TRT – Chapter 8 The Brothel

That local thug grinned with satisfaction as an ingot traced a graceful arc and landed neatly in Head Constable Liu’s hand.

And so, I was sold.

It was still early in the day. The sunlight was thin, filtering through the leaves in shimmering fragments, light and insubstantial. In the courtyard, a great tree stood lush and green. Beneath its heart-shaped old leaves, tender new shoots quivered shyly in the breeze… Just like those fragile leaves, Xiao Tao stood weak and trembling at the center of the yard, helplessly shivering.

“Minmin! Xiao Tao! You two little fox spirits!” Sister Hongxing stood beneath the veranda, hands on her hips, scolding. “How many times have I told you?! A woman must never raise her head in front of a man! What are you doing flashing those smiles all day long? Already flirting first thing in the morning?!” With a handkerchief in hand, she stormed up to Xiao Tao and bore down on her harshly. “Do you have no shame? No shame at all? No shame!”

Three days ago, Boss Huang—who always favored Hongxing—happened to catch sight of Xiao Tao while she was just serving tea. From then on, life had been miserable for Xiao Tao. She was merely a cleaning girl, while Hongxing was a registered courtesan. Resistance? Absolutely forbidden.

Hongxing’s nails scratched bright red marks across Xiao Tao’s forehead and neck until she couldn’t bear the pain anymore. Crying, she dropped her broom and fled… Deprived of her target, Hongxing whirled toward me with fury.

Truth be told, I had no quarrel with Hongxing, but since Xiao Tao was my friend, I had to shoulder the blame too~

Seeing those blood-red nails about to jab my way, I nimbly dodged back a few paces, meeting Hongxing’s gaze calmly. Then I suddenly broke into a dazzlingly charming smile and said sweetly, “Sister Hongxing~~ This is how you smile seductively. As for why we’re smiling, isn’t it obvious—” I spun in place, swayed my hips twice, and laughed enchantingly, “—because it’s springtime~~”

With that, I left her standing frozen in place, dumbstruck.

Compete with me? Hah! This feudal little woman can’t match the thickness of a 21st-century beauty’s skin! (Though… that might not exactly be something to brag about.)

It’s been nearly a month since I transmigrated. The day that thug bought me, he sent me straight to one of his brothels. The difference between transmigrating into a remote forest and transmigrating onto a busy street is this:

One lets you start from scratch. The other makes you famous overnight.

Ever since this Cangchun House acquired me—the so-called bewitching, otherworldly seductress said to have fallen straight from the heavens (ugh, what nonsense rumors!)—business has been booming. Customers flooded in, and even the other courtesans saw their popularity soar! But the madam didn’t let me receive clients right away. She planned to stir up anticipation and then stage a grand “first night” event. Cunning businesswoman. Not only did she buy time to “train” me properly, but she also raked in profits in advance.

Xiao Tao and Qingqing had been sent here with me. On the very first night, two thugs nearly tried to violate them. I took care of those scum in short order, and from then on, Xiao Tao and Qingqing became my first loyal fans.

Xiao Tao once asked me curiously: “With skills like yours, why stay in a brothel?”

I flashed her a grin and replied, “Because the brothel is an important plot location~”

Xiao Tao: “…???!!!”

After a month here, I’ve pieced together a vague understanding of this world:

It is the fifth year of Emperor Xi of the Later Ming dynasty. The capital is Changle. The nation is peaceful and prosperous. But as someone who knows Chinese history inside out, I can swear—there has never been a “Later Ming”! Later Tang, Later Qin, sure. But Later Ming? Never!

So it’s a fictional history~ Realizing this left me both relieved and dismayed. Relieved, because I can now quote poetry and prose freely, without worrying about authors or eras—like guessing all the answers on a multiple-choice test and finding out they’re all correct! Dismayed, because all my years memorizing five thousand years of Chinese history suddenly became useless—like pulling an all-nighter to study ten essay questions only to find them all out of syllabus! (Truly, the tragedy of a generation poisoned by exam-oriented education.)

The place I ended up in is Qiuyè City, a small border town in the west, far from imperial authority. No wonder the constables could just casually release someone accused of being a monster.

The customs here resemble those of the Ming dynasty. Male dominance is extreme—women can’t even raise their heads before men. Apart from foot-binding, all of Zhu Yuanzhang’s oppressive principles of “chastity above all” have been fully inherited.

Clothing, however, is surprisingly reminiscent of the Tang dynasty’s openness, only with sleeker, simpler lines.

Technology and craftsmanship seem quite advanced, probably on par with the Song dynasty.

And what’s strange is this: When I desperately wanted to transmigrate, I couldn’t. But once I firmly didn’t want to, suddenly I was dragged here. Every night I dream of Dad and Mom, Zhiyuan, my roommates, McDonald’s, unfinished video games, unread webnovels, and that missed call from Zhiyuan… Everything from that world tugs at my heart. Maybe only after losing it do you realize where you truly belong. I think I really do want to go back…

Just now, the madam informed me to prepare. In three days, I’ll be deflowered.

Of course, I refused. But I’m not stupid enough to throw a tantrum or stage a suicide act. Since I can’t return for now, then—like my idol Zhang Qinglian once said—I’ll make sure I thrive in this world too!

…………

In the madam’s candlelit chamber of Cangchun House, my shadow swayed in the flickering light, half real, half illusory…

“So let’s make a deal.” Smiling radiantly, I said, “Give me seven days, and I promise Cangchun House will be raking in gold every day!”

Time to start making money. Gazing at the sky beyond, I told myself: If I want to go back so badly, just wishing won’t help. Time to act! Thus begins the first step of my counter-transmigration plan:

The Capital Accumulation Phase~