Chapter 5: The First Encounter with Beauty (1)

He was deep in thought when the sedan chair arrived beside him, about to pass him on its way to "Juyanfang." Ren Tianqi stared intently at the curtain of the sedan chair, and just as fate would have it, a gust of swirling wind blew by, causing the curtain to flutter. Finally, a corner of it lifted, and in that instant, Ren Tianqi caught a glimpse of a beautiful scene that he had remembered for many years.

He opened his eyes wide and saw that the sedan chair had stopped outside the building to the east. He knew that the light beauty must have entered inside. Without thinking further, he placed his hands against the wall and slid down. There was nothing to step on below, so he let go and jumped down. To his surprise, the wall was too high, and he could not steady his feet, landing hard on the ground. His rear end happened to hit a piece of blue stone, causing him to tear up in pain, almost losing control of himself. Unable to hold back, he let out a cry of "Ouch!" but quickly remembered he was on someone else's territory and hurriedly covered his mouth. After resting for a while, he crouched down, using the flowers and trees for cover, and quietly made his way to the back of the building to the east. There, he found a window frame through which he could peek inside, but it was too high off the ground. He then stacked two large blue stones together and stood on top to look in, but could only see the back. For the sake of this beauty, he was not afraid of hardship or fatigue, and with a puffing effort, he moved the two blue stones to the left, finally getting a clear view.

As she spoke, she turned to the old woman Liu and said, "Starting tomorrow, you should have Mr. Situ come to teach Jiang Xian how to play the guqin." The old woman Liu responded repeatedly in agreement.

Only then did Ma Huajiao say: "Zhu Jiangxian, it is extremely rare for a village girl to grow up to be like you. It was worth the heavy price I paid to bring you from Hangzhou. I hope you can diligently practice your skills, so as not to disappoint my expectations and efforts in nurturing you"

Inside the sedan chair was a young girl. Upon seeing the curtain open, she turned to gaze outside. However, it was merely a fleeting glimpse; her attire was not discernible, nor could one see the style of her hair. She appeared to be only about twelve or thirteen years old, with a complexion that was fair and rosy, smooth as satin, seemingly without blemish. Her small cherry-like mouth had rosy lips, with the corners slightly upturned, giving her a playful appearance. Her petite and charming nose complemented her pair of bright, sparkling eyes that seemed to speak, resembling pools of water. When she caught sight of Ren Tianqi, she seemed startled by the red spots on his face and quickly withdrew her head.

His gaze easily found the light beauty he had just seen, who was sitting gracefully in a chair in the room, styling her youthful double bun. Her bangs hung down in front, and a jade hairpin was inserted into her bun. She wore several pearl flowers at her temples, a purple red jacket, and a fish-belly white floral gauze shirt. Below, she had on white gauze trousers, and over them, a skirt embroidered with gold thread, revealing a pair of small, narrow golden lotuses at her feet. Her face resembled a hibiscus, her skin like pure snow. Although her figure had not fully matured, she was still exceptionally graceful and slender, indeed the most beautiful girl he had seen in over a decade.

Ren Tianqi listened to this name outside, and immediately recited it silently dozens of times, thinking to himself: "Zhu Jiangxian, Zhu Jiangxian, this name is truly beautiful. She is so good-looking, indeed resembling a little fairy."

At this moment, Tian Qi's heart was still racing uncontrollably, having lost two of his three souls. It was only after the sedan chair had disappeared for quite some time that he regained his senses, panting as if he had run through seven or eight streets. He muttered to himself: "What a beautiful young woman, if I could just hold her once, kiss her once in this lifetime, I would die content."

Ma Huajiao looked at Zhu Jiangxian, who was not only stunningly beautiful but also so well-behaved and understanding of the rules. Unlike ordinary women who would cry and wail upon realizing they were in a brothel, seeking death and despair, if properly taught, she would surely become the most renowned courtesan in several nearby provinces, and also the biggest money tree in her hands. Immediately, she smiled with delight and said, "Good, good, my dear daughter, as long as you are willing to learn diligently, I promise you a lifetime of delicacies and riches, adorned in gold and jade"

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone speaking next to the light beauty. He turned to look and saw Liu Pozi standing respectfully with four thugs from the brothel behind a woman. The woman, in her thirties, was dressed like a noblewoman, with her hair piled high and adorned with pearls and jewels. Her complexion was fair, and she had charming eyes and cherry lips, possessing a beauty that was about seventy to eighty percent captivating. She wore a red embroidered silk skirt, with a yellow bodice that slightly revealed a hint of cleavage, exuding a certain charm of a mature woman. This woman, Tianqi, had seen a few times before; she was Ma Huajiao, the owner of "Juyuan Mhetushucom.com Fang." She had been a refined courtesan in the capital for over ten years, skilled in winning over clients, and had accumulated considerable wealth. Ten years ago, she returned to Hezhou and spent a fortune to take over "Juyuan Fang." With substantial capital and extensive experience, she surpassed the owners of brothels in this province. Over the years, her business had flourished remarkably, gaining fame in several prefectures near Hezhou.

Ren Tianqi took a look at the scale of the scene and felt truly disheartened, secretly thinking: "Just in terms of this setup, this 'Juyanfang' is on a completely different level compared to our 'Chunmanyuan'; they are worlds apart and cannot even be compared. This Ma Huajiao is indeed very wealthy."

As he spoke, his mind was still preoccupied with that light beauty, and he hurriedly made his way towards the backyard of "Juyanfang." He first climbed up the wall along a sycamore tree and found the garden to be bright with flowers, surrounded by vibrant colors. The emerald bamboo and dark pines were lush and dripping with green, and the pathways were all paved with cobblestones. There was also a stream winding around the artificial hill, flowing into a clear pond. In the garden, there were four two-story embroidered pavilions, independently built in the four cardinal directions of east, south, west, and north, all featuring intricately carved beams and painted rafters, with a delicate layout.

Such a loud noise, the people in the room had already heard it. Ma Huajiao stood up abruptly and shouted, "Who is out there? What audacity to dare to intrude on my territory, Ma Huajiao."

Upon her glance, it was of no concern, but Tianqi felt as if struck by five thunderbolts, as if lightning had struck him. His eyes widened, his mouth gaped, and his feet could not move, as if he had been ensnared by a binding spell. He watched as the sedan chair was carried into the backyard of "Juyanfang." Although Tianqi had never been there, he knew that it was the place where the finest courtesans of "Juyanfang" resided.

Zhu Jiangxian grew up in a small mountain village, and seeing the elegant environment here, she felt happy in her heart. Although she knew this was a brothel, she was not displeased at all. She then bowed and said softly, "Yes, Jiangxian will definitely listen to Mother’s words." It turned out that the rule of the brothel was that the newly arrived women referred to the madam as mother.

The more Ren Tianqi looked at the side profile of Zhu Jiangxian, the more his heart raced. However, he could only see a little more than half of her side. Eager to catch a better glimpse, he shifted his position slightly. Unexpectedly, as he moved, the piece of blue stone beneath his feet slipped away, and with a loud crash, Ren Tianqi fell to the ground. His old injury on his backside had not yet healed, and this time, upon hitting the ground, he felt a sharp pain. Unable to control himself, he cried out in distress.