“I came to see Tang Xiaobei. Since I can’t, forget it.”
Jin Feng turned to leave, speaking to Tiechui as he walked, “Who else did Young Master Liu mention among the girls?”
“There’s also Feiyan from Xiaoxiang Pavilion, Luliu and Qingluo from the Jiaofang Division…”
“Then let’s go check out the Jiaofang Division.”
As they talked and walked, the pimp grew anxious.
If Jin Feng hadn’t just tipped the errand boy two taels of silver, the pimp would have wished he’d leave as far as possible.
But now, he didn’t dare let Jin Feng go so easily.
When Tiechui tipped the errand boy, the pimp had seen his money pouch, heavy and bulging, holding at least seventy or eighty taels of silver.
If a servant carried that much silver, the master surely had even more banknotes.
Letting such a big customer slip away, especially to a competitor, would earn the pimp a beating from the madam.
“Wait, gentlemen!”
The pimp hurriedly ran to block their path.
“What do you want?”
Tiechui glared, unsheathing his long sword with a clang.
Having fought and killed on the battlefield, Tiechui’s menacing aura hit the pimp like a wave, forcing him to stumble back several steps.
“No misunderstanding, sir!”
The pimp waved his hands frantically, “You want to see Miss Xiaobei? I can arrange it!”
“What, still trying to take me for a fool?”
Jin Feng raised his voice deliberately, “Five hundred taels for a cup of tea? I can’t afford such a girl!”
Tiechui’s sword-drawing had drawn attention, and Jin Feng’s words made it clear to everyone what was happening.
“What girl charges five hundred taels for a cup of tea? Does Chunfeng Tower have such a girl?”
“Five hundred taels could get you a cup of tea with Ziyang in the capital, no?”
“Didn’t you hear the gentleman? It’s Miss Xiaobei.”
“Xiaobei’s nice, but a cup of tea isn’t that expensive, is it? Does she think she’s Ziyang?”
“Brother Liang, this isn’t about Miss Xiaobei. It’s obviously the pimp fleecing customers!”
“Treating people like idiots?”
“Chunfeng Tower’s playing dirty.”
The guests, loving the drama, started murmuring and jeering.
Seeing the situation escalate, the pimp slapped himself twice, “Sir, I was wrong. Can we step aside to talk?”
“I don’t have time to step aside. Speak now!”
“You want to see Miss Xiaobei? I’ll arrange it.”
The pimp bowed and scraped, “Fifty taels of silver.”
“Fifty taels?” Jin Feng sneered, “Wasn’t it five hundred just now? That dropped fast.”
“I was blinded by greed earlier. Please, sir, don’t hold it against a lowly servant like me.”
“Fine, fifty taels it is.”
Jin Feng signalled Tiechui to pay.
Though it stung, he figured getting Tang Xiaobei out quickly to deal with the tungsten mine was worth fifty taels.
“One more thing to clarify,” the pimp cautiously glanced at Jin Feng, “You pay the silver, and I’ll arrange it, but I can’t say when you’ll see Miss Xiaobei.”
Jin Feng’s temper flared, “Are you messing with me?”
“Please, sir, don’t be angry. Miss Xiaobei is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She’s the most popular girl at Chunfeng Tower this year. Too many want to see her, all paying and queuing up as regular clients.”
The pimp shrank back, “Miss Xiaobei has a tea gathering at the hour of Yin. If you’re eager to see her, I can arrange two seats for three taels each.
But at a tea gathering, with many guests, you might not get to speak with her alone.”
A tea gathering was like a modern tea party or celebrity fan meet-and-greet. A popular girl would set up tea and snacks in her courtyard, entertaining fans, playing music, chatting, or rallying support.
With many attendees, the girl stayed at a distance, speaking while the guests listened below.
Jin Feng pondered for a moment before saying, “Fine, let’s see if this Miss Xiaobei is as talented and beautiful as Young Master Liu claimed. If not, I won’t come back.”
“Rest assured, sir, Miss Xiaobei won’t disappoint.”
The pimp let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as Jin Feng didn’t leave today, whether he returned later wasn’t his concern.
“Pay him.”
Jin Feng nodded to Tiechui, who handed over six taels of silver.
“Follow me, gentlemen!”
The pimp, all smiles, led them to the back courtyard.
Chunfeng Tower was large, with a four-story wooden building at the front. The ground floor was a hall, while the upper floors had rooms for guests to stay.
Behind the building was a courtyard dotted with smaller compounds.
The madam and top girls lived in these compounds.
The pimp led Jin Feng to one, “This is Miss Xiaobei’s courtyard.”
The compound was small, with three brick-tiled rooms facing south at the northern end, surrounded by a wall.
Under the wall were over twenty small tables, each with a stool behind it.
More than a dozen tables were already occupied.
The pimp found two empty tables on the west side, “Please sit here, gentlemen. Miss Xiaobei will be out soon.”
He stood expectantly, hoping for a tip.
Jin Feng, as if oblivious, waved dismissively, “Alright, off you go.”
“Sir, the errand boy said at Chunfeng Tower, you should tip the pimp a bit for guiding you, or people will laugh.”
Tiechui whispered in Jin Feng’s ear.
“I’d rather give him two slaps than a tip.”
Jin Feng shot the pimp a look, “Scram!”
He wasn’t stingy. Seeing village kids suffer, he’d let them cause trouble at the textile factory just to feed them, even giving them coins to support their elders.
But for someone who’d just tried to scam him, Jin Feng wouldn’t spare a single coin.
He knew even if he tipped generously, the pimp would still curse him behind his back.
Tipping was voluntary, and seeing Jin Feng’s anger, the pimp could only grit his teeth and leave.
Soon, more people arrived, filling all the tables.
As Chunfeng Tower’s star girl, Tang Xiaobei had two maids assigned to her courtyard by the madam.
Seeing the tables full, the maids brought out trays, placing a pot of tea and two plates of snacks on each table.
Jin Feng couldn’t help but recall high school class parties from his past life, where desks were arranged in a circle, everyone munching snacks while watching classmates perform.
Sadly, Dakang had no sunflower seeds, and the snacks were mediocre. Jin Feng poured a cup of tea and sipped slowly, waiting for Tang Xiaobei.
He didn’t wait long. The door to the main room opened, and a girl in a green dress, holding a pipa, stepped out.
