Chapter 23

Due to Ye Yu's dyeing workshop business booming over the past half year, he had no time to take care of the Su family's clothing shop. Therefore, although he held the position of second manager, he rarely worked at the counter.

Now, as the New Year approached, the streets and alleys were filled with a festive atmosphere. Regardless of their wealth or poverty, people were busy preparing for the Spring Festival.

During this period, Ye Yu instructed Su Tai to take out all the accumulated bolts of cloth from the dyeing workshop's warehouse and give them to the poor. With his current capabilities, this was all he could do.

When Su Tai thought Ye Yu's actions were quite costly, Ye Yu waved his hand dismissively. Now, he was also a half-merchant, but he believed that merchants should be content with a reasonable profit.

Money was not about how much one had, but whether it was enough to spend. Since he had the ability, why not provide some relief appropriately?

The courtyard was covered with auspicious snow, and a ray of sunlight peeked through the sky. Ye Yu sat quietly in his study, struggling to practice his calligraphy.

The reason it was called "struggling" was not because his arm was injured, but because the way he wrote was somewhat unique.

The brush moved horizontally and vertically on the paper, with a copper coin placed at the end of the brush handle. As long as Ye Yu's movements were slightly too large, the coin would fall off the end of the brush.

Ye Yu had been practicing this way for half a year without a single day's interruption.

Although Ye Yu, who had integrated memories, had considerable knowledge, his handwriting was truly not up to par. The characters were not ugly, but they were not good either.

In his previous life, although Ye Yu's handwriting was decent, it was with a hard pen. Now, using a brush, he had no problem writing, but to write beautifully, he needed to put in more effort.

"Master, you've been practicing for a long time. Why don't you take a break?" At this moment, Qiulan lifted the curtain and walked in with a tray of tea.

Ye Yu finished the last character, put down the brush, and stopped writing. He shook his right arm, which had gone numb, and said to himself, "It seems that Wang Xizhi's calligraphy being passed down through history is not without reason!"

In the past, Wang Xizhi practiced calligraphy so hard that the pond where he washed his brush turned black. This diligence and hard work made him the revered calligrapher of later generations.

Now, Ye Yu, who was practicing calligraphy, could truly understand the tedium and perseverance involved.

Qiulan, of course, did not know these stories. She only knew that Master was very tired. She first placed the tea tray on the table, then gently handed the teacup filled with tea to Ye Yu.

"Having you, Qiulan, by my side to add fragrance, even if I am tired, it is worth it..." Ye Yu said, taking the teacup and smiling.

At this moment, Qiulan, who was massaging Ye Yu's back, smiled sweetly and then gave him a slightly harder punch, saying, "Master, you are just joking..."

Qiulan's eyes fell on the brush on the table, and she tilted her head in confusion, asking, "Master, is this method really effective?"

"Of course it is!" Ye Yu said, putting down the teacup and speaking with great seriousness, "During the Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian used this method for years, eventually becoming a great calligrapher. At first, his characters were extremely ugly!"

"How ugly were they, Master?" Qiulan, who loved to hear stories from Ye Yu, often became so engrossed that she would keep asking questions, demanding to know the reason.

Seeing that Qiulan's habit of asking questions had resurfaced, Ye Yu felt a bit helpless and shook his head, saying, "How ugly? Because of his handwriting, the chief examiner judged his character and did not list him on the imperial examination list! His ranking in the imperial examination was delayed by three years!"

"Oh! But that's so unfair! How can the quality of one's handwriting be related to their moral character?"

Qiulan's insight made Ye Yu laugh. Not knowing why Master was laughing, she asked, "Master, did I say something wrong?"

As Ye Yu's laughter subsided, he sighed slightly, "Even you, Qiulan, can understand this, but those learned scholars could never grasp it! In this regard, you are much better than Ouyang Xiu!"

"Ouyang Xiu? Master, I seem to have heard this name before. He..."

"He? The promoter of the ancient literary movement during the reign of Emperor Renzong of our dynasty, and also the leader of the literary world during that time..." Ye Yu closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

Although Ye Yu always respected these great literary figures, he only respected them and did not worship them.

Under the brilliant halo of these great figures, some flaws were not even worth mentioning. Just the fact that Huang Tingjian was not listed on the imperial examination list due to his ugly handwriting made Ye Yu very indignant, as Ouyang Xiu was the chief examiner of that year.

Moreover, the Northern Song Dynasty selected those with beautiful writing and elegant prose, but these people often turned out to be corrupt officials with poor character, which was a great irony.

Being praised as more sensible than Ouyang Xiu, Qiulan felt very happy. Then, as if she had thought of something, she hurriedly left the study.

This made Ye Yu, who was enjoying the massage, feel a bit empty. When he opened his eyes, Qiulan had returned to the study with a brocade robe in her arms.

"Here, this was sent by Miss Su this morning!" Qiulan handed the brocade robe to Ye Yu, mumbling something.

Ye Yu looked at the finely tailored brocade robe in his hands, rubbed his forehead in frustration, and thought to himself, "This is really hard to repay the kindness of a beauty." He then put on the brocade robe, which fit perfectly.

Seeing Qiulan standing silently by the side with another brocade robe in her hands, Ye Yu raised an eyebrow and teased, "Are you jealous? If so, I'll take it off and wear the cotton robe you made. Would that be okay?"

"Master, am I being too petty?" Qiulan lowered her head and asked in a soft voice.

Ye Yu nodded seriously, "Yes, a bit."

"Ah..." Qiulan looked at Ye Yu in surprise, then quickly lowered her head, somewhat uneasy, "Master, don't worry, I'll change..."

Ye Yu did not speak immediately but took off the brocade robe he was wearing, reached out, and took the cotton robe from Qiulan. Looking at the rough workmanship, he said with a kind smile, "Just by looking at the workmanship, I know it's from your hands!"

He put on the cotton robe, moved his shoulders, and then said solemnly, "No matter what I wear, this little cotton robe is always the most comfortable, even though it is rough and doesn't fit well. But this kind of petty thinking, you should not have in the future!"

"Um!"

Qiulan softly responded, then picked up the brocade robe Ye Yu had taken off and personally helped him put it on. Seeing Qiulan's understanding, Ye Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Just as they were chatting, Guo Xiaotian came in to report that Pan Zhi's servant was waiting outside the study. After the servant entered and explained the situation to Ye Yu, Ye Yu frowned slightly, showing some hesitation.

"Master Ye, my young master and Master Lu are waiting for you at the Drunken Spring Tower. Please come and join them!"

Ye Yu naturally knew what the Drunken Spring Tower was. It was the first pleasure house in Qingliu County.

Although Ye Yu knew that the pleasure houses of that time were not the same as the brothels of later times, he still had a natural aversion to them.

"Young Master Pan sure knows how to pick a place!" Ye Yu said with a nonchalant tone.

The servant, who had been with Pan Zhi for many years, naturally knew how to read people, and explained humbly, "Master Ye, you may not know, but my young master was forcibly dragged by Master Lu to the Drunken Spring Tower for a poetry competition! My young master is worried about losing, so he has come to seek your help..."

Pfft! Visiting a pleasure house is visiting a pleasure house, and there's no need to talk about a poetry competition. Besides, with your great talent, Master Pan, do you really need someone else's help?

However, Ye Yu did not want to point this out. Moreover, he had intended to invite Pan Zhi, and since the other party had taken the initiative to invite him, he did not want to refuse.

After all, it was Pan Zhi who had secretly informed him, allowing him to change his plan for selling the cloth in time. Thinking of this, Ye Yu did not refuse but asked the servant to report back and said he would come shortly.

...

The Drunken Spring Tower was located on the busiest section of Yong'an Street in the county town. It was a three-story building, with living rooms on the first and second floors. The third floor, where the courtesan Liu Qianyu resided, had been transformed from a chaotic and bustling area into a place called Qianyu Pavilion.

The interior of Qianyu Pavilion was elegantly decorated, similar to a boudoir. The bookshelf by the wall held several scrolls of scriptures, and a guqin was placed on a pear wood desk. The incense burner emitted a faint, fragrant smoke.

The front wall was adorned with the characters "Chuzhong," and the room was clean and simple, exuding a scholarly and refined atmosphere.

The personal maid, Huan'er, stood by, carefully serving the new mistress, Liu Qianyu. Not long ago, a merchant with a northern accent visited the madam of the Drunken Spring Tower and sold a fifteen-year-old girl to her.

The madam, seeing that the girl named Liu Qianyu was exceptionally beautiful, negotiated the price and paid 100 guan as a dowry to buy her.

After buying Liu Qianyu, the madam carefully designed and adorned her. This transformation delighted the madam, as she now had a beauty before her.

The madam then had a clever idea, thinking that rare goods could be sold at a high price. Being a shrewd businesswoman, she kept Liu Qianyu in the quiet third floor and assigned her personal maid, Huan'er, to take good care of her, treating her like a daughter.

Soon, the madam discovered that Liu Qianyu was not only literate and skilled in poetry and calligraphy but also proficient in music and dance. This discovery delighted the madam, and she quickly gave Liu Qianyu the title of "Flower Queen."

The news spread quickly, and within three days, many officials and wealthy young men came to see the beauty, bringing silver with them.

After a period of rest and care, Liu Qianyu, when seen, was unforgettable. Her face was clear and beautiful, without a trace of makeup.

Her slightly closed eyes showed a hint of melancholy, clear like an autumn lake but also hazy, filled with a touch of sorrow and charm, making her look pitiful and endearing.

Lazily, she opened her red lips and said, "Huan'er, how many guests are outside?"

Huan'er carefully combed Liu Qianyu's hair and replied, "Many guests have come, mostly young men. However, the young Master Lu, who broke the jade kirin for you, has invited the county's top scholar, Master Pan, to come today!"