I Am the Huang Family's Third Young Master!

As Wang Lang and Su Yao returned to Listening Waves Mountain Manor and began dealing with the four-meter-long tiger demon, a different scene was unfolding within Drunken Spring Breeze in Black Stone City, eighty li away.

My name is Huang San.

Of course, the girls in the major brothels in the city prefer to call me Huang San Gui.

This nickname stems from my outstanding abilities in certain areas – I'm durable and versatile.

While the reputation isn't exactly elegant, in some situations, it's more useful than the Huang Family's golden signboard.

In the past year, our City Lord of Black Stone City, Tang Hao, for reasons unknown, suddenly decided to develop the west side of the city on a grand scale, saying he wanted to build a Star Gazing Platform.

Heh, he must have too much time on his hands.

In Black Stone City, what are the stars compared to the dice on a gambling table?

Or the skin of the girls?

But for our Huang Family, this is a tremendous opportunity.

City Lord Tang and my old man are as close as brothers. All the materials needed for building the Star Gazing Platform, such as stone and wood, are being purchased from our family.

The Huang Family owns thousands of acres of land, dozens of manors, and shops all over, but we don't produce building materials.

But what does that matter?

We just subcontract it to those small merchants below.

We're just the middlemen, and we take the lion's share.

This way, the profit is even greater than producing it ourselves, and we're eating well.

Although the Star Gazing Platform isn't finished yet, the interior is already decorated quite substantially.

Thinking of this, Huang San felt the weather was excellent today and decided to bring a few of his cronies to Drunken Spring Breeze for some fun.

Drunken Spring Breeze is a relatively new establishment, opened in the last year, and it's quite unique among the brothels in Black Stone City.

The welcoming girls at the entrance are dressed elegantly, in moon-white shirts and pale green skirts, unlike the heavily made-up girls elsewhere.

When guests arrive, they simply curtsy and softly say, "Young Master, welcome," their demure demeanor actually making one's heart flutter.

Crude remarks like "Third Young Master, you've come to play, I've missed you so much" are unheard of here.

Huang San couldn't quite explain why, but he just liked this aspect.

The group of five or six people walked through the front hall, laughing and joking.

Even though it was daytime, the hall was already filled with many guests, the sounds of guessing games and drinking songs filling the air.

But someone of Huang San's status wouldn't mingle in the main hall.

The pimp, with a face full of smiles, led them into the best private room, Listening to Rain Pavilion.

As soon as they were seated, seven or eight charming women filed in, each sitting close to them.

After a few rounds of drinks, they started chatting idly.

"Speaking of business, my father recently came up with a new method."

Fatty Zhao, sitting opposite Huang San, took a sip of wine and said:

"My family is in the silk business, right? We used to mix thirty percent inferior silk threads into a bolt of brocade, but now we mix fifty percent!"

"Those country bumpkins can't tell the difference anyway, and we still sell it at the original price."

Dwarf Li, sitting nearby, scoffed, "What's that? My family's grain store is even better."

"Mixing new rice with old rice is ancient history. Now, we lay a layer of sand at the bottom of the rice sack and cover it with good rice."

"A sack can weigh two or three catties more!"

"Those poor folks who buy it back, do you think they're going to pick through it grain by grain? Besides, eight out of ten grain stores in the city have our family's sign. If they don't buy from me, where else can they go?"

"Sand? Too tacky." Young Master Qian, fanning himself, chimed in. His family was in the medicinal herbs business.

"My family is much smarter. We keep the good-looking medicinal herbs for the officials and nobles."

"We dry the inferior ones and spray them with fragrant powder to make them look glossy, and the price can double!"

"As for the medicinal effect... who cares if it works or not, as long as it doesn't kill anyone."

Everyone burst into laughter, and they each talked about the tricks of their respective trades.

Young Master Zhou, whose family ran a restaurant, also said, "My family recooks yesterday's leftovers, adding more chili and strong seasonings. The customers can't tell the difference and even praise how flavorful it is!"

Hearing this, everyone laughed and cursed Zhou for being dishonest, vowing never to eat at his establishment again.

I couldn't find the book by searching the title. You might try searching for the author, perhaps the title has been changed!

Young Master Zhou panicked and quickly retorted, "That's all for the common folk who have no status! If you guys come, it'll be freshly made in the kitchen!"

Only then did everyone laugh, "You're still the clever one!"

Huang San listened to them, took a sip of wine, and said lightly, "You're all amateurs."

"My family has the contract for the building materials at the Star Gazing Platform in the west city; that's what you call making money while lying down."

"City Lord Tang specifically requested Green Gang Stone, but I bought ordinary granite from the quarry outside the city. The price difference is fivefold!"

"It's all built into the wall anyway, who's going to pry it open to check?"

"Young Master Huang is brilliant!"

"Otherwise, why would they say the Huang Family is the richest in Black Stone City!"

More flattery followed.

Afterward, the conversation gradually shifted to family matters.

Fatty Zhao lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming lecherously:

"Speaking of which, I have a distant cousin who got married last month."

"The bride was so beautiful, with willow-leaf eyebrows, apricot-kernel eyes, and a waist so slender you could pinch it."

"It's a pity, though. My cousin didn't have the luck; he fell ill the day after their wedding and is still bedridden."

As he spoke, he unconsciously swallowed.

Dwarf Li understood and said with a sly grin, "What, Fatty, are you interested in your cousin's wife?"

"Get lost!" Fatty Zhao cursed with a laugh, but his face couldn't hide his smugness.

"I just feel sorry for my cousin, such a beauty, left alone in the bridal chamber..."

Money String chimed in, "Now that you mention it, it reminds me of my third great-uncle. He's over sixty and took his seventh concubine last month. She's only sixteen, so tender you could squeeze water out of her."

"What do you think, can he still perform? What if he married her just to have a decoration?"

"Decoration or not, you wouldn't get a chance anyway!"

The crowd burst into laughter, and the private room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Huang San listened to their vulgar remarks, and the heat in his heart was stirred up.

He waved his hand, "Alright, enough nonsense. It's time to get down to business."

The few men immediately understood, chuckled, and got up, each embracing their chosen companions and leaving to pursue their pleasures.

Drunken Spring Breeze could be the top brothel in Black Stone City for a reason.

The biggest draw was undoubtedly the rule of the twenty-four courtesans.

Each year, twenty-four virgin beauties were selected from various regions and displayed for one year.

During this year, each top courtesan served only one patron, meaning they were essentially kept for a year.

Only after the new top courtesans were chosen would the old ones be demoted to regular courtesans and take on clients.

This rule greatly piqued the interest of the city's powerful figures.

After all, who wouldn't want to experience the pleasure of having the most sought-after beauty all to themselves for a year?

Countless sums of money and connections were secretly used to vie for a spot.

Given Huang San's status in Black Stone City, he naturally had the right to keep one...

This year, he had chosen Miss Zhi Lan, who was proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. Her pair of autumn-water eyes could melt anyone's heart.

At this moment, a girl in a pink shirt was supporting Huang San as they walked towards Zhi Lan's Orchid Fragrance Pavilion.

Huang San's hands roamed her waist, and she shyly dodged, adding to the allure.

Huang San, with a drunken haze in his eyes, said, "You little vixen, call Zhi Lan later, and the three of us will have a go. I'll show you what it's like for Young Master Huang to have one dragon and two phoenixes..."

The pink-shirted woman giggled foolishly, supporting Huang San as they passed through winding corridors.

A cool breeze blew, and Huang San shivered, sobering up a bit.

He looked up; this path didn't seem to be leading to the Orchid Fragrance Pavilion.

"Where are we going?" Huang San asked vaguely.

"Young Master is drunk; this is a shortcut," the woman replied softly.

Huang San didn't think much of it, assuming the girl was being thoughtful and wanted to expedite things.

They rounded a rockery, and a secluded courtyard appeared before them.

The courtyard gate was ajar. Despite it being broad daylight, it was dark inside, with only a faint yellow candlelight seeping through the window lattice of the main house.

The pink-shirted woman pushed open the courtyard gate, "Young Master Huang, please. The lady is already waiting in the room."