Chapter 11: Eliminating Evil (Part 1)

Chapter 11: Eliminating the Evil (Part I)

Squire Zhao arrived at noon.

He was a man born to love a crowd; usually, no matter where he went, he would call his friends and entourages to surround him. Today, however, he brought only a few attendants, entering the premises quietly and unobtrusively.

As soon as she saw him, Mother Yu bowed and scraped to welcome him, respectfully inviting him upstairs. Only after seeing him seated comfortably did she approach with a face full of smiles. "Master Zhao, which of the young ladies would you like to serve you today?"

Squire Zhao swirled his gaiwan tea, offering no answer.

Seeing his apparent displeasure, Mother Yu bent her waist so low she nearly touched the floor. "Could it be that the girl went to your manor to sing last night and offended you? If there is anything making you unhappy, please say so, and I shall surely punish her severely!"

"Can there be anything wrong with the girls Mother Yu teaches?" Squire Zhao glanced at her and let out a mocking chuckle. "I had an incredibly pleasant time last night."

Mother Yu's eyelid twitched. She thought to herself that when Zhaozhao had reported back, she had said she hadn't let him lay a finger on her. She replied with a forced smile, "It is good that Master Zhao was pleased." She presented the roster. "Take a look? There are few guests today, so the girls are all quite fresh."

"Few guests?" Squire Zhao lazily flipped through the roster. He had slept with all those of decent looks and truly couldn't find many new faces. "This place is full of withered flowers and fallen willows; it would be a miracle if there were many guests."

"Master Zhao, you jest," Mother Yu flattered him. "Though my girls may not be national beauties, they are quite pleasing to the eye. It is only a pity that times are hard; the masters who do business are all facing famine. They aren't like you with your vast estates and great wealth—how could they have money to wander through a house like this? On the rare occasion one or two do come, they are stingy and picky, acting as if they are spending gold instead of silver. Tell me, is it a good thing to have too many people like that? If you ask me, a hundred stingy guests aren't worth a single one of a truly wealthy master like yourself!"

Her words were perfectly balanced, and Squire Zhao found them very pleasing. He snapped the roster shut and tossed it carelessly onto the floor. "I'm not looking. Call them all in."

Mother Yu's mouth hung open. "All... all of them?"

"Didn't you just say? A hundred of them couldn't match me." Squire Zhao toyed with his fan. "Since that's the case, and since there are few guests today, I shall take them all."

Entertaining dozens of courtesans was no small expense. Mother Yu clicked her tongue at Squire Zhao's generosity, and her already low waist dropped straight to the floor in a kneel. "Thank you, Master Zhao! I shall call them at once!"

In moments, all the girls in the house who weren't currently serving guests swarmed upstairs, surrounding Squire Zhao like butterflies and bees, chatting and laughing in sweet, delicate voices.

Squire Zhao sank into this sea of tenderness, feeling as if he were floating among the immortals. Amidst his contentment, his eyes scanned the room.

He didn't see the person he was looking for. Just as he was about to say someone was missing, he saw Mother Yu leading Zhaozhao through the door, reporting with a smile, "Master Zhao, I have brought her to you."

Mother Yu's hand rested on Zhaozhao's shoulder, secretly exerting force to push her forward. Zhaozhao, however, stood her ground, keeping a distance of five paces from the man surnamed Zhao, refusing to move any closer.

Squire Zhao fanned himself. He saw that Zhaozhao was dressed in clean, striking green attire, her youthful face adorned with makeup. She was pleasing to the eye, clearly having been hurriedly dressed by Mother Yu. It was a pity this girl possessed only a flirtatious exterior; once she met a guest, she would only clutch her pipa tightly and refuse to sing.

"Are you..." He dragged out his words in a leisurely tone, "...going to ask me again if I want to hear you sing?"

"I won't ask."

He was acting with ill intent, and Zhaozhao couldn't be bothered to play along. "Master Zhao has plenty of ways to find pleasure; why would you have the time to listen?"

Squire Zhao was amused. Temperamental whores were a hassle, but a face devoid of flattery possessed a fragile stubbornness, like a crisp, fresh branch that made one want to snap it.

Fearing he would grow angry, Mother Yu shoved Zhaozhao to the ground and scolded, "You bitch-born wench, how dare you be so sharp-tongued with a guest? It is your honor that Master Zhao is speaking to you, yet you dare act so haughty!"

"Mother Yu, she is young and doesn't know better. Why bother with her? If you scold her until she's miserable, who do you think will entertain me?"

Half-supporting and half-dragging, Squire Zhao pulled Zhaozhao up from the floor. Using the hand adorned with a jade ring, he brushed the dust from the hem of her skirt. "You child, you always like to misunderstand good intentions and always seek out trouble for yourself—I truly came today to hear you sing."

Zhaozhao shot him a hateful glance and remained coldly silent.

Seeing that Zhaozhao was being difficult, the ladies in the room feared she would drive the patron away and cost everyone their earnings. They quickly laughed and said, "Oh, Master Zhao has graced us with his presence just to hear Zhaozhao sing? If she is unwilling to serve you, the rest of us sisters are waiting."

Squire Zhao had no interest in bickering with them and gave a meaningful look to his attendant. The attendant pulled out several silver ingots and a large handful of copper coins, slapping them onto the table with a clatter. Instantly, the eyes of everyone in the room were drawn to them; even Zhaozhao looked up at the money.

"You who are courtesans—can you all play and sing at least a little?" Squire Zhao asked.

The ladies chattered all at once, reporting the instruments they knew.

Squire Zhao raised his fan and pointed at Zhaozhao. "She will sing a song, and one of you will also sing a song. I shall judge the quality. The winner gets a reward!"

Upon hearing this, everyone instantly became spirited. They rushed downstairs to fetch their best instruments and scrambled back into the room. The room was packed with singing beauties holding instruments, so crowded there was hardly room to breathe. Even so, the ladies cleared a small space, allowing Zhaozhao to stand out like a crane among chickens.

Zhaozhao held her pipa and looked around. What met her eyes were faces filled with a shared sense of enmity. Usually, they only engaged in petty squabbles, but they held no real grudges. Now, incited by the money, they were all eager to compete with her; she had offended them whether she wanted to or not.

*It's over,* Zhaozhao thought.

If this man surnamed Zhao judged her the winner in every instance, she and Yaoniang likely wouldn't be able to stay in this house much longer.

(End of Chapter)