CHAPTER 325: CHAPTER 306: THE ZHI GENERATION

Yu Xiaolian bought these young girls back, naturally intending to put them to use.

Among the forty or so young girls, seven or eight were of outstanding beauty, a dozen or so were pretty, and the rest were of average appearance.

Don’t misunderstand, Yu Xiaolian had no intention of opening a brothel; she wanted to open a performing arts hall.

To open a performing arts hall, she needed to train performing talents in advance. She planned to select some girls with talent in the performing arts from these girls for intensive training, letting the best survive.

Yu Xiaolian first arranged for these girls to stay in a two-entry courtyard in Xiangyang Lane, planning to conduct an evaluation in a few days to see if they had an artistic flair.

After Zheng Yuanfeng took some treasures from Yu Xiaolian, he disappeared without a trace.

Yu Xiaolian specifically checked on it, and found that the pawnshop and Money Shop in the west of the city hadn’t opened. She thought the reason they hadn’t opened was likely because the little Silver Coin Zheng Yuanfeng brought for turnover had been swept away by her.

Yu Xiaolian also wanted to ask Zheng Yuanfeng to find some musical instruments for her, but after learning that Zheng Yuanfeng was not in Luocheng, she simply went to Zhao Zhiquan.

Zhao Zhiquan patted his chest and said, "Just in time, I need to go to the Capital for a trip as an escort, leave this to me."

Yu Xiaolian knew very little about what musical instruments existed in this era, but she had consulted with Lu Manluo in advance. From Lu Manluo, she learned that there were indeed many musical instruments in this era.

Zither, Huqin, flute, diao, Xiqin, and so forth—Yu Xiaolian wanted five of each.

Zhao Zhiquan thought Yu Xiaolian was just buying one for herself to play with in her boudoir, and didn’t expect her to buy so many.

If it was just one, he thought he would pay for it himself and consider it a thank-you gift for letting him win five thousand taels.

So many, he couldn’t afford them.

These musical instruments were the playthings of literati and wealthy people, and they were not cheap, especially a top-quality zither, which could cost tens of thousands of taels.

"Brother Zhao, I’m not buying ones that expensive. Just pick ones at medium to lower price ranges."

"I also don’t know much about it, but since I promised you, don’t worry. I have a friend in the Capital who understands musical instruments, and I’ll have him help pick them."

Yu Xiaolian took out a stack of silver notes and handed them to Zhao Zhiquan, "Brother Zhao, here are two thousand taels for you to buy the instruments. You take it."

The medium-priced musical instruments Yu Xiaolian wanted were around tens of taels each. Flutes and diao were very cheap and common, and a good one could be bought for less than ten taels. Two thousand taels were more than enough, and Yu Xiaolian gave Zhao Zhiquan more, considering not using him for free.

With the situation at Zhao Zhiquan’s Escort Agency, without some extra money, it might not be far from closing down.

The silver notes given by Yu Xiaolian were not refused by Zhao Zhiquan, as he indeed didn’t have much money.

When Zhao Zhiquan looked at the silver note, he found out it was from his family’s Money Shop.

Zhao Zhiquan chuckled, realizing these silver notes were the winnings Yu’s teacher got from her fourth brother’s gambling house.

"I don’t know exactly how much will be spent. When I return from the Capital, if there’s any leftover, I’ll return it to you!" Zhao Zhiquan said while pocketing the silver note.

Yu Xiaolian cupped her hands, "Brother Zhao, your Escort Agency is a business; it’s rightful to pay for service. If there’s any surplus, it can be considered a hardship allowance for Brother Zhao and the escorts.

If it’s not enough, make sure to tell me when you return, and I will certainly make up the shortfall."

Zhao Zhiquan waved his hand casually, "Alright, alright, we don’t need all this formality. I’m the older brother, helping my sister with something. There’s no reason for a hardship fee?

Don’t worry, I guarantee to get the best instruments for the lowest price."

"I thank Brother Zhao in advance!" Yu Xiaolian gave another bow.

"Ah, you literati, just love to bow and thank each other.

By the way, has my elder brother sent you an invitation to the poetry gathering these days?" Zhao Zhiquan couldn’t help but be curious.

Yu Xiaolian nodded, "He has."

There were already three invitation cards at her home, sent by Zhao Zhiyun.

Yu Xiaolian was also pondering whether she should attend.

If she kept refusing to go, it didn’t seem too good.

In fact, she wasn’t refusing; she was truly busy recently.

Now, the calculus the teachers at Shuren Academy were teaching was something she could skip, so she only needed to visit Shuren Academy every half month instead of every other day.

The first two invitation cards were merely simple invites, but the third time Zhao Zhiyun sent a servant with not only an invitation but also a letter handwritten by Zhao Zhiyun.

After reading the letter, Yu Xiaolian told the servant from the Zhao Family that she would try to attend.

Before leaving, the servant told Yu Xiaolian: "Teacher, you said the same thing last time but didn’t go, which caused me to get scolded by the master. Our master said that if you didn’t attend, it was because I didn’t deliver the invitation properly. Please have mercy on me?"

Yu Xiaolian coaxed the servant away with kind words and then continued to be busy. She remembered being busy modifying winter clothing designs and studying earthen stoves back in Taohua Village, always bustling around.

"What day is it today?" Yu Xiaolian frowned.

Zhao Zhiquan thought for a moment and said, "Today seems to be Xiaoxue, the twenty-ninth of October."

Yu Xiaolian slapped her forehead, "Then your elder brother’s poetry gathering is today.

So I’ll take my leave first, Brother Zhao. If I don’t go today, Teacher Zhao might come to my house to find me."

Zhao Zhiquan looked at Yu Xiaolian with a hint of sympathy, "My elder brother has a habit of compiling poetry collections for others. Once you’ve written enough poetry to fill a book, maybe he’ll let you off then."

Yu Xiaolian’s mouth formed an O shape, wondering what kind of hobby Teacher Zhao had?

"A book? How thick?" Yu Xiaolian asked.

Zhao Zhiquan recalled the miserable old man’s plight, indicating a finger’s width with his hand, "Anyway, the old man wrote that much, and my elder brother hasn’t let him off yet. Later, he left a letter saying his inspiration was exhausted and then left with Madam Bai overnight heading north."

Sss...

Yu Xiaolian gasped!

Zhao Zhiyun must be an ancient oppressor!

"Then how much has your elder brother written himself?" Someone like him should live with poetry day in, day out, right?

"My elder brother has a courtyard with eight study rooms, all of which are full. As for how much he wrote himself, I don’t know. I’ve never been interested in reading since I was young."

If Zhao Zhiquan had anything special, it was that—he was the most powerful in his family but had always been the weakest in knowledge.

The Zhao Family didn’t grow strong because of Fu Yi; they were already a big family, a family of scholars and writers.

But starting from their generation with the ’Zhi’ character, things changed.

More people were going into business, and fewer people were studying.