41 A Beautiful Young Man by the Stream (2/2)
At places where beautiful girls abounded, it was easier to make money with their beauty, and it was effortless, involving little devotion and great gains. Considering that top courtesans from House of Red-Sleeves enjoyed great chances of becoming the concubines of high-rank officials throughout the world, who wouldn't like to make lots of money and lead a great life at the end of their career?
When Mistress Jian first established House of Red-Sleeves back in the days, she probably strove for a clean song-and-dance troupe. Nevertheless, surviving in a world of male dominance wasn't exactly easy. The seemingly highly popular and respected song-and-dance troupe had no chance in countering the pressure of the noble and aristocracy around the world, and in the end she could only succumb to the cruel reality.
Flowers blossomed by the stream, starlight was reflected and shattered by flowing water, and the world behind the white wall seemed so pure and wonderful. Like a poet, Ning Que strolled under the starlight holding his hands behind his back, though the purity of the scenery failed to relax his mind.
A young lad shouldn't be easily irritated.
Thinking about the gossip he just heard from the young maidservant, he shook his head briefly to get rid of such useless emotions, and continued strolling by the stream, occasionally greeting the pretty girls that crossed his path, showing impeccable manners.
Just as was mentioned before, it always looked much ridiculous to see a teenage boy pretending to look mature and seasoned. However, while it might be upset to see a ridiculous and ugly person, it was quite cute when ridicule was partnered with youth and tenderness.
As they came to Chang'an, it was much easier to take a bath than back in City of Wei, and his slightly curled black hair that used to look dirty and greasy now looked clean and fresh thanks to Sangsang, and alongside his complexion which was not necessarily handsome but clear enough, he now enjoyed a pretty clear and pure look.
Moreover, the hot and spicy shredded noodles sold at the other end of Lin Fortieth Lane were really delicious with its succulent beef slices. Having been eating that for days, both he and Sangsang managed to gain some weight, making his face look even cuter and more inoffensive, therefore quite likable.
The girls along the way glanced at him with curiosity, and they all seemed to like him for his clean and youthful look. Once they realized he was the young man they kindly made fun of and invited in, they couldn't help giggling. The girls had seen all kinds of weird things taking place here at the house, but it was certainly the first time Mistress Jian ordered someone to give a young man a tour around here, and out of curiosity and excitement, Ning Que was surrounded, and they just wouldn't let him leave.
The young maidservant was nudged out by all the other courtesan girls and felt utterly frustrated, as if her exclusive toy was taken away by the big sisters. She stood there angrily with her hands on her waist and yelled like a tigress. ”Don't you dare spoil the young lad! He's a scholar aiming to enter the academy, and he's still a... you know what I mean, so if you're not planning to give him one of those big red packets, just leave him alone already!”
”Oh dear, look at our poor Xiaocao, what got into you? Your big sisters are just curious about this lad and want to play a little, don't you get upset! So he's a scholar aiming to enter the academy? More the reason to check him out properly, should we?”
Someone spoke at a fast pace and with a slightly husky voice, and the girls quickly separated to let a woman with striking beauty walk in with great elegance. The woman was around twenty, looking plump and ripe, showing wonderfully curvy arms and a beautiful waistline. She walked in a way that was so feminine and sexy that, it looked smooth like water flowing.
On the other hand, her face was so small that it made her chubbiness go completely unnoticed, and you could only contemplate her jade-like clear beauty.
Upon seeing this woman, Ning Que's eyes brightened up and exclaimed in his mind, ” She's the one !”