The two brothel madams chattered for a good while.
Finally, the one from Mianmeng Residence spoke the last sentence: "Then please have your Xing'er go first."
After she said that, both of them retreated.
The crowd below immediately cheered.
Xing'er!
Xing'er!
Xing'er!
It was fanatical!
Comparable to a concert!
A veiled woman appeared on the second floor of Huanlou Tower.
She bowed to the people seated outside.
Then, with a clear and melodious voice, she said, "Your humble servant Xing'er, greets all young masters and gentlemen."
After saying this, she knelt down in place.
Two maids came up and brought a zither.
"My elder sister Xing'er will now perform the Song of Midnight," one of the maids announced loudly to the crowd after setting down the zither.
Then, she retreated.
Xing'er tested the strings a few times, then began to play.
Her fingers moved alternately, plucking the strings.
To be honest, Fang Er couldn't understand this kind of thing.
He only understood the content Xing'er sang.
"Spring forests bloom with charm, spring birds sing with sorrow.
Spring breezes are full of tenderness, blowing open my silk robes."
It sounded like a poem about spring.
But when Xing'er sang it, it completely changed its flavor.
How could it be so captivating?
After the short tune was finished, Xing'er rose from the ground and bowed to the crowd again.
The young masters and some wealthy merchants below threw the winter plum blossoms they held towards the second floor.
The commotion went on for a while.
Only when the sound of a zither also came from the opposite Mianmeng Residence did these people turn their attention there.
Cai'er from Mianmeng Residence stood there, draped in a light veil.
She looked at the crowd below, said nothing, and simply bowed.
Then, she began to dance.
Fang Er clicked his tongue.
Damn, they were really putting in the effort!
In the biting cold of winter, she wore such a light veil, revealing even her innermost garment.
And what was embroidered on it?
Hmm? Was that an embroidered backside or a celestial peach?
Fang Er stretched his neck, trying to get a clear view.
As he turned his head unintentionally, he saw Cheng Chumo drooling, with a lecherous expression, staring intently at Cai'er.
Looking at Yuchi Baolin, he was no different.
Alright. Zhang Daxian and Li Dexian were pretty much the same.
Thump!
Suddenly, Fang Er felt the table jump.
He paid it no mind.
He raised his head to continue watching Cai'er dance.
Thump!
The table jumped again.
What the heck?
What was going on?
Fang Er looked down. There were no dogs underneath!
As he looked up for a moment,
Thump!
The table jumped again.
Hey? Is this going to continue? What is it?
Fang Er stopped watching the dance.
His eyes were fixed on the table.
Just as the table jumped again, Fang Er slammed his hand down on the table.
Little rascal! Let's see if you still jump!
Hiss!
Cheng Chumo beside him gasped.
His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open.
As if he had seen something terrible.
Fang Er looked towards Cai'er.
There was nothing terrible there?
"Uh, Brother Fang, I need to go to the privy."
Cheng Chumo carefully got up, looking very uncomfortable. He bent over and entered the Baihua Tower.
"Are you alright?"
Fang Er asked him.
"No, I'm fine! I'll be right there!"
Cheng Chumo looked at Fang Er with a conflicted expression, but inwardly he was muttering.
"It's just that little Mo Mo bumped the table a couple of times, is it really necessary to hit it so hard?
What if it breaks? I need to go check it quickly."
Clasping his legs and bending over, he headed towards the privy.
Fang Er had no idea. He thought it was a dog bumping the table underneath to snatch food, but it wasn't.
Unintentionally, he had almost sent Cheng Chumo to the palace.
When he looked up at the second floor again, Cai'er had just finished her dance and was standing there, bowing in thanks.
Similarly, waves of winter plum blossoms were thrown from the crowd below.
Good heavens!
How many trees had to be cut to get so many flowers?
Fortunately, winter plum blossoms are not like roses, otherwise, they would probably disfigure someone.
The two girls took turns performing.
Fang Er found it very boring.
Even though he rarely watched television in his previous life, any random program was more interesting than this.
After a while, Cheng Chumo returned from the privy.
He sat down on his chair.
This time, Xing'er was dancing, and she was also wearing a light veil.
Fang Er stretched his neck to look.
Well, he could clearly see what was embroidered on her innermost garment.
It was two ducks.
He looked at Cheng Chumo. Well, this time he wasn't drooling.
He looked at the others; they all seemed focused.
Thump!
The table suddenly jumped again.
Fang Er was completely bewildered.
He had already looked, and there were no dogs under the table.
Under his gaze, the table jumped again.
Before it landed, Fang Er slapped it down again.
Slap!
The table fell heavily.
Oh~~!
Cheng Chumo let out a cry of pain.
"Huh? Brother, what's wrong?"
Yuchi Baolin heard the sound and asked Cheng Chumo, whose face had turned red.
Cheng Chumo wanted to cry.
Suppressing his discomfort, he said, "It's nothing, I just accidentally hit my leg on the table."
"Ah, no wonder the table kept jumping, it was your leg pushing it, right? Alright, just give a heads-up next time, and I won't hit it."
Fang Er seemed to understand something.
After a while, Cheng Chumo cautiously stood up again.
"Brother, is something wrong?"
Fang Er asked.
"Ah? Oh, nothing, I'm going to the privy."
"Didn't you just go? Are you frequently urinating at such a young age?"
"Uh, that was for a small one just now, this is for a big one."
Cheng Chumo thought for a long time before replying.
Then, bending over and clasping his legs, he headed towards the privy.
"Hey, Brother Fang, Chumo doesn't seem right! Why is his waist bent so much?"
Yuchi Baolin said, looking at Cheng Chumo as he walked away.
"It's nothing, perhaps he's afraid of blocking others from watching the dance."
Fang Er explained.
Cheng Chumo, in the privy, felt like crying.
This elder brother is too brutal!
It's already red!
If he exerted a little more force, it might actually break!
After he returned from the privy again, the first thing he did upon sitting down was to pull his chair back.
Time passed quickly.
The two girls had finished their performances.
The two brothel madams reappeared.
"Since Xing'er and Cai'er have both displayed their talents, and everyone has expressed their sentiments, let's see who will be crowned the Flower Queen today."
Several maids began to count the winter plum blossoms received.
Soon, the numbers were announced.
"Miss Xing'er received eighty-nine strings of flowers!" Madam Wang of Baihua Tower shouted loudly.
"Miss Cai'er also received eighty-nine strings of flowers!" Madam Huang of Mianmeng Residence also announced.
Then, the two brothel madams were puzzled.
And there were eleven more strings of flowers.
"What?
Flowers at three hundred wen per string, are they taking them home to put in a vase for the New Year?"
"Brother?"
Yuchi Baolin nudged Fang Er.
"Hmm? What?"
Fang Er asked.
"Why didn't you send out the flowers?"
Yuchi Baolin pointed to the winter plum blossoms on the table and asked.
"Hmm? Do I have to send them? I was thinking of taking them home for Xiao Qing to play with."