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"Shopkeeper."
She tied her mule at the bookstore entrance and jogged inside. The shopkeeper was looking down, working his abacus. He looked up at the clear voice of the young man, subtly scanned around, then lowered his head again, clicking the abacus. He asked faintly, "What kind of book would the esteemed customer like to buy?"
Shen Tang raised a finger, pointing to the sign outside that advertised buying manuscripts. The sign was a notice for buying manuscripts at high prices.
"Does the shopkeeper here buy manuscripts? What are the prices?"
As her voice fell, the shopkeeper's smoothly calculating fingers paused. The "clack, clack" of the abacus beads stopped abruptly, leaving a lingering aftertaste. He looked up, first pausing on her face to confirm something, then, with a smile that carried a hint of deeper meaning, asked, "Is the esteemed customer looking to sell paintings?"
Shen Tang nodded: "Yes, yes, I want to try."
To her surprise, the shopkeeper shook his head: "Esteemed customer, I'm afraid you can't provide the kind of paintings this humble shop needs. It's not suitable; perhaps you should try another place."
"I'll paint, and you'll buy, so what's not suitable?"
The shopkeeper laughed dumbly, then, thinking Shen Tang was too young to understand, he used a more euphemistic explanation: "For this kind of work, this humble shop usually looks for older, married painters. The painting skill requirements aren't high; just good enough for viewing. Age and experience are what truly matter most."
Shen Tang didn't catch on at first. Hearing the hint that "age and experience are what truly matter most," her expression turned peculiar. Her eyebrows twitched repeatedly, and she also subtly hinted back: "Oh, oh, oh, so that's what you mean. Ahem, I understand the shopkeeper's meaning, but sometimes age and experience really aren't that important. I believe knowledge and insight are more crucial."
The shopkeeper choked: "You understand?"
Shen Tang retorted: "Why wouldn't I understand?"
After all, I'm a 'profligate young master' whom Qi Shan describes as 'galloping through pleasure quarters, surrounded by beauties, dashing and carefree, enjoying life as a game.' If I didn't understand, wouldn't I be doing a disservice to the persona that scoundrel Qi Yuan Liang arbitrarily assigned me? Shen Tang felt she must have once made a living drawing secret pleasure scenes.
It was well-known that before her transmigration, she was an ordinary artist, a shut-in who made a living through her craft. In her meager memories, her professional scope seemed quite broad—from cheap private commissions for portraits to more expensive commercial illustrations. She had drawn emojis and fan art. Regardless of whether it was knowledge-boosting or position-enhancing, she had dabbled in it all. In terms of painting skill, she couldn't compare to the great masters and celebrities who made people want to kneel, but making a living shouldn't be difficult. She had an enigmatic confidence in her professional skills.
The shopkeeper paused. Could it be that he misjudged her? Thinking about how his notice had been up for days without anyone applying, and with clients pressing him, now that someone had finally come, he might as well let her try. After all, payment was only given after the manuscript was submitted, so if the painting wasn't good or satisfying, he wouldn't lose anything.
The shopkeeper pondered for a few breaths and decided to let Shen Tang try. There were some plain truths that needed to be stated upfront, such as the payment method and the specific content requirements for the painting. This time, the client's secret pleasure scenes had specific demands. The client was a top-ranking courtesan from Moon Splendor Tower, requesting a set of secret pleasure scenes featuring him as the protagonist, depicting desire without being explicitly lewd.
Shen Tang didn't pay attention to other details for now. She only heard the words "Moon Splendor Tower"—what a coincidence, Moon Splendor Tower is where Elder Chu works.
"Is Moon Splendor Tower written with these three characters?" With her finger as a brush, she dipped it in some tea and wrote the three characters "月华楼" (Yuè Huá Lóu) on the wooden counter. Her handwriting was vigorous and flowing, exuding a sense of grandeur that was both wild and orderly. Overall, it looked smooth and pleasing to the eye.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt a renewed sense of anticipation. With such calligraphy, her painting skills must also be exceptional.
"Yes, yes, it is indeed this Moon Splendor Tower." There was only one Moon Splendor Tower in all of Xiaocheng.
Shen Tang asked again: "Portrait secret pleasure scenes are fine, and other requests are also acceptable, but—I haven't met that courtesan."
The shopkeeper waved his hand: "Don't worry about that."
Normally, the subject of the portrait would meet the artist. If the artist wasn't particularly famous, the subject would even lower their status, carefully dress up, and model for the artist, just to get a good painting. It's important to know that commissioning secret pleasure scenes wasn't something any ordinary courtesan or madam could arrange. It was generally a privilege reserved for the top-ranking or aspiring top-ranking courtesans of pleasure quarters, also as a way to boost their fame.
Firstly, to consolidate popularity, and secondly, to attract potential patrons. If the secret pleasure scenes were well-painted and sold well, in later years when their youth faded, they could also rely on this to earn a living.
In summary—it was a bit like a personal photoshoot. The focus wasn't on spicy poses, but on highlighting the beauty of the individual.
Shen Tang gained some knowledge: "Then I'll come back later?"
The shopkeeper said: "Why later? Now is just the right time."
Shen Tang was surprised, turning to look at the blazing sun outside. "Now? In broad daylight?" Even with her limited memories, she knew daytime wasn't very suitable.
The shopkeeper laughed: "That courtesan is a popular figure. If you go again tonight, little lady, he won't have time to entertain you, let alone pose for a painting. That kind of place is quite chaotic and not suitable for a young lady to visit at night. This time of day is most appropriate."
Shen Tang had no objections to this. Just—
"You're very familiar with Moon Splendor Tower, shopkeeper?"
The shopkeeper replied offhandedly: "Not really familiar, after all, Xiaocheng has so many pleasure quarters. We've worked with every one of them, but Moon Splendor Tower is more famous and has better business, so we've had more contact."
Shen Tang looked thoughtful and then asked: "If... I wanted to buy a handyman from Moon Splendor Tower, how much would it cost, roughly?"
The shopkeeper saw her serious question and, with a little imagination, concocted a dramatic ethical play: "Younger sibling falls into depravity, poor artist bravely buys redemption." After all, aside from such a reason, a normal person wouldn't spend good money to buy a handyman from such a place.
"Well, it usually depends on whether the handyman is male or female, old or young. Conditions differ, and prices vary." Finding a capable artist was also a relief for the client, so the shopkeeper was in a very good mood and didn't mind Shen Tang's questions. "However, the managers of those pleasure quarters, aside from their fair faces, are all dark-hearted. Their prices are exorbitant; they won't let go without a hefty sum. Even for a handyman, they can ask for three to five times the normal price."
Shen Tang murmured: "Indeed, to escape a place that devours people