Xiaoxiao, after much pondering, had finally co up with what she believed to be a viable idea. The only question was whether she could stall the madam of the brothel long enough to execute her plan. She had no choice but to try.
She said to the two maids, "Thank you, I’ll wash by myself."
Seeing that Xiaoxiao seed not as dejected as before and appeared to have co to terms with her situation, the maids agreed, "Miss, these are the clothes you will wear later."
"Okay."
After her bath, Xiaoxiao put on the clothes that the madam had prepared for her. The clothes were decent and not revealing; she could completely accept them.
As she walked out from behind the screen that had shielded her during the bath, the two maids were dumbstruck, "Miss, you..."
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," the maids said, although one of them ran off to find the madam straight away.
Alerted by the maid, the madam hurried to Xiaoxiao’s room. At the sight of her, the madam was stunned. She felt conned. The girl had looked decent enough, not a star attraction but certainly not bad. How could she look this ugly after a bath? Were her fifty Silver taels going down the drain?
The madam thought the more about it and felt increasingly that the slave traders had fooled her, feeling as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly.
She said irritably, "Hurry and put on your makeup; how can you receive clients like this?"
Xiaoxiao was speechless at the madam’s and maids’ reactions. She had put so much effort into her performance, crying her eyes out. It turned out to be for naught. Her makeup must have been ruined from the crying, and yet these people had not noticed.
Was she the fool here or were they? But now that the madam had arrived, it was ti to put her plan into action. She just didn’t know if the madam would fall for it.
"Big sister, you’re here. I’ve been thinking, and though I’ve agreed to take clients, it doesn’t an I’ll take just anyone. I want to choose."
Upon hearing this, the madam’s eyes widened in disbelief. She already looked the way she did and still wanted to pick her clients? She should be glad if the clients weren’t the ones being picky. Thinking of the possibility that she wouldn’t fetch a good price made the madam very annoyed. She said disdainfully, "You want to choose your clients?"
Xiaoxiao looked firmly at her and declared, "Yes, I want to choose."
"Hahaha, little sister, stop joking around, alright? To be honest, you’re really just average. You won’t fetch a high price. How can you choose?"
The two Little Maids covered their mouths with handkerchiefs, trying not to laugh out loud, but their deanor was clearly that of soone listening to a joke. Even the star courtesans didn’t dare to pick and choose. Where did she get the courage from?
"Big sister, how much do you plan to sell for one night?"
"You’re not attractive, and even after makeup, you’ll only look passable. For one night, at most two Silver taels." The madam was full of contempt, thinking that the fifty she paid for Xiaoxiao might take a month to recover.
"..." Xiaoxiao was so frustrated she felt like she was going to cough up blood. She was worth only two Silver taels a night, but the lower the price, the more likely her plan would succeed.
She continued to entice the madam with her words, "Big sister, even as a novice, don’t you think two Silver taels for one night is too little?"
When the madam heard the word "novice," her interest was piqued again. If she was a novice, that indeed seed a bit low. One could charge more for a first night, but still, there was no negotiation on choosing clients.
"..." She had said she was a novice and still couldn’t pick her clients? Then she had no choice but to use her trump card. "Big sister, what if I can beco a star courtesan within five days and make the business of Yixiang Courtyard flourish?"
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