Chapter 35: New Things at the Exhibition (Part 2)

"Everyone, I am just a merchant, humbly hosting this exhibition on the orders of my employer. …" After a series of polite pleasantries, Mr. Liu finally got to the point and loudly announced, "Next, please welcome Miss Ziyu to showcase the first item from our shop."

The Chunxiang Building had three famous courtesans, all trained by Yingniang: Ziyu, Lvyu, and Wanju. Among them, Wanju was the most popular, followed by the other two, who also had their fair share of wealthy patrons. The reason for Wanju's popularity wasn't her skills in bed, but her status as a pure courtesan and her refined manner, which appealed greatly to scholars.

As soon as he finished speaking, a young woman in a long dress appeared on the second floor. Everyone looked up, and today's Ziyu lived up to her name. She wore a long dress made of purple fabric with red plum blossoms, a style similar to the other girls but with an added purple cloak and a fox fur scarf around her neck. Her face was lightly made up, and she held a square mirror about a foot in size, walking gracefully down the stairs.

When she reached the ground floor, a closer look revealed even more surprises. Today, Ziyu's dress and the buttons at the high collar were both purple, and the material was the same as Yingniang's dress, just in a different color. These thumb-sized buttons were unique to the Ming Dynasty and couldn't be found anywhere else. The mirror, which had already been introduced to the Ming by the Franks, was rare, but these buttons were priceless. Some astute merchants were already fixated on the buttons, having seen the red ones before and now the purple ones. It was truly exciting!

As their gaze moved downward, they noticed the amethyst set in the belt buckle and a purple pearl bracelet on her white, tender hand, causing a flurry of wolfish stares.

Ziyu held the mirror and walked with a dignified pace, slowly circling the room. The purple pendant on her golden hairpin sparkled in the slanting sunlight, causing a collective intake of breath. Some looked up to see the glass tiles on the roof, allowing sunlight to filter in, and the glass windows around, which explained the excellent lighting.

Just the first item showcased by Ziyu, the clothes and accessories she wore, seemed to be the real focus of today's exhibition. The mirror was a good item, but compared to the purple fabric and jewelry, it paled in comparison. Any woman would go crazy over these things. Some wealthy patrons were already imagining how their yellow-faced wives and favored concubines would react upon learning of these items and how much silver it would cost to acquire them.

"Esteemed guests, you have all seen the mirror in my hands. It is one foot long and eight inches wide, with a frame made of a special material from America (essentially plastic). This is the first item grandly introduced by our joint business. Please be patient, esteemed guests. After the sisters have finished their demonstrations, you can all come forward to examine them closely." Ziyu placed the mirror on the table, stood behind it, and smiled modestly, holding her head high with an air of unattainable grace.

Men, after all, are often attracted to what they can't easily have. No matter how beautiful their wives, they are easily accessible and thus less valued. Ziyu's demeanor, on the other hand, only heightened the men's desire to conquer her, even those who had visited her chambers before now felt a strong urge to revisit.

"Esteemed guests, next, please welcome Miss Lvyu to showcase the second item!" Yingniang's voice was soft and soothing, immediately capturing everyone's attention. All eyes turned upward, eagerly awaiting the next performer. Even the secretary from the governor's office, Mr. Mo, stretched his neck and waited quietly.

At this moment, Yingniang looked at the men with their necks craned and inwardly sneered. People truly couldn't be compared! The short-haired doctor was like a celestial being, indifferent to the worldly beauties. In contrast, these men's pitiful expressions made her scoff.

A green figure slowly walked down the corridor on the second floor. This time, everyone was wiser, directly focusing on Lvyu's body, ignoring the small green bag on her wrist.

The dress was a light green with white lilies printed on it, like a breath of spring descending from upstairs. The fox fur scarf around her neck was a striking red, and everyone's eyes were glued to every detail of Lvyu's appearance, not missing a single one.

Her bracelet was made of black pearls, all of the same size and luster. The golden hairpin hanging from her head had green pendants, like drops of green rain. Her waist was cinched with a green belt, the buckle set with a green gemstone.

"Wait, don't move!" A guest suddenly shouted, and everyone turned to look, their angry expressions quickly subsiding. The voice belonged to Mr. Mo, the representative of Governor Sun, so everyone pretended it didn't happen.

Lvyu was startled and paused mid-step. Mr. Mo, disregarding his dignity, rushed up a few steps, crouched down, and examined her shoes, muttering to himself, "Indeed, indeed, they are not embroidered shoes."

This comment alerted everyone. Lvyu's feet, not fully bound in her youth, were not deformed. She wore a pair of half-heeled leather boots, a product of Chen Xie's previous blunder, who had bought a pair of such boots for his wife, Zhou Shi, who couldn't wear them. Chen Xie had kept them until he discovered Lvyu's feet were not deformed and gave them to her, which turned out to be a perfect fit for today's surprise.

The shoes were green, with a golden metal pattern embedded, and they were the only pair in the entire Ming Dynasty. No one had noticed them before because of the long dress. Mr. Mo's keen eyesight caught the difference, leading to his outburst.

"Esteemed guests, have you seen clearly?" Lvyu maintained her smile, very satisfied with the shoes. Wearing these shoes required smooth, silk-like stockings, which only she among the sisters wore. The others, due to their bound feet, couldn't wear such shoes or stockings.

Mr. Mo finally realized his indiscretion, stood up with a smile, and said, "I apologize, I was just excited."

Finding a way to save face, Mr. Mo returned to the crowd and continued watching the demonstration. Lvyu, now in front of everyone, raised her wrist and smiled, "Esteemed guests, do you see the bag on my wrist? You must be curious about what's inside. Let me show you."

The bag was interesting, with a wide opening and a stiff rim, secured by copper clasps on both sides. With a click, the clasps opened. She held it open, slowly moving to show everyone the three items inside. She giggled, "Esteemed guests, everyone can see clearly. I particularly like these three items: a toothbrush, toothpaste, which can make your teeth white and fragrant! And one more thing…."

Before Lvyu could finish, a guest shouted, "And a soft jade tongue!" This was Mr. Qian, a notorious lecher. His comment resonated with the crowd, who burst into laughter, including the lecherous ones.

Lvyu's style was different, a mix of accessibility and distant allure. She shot a white eye at Mr. Qian and said with a seductive smile, "Mr. Qian, you should say that to Sister Cui at the Hongxiu Brothel."

The room erupted in laughter, as everyone knew Cui was Mr. Qian's favorite, and he had spent a lot of silver on her.

"The third item is called Yashuang. Please look, a milky white bottle, with a snow-like fragrance. When applied to the skin, it has a beautifying effect. Mr. Qian, you should definitely buy a bottle. The short-haired doctor has said that men need to take care of themselves too." This comment had a double meaning, and everyone laughed, knowing Mr. Qian's weakness.

Mr. Qian didn't feel embarrassed and loudly declared, "The short-haired doctor is right. I think everyone should buy it. If it weren't for the short-haired doctor's medicine, I would have been long dead." He was proud of his connection to the short-haired doctor and willingly played the role of a shill.

In ancient times, people were careful not to show their teeth when laughing, largely because of poor dental hygiene. Coincidentally, Lvyu had a set of white teeth and was the tallest among the "three jade" girls. She wore a long dress without a cloak, and her movements were graceful, like a fairy walking on water. As she walked among the crowd, she smiled, revealing her white teeth and deep dimples. Everyone quickly noticed that her gait was different from the previous two, light and agile like a fox in the forest.

Although her profession involved displaying her beauty, the hardships were not something outsiders could understand. But today, Lvyu was full of confidence, and every movement and gesture captivated the audience. While Ziyu gave a cold impression, Lvyu provided a warm and inviting visual experience. Unlike Ziyu's reserved demeanor, Lvyu was like a butterfly flitting among flowers, often smiling and speaking, but not in a flirtatious manner, effectively setting the tone for the event.

The demonstration lasted longer than Ziyu's, and many "esteemed guests" took the opportunity to touch her hand and smell her fragrance, which usually required payment. Of course, they couldn't be too bold, as that would offend the short-haired doctor and the Zhang family. If that happened, they would only see their silver go into someone else's pocket, so even the most arrogant had to restrain themselves. One couldn't afford to offend silver.

Lvyu's demonstration soon ended, and everyone's eyes turned back to the second floor. Without a doubt, the final performer, Miss Wanju, would bring a new surprise.

The wait was agonizing, and after a long time, there was still no sign of movement upstairs. Just as everyone was on the verge of impatience, a pale figure slowly appeared at the corner of the corridor.

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