Chapter 118: Smile

Nie Yunzhu and Yuan Jin'er had indeed come to sell preserved eggs.

Only a few days had passed since Yuan Jin'er jumped into the water and left Jinfeng Tower. Rumors were still rampant outside about the true story behind her disappearance, and Mama Yang of Jinfeng Tower was currently upset. However, Yuan Jin'er was not one to sit idle. She had invested all her money and intended to follow Nie Yunzhu to drum up some business, enjoying the feeling of being a strong, independent woman.

Actually, this business relied on an existing connection: Yuan Jin'er knew Mama Chen of Yancui Tower. Yuan Jin'er brought Nie Yunzhu along to expand their market. Selling preserved eggs was a minor matter compared to Yancui Tower's scale and income. Since they were acquaintances, a simple discussion was enough to settle it. However, some accompanying issues proved more troublesome.

"So, where were we? Everyone in this business knows Yang Xiuhong's temperament. You crazy girl, you don't know how good you have it! This egg business is a small matter. Jin'er, you should still go apologize to her and humble yourself. Being estranged for too long hurts feelings. That woman with a sharp tongue but a kind heart, tsk... Anyway, I don't care what the girls do after they buy their freedom, but you two are a real headache..."

Entering the room, Mama Chen sat before a bronze mirror and began to touch up her makeup, muttering endlessly. Of course, this casual talk was due to her long-standing familiarity with Yuan Jin'er. Jin'er squinted her eyes.

"Alright, alright, I get it! You're such a nagging busybody, and your ugly face makes your words even more annoying, you know that!"

"Oh, is that your attitude when doing business?"

"That's exactly my attitude."

Mama Chen, though in her thirties, was quite beautiful. She had only been running Yancui Tower for a few years, backed by an official 'godfather,' and had a rather straightforward temper. At this moment, she and Yuan Jin'er were glaring at each other, in a standoff. Nie Yunzhu intervened with a wry smile: "Alright, alright, you two."

"...Hmph. If Yunzhu weren't standing between us, I'd rip that girl's mouth off today."

"Come on, rip it off then!" Yuan Jin'er stuck out her tongue, then turned her head and asked, "Oh, by the way, what was going on outside just now?"

"What else could it be? The Xue family, who own a fabric shop, are at odds with the Su family, who also own a fabric shop—they're sworn enemies. But the people who came today are truly impressive: Liu Qingdi, Li Pin, and that most low-key man, Ning Liheng, who never visits brothels. Haha, if he could write a poem at Yancui Tower today, Yancui Tower would become famous... Oh, by the way, I heard you're very familiar with Liu Qingdi. What's he like?"

Jin'er blinked: "He writes poems casually, and they're quite good. Li Pin also often leaves poems behind. As for Ning Liheng..." She glanced at Nie Yunzhu, "There's no hope there." Mama Chen shrugged as she powdered her face. "Whatever, as long as we have poems from Liu Qingdi and Li Dexin. As for Ning Liheng, tomorrow we'll have someone publicize that he graced Yancui Tower with his presence tonight. Later, I'll have to instruct Ah Xia and the others to perform well, to really heat up the atmosphere. It would be best if we could really stir up some excitement, so Ning Yi can't help but get involved..."

"Devious."

"What's devious about it? Your Mama Yang does the same thing! Do you think those scholars weren't manipulated by your Mama Yang when they were fighting over you many times?"

"Well, I am peerlessly beautiful."

"Just a little brat."

The two continued their verbal sparring in the room. The room's bronze mirror didn't provide a clear reflection. As Mama Chen squinted to draw her eyebrows, Yuan Jin'er impatiently took the brush and helped her, though their bickering continued verbally. Nie Yunzhu listened from behind, smiling, and then spoke: "If Ning Yi really writes a poem to support us, will Ah Xia go up?" Mama Chen was silent for a moment, then looked over with a light chuckle: "It's not that simple. For support, it always depends on how much silver is involved."

"The Su family probably won't be stingy with their money, either."

"If that's the case, then I'll be in a difficult position," Mama Chen chuckled softly.

"What's wrong?"

"Yunzhu, you don't know, but Ah Xia and Xue Yan from the Xue family have had a private affair for some time. And with Liu Qingdi here this time, if the Su family only offers a good poem and some money, we'd naturally say Ah Xia prefers the Xue family's support. But if Ning Liheng is added, the weight changes entirely. Ah Xia is the pillar of our Yancui Tower; it wouldn't be right to force her to embarrass Master Xue at a time like this, would it? Isn't that ruining a potential match...?" Mama Chen sighed. "But then again, if the Su family has even the foremost scholar compose a poem for her, and she still chooses to toast Xue Yan in the end, what will people say about my Yancui Tower and about Ah Xia when it gets out? They'll say she doesn't know what's good for her, that she's putting on airs, and that would be troublesome... Of course, if Liu Qingdi could write an outstanding poem that overshadows both Li Pin and Ning Yi's works, just like when Ning Yi composed those two famous verses, then it would be no problem. Yunzhu, your poetry is the best. Do you think that's possible?"

Yunzhu pondered, then wrinkled her nose slightly, shaking her head with a small but remarkably firm movement. "Of course not," she said. It was clear she found even the thought process redundant.

"Well, I'm off then." Mama Chen finished her makeup and stood up, ready to leave. "It's a good thing Ning Liheng usually doesn't write poems. Alright, I'm heading out now. You two, just make yourselves at home. If you have any familiar sisters, go catch up with them, but don't try to lure any of my girls away. Yunzhu, I understand what you're thinking, but a woman's... that's her fate. In short, it's better to become a young madam in a good family..." "Such a talker..." Yuan Jin'er grumbled.

"Fine! I'm ugly and talk too much, so I'll stop! You rotten brat... But what about you? You're so close with Liu Qingdi, and he's outside. Aren't you going to go see him?"

"No! Not close!"

"Then you'd better hide..." Mama Chen finished, shaking her head as she left. Yuan Jin'er quietly pushed open the window and looked out. In the main hall, the scene was bustling and lively.

Inside Yancui Tower, most of the patrons had commercial backgrounds; well-off merchants enjoyed coming here to socialize and amuse themselves. Not only were the performances in the main hall excellent, but the service provided by the courtesans in the inner chambers was also very attentive.

In fact, everything here was already in place; only its brand and reputation weren't strong enough.

Jiangning seemed large, but the upper-class circles were not very wide. Merchants who frequented Yancui Tower often knew each other to varying degrees. At this time, many people in the main hall were greeting each other, and on the second floor, in the private rooms and along the corridors, people occasionally visited each other to chat. Various snacks and dishes had been served, and courtesans came to accompany guests, either drinking or sitting with them. Soon after, the lights gradually dimmed, and various performances began on the stage below, as the noise in the main hall slowly subsided.

Yancui Tower's performance followed a model similar to the Courtesan Queen competition. The best courtesans in the tower prepared a small evening show, with each performing twice, naturally attracting various forms of patronage. The courtesans would also choose their preferred companions based on the support they received; this didn't just mean accompanying them for tonight's banquet, but also preferential treatment on a future visit.

This bidding-like model was actually a very effective business strategy, provided, of course, that the performing courtesans themselves had good artistic skills. For men, what they sought was mostly excitement and prestige. Both the Su family upstairs and the Xue family downstairs had a large presence today, with three renowned scholars in attendance, making it their home ground. Additionally, two or three other wealthy proprietors, whose family businesses were no less significant than those of the Xue and Su families, were also present. However, in a situation like today's, it was not certain they would compete to the very end.

Music flowed leisurely through the tower, and the accompanying dance created a truly pleasant atmosphere. Upstairs and downstairs, people occasionally exchanged greetings, and some moved around, discussing business or chatting about the performances. It also seemed that some were gossiping about the Xue and Su families' intentions to compete for Lu Xia's company tonight.

Lu Xia's first performance was a dance, appearing fifth on the program. She adopted a relatively seductive and charming style, dressed in Tang-era palace attire. As her ornate robes swirled, her captivating gaze and suggestive movements stirred the hearts of the audience. While such a direct dance might seem overly straightforward to Nie Yunzhu and Yuan Jin'er, it was truly a standout performance here. After she finished, Liu Qingdi immediately offered a poem, having someone recite it on stage: "Twin flower shadows dance, disrupting the jade screen..." "Li Pin is also writing a poem upstairs," someone remarked. The overall level of the evening's entertainment was somewhat low for Nie Yunzhu and Yuan Jin'er, but they continued to watch from nearby, mostly observing the movements of the Xue family downstairs, and Li Pin and Ning Yi among the Su family group upstairs. Throughout the event, Li Pin and Ning Yi had actually been conversing about something, and apart from watching Lu Xia's performance intently for a while, they didn't seem particularly interested in the other acts. Under the not-so-bright lights upstairs, Li Pin was seen asking a nearby woman for paper and a brush, presumably to write a poem for Lu Xia. Downstairs, Liu Qingdi occasionally looked back at the scene above, smiling at Li Pin's reaction.

After Li Pin finished writing his poem, he resumed discussing matters with Ning Yi.

"Sister Yunzhu, what if Ning Yi also writes a poem later?"

"Hmm?"

"Since Li Pin has written one, and Liu Qingdi is intent on provoking him, he might write one too. If it's poorly written, it'll damage his reputation. But if it's good, and Ah Xia still disregards him and goes to toast Xue Yan instead, wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing? If that gets out, his reputation will suffer, and people will say that in Lu Xia's heart, Ning Yi can't compare to Liu Qingdi." Nie Yunzhu smiled as she looked at her. "Jin'er, don't you dislike him very much? Why are you suddenly so worried about him?"

Her words were clearly teasing. Yuan Jin'er's principle had always been to prioritize her own people over outsiders, so naturally, she felt Ning Yi deserved more support than the Xue family in this situation. She glared at Nie Yunzhu indignantly, pouted, and didn't bother to explain herself. A moment later, she saw Ning Yi upstairs stand up and leave his private room, likely heading to the restroom. Jin'er raised an eyebrow, turned, and started walking out. "I'm going to warn him not to write a poem! It'll be embarrassing if he does!"

"Hey..." Nie Yunzhu called after her, smiling, but Yuan Jin'er had already run out the door, racing against time. After Yuan Jin'er left, Liu Qingdi seemed to notice Ning Yi's departure. After a moment's thought, he also stood up and headed towards one end of the main hall. Nie Yunzhu glanced diagonally at the ongoing performance on stage, her gaze flickering as she pondered for a long while.

She closed the window and walked to the dressing table Mama Chen had used earlier. She stood there for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed, then sat down and gazed at her reflection in the bronze mirror. She was still dressed like a village girl today. Looking at her reflection, she reached out and touched her cheek, then stroked her temples. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and pulled out the wooden hairpin that held up her hair.

Her black hair unfurled and cascaded down. She sat there quietly, watching. In the bronze mirror, a delicate, oval face appeared, clear, mature, and charming. Then, the corners of the woman's mouth in the mirror twitched slightly, forming a smile that was a little hesitant yet also natural.

It was like a child's first smile in life...

Nie Yunzhu deliberated for nearly two hours, finally making a decision.