Chapter 43: Listen To Songs

The next morning dawned, light spreading in all directions. A night of heavy rain had made the mountain air even fresher. Everything seemed vigorous and alive, except for the battered thatched hut, which showed that last night had not been peaceful.

“47!”

Zhou Bo and the old temple keeper, after skinning the last wolf, threw the carcass into the big pit. Over the night the three of them had killed 47 vicious wolves and skinned them all. Following his principle of never leaving empty-handed, the old temple keeper skinned the wolves to sell, but he did not skin Second Wolf.

Although Second Wolf had done many evil deeds, in the end it atoned and lost its life as a result, so they would not desecrate the body. Thus the old temple keeper and Zhou Bo tossed Second Wolf’s corpse into the big pit and began to bury it.

Other parts of the wolves could also be sold, but there were so many. Those 47 pelts alone could fill a small cart. Moreover, the three had to transport the wolf demon’s body back to the City God Temple, which was a significant merit.

Not to mention, the wolf demon’s inner core alone could be exchanged for many cultivation pills issued by the Nightwardens. It might even allow them to raise their cultivation a step.

The old temple keeper and Zhou Bo handled burying the wolf carcasses. Li Chaosheng and Ah Hong dragged Du Yi’s corpse to the mute old man’s grave, dug two pits, and set up two tombstones.

One pit held Du Yi, the tombstone inscribed: Tomb of the Deceased Husband Du Yi!

The other pit contained a white fox pelt, the tombstone inscribed: Tomb of the Deceased Mother Bai Sanniang!

After setting the graves, Ah Hong wept at the tomb. There was no need to say more. In the end Li Chaosheng led her back to the thatched hut. When they returned, the door and windows had already been repaired by the old temple keeper and Zhou Bo, and the walls had been repainted.

When everything was done, the three prepared to take their leave. Ah Hong did not plan to leave the hut because it held memories of her and Du Yi. She decided to live in seclusion here and guard the grave of the one she loved most in life. Truly a lovesick fox.

Li Chaosheng and the others took their leave, carrying the wolf demon’s body and shouldering 47 pelts as they descended the mountain. At the foot they hired a cart and brought everything straight to the City God Temple.

They handed the wolf demon’s corpse to the steward at the City God Temple who handled such matters. It would be sent to the prefectural office for processing, and soon the merits and rewards would be issued.

After the wolf demon was processed, the old temple keeper took Li Chaosheng and Zhou Bo to the county’s hide shop. The 47 pelts sold for a full 120 taels of silver.

Split three ways, each received 40 taels, which was quite a sum. Save it carefully and it could feed an ordinary peasant family for five years.

With money in hand, the old temple keeper looked at the two young men and smiled, “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere to spend it.”

Zhou Bo nodded and said, “Right. This was too dangerous, we should relax. Spend some money and eat well. I heard the county’s Songhe Pavilion is good. How about we treat ourselves there?”

Li Chaosheng had no objection, but the old temple keeper frowned and said, “You young fellows, why can’t you enjoy life? Earning money and only eating well, what fun is that? Come on, today I’ll take you to see the most famous place in Yanggu County!”

“Where?”

Li Chaosheng made a cheeky remark, and the old temple keeper’s mouth curled up, “Changchun Court!”

“A brothel?!”

Li Chaosheng and Zhou Bo were both stunned. Zhou Bo immediately waved his hands and said, “No, no. I cannot go to a brothel. If my uncle finds out, he will beat me to death!”

The old temple keeper rolled his eyes at Zhou Bo and said, “I simply do not think much of your uncle’s righteous airs. Why can’t one go to a brothel? Inside are girls who earn money through their skills and hard lives. If we do not spend, the madam will scold them. Is your heart made of stone?”

Zhou Bo replied awkwardly, “I…”

“Enough of the nonsense. I’ll say it once: today you will go to Changchun Court whether you want to or not. If you refuse, you are not giving me face.”

The old temple keeper said it with brusque authority, and Zhou Bo stammered, not knowing what to say.

Then the old temple keeper turned to Li Chaosheng and asked, “You have no uncle to forbid you, right?”

Li Chaosheng shrugged and said, “I’m an orphan. I can go anywhere.”

“Good. Come on, I’ll show you something.”

…

Changchun Court stood in an alley not far from the southern city wall. It was the largest three-story building in that stretch. Below the building were rows of courtyards, all part of Changchun Court’s enterprise.

Changchun Court was not merely a brothel, but a multifaceted business. It had an inn and a theater. The theater especially hired celebrated performers from nearby prefectures.

However, in this era actors and courtesans were considered low-class. If actors were not hired to perform at a patron’s home but instead were selling tickets in public, they were generally associated with the brothels.

Wealthy gentry, rich households, and dashing young men liked this arrangement. They could support performers and enjoy leisure at the same time. It was like modern young people going to a concert, getting their hormones and passions stirred, and then going to pamper themselves. Tell me, isn’t that delightful!

“Honored sirs, come and enjoy yourselves~”

Li Chaosheng, Zhou Bo, and the old temple keeper arrived outside Changchun Court and were immediately hailed by a group of women in thin gauze. Each waved a handkerchief and sang with silken voices. Trained for this purpose, a single note could make a man’s bones go soft.

The old temple keeper looked like an old hand. He ignored the women and led the way inside. Immediately two head waitresses hurried up, bowing and scraping, “Master, you have arrived. Which lady do you seek?”

The old temple keeper thought a moment and said, “Which of your girls is available today?”

The head waitress replied, “Miss Summer and Miss Autumn have not received guests yet.”

Changchun Court’s four main ladies belonged to the ‘Flower’ rank, so their names were based on the four seasons’ flowers: Spring Peach, Summer Lotus, Autumn Chrysanthemum, and Winter Plum.

Each lady ran her own courtyard, with second-tier and third-tier maidservants beneath them. Those maidservants would sleep with clients for money too, but the four main ladies were different.

To become a foremost guest of these four ladies you either had to have sufficient fame, for example if His Excellency the Magistrate came, or you had to possess considerable talent.

If your talent was outstanding, you could even “receive the flower stage”. What was receiving the flower stage? It meant the lady paid you, and you received services without spending money, or what people now call getting something for free.

“Miss Summer and Miss Autumn? Then fine, arrange Miss Summer Lotus’s courtyard for me. I am quite familiar with Miss Doukou.”

The old temple keeper nodded. The head waitress smiled at this and said, “Very good. Miss Summer Lotus’s courtyard it is. The tea fee is two taels per person.”

The old temple keeper waved his hand, took out ten taels of silver, slapped it into the head waitress’s hand, and said, “The three of us, and also arrange a fine banquet for us. We’re hungry!”

“Very good, honored sir, please come in! Three for Miss Summer Lotus’s courtyard~”