Resuming Old Business (Part 2)

"Shopkeeper."

She tied the motorcycle to the entrance of the bookshop and trotted inside. The shopkeeper was looking down, calculating on an abacus. Hearing the clear, bright voice of the young person, he looked up. He subtly glanced around before returning his gaze to the abacus, the beads clicking rhythmically. He asked indifferently, "What kind of booklet does the customer wish to purchase?"

Shen Tang raised her finger and pointed to the sign outside the door that read "Buying Drafts."

Above it was a notice stating they were buying drafts at a high price.

"Is the shopkeeper buying drafts here? What's the price?"

As she finished speaking, the shopkeeper's fingers, which had been moving fluidly over the abacus, paused. The "clack-clack" of the beads colliding came to an abrupt halt, leaving a lingering echo.

He looked up, his gaze lingering on her face as if confirming something. Then, with a smile tinged with a hint of knowing amusement, he asked, "Is the customer looking to sell paintings?"

Shen Tang nodded. "Yes, yes, yes, I'd like to give it a try."

To her surprise, the shopkeeper shook his head. "Customer, I'm afraid the paintings your shop needs are beyond your capabilities. They're not suitable. Perhaps you should try another place."

"I'll draw, and you'll buy, and there's still something unsuitable?"

The shopkeeper chuckled, finding Shen Tang too young to understand. He rephrased his statement tactfully, "For this kind of work, we usually find older, married artists. The skill requirement isn't high, as long as it's passable. Age and experience are the most important factors."

Shen Tang didn't quite grasp it at first. Upon hearing the hint about "age and experience being the most important," her expression turned peculiar.

Her eyebrows twitched a few times, and she subtly hinted back, "Oh, oh, oh, so that's what you mean. Cough cough, I understand what the shopkeeper means, but sometimes age and experience really aren't that important. I believe knowledge reserves and insight are more crucial."

The shopkeeper choked slightly. "You understand?"

Shen Tang countered, "Why wouldn't I understand?"

After all, she was the "dandy who rode horses in Zhangtai, embraced beauties, was suave and carefree, and roamed the world" that Qi Shan had described. If she didn't understand this, wouldn't she be letting down the persona Qi Yuanliang had arbitrarily assigned her? Shen Tang felt she must have dabbled in erotic illustrations before.

As everyone knew, before her transmigration, she was an ordinary artist, a shut-in who relied on her skills to make a living.

In her scarce memories, her scope of work was quite broad—from cheap private commissions for avatars to more expensive commercial illustrations. She had drawn emoji packs and fan art. Whether it was for gaining knowledge or "gaining experience," she had covered it all.

In terms of artistic skill, she couldn't compare to those masters and gurus who made you want to kneel, but it shouldn't be difficult to make a living.

She had an inexplicable confidence in her professional skills.

The shopkeeper was taken aback. Could he have misjudged her?

He thought about how his notice had been up for several days with no one applying, and the client was pressuring him. It was rare for someone to come forward now, so why not let her try? After all, he paid after receiving the draft. If the drawing was bad or unsatisfactory, he wouldn't lose anything.

The shopkeeper pondered for a few seconds and decided to let Shen Tang try.

There were some unpleasant things to say upfront, such as payment methods and the content requirements for the drawings. The client's request for erotic illustrations had specific requirements. The client was the top male courtesan of Moonlit Pavilion, and he wanted a set of suggestive, not explicit, portraits with him as the main character.

Shen Tang didn't pay attention to the other details for the moment.

She only heard the words "Moonlit Pavilion"—what a coincidence, Moonlit Pavilion was where Old Mr. Chu worked.

"Moonlit Pavilion, are those the three characters?"

Using her finger as a brush, she dipped it in some tea and wrote "Moonlit Pavilion" on the wooden counter. The characters were bold and vigorous, exuding an unrestrained spirit. They were wild yet not chaotic, flowing gracefully and pleasing to the eye.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he immediately became more expectant.

With such calligraphy, her painting skills must also be extraordinary.

"Yes, yes, yes, it is indeed that Moonlit Pavilion."

There was only one Moonlit Pavilion in all of Xiaocheng.

Shen Tang asked again, "Portraits for erotic illustrations are fine, and the other requirements are acceptable, but—I haven't met that courtesan."

The shopkeeper waved his hand. "You don't need to worry about that."

Under normal circumstances, the patron commissioning the portrait would meet the artist. Those who weren't extremely famous would even lower themselves and dress up elaborately to model for the artist, just to ensure the painting was beautiful.

One had to understand that commissioning artists for erotic illustrations wasn't something just any courtesan or madam could do. It was usually a privilege reserved for the top courtesans or aspiring top courtesans in brothels and entertainment houses, all to boost their fame.

Firstly, it consolidated their popularity, and secondly, it attracted potential patrons.

If the erotic illustrations were well-drawn and sold well, as they grew older and their beauty faded, they could still earn a living from them.

In summary—

It was a bit like a personal photoshoot.

Gaining "experience" wasn't the main point; the focus was on highlighting the subject's beauty.

Shen Tang learned something new. "Shall I come back later then?"

The shopkeeper said, "Why come back later? It's perfect to go now."

Shen Tang was surprised and glanced at the scorching sun outside.

"Now? In broad daylight?"

Even with her limited memories, she knew that daytime wasn't ideal.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "That courtesan is a popular figure. If the young lady goes back at night, he won't have time to entertain you, let alone pose for the painting. That kind of place is really chaotic and not suitable for a young lady to visit at night. This time of day is most suitable."

Shen Tang had no objections to this.

However—

"Is the shopkeeper very familiar with Moonlit Pavilion?"

The shopkeeper answered casually, "I wouldn't say I'm familiar with all of them. After all, there are so many brothels and entertainment houses in Xiaocheng, and we've worked with them all. It's just that Moonlit Pavilion is more famous and has better business, so we interact with them more."

Shen Tang looked thoughtful and asked again, "If... I wanted to buy a servant from Moonlit Pavilion, roughly how much would it cost?"

Seeing her ask seriously, the shopkeeper's imagination immediately conjured up a dramatic ethical play: "A young sister-in-law trapped in the mire, a poor artist bravely steps in to buy her freedom." After all, besides such a reason, no normal person would spend a fortune to buy a servant from such a place.

"Well, that depends on whether the servant is male or female, old or young. The conditions differ, and so does the price," the shopkeeper said cheerfully. It was also a way to account for the client by finding a usable artist, so he didn't mind Shen Tang asking around. "But they all know at those brothels and entertainment houses, except for fair skin, everything else is dark. They'll name a fierce price, and won't let go until they see the money. Even for a servant, they'll ask for two to three times the normal price."

Shen Tang murmured, "Indeed, to escape from a place that eats people without spitting out bones, one truly has to shed a layer of skin."

She had a bold idea.

If Elder Mr. Chu were willing, she wanted to buy him.

Qi Yuanliang, the 'guide NPC,' could disappear at any time. By buying Elder Mr. Chu, couldn't she take Qi Shan's place?

She didn't know Elder Mr. Chu's address, but she was sure she could find him at his workplace. You can escape a monk, but you can't escape a temple.

Shen Tang thought the bookstore shopkeeper's mention of "so many brothels and entertainment houses in Xiaocheng" was an exaggeration, a mere figure of speech. She never expected it to be the absolute truth. In the central district of Xiaocheng, five long streets were lined with establishments of this nature.

However, it was daytime, and the street was deserted and bleak.

She gasped, "This, this, so many?"

The shopkeeper looked unfazed.

"The Prefectural Government is encouraging their construction, so why wouldn't there be many?"

"The Prefectural Government is encouraging... construction?"

Shen Tang was stunned for a moment.

The shopkeeper led Shen Tang to a newly decorated building and told her to wait outside while he went in to explain his purpose. After a short while, he came out and said, "Just in time, the person just woke up and will be ready after getting dressed. Let's go to a private room in the teahouse facing the street and wait."