Divorced woman with child travels through time

“My lord…” Zhou Changqing came in and whispered a few words to Zhou Zhengyu.

"Hey, perfect timing, double happiness! Let's go..." Zhou Zhengyu walked ahead with his head held high and chest puffed out, full of vigor.

At Cuihualou, Xiong Dajia greeted Zhou Bapi with great enthusiasm.

"Oh my, Magistrate Zhou is here! It's a rare honor to have you grace us with your presence. Please come in, please come in. Xiao Yu, come out and greet us."

"You're here!" Xiaoyu said shyly. At sixteen years old, her face showed a pure and innocent innocence, yet she also possessed a charm and allure that was completely out of character for her age.

Xiaoyu naturally swayed her slender waist, gently moved to Zhou Zhengyu's side, put her hand on his shoulder, slid down to hold his hand, then sat down and nestled in his arms.

"How could you bear to come see me, sir? It's been so long since you've come. Why did you decide to come see me today?" Xiaoyu said coquettishly, wishing she could cling to him like a vine.

Zhou Zhengyu smiled, "Oh, I missed you, so I came to see you. But I heard that a new woman from the capital has arrived here. What's her name? Manniang? Is that true, Master Xiong?"

Zhou Zhengyu patted her hand perfunctorily, turned his head, looked at Xiong Dajia with piercing eyes, and questioned her.

"This..." Xiong Dajia was slightly flustered and forced a smile. "I wonder where Magistrate Zhou heard this from? I can't hide it from you. We do have a new girl here, named Manniang. But she is an honest official who sells her art, not her body. If she is unwilling, we can't let her serve you, lest she offend you."

"Brother Xiong, you don't need to worry about so much. I only know my own reasons, right? I must see this person today. You decide what to do. If you don't let her come, I'm not leaving today. Don't blame me for turning my back on you later."

Zhou Zhengyu smiled, slapped down a silver note, and stuffed his hand into Xiaoyu's arms, striking a pose that he considered dashing, unrestrained, and slightly threatening.

Looking at his arrogant and aloof attitude, Xiong Dajia felt nauseous. This corrupt official used to pay 800 taels of silver in taxes every month. If it weren't for her savings and Qi Heng's pressure to pay 300 taels less, she wouldn't have been able to keep her shop open.

Although he often came to play, the little money he gave wasn't even enough to pay taxes. When the accounts were checked, he was a complete freeloader. Xiong Dajia suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and lit a stick of incense that he had specially prepared for him, saying, "Then, sir, please wait a moment. I'll go and ask her to come out to see you."

Zhou Zhengyu, satisfied, patted Xiaoyu's chest. "That's right, go on..."

Xiaoyu's smiling face showed no other expression as she allowed Zhou Zhengyu to do as she pleased, displaying a high level of professionalism.

Zhou Zhengyu liked her submissive and docile appearance very much, and casually stuffed the silver note into her chest.

"Here you go!"

"Oh, thank you, sir!" Xiaoyu's barely suppressed smile betrayed her greed. She quickly tucked the money into her sleeve and became even more attentive.

"My lord, I would like to offer you a toast..." Xiaoyu raised the wine cup and fed it to his lips. Zhou Zhengyu also enjoyed this feeling. He drank it all in one gulp from her jade hand. After a few cups of wine, Zhou Zhengyu felt a slight heat in his body. He often felt this way when drinking brothels, so Zhou Zhengyu was not surprised. The wine in brothels had aphrodisiac effects to some extent, which was normal.

Before long, Xiong Dajia led over a veiled woman carrying a pipa. The music was melodious, and her figure was graceful and alluring.

Zhou Zhengyu's gaze was fixed on her like that of a wild beast, staring intently as if he wanted to devour her.

Man Niang remained fearless, her expression unchanged, her eyes fixed straight ahead. She gracefully bowed and sat down before him.

"Greetings, Your Excellency..."

Zhou Zhengyu curled his lips into a mocking smile and said, "Miss Qingqing, do you still remember me?"

Man Niang finally looked up at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "I don't know why you ask, sir? Man Niang is no longer in Tokyo Prefecture, nor is she Qing Qing. It's not appropriate to bring up the past."

Seeing that she no longer possessed any of the arrogance she once had as the most beautiful courtesan, Zhou Zhengyu suddenly felt somewhat discouraged, "It's boring..."

"In that case, then Manniang will take her leave." Manniang remained calm and expressionless as she prepared to depart.

"What do you mean 'leave'? Did I say you could leave?" Zhou Zhengyu's temper flared up again. This was exactly how he acted back then—the same way he'd chased me away. "Sit down and give me a drink..."

"My lord, Manniang is a virgin and doesn't drink alcohol," Xiong Dajia said with a forced smile.

"Bang! ... You dare not drink? You stinking woman! I'm giving you face by coming here to drink. What are you doing making excuses? I'm the county magistrate now. Believe me or not, I'll shut down this building!" Zhou Zhengyu was furious and pointed his finger at Xiong Dajia and cursed him.

Master Xiong's face was very unpleasant, but he wasn't angry; he just kept forcing a smile. "My lord, please don't be angry. I'm really sorry, Man Niang is a courtesan and really can't drink. How about I drink with you, my lord?"

Zhou Zhengyu glanced at her. Although Xiong Dajia was indeed quite handsome, he didn't like women who had aged and lost their beauty.

"Get out of my way, I want her. If you dare not let her drink with me today, I'll smash your building tomorrow." Zhou Zhengyu stood up, lifted Man Niang's chin with his hand, and looked at her alluring peach blossom eyes with a threatening gaze, "Qingqing, are you sure you don't want to drink with me? Master Xiong took you in, are you going to ruin her business?"

Man Niang closed her eyes in pain, and when she opened them again, a crystal tear slid down her cheek, making her look extremely beautiful.

Zhou Zhengyu was taken aback.

Man Niang had already compromised. She stood up, picked up her wine glass, and removed her veil, revealing an extremely charming and alluring face with exquisite features, like a painting drawn with a brush.

"Sir, I respect you. You are a magnanimous man, so please spare Master Xiong."

"Hahaha, alright, alright, for the sake of the beauty, I won't pursue it. Come on, Qingqing, let's drink until we drop tonight..." Zhou Zhengyu was very happy, completely ignoring the heat in his body, and casually put his arm around Manniang, enjoying himself immensely.

Xiong Dajia laughed and left. Manniang, obedient yet stiff, drank with him, coughing repeatedly from the choking. Xiaoyu felt sorry for her and took the initiative to toast and smile for her, pulling Zhou Zhengyu's hand to herself and seducing him.

To be fair, Xiaoyu does have some charm. Before long, Zhou Zhengyu became quite drunk, and his eyes were sparkling when he looked at Manniang.

"Qingqing, I'm a little drunk. Why don't you come with me to rest?" Zhou Zhengyu said, holding Manniang's hand tightly.

"I...I can't go on. I feel unwell and nauseous. Perhaps you could let me wash up before I come back?" Man Niang tried to leave.

"Why wash it? I don't mind."