MLMD -Chapter 316 All Redeemed

The three women clung together, crying their hearts out, but each of them had different thoughts. Li Xiangjun cried for not being able to redeem herself. Dong Xiaowan cried over her own matters of the heart. Wang Yue cried for the man in her heart whom she considered a nemesis. In short, three women, each with their own concerns, were crying in a tangle.

Watching the three women crying together, Qian Niang curled her lips in disdain. To her, Wang Yue had merely stumbled into luck. She wondered who the blind fool was who had taken a fancy to this useless girl, taller than most men, and even paid two thousand silver coins out of pocket to redeem her. But that wasn’t her concern. Selling someone for less than 800 taels and turning a profit of 1,200 silver coins in less than a year—this was a fantastic business. Qian Niang had heard that silver coins from Shanxi were highly sought after. Many merchants in Jiangnan recognized her coins. Though each coin weighed less than one tael, compared with those mixed with lead or iron, her coins were superior in workmanship and purity, truly worth their full value. The man who redeemed Wang Yue must be quite wealthy.

With this thought, Qian Niang turned her gaze toward Li Xiangjun. Her finely drawn eyebrows furrowed. That little flirt, merely having met the Shanxi marquis once, naively expected to redeem herself! Did she not realize how much trouble it had been to raise her? Now that she had become a golden goose in Qinghe Lane, how could Qian Niang possibly let her go?

Once the three women had stopped crying, Qian Niang spoke: “All right, there’s no use crying. Xiangjun, unless you bring ten thousand taels, don’t even think about reclaiming your contract. This isn’t a charity house; anyone who walks in doesn’t get to nibble a bit. If you want to redeem yourself, bring the money.”

Wang Yue turned to Qian Niang, anger in her eyes. “Madam Qian, don’t be too unreasonable. Sister Xiangjun has earned quite a bit of silver for you over the years, hasn’t she? Yes, you raised her for a few years, but doesn’t the silver she earned repay her debt to you?”

“Repay… what do you mean by repay?” Qian Niang sneered. “I’ve fed her and clothed her all these years. Now she’s grown and wants to walk away? Life doesn’t work that way. I’m clear—no ten thousand taels, no leaving! And you, for the silver coins, take your contract and go. If you’ve met a wealthy fool, enjoy it quietly. Don’t meddle in my business!” With that, she turned and rummaged through a small box by the bedside, finally pulling out a contract and tossing it to Wang Yue.

Wang Yue caught the contract, fuming at Qian Niang’s arrogance, yet faced with this money-grabbing brothel madam, there was little she could do.

To be honest, when Wang Yue heard that Li Xiangjun had also developed feelings for her own love interest, she wasn’t jealous. She knew that her love already had a wife and two concubines at home. She had no right to be jealous; such jealousy belonged only to a legitimate wife. What she needed to do was find allies to ensure her love’s heart remained by her side. That was what mattered.

Holding the sobbing Li Xiangjun, Wang Yue comforted her: “Sister Xiangjun, don’t worry. Your matter is unknown to your husband. When he comes tonight, I’ll explain everything to him. Surely he will act on your behalf.”

“Husband?” Li Xiangjun blinked, slightly confused. “Who… who do you mean by husband, sister?”

Before Wang Yue could answer, Dong Xiaowan frowned and suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Wang Yue: “Sister, could the one who paid your redemption silver be Master Yue?”

Wang Yue’s feelings were mixed, but she still explained: “Of course, it was Master Yue. Last night he stayed on my pleasure boat and left two thousand silver coins this morning so Yue’er could redeem herself. He said he’d come tonight. If Sister Xiangjun wishes, you can wait for him on Yue’er’s boat as well. Since both of you are devoted to him, surely he won’t let your feelings go unrewarded.”

Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan exchanged glances, their eyes full of surprise, embarrassment, and anger. They hadn’t expected that just one night apart, their “nemesis” would already get involved with another sister—and worse, they knew about it. How could they face anyone now?

It was Dong Xiaowan who found her courage first. She huffed and said: “Let’s meet him then. Sister Xiangjun, you worked hard to redeem yourself, but he… still flirts around. Tonight, we must settle this score!”

Li Xiangjun rolled her eyes and replied: “Don’t just talk about others. What about yourself? Who was in such a hurry to redeem herself yesterday and is now here to gawk at me?”

Dong Xiaowan blushed. “That’s not true! I wanted to redeem myself for a long time. It has nothing to do with him!”

The three women were absorbed in their chatter, while Qian Niang realized: all three wanted to redeem themselves for the same man! She was astonished and uneasy. That man was a marquis—if he caused trouble for her, this old brothel madam on the Qinhuai River wouldn’t stand a chance. But then she thought, he may have power in Shanxi, but this is Jinling. He can’t interfere here, and she had her own support in her small territory. Her mind eased.

But was it really that simple?

As night fell, Yue Yang returned to Wang Yue’s pleasure boat after a busy day. Seeing Wang Yue, Li Xiangjun, and Dong Xiaowan, and hearing Wang Yue explain the situation, he could hardly believe his ears.

“Is this… a surge of masculine aura, or did my protagonist glow just activate? Three women throwing themselves at me at the same time?”

Though Yue Yang came from the modern world, he was still naive about relationships. After five years in the Ming dynasty, he had three wives but had never truly courted women of this era. Among the three wives, the Linglong sisters were childhood brides from Yuejia Village. Hai Lanzhu was a marriage of convenience. Wang Yue was mutually beneficial: she needed him to help rescue her father, he liked her long legs, her figure, and her beauty.

Seeing Li Xiangjun shyly looking down and Dong Xiaowan eyeing him fiercely, Yue Yang asked:
“Miss Xiaowan, Miss Xiangjun, I still don’t understand—what merit do I have that earns your favor? Please, enlighten me.”

Wang Yue sighed. This husband of hers really liked asking questions to the end. Emotions aren’t so easy to explain.

Before she could answer, Dong Xiaowan, embarrassed and angry, scolded Yue Yang: “What do you mean? If you don’t want us sisters, just say so. We’re not desperate; we’re not without suitors. You think we must cling to you? If you don’t want us, we won’t cling. You… sob…” Her words broke off into tears, and Li Xiangjun quickly held her. Both faces glistened with tears.

Seeing this, Wang Yue quickly went to Yue Yang and explained softly: “Don’t worry, husband. You are a hero. Naturally, Sister Xiangjun and Sister Xiaowan would like you. Sister Xiaowan spent her savings to redeem herself, and Sister Xiangjun suffered through the old madam’s tyranny. Their reason is simple—they see you as a man worthy of their trust. It would sadden them greatly if you doubted their sincerity.”

Yue Yang understood. These two had feelings for him, but more importantly, they trusted him to protect them. Women in the Qinhuai brothels, who had seen the harsh world, knew that beauty could bring trouble. If entrusted to someone powerless, the outcome would be grim. His ability to protect them was the key. Love, a myth for this era’s courtesans, was secondary.

Yue Yang’s character was to act, not hesitate. He strode forward, hugged the two crying women tightly, and whispered: “I’m sorry for making you suffer. From now on, I won’t let you be wronged!”

The women cried even louder. Dong Xiaowan even lightly punched him with her tiny fists. When they calmed down, their eyes were swollen from crying.

Yue Yang comforted them gently: “All right, no more crying. Since you are willing to be with me, you are mine from now on. Tomorrow, I’ll hold a ceremony and bring you in a grand sedan chair. How about that?”

Wang Yue was startled. “No, husband! You’re a marquis, and we three are of humble origin. We cannot enter the house from the main gate—that would be improper and invite ridicule.”

In this era, high households allowed only the main wife through the front gate. Concubines had to enter in small sedan chairs from the back. Yue Yang scoffed: “There’s nothing wrong with that. When I married, I took three wives at once—no one dared ridicule me. But first, let’s solve Xiangjun’s matter. A mere brothel madam dares demand such a price!”

He then summoned Chen Dazhi and whispered instructions before sending him off.

Worried, Li Xiangjun said: “Sir, Madam Qian has operated on the Qinhuai River for over ten years, with complex ties to officials. If she refuses to return the contract, we mustn’t force her. Please proceed with caution.”

Yue Yang laughed, lightly brushing her nose. “Don’t worry, Xiangjun. If I can’t handle a small madam, I might as well go farm. What kind of officer would I be?”

Dong Xiaowan hugged his arm excitedly: “Exactly! You’re a marquis. Even if Madam Qian is formidable, she can’t compare to you!”

Li Xiangjun giggled, tapping Dong Xiaowan’s forehead: “You little thing, calling him husband before even going to the bridal chamber—so shameless!”

Dong Xiaowan blushed and began tickling Li Xiangjun. The two played around Yue Yang, who laughed, realizing he had gained two more wives overnight. Life was indeed unpredictable. Now, he just didn’t know how to explain this to Hai Lanzhu.

After some time, a voice called Yue Yang from his daydream: “Master… Master!”

“Yes? What is it?”

Li Xiangjun, shy, lowered her head: “Master, tonight… should we sleep on my pleasure boat?”

“Of course!” Yue Yang, thrilled, gathered Dong Xiaowan and Wang Yue: “All together! Xiangjun’s place is spacious; it’ll be convenient. Don’t you agree?”

The three blushed furiously, scolding him in unison.

The next day, Yue Yang lazily awoke well after sunrise. Gently moving the jade arms and delicate legs off him, he got out of bed. Seeing the three women still asleep, he felt a surge of satisfaction. They said travelers had perks; Yue Yang certainly enjoyed them. After multiple crossings, his physical ability had improved. While not invincible, he excelled in marital matters—a fact proven the previous night. Though Li Xiangjun and the others resisted, he handled them all, achieving total victory.

After dressing, Yue Yang kissed each on the forehead and quietly left the room. As soon as he left, the three awoke. Seeing each other’s faces, they blushed deeply. Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan struggled to rise, only to cry out together at a frown from Wang Yue:

“Hehe…” Wang Yue, still lying on the bed, grinned mischievously. “Sisters, how was last night? Satisfied with our master?”

“You troublesome man!” Li Xiangjun lightly bit her lip and playfully hit Wang Yue.

“You’re cruel, Yue’er! Last night, Xiangjun and I were tormented by master. Several times, I didn’t know how I survived. You didn’t help us at all!” Dong Xiaowan patted Wang Yue’s shapely rear with a soft smack.

“Who didn’t help you?” Wang Yue fumed. “Last night, you clung to master—now you blame me? Fine, I’ll help tonight!”

Seeing Wang Yue’s defiant look, Dong Xiaowan panicked, grabbing her hand:
“Good Yue’er, sister was just teasing you!”

As the three laughed, Yue Yang noticed a black canopy boat rapidly approaching the pleasure boat…