Chapter 8: No business at all
Not a single client was there!
Standing in the center of the front hall, empty-minded, Ji Wujin looked up and searched the giggles.
On the street outside the Xiaoxiang Lou, different body-shaped women were standing there, fully-and-temptingly-dressed. They had different postures but with one common thing, trying to make a sexy pose and waving a colorful handkerchief in the air.
“Come on, have fun.”
Every man passing by walked quickly when they heard the girls. A man who was quick enough would be dragged by a girl.
Then a crowd of thirsty women would flock out and dragged that man into the building like he was a rare prey.
Those women were strong and masculine. That man was almost dragged into the building.
The girls laughed and said, “come on, don’t be shy.”
The fake sweet voice didn’t tempt the man but frightened him. His thin body burst out an incredible strength.
The man surprisingly got rid of their grasp. He was surprised by himself too. Then he crawled away while he was shouting, “help me! rapists!”
The wind roared into the hall. Ji Wujin stood there, mind blown.
Since they failed, the girls began to yell, “that poor man! We know he had no money. But why did he call us rapists?! That’s funny…”
“He looks like a poor man. He doesn’t deserve us!”
“…” Where do they get confidence from? Born with it? How dare they?
The women were still talking. An integrity-looking man passed by. All of sudden, those colorful handkerchiefs were waving in the air altogether.
“Hello, you! You are so cute! Come in and have fun…”
Once again, he ran away.
When the thirtieth man ran away from them, Ji Wujin had no desire to keep watching because she was worried that her mind would go blind if she kept watching it.
She sat down on a nearest chair.
When she was pouring a cup of water to make it up for herself, she heard someone playing music upstairs. It was moving, beautiful.
Ji Wujin paused. It was the fifth song she heard.
The bucktooth girl walked in while she was wiping sweats. She walked to Ji Wujin’s table and poured a cup of water for herself, and gave a stare at the upstairs, “do you think you are marvelous to play such stupid song? Only those poor scholars buy it, and with little money!”
Ji Wujin was impressed, “I didn’t except Qingqing could play such a peaceful song given her spicy personality.”
Although she didn’t know much about music, she could tell it was tranquil and soft. All of the other songs she played was soft enough to relax Ji Wujin who was tortured by those fake giggles from the ugly women.
“It is not Qingqing. You don’t know that? It is Xiao Panpan, the new comer.”
“Huh?”
“It’s true. How could I play music like she does? I only dance!”
The arrogant stone draw Ji Wujin’s attention and made her look upstairs, “Qingqing?”
Gu Qingqing walked out of a guest room, flipping a dozen of bronze coins in her hand, followed by a shy scholar.
“You can only enjoy two dances with twelve copper coins. I already give you accounts. Make more money and come back.”
The scholar blushed and lowered his head, nodded, ran away quickly downstairs and out of the side gate.
Ji Wujin looked back excitedly and started at the coins in Gu Qingqing’s hand. She was thrilled. Gu Qingqing was not bad! She could make money! Thinking of this, Ji Wujin flattered her, “Qingqing, you just danced, didn’t you? You must be very tired. Come downstairs and have a cup of water?”
“Hum!” ignored by Ji Wujin, Zhenzhen drunk up the tea and dropped the cup strongly on the table, which startled Ji Wujin. “What are you doing? If you break that cup, you will have no steamed bread tomorrow morning!”
Ji Wujing didn’t mean to be that harsh on the girls. But she held grudge in heart.
Why did she have to experience all of these? Why was she reborn to be a noble procure but still couldn’t have a life of eating enough steamed bread? It was all because of these useless ugly women!
Ji Wujin was so angry to grit her teeth. Zhenzhen hissed her and walked out of the gate, waving the handkerchief in the air. She raised her voice, “sir, come on and have fun. It’s really fun.”
“…” Ji Wujin’s hand holding the cup trembled because her voice was killing her!
Not to mention those who ran away from her voice, even Ji Wujin had the desire to shut the gate and chase those women away.
But Ji Wujin had no time for that. She turned around and made a flattering smile, “hey, Qingqing, I will carry the water upstairs for you.”
“I don’t need it! Keep it for yourself!”
“Huh? Aren’t you thirsty? After two dances? You must be very tired. I feel sorry for you…”
Gu Qingqing didn’t look great and gave her a stare, “do yu think you can undo my tiredness with water?”
“Oh…” Ji Wujin finally understood, “are you hungry? Told you that you’d be hungry if you don’t eat at supper. Tomorrow, at breakfast, I assure you I will grab a few steamed breads for you…Hey…”
Gu Qingqing’s face turned pale before she even finished her sentence, and walked into the room where she had just walked out, “if I see steamed bread tomorrow, I will learn from Xiao Panpan!”
“Huh? What to learn from her?”
“Hunger strike!”
Bang! She slammed the door.
Ji Wujin stood there in shock. Xiao Panpan’s door was pushed open and a man was rushed out by the girl in pink, “go! Go away! Right now!”
“Miss Panan and I really can get along even though we just meet each other. She and I are perfect for each other!”
The maid in pink got more irritated by his explainaiton, “back off! How dare you think like that?! Shut up and get out!”
The scholar-looking man was pushed downstairs and pointed fingers at Ji Wujing who was shocked by what was happening, “you are cruel procuress! How could you make Miss Xiao such a great girl a prostitute…”
The man got so mad as he was about to cry. Ji Wujin pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and waved it in the air. The fragrance of powder suddenly made the air smell nice, “you don’t like it? Fine. You can pay off her contract.”
“Pay off? How, how much?”
“Ha…” Ji Wujin smiled, covering her face, “didn’t you just accuse me of making her a prostitute? Now you are buying her from me?”
“You!” The poor scholar-looking man was insulted and pointed to Hua Wujiao, “how much? How much should I pay for her?!” He even raised his voice as if he was worried that Xiao Panpan couldn’t hear him.
“Well, since you see greatness in Miss Xiao, I would say a hundred of thousand taels of silver. What do you think?”
The man’s face turned red but couldn’t say anything. He left in anger. Ji Wujin bursted into laughter. She had never realized that she could be so good at having a quarrel. The words just slipped out as if she had practiced for millions of time.
It went quiet in Xiao Panpan’s room. Ji Wujin’s smile gradually disappeared. She looked at her room and made a promise in her mind, “I assure you that I won’t force any of you.”
Standing back on feet, patting her buttock, Ji Wujin sneaked to the gate secretly. Although Gu Qingqing and Xiao Panpan can attract a few poor clients, she had to hold on any chances. If anyone wanted to listen to music or watch dance show, they had to pay first before going upstairs!
It was not until late at night, the women who had been shouting at the gate for entire night finally got tired. The buckteeth girl yawned and went back to the backyard, followed by the rest of ugly women, “go back to sleep. I’m so tired!”
Ji Wujin was speechless again, “you don’t have a single client, ok?”
No one responded as if they didn’t hear her. They just went back to their own rooms in the backyard.
The room upstairs had already gone completely silent. Gu Qingqing had gone back to her own room after she entertained three guests. Ji Wujin was the only one in the front hall, squatting at the gate for a long time.
Holding a few coins in her hand, which were everything they had earned for the night, Ji Wujin sighed hopeless, “if this is it, I might need to beg for food again.”
She looked up into the sky and saw a big moon there, while her stomach rumbled.
“What a loser! I am even 10 years older than my last life and still have to beg for food!”
She murmured for a while and stood back on feet with support of wall because she couldn’t feel her legs after squatting there for a long time.
As she was shaking her legs to regain consciousness, a sudden cold wind swept through the empty street.
“February spring breeze is like scissors…” Tightening her red dress, she reached for the door to close it.
All of sudden, a big hand covered her mouth from behind.
Thanks to the moonlight, she could see a dark, tall shadow behind her. It was a man!
“Mmmmmm…” You can’t rape me or rob me!
The man behind her said with a cold voice as if he could read her mind, “old woman, you think too much.”
“Mmm…” Who is the old man, you say?!
She was not only hijacked all of sudden, before she lost her virginity, she was also insulted. Ji Wujin went mad because of anger. The only thing on her mind was, are you calling me an old woman!