Regarding this question, Sun Ping smiled faintly. It seemed many people who came here would pay attention to this, but she had to apologise, “This is not the Tanhua’s calligraphy, but our proprietress’s calligraphy.”
Originally they had all asked Yu Qing to write it. Not for any other reason, but at least his handwriting looked good. However, Yu Qing refused to write. It was still that same sentence, he had abandoned literature for martial arts, and would no longer do inscription matters. Later there was no other way. Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie’s handwriting were both unpresentable, and they did not find an outsider either. Tie Miaoqing herself inscribed the signboard.
The woman in yellow gauze clothes gave an “oh”, and asked again, “I heard your proprietress is very beautiful, and is the number one flower of Youjiao Port.”
If a man asked like this, that would be ill-intentioned. A woman asking was naturally fine. However, Sun Ping was still somewhat surprised. How could a woman run to the door to ask this question? Listening to her voice and looking at her figure, she seemed to also be a young woman. She could only be noncommittal, and asked in return, “Is the honoured guest here to buy things at Miaoqing Hall?”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes, “I heard you do not allow people to enter and look around if they do not buy things, correct?”
Sun Ping said no more, pointing to the notice posted on the door plank beside her, letting the guest read it herself.
After reading, the woman in yellow gauze clothes gave a humph. “Why come here if not to buy things?”
Hearing these words, Sun Ping’s attitude became much more respectful. Not only because the other party was a customer, but the key point was that she dared to visit at this kind of time.
Immediately she gave way and invited them in.
Two women entered. Of the six attendants, four guarded outside the door, and two followed inside.
Tie Miaoqing behind the counter had now also put on a gauze hat. This was Yu Qing’s idea.
It was also because Long Xingyun’s visit had made Yu Qing truly feel that this woman was a source of trouble. Those who could come here to buy things were not ordinary people. If some big shot took a fancy to Tie Miaoqing again, then whether to give her up or not, not giving her up would be asking for trouble.
This was not a baseless talk, but had already become a possible reality. Especially now, those who still dared to come to Miaoqing Hall to buy things were most likely people who did not even put Chilan Pavilion in their eyes. There was truly no need to provoke them.
If it were not for the current shortage of manpower, and the one-eyed person being too tall to sit at the counter inconveniently, he would also not be too willing to let Tie Miaoqing show her face.
Three women wearing gauze hats sized each other up through the hanging gauze.
One attendant took out a one million tael banknote and placed it on the counter.
After Tie Miaoqing wrote a receipt for them, she personally led the few people to the inner courtyard.
After bringing the people to the one-eyed person’s side, Tie Miaoqing took her leave.
She had also seen that the two men were attendants and guards. Since opening, she had also seen many guests of all shapes and colours. Among so many coming and going guests, for even guards to pay five hundred thousand taels to follow in, she had forgotten whether this was the first time she had seen it, but it was definitely not many.
“Eh, is there no one to attend to the guests? What kind of sense does it make to let a one-eyed person attend to guests?”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes who had looked around suddenly started shouting, very displeased.
Tie Miaoqing, who had already walked a few steps away, had no choice but to turn back. “Two honoured guests, I am truly sorry. This humble shop does business exactly like this. The one-eyed person is the same.”
“How could it possibly be the same.” The woman in yellow gauze clothes was very dissatisfied, and looked around again. “Did I not hear that this shop was opened by the world-famous Tanhua? Where is the Tanhua? Let him come out to attend to guests.”
The woman in the white long dress beside her immediately tugged her sleeve. However, the woman in yellow gauze clothes shook off her hand and ignored it, continuing to shout there. “How can there be a reason for the master not to come out and attend to guests? I spent one million taels, and do not even get a word. What kind of sense does this make?”
Tie Miaoqing hurriedly explained. “Honoured guest, do not worry. The Tanhua is not here. He has already left. The specific business matters are handled by us.”
This was Yu Qing’s instruction. It was also because the Tanhua’s reputation was somewhat too great. Some guests did not know what they were thinking. Spending several hundred thousand to buy a peach and then thinking themselves remarkable, they wanted to call the Tanhua out to chat with them for a bit. There were many such guests. How could Yu Qing handle it all? Naturally he used the reason of the person not being here to deal with them.
The woman in yellow gauze clothes, “Left? Where did he go?”
Tie Miaoqing was almost speechless, but still politely said, “He is the supplier boss for us. Where he goes, he would not tell us either. We also do not know.”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes sized up the surroundings. “How could it be such a coincidence that he left just as we arrived? You let us search. If the person is truly not here, I will believe your words.” Turning back she waved to those two guards. “Search for me!”
Those two guards were clearly somewhat dumbfounded, at a complete loss. How could they comply with this? This was Youjiao Port under the very eyes of Youya Cliff. Searching someone’s shop without cause or reason would cause great trouble. The consequences were not something they could bear.
“Stop making a fuss!” The woman in the white long dress finally spoke up to stop her, her voice soft and pure. Then the conversation suddenly turned. “Surely the proprietress is not absent either?”
Tie Miaoqing was slightly startled, and gave a slight bow. “I am indeed. May I ask what instructions the honoured guest has?”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes was surprised. “You are the Tie Miaoqing known as the number one beauty of Youjiao Port?”
Tie Miaoqing, “The honoured guest overpraises. I cannot bear such a title of number one. I am merely a pitiful person struggling to survive.”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes, “Take off the gauze hat. Let me see if it is the proprietress herself. Do not deceive us.”
Tie Miaoqing was very speechless. Why would I deceive you?
She was also very helpless. Fortunately she was facing two women, so it was not a big deal. She raised her hand and slowly removed the gauze hat, revealing her flower-like countenance.
Once that face capable of toppling kingdoms appeared, the two women in gauze hats were clearly both stunned.
After a moment of silence, the woman in the white long dress suddenly sighed faintly. “Truly a beauty like a heavenly immortal. Even I am moved looking at her, let alone men. No wonder even he was willing to bow down at your skirt. Indeed her beauty moves people, making it hard to avoid being vulgar.”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes gave a scoff. “Beauty ages. How long can one remain good-looking? Judging by age, she is clearly not young anymore. She must be at least ten years older than A Shiheng, right? Moreover, she is someone who has had a husband and lost a husband. Do you think you are worthy of forming a pair with the world’s number one talented scholar? If you ask me, have some self-awareness. Do not become a laughingstock to the world. An old cow eating tender grass, is that interesting? Have some face!”
These words could truly be described as bitter and vicious. Even the woman in the white long dress beside her reached out to stop her, but could not stop her from angrily finishing her words.
Tie Miaoqing was not made of wood and stone. Such heart-piercing words could not fail to provoke a reaction. Her expression immediately changed. But the visitor was a guest, and had not done anything targeting the business. She could only forcefully suppress her displeasure and say, “Honoured guest, please be careful with your words. The filthy rumours from outside are all hearsay, not worth believing. The Tanhua and I are merely friends. We have not overstepped the bounds. You are also women. Do you also believe that being good-looking is a mistake? Must I disfigure and mutilate myself to be considered living cleanly?”
Hearing these words, the woman in yellow gauze clothes gave a humph, and did not say much more. She seemed to also recognise that her words had been too excessive.
The woman in the white long dress tugged her sleeve. “Why have you not quickly apologised to the proprietress?”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes however said, “Tie Miaoqing, I can believe your words now are true. But do you dare guarantee that you will not overstep the bounds in the future either? If you dare guarantee, I will immediately apologise to you, and guarantee that you will feel the sincerity and good faith of my apology.”
Tie Miaoqing shook her head, grief and indignation in her voice. “Why should I make a guarantee to you? So what if I am a widow? Whom I like, whom I am willing to be with, as long as it does not violate human ethics, as long as it does not violate morality, it is all my freedom. Those men outside, on one hand saying they constrain me, demanding I observe wifely virtue, on the other hand each and every one of them wants to possess me. Now even you two women have run here to constrain me. What exactly have I done wrong? On what basis do you treat me like this?
After I married, I hid here underground and dared not go out. So many years, almost always hiding underground. I have nearly forgotten what the birdsong and fragrant flowers outside are like. Always imprisoning myself in a small courtyard. What more do you want from me? Is it that as long as I am not dead, no matter what I do, in your eyes it is all wrong?” There were already tears in her eyes. These were words she did not know how long she had held back in her heart, suddenly stimulated and poured out.
“Sorry. I apologise to you on her behalf.” The woman in the white long dress apologised sincerely, then forcibly locked onto the woman in yellow gauze clothes’s wrist, and forcibly dragged her away.
Tie Miaoqing wiped away a tear. “Take your immortal peaches.”
The woman in the white long dress, “No need. Let it be our apology.”
“Two lousy peaches. As if we have never seen such things before.”
The woman in yellow gauze clothes still could not help throwing out another unpleasant sentence. However, an “ouch” sound then came from her mouth.
Those two guards also quickly followed out.
Tie Miaoqing slowly put the gauze hat back on her own head.
Very quickly, Sun Ping came in again. “Miss, why did those few people from just now leave without carrying anything?”
Tie Miaoqing tried to act as if nothing had happened. “It seems they looked down on them. Spending money to buy something fresh only.”
Sun Ping sighed in admiration. “Not even caring about over a million. Such financial power, that is what you call unfathomable.”
There might still be guests outside. Neither of them lingered long, and together went to the front again.
The one-eyed person kneeling and sitting at the side, having witnessed the entire process, tilted his head. Then as if he had seen nothing at all, he slowly put the gift box he was holding back.
The three people hiding in the room eating peaches were completely absorbed in their own affairs, quietly cultivating. If there was a matter, those outside would naturally call them.
In the mid-afternoon, two people cloaked in mantles, one tall and one short, stood at the entrance outside Miaoqing Hall. After reading the notice on the door plank once, they entered the shop.
The tall one stood before the counter. Facing Tie Miaoqing’s politeness, not only did he not take out money, but instead extended his hand and said, “Lend me a brush.”
Tie Miaoqing was suspicious, but still gave him the brush. She could not see the other party’s face half-concealed by the hat brim, but noticed that this man’s fingers holding the brush were very good-looking. White, slender, and clean.
After that person took the brush, he reached out and pulled over a sheet of paper, writing a line of words, “Little Fifteen, come quickly to receive your lord!”
Putting down the brush, he pushed that paper over. “Show this to that Tanhua. He will naturally know who I am.”
Tie Miaoqing turned the paper around to look, and was immediately stunned, raising her head, wanting to see clearly what kind of person the other party was.
She often heard Nan Zhu and the others call Yu Qing “Old Fifteen”. She knew that this person who could write “Little Fifteen” probably had an unusual relationship with Yu Qing. Only, listening to his voice, he seemed even younger than Nan Zhu.
Looking again at the short one, he also seemed to be curiously sizing her up. Looking at the face, he also seemed very young, and somewhat familiar.
Relying solely on the guest having written the three characters “Little Fifteen”, Tie Miaoqing did not decline anything, and politely said, “Please wait a moment.”
The other party gave a slight nod, the corner of his mouth revealing a good-looking arc of a smile.