"Who do you think today's courtesan queen will be?"
"How would I know? But I heard she's even more beautiful than Miss Yunzhi of the Zhang Family."
"I think Miss Shuwan of the Li Clan is a cut above her. That bearing, that figure... tsk, tsk..."
"If you ask me, Madam Zhao is still the most beautiful."
The man lying in the small boat suddenly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning.
"You haven't seen Madam Zhao from behind when she walks. She's practically shaped like a gourd, swaying this way and that, especially in front... she probably can't even see her toes when she looks down."
Having said that, he gave a lewd chuckle. "What a pity Second Master never comes back all year round. Even when he does, he never enters Madam Zhao's room."
"Are you crazy?!"
The other man's face changed drastically. He hurriedly reached out to cover his mouth. "If this reaches the ears of the Second Estate, the lives of us lot won't be enough to pay for it!"
"What are you scared of?" The man pushed his companion's hand away and curled his lip dismissively. "You're afraid of everything—afraid of wolves ahead and tigers behind. What can you ever amount to? Are you really going to serve the Xie Clan like a horse before the carriage for the rest of your life?"
"Exactly," the third man chimed in. "Who can hear us out here on the lake? We're usually cautious enough. Today, the young ladies, young masters, and stewards of the estate have all gone to the Gathering of Beauties Banquet. Can't we at least indulge our mouths?"
On the lake behind the Xie Clan estate, a lone skiff drifted with the waves. Three servants in blue leaned against the prow, conversing