Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 187: Xu’er

Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu had no idea about Qian Shi’s secret grudges, nor could they spend much time managing the new stores in Yuanzhou City.

The couple was planning a trip to Yangzhou, which was even farther than the trip to Zhejiang. Such a journey, round-trip, would take at least three months. Both of them were managing their own businesses, so it wasn’t easy to just leave for such a long period. Many arrangements had to be made in advance. After staying in Yuanzhou for a few days, Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu informed Lu Xun and Wei Shi before returning to Anyi County to prepare for their journey to Yangzhou.

Before leaving, Lu Chengxiao reviewed the accounts. The stores had made over 160 taels of silver in just a few days of business.

He spoke to Lu Xun, took 100 taels, and went to find Liu Yu.

Since that night, the couple hadn’t spoken much about Liu Yu’s dream. But even if it was just a dream, Lu Chengxiao wasn’t merely comforting Liu Yu; he was serious about making preparations. He sought out Liu Yu to speak privately, asking about the specific details of the dream and how much silver might be needed to redeem someone.

Lu Chengxiao said, “We have 300 taels. I took 100 taels from the shop’s recent earnings, making it 400 taels in total. Do you think that would be enough? If not, see if you can discuss it with Auntie, maybe get some from the embroidery shop, and I’ll try to gather more from Cunxu and some classmates from the academy.”

Liu Yu nodded. “It should be enough. The embroidery shop made over 200 taels in revenue over the past few days. I’ll speak to Auntie and take out 100 taels as well.”

That made 500 taels.

Buying back Xu’er, even if Hongniang raised the price to make extra profit, shouldn’t cost more than 150 taels. As for Xiao Yuniang, given the current wealth of Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao, they couldn’t afford to redeem her. A courtesan who had been famous for over ten years, even at 26, still commanded a price that an ordinary merchant couldn’t pay.

However, Liu Yu was aware that Yuniang’s mentor had secretly been saving up her redemption money. If it weren’t for the incident in her previous life, she would have already been planning her escape.

Lu Chengxiao didn’t know how much silver was needed to redeem someone from a brothel. He only remembered how much he had paid to buy Babao back then, and he thought 500 taels should be more than enough to redeem two people. With that in mind, he and Liu Yu quickly packed up and boarded the boat back to Anyi County.

The official reason for their trip to Yangzhou was to explore the city’s famous fabrics and ready-to-wear clothing styles, hoping to find inspiration for future products for their weaving and dyeing workshop and embroidery shop.

Back in Anyi County, the whole family gathered to discuss the subsequent business arrangements. Although the Liu brothers weren’t well-versed in such matters, they had great confidence in their sister’s aesthetic judgment in selecting fabrics and designing clothes. Just as scholars sought good teachers and martial artists sought skilled mentors, creating clothing also required refinement and new ideas. The embroidery shop produced a variety of styles, and without fresh inspiration, it was easy to run out of ideas.

The three brothers were very supportive, and with Lu Chengxiao accompanying Liu Yu, they didn’t have to worry too much about her safety. Thus, the decision was made.

Since Lu Chengxiao was going to Yangzhou, he couldn’t make it to Zhejiang, and finding a weaving master had to be entrusted to Liu Yanping and Liu Yanan.

However, with Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu leaving, if Liu Yanping and Liu Yanan were also away, then the daily operations of the fabric shop and embroidery shop could be managed, but there wouldn’t be anyone to oversee the dye workshop or address any unexpected issues.

Usually working at the county yamen, Liu Yanqing didn’t remain silent this time. After some thought, he proactively offered to take on these responsibilities.

Everyone turned to look at him. Liu Yanqing smiled and said, “Everyone is so busy, and as the eldest brother, I can’t just sit back and enjoy the benefits. I’ll discuss it with my wife, and if necessary, I might consider resigning my position as a constable.”

With their connections to the Zhang family, even if Liu Yanqing wasn’t at the yamen, the Lu and Liu families could still conduct their business peacefully in Anyi County. There was no longer a need for Liu Yanqing to remain at the yamen, but the family business now required more support.

When Liu Yanqing said this, Liu Yanping and his siblings were overjoyed. As for Zhang Xiaofu, their sister-in-law, after spending time together, the Liu family recognized that she was a wonderful person, deeply in love with their elder brother and without any prejudice against the family’s business.

With Liu Yanqing managing things in the county, Liu Yu felt more at ease. The remaining tasks involved coordinating plans between Liu Yanqing and Lu Chengxiao, while Liu Yu, her sister-in-law Zhang Xiaofu, and two seamstresses from the Zhang family finalized the arrangements. The next day, the couple set off for Yangzhou.

~

March 18, Yangzhou City.

Outside the city gates, Liu Yu looked up at the towering city walls, where the characters for “Yangzhou” were prominently displayed.

Peering through her veiled hat, this was the second time Liu Yu had seen these city walls.

The second time across two lifetimes.

In her previous life, Liu Yu had been trapped inside a procuress’s carriage, catching only a fleeting glimpse of Yangzhou through the swaying curtains. Once she entered the city, she never left it again, not even until her death.

Liu Yu’s hands trembled slightly at her sides, as the despair from her past life seemed to envelop her once more, sending a chill through her entire body.

Lu Chengxiao followed her gaze, looking up at the city gate. Although he couldn’t see her expression through the veil, he sensed something was off. His eyes fell on her trembling hands, and seeing how they shook, he quickly reached out to hold them. Her hands were icy cold, with a damp chill of sweat on her palms.

He swallowed and gently called, “Yu’er?”

The warmth of his hand brought Liu Yu back from her daze. She forced a smile, but it lacked the usual spirit, barely lifting her lips. She managed to say calmly, “Let’s go into the city.”

Despite her words, she gripped Lu Chengxiao’s warm hand tightly.

Once inside Yangzhou, everything felt foreign to Liu Yu. Aside from the Liuxian Pavilion, she was unfamiliar with the city. Naturally, she had no idea how to navigate there from the city gates. Even if she did, she wouldn’t dare to lead Lu Chengxiao directly, appearing as if she knew the place all too well.

To Lu Chengxiao, this trip to Yangzhou was just about a dream, something unrelated to Liu Yu herself. In reality, Liu Yu felt relieved by this. Previously, she had been driven by a sudden urge to save someone, but if she had calmly considered her actions, she would have preferred not to let Lu Chengxiao know about the harrowing experiences of her past life.

At the city gate, Lu Chengxiao inquired about the location of a place called Liuxian Pavilion.

The person he asked glanced at Liu Yu, who was standing beside him, and raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile spreading across his face. “Yes, it’s here. Are you from out of town?”

He took another look at Liu Yu, veiled and standing quietly, and said with a grin, “Quite bold, aren’t you?”

Even though he couldn’t see her face, it was clear she was a woman. Bringing a woman to a brothel, the man chuckled, glancing back and forth between Lu Chengxiao and Liu Yu.

The veil’s fabric wasn’t thick, so Liu Yu lowered her head slightly. Realizing the situation, Lu Chengxiao felt a bit embarrassed, though that was nothing compared to the shock he felt. There really was a place called Liuxian Pavilion.

He glanced at Liu Yu, then turned back to the man and said, “Could you please tell me where Liuxian Pavilion is?”

The man didn’t hesitate, and quickly replied, “Easy to find. It’s in the east city, on Dongsi Alley. Just head into the city, walk straight ahead, then turn left. Ask anyone there, and they’ll point you in the right direction.”

Without waiting for Lu Chengxiao to thank him, the man gave a knowing smile and walked away.

Liu Yu’s face burned with embarrassment. She had never been so grateful to have a veil to hide behind, quietly taking a deep breath to calm herself down. In this life, no one in Yangzhou recognized her, and she was not Xi Mingyue. There was no need to lose her composure.

After asking a few more people along the way, Lu Chengxiao led Liu Yu to Dongsi Alley.

The entire street was lined with brothels, but during the day, it was devoid of the lively sounds of nighttime revelry. Every establishment had its doors tightly shut, except for one place that stood out, with a prominent sign bearing the golden characters “Liuxian Pavilion.”

Liu Yu steeled herself, forcing her emotions into check. Once she had calmed down, she spoke in a tone almost indistinguishable from her usual one: “Let’s look for the side entrance. In my dream, one of them was led in through the side entrance by the procuress.”

Lu Chengxiao glanced at her, then nodded, sensing something and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t be nervous.”

Liu Yu forced a smile, thinking she had hidden her anxiety well.

~

After confirming the location, Liu Yu and Lu Chengxiao checked into the nearest inn. Liu Yu changed into men’s clothing, and the two of them kept watch near the side entrance of Liuxian Pavilion for seven days.

The procuress had a general routine for visiting. Since the Liuxian Pavilion operated at night, she would never come during those hours; no one would be available to entertain her, let alone take the time to select and negotiate, making it hard to get a good price.

Typically, she would visit in the afternoon, after the brothel madam had had her fill of rest. That was the most opportune time for business.

But Liu Yu couldn’t afford to take any chances. So, except for the hours when Liuxian Pavilion was open, she and Lu Chengxiao kept watch nearby throughout the day, ready to intercept.

Yes, they planned to intercept the girl directly from the procuress. Offering a price slightly higher than what the brothel would pay would be much easier than trying to buy her freedom directly from the madam.

Their long wait finally paid off. On the afternoon of the seventh day, across two lifetimes, Liu Yu saw Xu’er again.

She was among a group of eight or nine girls, dressed in new clothes and carefully groomed, clearly prepared to fetch a good price.

Liu Yu’s expression changed, and Lu Chengxiao immediately understood that the dream had come true.

Yes, the dream had come true. From the moment they entered Yangzhou and confirmed the existence of Liuxian Pavilion, to Liu Yu now seemingly finding the person from her dream, Lu Chengxiao was witnessing a surreal event unfold.

He swallowed hard, scanning the group getting off the carriage in the distance, and quietly asked Liu Yu, “Did you see her?”

Liu Yu nodded, struggling to suppress the tears that welled up in her eyes. “The first one on the left beside the procuress, wearing pink.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but take a step forward. Lu Chengxiao stopped her. “I’ll go.”

Liu Yu knew that her disguise as a man wouldn’t fool anyone, and following along might only cause trouble, so she nodded and said, “Alright.”

She stayed where she was.

Lu Chengxiao approached, though it didn’t go smoothly.

Of course, intercepting someone in front of a brothel would make the procuress wary. She wasn’t foolish and would definitely take the opportunity to raise the price.

After some back-and-forth, even the brothel’s gatekeeper noticed the commotion and opened the door to check. Finally, the procuress relented, and Lu Chengxiao managed to buy Xu’er’s contract for 180 taels of silver.

Xu’er was filled with fear and confusion. She didn’t know who Lu Chengxiao was, but avoiding being sold to a brothel felt like a narrow escape, a small blessing amid misfortune. Watching her contract transfer from the procuress’s hands to this strange young man, her heart raced with nervous anticipation.

She had brushed against the edge of a terrible fate. Although she didn’t know what lay ahead, a mix of relief and fear overwhelmed her.

Lu Chengxiao turned and gestured for her to follow. Xu’er hurried to keep up, as if there were a beast behind her, though she couldn’t be sure what lay ahead.

There was the joy of escaping, but also confusion and fear of the unknown.

Then she saw a young man waiting ahead, looking expectant.

The youth’s appearance dazzled her for a moment, but upon closer look, she realized it wasn’t a boy—it was a young woman dressed as a man, perhaps a year or two older than herself.

Liu Yu’s eyes reddened as she recalled the events from her dream and the bond she had once shared with Xu’er as a master and servant.

Xu’er didn’t recognize her, but upon seeing the joy, affection, and warmth hidden in those slightly misty eyes, she inexplicably felt at ease.

The procuress, encountering such a situation for the first time, found it odd. As Lu Chengxiao led Xu’er over to Liu Yu, the procuress craned her neck to look, but by the time she spotted Liu Yu, Lu Chengxiao’s taller frame was already blocking her view. No matter how much she strained, she couldn’t make out anything, and could only murmur about the oddity of it all.

Just then, the side door of Liuxian Pavilion opened, and with a satisfied smile, she clutched the 180 tael banknote she had just received, greeted the gatekeeper, and led the remaining girls inside.

Among the group of girls, the youngest were around eight or nine, the eldest fourteen or fifteen. They had been under the procuress’s care for some time. The older ones understood what awaited them once they stepped inside, and their steps faltered. They glanced back at the direction where the stranger had taken Xu’er away, but the mysterious person had long since disappeared, leaving the alley empty, save for their own small group.

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