I Came From Heaven [Transmigration/Time-Travel] - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Back in the room, I put the scavenged steamed buns into my backpack. Washing up and using the toilet were incredibly inconvenient, and after all the fuss, it was already late at night. Logically, after such a tiring day, I should have slept like a log when I hit the bed, but the wooden bed and bamboo pillow were so hard they felt like they could crush my bones. After tossing and turning for a while, I finally sat up.

I fumbled in the dark for the money pouch Shui Xin had given me and carefully counted the gold and silver inside. Over ten pieces of fragmented silver and two gold pieces. I couldn’t help but sigh: no matter where you go, gold and silver are the fundamentals for measuring material wealth! I hid the gold in a secret compartment of my backpack to prevent loss.

I threw myself back onto the bed, hugging my backpack tightly. This was all my worldly possessions; I couldn’t let myself die in this Da Xuan! Sleepiness washed over me. My eyelids fluttered, and I finally drifted off to a deep sleep.

…

🌄 The Morning After

The next day, I was woken up by the innkeeper. These ancient people’s clothes were really difficult to put on. It took me nearly half an hour to finally figure them out.

I simply couldn’t get used to the soft, flimsy boots, so I kept my own sneakers on. The long robe was a suitable size, which suggested that Shui Xin’s figure was like a woman’s—what a weakling! Anyway, my outfit was a mess—neither here nor there. With my backpack on, I munched on a steamed bun and walked out of the guest room.

The innkeeper greeted me politely:

“Esteemed guest, was your stay satisfactory last night?”

“Oh, your bed is too hard!”

“The guest traveling with you left early this morning and asked me to pass a message to you.”

“Ah? They left? What did they say?”

“The leading Young Master said they have a schedule to keep and couldn’t bid farewell, and asked you to take care.”

“Thank you.”

“Esteemed guest, do you plan to continue renting the room?”

Aha, clearly it was check-out time and he was trying to hurry me along. I shook my head and declined: “No.”

With that, I shouldered my bag and left the inn with determined steps.

…

🗺️ Lost in Changshun City

…

Walking aimlessly through the city streets, finding a job shouldn’t be hard, but where can I find work in this place? Changshun Prefecture was larger than I had imagined. I walked around countless streets and ended up getting lost.

I stopped by the entrance of a tavern and found a clean spot to sit down. I had steamed buns, but no water! This is where a vending machine would come in handy.

After some thought, since I had money, I wouldn’t be dining and dashing. I’d order one vegetable and one meat dish to eat with my buns for a meal. I probably wouldn’t stay in Changshun Prefecture for long; I needed to head to a bigger, livelier place. Yes, I must go to the capital of Da Xuan and try my luck.

Having decided, I walked into the nearby establishment without looking up. However, after I walked in, what happened next… Heh heh, I regretted it instantly, and my splendid life began.

“Oh my, is this Young Master alone?”

Suddenly, a plump, heavily made-up madam (pimp/procuress) with a fleshy face approached me and linked her arm through mine. Her enthusiastic attitude made me realize, this is the legendary ‘the customer is God’ level of service!

“Yes, alone.”

I put on a cold expression. The madam quickly signaled a running attendant:

“One guest! Get ready quickly!”

She then led me toward the deeper parts of the establishment. Something was wrong, increasingly wrong. Why were there so many girls in this building? Each one dressed like a pheasant from the hills. I quickly stopped:

“Where is this place?”

The madam leading the way laughed, making the flesh on her face tremble:

“Oh my, Young Master, are you joking with me? Our Chun Sheng Lou is the most famous brothel in Changshun Prefecture. Are you playing dumb?”

Wait! Brothel!? B-B-Brothel? I took a few steps back in terror. Was this madam the legendary laobao (madam of a brothel)? I quickly waved my hand:

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I must have walked into the wrong place!”

I tried to leave, but the madam blocked me. She laughed loudly, pulling my arm:

“I can tell you’re a young fledgling, Young Master, don’t be shy. I’ll find you an expert girl; I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!”

I roughly shook off the madam’s hand, unintentionally hitting her face. The madam covered her cheek and immediately became furious. With one hand on her hip and the other pointing at my nose, she shouted:

“Are you deliberately causing trouble?! I run an honest business; I didn’t force you to come in. You came in willingly, and now you want to leave? It won’t be that easy! And you dare to strike someone! I gave you some respect, but now you’re acting up!”

The madam’s commotion drew the attention of the customers and girls coming and going, who quickly gathered around. My face flushed red, and I stuttered:

“I didn’t hit you on purpose, and you can’t just talk nonsense! Besides, is this how you do business? I haven’t even consumed anything!”

Doesn’t this Da Xuan have a Bureau of Industry and Commerce? Operating a red-light district openly! I really want to call 315 (a consumer rights hotline in China) to report this! The madam became angrier at my defiance and continued to rant:

“I, Bao Xia Ju, have run this Chun Sheng Lou for over ten years, and no one has dared to cause trouble on my turf. You, boy, must have the audacity of a leopard!”

“Bao Xia Ju” (爆下菊 – literally “Explode Underneath Chrysanthemum”)? Did your parents give you that name? Are you adopted? Or is that your stage name? How can you shout such a vulgar name with a straight face! After Shui Xin, another name that forced me to ridicule it was born!

I was originally furious and about to lose my temper, but the madam’s name made me burst out laughing uncontrollably:

“Hahahahahaha, Auntie ‘Bao Xia Ju,’ I accidentally hit you, I’m truly sorry, did it hurt you much?”

I reached out cheekily, trying to touch her plump face. The madam’s face turned green, enraged by my reaction. She violently slapped my hand away and angrily yelled:

“Guards! Serve this Young Master properly!”

As soon as she finished speaking, several burly men immediately rushed out. I was already accustomed to such large, rough men, so I wasn’t too afraid. At worst, I’d just have a long drawn-out fight with the government office. I thought these guards would just throw me out, but I was wrong. It wasn’t that simple at all.

They lifted me up and carried me straight upstairs. I struggled but to no avail:

“Hey! What are you doing?”

The madam stood with her hands on her hips, smiling and waving her handkerchief:

“Let the Young Master enjoy himself thoroughly!”

I was carried to the second floor and thrown unceremoniously into a guest room—no, to be precise, into a courtesan’s flower room! I lay on the floor for a while to recover from the pain before sitting up. Rubbing my backside, I looked around miserably and finally noticed the quiet woman sitting by the bed.

She was holding a needle and thread, doing embroidery, and didn’t look up at me despite the commotion. I moved closer to her, feeling I should say something:

“Uh, Miss… I…”

“You have quite the nerve. This Chun Sheng Lou is frequented by high officials and nobles. If you walked into the wrong place, you should have left as quietly as you came. Offending Mama won’t end well for you.”

The girl had the lovely voice of a singer, and her opening words struck me with silent awe. Her needle and thread continued to weave without any intention of standing up to greet me. I simply plopped myself down on a chair, crossing my arms, feeling helpless:

“So? What am I supposed to do now?”

The girl shifted her posture and finally set aside her embroidery. She looked up and quietly stared at me. Only then did I clearly see her appearance. My goodness, there must be at least twenty or thirty girls in this establishment, and she was absolutely a top-tier beauty. Beneath her willow-shaped brows were a pair of apricot eyes, glistening and clear. Her faint red lips made her look much more elegant than the other painted women.

She wore a simple, light cyan silk robe, giving the illusion of not belonging to this mundane world. I actually couldn’t stop myself from swallowing because of her stunning looks! It was a real pity that such a beautiful face was willing to reside in such a debased place.

“May I ask for your name, Miss?”

The girl covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, seemingly mocking my ignorance:

“Just call me Handan.”

Handan (菡萏)? Why make it so complicated? Why not just call her Miss Lotus…

“Sijie did not mean to offend. I had no idea your Mama would make things so difficult for me.”

“Young Master, do you know why Mama specifically asked me to serve you?”

“Why?”

“She won’t let you off easily, you know.”

Handan tilted her head and smiled softly, with tiny dimples at the corners of her mouth adding a touch of moving temptation. I also tilted my head, genuinely confused by her smile. That’s when several waiters from downstairs began carrying large and small dishes into the room.