At this time, the overnight guests reached checkout time, and people kept leaving.
It was not appropriate for Qingyuan and the others to keep blocking the door, so the madam took them into the hall.
Many girls who knew Qingyuan saw that she had returned, still wearing a strange set of clothes, and all ran over to join the excitement.
When they heard that Qingyuan had also become a guard for the Zhenyuan Escort Agency, all the girls showed the same expression as the madam.
Although Qingyuan was not as good at reading people as Tang Xiaobei, she had been trained in the brothel.
Seeing their surprised expressions, she knew what they were thinking.
She smiled and explained, “Mama, when we joined the escort agency, we do not escort goods or fight battles. We are specially responsible for dancing.”
“What kind of dance?” Madam Feng asked. “What clothes do you wear?”
“Where has your mind gone, Mama?”
Qingyuan could not help laughing and crying at the same time. “The master has us dance military dances, similar to the sword dances that Sister Jia taught us. They mainly highlight strength and rhythm to cheer and encourage the soldiers!”
“So it is sword dance!” Madam Feng had also been skilled at dancing in her youth, which was why she had been chosen to be the madam of the training camp.
As soon as she heard sword dance, she understood.
“Sister Qingyuan, does that mean you will stay at the Zhenyuan Escort Agency from now on?” one girl asked.
“Probably,” Qingyuan nodded. “The master said he would take us back to Jinchuan to form a dance troupe. He will also build a stage in the village. From now on, we will dance exclusively in the village, and our pay will be the same as the guards.”
“There is pay as well?” Madam Feng was startled.
“Of course,” Qingyuan said proudly. “My master said that dancing is a proper job too. It is very hard work. Our basic task each month is to perform ten dances. For each additional dance, we get extra overtime pay!”
“Then who do you hand your pay to?” one girl asked.
“To ourselves!” Qingyuan said. “Oh, I forgot to mention. My master has already redeemed our indenture contracts and removed our slave status. He said that from now on, we are no longer slaves. We are new-era women who can support ourselves through dancing!”
“Their indenture contracts have been redeemed?”
All the girls, upon hearing this, became even more envious.
“Then, Sister Qingyuan, does that mean you can get married now?” one girl asked tentatively.
“Of course. The master said we are free people from now on. If we want to marry, we can marry. Even after marrying, we can continue dancing.”
Qingyuan said, “If we do not want to dance, we can also work at the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce. We can even compete in assessments to become female shopkeepers.”
“My goodness, you can even become a female shopkeeper at the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce!”
All the surrounding girls exclaimed in shock.
Even the madam showed an envious look.
Nowadays, the female shopkeepers of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce were people that brothels dared not offend the most.
If Qingyuan became a female shopkeeper, it would be a hundred times more prestigious than marrying an official as a concubine.
“Sister Qingyuan, I really envy you. You were so lucky to meet Mr Jin!”
A girl who had shared neighbouring beds with Qingyuan in the training camp said, “When will you become a female shopkeeper?”
“Sister Apei said that becoming a female shopkeeper is not that easy. You not only need to be literate and good at accounting, but also skilled at speaking. You cannot be too servile or lose face for the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce. In short, there are many rules.”
“Sister Qingyuan, aren’t you perfect for it?” one girl quickly said. “You have been literate since childhood, good with abacus, and speak nicely. You could definitely become a female shopkeeper.”
“Sister Qingyuan, when you make it big in the future, do not forget your sisters!”
“If you do not forget us, what can you do? Sister Qingyuan is not a man. How could she take care of you?”
“Why not? If a guest bullies me in the future, I will tell him that my sister is a female shopkeeper at the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce. See if he gets scared or not?”
“Xiaohan, what you say actually makes sense. Sister Qingyuan, you must become a female shopkeeper!”
…
The surrounding girls chattered noisily.
Qingyuan listened until her head was full of black lines.
She had only said that dancers could also take the female shopkeeper exam. She had not said she was going to take it.
How had it turned into her already about to become a female shopkeeper?
In fact, she had asked the female guards and learned that competition for female shopkeeper was very fierce. Although she was literate and good at accounting, her chances of passing were small.
So she planned to continue dancing for now and see if there was an opportunity later.
“Alright, all of you disperse.”
Madam Feng noticed Qingyuan was a bit embarrassed and pulled her arm. “Qingyuan, come to my courtyard. Let us have a proper chat.”
Qingyuan quickly nodded and led the guards to follow Madam Feng away.
After she had gone far, the girls behind continued discussing.
“Qingyuan really struck it lucky to meet Mr Jin!”
“Yes, no need to receive guests, and she can even become a prestigious female shopkeeper. Just thinking about it makes me smile in my sleep!”
“You lot can forget it. Qingyuan herself said she cannot become a female shopkeeper.”
“I think so too. Look at her smug, triumphant look. She would never become a female shopkeeper.”
“I think you are just jealous. How is Sister Qingyuan smug? When she goes out, she has Zhenyuan Escort Agency guards protecting her. She must be highly valued by Mr Jin!”
“Qingyuan always knew how to curry favour. She must have seduced Mr Jin!”
“You would seduce him if you had the chance!”
The girls were some envious of Qingyuan, some jealous.
But no matter which, they all wished they could swap places with her.
What brothel girls longed for most was a prince on a white horse to take them away from their current life.
Qingyuan’s experience, in their eyes, was the perfect example.
At first, it was only the girls present who boasted to others, saying they knew someone close to Mr Jin.
Later, more and more people spread the story, and it spread wider and wider, gradually becoming distorted.
The most widely circulated version was that Jin Feng went to a banquet at the governor’s mansion. Governor Qing Xinyao had Qingyuan perform a dance. Jin Feng was immediately captivated by her moving dance, then bought Qingyuan from Qing Xinyao at an extremely high price.
Fearing Qingyuan would be lonely in the camp, he also bought her sisters who were with her and took them all back to the camp.
Some even said that when Jin Feng returned to Jinchuan, he would split the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce in half and give one half to Qingyuan to manage.
In short, Qingyuan very quickly became a legendary figure in the Western Sichuan brothel world.
Besides Tang Xiaobei, the brothel girls now had another object of envy.
Of course, this was later. At this moment, Qingyuan knew nothing about it. She had just followed the madam back to the courtyard of the original training camp.
She had trained here for several years, dancing day and night. She remembered every pattern on the pillars clearly.
But returning to this place now, her state of mind was completely different.
Back then, Qingyuan had always been filled with fear about the future, afraid of being sold to a harsh household and abused by the mistress.
Even more afraid of performing poorly and being sent by the madam to receive guests.
Now she no longer had any fear.
Because she had met Jin Feng.
Thinking of that not particularly broad figure, Qingyuan felt immensely secure in her heart.
“Qingyuan, I have not asked yet. What brings you to me?”
The madam poured Qingyuan a cup of tea and asked.
This was the first task Jin Feng had assigned, and it must not fail.
Qingyuan quickly collected herself and explained her purpose.
