Step Down, Let Me Come!

Chapter 36: Back to Business (3)

The private room was elegant and refreshing. 

Shen Tang waited, while playing with a cup. As a child with a slight ADHD, she wasn’t used to the quiet surroundings. After seeing that the shopkeeper was also wasting time in a daze, she couldn't help asking questions that she had been puzzled over for a long time.

“Shopkeeper, I have questions. I don’t know if you can answer them”. 

The shopkeeper heard her and his floating thoughts quickly came back to his body, he joked: “What can I not answer? If you don't ask me about the matters related to my wife, what can I not answer”. 

Shen Tang: “…”

She also didn’t want to know this.

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Who would want to know what you’re doing with your wife behind closed doors!

The shopkeeper noticed Shen Tang’s weird and complicated expression. He abruptly realized that the painter before him was only 11–12 years old, a small young lady. Even if her work was exquisite, and she was proficient in drawing Mixitu, he still shouldn’t joke with her like that. In the end, he could only quickly change the topic and ask: “What did you say just now? You have questions, right? Just ask, I will tell you everything”. 

Shen Tang asked: “How could this place encourage this kind of business? It’s reasonable to say that the public officials should avoid arousing suspicion, right? 

Unexpectedly, they took the lead to develop this kind of business, it’s unheard of.

The shopkeeper thought this would be a difficult question.

After knowing, it was this kind of question, he became astonished by Shen Tang’s “simplistic mind”, after all it was common knowledge. After thinking about it, he noticed that this young lady was beautiful with outstanding temperament and her hands weren’t covered in marks, she could also paint. Presumably she was born in a wealthy family that went bankrupt later, so perhaps the relatives didn’t let her know about these kinds of things.

After pondering, he looked at Shen Tang with more pity – this young lady’s life was certainly difficult, so she ran out of the house to look for a job. If the cooperation with this business went well, she could also do more of it with him. 

He swallowed a mouthful of tea and sighed: “This, it’s a long story. In these years there were many disasters and a war, days are tough for common people. If someone has a field they don’t dare to plant, if they plant they’re afraid of bandits, but if they don’t have a field they would surely die. Say, adults are hungry and don’t have warm clothes, can they raise kids?”

Shen Tang shook her head: “Naturally, they can’t afford it”. 

The shopkeeper said: “So, they can’t have kids, otherwise they would abandon them or sell them. Government noticed it, so they proceed to build urban commercial entertainment areas, where people can sell singing, dancing, or smiles. It was built to attract the interest of merchants and earn money, but also to find a place for all the kids. With the high taxation, it filled the vacancy. Otherwise, the superiors would force them to ask for tax money, then the county government wouldn’t be able to meet their expectations. After all, this could… serve multiple purposes”. 

Shen Tang’s face changed.

She couldn’t tolerate it, she felt nauseated. 

She asked: “Government really meant that?”
 

The shopkeeper pointed in the direction of Xiao city’s center.

He approached her and said quietly: “Naturally, the announcements are already pasted. What do these nobles think, what can we, ordinary people, say? Truthfully – There was nothing wrong with not fighting! There was such a disturbance, because of the noble's charity they could sell their sons and daughters there”. 

Because of the special current situation and the strong encouragement from the county government, other businesses in Xiao city were difficult to manage, but the business of commercial entertainment areas had made a lot of money, and the business was booming every day.

The folks who had no way to make a living were forced to sell their kids, but the money for selling them was still less than 1 month expenses of a family, instead the transaction filled the traffickers and commercial areas pockets. There were a lot of kids, so people had a wider range of choices and could nitpick. They joined forces to lower the price of the kids, so the parents could only sell them at a low price with tears in their eyes.

A good-looking child could be taken away for at most one or two hundred coins, and what happened to them in the future depended entirely on their luck.

The shopkeeper seemed depressed and sighed, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that Shen Tang was lost in thoughts, he suddenly noticed he said something he shouldn’t to the child, he remedied himself at the spot: “Alas, it’s in the past. Nowadays, living is not easy”. 

As for whether to suffer from hunger and homelessness, or to stay in commercial areas and attract people, the choice wasn’t in the hands of the poor. Life was cheaper than grass, so there was no choice.

Even if staying in a commercial area was bad, they could still live – if gods do the honor and gave the person a beautiful face, he could mix with higher ups enjoying spicy food and drinks. Even if they died young, they could still be considered “lucky” – there was a fear of being killed by bandits, dragged to the battlefield as a cannon fodder, killed for money, or timidly tending a few acres of barren farmland, working all year long, just to see the family being starved to death.

Shen Tang felt down.

The shopkeeper noticed her sad expression and changed the topic, he asked: “Guess, how many men’s halls are in these 5 long commercial streets? How many women’s?” 

How could Shen Tang know this. 

She said without thinking: “Half?”

The shopkeeper shook his head: “The men's hall takes up this number!”

He gestured “7”. 

He meant 70%. 

Shen Tang: “…”.

The shopkeeper started to talk to himself. 

“You are definitely curious why that is, right? The answer is not difficult. Do you know the person at the top was Xin Kingdom’s king’s “favorite concubine”? He was also called “lovable concubine”. As soon as he was born, he attracted countless envy, so they build more and more folk men's halls and the business was also getting better and better. Look, now he is the king”. He patted his leg, shouting: “Amazing!”.

He was only short of awarding the “Most Inspirational Male Concubine in History” to Zheng Qiao.

From being a concubine to this identity, who wouldn’t say any words of praise!

Zheng Qiao also became the idol male god of the men's hall.

Shen Tang: “…”

Not long later, outside the private room, came the sound of knocking.

The shopkeeper stood up and opened the door. Three strangers were standing outside, two tall men and one short. The middle one wore a black veil. There were tall, fierce-looking guards on his left and right.

Needless to say, the middle one was the truest master.

After entering, he removed the veil, exposing his fair and delicate, but harsh face. It was better to say he was a young and inexperienced youth, rather than a man. His gaze swept over Shen Tang. He saw there were no more people and asked the shopkeeper: “Painter?” 

Shen Tang raised her hand: “Here!”

He didn't even look at Shen Tang, he just poured his anger on the shopkeeper: “There was not enough silver? Unexpectedly, you found a tender little girl for me to stop bothering you? Do you know how important this painting is for me?” 

The shopkeeper didn’t expect his temperament to be this fierce, but he was willing to bend himself to please him and vouch for Shen Tang: “Don’t look at her age, her abilities are not worse than the other painters”. 

Shen Tang agreed and nodded at the side.

After all, she used to paint for living. 

She believed in her ability!

After hearing it, he carefully sized Shen Tang up.

At this time, Shen Tang already stood up, and the Wenxin hanging on her waist drooped with her movements. The transparent wenxin faintly glowed in seven colors under the light. The young man was stunned, and suddenly changed his tone: “That's okay, let this person try. If he can’t satisfy me, change the person! But, I have a request!”

Shen Tang was full of confidence: “Don’t hesitate and say it”. 

Youth: “You have to draw with the pen, ink, paper, and ink stone I provide”.

Shen Tang thought it was a good thing and agreed on the spot.

The sky was dark, and the stars were boiling.

Qi Shan always felt that something was amiss today.

Hearing the sound of footsteps from the next door, he knew that young master Shen had returned. He glanced at the new books collected on the desk, thought for a while, and knocked on Shen Tang's door, while holding them.

Shen Tang was about to use ink after drawing her sketch.

“Wait a moment, come in”. 

Shen Tang stood up to open a door. 

“Yuanliang, what’s the matter?”

She made place for him to come in.

“Borrowed a few copies from a friend, see if there is anything you need…” Before he finished speaking, he didn’t put down the booklet, because he saw the works spread out on Shen Tang's desk, and said in surprise, “Young master Shen, there are four arts. Which “expert” taught you the “painting”?”

The person on the painting had a black round head and a body drawn with a few twisted strokes. It looked like a twisted fried dough twist, lying together on a “deck chair”.

There was a bulge on the top of someone’s head, it was unknown if it was a bun or a flower on a hair. The “right hand” was holding a round fan, and the left hand was hanging down… It should be a person who was lying on a chair of senior concubine, while trying to strike a pose. The convex should be a convex, and the concave should be a concave.

The doodles were grotesque, and there was an inexplicable sense of coquettishness.

The crucial point was that on the paper wasn’t only this one “person”. When viewed in series, the movements of the characters range from undressing to climbing on the couch. On the unfinished scene should be a second strange “person”… There was an inexplicable “anxious” atmosphere.

Qi Shan…