Chapter 260 One thousand liang silver per night
The scene became embarrassing for a while. Although it didn’t matter what to do with an insignificant foster granddaughter and Madam Luo could sell her if the price was reasonable, Luo’s Family was a scholarly family, and now everyone was in Luo’s Family’s ancestral hall. How could the population transaction be conducted? Madam Luo secretly blamed Ning Yuan for speaking regardless of the occasion, and guessed that he might be disappointed with her granddaughter’s conduct, so that he treated them in this way. Madam Luo was in a dilemma. She didn’t know whether to make this deal or make another appointment to discuss the matter.
Maybe it was because that Ning Yuan wore a mask that covered his face, he was so shameless. He said, “I haven’t seen Miss He for three years. She has grown into a big girl. I can see her beauty through a veil. I come here this time unaccompanied by my wife and concubines. I feel lonely during these days. If Madam Luo is not satisfied with selling Miss He to me at the price of ten thousand gold, you can choose to let Miss He stay with me for a few nights. I will pay you one thousand liang silver per night. We can make a deal. In this way, after ten nights, your mansion will earn ten thousand liang silver. And Miss He will be back and still be the Third Miss in the mansion. What do you think?”
These flat words shocked everyone. They didn’t even respond to it for a while, and all of them opened their mouths as if they were letting Ning Yuan check their teeth.
Luo Baiji was really angry, and wanted to beat Ning Yuan up, but he was stopped by He Danggui. He looked down at her with confusion. Her eyes showed calmness and she just shook her head, motioning him not to go there. When Madam Luo understood Ning Yuan’s meaning, she was angry but didn’t dare to show it. What was the identity of Ning Yuan? He was so arrogant. He even wanted to use the miss in the Luo’s Mansion to warm his bed, and then brought her back after using her.
Feng Yang was the most surprised one in the entire ancestral hall. He glanced at He Danggui anxiously, and then ran out while taking Ning Yuan by his neckline. He hurriedly told everyone, “Sorry, he drank too much. It doesn’t count. We will leave first, and you can continue to settle the case!”
Luo Baiji strongly suppressed his anger, and asked He Danggui in a low voice, “Why don’t you let me beat him?”
He Danggui’s voice was as calm as the look in her eyes, and she said indifferently, “Just beating him is too kind. Even if I want to beat him, I want to do it by myself.” Ning Yuan was moody, and it was unnecessary for Luo Baiji to offend him.
Luo Baiji was silent for a moment, and asked in a volume that only the two of them could hear, “Do you hear…what I said just now?”
Of course, He Danggui heard it. Even though when she met Bai Yangbai in Chengxu that day, he regarded Luo Baiji and Peng Jian as silly boys who were in their bloom of youth and adored young girls, she didn’t care about it and knew that Luo Baiji would fall in love with a swordswoman and run off with the swordswoman two years later. She and Luo Baiji weren’t meant for each other. But just now in the ancestral hall, when she heard Luo Baiji telling everyone, “I like Third Sister”, she was speechless. She didn’t know if Bai Yangbai was too clever or her reaction was too slow.
Forgot it. It didn’t matter that he admitted it. Anyway, he had his true love, and the matchmaker had arranged the marriage for him. He Danggui nodded and said, “Thank you for helping me, Second Brother. I also appreciate your simplicity and straightforwardness. I am very happy to be your sister.”
When the two were whispering, Sun Meiniang also talked with Madam Luo, “He Danggui is not made of gold, but Ning Yuan actually pays her one thousand liang silver per night. He is so generous, so I think that person enjoys a high status. Among tens of millions of wealthy businessmen in the world, such spender is few. He is even connected with the imperial court. It is only good for us to fawn on him, not to mention that the reward is so generous. Even if we don’t accept his money, it is worthwhile to win the favor of the guest.”
Madam Luo frowned, “If he sends the betrothal gifts to our mansion, even if he marries Yi as a concubine, I might promise him. However, he actually makes this request. He looks down upon Luo’s Family and speaks for granted. I don’t like this person.” If this matter spread, wouldn’t the East Yard become the joke of others?
Sun said evilly, “The custom of treating guests with their daughters and their wives has existed since ancient times. It prevailed in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was popular in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. How could it become a joke? This is actually a very common way of hospitality, which is popular in the north. Childe Ning comes from the north, and he is used to this way, so he has this request. Moreover, this childe is a fine-looking man, so Yi and him are a good match.”
Meng Ying, who was holding an empty teacup to drink water next to them, frowned secretly. How could there be such a weird character in Luo’s Mansion, who said such weird things? Since it was so reasonable for the daughter to sleep with the guests, why didn’t she let her daughter do it? People in the north treated guests with the women in the family, such as singing girls and maids. Who offered their daughters? What the hell was wrong with My Lord? Wasn’t he so obsessed with He Danggui? Why did he embarrass her in public?
Madam Luo shook her head and denied, “My original intention is to let Yi marry in the local area. In the future, when her mother is old, it will be convenient for her to return home to take care of her mother. But Feng Yang, who I prefer, refuses to marry her, saying that he only regards her as his sister. I don’t find a good candidate for a while, so I am moved by the proposal of marrying a junior wife from the foreign merchant Ning Yuan. I think that everything should be based on the good marriage of Yi. If the marriage is good, the problem of distance can be ignored. But now that the marriage is over, I can only blame Chuanxiong for being foolish, who played with witchcraft and damaged Yi’s reputation. Alas, I’ve known thoughts of Ji a long time ago. If Yi really can’t get married, she can marry him as a concubine. Then she is still at home, and I don’t have to worry about distance.”
Sun Meiniang didn’t understand why Madam Luo attached importance to the issue of distance so much. She just followed her words and continued to slander, “Because of the bad conduct of Yi’s mother, Yi can’t get married anymore. And Ji will marry a wife and concubines in the future. It’s fine to add Yi as a concubine. She can stay with Childe Ning for a few days, and then it is okay to give her to Ji later. In this way, Luo’s Mansion can build relationship with Childe Ning.”
Meng Ying was angry about the shit logic. If the miss slept with the guest, the family would have relationship with the guest? Wasn’t that nonsense... Brother Xuan really liked that girl. Should he help Brother Xuan keep that girl?
As expected, Madam Luo was easier to be persuaded, and she didn’t categorically dismiss Sun Meiniang’s crazy suggestion. She also said, “Let me think about it.” Hearing this, Meng Ying not far away felt depressed in the ancestral hall, and felt that the Luo’s Family was a place where a bunch of lunatics stayed. He stood up and said goodbye, “I’m sorry to disturb you for a long time, and I’m really upset about it. I’m going to leave. Thank you for your kindness and hospitality.”
Madam Luo hurriedly stood up and said, “Why do you leave so late at night, Childe Ying? Aren’t you waiting for your brother, who is still out for work? When he comes back, how do we send him a message? And Childe Ying, where are you going to spend the night?”
Meng Ying looked up at the roof at a forty-five-degree angle and told her where he was going, “I want to go to Yi Hong Brothel to find beauties for pleasure. Your mansion is very thoughtful and considerate in everything, but it’s too plain at night.”
“Uh.” Madam Luo stared at the young man who was under seventeen. After a pause, she said in a tone of discussion, “Little childe, what kind of beauty do you like? I will let people send her to Xi Chang Yard. Is that okay?” Why were young people so dissolute nowadays? They always talked about prostitute. When she was young, everyone regardless of the age blushed when these things were mentioned.
Meng Ying looked around the room. He firstly glanced at He Danggui who talked to Luo Baiji, and then looked at the interested eyes of Madam Luo and Sun Meiniang. Finally, he set his eyes on Luo Baiqiong’s face, who had not recovered the ability to speak, and said maliciously, “I like this younger sister. Second Mistress Luo says that it’s the custom of Ming Dynasty to treat guests with the daughters. I wonder if this younger sister can warm up the bed for me. The weather has been very cold these days, and the quilt is cool.”
The people in the ancestral hall were discussing in twos and threes about the romantic anecdote of the guest named Ning Yuan paying Third Miss one thousand liang silver for one night, and suddenly, they heard the loud voice from a corner of the room. When they went to see it, they saw that Second Miss knocked down four or five round stools, knelt on the ground and wept loudly. The Second Mistress Luo hurriedly supported her while softly comforting her.
Meng Ying puckered his mouth, said “goodbye” to Madam Luo, and rushed out of the ancestral hall. Madam Luo was so angry that she patted her thighs. What kind of evil did she hit tonight? A good marriage was ruined, and the Third Childe of Meng’s Family who lived well in the house was offended. Besides, her granddaughter Qiong was also suspected of being bewitched, and she couldn’t speak up yet. What the hell was going on?
Meng Ying glanced at He Danggui for the last time, and went straight out of the gate of the ancestral hall.
It turned out that when the woman was asked to sleep with a man, her first reaction was to rush to fight. So, He Danggui was unusually calm, because she liked Ning Yuan, or she didn’t reveal her anger and made up her mind to ask for payment of debt from the Lord in the future? At this time, He Danggui’s eyes turned around like a new moon, and they met his exploring eyes. Looking at her eyes with smile in it, he suspected that she had heard Madam Luo and Sun Meiniang’s dialogue with him. How could it be?
After Meng Ying walked away, He Danggui smiled slightly under the veil. She didn’t expect that the dull Third Childe of Meng’s Family was so interesting. He actually liked Luo Baiqiong? He was so brave to speak it. Heh, now he had offended half of the people in Luo’s Mansion, and he couldn’t stay any longer.
Listening to Third Sister’s euphemistic refusal, Luo Baiji sighed, “I know this is impossible for a long time, so I didn’t dare to express my thoughts. I was afraid that this one-sided love will be cut off the moment I said it. Third sister, I like you secretly. Will you still talk to me in the future? Will you be angry with me?” Actually, what he really wanted to ask was whether she would go under his umbrella to take shelter from the rain.
He Danggui smiled silently, “Second Brother, you worry too much. I am very grateful to you, and the relationship between brother and sister is a long and strong relationship, sometimes longer than the spousal relationship. Even if there is embarrassment or misunderstanding, long days will dilute everything and bring a sunny day, just like my Sunny Doll.”
“Sunny Doll?” Luo Baiji turned his head and looked at the little doll under the porch, and suddenly realized, “Oh, that’s a ‘Broom Woman for Fine Days’, right?” He was in a gloomy mood and wanted to form a piece of frost with this night rain. He forced a laughter and said irrelevant words. Although his mouth moved while speaking, the voice did not seem to come from his mouth, “Although it is somewhat different from the popular ‘Broom Woman for Fine Days’, the usage is the same. I once read that the woman rolls up her sleeve, lifts her clothes and holds a broom in her hand. After people hang the doll in the cloudy sky, she will wave her hand. That is the doll most commonly hung by people in the northwest. Sister, you have never been to the northwest. How can you know how to make this kind of doll?”
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