The Spring Welcome Brothel was so deserted that it hardly resembled a brothel at all. This inevitably made the group of them suspicious. Could there be some hidden secret within this brothel?
At this, the madam's expression darkened. "You must not be locals, since you've never even heard of my Spring Welcome Brothel! True, business here has been a bit slow, but how does it look like an inn? Girls, come out and show yourselves!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a number of girls slowly descended from the second floor. However, they were all of ordinary looks. Mu Fengqie seemed to understand why the brothel's business was so dismal. It seemed the problem lay with the quality of the girls.
There was just one thing she didn't quite understand. In the Southern Qing Kingdom, didn't women hold power? The brothel she'd visited last time had only men. So why were all the people in the Spring Welcome Brothel women? It left her utterly confused.
"Madam, to be honest, I'm not a local. We're merchants passing through this place. Thieves stole our money bags on the way, so we've been left stranded on the streets. Could you possibly take us in for one night?" Mu Fengqie asked tentatively.
Hearing this, Yuan Yuhan immediately frowned. The brothel was like a nemesis to him. Even now, he still remembered his inhumane experience there. He just wanted to stay as far away from these women as possible.
Mu Fengqie also didn't really want to be around these coquettish women. But their current situation didn't allow them to be picky. Having a place to stay was already a great blessing.
Moreover, the madam didn't seem like a bad person. Some people just had a good rapport, and this madam was a case in point. Although she was dressed flamboyantly, she seemed rather kind - hearted.
The madam agreed without hesitation. "As you can see, my situation here isn't great. I can only take you in for one night. As soon as dawn breaks tomorrow, you'll have to leave. I can't afford to keep idle people here."
Hearing this, Mu Fengqie's eyes lit up. She'd indeed judged the person correctly. Unconsciously, she reached out to touch the bracelet on her wrist. For some reason, just having this bracelet made her feel a bit more at ease.
The madam warmly prepared dinner for them. She set up several tables of food in the first - floor hall, which made Mu Fengqie a bit embarrassed. After all, she hadn't done anything to deserve this. Today, they'd truly met a kind person.
"Madam, can I ask you something?"
The madam glanced at Mu Fengqie and pretended to be unhappy. "Just call me Third Aunt. Calling me 'madam' makes me sound so old!"
It had to be said that Third Aunt's personality suited Mu Fengqie's taste. Such an interesting and kind - hearted person was truly rare.
"Third Aunt, aren't you afraid that we're bad people? If I really were a bad person, you and all these girls would be in danger."
Hearing this, Third Aunt burst out laughing. "You think too much, child. Everyone who comes here is a poor soul, just looking for a way to make a living. I've been around for a lifetime. I can tell the good people from the bad."
Hearing this, Mu Fengqie also laughed. "There's one more thing I don't understand. In the Southern Qing, don't women hold power? Then why are all the people in your Spring Welcome Brothel women?"
"Actually, apart from the Empress, women in the Southern Qing do have some say. But that doesn't mean all women have to be in charge at home."
"Some young masters from wealthy families have very noble statuses, and so do those from merchant families. So my Spring Welcome Brothel is for them. There are quite a few noble young masters in the city, which is why my brothel exists."
Hearing this, Mu Fengqie finally understood what was going on. It seemed not all women had the final say. She really had been too ignorant.
But if there were so many noble young masters in the city, why was the business of the Spring Welcome Brothel so dismal? Isn't night the busiest time for a brothel? It seemed that no one had stepped into the brothel since they'd arrived. It was really a failure.
"Third Aunt, why is your business so bad? If this continues, the Spring Welcome Brothel might not be able to stay open." Mu Fengqie said calmly.
At this, Third Aunt's face showed a look of helplessness. She heaved a heavy sigh. "Originally, my Spring Welcome Brothel was the most popular. But the more popular a place is, the more likely it is to arouse jealousy. So many brothels like mine have opened in the city."
At this, Third Aunt's face showed a look of hatred, clearly indicating how angry she was. "So those brothels have been trying to trip me up. Some of my girls have even been poached by them. Now, almost no one remembers our Spring Welcome Brothel."
Third Aunt had devoted her entire life to the Spring Welcome Brothel. But now, the business was extremely dismal. She'd already lost a lot of the silver she'd earned before. If this continued, she might lose everything.
But Third Aunt didn't want to give up the result of her lifetime of hard work. So she thought she'd just hold on for as long as she could, but it wouldn't be long.
Mu Fengqie frowned and then focused all her attention on the girls. All the girls were of ordinary looks. Only two of them could be considered outstanding, but their looks weren't breathtakingly beautiful. They were just barely above average.
Mu Fengqie was never an ungrateful person. Third Aunt's kind act towards them today was like a timely help in the snow. Now it was time for her to repay Third Aunt.
"Third Aunt, don't be anxious. I have a way to revive the Spring Welcome Brothel. Are you willing to trust me?" Mu Fengqie curved her lips.
Hearing this, Third Aunt looked at Mu Fengqie suspiciously. The young lady in front of her was just a little girl. Could she really have a way to help revive the brothel?
Mu Fengqie knew that Third Aunt must still have some doubts about her. But she really did have a way to help Third Aunt.
"Third Aunt, right now, you have no other choice but to trust me, don't you? You might as well give it a try. I guarantee that within half a month, I'll definitely be able to revive the Spring Welcome Brothel!"
Mu Fengqie said confidently as she looked at the girls.