Chapter 259: Giving You a Few Female Secretaries
Take a look at Chapter 255 of "The Great Ming in the Box": Ground Rabbit wore an expression of frustration and shouted at the people ahead, âLook at... See what happens next!
Ground Rabbit wore an expression of frustration and shouted at the people ahead, âLook at you! As heroes destined to save the world, how can you let your bones turn soft from a womanâs words? Worthless, all of you worthless trash!âScolded by him, the group snapped to attention, their gazes instantly becoming clear and focused. They straightened their backs, marched forward in unison, gathered around Gao Yiye, and walked past the brothel without looking back.
Li Daoxuan shook his head with a smile. Alright then, this fellow became useful in such momentsâfull of flaws yet also virtues, a truly complex character. Humans, indeed, were fascinating creatures.
The group walked down half the street before Li Daoxuan sighed, âYiye, go handle this matterâŚâ
So, Gao Yiye turned back. But the militia soldiers didnât followâonly Gao Yiye stood alone at the entrance of the brothel.
She didnât dare enter. Ordinary girls didnât step into such places, so she just stood outside and called loudly inside, âAre you really that hungry?â
One brothel girl cried, âWeâve had nothing to eat! Itâs been so long since we had any business.â
Another also wept, âNo patrons come to us anymore.â
Gao Yiye asked, âCan any of you play instruments, arrange chess? Or write and paint?â
Several brothel girls exchanged glances. After several awkward seconds, one replied hesitantly, âWe know a little bit of each.â
The question came too abruptlyâwho went to a brothel to ask if the girls had such skills? Those were essentials! Without them, theyâd be stuck in low-ranking dens, not a respectable brothel.
Gao Yiye said, âGood that you can. Follow me.â
A middle-aged plump woman pushed open the door on the first floor and came out, eyeing Gao Yiye with a strange look. Though not dressed in silks, her cotton clothes were neat and clean, practically shouting âIâm not poorâ in her posture.
The womanâMadameâdidnât dare to confront her. Instead, she spoke softly, âYoung lady, I see youâre kind-hearted, but these brothel girls have contracts here. They canât just leave with anybody.â
After listening to Li Daoxuanâs guidance, Gao Yiye responded, âAre you the Madame?â
The middle-aged plump woman nodded, âYes.â
Gao Yiye stated, âI want to buy all the girls from this place. How much?â
The Madame was stunned. âTheyâre not ordinaryâeach is talented in music, games, writing. Theyâre worth quite⌠quite a big sumâŚâ
Gao Yiye offered, âHow about ten dan of flour?â
One dan equaled ten dou; one dou was a thousand coins. Ten dan of flour translated to one hundred taels.
In these times of famine, with no patrons arriving, the brothel ceased to earn a thing. The Madame had to feed the girls constantly to prevent starvation. Hesitating for even a second would be foolish. âSold! From now on, theyâre yours.â
Several girls still leaning at the window froze. They never thought real living humansâfour of them, collectively weighing hundreds of poundsâcould be exchanged for just ten dan of flour.
They knew their lives were cheap. Just hadnât realized how cheap.
Gao Yiye instructed, âIâll send someone with you to Chengcheng Bookstore. Weâll hand over the goods as we get the flour. You all wait at the bookstore; Iâll arrange things after I return.â
Overjoyed, the Madame hustled the four girls along, trailing another militia member on their way to the bookstore.
Gao Yiye sighed and continued leading the militia toward the City God Temple.
Reaching a quiet, deserted stretch of street before the City God Temple, Gao Yiye couldnât hold back. She looked up at Li Daoxuans guidance and asked, âDeity, buying those brothel girls⌠were you going to⌠gift them to the militia?â
âPfft!â Li Daoxuan nearly spat out his ice dumplings. This girl had a perverse imaginationâhow did she leap to that? âOf course not.â
âWhew! Good itâs notâgave me quite a jolt,â Gao Yiye murmured. âI thought you wanted to⌠well⌠you knowâŚâ
Li Daoxuan explained softly, âMost of these brothel girls ended up there by fateâsold by their parents and victim to hardship. They learned music, games, painting since childhood; they possess talents. But these skills languished in degradation, which is a waste. With their value plummeting, nowâs the time to scoop them up cheaply. That way, they can serve a higher purpose.â
Gao Yiye wondered, âHigher purpose?â
Li Daoxuan clarified, âI plan to make them your female secretaries!â
Gao Yiye gasped in confusion, âFemale secretaries? Whatâs that?â
Li Daoxuan chuckled, âA female secretary is like Dong Weng but for womenâjust helping their master with tasks. We canât call women âAdvisorâ; what an awkward term! Thus, âfemale secretaryâ exists.â
Gao Yiye had an epiphany. âBut Iâve got nothing needing help. I donât need others assisting me.â
âOh, you certainly do,â countered Li Daoxuan. âIn The Dao Xuan Deity Volume 2, when you drew me slaying the Supreme Bright King, you accidentally snapped his arm in the panel.â
Gao Yiye blushed prettily. âMy⌠drawing skills areâŚâ
Li Daoxuan stressed, âThey can draw. They can handle that sort of detailâyou focus on storylines; let them refine the pictures. Besides, theyâre literate. They can add small annotations in your comic books. And werenât you leading village women to open a cotton fabric shop in the Gaojia Business Circle?â
Gao Yiye nodded, âYes.â
âArenât its sales and profits utter chaos?â
At this question, Gao Yiye flushed with embarrassment.
Indeedâa store run by women was truly a mess of accounts, never once tidied.
Li Daoxuan stated plainly, âThe village lacks literate, capable women! Only Third Miss learned anything substantial, but weâve got heavier duties for her; she canât waste talent on such chores. But these brothel girls can. Theyâll become indispensable.â
Finally, Gao Yiye understood.
The Deity pondered far aheadâdeeper than this country girl could fathom. But no matter what, obeying the Deity was never wrong. Plus, recalling those girls weeping at the window had pained her heart. Could she save a few from such suffering? If possible, she must.
Such pity!
Li Daoxuan advised, âTake them back to the village without revealing their past. Seriously warn todayâs militia squad tooânone should speak of this. Only by respecting them first can you earn their respect in return.â
Gao Yiye quickly agreed, âUnderstood.â