No way.
Even though they tried hard to ignore the sounds coming from below, Zhu Pingniangâs voice and the sound of the whip, combined with the girlâs cries, were too piercing to be drowned out by the rain and wind.
Xu Changâan was surprised that such a gentle woman like Zhu Pingniang could be so ruthless at times.
Li Zhibai, on the other hand, was surprised that her Tong Jun was really becoming more and more like a mother.
Although the girlâs crying was heart-wrenching, Zhu Pingniang did not ease the strength of the whip.
She glanced at Xu Changâan beside her.
"Changâan, sometimes being heartbroken doesnât mean anything." Li Zhibai sighed, "Instead, someone like Tong Jun, who feels heartache yet can still be ruthless, is a truly formidable person."
"Really?" Xu Changâan pondered and then nodded.
It seems to be true.
Just as Miss Yun said, if you want to teach her a lesson, you should be firm.
Even if Yun Qian went to blow the sea breeze alone, came back with a headache for several days, he couldnât even say a few harsh words, blaming only himself for not looking after the girl well, promising to be more vigilant next time.
Xu Changâan said softly, "Perhaps thatâs why the girls at Flower Moon Building cherish Senior Zhu so much."
Those women are clear-minded and know who should gain their favor, recognize who is truly good to them, so Zhu Pingniangâs occasional fits of anger and frustration are symbols of her being an ordinary woman.
If Zhu Pingniang were truly above it all, never getting angry, it would actually alienate the girls.
"Cherish?" Li Zhibai thought for a moment, then said, "One person canât make everyone like them."
Even though Tong Jun is so good now, in Beisang City, there are other brothels where people harbor jealousy or inexplicable distrust towards her.
Even someone as good as Changâan, in a place like Chaoyun, is always on the verge of being laughed at due to jealousy.
Therefore, one person canât make everyone like them.
"As long as the people you care about like you, thatâs enough." Li Zhibai looked at Xu Changâan, "Having seen this ruthless side of Tong Jun, do you still like her?"
"If anything, thatâs exactly why one should like her," Xu Changâan replied truthfully.
"You really donât shy away from the word âlikeâ." Li Zhibai chuckled lightly, "Clearly Iâve heard the girls here talk about you as someone who knows how to avoid suspicion."
"That also depends on the person." Xu Changâan said, pausing in his tone.
"Teacher, maybe, a person can make everyone like them."
"Hmm...?"
"My lady?" Xu Changâan squinted, with a smile that made Li Zhibai feel helpless, "I believe there isnât anyone in the world who would dislike her."
People who dislike Yun Qian should not exist.
"Indeed." Li Zhibai was left speechless.
If anyone can really make everyone like them, perhaps itâs just that Miss Yun.
Thinking of this, she somewhat missed that drowsy sister of hers, so she gently pushed Xu Changâan, "Tong Jun has gone back, we should go back too."
"Mm."
ââ
In the room, Ah Qing saw off Zhu Pingniang, who was torn between heartache and satisfaction, then helplessly turned to look at the girl lying on the stool, HuangâEr.
The girlâs chest heaved, her cherry lips slightly open, her clothes were already soaked with sweat and quickly dirtying the floor, casting shadows of accumulated water stains on the ground.
Her originally fair back was crisscrossed with blood marks, although not to the extent of breaking skin, Zhu Pingniang used skill, making the pain precisely felt.
"Does it hurt now?" Ah Qing walked over helplessly and gently wiped the sweat off the girlâs face with a handkerchief.
HuangâErâs damp hair clung to her face, gasping for breath and unable to speak for a long time, even her once beautiful eyes were now bloodshot.
"It hurts." She squeezed out these words, clearly finding it difficult to even speak, her face contorted in pain, "Qing... Ms. Qing, my legs... I canât feel them."
"Mm, Pingniang sealed your acupoints." Ah Qing sighed, "Didnât she say she wanted you to be unable to walk for half a month."
"Pingniang... really is ruthless, it hurts so much." HuangâEr pitifully tried to say something, but any movement pulled at the blood marks on her body, causing her to grimace in pain.
"Thatâs what you get for talking about her behind her back." Ah Qing, though pained, merely wiped her sweat, chiding, "Itâs thanks to her, had Steward Lu heard, it wouldnât just be a beating, being fined two monthsâ pay would be lenient."
"Ms. Qing, donât scare me."
Hearing about the fine, HuangâErâs face, already pale, turned a shade whiter.
"Donât worry, Iâm here, you wonât starve." Ah Qing shook her head, then looked at the girl in front of her who seemed to have been fished out of the water, asking, "After this beating, do you feel at ease?"
"..." HuangâEr paused, then smiled at Ah Qing, "At ease."
This smile, however, once again made her draw a sharp breath in pain.
"You girls, really, leave me speechless." Ah Qing was momentarily at a loss for words, then she poured a cup of warm water, gently helping the girl up, but she couldnât sit at all, her back was already swollen from the beating.
"I wonât sit, Iâll just lie down." HuangâEr, seeing Ah Qing start to take care of her, laughed foolishly, not even minding the pain.
"Suit yourself." Ah Qing shook her head.
These girls.
Talking bad about Zhu Pingniang, no one forced her to say she would starve her child in the future, she chose to say it herself.
But once said, she felt guilty inside.
So when she was really discovered by Zhu Pingniang, she would provoke Zhu Pingniang in every way, even playfully explaining to herself that âcarefulâ means careful...
This was intentionally seeking a beating.
Now, after being severely reprimanded, there wasnât a trace of resentment in HuangâErâs eyes, instead she was filled with relief, as if the beating was something she deserved.
"For what?" Ah Qing tilted her head, "Do you like the pain from the beating?"
"Sister, what are you saying?" HuangâEr lay there sipping her tea, then said, "If Pingniang had really let me off, tonight... I wouldnât be able to sleep."
"Mm." Ah Qing remained noncommittal, she could roughly understand.
If Zhu Pingniang didnât beat her, perhaps it meant sheâd become distant from her?
"But you still wonât be able to sleep tonight." Ah Qing reminded her, "With all these blood marks, youâll be in pain all night."
HuangâEr: "..."
Her previously smiling face immediately collapsed, grabbing the hem of Ah Qingâs skirt while groaning in pain.
Acting spoiled as she was, she worried her sweat would stain Ah Qingâs skirt, so she just pinched the hem gently.
"Ms. Qing, you donât know... Pingniang is already very gentle, I heard from Auntie that when Pingniang first arrived, with things like this, sisters wouldâve shed a layer of skin at the lightest, unlike now, where you just canât walk for half a month." HuangâEr smiled revealing her silver teeth, "Iâve caught a good time."
Ah Qing, before entering the room, hadnât expected such an answer.
It was only after seeing the one who hit being heartbroken, while the one being hit felt it was deserved, that she realized something.
"You all really do like her." Ah Qing said.
"Itâs Pingniang who likes us, it canât be turned upside down."
One person canât make everyone like them, but one person can make another like them forever and ever.
If she asked them to die, theyâd be willing.
Zhu Pingniang is that kind of woman.
HuangâEr said this, then suddenly stopped, looking at Ah Qingâs back, surprised, "Sister, could it be that... youâre jealous."
Jealous she actually prefers Zhu Pingniang more.
No way.
Mm.
It shouldnât be.
Her Ms. Qing wasnât close enough to her for that, why would she be jealous?
Unexpectedly, Ah Qing didnât respond to her, instead turning around to refill her half-empty glass, sighing.
"I just didnât expect, in the world there are girls living like you."
"Whatâs wrong with us living like this, I like when Pingniang hits me." HuangâEr snorted lightly, then pitifully said, "If... if only it could be a little gentler."
It really ached to death.
"You..." Ah Qing looked at HuangâErâs eyes squinted into slits, pinching her face, "Having a backup, isnât it great?"
"Replying to Ms. Qing, it is." HuangâEr nodded, then let a tear fall.
Donât pinch, it hurts.