sbdcsierra Chapter 475 Listening to the Waves by the River
Chapter 475 Listening to the Waves by the River
Taking off his shoes, which were soaked with dew, Shen Xu followed the two women through the carved wooden door. The scene inside surprised Shen Xu.
He had expected the furnishings inside the small pleasure boat to be simple, but they were quite exquisite.
The air was filled with a delicate floral fragrance and a faint scent of ink.
The light was dim but exceptionally soft, coming from a few soft fluorite lamps embedded in the roof high above, and moonlight seeping in through the portholes.
Outside the window are tranquil streams and forests.
The sounds of water, wind, and birdsong were clearly audible.
A low table was placed on the wool felt rug in the center, with no chairs around it, only a few simple cushions.
The walls were devoid of luxurious decorations, with only a few ink landscape paintings hanging on them, conveying a profound artistic conception.
In the corner, there is a large ebony table with a gnarled and vigorous cliff-style pine bonsai and a celadon vase with a few seasonal flowers.
Several open books were casually placed, as if they had just been put down.
In the corner of the table, there is an unfinished embroidery frame, with needles and thread lying around carelessly.
"This young lady is truly multi-talented," Shen Xu couldn't help but exclaim.
"Young master, you flatter me. Most of the Fang envoys know these things."
The woman in white sat at the table, and after he sat down, she gently picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.
The movements were precise and restrained, flowing smoothly like clouds and water, as if they had been practiced countless times, carrying a tacit understanding and a sense of ritual that needed no words.
The girl in the green dress reluctantly offered several plates of delicate pastries and sat down next to the woman in white.
"My surname is Li, and my given name is Linghui. This is my younger sister, Qingning."
"Shen Hansan!"
Shen Xu picked up a pastry without changing his expression and put it in his mouth, swallowing it like a cow chewing on a peony, which drew a disdainful look from Qing Ning.
"Most guests who come to Hundred Flowers City choose the flower boats in the main branch. It is quite a surprise that Young Master Shen was able to find this place."
"I did go, but I found it wasn't suitable for me, so I left. It's just a pity about my two hundred Nourishing Yuan Pills."
"But why did you moor your pleasure boat in such a remote place? This is the perfect time to make money, with the Flower Festival coming up."
"Would you believe me if I said the pleasure boat was damaged?"
"I don't believe it. No normal business would set up a pleasure boat in such a remote place."
“Young master has keen insight. In fact, Tingtao Residence has a special docking spot downstream of the Jade Belt River, but Qingning and I don’t like crowds, so we lent that spot to another pleasure boat.”
They moored the pleasure boat here to find some peace and quiet.
"Then wouldn't I be disturbing your peace and quiet?"
Li Linghui gently shook her head, "No, the brothel is open to guests anyway. Qingning and I just didn't want too many guests to bother us."
We are very happy to have a guest like Young Master Shen.
"Oh? What services do you offer?"
"What kind of service does the young master require?" Li Linghui asked with a slightly amused smile.
"Can you cook? I just arrived at Baihua City and want to try the local specialties. Also, these snacks are terrible."
"That shouldn't be the case!"
Li Linghui picked up the same kind of pastry that Shen Xu had just tasted, covered her face with her sleeve, and carefully took a small bite.
A moment later, she put down the snacks and looked at Qing Ning.
Qing Ning, feeling somewhat guilty, avoided the white-clad woman's gaze.
"Go and get a new batch for Young Master Shen."
After Qing Ning left, the woman in white apologized, "Young Master Shen, I'm sorry. I protected Qing Ning too well, so she inevitably has a bit of a childish temper."
"It's alright, I think it's very nice here, I really like the quietness."
"If I want to stay here until the Hundred Flowers Festival ends, how many Nourishing Essence Pills will I need?"
"Sorry, we do not provide accommodation services here."
"Let me put it another way. If I were to book the entire Tingtao Residence until the end of the Hundred Flowers Festival, how many Nourishing Yuan Pills would I need?"
“This…we’ll need about 10,000 Nourishing Essence Pills a day,” Li Linghui said hesitantly.
"Cough cough~"
Looking at Li Linghui's smiling face, Shen Xu couldn't help but sigh that one should not speak too confidently.
"This is way too expensive! You just said it was a little pleasure boat!"
"Young Master Shen was so domineering just now, this young lady really thought that Young Master Shen was extremely wealthy!"
Just kidding! Tingtao Residence welcomes Young Master Shen to come for tea anytime. As for the Nourishing Yuan Pills, Young Master Shen can give them to you as you see fit.
However, I have one condition that I hope Mr. Shen will agree to.
I believe you have seen it too, young master. There are only two weak women, Qing Ning and I, at Tingtao Residence. We thought that since this place is so remote, no one would find us.
But your arrival today proves that my thinking was too naive.
Because there are so many people coming to Hundred Flowers City for the Hundred Flowers Festival, it's inevitable that some people with ill intentions will come here, and Qing Ning and I will be in great danger.
Therefore, I can let you stay here, but I also hope that you can protect the safety of me and Qingning.
What does the young master think of this deal?
"You just believe me?"
Shen Xu tried a different kind of pastry, and the result did not disappoint him either. That girl was truly wicked!
"Since you dare to come to such a remote place in the middle of the night, you must either be incredibly stupid or extremely powerful."
Moreover, when you saw me, you had no lewd thoughts, and when you talked with me and Qing Ning, you did not hide your true thoughts, which is enough to show that you are a powerful and upright gentleman.
"A man like you, sir, is hard to find even with a lantern. Now that you've come knocking on my door, how could I possibly let you go?"
"Girl, what you're saying could easily lead to misunderstandings!"
I can agree to the deal with you, but I probably won't stay at Tingtao Residence during the day.
Li Linghui revealed an alluring smile, "Of course I know that. Tingtao Residence will be receiving guests at the Jade Belt River during the day. Young Master only needs to stay with us every evening."
Hearing Li Linghui's words, Shen Xu's expression was somewhat strange. "Didn't you want to find some peace and quiet? Why are you still going to entertain guests?"
"This is the request of the Hundred Flowers Alliance. Tingtao Residence is a flower boat protected by the Hundred Flowers Alliance, so naturally we must obey the orders of the Hundred Flowers Alliance."
"What kind of force is the Hundred Flowers Alliance?"
"The Hundred Flowers Alliance is of course the force that manages Hundred Flowers City, don't you even know that!"
Qing Ning knelt down beside the two of them, placed plates of exquisite pastries on the table, and then removed the plate of pastries that had been tampered with.
"Then I would be grateful if Miss Qing Ning could enlighten me. This is my first time in Hundred Flowers City, and I am not very familiar with the power dynamics here."
Qing Ning was taken aback. She hadn't expected Shen Xu to be so nice, as if he didn't care about her sarcasm at all.
Only now did she believe that the young man before her was a good person, so she explained, "The Hundred Flowers Alliance is the highest governing body of Hundred Flowers City. Only with the Hundred Flowers Alliance can there be a sixth-rank power like 'Hundred Flowers City'."
They are responsible for everything in the city's daily operations, and they also organized and hosted the Flower Festival.
Who makes the decisions inside?
"It should be the owner of one of the top ten pleasure boats! I don't know much about it." Qing Ning hesitated.
At this point, Li Linghui added, "It's the Ten Great Pleasure Boats, the Four Great Families, and some other forces, but none of them are important."
"There are powerful families in Hundred Flowers City?" Shen Xu was somewhat surprised.
"Yes! It is said that the four major families already existed before Goddess Peak was frozen over."
"So ancient!" Shen Xu was shocked. It seemed he needed to investigate these four families.
He casually picked up a pastry, frowned as if testing it for poison, and put it in his mouth, but the moment the pastry entered his mouth, his brows relaxed.
"This dessert is delicious! Qingning, did you make it?" Shen Xu looked at Qingning with shining eyes.
"Is it really that delicious?" Qing Ning asked, a little embarrassed.
"Of course, it might be the best snack I've ever eaten." Shen Xu picked up another piece and put it in his mouth.
"Everyone says so, Qing Ning is very talented." Li Linghui looked at Qing Ning with a doting smile.
"No, my sister's cooking is the most delicious in the world."
"Really?" A glint flashed in Shen Xu's eyes.
"Qing Ning is exaggerating. They're just some simple home-cooked dishes."
……
In an elegant room at Tingtao Residence, Shen Xu sank into his chair, gazing at the shimmering water world outside the window and listening to the distant sounds of singing and dancing.
His spirit seemed to float above that dream woven from light, sound, color, and fragrance.
The initial weariness, the bustling atmosphere of the city, and the compassion of the goddess of flowers, all intertwined with the tranquility of the moment, causing him to quickly fall into a deep sleep.