After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather in Jiangning city was sunny for about two days, and then began to turn cloudy. Walking on the road, the slightly cold autumn wind swirled up the fallen leaves on the street, adding a sense of desolation to the once bustling city.
Of course, in the eyes of most people, the city was still the same as usual, and the appearance of autumn was like this. The river was clear, the pleasure boats were still as before, and the boat was making the sound of oars, lightly gliding across the weeping willows. The wind swirled up the nearby fallen leaves, and then floated on the surface of the water, drifting away with the light of the waves. On the streets of the city, there were all kinds of people, carriages, small sedan chairs, peddlers and servants. Wide streets and narrow alleys, long bluestone steps, and wooden bridges spanning the narrow river. Wherever the water flowed a little slower, one could see women washing clothes on the stone steps, chatting and laughing. In the distance, there were teahouses and banquets, and the fragrance of wine shops.
The majority of people were still busy with their lives. Of course, since they were already used to it, it was just a part of life. If they had free time, they would go to a teahouse, or rest by the roadside, and occasionally mention the interesting rumours of recent days. Most likely, there would be the matter of the autumn night a few days ago, and among them, the most frequently mentioned was the appearance of the Shuidiao Getou, as well as the Still water poetry meeting, and the matter of the great Confucian scholar Kang Xian angrily rebuking everyone.
The cause, the result, the coincidence and suspense reached a climax. The so-called drama must meet these conditions. If it was just a certain gifted scholar composing a poem, and his literary talent was outstanding, people would be tired of hearing it. If there was the favour of a talented woman, then the drama would increase a little, and this Shuidiao Getou was more than enough in this respect. People liked good poems, and also liked such stories. In the past few days, if the girls went to a brothel and came out, they would inevitably listen to the song 'When is the moon bright and clear', and evaluate the beauty of it.
As for the information of the lyricist, it was still speculation, and there was not much reliable information.
Su mansion, Ning Yi, Ning Liheng. He was a live-in son-in-law of the Su mansion.
At the Still water poetry meeting, Kang Xian's few words of reprimand had solidified the reputation of Shuidiao Getou's masterpiece, but it could not erase the doubts in everyone's heart. Why was he not famous before, why did he have such talent, and why did he marry into a merchant's family? Most importantly, whether his poem was bought or plagiarized, was the most important thing for every discussion.
Scandals were often more dramatic than good reviews, and people were more inclined to accept such things in their hearts. It was not uncommon for scholars to buy poems to fish for fame and praise. Whenever people talked about it, they were more inclined to speculate about it. After all, the status of a son-in-law was very low. Some would even say that such a person had no backbone and had forgotten his roots. Anyone with the slightest bit of pride would not do such a thing.
However, in the past few days, there were also rumors that the Second Miss of the Su mansion, Tan'Er, was a heavenly beauty, gentle and generous. Ning Yi fell in love with her at first sight, and in order to stay with her for a long time, he was willing to marry into her family. However, in this era of male chauvinism, there were very few people who believed in such stories. It was common practice to visit prostitutes in society, and the status of women was like goods. Who would believe that he would do such a thing for a woman? And taking a step back, even if they believed, if this person had no talent, then it was fine, but if he was talented and still married into the family of a woman, then it really was the wrath of the heavens and the resentment of the people. It was a waste of being a man, a waste of studying the books of the sages, and even a waste of being a man.
In this era, people preferred fairy tales of the male protagonist coming back to marry the woman he loved. People could not bear to abandon everything for a woman.
Therefore, in the past few days, people's speculations about Ning Yi were mostly negative. Marrying into the family of a man was an original sin. Of course, the conclusion had not yet appeared. In addition to speculation, people still maintained a curious mood, waiting for more reliable news to appear. On the other hand, people were still amazed by the quality of the song title and the talent of the lyricist, and the popularity of this amazement was still rising. In the past few days, people's overflowing praise for it was still increasing. In this Mid-Autumn Festival poetry competition, its evaluation and limelight would probably far exceed the other poems. Such a situation had not occurred for several years.
The most lively place along the Qinhuai River was the area around the Confucius Temple and the Tribute Courtyard. Across the river were the places where many brothels were located. It was just past noon, and these places had not opened yet. However, those who should get up had already woken up. If one walked on the street below, one could see some women sitting alone against the railings on the upper floors, or chatting and playing. Inside the courtyard walls, there was a faint sound of bamboo flute, faintly discernible.
Such music could be heard by women who already had an artistic career practicing in the brothels, and there were also young girls who followed the teachers arranged by the brothels to learn music. At this time, in the inner court of the Golden Wind Brothel, there was a lesson about music that had come to an end. Several younger girls were still seriously playing the music taught by the professor. A plainly dressed female teacher in a cloth skirt and Jing hairpin was sitting in front of a small table, holding her chin as she listened to the music.
The woman was actually only in her twenties. Although her attire was simple and could not be compared to the colorful brothels, her appearance was extremely outstanding. She had a beautiful and elegant oval face, delicate eyebrows, and an outstanding temperament. At this moment, she was sitting there quietly listening to the zither, and her figure gave off a faint, ink-like feeling. Compared to the girls who were learning the music below, she was actually much more outstanding.
According to the usual procedure, after the music was finished, the woman would give them some pointers, and that would be the end of the lesson for the day. However, just as the woman was about to pack up, the girls below looked at each other. One of them smiled and said, "Sister Yunzhu, Sister Yunzhu, can you teach us how to sing Shuidiao Getou?"
"Hmm? Shuidiao Getou … "The woman who was called Yunzhu was stunned, then looked at them and blinked her eyes, probably not understanding why they wanted to learn this. The girls below had already begun to speak.
"These days, the customers who come here like to listen to this song …"
"It's the one that was sung on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival …"
"We like it very much too."
Hearing this, the woman understood. "Mid-Autumn Festival? Is there a good poem this time? "
"Ah? Sister Yunzhu, don't you know? "
"I've been busy these few times, so I didn't have time to pay attention to the Mid-Autumn Festival …" The woman smiled, but underneath the smile, there was some tiredness. However, these girls might not be able to see it.
Then the girls chattered and took out the booklet with the Shuidiao Getou. The woman sat there and read it word by word, her lips moving slightly. She really understood the benefits of the poem, and after a while, her expression became serious. In such an atmosphere, the girls below talked about the origin of the poem on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
"… Unfortunately, that person married into someone else's family."
"Yes, he's a son-in-law …"
"Now everyone says that this poem was bought …"
"But the poem is really good … When will the bright moon appear, holding a cup of wine and asking the blue sky …"
Chattering, chattering, chattering. The girls below talked about the background of the poem one after another, and then they sang it. Although they were still learning music, it was not a problem for them to sing it since the sisters of Golden Wind Pavilion sang it every day. In fact, there were also books about the Shuidiao Getou in the Music Pavilion. They learned all kinds of fingering skills and could play it by themselves, but it was still better to have someone to teach them.
"A son-in-law …" Yunzhu looked at the poem, and after listening to everyone's narration, she smiled and said, "In this case, you should know more or less the song of Shuidiao Getou, right?"
"We also played according to it, but there are some parts that are not good …"
"Well, it's enough to learn the song. There are some special fingering skills in the song of Shuidiao Getou. As for the lyrics, they can be slightly changed. I'll play it once with you, and then I'll explain it to you …"
With this, the girls returned to sit in front of the zither. Yunzhu looked around and pressed her fingers on the strings of the zither. After a gentle and elegant smile, she lifted her fingertips.
"When will the bright moon appear …"
The melodious sound of the zither rang out in the room. Most people were not familiar with the performance of so many people, so it should have been a bit chaotic. However, among the sounds of the zither, the clearest and most beautiful sound steadily carried the tune. Although the volume of the sound was the same, the mood of the sound of the zither had completely assimilated the rest of the music. Soon after, a gentle and beautiful voice accompanied everyone's singing. If there was a guest who was proficient in singing at this time, perhaps he or she would discover that the music and singing skills were much more outstanding than most of the women in the Golden Wind Pavilion. It was even not inferior to the current top beauty of the Golden Wind Pavilion, Yuan Jin 'er.
Yuan Jin'er's voice was lively and light, and her voice was like flowing water and the sound of bells, making people feel calm and comfortable. When the music sounded, some of the nearby girls also came over and listened from afar. When the song of Shuidiao Getou ended, some people said, "It's Sister Yunzhu …"
"Sister Yunzhu's singing skills are still so good …"
They were either admiring or jealous. Not long after, the lessons inside finally ended, and the girls were left to practice by themselves. A girl in a cotton dress with a braided hairpin came out of the room with a small package in her hand. She walked through the long corridor and greeted a few girls she knew, then went to her mother's room to collect the tuition fee. On the way out, she met Yuan Jin'er in the corridor outside.
"Sister Yunzhu."
"Sister Jin'er."
"I heard Sister Yunzhu singing just now. This song of Shuidiao Getou is really the best when Sister Yunzhu sings. Jin'er always feels that she can't find such a state of mind, and it doesn't sound good when she sings it. "
Yuan Jin'er was 17 years old this year, and had a lively temperament. After the two of them exchanged greetings, she put away her bright smile and asked softly, "Sister Yunzhu, how is Sister Hu Tao?"
"She's doing well these days. Her illness should be cured in a few more days."
"That's good …" Yuan Jin'er nodded. After a while, she looked around and saw that there was no one around, then took out a small bag from her body, "Sister Yunzhu, I know your temperament normally, but since Sister Hu Tao is sick, she needs emergency treatment. I hope that Sister will accept this money. Sister took care of Jin'er in the past, and Jin'er will always remember it …"
She wanted to put the small bag of money in the other's hand, but Yunzhu refused. Although she was very touched, she did not accept it in the end.
"Hu Tao's illness is indeed getting better. If it's not, Sister would not use this matter to force herself. Sister Jin'er, you should save up the money. If one day, you can redeem yourself, then you can be free … "
"I don't have a heart like Sister." The two of them said some heart-warming words just now, and the rim of their eyes were slightly red. Yuan Jin'er used her fingers to wipe the corners of her eyes and smiled, "With the way Jin'er is now, she will eventually choose a man to marry. Actually, there's not much use for the money by her side. Moreover, it's not much, I still have …"
"If I can meet a talented scholar that I like …"
"Jin 'er is not going to marry a man who only knows how to talk. Sweet words and flowery words can't make a living. My life as a concubine and servant, I will eventually find someone with some money and status to marry. Fortunately, I have some reputation now, so it won't be difficult to get married … "
This was probably because everyone had their own aspirations. The two of them walked out and said some heart-warming words, but in the end, they still parted at the side door of Golden Wind Restaurant. Yuan Jin'er smiled and waved, and only put down her hand when the other's figure disappeared from her sight.
She was a little envious, but also a little sad. Even she didn't understand her feelings.
The woman who was called Sister Yunzhu was named Nie Yunzhu, and she was also one of the most popular women in Golden Wind Restaurant a few years ago. She was excellent in zither, singing, poetry, and calligraphy. However, she was indifferent, so she was not the most popular. In the past, when Qin Huai selected Top Courtesan, she was not willing to participate, so her reputation never reached the top. Two years ago, she had saved enough money to redeem herself and her maidservant, Hu Tao, and found a place to stay. Until now, people would occasionally ask about her when they came to Golden Wind Restaurant.
Other women in the brothel, even if they redeemed themselves, would often keep in touch with many patrons and participate in poetry meetings with scholars. However, Sister Yunzhu was different. She almost cut off contact with those people in the past. Life in the brothel was nothing more than welcoming and seeing off guests. She had not appeared for two years, so she faded out of this world. But she still took the job of teaching zither, which could be regarded as earning some living expenses.
However, teaching zither and music did not make much money. Even if she did not teach, there were a lot of people in the building who could do it. Two years ago, when she redeemed herself, she still had some money left. But now, it was said that the situation was not so good. The master and the maid had been living in the brothel. Although Hu Tao knew how to serve people, she was not good at things related to life. After two years, most of the money had been used up, so they could only take the job in the brothel. Recently, it was said that Hu Tao was sick, so they did not seem to be living well. Yuan Jin 'er was grateful for her care in the past, so she wanted to take out money to help. She did not take much, but she did not expect that the other party would not accept it.
Women, there was no such thing as freedom in this world. The brothel might look glorious, the five tombs fighting for their lives when they were young, the number of red silk coursing through them was uncountable, but in the end, they were still concubines. Who would treat a brothel girl like a proper wife? Sister Yunzhu had a tough heart. If she redeemed herself and left, a weak woman in this world without someone to rely on, how long could she last? In the end, she would probably return to the brothel.
She sighed softly, turned around and walked back …
*****
When leaving the medicine shop, Nie Yunzhu counted the money she had and put it in the pocket closest to her body.
Together with the money from pawning the hairpin, it could still be used for some time. What made her most relieved was that Hu Tao's illness was finally going to recover, which was the best.
When they left the brothel two years ago, the two of them did not have much experience living alone. Although Hu Tao had a hard life when she was a child, she had been in the brothel for many years. After all, those were childhood memories. It was good enough that she could cook. Without any plan, the master and the maid lived a carefree life for a long time. Although they did some work, such as coming to Golden Wind Brothel to teach zither, they still could not make ends meet. But now, although they did not have much money left, as long as Hu Tao got better, the master and the maid could do some work and make ends meet.
She picked up the small cloth bag with small items in one hand and gently lifted the medicine bag with the other. She walked in the direction of her home with her head down. Half of her attention was focused on the small bag on her body. After she and Hu Tao came out to live, their money bags had been stolen in crowded places twice. Now that she thought about it, she felt it was a pity. After leaving Vermilion Bird Avenue, there were gradually fewer pedestrians. Only then did she let down her guard. There were still some shops selling things around. When she was about to turn a corner, a figure suddenly flashed in front of her eyes.
Eh …
She raised her head and looked over in confusion. The figure had already disappeared around the corner not far away. With this thought in mind, she walked a few steps quickly. When she reached the intersection, she finally saw the figure clearly.
It was indeed him …
On the side of the street not far away, a thin and scholarly man was standing in front of several shops. He was holding a large wooden board in his hand. He looked at the things being sold in several shops while swinging the board back and forth in boredom. Then he nodded and entered the door of a shop.
It looked like he was going to buy charcoal.
Nie Yunzhu thought about it and followed him …
*****
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
