Xie Si nodded, cupping his cheeks with both hands and drawing in a deep breath. He then looked up at the dim light filtering through a small, palm-sized window and slowly began to recall.
Yet another day of Xie Si observing in his silk emporium had begun. Customers came and went today, much as usual. Some bought ready-made clothes, some bought fabrics, and a few poor students, who had just attended the Autumn Examination and were awaiting the results, came to pawn their belongings.
Xie Si watched all of this, quietly noting down the expenses and income generated by these customers’ transactions, even calculating the profits in his mind.
Suddenly, a few men dressed as servants walked in and cleared the area, driving out the customers who had just entered.
Xie Si was not unfamiliar with such displays; he knew it was common practice for young ladies from prominent families and noblewomen to have the area cleared when they went out.
So, he paid it no mind and continued to observe from a corner. When a guard attempted to drive Xie Si away, the shopkeeper simply said, "He is our boss." The guards then allowed Xie Si to stay but drove the shopkeeper and Xiao Er out of the shop instead.
Xie Si was puzzled and instinctively furrowed his brow.
To his surprise, a woman dressed in red, her head adorned with red tassels, walked in.
As soon as the woman entered, she stood directly in front of Xie Si.
"Are you the owner of this shop?"
Xie Si nodded, pondering the woman’s identity.
The woman pointed at a bolt of fabric and asked, "Is this fabric beautiful?"
Xie Si glanced at her, then at the fabric, and frowned. "It’s not suitable for you."
The fabric was vibrant and thin. There were three brothels by West Forest Lake, so the shops in this area deliberately stocked items that the courtesans required.
Xie’s Silk Emporium also stocked some rather special fabrics. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Who says it’s not suitable? I like it. Take it down for me to see. If it’s suitable, I’ll buy all of it."
Upon hearing this, Xie Si examined the woman from top to bottom. Given her extravagant clothes and unusual jewelry, it wasn’t hard to determine that she was no ordinary person.
Eventually, due to the woman’s persistent pestering, Xie Si relented. Holding the vibrant fabric, he held it up against her. It looked good, to be sure, but ultimately, this material was intended for making dance costumes for the women in the brothels.
"You are a woman from a respectable family. Why insist on using such material?" Xie Si advised her with a sigh.
Upon hearing this, the woman’s expression changed instantly, as quick as flipping through a book, catching one off guard.
"What’s the difference between a daughter from a respectable family and a young lady from a prominent one? Don’t you dare look down on the women from the brothels. They can be far cleaner than some daughters from respectable families, can’t they?"
The woman’s words were peculiar, and Xie Si had an odd feeling she was alluding to something specific.
So, he looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" the woman said. "I’m not wrong. For instance, you know about Princess Chang, who’s recently become so renowned in the capital, right?
"She has a young woman by her side, a true daughter of a respectable family. That young woman’s family was even a distinguished clan from the previous dynasty!
"Although her family has fallen on hard times, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, isn’t it?
"Tell me, why would she debase herself like that?"
The woman’s words made Xie Si immediately clench his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Miss, please watch your words!" Xie Si said, his voice somewhat low due to his tightly suppressed anger. "Gossiping about others behind their backs is not the mark of a well-bred young lady’s upbringing!"
"A well-bred young lady’s upbringing?" the woman retorted. "Let me tell you, that’s something I truly don’t possess. If some people can do such things, then naturally, I can talk about them!
"If you don’t want to be talked about, then don’t do it!
"And didn’t Xie Pan’Er, by ingratiating herself with Princess Chang and the Ji Family, do something that enraged both gods and men?"