TL: Hua
Chapter 35: Clues – Xiao Pei goes to Jiangnan (3)
Little Spring Garden was right on the bank of the Huai River, with singing and dancing day and night and plenty of free-spending customers. Mama, having navigated the pleasure quarters for decades, had seen countless beautiful faces, but today she almost dropped her eyes.
The young man who walked in from the rain was about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a water-red robe, like a unique red lotus in the watery countryside, which perfectly corresponds to the phrase “Face like solidified cream, eyes like dots of lacquer, a celestial being among mortals.”
Pei Xiting stood still under the eaves, smiling slightly. Mama’s old face flushed, and she gave a curtsy with her handkerchief, smiling as she said, “Young master, you look unfamiliar. Are you perhaps a traveler from afar?”
“I’ve come to Ningzhou for sightseeing. I heard that Chun Sheng of Little Spring Garden has a voice like a beautiful oriole, so I came especially to appreciate it,” Pei Xiting said.
Mama looked troubled. “Oh dear, that’s really unfortunate. Chun Sheng is currently entertaining a distinguished guest and may not be able to come out. How about I send someone else to serve you? There’s not only Chun Sheng in our Little Spring Garden.”
Pei Xiting knew the rules of these pleasure houses. “I came here specifically to hear the best voice,” he said. “I know Chun Sheng is hard to get, and I’ve come with sincerity. Mama, what do you think?”
Yuan Fang, standing behind him, took out a five-hundred tael silver note from his sleeve, dutifully acting as his young master’s attendant. “My young master doesn’t want anything else, just to listen to a song. Is this enough money?” he asked.
“Enough, enough. But… oh dear, young master, let me tell you the truth!” Mama took a step closer and whispered to Pei Xiting, who had lowered his head slightly to listen, “I’m really not trying to swindle your money. Chun Sheng is indeed serving a distinguished guest right now, a real ‘distinguished’ guest.”
Wealthy customers were different from distinguished guests. The former only had money, while the latter were different. Little Spring Garden had many guests coming and going, and Mama was worldly-wise. For her to emphasize “distinguished guest,” it mostly meant someone of high official rank.
Pei Xiting sighed, saying with regret, “Then haven’t I come for nothing?”
“Young master, if you really just want to hear good music, I have another person here whose voice is no worse than Chun Sheng’s,” Mama said.
Pei Xiting smiled. “Then why is it that Ningzhou only knows of Chun Sheng and not this person?”
“Not good-looking enough.” Mama sighed, then smiled and said, “The guests who come to our garden, probably only one in a hundred, are here purely to listen to music. Most guests, don’t they end up wanting to take off their pants while listening? In that case, we must have good-looking ones to serve them or those with some skills. Who would spend money on someone with a plain look and a personality as bland as water?”
Pei Xiting said, “Then why are you still keeping him?”
“Although he doesn’t attract customers, he’s good at needlework. The embroidered pouches he makes are very beautiful and sell well in the building.” Mama led Pei Xiting to the right platform on the first floor, pointing to a wooden display stand with various pouches on it. “He only embroiders the patterns, but he chooses all the fabric colors for these pouches. Some guests who see ones they like buy them to give to the girls and boys in the building or to their sweethearts outside. It helps the building earn a bit of money too.”
Pei Xiting picked up a green pouch with a lotus pattern and examined it carefully. “The stitching is indeed fine and delicate, and the colors are well-matched. I’ll take this one… this one is also nice.”
Visiting a brothel suddenly turned into buying pouches. Yuan Fang crossed his arms, watching Pei Xiting wander around the wooden stand, liking this one and that one.
The madam, on the other hand, was all smiles. “If you buy them all, then we’ll have nothing left to sell,” she said.
“Selling to whom isn’t selling? Isn’t it all about making money?” Pei Xiting chose seven or eight, instructing, “Wrap them up. I’ll pay for them all later. Also, I’ll take him.”
“Alright!” Mama quickly called over a nearby attendant to pack up the things for the generous young master and then invited Pei Xiting upstairs. “This way, young master, I’ll take you up!”
The “master and servant” followed Mama upstairs. On the right side of the third floor, one person put down their hand, lifting the green veil on the pillar, and turned around to enter the room behind.
The room was filled with the scent of lotus flowers. A light gauze curtain separated the man’s view. Chun Sheng was kneeling between a guest’s legs, and ambiguous sounds could be faintly heard.
The man lowered his head and whispered, “Sir, I saw someone.”
“What kind of remarkable person would make you interrupt my pleasure?” The guest stroked Chun Sheng’s slender neck, as if caressing his own possession through a layer of skin and flesh. His voice was low and husky as he smiled and asked Chun Sheng, “Look at how frightened Chun Sheng is.”
Chun Sheng clutched the guest’s robe, looking up at him with tearful eyes, unable to speak, only pitifully shaking his head and making whimpering sounds.
“Third Pei.” the man said.
The guest’s fingertips tightened, and Chun Sheng suddenly gripped the robe in his hands, his face contorting in pain. The guest released his neck, and he fell weakly at the guest’s feet, clutching his throat and coughing incessantly.
“Third Pei,” the guest wiped his hands with a handkerchief, his charming eyes slightly upturned. “Is it the Third Pei I know?”
“It’s Pei Xiting,” the man said. “After all, your subordinate wouldn’t mistake that face.” The guest admired Chun Sheng’s embarrassment, threw the handkerchief at his face, and said gently, “Wipe yourself.”
Chun Sheng quickly pressed the soiled handkerchief to his face with both hands, licked it with his tongue, and said obediently, “Thank you for your kindness, sir.”
The guest patted Chun Sheng’s head, stood up, and went out from behind the curtain. “I received news earlier that Third Pei had joined the Longhe Division and was coming to Ningzhou to review documents. I never expected him to end up in a brothel. Was the previous intelligence wrong, or has Third Pei been… corrupted by someone?”
*
“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person.” Pei Xiting sat at the table and smiled at the young man in white. “Don’t kneel; come and sit.”
The young man obediently stood up, walked to the chair in front of Pei Xiting, sat down gently, and said, “What song would you like to hear, sir?”
Pei Xiting sized up the young man in front of him. He couldn’t really be called unattractive, even quite handsome, but his features were bland from the inside out. Compared to the vibrant atmosphere of the building, he was indeed easily overlooked.
Moreover, this was a pleasure house, and this young man clearly wasn’t seductive enough.
“No hurry,” Pei Xiting said. “You embroidered the pouches downstairs, didn’t you?
“It was me.” The young man said, “My humble name is ‘Ying Ziyu’.”
The yellow oriole sings to itself, but the “yellow oriole” before him cannot[mfn]Ying Ziyu [莺自语] literally means oriel talking to oneself.[/mfn]. This name, however, made Pei Xiting read a hint of sorrow.
“Just now, downstairs, I saw a water-green pouch with a lotus pattern embroidered on it. It’s exactly the same as a ‘Summer Lotus’ painting exhibited in the Yejing Painting Gallery the year before last, almost a miniature version of ‘Summer Lotus’.” Seeing the young man purse his lips, Pei Xiting became even more certain. “According to the gallery’s records, that painting was acquired by the owner directly from the painter when he came to Ningzhou, with no one in between. How did you see it?”
Ying Ziyu said softly, “I haven’t seen it. Perhaps it was a coincidence. There are many paintings that look very similar.”
“Two paintings from different hands, even if they look alike at first glance, that’s all it can be—just at first glance. Every pouch of yours has a complete floral design, with composition and color. The lotus flowers on that pouch have the same shy and demure posture as in ‘Summer Lotus,’ and also,” Pei Xiting pointed with his fan, brushing the side of the young man’s right index and middle fingers, “these calluses on your hand shouldn’t be from needlework, right?”
“…” Ying Ziyu’s face turned pale. He bent his knees to kneel, but Yuan Fang swiftly grabbed his collar and lifted him up, pressing him back into the chair.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not interested in your private affairs, nor will I expose your little secret to anyone. I just want to tell you that your painting is good. Selling it for thirty taels was a loss; you were definitely ripped off by the owner.” Pei Xiting tapped the table. “Fang, pour tea.”
Yuan Fang picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and held it to Pei Xiting’s lips, forcing him to drink it all.
“Hey!” Pei Xiting leaned back against Yuan Fang’s waist, hastily wiping the tea from his neck with the other’s sleeve, and frowned, “Don’t get my clothes dirty.”
Yuan Fang said, “If they get dirty, wash them. If they can’t be washed clean, buy new ones. Isn’t that Master’s teaching?”
“This one is different. This one was a gift.” Pei Xiting dusted off his sleeve. “You don’t understand. Go away.”
Yuan Fang rolled his eyes and went to play with the teacup.
Ying Ziyu then said, “I needed money urgently at the time. Thirty taels was a lot to me, and I’m not a famous painter; my paintings aren’t worth much.”
“I looked at the ledger. Your painting was eventually sold for two hundred taels.” Pei Xiting smiled. “Still considered valuable, right?”
Ying Ziyu was also surprised, then smiled shyly.
“The owner has been running the painting gallery for a long time. The fact that he bought your painting shows that it could make him money. Don’t sell yourself short,” Pei Xiting said. “Do you still sell paintings these years?”
Ying Ziyu shook his head and said, “That owner came to our garden as a patron. I inadvertently overheard him doing calligraphy and painting business in Yejing. I really needed the money, so I slightly disguised myself and secretly traded with him at night. But I wouldn’t dare do that normally. Firstly, I haven’t encountered any other out-of-town painting gallery owners, and secondly, I haven’t had any urgent need for money, so why take the risk to earn that kind of money?”
“Your painting, what a pity,” Pei Xiting said.
Ying Ziyu smiled self-deprecatingly and said, “It’s all fate. I accept it.”
“You’re only in your teens; what fate are you accepting? Paint a picture for me, and I’ll give you the market price. Take the money and redeem your slave contract. After leaving the garden, the sky will be higher, the land will be wider, and you will have more time to wield your brush,” Pei Xiting said.
Ying Ziyu’s lips moved, but no sound came out. After looking at Pei Xiting for a moment, he finally said, “Sir, you may not be aware of this, but people in our line of work can’t redeem ourselves. Only guests can redeem us.”
Pei Xiting said, “I’ll help you.”
Ying Ziyu shook his head, saying, “My situation is very special. If you help me, you’ll offend someone powerful.”
“Powerful?” Pei Xiting raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
Ying Ziyu said, “Third Master Bai.”
“Third Master Bai of the Hundred Brocades House?” Seeing Ying Ziyu nod, Pei Xiting couldn’t help but ponder, “Is the Bai family considered powerful?”
“A merchant family is naturally not, but the Bai family has marriage ties with Duke Wen’s Mansion, and even the government office has to give them some face,” Ying Ziyu said.
It turned out that Ying Ziyu was originally a performer in the Six Harmonies Hall. He had been trained from a young age to perform but not to sell his body. When he took the stage to sing at the age of fourteen, Third Master Bai took a fancy to him, but he refused. The latter then looked for an opportunity to defile him. During the struggle, Ying Ziyu almost turned Third Master Bai into a eunuch. Enraged, Third Master Bai beat him half to death on the spot, redeemed his contract from the Six Harmonies Hall, and resold him to the Little Spring Garden.
Ying Ziyu recounted this slowly, as if he were just telling an ordinary story. After speaking, he smiled at Pei Xiting and said, “Young Master, thank you for praising my painting as something good. You are a rare, kind-hearted person. I don’t want you to encounter trouble because of me.”
“Speaking of trouble, I have plenty of my own. When you have too many lice, you don’t feel the itch.” Pei Xiting said softly, “I’m not a kind-hearted person. I just like your painting and don’t want to see you rot in the mud. Don’t worry about anything else. Just tell me if you’re willing to come with me. Although you’re restricted here in every way, you don’t have to worry about food and clothing. But the outside world is vast, and you’ll have to fend for yourself. Whether you stay or leave, the choice is yours.”
The room fell silent for a moment. Ying Ziyu knelt down and kowtowed. This time, Yuan Fang didn’t stop him. “Young Master, your life-saving grace is beyond repayment. If I can get out of this place, I will surely repay you by working like an ox or a horse,” Ying Ziyu said, his voice trembling.
“I’m not helping you so you can go from being a chicken or duck to an ox or horse. It’s for that painting. If I had seen it a few years earlier, I would have definitely bought it for myself. Consider it as I’m making up for a regret,” Pei Xiting said. “If you really feel indebted, just answer one question for me truthfully… Get up.”
Ying Ziyu wiped his face, got up, sat down properly, and said, “Young master, please ask. As long as I know, I will definitely not hide anything.”
“Is there a man in the garden named Ma Bi?” Pei Xiting asked.
“There is such a person. He’s a guard in the garden, but I haven’t seen him these past two days,” Ying Ziyu said.
Tapping the table with his fan, Pei Xiting said, “Do you remember what he looks like?”
Ying Ziyu nodded. “I used to see him often, so naturally I remember.”
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