Unfathomable

Walking out of Hongxiang Hutong, and heading northwest for over 400 meters, I saw the sign for the Luo Family Grand Bathhouse.

It was a large wooden house situated beside a winding mountain road near a hot spring on a low hill. Two children stood by the entrance, acting as greeters. They enthusiastically welcomed the guests from the East, holding out towels and powder.

The boy, no older than twelve or thirteen, approached Billy. He had a cute, well-behaved appearance and spoke in a sweet, delicate voice.

"Hey! Esteemed guest, are you here for a bath? Please be patient, it's just the right time when the fishermen have mostly left and they're changing the water."

Billy, who had been in a bad mood, felt a pang of sympathy seeing the energetic child—

—Child labor laws weren't exactly a thing here. Billy, a crusader against fraud, had a history of battling all sorts of illegal businesses, risking his life against unscrupulous merchants while buying insurance. He couldn't stand to see such things.

The little girl on the other side was similar. Her demeanor towards Teacher Su Ling was a standard commercial smile, her tone gentle and her voice soft, as if afraid of scaring away a valuable customer. Everything about her exuded practiced maturity.

If one thought about it—these two children might have been standing in front of the Luo Family Grand Bathhouse for years, perhaps since they were six or seven. Customers coming and going might have grown tired of the towels and powders in adult hands, regarding them with suspicion and wariness.

But children were always innocent and approachable.

Before Billy could finish his thoughts—

—Teacher Su Ling spoke.

"How much does it cost?"

The little girl smiled sweetly. "Two qian for male guests, eight qian for female guests."