The furnishings in the teahouse's private rooms are fresh and elegant in style.
While waiting for the waiter, Chen Tang played with the teacup on the tea eucalyptus. As a child with mild ADHD, she was not used to a too quiet environment. Seeing that the shopkeeper was also in a daze, she couldn't help but ask the question that had puzzled her for a while.
"Shopkeeper, I have a question, I wonder if you can answer it."
When the shopkeeper heard her words, his thoughts, which had not yet drifted away, were immediately pulled back to his body. He joked, "Is there anything I can answer? Just don't ask about the old man and my wife."
Chen Tang: “…”
She doesn't want to understand immediately.
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Who wants to know the interesting stories between you and your wife
The shopkeeper saw Chen Tang's strange and complicated expression, and suddenly realized that the painter in front of him was still a young lady of eleven or twelve years old. No matter how skilled she was in painting, or how familiar she was with the secret play, she shouldn't make such a dirty joke. He had to quickly skip the topic and asked, "What did the young lady say just now? You have questions, right? Just ask, I will tell you everything I know."
Chen Tang asked, "Why would the county government encourage this kind of business? Logically speaking, shouldn't public officials avoid suspicion?"
It is unheard of that they are taking the lead in developing this industry.
The shopkeeper thought it was some kind of problem.
When he heard that it was a common sense question, he was a little surprised at Chen Tang's "innocence". This was common sense known to everyone. Then he thought, this young lady was beautiful, elegant, had no traces of rough work on her hands, and had good painting skills. She must have come from a wealthy family before she fell into poverty. It was normal for her family to protect her from knowing these dirty things.
Thinking of this, he looked at Chen Tang with a little more pity - this young lady must have a hard life, so she ran out to find a job as a secret drama artist. If this business cooperation goes well, the bookstore can keep other drawing orders for her in the future.
He took a sip of tea and sighed, "Well, it's a long story. There have been many natural disasters and wars in recent years, and the people can't make a living. Those who have land dare not plant it, fearing that they will be robbed by bandits, and those who don't have land will starve to death. You say, the adults can't eat enough and wear warm clothes, how can they afford to raise more children?"
Chen Tang shook his head: "Of course I can't afford it."
The shopkeeper said, "So, if you can't afford to raise them, you either throw them away or sell them. When the county government saw that this was not going to work, they suggested building more brothels and theaters, where people could sing, dance and have fun. First, this would attract more foreign merchants and make money. Second, it would also help settle these children. Third, the taxes were so heavy, so they could fill the gap. Otherwise, if the higher-ups forced them to pay taxes, wouldn't the county government be unable to explain if they couldn't come up with the money? This way, they said... they were killing two birds with one stone."
Shen Tang's face changed when he heard this.
I endured it again and again, but I just felt disgusted.
She asked, "Is this really what the county government meant?"
The shopkeeper pointed in the direction of the center of Xiaocheng.
He lowered his voice and leaned closer to say, "Of course, the notices say so. What do these nobles think? What can we common people say? To be honest, if there is no war, there will be nothing! Now that there is such a disturbance, selling our sons and daughters to brothels is actually a blessing from these nobles."
Due to the special situation and the county government's encouragement, other businesses in Xiaocheng were not doing well, but the brothels and theaters were making a lot of money, and business was booming every day.
Those who could not survive were forced to sell their children. The money they earned was not enough to cover the monthly expenses of a family, but it fed the traffickers and the brothels. As more children were sold, these people had more choices and could be more picky. They would work together to lower the price, and the parents of the children could only sell their children at a low price with tears in their eyes.
A good-looking child can be taken away for a hundred or two hundred coins at most, and his future fate depends entirely on luck.
The shopkeeper sighed angrily after he finished speaking. He caught a glimpse of Chen Tang lost in thought and suddenly realized that he had said something he shouldn't have to a child. He immediately made amends: "Alas, all this is in the past. It's not easy to survive in this world nowadays."
As for whether to endure hunger and wandering, or to stay in a brothel, being invited to come and go, the choice is not in the hands of the poor people. Life is cheaper than grass, how can there be any choice.
Staying in a brothel at least meant you had a life - if God favored you with a pretty face, and you became a top prostitute and lived a life of luxury, even if you died young, you could be considered to have "enjoyed your life" - but the only fear was being killed by thugs, dragged to the battlefield as cannon fodder, or having to tremble with fear while tending a few acres of barren farmland, working hard all year round and depending on the weather for food, and in the end the whole family would still starve to death.
Chen Tang just felt it was too heavy.
Seeing her sad expression, the shopkeeper wanted to change the subject and asked her, "Guess how many men's and women's brothels there are in these five long streets?"
How would Shen Tang know
He casually said, "Half and half?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "The men's hall accounts for this number!"
He made the number seven.
It means 70%.
Chen Tang: “…”
The shopkeeper started asking and answering questions himself.
"You must be curious about why this is so, right? The answer is not difficult. Do you know that the one above your head was once the 'favorite concubine' of the King of Xin? She had a nickname called 'Nüjiao'. As soon as she appeared, she attracted countless envy. There were more and more private men's clubs and business was getting better and better. Look, now she is the king of a country." He slapped his thigh and shouted, "How amazing!"
All that’s left is to give the “Most Inspirational Male Concubine in History Award” to Zheng Qiao.
When a male concubine reaches this level, who wouldn’t say it’s awesome
Zheng Qiao also became the idol of the male prostitutes.
Chen Tang: “…”
Soon, there was a rhythmic knock on the door outside the private room.
The shopkeeper stood up and opened the door. There were three strangers standing outside, two tall and one short. The one in the middle was wearing a veil and a black veil covering his face, and there were two tall and fierce-looking guards on his left and right.
Needless to say, the one in the middle is the real protagonist.
After entering the private room, he took off the curtain, revealing a fair and delicate face that looked a bit mean. Rather than a man, he looked more like a slightly immature boy. He glanced at Chen Tang and saw that there was no third person, so he asked the shopkeeper: "Where is the painter?"
Shen Tang raised his hand: “Here!”
He didn't even look at Chen Tang, and vented his anger at the shopkeeper: "Did you give me too little money? You actually sent me a young girl like this? Do you know how important that picture is?"
The shopkeeper didn't expect this man to have such a bad temper, but for the sake of business he could only bend over and please him, and vouched for Chen Tang: "Although he is young, his painting skills are no worse than those of the previous painters."
Chen Tang nodded in agreement.
After all, she used to make a living from this skill.
Believe in her professional ability!
Hearing this, the man looked at Shen Tang carefully.
At this time, Chen Tang had already stood up, and the Wen Xin seal hanging on her waist fell down with her movements. The transparent seal was faintly colorful under the light. The young man was startled, and suddenly changed his tone: "Okay, let this person try. If he can't satisfy me, change someone else! But I have a request!"
Chen Tang was full of confidence: “Just say it.”
Boy: "You have to use the brush, ink, paper and inkstone I provide to paint."
When Chen Tang heard this, he thought it was a good idea and agreed immediately.
The sky is dark and the stars are boiling.
I always felt like something was missing on this day of Qishan.
Hearing the footsteps next door again, he knew that Young Master Shen was back. He glanced at the new books he had collected on Shuyan, thought about it, and knocked on Shen Tang's door while holding them.
Chen Tang had just finished the draft and was about to start painting.
"Wait a minute, I'll be right there."
Shen Tang stood up and went to open the door.
"Yuan Liang, is there something wrong?"
As he said this, he moved aside to let Qishan in.
"I borrowed a few manuscripts from my friends. See if there's anything you need..." Before he finished speaking or put the book down, he saw the works spread out on Chen Tang's desk and asked in surprise, "Young Master Chen, which 'expert' taught you the 'painting' in the music, chess, calligraphy and painting?"
There was a person drawn on the paper. He had a big round black head and a crooked body drawn with a few strokes. It looked like a twisted dough stick. He was lying on something that might be a "recliner".
There is a bulge on the top of his head, I don't know if it is a bun or a flower pinned in the hair, his "right hand" is holding a round fan, and his left hand is hanging down... He should be a person lying on a chaise longue, trying hard to pose, with the bulges where they should be bulged and the hollows where they should be hollowed.
It's sloppy and weird, but there's an inexplicable sense of sexiness that comes over you.
The key point is that there is more than one "person" on the white paper. Looking at them in series, the characters' actions range from undressing to climbing onto the bed to pose. The scene that has not been completed should be the arrival of a second strange "person"... He could see an inexplicable "anxious" atmosphere.
Pray for goodness…
It was really hard for him to say with a clear conscience that this was a "painting".