Spring Breeze Alley.
An Jing arrived at Zhou Xianming's doorstep.
"Knock knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Mr. Zhou, it's me, An Jing,"
An Jing called out softly.
"Creak!"
As the door opened, Zhou Xianming peeked out with a slightly bruised face, looked around, and urged, "Dr. An, quickly come in."
An Jing stepped into the house and couldn't help but ask, "What's this?"
Zhou Xianming didn't look like he was suffering from a cold;
he looked clearly beaten up!
"Sigh!"
Zhou Xianming let out a heavy sigh and said, "Just find a place to sit."
"Is there even a place to sit?" An Jing looked around.
Zhou Xianming's home wasn't large; it was rented from a middleman, only about twenty square meters. The furnishings were very simple, just a table, a few chairs, a big bed, and a stove in the corner.
The room was extremely messy, with brushes and inkstones scattered on the table, and bowls and utensils piled around the stove in the corner. There seemed to be some leftover porridge in the pot.
The only neatly arranged spot was a bookshelf on the west side, filled with books.
"What on earth happened?" An Jing asked curiously, wondering if Zhou Xianming was being hunted down by debt collectors from his past.
"I don't know, I don't even know what crime I've committed."
Zhou Xianming sat in a chair, sighing heavily, "Dr. An, please don't ask too many questions."
Those black-clad figures that came every night were no ordinary people, certainly not something that a doctor or a scholar with no strength to truss a chicken could deal with.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you?" An Jing glanced at the messy kitchen and asked.
"Forget it, I'm not hungry," Zhou Xianming waved his hand and then seemed to think of something. "Dr. An, I know you're kind-hearted. Can you treat me?"
An Jing laughed and said, "You just have some surface wounds. Come with me to my place later, and I'll apply some medication for you."
"No, no, no!"
Zhou Xianming quickly waved his hand, "Dr. An, I'm not talking about these surface wounds."
"Not surface wounds?" An Jing frowned, wondering if Zhou Xianming had internal injuries that he hadn't noticed.
"I'm lovesick."
Zhou Xianming lowered his head, coughed dryly twice, and said.
"Lovesick?"
"Yes, ever since I saw Miss Li Yue on the music boat, I couldn't control myself. I can't sleep at night or eat; her image keeps replaying in my mind."
"Then how can I treat you?"
"Dr. An, I want to go to the brothel and listen to music."
An Jing was stunned. He didn't expect Zhou Xianming to be so shameless as to ask him to take him to indulge in pleasures.
In his impression, Zhou Xianming was a timid scholar. Yet, at the mention of going to the brothel for music, he seemed like a different person, with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
"But you are a scholar!"
"So what if I'm a scholar?"
Zhou Xianming stood up righteously and said, "As scholars, isn't it our duty to visit brothels and listen to music? It's precisely because we study that we need to go to brothels. If we don't save these fallen women, how can we save our country in the future?"
Just because we are scholars, we need to go to brothels and listen to music.
Seeing Zhou Xianming speak so passionately, An Jing was stunned. Does this logic even exist?
"Dr. An, are you going or not?"
"Let's go!"
.......
On the Yu State River.
The lanterns were starting to light up on both banks, and countless music boats were drifting on the Yu State River. On these boats, beautiful singing girls were toasting wine, and the sound of strings and melodies filled the atmosphere.
"Dr. An, have you been on the Red House's music boat before?" Zhou Xianming stood at the bow of the boat, dressed in a white robe and holding a folding fan, looking quite pleased with himself.
Beside him, the boatman was rowing towards a music boat in the middle of the river.
"No, I've never been to a place like this," An Jing shook his head. "This is my first time in such a lively place."
"Dr. An's wife is as beautiful as a celestial being, so it's normal not to like the common makeup here."
Zhou Xianming nodded in understanding, then wistfully said, "But Miss Li Yue is different. She is a lotus flower unstained by the mud."
What's different is just the price tier,
An Jing rolled his eyes.
Soon, the boat reached the music boat of the Red House.
The music boat was luxuriously and exquisitely decorated, floating on the water, with melodious songs and laughter coming from inside. A madam with heavy makeup was warmly welcoming the guests.
"Oh, isn't this Dr. An?"
When the madam saw An Jing, her eyes lit up, "You haven't been here in a while; the girls have missed you."
Zhou Xianming: "....???"
Didn't you say you haven't been here before?
Didn't you say this was your first time?
An Jing righteously said, "Madam Zhao, don't say such wrong things, I've never been to a place like this."
"Right, right, Dr. An has never been here before."
The madam smiled and ushered An Jing and Zhou Xianming onto the music boat.
An Jing took out one tael of silver from his pocket. Entering the music boat required a seating fee; five hundred copper coins per person, exactly one tael for the two of them.
This was his hard-earned money.
In the past, when he was short of money, he would borrow some from the rich merchants in Yu State, but he hadn't done so recently. So, this tael of silver was his payment from Han Wenxin for a consultation a few days ago.
In the middle of the boat, a woman was playing a guqin. She was beautiful, dressed in gauze, her curves graceful, and her figure faintly visible, making hearts flutter. Below were dozens of seats, most of which were already occupied.
Most of the girls on the boat were pure performers, only singing and playing instruments and not accompanying guests. However, if the guests were willing to spend generously and win over these girls, they might also accompany guests. It all depended on one's abilities.
An Jing and Zhou Xianming found a seat and sat down.
"That is Miss Li Yue."
Looking at the woman on stage, Zhou Xianming's eyes showed a trace of infatuation.
The sound of the guqin was melodious and pleasant to the ear.
"This music is indeed not bad," An Jing nodded.
At this moment, a lovely maid came over with two pots of wine, "Gentlemen, please enjoy."
"Thank you."
An Jing took out another tael of silver from his pocket.
On this music boat, both wine and women cost money, and they were very expensive.
One tael of silver was equivalent to a thousand copper coins, and with three copper coins buying a string of candied fruits, this thousand copper coins could buy three hundred strings of candied fruits....
When the maid took the silver from An Jing, she gently stroked his palm with her fingertip, "My name is Man Yue; please remember it, my lord."
With that, she cast a flirtatious look and smiled. Such handsome and generous customers were rare.
"Alright."
An Jing nodded slightly, unfazed and unperturbed.
Man Yue saw An Jing didn't say much, felt a bit disappointed, but still obediently retreated.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xianming stared intently at Li Yue above, his face flushed red, seemingly entranced.