cold clothes

Leng Yi stood at the entrance of Fengxiang Tower for a long time, and the two burly guards at the entrance came to drive him away. Leng Yi quickly stepped forward and said, "I want to seek refuge here."

The guards immediately burst into laughter, looking down at her with contempt. One of them scoffed, "What use is a little beggar like you?"

Another guard looked at Leng Yi's eyes in surprise and said, "This little beggar has very beautiful eyes. Perhaps she is a beauty in the making. Let's call her mother to take a look."

Just then, the madam of the brothel came out, asking as she walked, "What is it?" She was dressed in red silk, adorned with gold and jade, and her face was heavily made up, making her appear gaudy.

Leng Yi answered first: "Sister, I want to work here, any kind of work." Then Leng Yi knelt down in front of her mother, raised her head and looked at her with pitiful eyes, "I've always been in the outer city, this is my first time in the city, this is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, I want to stay here, I'll do anything."

The madam of the brothel carefully examined Leng Yi and noticed that she had large, round eyes with a faint blue light within them. Beneath her disheveled hair was a clean, slender face with perfectly proportioned features. This was truly a gem, a gift from heaven! Madam Hu then said to Leng Yi with a very kind expression, "I've taken a liking to you, child, so I'll take you in as my maid. Alas, these days there's famine everywhere; you're pitiful indeed."

Leng Yi was moved to tears, then smiled innocently, her eyes crinkling and bright, as if starlight were overflowing from them.

"Yunmei." Mother Hu called over a woman dressed in a light blue dress and asked her to take some clothes to tidy up. The woman agreed and led the clothes to the side.

As they walked through the fragrant corridor adorned with wind chimes, Yun Mei stared intently into Leng Yi's eyes, then smiled and said, "I've never seen eyes like these before. Where are you from, little sister?"

Leng Yi replied, "I fled from the south."

Yun Mei nodded, her expression unchanged.

Leng Yi discreetly observed her surroundings. The Fengxiang Pavilion was lavishly decorated, not unlike the brothels depicted in movies and TV dramas. There were relatively few people around during the day, with only one or two young women occasionally seen moving about, all dressed in light, thin skirts like Yun Mei's. Yun Mei walked with a captivating grace, her waist swaying gracefully, her skirt adorned with delicate patterns, making one sigh that she truly lived up to her reputation as a courtesan.

"You must have suffered a lot coming from the southwest to the capital," Yun Mei said with pity.

Leng Yi didn't truly understand the hardships of being displaced, nor could she recall those memories; she simply didn't dare to think about them. "Yes, it was truly too bitter, so I really wanted to have a place to settle down in the capital."

Yun Mei's calm eyes revealed a hint of sadness. "It's a pity this isn't a good place."

"Why? It's so beautiful here, and the ladies inside are so pretty too."

Hearing Leng Yi's words, Yun Mei couldn't help but laugh. The little girl was naive, only seeing the superficial prosperity, unaware that maggots lurked behind the curtain of prosperity. She saw a beautiful hope in the little girl's peculiar deep blue eyes. Alas, she was completely unaware that she was walking right into a trap.

Yunmei took Lengyi to her room and instructed her maid, Lingcao, to prepare hot water and food for Lengyi.

"From now on, you will be my little maid. I will take good care of you." Yun Mei gently stroked Leng Yi's head and said with affection.

Hot water and food were brought over quickly. Lengyi had been hungry for a long time and didn't feel anything, so she took a bath first. Yunmei and Lingcao helped Lengyi scrub her body.

Lingcao stared blankly at Lengyi's eyes, "This is the first time I've ever seen blue eyes...like sapphires, so beautiful."

The cold-clothed, silent demeanor is quite common in modern times; she encountered many blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners at work.

This body hadn't been bathed in ages; the grime on it required vigorous scrubbing to remove, quickly turning a basin of water black. Leng Yi felt a little embarrassed, but Yun Mei and Ling Cao showed no disdain.

Lingcao looked to be in her early twenties, with an unremarkable appearance—small eyes, a flat nose, and sallow skin, without any makeup. She was a stark contrast to Yunmei's exquisite makeup and delicate skin. Lengyi knew it was because she didn't dress up; girls always look good when they do. Perhaps only by not dressing up could she become a maid at Fengxiang Tower.

Lengyi was observing Lingcao, and so was she. Lingcao wiped Lengyi's body with a handkerchief and couldn't help but sigh when she saw her clearly defined ribs: "How much suffering must she have endured to become so thin."

Bellflower asked, "Little sister, how old are you?"

"do not know."

"what……"

"It seems we'll have to consult Doctor Xie to find out," Yun Mei said.

"Can you tell someone's age just by feeling their bones?" Leng Yi looked surprised, inwardly marveling at the wonders of traditional Chinese medicine.

"Yes, Dr. Xie is the best female doctor I have ever seen."

Upon discovering that she was a female doctor, Leng Yi was immediately filled with curiosity about Doctor Xie.

After cleaning Lengyi's body, Lingcao dressed her in clean clothes, and she drank some porridge and steamed buns. Lengyi was about to go see Aunt Hu again.

Before leaving, Leng Yi couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you ask my name?"

Yun Mei's eyes were deep and mysterious as she stroked Leng Yi's head: "Once you enter the Fengxiang Pavilion, your background and name will turn to dust, and Mama Hu will give you a new name."

"You will deserve a good name."

Yun Mei brought Leng Yi to Jingya Pavilion, where Madam Hu lived. Madam Hu's eyes lit up when she saw Leng Yi, and a smile immediately spread across her face. She affectionately took Leng Yi's hand and said, "Child, from now on you will live peacefully in Fengxiang Tower. We will name you Ningbi, is that alright?"

“…Okay.” Ningbi? What a strange name. But Lengyi had no choice but to agree.

The simple, dry "good" made Madam Hu frown. Ningbi had been wandering for many years and was really too unruly. However, Madam Hu quickly relaxed her brow. Rules could be taught slowly. With the methods of Fengxianglou, she was not afraid that she would not be able to be taught.

Mrs. Hu said to the gray-clad woman standing beside her, "Doctor Xie, please take Ningbi's pulse and see what medicine you should prescribe to help her recover. Her frail body is so pitiful to look at."

Leng Yi reached out to let Doctor Xie take her pulse, then examined Doctor Xie closely. Doctor Xie looked to be in her thirties or forties. Although she was a female doctor, her demeanor and temperament were no less impressive than the old Chinese medicine doctors Leng Yi had seen in modern times, and the medicinal fragrance emanating from her had a calming effect.

Doctor Xie took her pulse for a while and touched all the joints of Leng Yi's body. He said in a deep voice, "Miss Ning Bi's bone age is about seven years old. According to Miss Ning Bi's experience, her actual age is nine years old, or even ten years old."

"Oh, the difference is so big," Yun Mei exclaimed softly, while Hu's mother's face darkened.

Leng Yi was also worried that she might not grow tall or develop a hunchback. A bone age that was a year and a half younger than her actual age indicated unhealthy bone development. She was 165 cm tall in modern times and didn't want to become shorter after transmigrating.

Doctor Xie's expression was grave. "Miss Ningbi has been weak for too long and needs careful recuperation to avoid developing chronic illnesses. However, Miss Ningbi has excellent bone structure, and with sufficient nutrition, her height and physique will not be bad."

Mrs. Hu's expression softened slightly. "When can Ningbi start practicing dancing?"

"It should be a few months later. Miss Ningbi is too thin right now, and her bones and muscles are easily damaged."

"In that case, Ningbi can stay with Yunmei for now." Madam Hu patted Lengyi's head with feigned kindness. "It's a pity that you can't spend time with your girlfriends for the time being."

At this moment, Leng Yi still didn't understand what Hu's mother meant by "regret," or who her "little sister" was. She only felt at peace because of Yun Mei's gentle, watery gaze. This moment of comfort was something she had never experienced even in modern times.