chapter 2

Sai Yuhuan’s greatest rival in the House of Crimson Delight was Chang An.

Sister Chang An had fewer patrons, but every one of them was an educated man of taste and refinement.

Sai Yuhuan, by contrast, was not particular. Blind, deaf, pockmarked, or lame—if a man opened his purse generously, she welcomed him with delight.

She was also shameless. Whenever she entertained a guest, she wheedled and pestered until she wrung some extra possession out of him.

Jade thumb rings, perfume sachets, belts, little gold and silver trinkets—she would not even turn up her nose at a patron’s handkerchief.

“This one is silk. Ah Zong can trade it for at least a few writing brushes.”

Ah Zong was her younger brother. I heard he was studying at an academy.

I pursed my lips and muttered, “Men are lucky their body hair isn’t worth money. If it were, you’d pluck every last one of them bald.”

“What are you mumbling about?” Sai Yuhuan arched a brow.

I hurriedly changed my words. “I said you should hide your money well, or Madam Chen will steal it all.”

By house rules, nine-tenths of every patron’s gratuity went to Madam Chen. But the woman was greedy and often searched the girls’ rooms for valuables while they were away.

I could not speak for the others, but Sai Yuhuan had money hidden in the false bottom of her vanity box, inside the stuffing of her pillow, and beneath a floor tile under her bed.

Once, inspiration struck while she was staring at my head, and she hid a clipped piece of silver inside my little hair bun.

“Hahaha! Let’s see that old harpy steal my silver now!”

She loved money down to her bones because every coin had a purpose. It paid for her brother’s schooling, supported her stepfather’s drinking, gambling, and whoring, and built the fund with which she hoped to buy her own freedom one day.

She had been ten when her mother died, and Ah Zong eight.

Her lustful stepfather was forever groping her and trying to take advantage. She fought him with everything she had. Nursing a grudge, he sold her to the House of Crimson Delight.

From then on, her brother became her weakness. Her stepfather used the excuse of keeping the boy in school to extort no small amount of silver from her.

“Once Ah Zong places first in the imperial examination, my good days will begin. He’s so clever. He’s sure to become the top scholar!”

Ever since I bit her, I had dared to needle her in quiet little ways.

Unable to stand her smug delight, I scoffed. “Was the top-scholar title made to Ah Zong’s measurements? If cleverness alone were enough, all the clever men under heaven would earn it. Then the title would become common, cheap, and worthless!”

“Well, you little wretch. That’s a poisonous tongue you’ve got.”

“Not as poisonous as yours. You kept me up half the night burning lamp oil to embroider sachets for your patrons. I’m going blind, and every one of my fingers is swollen with needle pricks!”

Fuming, I held up all ten fingers for her inspection.

For once, she looked a little embarrassed. “Susu, a skill—a skill is never a burden. There’s no harm in learning more.”

“Then why don’t you learn something? Sister Chang An can sing and dance, compose poetry and paint. What can you do besides hook a man’s belt?”

“I—I can—I can—”

I had deliberately jabbed at the heart of this paper tiger. Her chest heaved with fury, but her tongue tied itself in knots.

She wanted to hit me, but had nothing suitable within reach. She wanted to curse me, but her throat seemed clogged shut.

Of everyone in the House of Crimson Delight, Chang An was the most patient with me.

Gentle by nature, she often waited until Sai Yuhuan was not looking, then secretly called me to her room.

“Has Sai Yuhuan been bullying you?”

She loved honey-roasted chestnuts fresh from the oven. Sweet, tender, and warm, they filled your mouth with the fragrance of nuts and honey and made contentment bloom in an instant.

I chewed one and nodded. “Sai Yuhuan is no human being, but I’m not afraid of her.”

Chang An burst out laughing. “Then would you like revenge?”

“I dream of it! How? Nothing too cruel, though. She’s not actually that bad.”

She leaned close and whispered a plan into my ear. The next day, I slipped croton powder into Sai Yuhuan’s tea.

As luck would have it, Sai Yuhuan had taken an especially free-spending patron that day, but her repeated stomach cramps soon ruined his pleasure.

He swept out in annoyance, while she doubled over and hurried to the privy again and again with a tearful face.

The privy stood by the east wall of the House of Crimson Delight. It was not long before Sai Yuhuan earned a new nickname: Queen of the East Privy.

The loss of so much silver left her sobbing in her room.

“Which son of a bitch is plotting against me?

“Just let me find out. I’ll skin her with my own hands!

“Queen of the East Privy? White Wuchang came up with that filthy name, didn’t she? Yan Susu, are you laughing? Hmph! What glory is there for you if I’m disgraced? If I’m Queen of the East Privy, then you’re the Chamber-Pot Sprout—a scrawny cucumber vine fit only to scrub piss pots!”

Guilty and desperate to laugh, I could only bite my lip, bow my head, and keep rubbing her belly.

“Heavens above, the world is ending. There isn’t a decent person left anywhere.”

Once she had cried herself out, she flung herself across the bed and started snoring within moments.

I stared at her in silence.

To lie down and fall asleep at once—now that was the mark of a master. Truly, Sai Yuhuan was extraordinary.

I knew I had gone a little too far, so after she fell asleep, I spent the entire night embroidering a sachet by the faint glow of a bean-sized flame.

My mother had died young. My unkind stepmother regarded me as a thorn in her side and certainly never taught me needlework.

But Chang Ning was skilled at embroidery. I often sought her advice in private, and she taught me with great patience. In only a month, my work had already begun to look respectable.

To suit Sai Yuhuan’s tastes, I embroidered a scene of the Drunken Imperial Consort and filled the sachet with dried hosta blossoms.

The fragrant gift pleased her exactly as I had hoped.

“Hmph. At least you have a conscience. I’m no fool, so don’t think I don’t know about your little schemes.”

Ha. She had the nerve to claim she was not a fool.

If she were truly clever, would she have made enemies of half the House of Crimson Delight? Would Madam Chen have fleeced her year after year? Would she have let her blackhearted stepfather swindle so many taels of silver from her without complaint?