Chapter 7

There are many exciting things in this world, but the most exciting are undoubtedly the fulfillment of one's wishes and becoming rich overnight. Jiang Xia experienced both of these in just one short day.

After leaving the fourth floor, Jiang Xia returned directly to his room on the third floor. He spread out the thick stack of treasure notes that Zhang Yong had tipped him and began to count. To his surprise, there were seventy-five taels, seventy-five taels!

Adding the twenty taels of silver he had won from Zhang Yong's bet, the ten taels from Master Zhao's tip, the one tael from Master Ma, and the five taels he received for helping Mama Kang catch He Chaohui, not counting the other loose money, he had a total of one hundred and eleven taels of silver!

How much was one hundred and eleven taels of silver? A big teapot at the Qunfang Pavilion earned one tael of silver a month, so it would take him nearly ten years to earn one hundred and ten taels, and he couldn't spend a single penny during those ten years.

Jiang Xia neatly arranged the stack of treasure notes and then threw it heavily on the table, saying, "Hmph, I'm going to buy my freedom today!"

"Hmm, that's a bit too arrogant," Jiang Xia muttered to himself, picking up the stack of treasure notes and placing them gently on the table. "Mama Kang, I'm here to buy my freedom."

"But that seems a bit too weak," Jiang Xia shook his head. He stuffed the silver into his clothes and smiled, "Forget it, since I'm leaving this place, I might as well go out and have a good look around. I've been here for so long and have never really explored."

Jiang Xia opened the door and walked out. Just as he turned the corner, he heard a woman's voice say, "Mama Kang, I've been at the Qunfang Pavilion for three years and have earned you a lot of money. Now I just want to borrow fifty taels of silver, why are you pushing me so hard?"

"Nian Nu, it's not that Mama Kang is pushing you. I've said before that even if it were a hundred taels, I would lend it to you, Cui Nian Nu. But you have to help me too. Master Wang is the son of the Prefect of Shuntian, how can I offend him? He wants to take your virginity and has offered eight hundred taels. Why won't you agree? If you had agreed, you wouldn't need to borrow money from me now."

"Mama Kang," Cui Nian Nu's voice was clearly agitated, "When I sold myself, I said I would only sell for ten years, and I would only sell my skills, not my body."

"Yes, yes, you won't sell your body, you want to be a clean courtesan. I, Mama Kang, won't force you into prostitution. Your maid Xiaochun is already a courtesan and can't serve you anymore. Next time Master Wang comes, I won't be able to deal with him either. You'll have to handle it yourself. And the fifty taels you borrowed for your father, sorry, no!"

Mama Kang was clearly more agitated than Cui Nian Nu. After saying the last "no," she flung her sleeves and left.

After a while, Jiang Xia heard sobbing. He walked around the corner and saw Cui Nian Nu. She was squatting on the ground, covering her face with her hands, so she didn't notice Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia smiled and said, "When a person is beautiful, even their voice sounds beautiful. When a voice is beautiful, even crying sounds pleasant."

Cui Nian Nu looked up at Jiang Xia, then stood up and prepared to leave.

Jiang Xia called out to her, "Why are you in such a hurry? You need to borrow silver, right? I'll lend it to you."

Cui Nian Nu stopped and looked at Jiang Xia. From his tattered clothes, he didn't look like someone who could lend fifty taels of silver.

Jiang Xia didn't mind Cui Nian Nu's doubt. Since he had decided to lend her the silver, he didn't want to dilly-dally. He took out the thick stack of treasure notes from his clothes, counted out fifty, and handed them to Cui Nian Nu, saying, "Here, fifty taels."

Cui Nian Nu was stunned. She had never met Jiang Xia before and never dreamed he would lend her such a large sum. Jiang Xia smiled and said, "This money is for me to buy my freedom, so if you can, pay it back as soon as possible. Also, I admire your self-respect, so keep it up."

"In my heart, I added, 'Because I only favor virgins.'"

After saying that, Jiang Xia walked over and placed the treasure notes in Cui Nian Nu's hand, then turned and left. Cui Nian Nu looked at the treasure notes in her hand. By the time she called out, "Hey, what's your name? How can I find you to pay back the silver?" Jiang Xia was already at the stairs, about to go down.

Jiang Xia turned around, patted his forehead, and said, "I'm Jiang Xia, I work at the Qunfang Pavilion, I'm the study master here. If you have the money, you can find me anytime."

"Thank you," Cui Nian Nu said sincerely.

Jiang Xia waved his hand and walked away without a word.

After going downstairs, Jiang Xia found a corner in the hall and sat down. Since he had nothing to do, listening to the girls sing a few songs wasn't bad. Just as he sat down, Zhao Yougua suddenly brought a plate of braised beef, a plate of peanuts, and a pot of tea to Jiang Xia.

Jiang Xia looked at Zhao Yougua, who whispered, "Mr. Jiang, please enjoy. I got these from the kitchen, they're very clean, don't worry."

Jiang Xia smiled. Although these things weren't worth much, they were a gesture from Zhao Yougua, so he didn't refuse. He nodded and said, "Thank you."

Zhao Yougua smiled and said, "Mr. Jiang, you're welcome," then carried the tray away.

Jiang Xia took a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder on the table. Just as he was about to put a piece of beef in his mouth, he felt the light in front of him dim. Looking up, he saw Han Yu.

Han Yu was holding a roasted chicken wrapped in oil paper and a pot of wine. He sat down and said, "I bought a roasted chicken and wanted to have a few drinks with you, but I couldn't find you. I didn't expect you to be hiding here."

"I was just bored, so I came to listen to some songs," Jiang Xia said, flipping over the inverted wine glass on the table. Han Yu picked up the wine pot and filled both glasses.

Jiang Xia raised his glass and smiled, "Come, Brother Han, I'll toast to you first."

"Brother, you're too polite. We've never been so formal before," Han Yu said, raising his glass and clinking it with Jiang Xia's.

Wine culture in the Ming Dynasty was in a mature and developmental stage, with both distilled spirits and brewed wines coexisting. The wine Han Yu bought was not the expensive distilled spirit but the cheaper village wine. Village wine, also known as rice wine, had a low alcohol content and a sweet taste, which Jiang Xia found more enjoyable than the distilled spirits.

Jiang Xia drank the wine in one gulp. After putting down the glass, Han Yu praised, "Brother, you have a great drinking capacity and a great spirit." He then refilled Jiang Xia's glass, "Come, let's have another drink."

Jiang Xia took the glass and smiled, "Brother Han, you must have something to ask me. If you need my help, just say it. I won't refuse if I can do it."

Han Yu's thoughts were exposed, so he looked at Jiang Xia and awkwardly smiled. Anyone could guess he had something to ask. After taking a deep breath, Han Yu said, "Brother Jiang, it's like this. I... I want to borrow some silver from you."

"Oh? How much?" Jiang Xia asked nonchalantly, but he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The day he planned to buy his freedom hadn't arrived, and he had just gathered the money when he encountered two people asking to borrow silver.

Han Yu swallowed and said, "Brother, I want to borrow... twenty taels of silver."

Twenty taels was not a small amount, and it was awkward to borrow such a large sum from someone he had just started to befriend. After saying this, Han Yu's face turned red, and he looked very embarrassed.

Jiang Xia nodded and took out a stack of treasure notes from his clothes, counting out twenty taels and handing them to Han Yu, "Brother Han, is twenty taels enough? If not, I have a bit more, I can give you more."

"Enough, enough, enough," Han Yu excitedly took the twenty taels and looked at Jiang Xia gratefully, "Brother Jiang, you didn't even ask why I needed the silver before lending it to me?"

Jiang Xia smiled, "I trust Brother Han, so I lent you the silver. If I trust you, why should I ask what you need it for?"

Han Yu was moved, "Brother Jiang, I..."

Jiang Xia waved his hand and smiled, "Brother Han, you treat me like a brother, and I treat you like a brother. It's only right for brothers to help each other."

"Thank you, brother. I'll pay you back as soon as I have the money," Han Yu said earnestly.

Jiang Xia smiled, "No rush, I don't need the money right now."

After saying that, Jiang Xia picked up his glass, "Come, Brother Han, let's have another drink."

"Sure," Han Yu raised his glass. Just as they clinked glasses, Jiang Xia saw a man in silk and two servants dressed as attendants enter the Qunfang Pavilion.

The receptionist, a madam, called out from a distance, "Oh, Master Wang, it's been so long since you last came. The girls at the Qunfang Pavilion have missed you so much. I said this morning that the magpies were chirping, and it turns out Master Wang is here. Master Wang, please come upstairs?"

"None of your girls miss me. What matters is whether Nian Nu misses me. I've come to your Qunfang Pavilion five times and spent over three hundred taels, but I haven't even touched Nian Nu's hand.

"I'm telling you, no one is to stop me today, or I'll have my father send troops to seal your Qunfang Pavilion tomorrow. I'll give you five hundred taels first, and I won't leave until I have Nian Nu tonight!"

As Master Wang spoke, he took out a thick stack of treasure notes and handed them to the madam, then led the two attendants upstairs.

The madam, holding the five hundred taels, didn't know what to do. After a few seconds, she quickly sent someone to inform Mama Kang.

Seeing this, Jiang Xia frowned and asked Han Yu, "Brother Han, who is that Master Wang?"

"That Master Wang is a notorious bully in Shuntian Prefecture," Han Yu said, "His father is the Prefect of Shuntian, a sixth-rank official."

"I see," Jiang Xia nodded and smiled, "Forget it, let's not talk about it. Let's drink."

"Sure," Han Yu and Jiang Xia had another drink. After drinking, Han Yu sighed, "What a pity, Nian Nu is in trouble tonight. She's a good girl, clean and well-mannered, and always ready to help others. In the past, when the workers in the shop were short of money, they would borrow from her, and she never refused. Even when some people didn't pay back, she didn't get angry or chase them. Sometimes I feel sorry for her."

Jiang Xia smiled and shook his head, "Sometimes being too beautiful is a sin. That's why beautiful women bring disaster."

As he said this, Jiang Xia suddenly stood up, "Brother, you sit here. I need to use the restroom. I'll be back in a moment."

"Go ahead, I'll wait for you to come back and have a few more drinks," Han Yu smiled and waved.

PS: Everyone, it's time to push the new book up the charts. Clicks, favorites, and votes... I'm on my knees begging for your support.

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