Chapter Thirty-Seven: Astonishing News

  Liu Minyou knew it was Deng Keshan as soon as he heard the voice. This man had a reputation in Tianjin, knowing everything about the streets, brothels and gangs. Although Liu Minyou didn't have a good impression of him, they were working together now, so he quickly invited him in. The three men sat down in the shop, and Wang Daiji brought over three cups of tea.

  Deng Keshan smiled smugly and said to the two men, "Liu brother, Dai brother, there are two things: the brothel and the saleswoman. First, let's talk about the brothel. This matter has finally been settled. I visited three places, but Qunfang Tower is still the best. The madam is an acquaintance of mine. Two days ago, she insisted on one or two taels, but I negotiated for two days and finally agreed on eight qian. We'll sell it for three taels and five qian per piece. However, she wants us to help serve tea in the main hall during the grand meeting."

  This pheasant is a good idea, whether it sells or not, it's not a loss. Now looking forward to making money, can only agree, and ask Deng Keshan: "When can we start?"

  "It's settled for tonight. Their flower girl is called Si Gui'er. According to Liu Ge, I'll send her a dress, and the madam gave me all her measurements."

  Liu Min had accepted the note and put it away, but he couldn't help feeling a bit worried: "Three to five hundred dollars isn't that expensive, is it? Will those guests be willing to pay?"

  Deng Keshan took a sip of tea before saying, "Brother Liu doesn't have to worry about them not having money. The Qinglou is not like the Qujiang Lou, where the Red Flower Queen costs 15 taels for one night, excluding opera performances and banquets. In this Tianjin city, inside and outside the city walls, there are many officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants from the capital who have relatives here. The good locations of the shops all belong to them. Their daily expenses are more than what we make in a year. If we don't earn a bit more, it would be unscrupulous."

  Liu Minyou and Dai Zhenggang were both stunned.

  Deng Keshan continued: "What I just said was about the brothel, three to five coins per item, and then there were the saleswomen, I found eight of them."

  Liu Min exclaimed in surprise: "Brother Deng is indeed a man of extensive social connections, even recognizing so many vendors."

  "What's eight, I know many of these three aunts and six mothers. If you want to find more, there are still some. Among these eight, five are selling ladies, three are flower ladies. Some of them have handles in my hands, so don't be too polite with them. We set the amount of silver, it's just that much silver, they can't take more."

  Dai Zheng said: "What else can a vendor have in their grasp? Isn't it just selling things?"

  Deng Keshan smiled slyly: "You don't know, do you? These three aunts and six grannies are not good things, I'll take care of them, there's a way."

  Liu Min hastily advised: "Deng brother, we still need them to work with their hearts, you gave too little, they won't be able to do it even if they don't put in effort."

  "Yes, yes, Brother Liu is right, I'll listen to you. Otherwise, let's settle the matter today and I can also make arrangements with them."

  Liu Min knew he had to make his own share clear, so he thought for a moment and said: "That vendor will sell it for one or two silver coins, we'll get one or three copper coins, the vendor will get two copper coins, Brother Deng you take three copper coins, what do you think?"

  "Alright, let's do it as Liu Ge said. Should each saleswoman take a sample dress?"

  "Take these five pieces for now, give them to five capable saleswomen first, the rest will be available in two days."

  "Good."

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  "Dong, dong, dong"

  Next to the Dongyuan pawnshop, a vendor woman was knocking on the door and walking in the back alley. After finishing knocking, she waited for a while by the side door. The door creaked open, and a maid came out.

  "Old lady, my young mistress is asking if you have some good flower powder."

  The old woman's face was full of wrinkles, but she didn't care that the young maid was only in her early teens. She spoke ingratiatingly: "Sister, this flower powder is nothing special, but I have a new dress here. If your mistress wears it, she'll definitely not want to take it off."

  That maid pouted: "You vendors always say everything is good, but I was just sent to serve the young lady. If something is bad and I get scolded for it, I'll kick you with my foot."

  "What can I do, sister? You don't know that everything my wife sells is good. If it's not good, I would have returned it long ago. If you're really tired of being scolded, from now on, write my name upside down."

  "Alright, come with me." Chrysanthemum opened the door and led Tian Pozi into the courtyard. Tian Pozi followed her all the way to the third entrance, then was about to enter the western wing's boudoir.

  "Jasmine fragrance, who are you bringing." Jasmine turned her head to see that it was the lady with Zhang Po in the corridor, and hurried over to reply: "Lady, it's Tian Mai Po from outside, she has brought new clothes for Miss to take a look."

  Madam Zhao looked at Tian Pozi and said: "You sell things just sell things, don't make some messy things come out."

  "Please be assured, madam, I would never do such a thing."

  Madam Zhao nodded and let the two of them go to their room. After they entered, Zhang's wife said on one side: "Does madam want to eat some snacks?" Madam Zhao slowly shook her head and sighed again. Zhang's wife continued to persuade her: "Madam doesn't have to worry, Master going out isn't just once or twice, now that the Tartars have retreated, everywhere is peaceful, nothing will happen."

  "How to eat, he walked for more than a month, but during this period, my heart suddenly became anxious and uneasy, always feeling that something was wrong, so I didn't even let Xiang'er go out. Ah, this is the life of a traveling merchant, once you leave home, it's for a long time, making people worry and miss each other."

  "Madam will also need some food, if she starves herself ill, how can I answer to the master when he returns?"

  "The old master is back, this thing can be eaten now, there's nothing going on here, you go and attend to your business."

  Zhang's wife sighed and left.

  In the boudoir, Miss Zhao was stuck to the window and listened to Mrs. Zhao finish speaking. After standing for a while, she pushed open the beaded curtain with a gloomy face. Ju Xiang and Tian Po were outside, Tian Po was carefully examining a vase on the high table, and Ju Xiang saw Miss come out and said: "Miss, it was this Tian Po who knocked on the door just now, she said she had nice clothes, so I brought her in."

  Miss Zhao listlessly asked: "Is it another pleated skirt?"

  Tian Pozi came over to pay her respects, saying: "But none of them are, I'm sure Miss hasn't seen them before. The things I, Tian Pozi, sell must match up to a fairy-like person like Miss."

  Miss Zhao listened to the flattering words and was somewhat pleased, smiling: "You're just a saleswoman, you haven't even brought the goods yet, but your mouth is already so skilled. How many gods do you plan on meeting in one day?"

  Tian Po Zi put down her basket and said, "A young lady like you is not someone to be easily seen. If I hadn't walked through this alley today, I'm afraid I would have gone my whole life without seeing you. Not only are you beautiful and refined, but the decorations in your house are also elegant and tasteful. Even the way you arrange flowers is impressive. You're not a mortal, what else could you be?"

  Miss Zhao couldn't help but burst out laughing. This vendor's eloquence was probably on par with that of the Xiao family, but she walked the streets every day, so it was only natural that she would hone her skills. As for Chen the accountant, who knew where he learned his tricks from?

  "Well, you'd better tell me how good it is to insert flowers. If you say it correctly, I'll buy two pieces for you. If not, I won't let you take them out."

  Niang Tuo just opened the basket, was about to take it out, heard this and had to put it back, still unhurriedly said: "Miss has spoken, so I'll say something."

  Miss Zhao and Ju Xiang were both watching her with great interest, as they had been locked at home by Mrs. Zhao for several days, and the vendor's chatter was a welcome entertainment.

  "The hall should be large, the bedroom should be small. This goose-necked vase of Miss's is over seven inches tall, just the right size for a small vase to be used in a boudoir. The flowers coming out of the mouth of the vase are eight or nine inches long, and their length and shortness are just as the ancients intended. The body of the vase is slender, so Miss uses a high-and-low method of inserting the stems, with the lower branches bent into curves, and the arrangement is tasteful and well-placed. If Miss didn't have such clever ideas, how could she create such elegant flower arrangements?"

  Chrysanthemum Fragrance smiled and said: "Tian Pozi, where did you learn all these? You're not also arranging flowers at home, are you?"

  Tian Po Zi said: "It's not that I didn't hear those young ladies and madams say it, they all think my goods are good, after buying them they feel happy in their hearts, so they keep me to chat for a while. Look at my foolish appearance, how could I possibly remember, where would I even insert it?"

  Miss Zhao, after this conversation, felt much better and smiled: "Since it's what the ladies said, they must know how to do it, and they can definitely grow such flowers. Alright, let's assume you're right, take out your clothes and I'll take a look. If the workmanship is okay, I'll buy two pieces from you."

  Tian's wife had said all the good things, and after much ado, she finally brought out a dress, shook it open for the two to see.

  A white satin dress was displayed in front of the two, with no opening at the front, a high collar, and a delicate lotus flower embroidered in the center. The waist was slightly narrower than usual.

  Miss Zhao's eyes lit up and she quickly grabbed it, comparing it on her body. Ju Xiang also turned around to take a closer look.

  "Miss, this dress has no opening, it looks good but how can you get in?"

  Tian Po Zi helped to pull the sleeves while saying: "Jie Jie, you don't know, this garment is a pullover type, with buttons at the back of the neck. When worn, it's more beautiful than a cheongsam. This morning I sold one, and the young lady who bought it refused to take it off, even saying she wanted to wear it to sleep. Why not let her try it on?"

  Miss Zhao was just in the mood, and quickly lifted the pearl curtain with Ju Xiang to change clothes behind the screen. After a rustling sound, she walked out. A white one-piece dress, her waist was like a willow as she moved, the skirt swayed, and the lotus flower on her chest set off her delicate face, truly elegant and ethereal.

  Tian Pozi and Ju Xiang were also stunned for a moment, and Zhao didn't expect it to fit so well. Seeing the two staring at her, she blushed slightly and said with a hint of anger: "How does this dress look on me? You two should say something."

  "Good, good, it's really beautiful. Even an old woman like me is dazzled by it. If a man were to see it..."

  "Hey, what are you talking nonsense about?" Chrysanthemum fragrance heard her say some nonsense and quickly stopped her.

  "Yes, yes, anyway it's just too good-looking, I think Chang'e in the moon is nothing compared to this."

  Miss Zhao was delighted and teased the old woman, saying: "You're still talking nonsense, Chang'e is paired with Zhu Bajie, what do you take me for?"

  Tian Ma Po looked at her expression, knowing she was joking, and smiled back: "Look at my mouth, Miss is also matched with Tang San, no, it's matched with Jade Emperor, Miss you must buy a few more, exchange a few colors, really, look at this beauty, this one out the door will not make those flowers die of shame."

  Chrysanthemum fragrance also said beside: "Really, the young lady looks good in it, this dress is a bit narrower at the waist, how come it suddenly looks so much better."

  Miss Zhao felt a sense of satisfaction, so she didn't mind Tian Ma Po comparing her to the prostitutes in the brothel. She also didn't ask the price and said generously: "Then I'll buy three pieces, two for myself and one for Ju Xiang."

  "Really?" Chrysanthemum fragrance jumped up excitedly and immediately ran over to flip through the peddler's basket, but inside there was only a pile of rouge powder and a strange wooden frame, with no clothes at all.

  "How could it be gone? Are you telling me to buy a few more, miss? You're cheating people!" Chrysanthemum fragrance lost her temper with the woman.

  "Oh dear, Sister Juxiang, you're mistaken about me. This dress isn't like rouge or powder, everyone's size is different, and it was made by looking at a sample garment. I helped take the measurements and brought them back to make it well before sending it over. Today, it just so happens that this one really fits Miss perfectly."

  "Hmm, when will you be done with it."

  "This, I don't know either. I've been selling for over 20 days, and every day there are orders. The ones ordered three days ago haven't even been made yet. Just today, I received three more orders. I don't know how many more the clothing store has in line. Anyway, I'll definitely help you two hurry up.

  Oh right." Tian Mai Po suddenly remembered something, took out a wooden frame from her bag, and said to the two of them: "Miss, look at this. These clothes are all made of silk satin. Don't damage them on the hooks. Each piece of clothing comes with one of these... it's called a clothes hanger. If you put it in this before hanging it on the hook, you won't have to worry. Isn't that great?" As she spoke, she took the skirt and hung it on the clothes hanger.

  "How clever." Miss Zhao took the clothes rack and looked at it from left to right, admiring it. Although the clothes rack was a very simple thing, it was still novel when she first saw it. On the clothes rack, a beautiful orchid was painted with colored pens, and an orchid character was written. Chrysanthemum fragrance also looked at it with praise, and she turned to ask Mrs. Tian: "The owner of this clothing store is really capable, where did he open his store?"

  That old woman refused to say, fearing that these people would go to the store themselves to buy it. She muttered: "I don't know either, they were all sent over by others."

  "You old hag, can't you sell these clothes for the rest of your life? My young mistress said she'd buy three pieces and that's exactly what she'll get. If I didn't speak up, I'd have to go find them myself. This Tianjin city is as big as a palm, don't tell me they can't be found."

  The old woman hesitantly said: "Well, miss, this skirt is two taels and eight cents a piece, the clothes rack is two cents, you can buy it from me."

  "Alright, I'll take this ready-made one. For the two that are on order, I'll give you 2 silver coins each as a deposit. Is that okay? Speak up quickly."

  "It's the Orchid Clothes Store in Jingdongfang."

  "Jing Dong Fang." Miss Zhao whispered, listening to Old Cai's story, that little person's family was also from Jing Dong Fang, where all sorts of eccentric and strange people came out. That day she came back and told her mother, thinking Chen Zuofang was not bad, her mother seemed to agree too. It seemed like her mother had discussed it with her father as well. From then on, it seemed like she had a slight attachment to him. He and her father had been at sea for over 40 days, already arriving in Japan, without knowing whether the storms at sea had scared him or not, and how her father's impression of him was.

  My mood suddenly became melancholic again. As I looked up, I saw the back of my mother under the corridor, slender and lonely.