“Qingyun, eat up! Get a good night’s rest tonight, because tomorrow we’re heading straight to the drill ground for roll call.”
Head Constable Liu dug in first, and Gu Qingyun and the others were not about to lag behind.
As she ate with her head down, Zhao Si gently nudged her arm with his elbow, gesturing with his eyes for her to look off to the side.
Gu Qingyun glanced sideways and noticed that people at several nearby tables were all discussing Caixiang Pavilion and Yuexiang Pavilion, chatting endlessly about the beauties within like a surging river.
“Brother Wen, you truly are a lucky man. Not only have you become Lady Wanqing’s favored patron, but you also have a virtuous wife managing your household. It makes everyone green with envy!”
The man addressed as Brother Wen waved his folding fan a couple of times and cupped his hands in a modest salute.
“You flatter me, you flatter me! My wife is indeed virtuous, and the children she bore me are remarkably clever. It is only in the looks department where she falls a bit short, but no matter. A virtuous wife at home and Lady Wanqing outside—what more could a man ask for in this life?”
“Sigh, your wife is truly wonderful. My woman is a fierce tigress; if she found out I spent the night at Caixiang Pavilion, she’d come charging over with a cleaver! Ah, I have to go home to sleep tonight, so I won’t be able to keep you three company, Brother Lin.”
“No problem, no problem! We’ll be staying the night at Caixiang Pavilion. Lady Yuan’er’s jade-like skin has always held me captivated...”
Listening from the side, Gu Qingyun nearly spat out her food. What kind of morally bankrupt nonsense was this? At times, she really could not fit in here.
Just listen to them—they talked as if they were such rare and exceptional men. Mistaking vulgarity for wit and fancying themselves dashing playboys, it was downright nauseating.
...
“Xiao Yuan, has my husband returned?”
Inside a courtyard residence, a delicate woman sat by the dining table, asking the maid beside her.
The woman was named Ma Lingyi, the daughter of a Xiucai. She had been married into the Wen family for five years now; her husband was her childhood betrothed, and their marriage had always been harmonious.
Her husband had never hidden his visits to brothels from her. Knowing that men were naturally prone to lust, she had always turned a blind eye.
Hearing that he was not returning again, she knew he had gone there tonight as well. Concealing the disappointment on her face, she gave a gentle smile to the two children.
“Ziyan, Shurou, your father has some business to attend to and will be back late tonight. Let’s eat, and after dinner, head to your rooms to sleep early.”
Ma Lingyi wore a matching red and green ruqun. Her features were serene, and every gesture carried a calm grace.
Looking at the two children, her eyes were filled with lingering warmth, yet where they could not notice, a flicker of sorrow crossed her gaze.
After dinner and playing with the children for a while, she had the maids take them back to their rooms to rest.
Recalling the woman she had encountered a few nights ago, she bit her lip, her eyes turning red.
“Xiao Yuan, am I truly plain?”
Facing the bronze mirror, she examined her reflection carefully. Over the past two months, she seemed to have grown haggard, no longer smiling as easily as she used to.
For the past two months, her husband had not touched her. In the past, even if he sought out women outside, the two of them would still be intimate once he returned home. Now, everything was different.
The maid named Xiao Yuan stepped forward to tidy her hair.
“Miss, you are already very beautiful. How could those women outside ever compare to you? Whenever I go out to buy pastries, who doesn’t praise your virtue?”
Ma Lingyi smiled bitterly.
“Virtue cannot win back a husband’s heart and affection.”
Seeing her mistress’s grief-stricken expression in the bronze mirror, Xiao Yuan felt an ache in her heart.
“Miss, don’t be sad. The Young Master is just momentarily bewitched by those fox spirits outside. Once he tires of them, he’ll bring his heart back to you.”
Another maid ran in from outside, her face beaming with excitement.
“Miss! I just went out and ran into Madam Wang from the residence next door. I hadn’t seen her in days, and she has become so much prettier! Her skin has grown fairer, and she’s even slimmed down. She looks at least ten years younger—thirty-something, yet she looks like she’s just sixteen!”
“What’s more, I noticed that these past few days, her husband has been coming home very early every day instead of loitering outside! Miss, Madam Wang invited you to visit the women’s teahouse together tomorrow after dusk. She said the proprietress there is extraordinary and can make people beautiful! However, going there is a matter of luck; only those with an affinity can catch the proprietress’s eye and receive her help to become beautiful.”
Listening to her maid Xiao Man, Ma Lingyi glanced once more at her reflection in the bronze mirror. Biting her lip and wringing the handkerchief in her hands, she gave a firm nod.
“Xiao Man, go tell Sister Wang that I will definitely go tomorrow.”
Xiao Man nodded delightedly.
“Mhm! Miss, you are already very good-looking. If you catch the proprietress’s eye this time, you will surely become even more gorgeous and enchant the Young Master so thoroughly that he won’t be able to walk away! How could those cheap vixens outside compare to you? They’ve merely used some seductive tricks, that’s all.”
...
Having eaten and drunk her fill, Gu Qingyun saw that Head Constable Liu and the others were drinking wine and wouldn’t be finishing anytime soon, so she left the food stall early on her own.
She still had to polish beads and practice her martial arts when she got back tonight; she couldn’t just sit here keeping them company the whole time. She felt as though she had grown a bit slack while working in the field these past few days.
Stepping onto the street, she exhaled gently, glanced back at the eatery, and shook her head.
Tomorrow was the start of the tournament, yet Constable Liu and the others were still drinking tonight. It seemed they truly intended to just coast through the matches over the coming days.
Tossing the thought aside, a brightly illuminated brothel caught her eye. Without realizing it, she had walked in front of that building once more.
When she had passed by earlier, several beauties were leaning against the railings, but now there was no one in sight.
Thanks to her heightened senses, even standing outside, she could hear the laughter and flirtatious, bawdy chatter from within, downright unbearable to hear.
Just standing outside, she could well imagine what kind of spectacle was unfolding inside. It was definitely not something a child like her should be seeing.
Sighing softly to herself, she quickly walked away from the brothel and went straight back to her room at the inn.
Taking out the leftover scrap of lightning-struck wood, she began polishing it with care. In scarcely half a quarter of an hour, four beads had taken shape in her hand. Using her spiritual energy, she carved a Golden Light Incantation onto them.
This charm could ward off evil fiends and prevent demon beasts from drawing near, making it an ideal protective talisman—perfect for children and the elderly.
Not bothering to wait until the agreed time, she took the beads and headed straight to where the master and servant were staying.
“Steward Wei, I’m glad to say I’ve fulfilled my task. I polished four beads and even carved the Golden Light Incantation on them. Take a look and see if you’re satisfied.”
Receiving the four beads, a warm sensation immediately traveled up his arm and into his body upon touch, proving their extraordinary quality. Steward Wei’s eyes lit up, and he smiled warmly.
“I am exceedingly pleased with your work, Constable Gu.” With that, he drew out a banknote for one hundred taels from his robes and handed it to Gu Qingyun.
“You must accept this. My young master instructed that we cannot let you go through the trouble for nothing.”
Gu Qingyun glanced toward the young master, who had been listening intently with his ears pricked, smiled faintly, and accepted the banknote.
“Many thanks. If you ever need anything in the future, you can look for me in Jiangyin County.”
After bidding farewell to Steward Wei and the young master, Gu Qingyun walked out of the inn. Feeling the banknote tucked in her robes, she mused that mastering a craft truly made earning money effortless. She was practically a petty landowner now!
Rate on N.U.
