Chapter 101 – The Flower Picking Thief (1)
“Young Master is quite the charmer at such a young age; if he truly grows up, I can’t imagine how many hearts he will break,” Xia Er said, holding a napkin to her lips. “Even someone like me feels a bit stirred, let alone other women.”
True, false, or just joking, Jiang Pengji could always tell the difference.
“Xia lady is mistaken,” Jiang Pengji spoke confidently. “Even sweet words have their hierarchy. To me, all beautiful women are like precious jade plates, deserving of respect and should never be disrespected. My sweet words are sincere, not a sprinkle of frivolity in them. As for other men, if they hold ill intentions, even if they speak beautifully, they’re just being lewd.”
As she finished speaking, both women laughed, feeling a sweetness akin to honey in their hearts.
Just like Jiang Pengji said, her words came from the heart, which made them exceptionally moving, even affecting the two who were accustomed to the ways of the world. However, this was the first time they met a proudly self-praising young nobleman amidst many who were modest and humble, which was rather amusing.
Xia Er chimed in, “Yes, yes, Young Master is the epitome of a gentleman.”
【Sunset of Life】: I’m so unmotivated, Mom asks why I’m kneeling to watch the livestream _(:з)∠)_
【Qianqiu Yue Bie Wujang Pickled Vegetables】: I’m also kneeling to watch. If I had the host’s skills, I’d never be single!
Jiang Pengji smiled faintly, taking a sip of the tea brewed by Xia Er. Although the ingredients weren’t as precious as those from Liu Residence, it had a unique girl-like delicacy. One sip warmed her body, seeping into her heart and dispelling the early spring chill.
【Host V】: @Qianqiu Yue Bie Wujang Pickled Vegetables, that’s not right, I’ve always been single!
That doesn’t mean one can find a partner; with a crowd like hers, she had dozens of friends but no one to develop deeper feelings with. After all, not everyone can handle a life without any secrets; the pressure is too much.
【Qianqiu Yue Bie Wujang Pickled Vegetables】: I’m doomed, now that the host said this, I feel like I’m destined to be single forever.
In the eyes of many livestream viewers, courtesans were simply women who leaned on balconies selling smiles; apart from taking off their clothes and having casual flings, they seemed to lack other skills.
However, Chun Er and Xia Er gave them a solid lesson on what it meant to be well-rounded, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In addition to these essential accomplishments for ladies, they had even dabbled in literature and history, which was noteworthy given the appalling literacy rate nowadays! When they played other instruments, they showcased an elegance that captivated everyone.
Under Jiang Pengji’s subtle guidance, the entire livestream chat exploded with “!!!”.
【Host V】: Some viewers have disdained them, but I just want to say, those viewers don’t even have the right to look down on them. Who among you can match their refinement in music and arts? In their time, their education level would at least classify them as top students. They might not have great talent, but they strive to learn and enrich themselves in order to survive; that alone deserves respect. Do you even have the ground to look down on their means of survival?
Jiang Pengji still couldn’t comprehend where this sense of superiority some people had in the livestream chat came from; it turned out there was indeed a generational gap in thoughts.
【Sunset of Life】: That does have some truth to it. It reminds me of some old time-travel tropes where the female lead arrives and shows off hot modern songs and dances in brothels, leaving everyone amazed. In hindsight, it’s quite amusing; after all, the two eras are not just separated by time but by culture as well.
There were supporters of Jiang Pengji’s opinion, but naturally, there were dissenters who wouldn’t stop barking orders.
【Don’t Stop Moving Strongly】: A courtesan is still just a courtesan; no matter how skilled, what’s the use? She still needs to trade her body for money! As pleasant as the words sound, at the end of the day, she’s still a whore. Host, what do you mean? When others make a slight mockery, you react like someone stepped on your tail, eagerly trying to defend them. Is it safe to assume you were once in the same business? Nowadays, it seems like any lowly person can just time travel and become a noble lady, changing their body while their past stench remains?
Jiang Pengji read these comments, her smile unwavering.
It wasn’t that her poise was extraordinary; in fact, her temper was quite poor. It was just that others couldn’t see the barrage of comments on the livestream screen, and if she suddenly erupted in anger, it would certainly frighten Xia Er and Chun Er sitting beside her. It wouldn’t be worth it to scare the beauties over a few nonsensical remarks.
Deciding not to engage, lest she lower her own dignity.
Facts speak louder than words, and she’d let the other party silence themselves out of embarrassment.
“Time seems to pass especially quickly when I’m with Young Master,” Xia Er said, sipping a bowl of the renowned Five Red Soup called for by Jiang Pengji, which eased her aching stomach. Her pale complexion now had a hint of color, and her eyes sparkled with moisture.
Jiang Pengji heard the sound of the watchman outside, quietly calculating the time.
“If the young ladies don’t mind, may I visit often? When it comes to poetry and prose, many of my peers cannot match your talents,” Jiang Pengji said with a sincere smile. When she said she’d come to visit, she truly meant she’d just come to sit, “If the court were to allow women to hold official positions, with your talents, surely there would be a seat available. Who knows, perhaps we could even serve in the court together someday.”
The latter part was mostly a joke, but the initial compliment was genuine.
Xia Er’s face flushed, her expression clear as she replied, “Young Master is just teasing; history and literature are merely things we read in our leisure time, nowhere near as impressive as Young Master’s peers! Moreover, this is a place of dust and wind; after all, Young Master will have lovely ladies in your harem in the future, so it’s best to tread lightly here.”
【Sunset of Life】: The host’s charm can even entice courtesans _(:з)∠)_
【Qianqiu Yue Bie Wujang Pickled Vegetables】: I know why the host doesn’t want to date; it’s definitely so that nobody else can find a partner!
Attracting all the ladies, raising their marriage standards, making it hard for men to find partners!
How insidious.
【Old Elegance】: Host, can you silence that Don’t Stop Moving Strongly idiot? It’s impossible to watch the livestream with all his noise.
【Host V】: Why should we stop others from barking like dogs to show off their manners and upbringing?
The audience: “…”
Such a well-reasoned statement left them speechless?
“Why must you ladies belittle yourselves?” Jiang Pengji smiled, “Just wait, perhaps one day women will truly enter the court and serve in official positions.”
Xia Er and Chun Er focused on the tender “ladies” that Jiang Pengji used, not paying much attention to the latter statement.
Women serving in the court?
In the Sixteen Kingdoms or early Days of the Great Xia, that was possible. Yet during the Great Xia era, the world had just stabilized, and ever more women were trapped behind closed doors; this phenomenon only grew more absurd in the current Five Kingdoms.
Rumor had it, in Zhong Zhao, the strongest nation among the Five Kingdoms, women couldn’t even show their faces, couldn’t remarry, and were expected to follow their fathers when at home and their husbands after marriage. If their chastity was compromised, they could end up sunk in a pond, and outside they would be accused of lewd behavior…
Thinking of such a situation, the women of Zhong Zhao, it seemed, couldn’t even enjoy more freedoms than a courtesan.
