How to become a Taoist priest starting from a brothel

“Mrs. Yu…” Liu Yin said coldly, her eyes filled with a warning, “I respect you as an elder, don’t… push your luck.”

"You!" Mrs. Yu looked at her with disgust and hatred. "According to the rules of my Yu family, you should kneel before me and beg for forgiveness!"

After hearing this, everyone finally understood why Mrs. Yu treated Liu Yin so badly.

"This... I've heard that Yong'an Lane is mostly inhabited by the mistresses of powerful and wealthy people, but this..." Even a lady who values ​​propriety couldn't help but frown, seemingly finding some merit in Mrs. Yu's actions.

"That's only because they want to come into the family. Now that the Liu family is wealthy, what's the point of rules and regulations?" There are those who value rules and those who dislike formalities.

"Even so, she is still an elder." The lady in front still felt that Liu Yin's attitude was too forceful.

"Master Liu treated her with utmost courtesy; it's just that she acted so disrespectfully." The lady behind her rolled her eyes.

Their back-and-forth conversation also reached the ears of others, who, though they didn't say it aloud, had their own conclusions about the relationship between Liu Yin and Mrs. Yu.

Compared to the two who spoke, the others were more shrewd, only feigning curiosity while secretly making their own plans.

Miss Shen, who had only hosted the banquet, looked very unhappy. She hadn't expected that a simple chrysanthemum appreciation party would cause such a commotion. But now it was beyond her control, so she could only watch from the sidelines, but she held a grudge against the Yu family in her heart.

"The Yu family rules, what a grand display of power, but... what does it have to do with me, Liu Jianniang?" Liu Yin looked at Madam Yu and, recalling Madam Liu's previous instructions, couldn't help but smile as she said, "I, Liu Jianniang, was born in Yong'an Lane, but my father and mother were childhood sweethearts. It's just that my mother was pitiful when her family fell into ruin and she ended up in prostitution. Fortunately, she met my father in Huaicheng, who was looking for someone. Later, my father used all his wealth to redeem my mother from prostitution. Later, my father passed away early, leaving only my mother and me in the world."

After saying that, she looked Mrs. Yu up and down with a critical eye before saying with a mocking expression, "Does Mrs. Yu think I am your husband's mistress?"

Liu Yin didn't care about Madam Yu's so-called face. Back then, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang spent a lot of money to buy the identity of a courtesan who died young in order to help Madam Liu smuggle herself from the government-run brothel to a private brothel. Otherwise, Madam Liu, who was sold by the government, would not have been redeemed and would have been able to live a free life.

"What a hypocrite!" Mrs. Yu retorted, "You think I don't know that my old geezer is sending money to your whore?"

"Mrs. Yu!" Liu Yin's face turned cold the moment she heard her cursing Mrs. Yu. Her eyes stung Mrs. Yu so much that she immediately shut her mouth. "You insulted my mother. Do you know that according to the law, I could kill you and not be held responsible?"

After saying that, he looked at Mrs. Yu with a cold smile and slightly raised his chin: "Mrs. Yu, since my father passed away, my health has been poor, and my mother has stayed at home for ten years without seeing anyone. She is known in Yong'an Lane as a virtuous and honest woman. Today, you have insulted me and my mother without any evidence. I will remember this debt. You wait."

"You! You say it's not true, so it's not true? What innocent people are there in Yong'an Lane?" Although Mrs. Yu was frightened by Liu Yin, she still glared at Liu Yin with a fierce but weak expression. "I don't need to wait for you. I'll take whatever tricks you have."

"Oh dear, Mrs. Yu, everyone has said that it has nothing to do with your Yu family, so why do you keep bringing it up?" A woman who had long looked down on Mrs. Yu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and advised with a smile.

“That’s right, Mrs. Yu, you started cursing at Master Liu from the beginning, and she’s always been very polite to you. Now that things have turned out like this, it’s your fault. Why don’t you both compromise?” Another wife chimed in, watching the two of them.

The lady who had been supporting Mrs. Yu looked somewhat ashamed after hearing Liu Yin's rebuttal. She also regretted her wild speculation and couldn't help but advise, "Mrs. Yu, just as you said, you don't have any evidence. It's really inappropriate to make wild speculations like this. We're all here for the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, so why make things so awkward?"

As these three ladies spoke up, the other ladies also chimed in with their own advice. But strangely, the more they tried to persuade her, the more stubborn she became, refusing to back down. She even retorted, "You call yourself innocent? You're just making a fool of yourself. I'd better just wait and see what Lady Liu has to say."

Seeing that they couldn't persuade her, the others could only turn to look at Liu Yin. It wasn't that they didn't want to persuade her, but the way they looked at Liu Yin at this moment was really unbearable. After all, if they were humiliated like this, they would probably have already died to prove their innocence.

Liu Yin naturally noticed the gazes of the crowd. She beckoned to Mei Wuzhao, who was already indignant, and then whispered a few words in her ear before saying to Miss Shen, "I am truly sorry for disturbing Patriarch Shen's banquet today. How about I perform another song for Patriarch Shen?"

When Miss Shen heard Liu Yin address her as the head of the Shen family, her expression softened considerably. She smiled and replied to Liu Yin, "It would be wonderful if you could present me with a piece of music, but it's getting late. The servants have already prepared some delicacies in the garden. Why don't you all go and have a taste? We'll wait for your masterpiece later."

“Alright.” Another lady of slightly higher status also spoke up, “It’s getting late. I’ve heard that Patriarch Shen has brought the hairy crabs he ordered. Why don’t we satisfy our hunger first?”

With their advice, Liu Yin naturally didn't say anything more, and the group left the still angry Mrs. Yu behind and headed into the garden.

Along the way, everyone enjoyed the magnificent scenery of the chrysanthemum garden, including the graceful black lotus, the jade-green peony, and the ten-foot-long beaded curtain that flowed down like a gentle stream.

Along the way, everyone talked about flowers, plants, clothes, and all sorts of strange things on the street. Of course, Liu Yin's books were also mentioned. As they talked, the atmosphere between them became even better, and the group gradually put the unpleasantness from before behind them.

Mrs. Yu was left sitting in the hall, feeling sullen, waiting for someone to invite her. Unfortunately, everyone was already happily strolling through the garden and had no idea about her. It wasn't until a maid cautiously approached and asked, "Mrs. Yu, the ladies have all taken their seats. Who is this…?"

She hurriedly followed her maid to the table with a stern face. Only after she arrived did everyone realize they had forgotten about her, and the scene fell silent, with some unsure of what to say.

Miss Shen rubbed her forehead helplessly before stepping forward to make arrangements: "It was our Shen family's rudeness. We hope Madam Yu will forgive us. The banquet has not yet started. Please take your seats, Madam."

Although she said the banquet hadn't started yet, seasonal fruits were already on the table, and Mrs. Yu knew all about it. However, she had already lost enough face today, so she didn't say anything more and found a seat with a cold face.