Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: How?
Chapter 357: How?
Translator: Henyee Translations
Editor: Henyee Translations
Ji Zhao was very generous. Even after losing three rounds in a row, she did not even frown.
By the fifth inning, her luck had started to change.
As she continued to win, the chips in her hands increased. In the end, she successfully reached the sixth level.
The manager of Qinhuai Tower, Madam Lou, who was known as a flower in her middle years, swayed her slender waist and gracefully walked in front of Ji Zhao. She winked at Ji Zhao. “May I know your name, Young Master? Which girl are you visiting Qinhuai Tower for today?”
“Mother Lou, are you asking the obvious?” Ji Zhao chuckled. The emotions in his words were unfathomable. “I came all the way to Qinhuai Tower to catch a glimpse of Lady Liu’s charm. Mother Lou, don’t tell me you don’t even have this bit of judgment?”
Ji Zhao smiled and boldly picked up a stack of banknotes and handed it to Mother Lou.
At a rough estimate, it was at least 10,000 taels.
Wealth moved people’s hearts. Mother Lou did not expect this young and handsome young man to be so forthright. She immediately smiled until her teeth could not be seen. “Young Master is magnanimous. It’s just that Lady Liu is the signboard of our Qinhuai Tower. If Young Master wants to meet her, you have to win a round.”
“It’s fine. Then let’s play another round?” Ji Zhao patted her chest indifferently and said arrogantly, “I’m so poor that I only have money left. As long as I can see Lady Liu, so what if I go bankrupt?”
At this moment, Mother Lou smiled even more happily.
“If that’s the case, I’ll have to trouble Young Master to wait for a moment.” Mother Lou smiled and put the stack of banknotes into her arms. She turned around and left with her graceful waist swaying.
About 15 minutes later, a veiled lady in white walked in.
“Young Master, it’s different from the previous bets. This time, the winner will be decided in one go.” The voice of the veiled woman was very clear. It was as mellow as an oriole’s cry, making one feel charming and soft.
If Ji Zhao was a man, she would definitely be immersed in it.
“Oh?” Ji Zhao deliberately raised her eyebrows and said, “This is interesting. How do you want to compete?”
“A game of dice. It’s up to the young master to decide whether the dice are bigger or smaller, is that alright?”
When the veiled woman heard Ji Zhao’s voice, a trace of surprise flashed across her eyes, but she immediately restrained her emotions.
Why did Sister Ah Tao come to Qinhuai Tower?
“Then let’s compete for small.” Ji Zhao didn’t hesitate to place all her chips on the place with the word ‘big’.
“Alright, after you, Young Master.”
Ji Zhao smiled slightly, shaking twice before letting go.
“Done.”
“Young Master, are you sure?”
“Of course!”
The woman in white smiled and began to shake the bamboo tube in her hand.
A moment later, it stopped.
“Young Master, how do you plan to open it? Open it first, open it later, or open it at the same time.”
“I’m not the type to dawdle. Let’s open it together.” Ji Zhao waved her hand indifferently.
The points on both sides appeared at the same time.
The three dice in front of the white-clothed woman actually gathered together. The number at the top was one.
As for Ji Zhao, the three dice in front of Ji Zhao had actually turned to ashes.
“Young Master has won.” The white-robed woman breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. “Young Master, follow me.”
The seventh floor of Qinhuai Tower was where Lady Liu lived.
The entire floor was covered with red and white curtains.
The window was opened, and a cool breeze blew.
Ji Zhao frowned and looked at the woman in white in front of her. She frowned and asked, “Are you Lady Liu?”
The woman in white who was walking in front of her suddenly turned around. Ji Zhao subconsciously tightened her grip on the dagger at her waist.
Until she heard that familiar voice calling her Sister Ah Tao.
“And you are?”
The white-clothed woman in front of her slowly removed her veil, revealing a beautiful and enchanting little face.
Ji Zhao took a closer look and was completely stunned.
“Xuancao?”
The person in front of her looked exactly the same as Fan Xuancao!
Except for the enchanting red cinnabar mole between her eyebrows.
“It’s me.” Fan Xuancao nodded obediently and invited Ji Zhao to sit down. “I didn’t expect Sister Ah Tao to still remember my appearance after so many years.”
“Xuancao, what… what’s going on? Didn’t you go to seek refuge with your aunt? Why are you in Qinhuai Hall?”
“Sister Ah Tao, it’s a long story.” Fan Xuancao smiled helplessly. The bitterness hidden in her eyes was self-evident. “I have another identity now. I’m called Liu Ruxuan, and I’m also the top courtesan of Qinhuai Tower.”
Ji Zhao never expected that the determined little girl back then would actually fall into a brothel.
“You… must have suffered a lot, right?” Ji Zhao looked at her eyes and her heart ached so much that her eyes turned red. “If we could have insisted on bringing you with us back then… you…”
“Sister Ah Tao, you’re still so gentle and kind.” Fan Xuancao interrupted her and said with a smile, “This is my life. You and Brother Shen are the only light that shines on my dark life. Moreover, this is not your fault, so you don’t have to feel guilty.”
“But…”
After talcing a sip of the fragrant jasmine tea, Fan Xuancao slowly said, “Sister Ah Tao, do you want to hear my story?”
“Okay.”
It turned out that after Master Fan passed away, Fan Xuancao wanted to go to Suzhou to seek refuge with her aunt.
However, who would have thought that her aunt would die of an illness so early?
Her uncle had married a second wife and coveted Fan Xuancao’s beauty, so he pretended to let Fan Xuancao stay in the residence.
One day, the drunk uncle almost bullied Fan Xuancao. Fan Xuancao kept resisting and barely escaped from the tiger’s mouth.
However, her uncle’s second wife refused to give up. Not only did she give Fan Xuancao a medicine for her to die, but she also sold her to Qinhuai Tower…
“Mother Lou is a money-grubber. When she saw that I was born with some beauty, she felt compassion for me.” Fan Xuancao poured another cup of tea and sighed with emotion in a low voice.” Gradually, my reputation grew bigger and bigger. Official Lin of the Jiangnan Salt Transportation Department felt that the songs I sang was especially good and wanted to protect me. Gradually, those thieves stopped seeing me. In addition, Official Lin realized that I was still a virgin and was even more excited. Gradually, I became his confidante.”
Although Fan Xuancao’s voice was extremely calm, Ji Zhao could still hear the bitterness hidden in it.
“Sister Ah Tao, don’t look at me with such a sympathetic gaze. Actually, I’m doing quite well.”
Ji Zhao could no longer hold back. She rushed forward and hugged her, silently comforting her.
Fan Xuancao did not cry that night when she suffered under Lin Zhixuan’s arms.
After all, from the moment she was sold into Qinhuai Tower, she knew her fate.
She also knew that the reason why Mother Lou didn’t ask her to serve guests early was because she had the mentality that a rare commodity was more valuable.
However, at this moment, when she was held in Sister Ah Tao’s arms, Fan Xuancao suddenly could not suppress the grievance in the depths of her heart.
She cried silently, her tears drenching Ji Zhao’s shoulders..