A life of two souls traveling through time

Under the night, Fengqifang began to be bustling with people again. Zhang Shengshui, a foreign merchant, threw nearly a thousand taels into the shop for three consecutive nights and asked Hongqing to accompany him. Once this news spread, people were puzzled. How could Hongqing, whose face was ruined and whose legs were lame, still have the charm to make people throw a thousand taels of silver for three nights? Could it be that the rumors outside were all false? So when they learned that Fengqifang would reopen the stage tonight, many literati and elegant guests came with some expectations, hoping that Miss Hongqing could perform on stage again.

Mother Yun heard from the maid that the guests tonight were all talking about Hong Qing, but she didn't think much of it. After all, Fengqifang didn't reopen the stage under Hong Qing's name this time, and these guests' wishful expectations couldn't be blamed on her. But tonight's performance was about to start, and Boss Zhang hadn't shown up yet, which made Mother Yun sad. In the past three days, she was so happy to see that Boss Zhang didn't dislike Hong Qing's facial injuries, and he even smiled at Hong Qing again. Unfortunately, good dreams don't last long, and he disappeared after only three days.

In an alley outside the alley, Liu Jiangxi, who was dressed as Zhang Shengshui again, handed three ingots of silver to the well-dressed old man beside him and said in a rough voice:

"Just do as I said before. I'll wait outside. I'll give you another twenty taels after the task is completed."

After receiving the silver and bowing, the old man hurried out of the alley and headed straight for Fengqifang. As soon as he arrived at the gate of the alley, he was pulled into the living room on the first floor by a girl dressed in fancy clothes and asked to sit down.

The old man looked around at the guests who were having fun and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. He thought that he had spent most of his life working as a cow and a horse outside the city to support his family, while these young masters could spend money to have fun here. It was really the same person with different fates! Thanks to a kind master who gave him this opportunity to make money today, he naturally couldn't mess things up. Thinking of this, he pushed away the delicate girl beside him, took a few sips of wine, got up and went upstairs.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but all the private rooms upstairs are full today." As he reached the stairs, the two waiters guarding there quickly stopped him and said with a smile.

"I'm not going to the private room, I'm going to look for Miss Hongqing!" The old man pretended to be drunk, using the wine to give himself courage.

When the waiter heard that the master wanted to see Miss Hongqing, he hurried to call Mama Yun who was still in the backyard.

"Sir, Miss Hongqing has an appointment today. Otherwise, please come tomorrow..." Mother Yun looked the old man up and down. She saw that although he was well-dressed, his gestures were a bit vulgar. She thought he was a man who had made a fortune and came here for fun, so she didn't take it seriously. She was about to refuse politely, but the old man interrupted her loudly before she finished her words:

"What appointment? Who doesn't know what Miss Hongqing has become now? Do you really think she was the high and mighty courtesan of the capital city in the past? I, Old Mo, am curious tonight and would like to spend twenty taels of silver to see with my own eyes what Miss Hongqing has become like?"

"Twenty taels?" Mother Yun couldn't help but feel a pang of pain in her heart when she heard the other party's offer. In the previous three nights, she had earned more than nine hundred taels with the help of Hong Qing. She didn't expect that if Boss Zhang didn't show up tonight, she would only earn twenty taels. How could she accept such a huge difference?

"I heard that a rich man paid nearly a thousand taels for Miss Hongqing's companionship for three consecutive nights. And you want to see Miss Hongqing tonight for a mere twenty taels?" Just as Mother Yun was stunned, an elegant young man nearby suddenly waved his fan and sneered at the old man with contempt.

"That's right. Although there are rumors that Miss Hongqing's appearance is ruined, how can such an ugly face make people willingly spend a lot of money to come for three consecutive nights?"

Although the two young men were talking to each other to discredit the old man on Hong Qing's behalf, they were undoubtedly putting Mother Yun on the spot. Now Hong Qing's face could not appear in public, otherwise her Fengqifang's future business would really be defeated by Hongyue Tower.

"Mother Yun wasn't in a hurry when I offered twenty-two taels, so why are you in a hurry? Since you are so upset about Miss Hongqing, why don't you also offer three hundred taels?" The old man sneered at the two men's slander and snorted with a squint.

The two young men were immediately speechless after hearing the old man's words. They could only stand up and leave in embarrassment. Everyone in the hall still kept their eyes on the old man and Mother Yun.

"Mother Yun, can you please give me an answer?" The old man said as he spread two silver ingots in front of Mother Yun, and he couldn't help but become impatient.

At this time, music started and the dancers came on stage. The guests' eyes turned to the stage one after another. Mother Yun glanced outside and still couldn't see the boss Zhang. She didn't want to be in a stalemate with the guest, so she took the silver and asked the maid to take the old man to Hongqing's room.

However, not long after the old man entered the room, he returned to the hall with a gloomy face, clamoring to ask Mother Yun to return the silver. The old man's noise interrupted the dance music on the stage, and the guests also wanted to hear from him how Hong Qing had ended up. Mother Yun didn't want to make the matter known to everyone, so she smiled and tried to take the old man out of the hall, but he didn't buy it and immediately started to grumble loudly:

"This Fengqifang is one of the most famous places of entertainment in Liangdu City. How can you cheat your guests like this? Hongqing is now ugly and lame, and the scar on her face has cut half of her face. When I looked at her in the candlelight just now, ha! I thought I saw a female ghost in your Fengqifang in the middle of the night!"

The old man's words caused everyone to laugh loudly, and many people followed suit, shaking their heads and secretly feeling lucky that they didn't spend money to see a ghost face.

"With such a face, you, Mother Yun, dare to arrange for customers to come and even have the nerve to charge me twenty taels. Aren't you afraid of ruining the reputation of Fengqifang?" Seeing that Mother Yun looked embarrassed, the old man continued to pretend to be angry.

"Sir, you were the one who offered twenty taels and asked to see Hong Qing. You are a customer. Fengqifang is open for business and we should respond to customers' requests. How could I cheat customers?" At this time, Mother Yun's face turned red and white, and she glared at the customer who was still trying to cheat and argued with him.

The old man didn't say anything after hearing that. He thought that since he had completed the task assigned by the old master, it would be better to leave early. So he snorted coldly and walked out of Fengqifang angrily.

Hong Qing naturally knew in advance about Liu Jiangxi's arrangements for tonight. After being made a fuss by the guest in public, she became the laughing stock of the whole city. No one would be interested in looking for her anymore. And because of Zhang Shengshui's existence, no matter how angry Mother Yun was, she would not make things difficult for Hong Qing for the time being.

After the old man's commotion, Hong Qing went from being a famous prostitute to a scary female ghost and once again became the laughing stock of the entire capital. Upon hearing this, the prince was naturally disgusted and ordered that in the future the woman should never be brought to his presence again, as it was very disgusting.

A few days passed like this, and the incident involving Hong Qing gradually calmed down in the capital. Liu Jiangxi once again disguised himself as Zhang Shengshui and came to Fengqifang. At noon, when Mother Yun lazily got up from bed, she heard the maid calling outside the door, saying that Boss Zhang, who had disappeared for several days, was back.

Hearing that Hong Qing's rich man had finally come again, Mother Yun instantly perked up, quickly dressed and washed up, and hurried downstairs. Seeing Boss Zhang standing alone in the hall, she smiled warmly again and said,

"Oh, Boss Zhang, you are such a busy person. How long has it been since you last came to see Hongqing? That girl has become so haggard thinking about you all the time!"

"I've been busy negotiating a business deal lately and couldn't get away. I just got some free time today and came back. I think Miss Hongqing still thinks of me." Liu Jiangxi bowed to Yun's mother and laughed roughly.

"No wonder Boss Zhang couldn't wait to come here so early in the morning." Fengqifang was deserted in the early morning. Mother Yun also knew that he was anxious to see Hongqing, so after joking, she turned around and asked the maid to invite Boss Zhang upstairs.

"Don't be anxious, Mama Yun. There is something I want to discuss with you first." However, Liu Jiangxi ignored the maid and continued to speak solemnly to Mama Yun.

"What's wrong with Boss Zhang?" Seeing that the other party had stopped smiling, Yun's mother couldn't help but feel nervous and asked hurriedly.

"Mother Yun must be the most aware of Hong Qing's current situation in Fengqifang. With her current condition, why would Mother Yun want to keep her around?"

"What do you mean, Boss Zhang?" Mother Yun guessed most of what the other party said, but still asked in confusion.

"To be honest, I am leaving the capital today. Before leaving, I want to redeem Hongqing. I love Hongqing so much that I can't bear to see her suffer here. I hope Mother Yun will help me!" Liu Jiangxi said sincerely and bowed to the other party again.

When Mother Yun heard that the rich man was leaving Liangdu today and Hong Qing had become a hot potato in her hands, it would be great if someone could redeem her.

"It is Hongqing's blessing that she can still be loved by Boss Zhang. I am so happy that I will certainly help her." Mother Yun said as she pretended to wipe away her tears. After a while, she continued, "Boss Zhang also knows that Hongqing was raised by me, Mother Yun, with great difficulty, and it was not easy for me to spend energy and financial resources to cultivate her..."

"Mr. Zhang knows how hard Ms. Yun works. Ms. Yun, please name a price?" Liu Jiangxi said without waiting for the other party to finish.

"I understand that it's not easy for Boss Zhang to do business. I have always treated Hongqing like a daughter. I can't ask for more from her now. Just take 5,000 taels of silver."

Liu Jiangxi sneered again when she heard this. She kept saying that she treated Hongqing like a daughter, but how could Hongqing, who was already in such a state, still ask for such a high price? Without saying anything more, she handed the five thousand taels of silver notes that she had already brought with her to Mother Yun.

Seeing that Boss Zhang was so willing to pay five thousand taels, Mother Yun couldn't help but feel annoyed that she had asked for a lower price. However, since she had already asked, she couldn't go back on her word, so she had to reluctantly take out Hong Qing's indenture.