; neighbors would come over to visit, lend a hand, or even bring some gifts... and of course, the most important thing was to cadge a meal, which was also normal.

Liu Zheng was also generous with his spending.

As long as people came to the door, they were all invited to stay for a meal.

Consequently, the County Marquis Mansion had been like this for the past few days: adults enthusiastically helping out, and many children drooling as they looked at the big pots of food in the courtyard.

"That old woman from the Wei family has brought chickens again!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zheng hurried to welcome her.

Wei Tiezhu's mother, an old woman, had been the most diligent in coming these past few days. Having learned that her son had gained the appreciation of the County Marquis Mansion—not only receiving five hundred taels right off the bat, but also being entrusted with important tasks by Liu Zheng, who even intended to keep Wei Tiezhu on as an official in the mansion—what did this mean?

A brute had directly become an official!

This made Huang Laotai feel as if her ancestral graves were emitting smoke; these past few days, she had been itching to slaughter all the livestock in her home to bring over.

"Grandma Huang, why are you doing this again?"

Liu Zheng walked up to her, expressing his gratitude.

Over these few days, he had also observed that although the Yinzhou region was barren and the local customs were fierce, the people here still possessed a kind of simplicity that did not exist in later generations.

As long as you were good to them, they would be completely devoted to you.

"Young Master Liu, our family is poor, and we only have these few things. Please don't look down on them!"

The old woman beamed; farmers did not speak in such flowery language.

"Not at all, not at all. Record it, put it in the ledger!"

Liu Zheng shouted, and Liu Dahao immediately took those few chickens. These past few days, no matter how many people came to deliver chickens or ducks, and regardless of whether these people were strangers or acquaintances, Liu Zheng insisted that they must be recorded in the ledger!

This was Liu Zheng's wisdom.

In this era, human relationships and social interactions relied on these things. Don't bother with so much superficial stuff.

"Oh my, Young Master Liu is just too polite, too polite!"

Grandma Huang immediately went to help.

"Mother, you're here!"

Wei Tiezhu had also become a "foreman" here over the past few days. Liu Zheng liked such honest people and had directly given him the position of Counselor at the County Marquis Mansion, making everyone else envious.

"Get to work, get to work. The County Marquis has treated you well, remember not to slack off!"

Huang Laotai instructed.

Wei Tiezhu responded with a muffled grunt.

"So fast!"

In three days, the previously dilapidated County Marquis Mansion had almost been completely renovated. In about two more days, the County Marquis Mansion—though not opulent, it would certainly possess dignity—would be built, and they would be able to officially move in.

"Son, the materials and labor in Yinzhou are truly cheap!"

Liu Dahao whispered from the side.

"Oh?"

Liu Zheng asked, "How much did it cost in total?"

Liu Dahao, having been a wealthy merchant, was an expert at calculating accounts, and he chuckled, "It only cost two hundred taels in total!"

"What?"

Liu Zheng was stunned when he heard this.

He had estimated that rebuilding the County Marquis Mansion would require at least five hundred taels! He hadn't expected it to be so cheap.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Liu Zheng smiled.

Barrenness had its advantages too; it seemed the ten thousand taels of silver extorted from Chen Ping would go a long way.

"A good place!"

Liu Zheng laughed.

At this moment, there were at least two or three hundred young, able-bodied men in the courtyard. In this Northwest region, the climate and environment determined that the people here were sturdy and could withstand the elements; although they usually didn't have enough to eat, it didn't affect their labor power in the slightest.

Talent!

These were all talents!

Once the County Marquis Mansion was truly built, these people would all be his own core team!

"Zhangfeng!"

Liu Zheng was very happy and called out.

"Young Master?"

Qin Zhangfeng ran over.

"Accompany this young master for a stroll in the streets!"

Liu Zheng sought some leisure and planned to go out for a walk.

"Yes!"

Qin Zhangfeng followed behind Liu Zheng, and the two strode out.

"My son, my son, where are you going? Why aren't you taking your father along?"

Seeing this, Liu Dahao shouted and followed.

Liu Zheng gave a wry smile: "Father, what are you doing? I'm just going to the streets to take a look."

Who would have thought that Liu Dahao would give a sly smile and, with an expression that every man understood, say: "Where my son is going, how could I, your father, not know? Together, together!"

Liu Zheng was confused: "Where am I going?"

Liu Dahao, lacking the dignity of a father, draped his arm over Liu Zheng's shoulder: "Zheng, I know your temperament best. Having arrived in a new place, if you aren't going to those pleasure districts, where else would you go? Together, together!"

"Pfft!"

Liu Zheng nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Is this Liu Dahao acting like a father?

Who brings their old man along when going to play at such a place?

He deliberately intimidated him: "Old man, I heard Mother will arrive in Yinzhou any day now. You are a County Marquis now; if a County Marquis arrives in Yinzhou and does nothing but head straight to a pleasure house like this, once word gets out and people start asking around, it will become the talk of the streets and alleys! Are you really not afraid?"

Liu Dahao shuddered, his eyes filled with panic: "My son, the County Marquis Mansion cannot be without me for the bookkeeping. You go and play, you go!"

Saying this, he scurried back, trotting away.

Liu Zheng and Qin Zhangfeng both burst into laughter.

But after Liu Dahao's reminder, Liu Zheng really did want to go and take a look at this ancient place of pleasure. This was not because he wanted to seek carnal pleasure, but because in this era, places like wine houses were actually the most frequent hubs for information exchange; people coming from the south and going to the north would almost all come here to spend some money.

Not only that, wine houses in ancient times were not just places for selling flesh in the traditional sense.

Many scholars and poets often gathered here as well. In other words, this was also a place where the high-level intellectuals of this era often frequented; reciting poetry, composing couplets, drinking, and discussing state affairs often happened in such places.

These wine houses of the Longyan Dynasty were equivalent to the coffee houses of the European Middle Ages.

Here, everyone could express their own opinions, and even engage in a free clash of ideas; once you started drinking here, no one would care how you criticized things or what shocking views you put forward.

"Let's go, let's go take a look too!"

Liu Zheng waved his hand, and Qin Zhangfeng hurried to keep up.

Although Yinzhou was barren, such places of pleasure had existed since ancient times; no matter how remote or impoverished the countryside, such places and such businesses always existed.

The largest, and of course the only, wine house of this kind in Yinzhou City was called Wanhua Pavilion.

A simple and easy-to-understand name.

At a glance, this four-story wine house was already considered a very high-class building in Yinzhou City. It was only just afternoon, and the scent of rouge and the smell of wine were already assaulting the nose, with some courtesans already standing on the street soliciting customers.

These courtesans were also extremely professional; no matter how poorly dressed the people on the street were, they would still pose and preen to come over and pull at them.

"Master, come and play!"

"Oh my, Young Master Wang, it has been quite some time since you last came! I have missed you to death!"

The familiar formula, the familiar scent.

Liu Zheng felt a jolt run through his entire body.

The hot-bloodedness of a man was instantly ignited.