Chapter 91: Auction
White Crystal Inn, the Middle Tower!
“Zheng’er, how could you handle this matter so carelessly? You should have informed me immediately when Zhang San arrived,” Fan Yong scolded his son Fan Zheng as he quickly descended the stairs.
Fan Zheng hurriedly responded, “Father, I just found out as well. Besides, I think Brother Zhang San is quite easygoing. Why are you so tense?”
“Easygoing?” Fan Yong snorted. “He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Chen Maoqian is ruthless enough, right? Who in the capital isn’t afraid of him? But even Chen Maoqian, after signing a rental contract with Zhang San, was too scared to enjoy his newly acquired concubine that night.”
“Why is that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? If there’s a problem with the contract, how much compensation would he demand? Zhang San would decide. Remember, even robbers are not as frightening as him.”
“…?”
In Fan Yong’s eyes, Zhang San had become the number one rogue in the capital.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs and arrived at the front of the East Tower, he heard someone inside shouting, “Ten ones, come on, come on, once it’s called, it can’t be changed.”
“Eleven threes.” “Open!”
…
Fan Yong curiously asked, “What are they doing?”
Fan Zheng shook his head.
Fan Yong entered the East Tower and saw a group of people surrounding the table in the center. The lively Ma Xiaoyi was standing on a stool, pointing at the person opposite and saying, “You lost, drink! Drink!”
Fan Zheng frowned, “What game are they playing?”
Fan Yong was not interested in this. As he glanced around, his eyes almost popped out. On a long table to the left sat more than ten singing girls, with only one man among them. This man was Zhang Fei.
Amidst a sea of flowers, he was the lone green leaf!
Though Li Si was standing nearby, his face was as red as a baboon’s bottom, flushed with embarrassment!
Just then, a waiter carrying an empty wine jug walked by. Fan Zheng immediately stopped the waiter and asked, “What are they doing?”
The waiter replied, “Earlier, that young master asked me to bring some dice. Then Zhang San taught them a new game, which attracted many people. During this time, Young Masters Cao and Han had a verbal spat, and now they are competing with dice. The loser drinks.”
Fan Yong asked, “Why isn’t Zhang San playing himself?”
The waiter hurriedly responded, “Zhang San played for a while earlier. When more people joined, he left. I brought a jug of wine, and Zhang San went to sit with Sister Caishi and the others.”
Fan Zheng nodded, “Go ahead with your work.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the waiter left, Fan Yong chuckled, “Well, with his smooth tongue, how could he ever lack women to talk to? Let’s go! Let’s learn something new.”
Fan Zheng forced a smile and followed.
The father and son duo were quite different in temperament; Fan Yong was more humorous, while Fan Zheng was rather dull.
“Mogul Fan has arrived!”
Seeing Fan Yong enter, Zhang Fei immediately stood up.
The singing girls also rose, some nodding, others bowing.
Fan Yong laughed, “Even when you’re at my White Crystal Inn you appear as you do in court: radiant and at the center of attention.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “Mogul, I don’t quite like that analogy. Besides, Caishi and the others were just asking me about some legal matters.”
Just now, he had taught Cao Dongdong how to play dice, immediately drawing everyone’s attention in the hall. He had invited the singing girls to sit down and taught them the game hand by hand. But with the arrival of Han Pan and his group, a contest began.
One could say it was the Imperial In-laws Party versus the Scholar-Officials Party.
Aside from a few old favorites, most of the singing girls were left without a role to play.
Who would still discuss poetry and songs now?
It could be said that Zhang Fei single-handedly lowered the standards of the entire White Crystal Inn.
Quietly, Zhang Fei had these singing girls sit at another table. These singing girls, living the life that they did, had many disputes. Zhang Fei provided solutions, and soon they warmed up to him.
“Oh!”
Fan Yong asked one of the girls, “Caishi, do you have a lawsuit pending?”
Zhang Fei quickly interjected, “It’s not necessary to have a lawsuit to consult with me. I was just discussing their contracts with them, and I found them to be very unfair. They give so much but receive so little. They lack legal protection.”
The singing girls nodded in agreement, their delicate faces showing a touch of grievance, yet they remained charmingly attractive.
“So that’s what it is,” Fan Yong laughed heartily, then turned to Zhang Fei, “Zhang San, you came today without prior notice. Forgive any neglect on our part. Come, let me show you around my White Crystal Inn.”
In this situation, Zhang Fei had no intention of leaving. He gave them a meaningful look, hoping they would take the hint and excuse themselves.
” Zhang San, is something wrong with your eyes?” Fan Yong asked with concern.
“Pfft!”
Several singing girls covered their mouths and giggled.
Zhang Fei glanced awkwardly at Fan Yong, reluctantly standing up, “Then I’ll trouble you, Mogul.”
Fan Yong took Zhang Fei for a casual tour before sitting down in a private room on the second floor.
“Zhang San, to be honest, my White Crystal Inn and these singing girls are like fish and water, naturally intertwined. I don’t care how much profit I make from them, but if you help them draft contracts, it will bring you a lot of trouble.”
Fan Zheng added, “Brother Zhang San, this place of debauchery is also a place of trouble.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “A place of trouble is where we solicitors thrive. I’m not afraid of trouble; I worry about not having enough. You should know, Mogul, next year I plan to make a big move.”
Fan Yong nodded with a smile, “That’s right, Zhang San. If you dare to guarantee taxes, you won’t be afraid of these matters.”
Zhang Fei said, “I believe that with fair rules, this business will thrive. If it’s just based on brute force, it won’t last long and will at least stagnate. Besides, people die for wealth, and birds die for food. If I die, it will be a worthy death.”
Fan Yong laughed heartily, “Well said, people die for wealth, and birds die for food. I toast to you, Zhang San.”
After chatting for a while, they suddenly heard someone shouting downstairs, “Zhang San, Zhang San, are you upstairs?”
It was Cao Dongdong’s voice.
“Yes!”
Zhang Fei quickly responded.
Then Ma Xiaoyi called out, “Brother San, come down quickly, the auction is about to start.”
Fan Yong suddenly asked, “So you are here for the widow?”
Another widow? Are young girls really that undesirable? Zhang Fei wondered, “What’s the story with this widow?”
Fan Yong explained, “The widow’s husband was a well-off farmer. At the beginning of this year, while drafted for corvee labor, he lost a batch of the government’s goods and also lost his life. As a result, all his family’s assets were confiscated, including his wife. I’ve seen this widow; she’s truly a beauty, as stunning as a flower in bloom. Many young masters are here for her today.”
Zhang Fei was curious, “He lost his life and still had to compensate the government?”
Fan Yong said, “It was the government’s goods. Someone had to be responsible and make up for the loss. It was just his bad luck!”
“Indeed!”
Zhang Fei nodded with a smile.
When he reached the lower floor, he saw Ma Xiaoyi standing on a chair, waving at him, “Brother San, come quickly, come quickly.”
Zhang Fei walked over and noticed Ma Xiaoyi’s flushed face. He couldn’t help but ask, “How much have you drunk?”
Ma Xiaoyi grinned, “I haven’t had much. Look at Han Pan; his face is even redder than mine. He always prides himself on his intellect, looking down on everyone, but I think he’s much dumber than me.”
Zhang Fei turned his head and saw Han Pan and Fu Zhishuang sitting and catching their breath, seemingly still complaining to each other.
Cao Dongdong stood up and grabbed Zhang Fei, “Zhang San, your new game is really too much fun.”
The strong smell of alcohol permeated the air!
“Aiyo!”
Zhang Fei quickly extricated himself and sat next to Fu Shichun. “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t get too close. We’re two grown men; is that appropriate?”
As he spoke, his eyes twinkled with an idea. “Young Master, since we’re having so much fun today, why not buy a maidservant for me?”
Cao Dongdong immediately replied, “No way, I have to save money to help you buy that widow. I can’t lose to Han Pan.”
Zhang Fei curiously asked, “It’s just a maidservant? How much could that cost?”
Fu Shichun chuckled, “A maidservant at the White Crystal Inn auction costs at least several hundred strings of cash.”
“Several hundred strings?”
It was Li Si who exclaimed, looking at Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei immediately said, “Why are you looking at me? We’re just buddies, not master and servant.”
Then he asked Fu Shichun, “Is it really that expensive?”
He was genuinely interested in getting a maidservant.
Fu Shichun explained, “Currently, there are two main types of maidservants: those who sell themselves into service and those who are hired. The White Crystal Inn’s auction primarily deals with the latter. Maidservants who sell themselves are cheap because it’s just about providing manpower, but hired maidservants sell their skills and are therefore more valuable.”
He continued, “Singing girls, though they don’t sell their bodies, earn more than prostitutes. The principle is the same.”
The White Crystal Inn, the most prestigious in the capital, adopted a high-end marketing strategy.
According to Song dynasty law, a maidservant’s employment contract could last up to ten years. The auction was essentially bidding on the ten-year wages.
As they chatted, they suddenly heard a shout. Zhang Fei looked up to see a heavily made-up old woman on stage, with a young servant holding a gong and drum beside her.
Fu Shichun introduced, “That old woman is Madam Gu, the capital’s top procuress. She used to be a palace maid and excels in cooking, medicine, brewing, needlework, and midwifery. The maids she trains are the most expensive in the capital.”
Zhang Fei felt enlightened; it seemed like a training school, leaving him, a time traveler, with fewer opportunities to show off.
After a brief introduction of the upcoming auction process, it officially began. The first on stage was a girl about fourteen or fifteen, with two pigtails and a blushing face, looking down shyly.
Madam Gu enthusiastically boasted about the girl’s skills, saying her needlework was so good that you couldn’t see the patches she sewed, almost claiming she was the best in the capital.
Zhang Fei whispered, “Hey! Does this maid only do needlework and nothing else?”
Fu Shichun replied, “If she says so, then she does nothing else.”
Zhang Fei grumbled, “What kind of maid is this? She’s not even as good as Qingmei.”
Ma Xiaoyi added, “Brother, my family’s dough kneading is done by specialized maids who only do that.”
Cao Dongdong snickered, “Not just kneading dough, but kneading people too.”
What the heck? Are the roles really this specialized? Or has poverty limited my perspective? Zhang Fei found it increasingly unbelievable, feeling that he had only seen the tip of the iceberg of Bianjing.
Fu Shichun remarked, “Such maids are suitable for rich families like Young Master Cao, not for your household. You have only two people and not much needlework. Wait for the third one; she might suit you better.”
Zhang Fei curiously asked, “How do you know so much, Young Master Fu?”
Ma Xiaoyi replied, “He spends all his time here at White Crystal Inn. How could he not know?”
After some boasting, Madam Gu announced the starting bid: ten years for 250 strings of cash, roughly 25 strings per year, including food and board.
In the world of maidservants, this wasn’t low.
“250 strings,” someone immediately raised a hand.
Zhang Fei looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young servant. After a brief pause, he suddenly raised his hand, “300 strings.”
Cao Dongdong was startled, “Zhang San, are you interested in this maid?”
Zhang Fei replied, “Can’t you see I care about appearances?”
Someone shouted, “My master bids 350 strings.”
Cao Dongdong turned to see it was Han Pan’s servant bidding and remarked, “That guy is doing it on purpose. His family doesn’t need more maids.”
Zhang Fei raised his hand again, “450 strings.”
A jump of 100 strings?
The hall was instantly abuzz with chatter.
Cao Dongdong, Fu Shichun, and Ma Xiaoyi all stared at Zhang Fei in shock.
Only Madam Gu was thrilled.
What a great start!
Ma Xiaoyi exclaimed, “Brother San, this maid isn’t worth that much!”
Li Si grabbed Zhang Fei’s sleeve, seemingly saying, “Brother San, we don’t have that much money. Don’t try to act rich.”
Zhang Fei brushed off Li Si and shrugged, “When I’m out having fun, I hate it when others try to outdo me.”
A kindred spirit! Cao Dongdong excitedly said, “Zhang San, I support you.”
Zhang Fei asked, “Split the cost?”
“That’s not how it works.” Cao Dongdong shook his head.
Then they heard, “500 strings.”
Cao Dongdong urged, “Zhang Fei, don’t give up. Keep bidding.”
Ma Xiaoyi nodded vigorously, “Bid, bid, bid! Brother San, quickly bid.”
“You don’t need to tell me.”
Zhang Fei raised his hand and accidentally knocked over a wine cup, spilling some on his clothes. He quickly stood up, wiped himself, and said, “Li Si, get a handkerchief.”
Li Si hurriedly handed him a handkerchief.
After wiping for a while, he couldn’t get it clean. Zhang Fei nonchalantly tossed the handkerchief aside and raised his hand, “Oh! Has it ended already?”
Madam Gu looked at Zhang Fei with a mix of frustration and disappointment. He had kept everyone waiting for so long only to complain when the bids were closed.
Cao Dongdong also gave him a disdainful look, “So much for acting tough. How embarrassing.”
“It was a total accident!”
Zhang Fei said, “Watch me for the next one.”