After the rebirth, the empress took the tragic script of Meiqiang

Chapter 69 Extra - Qin Baozhu 1

The year I was born was the 20th year of Xingrui, which was a disaster year. There was a drought in Zhongzhou, floods in Leizhou, and heavy snowfall in Yunzhou for a month, and people died of hunger all over the place.

Although I can't remember it yet. I have never seen dry land, nor have I seen floods, nor have I seen heavy snow up to my knees.

But I have no doubt about it.

Because other than that, I can't think of any other reason for my parents to sell me and my second brother.

It must be because I can't live anymore.

That's right, it must be because I can't live anymore.

I was just five years old when I was sold to a brothel.

The second brother was nine years old at that time, not much taller than me, skinny and skinny, and coughed all day long. Others said he had tuberculosis and would not live long.

The madam soon discovered that her second brother was ill, and was afraid that he would spread his illness to the girls and customers in the shop, so he left him in the alley outside the brothel to fend for himself.

Every day I secretly kept my own food, wrapped it in a piece of plaid cloth cut from the corner of my clothes, and brought it to my second brother, while I stole some food from the girls and the cook.

A month later, winter entered Shengjing.

The weather is getting colder and colder, and I feel that my second brother will not survive this winter.

The tenth day of October is the annual flower tasting party in Shengjing.

The madam and several beautiful girls had been preparing for this flower tasting party for several months, and they felt like they were facing an enemy when they mentioned it.

I tentatively asked them what the flower tasting party was for.

The girls then told me that the one I tasted during the flower tasting event was the “flower” in “If there are flowers that can be folded, they must be folded straight away.”

After saying that, the girls always smiled knowingly and teased each other.

I was so confused that I could only lower my head and continue mopping the floor.

On the day of the flower tasting party, there were very few customers in the store, and there were also very few girls. Only a few of us, the younger ones, were cleaning the store. I stole two pieces of torn clothes left by the customers from the girls in the store.

I went to give it to my second brother, and then hurried back to work.

Late at night, the outside of the store suddenly became lively. I looked out from the sliding window on the second floor and saw a large group of people surrounding a girl from the building returning.

I know that girl. She is the number one in our store. She is only eighteen years old and her nickname is Butterfly.

Her hair is covered with flower hairpins, her face is covered with thick white powder, and she wears exquisite makeup. She wears a gorgeous and rich red brocade robe with black and white butterflies embroidered on it, which complement each other like a pair.

The couple fluttered and was about to fly. The brocade robe with wide sleeves and narrow waist formed a deep neckline, with a pair of jade-white shoulders and slender collarbones looming in between.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

Only then did I understand that the "flower" they were talking about was not a flower in the ordinary sense, but the beauty in front of me.

Butterfly Girl won the first place in the flower tasting party and was elected this year's oiran, winning fame and money for our store.

The madam decided to give her an extra servant girl.

Butterfly Girl chose me among all the girls.

From then on I became the courtesan's maid.

That night, Butterfly entertained a guest, and I waited on him outside the house all night.

Early the next morning, she threw me a man's jacket and asked me to get rid of it.

I was overjoyed because it was a well-made thick coat that could withstand the severe cold in winter.

I gave the jacket to my second brother.

Butterfly was elected as the oiran for three consecutive years, and my life became easier after joining Butterfly.

She would always throw unwanted clothes and food to me and ask me to "dispose" of them.

With these things, the second brother not only survived that winter, but his health gradually improved after the spring of the next year. He no longer coughed and grew taller.

Wearing his rather baggy jacket, he went to the store and found a job as a porter. He received two copper coins a month, which was enough for food and clothing.

I always wanted to ask Butterfly why she chose me, but she was always deserted, so I didn't dare to ask.

Until I was eight years old, one day a customer in the shop lost something. The madam suspected that I had stolen it, so he beat me up severely and scolded me for being like a charlatan and not changing my ways. At that time, I Only then did I realize that when I stole food from the shop, the madam had already known about it. If Miss Butterfly hadn't asked me to go there, I would have been kicked out of the brothel.

This time, Butterfly came forward to vouch for me, and the madam let me go.

I couldn't help but ask Butterfly why he wanted to help me.

"Because if I don't keep you, you will be kicked out of the brothel, and you will probably starve to death. If you choose a child, you will choose a child. If you choose you, you can save someone's life, so why not?" said Butterfly. Very casual.

Butterfly and I talked a lot that day.

She told me that she was originally from Zhongzhou, and her family was also a wealthy local family, with 70 to 80 acres of land. However, there was a drought in Zhongzhou in the past few years, and no food could be grown in the land, so life became very difficult. At that time, I couldn't even pay taxes and grain.

At this time, a group of officials and gentry from the capital wanted to buy their land. But the price offered by these people was too low. Her father was unwilling to sell all the land at a low price. He only wanted to give away 30% of the land. After paying this year's tax, the rest was left. The fields he planted remain in his hands.

Because her father was somewhat famous in the village, he and several other village chiefs worked together to discuss the matter of selling land. Clinker, the other party's original intention was to take advantage of the drought to annex all the local fields, and they felt that they had to spend such a small amount of money to buy it at a low price. It's charity.

Naturally, it is difficult for both parties to reach an agreement.

During the stalemate, a fire suddenly broke out in the village, killing most of the people in the village. Butterfly's parents and several brothers also died in the fire.

After the fire, no one in the village resisted the sale of their land. Butterfly and his only remaining brother were forced to sell their family property and buried their families with the little money they got in exchange.

Her brother did not believe that the fire was a natural disaster, so he spent more than a year investigating, and finally discovered that the fire was indeed set by officials and gentry. However, he went to the county government several times to complain but was rejected.

The officials in the village protected him, and he had nowhere to appeal. Then in the capital, at the feet of the emperor, there should be someone who could control these lawless people.

So, he took his only sister to Beijing to complain.

Clinker, as soon as he submitted the complaint to the Jingzhao Mansion Yamen, he was taken in the next day. Within a few days, his body was swept out by a roll of grass.

Butterfly, who had been waiting at the door of Jingzhao Mansion, stayed in the cold wind for five days, but only waited for her brother's body. She held her brother's body and cried until her tears ran out, and no passerby looked at her.

"That's when I realized that the sky in the capital was darker and colder than the sky in my hometown." Butterfly said to Qin Baozhu.

Then, she told Qin Baozhu that when she was living on the street and about to starve to death, it was the madam who gave her a mouthful of food. Even her nickname, butterfly, was given to her by the madam at that time.

And her real name is Chen Lan.

(End of chapter)