RPAGF Chapter 180 A Dream of Yellow Millet
Chapter 180 A Dream of Yellow Millet
I was just a chosen spy.
A toy that can be given away to others at any time.
Why was I chosen by so many people even though I'm not particularly good-looking?
There was no piano teacher waiting for me in the music room today. I only saw a person wearing a demon mask sitting in the teacher's seat.
Beside him was Liu Mama, who had never been so obsequious before.
Liu's mother treated him with great respect, like a dog seeing its master. Ironically, I am also a dog, and he is my master.
Before and after, the only master.
"It's so similar..."
Suddenly, two agile people, wearing the same demon masks as the first man, rushed out from nowhere, startling my little maid so much that she fainted, and also giving me a huge fright.
One person grabbed my hands and pressed me firmly to the ground, while another person pried open my mouth and forced me to eat something I didn't recognize. Then they quickly withdrew their grip and stood beside the person who was sitting, like two vicious wolves poised to pounce.
My throat hurt so much that tears and a dry cough came out at the same time, and I lay on the ground coughing for a long time in a sorry state.
This was the most humiliating day I've had in years, and it made me think back to my time in prison.
"Liu, cough cough cough... Aunt Liu, did I do something wrong?"
Tears kept flowing, and I knew how to make myself look more pitiful.
"What you ingested was the Heart-Eating Pill. It's deadly, and there's no antidote. When the poison takes effect, it will make you wish you were dead. Every three months, someone will give you medicine to alleviate the symptoms."
The one speaking was the seated man; his voice was strange and very old. I knew it wasn't his real voice.
"Work for me obediently, or you'll suffer a fate worse than death."
I've never been very smart, so anyone can bully me.
Actually, as long as he said he didn't need to use any poison, I would obediently help him. I'm not the kind of person who doesn't know how to repay kindness.
My throat finally felt less sore, and I finally had a chance to tidy up my clothes, which had become a bit messy from struggling, and then carefully gathered the stray strands of hair that had fallen across my forehead. Finally, I placed both hands flat on my forehead and kowtowed to him in a proper and respectful bow.
"From now on, I will obey any orders from my master!"
"..."
"You have good judgment; all the lessons your mother taught you over the years have been worthwhile."
"Alright, take your people back with you. You don't need to learn the zither anymore. Just focus on preparing for tomorrow's Fanghua Banquet."
"……Yes."
It seems I won't know what he wants me to do until tomorrow night's Fanghua Banquet.
……
Fu'an City belongs to the Tianhan Kingdom city-state in western Nan'an. It is located at the intersection of several kingdoms, including Da Liang, Li Le, and Qian Yue, so there are many merchants coming and going, and their influence is deeply entrenched.
I didn't know who my master was or which faction he belonged to. He didn't tell me, and neither did Aunt Liu tell me what the mission was.
Liu's mother just told me to rest well today, and to perform the dance that I've already rehearsed dozens of times in the evening and show my face. I don't need to do anything else.
I was nervous; this was the first time I had ever tried to charm and please those clients.
I don't know who will take a liking to me tonight and I'll end up spending the night with them. After all, I've been living in this brothel for a long time, and I knew this day would come sooner or later. I just hope that person isn't old and ugly, since it's my first time...
The building was still noisy, especially at night when there were more and more people. Today it was even more crowded than usual, with so many people at the bottom that it was almost impossible to move.
But that's just the place where those who spend less money can only stand and can't move around. Further inside, there are a few tables and chairs where people can sit, and that's a place for another group of people who spend more money. Not to mention there are many private rooms upstairs.
Today, besides the girls in the building, quite a few women also came to watch, some wearing veils and some not, each with their own purpose.
However, female guests are only allowed to enter today.
Places of ill repute offer more than just sex, especially in a place where multiple countries meet.
Changqinglou is the most famous Yinghua Lane in Fu'an City, and the annual Fanghua Banquet is so expensive that anyone with a little spare money will come to see this beautiful women vying for attention, even if they don't stay overnight.
However, on the day of the Fanghua Banquet, Changqinglou would set an entrance fee, and the fee was exceptionally high, selling the gimmick of competing for beauty.
As long as you pay the entrance fee, all drinks and snacks at Changqinglou are free to enjoy today.
Those who had witnessed the Fragrance Banquet all praised it highly, but it was a pity that they didn't have enough money to buy a beauty's first time, which left them feeling unsatisfied. A beauty's first time is not something you can just try whenever you want.
"Come on, esteemed guests, our Splendor Banquet is about to begin. The first guest to enter is our Miss Apricot Dew."
After saying this, Liu's mother clapped her hands, and the musicians on one side of the platform began to play a melodious and graceful tune.
"Good! Good!"
"It's finally starting after waiting for so long."
The music begins, and the show is about to start.
Amidst the commotion, the first beautiful woman, holding a pipa in one hand, descended amidst the falling petals and ribbons, then began to dance a graceful and alluring dance.
The first person to appear was just there to warm up the atmosphere, but as one of the people at this "Youthful Days Banquet," her looks were certainly not bad.
After the dance ended, the people below began bidding against each other.
"I'll give you one hundred taels."
"I'll give you two hundred!"
"I'll offer three hundred!!"
"five hundred!"
"Five hundred? That's already so many for the very first one..."
"This Boss Zhao is really generous."
Madam Liu immediately beamed with joy: "Oh my, that gentleman has already offered five hundred taels of silver, is anyone else going to raise the price?"
"Never mind, I'll take another look later."
"The first one offered five hundred taels, that's really too much to bear."
"What a pity, this Xinglu girl looks like she'll live a long life, it's a good deal for that Zhao guy."
"If no one bids higher, then Miss Xinglu is this gentleman's for tonight!"
"Hahaha, you're too kind."
The tall, thin man, who was called Boss Zhao, happily walked onto the stage, put his arm around Xinglu, and walked back with her. Xinglu, looking shy and demure, followed him off the stage.
After all, it's the Fanghua Banquet, and at the end, a courtesan will be chosen. No matter how impatient you are, you have to wait until the courtesan is chosen before you can go back to your room.
As I watched the ladies in front of me, each with their own unique charm, perform one by one, only to be bought by bidders for hundreds or thousands of taels of silver, my heart began to beat faster and faster.
The buyers were of all shapes and sizes, some fat, some thin, some beautiful, some ugly. Nobody knew who was taking them away, nor did they need to know; as long as they paid money, that was enough.
I was the last one to appear, and also the only one who was dressed the most and didn't have to do any of those striptease dances.
After Mrs. Liu finished speaking at length and mentioned my name, I knew it was my turn to go on stage.
I hugged my pipa, which had been with me for three whole years, tightly, and walked step by step to the front of the stage. Then I turned to the side and looked down at those people below... who looked like a pack of wolves.
There were too many people; I couldn't make out their faces or their voices.
All I heard were explicit words, one after another; all I saw were blatant, nauseating stares that seemed to want to completely engulf me.
My hands were sweating profusely, and my back was cold and shivering, but when the music started behind me, my body began to move mechanically.
The repeated practice allowed me to jump without making a single mistake, even though my mind was completely blank at the time. And it wasn't until I lifted the veil at the last moment that I could hear my heart beating again.
The people below started bidding, but it seemed like there was something wrong with my ears; I couldn't hear what they were shouting. My eyes also seemed to be having problems; my vision became extremely blurry, and I could see that each of their faces had transformed into a vengeful ghost coming to claim my life.
I waited stiffly for this long trial to end, waiting to see which evil spirit I would fall into and never escape.
Five hundred taels... of gold.
"That's... five thousand taels! Oh, who's offering such a high price?"
"Five thousand taels, oh my, whose spendthrift son is this now..."
"Spending money like water, tsk tsk tsk, five thousand taels to buy a prostitute's virginity, all she knows is how to dance the 'official's dance,' which official prostitute can't do that?"