Chapter Seventeen: Taking in the Maid Plum Blossom, and the Personal Maid

"Mother-in-law, absolutely not. If Yanggu County is breached and the rebels enter the city, chaos will reign. The martial artists we've hired to guard the house might well be the first to plunder our food stores."

"In such a time, there will be no officials to uphold justice. It's no different from inviting a wolf into the house," Su Yang said gravely.

"When we first began hoarding grain, both the servants and the rice shop owners knew. If the rebels enter and we have no martial artists to keep order, wouldn't we be at the mercy of others?" Liu Wenxiang gazed at Su Yang, her face full of worry, her beautiful eyes pleading for him to resolve this crisis. By now, she had subconsciously come to rely on Su Yang as her pillar of strength.

As long as Su Yang was by her side, everything seemed manageable.

"Since only our family is present, I won't hide it from you, mother-in-law. I do have a way, but I'll need everyone's cooperation when the time comes."

"Rest assured, son-in-law. Whatever you ask of me, I will do," Liu Wenxiang replied with a solemn nod the moment Su Yang finished speaking, her tone unwavering.

"Whew...!" Watching this scene unfold, Wang Chunxiao could not help but exhale sharply, almost wishing she could rush forward and give this scoundrel a good beating. How had he managed to hoodwink her mother so thoroughly?

"If it's anything improper, we absolutely won't agree," Wang Chunxiao said.

"What do you mean by 'improper,' young miss?" Su Yang was briefly taken aback, turning to ask.

Improper?

Wang Chunxiao found it hard to voice her thoughts; if she spoke her mind, her mother might very well throw her out of the house. So, she changed tack. "For example, if you tried to force yourself on me."

"Force myself on you?"

"Yes!"

"Young miss, aren't you overthinking things?" Su Yang frowned, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Besides, you and I are husband and wife. What's this talk of forcing and not forcing?"

"If you were to say I had illicit relations with my mother-in-law, that would be improper. But I, Su Yang, am a man of letters and honor—how could I ever do such a thing? I'd rather die."

Hearing Su Yang's righteous and certain tone, Wang Chunxiao, for reasons she could not explain, felt a faint joy and a flicker of sweetness and relief in her heart.

"Sister, don't worry. Even if brother-in-law likes me, he could never like mother," Wang Xiahe said with innocent candor.

The three in the room all turned their eyes on Wang Xiahe.

"Why are you all looking at me? Men marrying sisters is hardly uncommon. Even the Emperor has taken several pairs of sisters as consorts," Wang Xiahe blurted carelessly.

"Silence! You dare slander the Emperor? If an outsider overheard, our family would face ruin and execution," Liu Wenxiang said sternly.

"Xiahe is still young, mother-in-law. She doesn't understand such things. Please don't be angry."

"We all listen to our son-in-law," Liu Wenxiang said.

Wang Chunxiao frowned again, then said, "Su Yang, you have indeed been diligent since joining our family, but I will never bear you a child."

"Understood," Su Yang nodded indifferently. The matter of having an heir was not something the young miss needed to worry about; his own plans had already been set in motion.

If he waited for her, the opportunity would be long gone.

"Therefore, I intend to choose a proper chambermaid for you in the household. Is there anyone you have your eye on?" Wang Chunxiao asked.

At her words, three pairs of eyes in the hall turned to her, full of confusion.

Liu Wenxiang, knowing her daughter's temperament, was bewildered. She herself had only grown close to their son-in-law and let him massage her shoulders once, which had sent her daughter into a rage, so why was she now offering to select a chambermaid for him?

As for her own closeness with Su Yang, it was because all household matters had previously been decided by her late husband, and she had never been decisive. Since Su Yang's arrival, he had performed well, so she had relied on him and even asked him for advice. That day, her shoulders had truly ached, and she hadn't thought it through. For days afterward, her daughter's gaze toward her had been odd.

Now, with this suggestion of a chambermaid, there must be a reason. Ah, my foolish daughter!

How could she ever do such things with her son-in-law? But now, with this proposal, she had opened the door for another to compete for his affection.

Liu Wenxiang realized that, despite Wang Chunxiao's current aloofness and disdain for Su Yang, she would eventually come around; Su Yang was a man of great wisdom, capable of seeing the tides of the world.

Her daughter, having pretended to be lame and unattractive for years, had suffered much ridicule and was sensitive. If she opposed Su Yang taking a chambermaid, Wang Chunxiao would only become suspicious.

With no better option, Liu Wenxiang could only remain silent.

She would have to swallow whatever consequences would come of this.

Seated nearby, Wang Xiahe was equally stunned, staring at Wang Chunxiao in disbelief. She knew better than anyone how strong her sister's need for control was. How could she willingly offer to choose a chambermaid for her brother-in-law?

"My dear, are you serious?" Su Yang asked, astonished—this was the first time he had called Wang Chunxiao his wife.

"Of course," Wang Chunxiao replied gravely.

"Then let it be Peach Blossom. She's been by my side for days and is already familiar," Su Yang said, his heart trembling with disbelief at how easily the matter was resolved.

Though he lived as a son-in-law in the Wang family, subject to their every whim, if Peach Blossom were to become pregnant, the family could choose to have the child aborted, leaving him no recourse but force, which he wished to avoid.

His mother-in-law and sister-in-law had always treated him kindly, unlike how other families mistreated their sons-in-law, so he did not want to make things difficult.

"Very well! From today, Peach Blossom will be your chambermaid, but she will be the only one. If I discover you dallying with anyone else in the house, don't blame me for being ruthless," Wang Chunxiao said coldly, though her heart was full of jealousy.

This time, Su Yang said nothing. The conversation seemed to end there, and each person withdrew to their own affairs.

During this time, none of them gave much thought to Zhang Hu's disappearance, assuming he was away on personal business and would return in a few days.

An invitation also arrived at the Wang family. In a few days, it would be the fiftieth birthday of Wang Shangfu, the head of the main branch, and the second branch's son-in-law and female relatives were invited.

Out of duty and propriety, Su Yang, Liu Wenxiang, and the rest had to attend, so they sent word through the servants that they would be there.

...

Meihua had not returned for several days, and Peach Blossom grew concerned. She asked Su Yang to go and check, worrying that Meihua might have encountered trouble beyond her ability to handle.

Su Yang went north of the city once again. On the way, the streets were nearly deserted, every door and window tightly shut. Though the rebels had not yet taken Qinghe County, the people of Yanggu were already on edge.

It seemed the price of grain would only continue to skyrocket.

Inside a low, dark house, the air was thick with an oppressive, foul odor. There was only the barest of furnishings—a bed, a table, and a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed.

"No, you can't sell my sister to a brothel! Brother, I beg you... Meihua begs you!" In the room, Meihua clung tightly to her younger sister Xiaomei, holding her in a desperate embrace. Their eldest brother, wounded and only able to sit on the bed, looked on coldly and said, "What are you waiting for? Take her away! I am the only man in this family, and as the eldest, I am as a father. Their fate is for me to decide."

"Even if the King himself came, it would make no difference."

Apart from their ailing mother, their castrated brother, and the Meihua sisters, there were three men in the room. The leader, known as Dog Master from Emerald Green Brothel, was hunched and wrinkled like an old dog, yet wore a silk robe.

Two thugs accompanied him. One, whose inner strength surged, was a ninth-grade martial artist in black attire; the other, though not ninth-grade, was still formidable.

"Miss, I see from your clothes that you serve a wealthy family. We would rather not harm you, but if you resist, don't blame us," said Dog Master, who, despite his lecherous appearance, spoke with a gentle and kindly tone.

In this business, the girls were everything—from the lowest courtesan to the most celebrated beauty, each was a money tree.

A common girl could be bought for six or seven taels of silver; one with finer features might fetch dozens, even a hundred taels for a true beauty.

A new girl of plain looks would be sent to work immediately. A prettier one would be trained in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, reading, etiquette, and the secrets of the boudoir.

She would also be fattened up and cared for; if all the girls were frail and withered, the wealthy and powerful would not be tempted.

Today's prospective purchase had fine features—a true beauty in the making. Dog Master was willing to pay twelve taels for her, planning to train her for at least a year. In that year, he might invest a hundred taels.

If she was poorly treated and killed herself before her first client, that would be a loss beyond words.

No one in the brothel—madam, stewards, guards, or menials—dared to mistreat the girls, provided they behaved. They were to be served as if they were masters.

As for beatings, they were rare, unless a girl earned so little she was not worth feeding.

"Sir, please, don't take my sister. However much you paid for her, I can give you..." Meihua sobbed, holding her sister Xiaomei, her face streaked with tears, utterly pitiful.

"Twelve taels of silver. Can you produce that?" their eldest brother snorted from the bed. "If you can, then Xiaomei is yours to take."

"Twelve taels?" Meihua was stunned. She had thought it would be six or so—she might scrape together her savings, borrow from her mistress, or even make a deal to save her sister.

But she had not expected the brothel to offer such a high price.

"Miss, if you were willing to come to Emerald Green Brothel, I could offer you thirty taels personally, but as you're already a maid in another household, the money wouldn't go to you," Dog Master mused, then turned to their brother. "Whose maid is your sister?"

"One tael of silver," the brother said, his eyes darting.

Dog Master chuckled. "Miss, get up. Don't waste our time. To be a servant in a wealthy house is your fate. To be sold to a brothel and enjoy riches is your sister's fate!"

Xiaomei, still a young girl, trembled in her sister's arms, her eyes full of fear, her thin hands clutching Meihua tightly.

"Separate them," Dog Master ordered with a frown. The two thugs stepped forward, prying Meihua's arms apart with iron grips. She could not resist their strength, and Xiaomei was torn from her embrace.

The ninth-grade thug lifted Xiaomei, who did not cry out, only letting tears stream silently down her face. The louder she cried, the more it would pain her sister.

Their bedridden mother let out a long sigh.

Their castrated brother watched with cold indifference.

Meihua struggled desperately to reach Xiaomei, but was only met with a hail of fists and kicks, left dirty and bruised.

"Enough, don't injure her. Pitiable as she is, she is still human," Dog Master waved a hand. "Miss, your sister may be dear to you, but she belongs to your brother. He has every right to sell what is his."

"You can't blame anyone. This is your sister's fate."

"Dog Master, this woman is stubborn. She even bit me—I'll kick you to death!" one thug shouted, stomping on Meihua's hand. Pain like tearing knives shot through her fingers, and she let out a piercing scream.

"Get out!"

A voice roared from the doorway. Before anyone could react, a wave of powerful energy swept in. Like a tiger or leopard, a dark figure burst into the room, kicking the thug squarely in the chest.

Crack.

A dull sound, bones breaking. The thug flew backward, crashing into the dirt wall, sending dust flying. He fell to the ground, moaning in agony.

With a swish, the other ninth-grade martial artist dropped Xiaomei and threw a punch at Su Yang, who met it with a simple, unadorned blow.

The fists collided, strength rippling out, a muffled boom resounding. Su Yang stood unmoved; the brothel thug staggered back several steps.

"A ninth-grade martial artist?" The thug turned pale, frowning deeply. The man before him was also ninth-grade, but even stronger—perhaps on the verge of eighth-grade.

"S...son-in-law..." Meihua, sprawled on the ground, looked up at Su Yang, tears staining her face, her eyes filled with grievance and hope.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Dog Master asked, tensing.

"Su Yang, son-in-law of the Wang family."

"Oh, so it's Scholar Su, famed for auctioning braised pork. I take it this maid is also of the Wang household?"

"Our men were a bit rough—apologies. If you wish to vent your anger, feel free to beat him again, but leave him breathing."

"If I do, I suppose some accident will befall me tonight?" Su Yang replied.

"You jest, sir. Take care of your maid and don't interfere with our business. Emerald Green Brothel never seeks trouble, but we do not fear it. We have the law and the magistrate behind us," Dog Master said, his words causing Su Yang to frown. Emerald Green Brothel was backed by the county magistrate.

...

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