Finest Servant

Chapter 63 What does pretentious mean? (Part 2)

This kind of story has been seen countless times in TV shows and novels. Lin Wanrong, disdainfully said, “Young Master, I won’t lie to you, I really despise these courtesans. If you want to put it nicely, they’re called courtesans, but if you want to be blunt, they’re just pretentious. No matter how glamorous they are, they’re still prostitutes. What kind of place is a brothel? It’s a place for us men to have fun. If you go to a brothel and don’t sell yourself, then just rely on a pretty face to get by, thinking we men are fools? Just looking at their faces is enough? We might as well go home and find a painting of a beauty to appreciate instead. What’s the point of spending money on this?”

“Oh, Lin San, please tell me, what does it mean to be pretentious?”

“Pretentious is, for example, the prostitutes in the brothel are obviously there for people to sleep with, but some of them pretend to be high and mighty, claiming they only sell their talents, not their bodies. That’s what it means to be pretentious.”

“That makes sense, it really does,” Young Master Guo suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie. “Lin San, I didn’t expect you to have such strong feelings about this. Have you visited brothels before?”

“No, no,” Lin Wanrong hurriedly replied modestly, “It’s just that I’ve heard so many stories about these courtesans who only sell their talents, not their bodies, and I’ve become numb to it. I mean, if you’re in a brothel, you should be selling your body, right? Otherwise, is it still a brothel? And those so-called talented young masters who act all high and mighty in front of the courtesans, claiming they appreciate their talents, but we all know what they’re really like behind closed doors. Only you, Young Master, are truly innocent and naturally gifted. You are a true talent.”

Young Master Guo’s eyes sparkled, and he tightly grasped Lin Wanrong’s hand, “Lin San, your words really touched my heart. Here are 20 taels of silver as a reward. Tonight, you can enjoy yourself with me.”

“Thank you, Young Master,” Lin Wanrong gratefully accepted the silver with a look of “appreciation” on his face. Just a few words had earned him 20 taels of silver – why not be happy about it?

“Lin San, since you’re so resourceful, can you do me another favor?” Seeing Lin Wanrong accept the silver, Young Master Guo’s face bloomed into a smile, and he asked in a fawning manner.

“As long as the Young Master commands, Lin San will obey,” Lin Wanrong replied boldly, considering the silver he received.

“Lin San, do you have a way for me to get closer to this courtesan?” Young Master Guo asked, slightly shy but very direct.

“Uh, about that, Young Master, aren’t you afraid that Second Miss Xiao and other ladies will disapprove?” Lin Wanrong’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, thinking that Young Master Guo really had guts, daring to make such a request.

Young Master Guo sighed and said, “It’s like having two dishes on the table. One is delicious but completely out of reach, while the other is not bad and there’s hope of tasting it. Lin San, if you were me, which one would you choose?”

“There’s no need to even ask. Naturally, I would eat the one I can reach first.” Lin Wanrong tried to suppress his laughter, finding Young Master Guo’s analogy quite interesting despite his naivety.

“Exactly, that’s the idea. Eat the one that’s reachable first, and then slowly plan for the ones that are not yet accessible, eventually turning the unreachable into the reachable.” Upon hearing Lin Wanrong’s agreement, Young Master Guo became excited, inadvertently revealing his ambitious nature.

People’s boldness determines their achievements. Lin Wanrong couldn’t help but admire Young Master Guo’s thick skin despite his naivety.

“Why, you don’t agree?” Seeing Lin Wanrong standing there in silence, Young Master Guo hurriedly took out another 20 taels of silver and placed it in his hand, looking anxious.

“It’s not that I don’t agree, it’s just that, Young Master, you’re overestimating me. I haven’t even seen the courtesan’s face, let alone know her name. How can I help you?”

“No worries, Lin San, with your resourcefulness, you’ll surely find a way. The courtesan’s name is Qin Xian’er. She’s incredibly beautiful, and you’ll know it when you see her. I have no other requests, as long as Miss Qin, the courtesan, can spare me a few more glances and exchange a few words with me, I’ll be content.”

As he mentioned Miss Qin, Young Master Guo seemed somewhat infatuated, as if recalling her beautiful appearance.

Lin Wanrong curiously asked, “Is this Miss Qin even more beautiful than the other ladies?”

“Not at all, not at all,” Young Master Guo hastily replied. “Just as I said before, one is for looking, and the other is for eating. Which one would you want first?”

Goodness, Young Master Guo really thought highly of himself. Seeing his infatuated expression, Lin Wanrong secretly chuckled, accepted the forty taels of silver, and said, “Well, I’ll try to think of a way to make Miss Qin pay more attention to you and have a few more words with you.”

Seeing Lin Wanrong agree, Young Master Guo was extremely happy. He had an intuition that, with Lin Wanrong’s excellent performance, the courtesan Miss Qin would definitely see him in a new light.

The Qinhuai River, formerly known as the Huai River, is said to have been excavated through Fangshan and flowed through Jinling City during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Thus, it was named Qinhuai River. After Xiang Yu established the Chu Dynasty, the area continued to thrive for thousands of years. With the development of the economy and culture, the area around the Qinhuai River became even more prosperous.

The ten-mile Qinhuai River is home to aristocratic families, and a gathering place for scholars and poets. It is truly a paradise for those who love literature. The Qinhuai River is most famous for its lantern boats. At night, all boats on the river are adorned with colorful lanterns, and people who visit the river always take pleasure in riding these boats.

Lin Wanrong stood by the Qinhuai River, feeling overwhelmed by emotions. Before him, the river was filled with wealthy merchants, numerous brothels, and boats gracefully gliding on the water. Ancient landmarks, gardens, boats, and bustling streets combined to create an exceptionally prosperous scene.

“Young Master, where is the Miaoyu Pavilion you mentioned?” This was Lin Wanrong’s first time visiting a brothel in this world, so he pretended to be a newbie, not wanting to steal Young Master Guo’s thunder.

As expected, Young Master Guo happily pointed to a pavilion in the distance and said, “See, isn’t it right there?”

Following the direction of Young Master Guo’s finger, a magnificent four-story pavilion stood in the distance, with colorful banners and lanterns hanging high, exuding opulence and grandeur. Even before getting close, one could hear the laughter of men and the giggles of women.

Young Master Guo seemed to be a regular here, and without needing Lin Wanrong to lead the way, he walked past him and headed straight for Miaoyu Pavilion.

“Young Master Guo, you’ve finally come,” the enthusiastic madam greeted him with a loud laugh, her plump body and seductive gaze almost making Lin Wanrong lose his appetite.

The madams of this era were far different from those Lin Wanrong had experienced in the past. Comparing the madams’ appearances and figures to those of his past experiences, the establishments he had visited were of a higher class than Miaoyu Pavilion. However, in this era, a brothel of this scale and popularity along the Qinhuai River was among the top.

Without any hesitation, Young Master Guo grabbed the madam’s behind and said, “Sister Han, I’ve missed you so much.”

“Oh, my dear Young Master Guo, why haven’t you come to see your sister for such a long time?” Sister Han replied with a laugh.