Soon, musicians carrying chimes, Yaozithers, Guzheng, flutes, and other musical instruments came in. Great Yan's traditionalmusic "Yun Shui Jian" played.
The girls danced with the music.Imitating clouds and flowing water, numerous white satins gently swayed withthe music. It was like countless butterflies accompanying the music, gracefulas dragons and flying like geese. The song was like a flowing stream in themountains and the dancing butterflies were like fairies. Even their hair wasdancing.
Very beautiful! Zi You noticed a girlbetween fourteen to fifteen years old. Her waist was especially soft. Herdance, unlike others, held a hint of sadness.
The girl's facial features had characterand weren't particularly beautiful. But there was something abnormallyenchanting about her.
Zi You had never seen Cao Xueqin'scharacter, Lin DaiYu [from Dream of the Red Chamber], or she would have thoughtthis was the living version of her.
Two curved smoky eyebrows, a pair ofhappy, yet unhappy eyes; a hint of worry on her face from an illness; specks ofglistening tears, faint breathing. She was calm like flowers in water. Her actionslike a weak wind.
Compared to Wang Yiping's ample charms,this girl was fragile and delicate. Zi You wondered who would be better able to entice MuYing Rui, that slag man.
Zi You didn't say anything and watchedthe dancing, having made up her mind already. Without staring at the girl, shemerely flicked her eyes once towards her. "Proprietress, what is the price?"
The proprietress stared blankly, butimmediately smiled. "Gongzi, you want all of them? If not, who do you fancy?The price is negotiable."
Treating me like a kid to be coaxed? IfI really said who I fancied, you would ask for sky-high prices.
Zi You faintly smiled. Her dark pupilsheld ridicule. She coldly spat out, "The price."
The proprietress gnashed her teeth andhelplessly said, "Luxiu is 1,600 silvers and the one in red is 1,500 silvers…"
Finally, she knew the sickly Xishi [Oneof the four legendary beauties of China] was called ZiDai. They turned out toshare even the same character in their names. [The "Zi" is the same in boththeir names]
Among the twenty-two girls, her pricewas the lowest, at 420 silvers. The reason was, of course, she was sick.
The "Dai" in her name was also the sameas Lin "Dai"Yu's. Both had bronchial asthma, a problem of the lungs.
Zi You bargained to death, speakingabout how dangerous and serious the disease was. In the end, it was a bargainat 310 silvers. She successfully obtained ZiDai's slavery deeds.
Zi You felt that, for that scum Mu YingRui, even 300 silvers was a waste.
Zu You changed Zidai's name to YouLianand took her onto the horse carriage.
After asking, Zi You found out her lastname was originally "Shui." She was an official family's xiaojie. Althoughcould not be considered proficient in the zither, chess, calligraphy, andpainting, she was still skilled.
Her father was originally an official inthe Shaanxi Province. He was beheaded because of corruption. The whole familywas demoted to slaves. Some were killed, some were jailed and some were sold.Her mother died of excessive sorrow on their journey to banishment. She wastaken by traffickers and after several rounds of reselling, came to be ChuyaoGuan's Qingguan.
Zi You whispered a lot of words into YouLian'sears. Finally, she confidently told her, "You just have to do what I tell you.I promise to cure your disease. I guarantee you, for the rest of your life, youwould have support in the General's Manor."
Shui YouLian repeatedly nodded her head.Finally, she shyly said, "I will listen to Xiaojie. I will never betrayXiaojie."
In the carriage, she found out Zi Youwas female when the latter reverted back to female clothing. Shui YouLianneeded to come up with plans to obtain Mu Ying Rui's doting and go up against the legitimate wife.