NCCnovel Chapter 153 Visiting the Brothel
Chapter 153 Visiting the Brothel
Xie Bohuai looked down from his horse and wondered who the other person was when he heard that the other person was Ye Wanning's second uncle, so he jumped off his horse.
"What a coincidence to run into you here. Where are you headed?" Ye Xianrong was still a little intimidated by Xie Bohuai's words, but he was about to become Xie Bohuai's elder, so Xie Bohuai wouldn't be so rude to him, would he?
Xie Bohuai said he had something to do.
"If you're not busy, how about I invite you for a cup of tea?" Ye Xianrong had been in officialdom for so many years, yet he was still only a minor seventh-rank official. If he could get Xie Bohuai's help, things would be much better. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; Ye Xianrong felt that no matter what Xie Bohuai was like, he still had the ability to help him rise from the seventh rank to the sixth rank. He wasn't aiming to become a second-rank official.
Having some skills yourself is good for your son.
Ye Xianrong pinned all his hopes on his son, hoping he would pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, thus bringing him honor. He couldn't wait until Ye Youcai of the eldest son's family had already passed the examination while his son still had no official rank.
That would be so embarrassing.
Xie Bohuai has been free lately, but he has heard of Ye Wanning's second uncle and that he is not close to the eldest branch of the family. "I can't have tea, I have things to do."
When Xie Bohuai said he was leaving, Ye Xianrong opened his mouth to ask him to stay, but seeing Xie Bohuai's cold face, he swallowed his words.
He still didn't have the guts.
After returning home, Ye Xianrong and his wife, Li, grumbled, "Xie Bohuai used to be the commander of the town government, and he was still climbing the social ladder. Now Xie Bohuai is not even as good as me, so what's there to be so smug about?"
After hearing what Ye Xianrong said, Li was also angry. "I told you not to go, but you insisted on going. If they really cared, they would have sent money to you long ago now that things have gotten better for them. Would they still be watching you wear clothes that have been washed for three years?"
"Stop talking such sarcastic remarks. Ye Wanning is my niece, and Ye Mingyue is my nephew. They've become successful, and I'm their second uncle. It's only right and proper for them to be filial to me!" Ye Xianrong said. "Besides, I'm doing this all for Mingxuan. What's the use of him just studying hard on his own? If his cousin provides the money and his older cousin provides the effort, his future success will be a piece of cake."
Ye Xianrong only thought about how powerful his son could be, but forgot about his own brother Ye Mingde, who was only a fourth-rank official. Ye Mingde didn't have a high position or power, so it was no chance for Ye Mingxuan to get a chance.
But Ye Xianrong wanted his son to be successful, and Li felt the same way.
The couple sighed together, and then Ye Xianrong asked where their son had gone.
“What else could he go to do? Study at the academy, of course,” said Madam Li. “The imperial examination is coming up soon, and Mingxuan can’t participate. It’s disheartening to see him like this, so he’s going to the academy.”
"It's good that you're working hard. He's our only son, and we're counting on him." Ye Xianrong thought about Ye Mingyue's promise to introduce a famous teacher, and worried that Ye Mingyue was just saying it for show. So he sent his servant to find Ye Mingyue and said, "Go and ask him clearly which day it is. Don't just take his words as empty promises. I won't stand for it."
At this time, Ye Mingyue was busy with the renovation of the house. When Ye Xianrong sent someone to urge him, he said that he had agreed on a time and was taking a lunch break, so he planned to go home and rest.
On the way, he happened to run into Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan, however, looked as if he had seen a ghost and immediately dodged away.
"That kid, he didn't even say hello, haha." Ye Mingyue muttered, too lazy to meddle, and went home.
In fact, Ye Mingxuan had something to hide. He didn't go to the academy; he had been staying at a classmate's house for the past few days and was now going to visit a brothel.
To avoid Ye Mingyue, he took a long detour, and by the time he arrived at the brothel, all the other classmates had already arrived.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan arrive late, Zhao Di, who was in the lead, teased, "Which girl dragged you off to have some fun? Is that why you're so late?"
"Ah, where are the girls? None can compare to Brother Zhao's charm. It's just that some things happened on the way. Never mind that, I'm late, so I'll punish myself with three cups!" Ye Mingxuan raised his wine cup, quite heartily.
After he finished drinking, a girl from the brothel approached him. He familiarly pulled her into his arms, slipped one hand inside her clothes, and kneaded her for a while.
He was already twenty-one, and he didn't even have a maid of average appearance by his side. His parents were afraid that he would be distracted by women and neglect his studies, so they arranged for him to have servants and maids. But the longer he refrained from having sex, the more irresistible it became once he had his fill.
Ye Mingxuan hadn't been to the academy for a month. Aside from drinking and visiting brothels, he even considered taking a mistress, but his pockets were empty.
Thinking of the mistress, someone asked Ye Mingxuan when he would redeem Cui'er from her servitude.
Cui'er, Ye Mingxuan's lover, was nestled in his arms and said sweetly, "My lord, didn't you say you liked me the most? Why have you been dragging your feet for so long? Are you just pretending to be affectionate towards me?"
"How could that be? I wish I could be with you every day," Ye Mingxuan explained eagerly.
"Then why is that?" Cui'er snorted. "Your cousin's business is doing very well, and your cousin is going to marry the most powerful man in the capital, Lord Xie. I've heard that the dowry prepared by the eldest branch of the Ye family for Miss Ye is priceless; any one piece would be enough for the master to redeem me from my servitude. We're both from the Ye family, so if you say you have no money, I don't believe you."
These words were a test of Ye Mingxuan's limits. To save face, Ye Mingxuan couldn't say he didn't have money, so he just said it wasn't the right time yet.
Cui'er was unhappy to hear this and started crying. Zhao Di clicked his tongue and said, "If you're a grown man, just redeem it if you like it. How can you achieve anything if you're so afraid of this and that?"
Others also started to egg him on, putting pressure on Ye Mingxuan.
Ye Mingxuan genuinely couldn't come up with the money. If he had money, he wouldn't be staying at his classmate's house. But with so many people watching, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Alright, alright, I understand. It's just a matter of redeeming Cui'er. I will definitely help her redeem herself!"
"You can't lie to me, okay?" Cui'er smiled and leaned closer after Ye Mingxuan agreed. "I love you the most, my lord. If you can help me redeem myself, I will serve you wholeheartedly."
"Definitely." After Ye Mingxuan finished speaking, a hint of anxiety flashed in his eyes.
Unconsciously, Ye Mingxuan thought of Ye Wanning's dowry.
Priceless?
This statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but Ye Wanning's dowry was indeed generous. He heard that Xie Bohuai's betrothal gifts amounted to dozens of loads, and the Ye family's eldest branch must have contributed them all to the dowry.
With so much dowry, if he takes one or two items, no one should notice.
Since he had already made his statement, Ye Mingxuan couldn't afford to lose face. After thinking it over, he stayed at his classmate's house for a few days before returning home.
The reason for returning home was quite normal: Ye Wanning was getting married, and as her cousin, he should attend.
At this time, Ye Wanning's aunt, the aunt of the Ye family, arrived in the capital with her youngest daughter.
After Ye Mingzhu married into Jinling, she rarely came to the capital unless necessary.
She brought her youngest daughter, Zheng Qiuhe, with her this time, in order to find her a marriage partner in the capital. If it weren't for this, the Zheng family wouldn't have agreed to her coming.
Zheng Qiuhe had a round face and was not shy at all. She was very lively. As soon as she entered the old lady's Derong Courtyard, she smiled and stepped forward to greet her, "Greetings, maternal grandmother. You are just like my mother said, very kind. I feel close to you as soon as I see you."
Old Madam Ye hadn't seen her daughter for several years, and was busy talking to her. Zheng Qiuhe then looked at the other people, her gaze finally landing on Ye Wanning. "You must be my older cousin. You are indeed a beauty. Dear sister, what kind of lip rouge are you using? It's so shiny and beautiful."
Ye Mingzhu turned her head and said, "Your eldest cousin is naturally beautiful." She wondered if her niece's marriage was a good thing or a bad thing. However, she didn't show it on her face, but just thought about it in her mind and glanced at her nephews and nieces without leaving a trace.
It seems that the Ye family has been doing quite well in recent years.