Young Master Huo had initially thought he could easily win over Gu Qingcheng with his first move, but he never expected to be utterly rejected by her, which sent his confidence crashing down.
Seeing Young Master Huo still sobbing quietly, Magistrate Huang couldn't stand his effeminate behavior any longer. As he received no response, he took it as consent and directed the carriage towards the Red Pleasure House.
Although Jinsha City was in its early stages of recovery with many industries yet to be established, some robust businesses like pawnshops and jewelry stores had quickly resumed operations.
After a great disaster, survivors desperately needed places for indulgence and solace, hence the Red Pleasure House reopened its doors.
For the madam of the house, a year of disaster was a prosperous year, as she could pick out promising young girls at incredibly low prices.
A girl with outstanding looks could be acquired for merely three to five jin of rice. Before the disaster, such a girl would have cost at least twenty taels of silver.
The business at the Red Pleasure House did not decline due to the disaster; in fact, it became even more popular.
The new courtesans were all respectable young women, recently acquired and still free from the taint of their profession. To find themselves in such a place, how could they not drive their patrons into a frenzy?
Currently, the Red Pleasure House was doing better business than the pawnshops. If one was late, there would be no girls available, and appointments were necessary!
Given Magistrate Huang's status, the madam dared not be presumptuous in front of the government official.
Seeing Magistrate Huang's favor, the madam naturally selected the most beautiful girls from the Red Pleasure House to attend to them.
Magistrate Huang was drinking with courtesans, while Young Master Huo was drowning his sorrows in wine.
"Young Master Huo, how about I have this girl, Little Peach Blossom, keep you company for drinks?"
The madam's thick makeup was almost flaking off. She leaned towards Young Master Huo, and the strong scent of her rouge almost suffocated him.
He looked up at Little Peach Blossom and felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her before.
Ah?
He suddenly remembered who Little Peach Blossom resembled.
A cherry-like mouth, a bulbous nose, and phoenix-like eyes – wasn't that Gu Qingcheng's likeness in some aspects?
Of course, Little Peach Blossom was not as lively and beautiful as Gu Qingcheng!
Young Master Huo had just stopped crying. Upon seeing Little Peach Blossom, the thought that Gu Qingcheng was not interested in him brought him to tears again, and he covered his face, weeping.
This day would be etched in the annals of the Red Pleasure House.
The beauty of the girls at the Red Pleasure House was so profound that it moved the seasoned Young Master Huo to tears of longing…
Cliff Mountain Residence.
After Magistrate Huang and Young Master Huo departed, Gu Chaobei immediately asked his daughter,
"What did Young Master Huo say to you to make you so angry?"
"What good could he say? He actually wanted to marry me as his co-wife, meaning a concubine!"
Gu Qingcheng then unleashed a barrage of three hundred curses to vent her anger…
Gu Chaobei was furious upon hearing this. The thought that Magistrate Huang had come as a matchmaker made him look even more shifty and lecherous.
As per the local customs, with an outsider present, Hu Lanfang had remained in her room after greeting them at the entrance. Hearing the commotion, she came out and saw her husband and daughter scolding someone.
Upon learning the reason, she stamped her foot in anger and said,
"That Huo fellow is truly an ungrateful wretch. I wish we hadn't saved him!"
Gu Chaobei was speechless.
He was a doctor, and it was his duty to save lives. However, if he had known that the Huo fellow intended to steal his prized "cabbage," especially when this cabbage was still underage, he would have certainly let the Huo fellow die in agony!
For Gu Chaobei, protecting his family was his bottom line. Anyone who crossed this line was his enemy!
After her anger subsided, Hu Lanfang calmed down and said,
"Since we angered that Huo fellow and made him leave, will he seek revenge?"
"It would be too easy for him to seek revenge. With so many men under his command, he could easily slaughter us all with a knife in the middle of the night. It would be no problem at all!"
Gu Qingcheng stroked her chin.
Gu Chaobei pondered for a moment and said,
"Perhaps we should leave this place? Live somewhere else."
"What? Leave here? Where can we go in this icy landscape? We've finally found a warm place to hibernate for winter; leaving now would be a waste!" Hu Lanfang felt it was too regrettable. "Besides, we have Xue Sheng with us. He's only a month old; I fear he wouldn't be able to endure it without the current environment. And Mi Guo, he's still frail and not fully recovered; he wouldn't be able to withstand the cold if we went out."
"You're right, running away isn't a good solution. If they truly want revenge, they'll chase us even if we flee."
Gu Qingcheng imagined the scenario.
"Then what should we do?" Gu Chaobei was also reluctant to give up their current home.
They had painstakingly created this place, making it so comfortable, a veritable paradise in these chaotic times.
Were they going to abandon their warm home and live a life of displacement and starvation just because of that damned Young Master Huo?
If only she hadn't gone hunting that day, Gu Qingcheng had some regrets.
Who knew how she had provoked Young Master Huo.
No, the blame should lie with Young Master Huo, this fellow who was obsessed with material wealth…
Gu Qingcheng would never allow the idea of "the victim is to blame" to take root.
She was simply minding her own business when trouble came knocking.
Should she blame herself for this?
"Father, Mother, Sister, if there's no other way, I can go out and avoid trouble. Although I'm young, I can endure hardship,"
Mi Guo, who had been silent, spoke up.
"Master, Madam, if you find it too difficult to keep Xue Sheng, I can take him back to my hometown to raise him. That Huo fellow probably won't kill us. When things blow over, you can come find us."
Aunt Qian, holding Xue Sheng, also shared her opinion.
Hearing them speak, Gu Qingcheng felt immense love for them, but also even greater hatred for that Huo fellow who had disrupted their peaceful life.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Hu Lanfang. She said,
"How about we go live in Black Wind Village? Although the conditions there are harsher than here, we can tidy it up and make it livable.
It's at a higher elevation and has complete living facilities – pots, pans, stove, everything. With our abundant coal supply, we can settle in quickly.
That Huo fellow would never expect us to seek refuge there."
Stirred by her mother, Gu Qingcheng suddenly had an idea. She slapped her thigh and laughed,
"We shouldn't just think about escaping; there are other ways!"
"What ways?" Gu Chaobei felt his daughter was confident.
"Father, we fear the Huo family because of their power, but in Jinsha City, the Huo family is not the most powerful!"
"That's right! How could I forget Prince Xia?" Gu Chaobei understood immediately. "I'll go see him now!"
"I'll go with you!"
Hu Lanfang worried about Gu Chaobei and insisted on accompanying him.
"Alright. The Princess is quite amiable, and she's already four or five months pregnant. See if you can leverage your connection as women. Sometimes, a gentle word from a wife is more effective than anything else."
Gu Chaobei knew that the safety of their family depended on this. Therefore, he would not miss the opportunity to enlist his wife's help.