Night had fallen, and the wind howled fiercely. As one walked along the second-floor corridor connecting JinFeng Tower to the inner courtyard, the sharp voice of a woman yelling could be heard from within.
"You heartless thing! Ungrateful wolf!"
The voice, loud and shrill, sounded like it belonged to Yang Mama, the proprietor of JinFeng Tower. Yang Mama, though in her forties and past her prime, usually carried herself with an air of elegance and refinement. It was hard to imagine someone like her shouting so unrestrainedly. Intrigued, Xi Junyu stopped in his tracks to listen. Soon, another voice joined the fray, a woman's voice, equally spirited and melodious.
"Greedy woman! Leech!"
JinFeng Tower had a unique structure, with an outer and inner section. The inner building was connected to the outer one, and beyond that lay the courtyard. Both sections were open for business. Xi Junyu often entertained guests in the outer section—not out of preference for status but because he simply liked it. Standing in the passageway, he listened to the escalating quarrel. A crash followed, likely from Yang Mama.
"Ungrateful! You were born to be a young mistress... born to be a young mistress... yet you choose this wretched path…"
"So what if I was born to be a young mistress? I don't care!"
"Ungrateful!"
Earlier that afternoon, the stifling heat had made the sky seem ominous, and by evening, strong winds began to whip up, signaling an imminent storm. Business at JinFeng Tower was slower than usual. A woman, looking flustered, walked briskly out from that direction. Upon seeing Xi Junyu, she curtsied and smiled. "Young Master Xi."
They were acquainted. "Entertaining guests today?" she asked.
"Yes, outside, at Chunxiao Hall. It's wrapping up," he replied with a nod. "What's going on in there?"
The woman hesitated, her expression conflicted. "Mama is upset... Oh, this matter..."
She trailed off, clearly reluctant to elaborate. Xi Junyu didn't press further. Just then, a voice called out from behind, belonging to a manager from the Su family. "Junyu, what's taking so long?"
"I'll be right there," he responded before turning back to bid the woman farewell.
Today's gathering with the manager had almost concluded. Xi Junyu had merely stepped away briefly. By the time he returned, the guests were already saying their goodbyes, led by the manager. Xi Junyu only saw them off to the door before heading back inside to settle the bill and oversee the cleanup. With nothing else pressing, he dismissed the other accompanying women, keeping only one he was familiar with to play a few simple tunes on the zither. Meanwhile, he sat by the window, eating and mulling over his thoughts.
Seated near the closed window, he could still hear the quarrel from earlier carried over by the howling wind, blending with the soothing melody of the zither—a curious contrast that piqued his interest.
"If some wealthy young master offered to buy your freedom, I wouldn't say a word and would even send you off with a dowry. But now you're just being ridiculous!"
"I'll be as ridiculous as I like! What, the ransom money isn't enough?"
"I don't care about your money! Without me, without JinFeng Tower, do you think you'd have anything at all? Do you even know where your money comes from?"
"You just want me to stay here, to keep earning for you! You just want me trapped here forever!"
"Bullshit! Ungrateful wolf! Bullshit… Ask anyone! Ask anyone yourself! When have I, Yang Xiuhong, ever sent a girl off unhappily? SiSi, Xiao Yu, Li Hong, Bai Duo'er, Pan Shi... Even Bai Duo'er was someone I personally matched! Every one of them was a star here, and each found a good home. Every time, I happily gave them a dowry and sent them off. But what are you trying to do now..."
"I! Like! It!"
"You've been blinded by greed! You'll end up in disgrace whether you buy your freedom or not. What's the point? I knew I shouldn't have been kind... That Nie girl was from a bureaucratic family, utterly naive about the world. I shouldn't have let her work here either. She was naive, but so are you! Do you even remember your background? You've been blinded by greed…"
"Blinded or not, I'll do it anyway!"
"I won't allow it! What are you going to do about that?"
"…"
"What about Master Chen, the Tie family's son, or Old Master Zheng? Aren't they good matches? It's not like I'm asking you to marry some old man. If you want money and the life of a young mistress, then marry into one of their families. Who do you think I wouldn't approve of? Oh, so they didn't fancy you. Fine! What about Cao Guan or Liu Qingdi? They're great scholars, maybe a little less wealthy but still from respectable families. They could become officials someday… A young mistress's life! Who wouldn't want that? Or do you really think you'll never marry anyone? If you leave to sell those ridiculous eggs or whatever, who would even want you then? It's disgraceful! An embarrassment! They'll all say that Yang Xiuhong's girls are freaks—odd personalities…"
The argument grew more heated. By now, Yang Mama's voice was tinged with anger and sobs. Amused, Xi Junyu continued to listen. She mentioned Cao Guan and Liu Qingdi... Could it be that Yuan Jin'er was the one causing all this trouble? The woman had been one of the four most sought-after courtesans for two consecutive Blossom Competitions. It seemed she had only been in the role for two months before deciding to buy her freedom. A losing deal indeed—it was no wonder Yang Mama was so furious. Moreover, she didn't appear to be marrying out but rather buying her freedom for some independent reason. Starting her own house? That didn't quite fit…
As someone like Xi Junyu, if he wanted to support a top courtesan like this, it wasn't impossible, but it would indeed be a significant expense. Thus, although he had visited Jinfeng Tower many times, he hadn't had much interaction with Yuan Jin'er. He had only seen her perform a few times in public, her singing and dancing always lively and spirited. He hadn't expected her to be so fierce when quarreling, standing her ground completely against Madam Yang.
"Anyway, the money's here! If you think it's not enough, just say so. Worst case, I'll hand over everything I've got…"
"And what's so great about putting yourself out there in front of people? And for who? At least now it's for scholars and talents!"
"My face is my own!"
"It'll be your own for your whole life! No man will want you!"
"I don't need a man!"
On the other side, Madam Yang was so enraged her voice had grown hoarse.
"…Even if you left to start your own place, I wouldn't be this angry… At least you'd still have the life of a young mistress, at least that!…"
Yuan Jin'er stubbornly stayed silent.
"…What more could you possibly want? What more do you want? When you came to this house, I raised you to be the headliner, made you a star. You've met people others only dream of meeting—scholars, officials, even rich landowners! I've let you have your way, kept those men from touching you because you didn't like it… And now? Now you've lost your mind, choosing a dead-end path! What are you unhappy about? Laughing and showing your face—this is a woman's fate! Depending on yourself? What a joke! Can you rely on yourself for a lifetime? If you can become a young mistress, that's the best you can hope for—it's something others dream of! You don't like it? Then just die and be reborn as a man in your next life… A woman's fate is like this! All of it is like this! Stupid girl!"
A sharp crackling sound came from the roof, and the next moment, torrential rain roared down, engulfing the entire city. The voices grew muffled in the downpour, but Yuan Jin'er's shout could still be heard faintly: "Then just kill me!"
Xi Junyu pushed open the window. The long eaves above kept the rain from blowing into the room. From his vantage point, he could see figures moving in the second-floor rooms overlooking the Qinhuai River. The quarrel between the two women continued, their shadows flickering in the lamplight. Though most of their words were drowned out by the storm, he could still discern the heated intensity. At one point, Yuan Jin'er seemed to walk toward the window. She pushed open the two panels overlooking the river, and the candlelight inside swayed wildly.
"Jump then! Jump into the river and end it all! Pretend I never raised you as my daughter—"
As Madam Yang yelled, Xi Junyu saw the silhouette by the window climb up without hesitation. A moment later, the figure leaned out into the rainstorm and leapt. With a splash, she plunged into the raging waters of the Qinhuai River below.
"Ha!" Xi Junyu chuckled to himself, amused. Women like this were rare these days.
"Miss—" A faint cry came from inside the building, as another woman, likely Yuan Jin'er's maid, ran toward the window. Madam Yang's shouting grew louder: "Let her die! Let her die! It'd be for the best… She's so good at swimming, even a turtle couldn't drown her! Ungrateful brat! Heartless wretch!"
"Miss…"
"Take it all! Take your young mistress's things… Here, her deed of sale—hers and yours… Get out! Just get out!"
Madam Yang began throwing things around the room. The maid knelt on the ground, kowtowing a few times before picking up the items. She cried, "Miss!" and rushed outside.
"Call Master Chen! Get a boat and follow her! Fish that suicidal woman out of the river! I won't have people saying Yang Xiuhong drove someone to their death!"
In the pouring rain, a flurry of activity broke out on one side of Jinfeng Tower. Xi Junyu observed the scene, laughing for a long time from upstairs. Before long, he left his room, ready to depart. As he walked along the corridor, he encountered several acquaintances: Wu Qilong, the eldest son of the Wu family, and his younger brother, Wu Qihao. Seeing them, Xi Junyu stepped aside to let them pass, but the two greeted him warmly.
"Haha, Manager Xi! What a coincidence to meet you here at Jinfeng Tower today! Are you here for business?"
"I was just meeting with Manager Yu from Siqing Hall. He's already left."
"Oh, no plans then? Why not join us for a chat? We've no pressing matters tonight, and this chance meeting is fate!"
Xi Junyu smiled and shook his head politely. "I appreciate the invitation, but I have other matters to attend to. Another time, perhaps."