I rely on talking to brush the copy

Chapter 16 Writing in the Republic of China (15)

[Dear Mr. Night Watchman:

Hello, sir. I am writing to you without any hesitation. If there is anything abrupt, please forgive me.

I know that you are a broad-minded man and will never look down on me. So I will tell you here with confidence that I am Bai Shaoyao, the most famous prostitute in the Eight Great Hutongs. I am illiterate. This letter was written by a kind person. I also heard the story you wrote from others. I am not afraid of you laughing at me. I really cried a lot at that time, for the little sister Baixiang who died in the book, and for myself. If you don’t mind, please listen to my story.

My family was poor when I was young. Later, there was a drought, so my father sold me. When I fell into the dust, I was one year younger than Baixiang. Girls of my age were not rare in the Eight Great Hutongs. I was a little sister who was deflowered at the age of seven. I have been engaged in the flesh trade in this dirty place for ten years and suffered all kinds of inhuman torture. I will not go into details here for fear of dirtying your ears. I think, compared with the dead Baixiang, I am lucky, because not only am I still alive, but I have also become a famous prostitute. The customers who come and go are all wealthy businessmen and celebrities. I have stood at the top of the prostitute industry, but how can a person be perfect, and how can a flower be red for a hundred days?

Sir, do you know where the most famous Hong Mudan in the Eight Great Hutongs ten years ago is? Hong Mudan was more famous than me at the beginning, but since she was infected with that dirty disease, she quickly fell from the first-class Qingyin Xiaoban to a second-class teahouse. In our industry, once you fall, it is much more painful than death. Later, when I saw Hong Mudan again, she had become the lowest fourth-class prostitute, that is, a brothel. No matter who it was, as long as you gave her a dime, you could sleep with her. Every day, she would be beaten by the madam for receiving more than 20 customers... Later, she died. Because she was seriously ill and could not receive customers, the madam threw her into a mass grave and buried her alive. Maybe her body was eaten by wild dogs like Baixiang in your writing.

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Sir, I am not young anymore. Even if I wear gold and silver now, I will soon become a second-class teahouse. The fate of Baixiang and Hong Mudan is my fate. But I am unwilling to accept it. Sir, I am also the daughter of an honest family. Why should I die in such a filthy way? From your story, I know that you sympathize with us and treat us as human beings. I know that you are more knowledgeable than me, a blind man, so I come to ask you, how can I survive? If I leave this business, what can I do...】

Bai Shaoyao's words only reveal the tip of the iceberg of the country's 3,000-year history of prostitutes. The real life of prostitutes is much more miserable than the stories written by Le Jing and Bai Shaoyao. Some people may ask, if it is so miserable, why don't you redeem yourself? Of course, it is because you can't afford it.

Beijing prostitutes are divided into four categories, namely Qingyin Xiaoban, Teahouse, Xiachu and Yaozi.

For example, the second-class teahouses generally divided customers into tea customers and shop customers. The former just drank tea, ate some melon seeds, and chatted about lyrics and poems. The fee was one yuan per plate of melon seeds. The latter just chatted about the philosophy of life and achieved the harmony of life. The fee was 12 yuan, of which the madam and the boss each got 5 yuan. The aunt and the waiter each got one yuan, and then the boss gave the prostitutes 50 cents. In addition, as a legal profession, prostitutes had to pay very high taxes to the police every month. In the late Republic of China, third-class prostitutes paid 100,000 French francs in taxes every month, and also had to pay 250,000 inspection fees. Each time a prostitute received a customer, it cost 100,000 yuan, of which the boss had to take 90,000 yuan. That is to say, each third-class prostitute had to receive customers 35 times a month without eating or drinking to pay enough taxes. By the way, a piece of pork in Peking at that time was sold for 250,000 French francs.

In later generations, many girls chose to sell their bodies for material things, but in the Republic of China, human flesh was cheaper than pork. Even if a few prostitutes succeeded in redeeming themselves by chance, they would soon have to return to their old ways after being abandoned by their clients because they had no means of making a living. That's why Bai Shaoyao asked Le Jing how she could survive.

How to survive is simple, but it is difficult in the current social environment. It will take decades for that great man to cut off this cancer with extraordinary courage, giving Bai Shaoyao and others a chance to live with innocence. Le Jing can't save Bai Shaoyao and others. If they want to survive, they can only save themselves.

Le Jing thought for a moment, and first told her the stories of Qiu Jin, Nightingale, and Helen Keller, and then wrote: "In this world, women have to survive much harder than men, but despite this, there are still some women who never give in, and have made achievements in all walks of life, so that history will remember them.

I won't say anything irresponsible like you have to redeem yourself and become a clean person. I can only tell you that you have to work ten or even a hundred times harder than ordinary men to live uprightly. I also need to tell you that nowadays, the constraints on women are much smaller than before. Women can also work, go to school, and become officials. If you want to change your situation, you might as well use your own advantages and learn to read and write from your clients. No matter when, educated people can always have more ways."

A few days later, Le Jing received another letter from Bai Shaoyao. This time, there were only four crooked words on the letter paper: "Thank you, sir."

Le Jing didn't know what Bai Shaoyao's final outcome would be. Perhaps her efforts were eventually smashed by the waves of fate. But history will never forget her small efforts at this time. The radiance of humanity that bloomed from Bai Shaoyao and others will one day illuminate the long night that has enveloped this country for three thousand years.

It was through Bai Shaoyao's letter that he suddenly had an inspiration.

He wanted to write a memoir of a prostitute, recalling his life in the tone of a famous prostitute.

Although the courtesan had dirty sex, she had noble aspirations, but in the end she was chewed to the last bone by this cannibalistic world.

Through Bai Shaoyao's letter, Le Jing also discovered that his articles had been very unfriendly to the uneducated people at the bottom.

Like Bai Shaoyao, who is illiterate, she would never have known the content of Le Jing's article if someone hadn't read it to her.

Nowadays, the literacy rate is so low. He usually writes too politely and is elegant, but it is not conducive to dissemination.

Thinking about future generations, time-travel romance dramas are naturally more popular than historical dramas, and the same reason applies. What belongs to the people is what belongs to the masses and what belongs to the world.

Therefore, he wanted to write his new work in a more simple and understandable way. Only in this way can the dissemination of new works be facilitated, the people's wisdom be awakened, and more people at the bottom can sympathize with the plight of prostitutes.

What is the name of the new work...

Le Jing suddenly remembered a movie from his previous life - "Memoirs of a Geisha". This movie tells the life of a geisha.

The name of his novel should be "Memoirs of a Courtesan" as a tribute to this great classic.

When Yang Jinglun came to visit, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Why are you so happy?"

Yang Jinglun said with a smile: "Sir, this time "The Eyes of Dogs Look Down on People" is really well written. Many authors are commenting on this article!"

"What's Tang Nan's reaction?"

Yang Jinglun disapproved and said with a smile: "Of course he wants to write an article to defend himself and scold him, but how can the light of a firefly compete with the bright moon? There is a gentleman who has this article before him. No matter how hard he scolds, he can't turn it over. No matter what the hype, everyone is still talking about Mr.’s article.”

Yang Jinglun looked at the indifferent young man, the admiration in his heart was like the endless water of the Yellow River, "Sir is really a genius, and he is so good at writing such humorous novels. All the jokes you said in the article have been adapted It’s a cross talk!”

Le Jing was startled, "Cross talk?"

Yang Jinglun nodded and showed a relieved expression: "Sir, you don't go out often. Nowadays, cross talk adapted from your article is popular in teahouses outside. Even illiterate people laugh after listening to it. My stomach hurts. It’s because of my good writing skills that Tang Nan’s name will become famous in the future.”

Le Jing smiled. It seemed that the people liked his new work very much, so they spread it spontaneously.

It is estimated that before long, Tang Nan will become the contemporary Pan Jinlian.

Three days later, Le Jing handed Yang Jinglun the "Memoirs of a Prostitute" he had written.

Editor Yang was amazed after reading it.

"Sir, this work is really good!" Editor Yang said excitedly: "This novel is a perfect attack on Tang Nan and others' behavior of making irresponsible remarks and confusing right and wrong!"

"Memoirs of a Courtesan" caused a stir in newspapers as soon as it came out.

The public opinion originally caused by the prostitute chapter in "Rat Eyes Looks Down on People" is now even more boiling. Literati with different opinions use newspapers as a battlefield and articles as weapons to start a bloodless battle.

Naturally, Tang Nan would not let go of this good opportunity for revenge. Now he didn't even care about maintaining the dignity of a civilized person. He cursed like a shrew in the newspaper: "If he didn't hang out in the Bada Hutong all the time, how could the night watchman know about prostitutes?" So clear!”

"Prostitutes are a bunch of bitches who are willing to be humbled! Is it possible that the night watchman still wants to build a memorial for the bitch?"

"Why is the night watchman pretending to be a noble person when he is just a prostitute? It's really the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

Moreover, he not only spoke on his own, but also encouraged a group of friends to support him in newspapers, which created quite a momentum in a short time.

However, when a few heavyweights came out, a few barking dogs could no longer make any waves.

Famous writer and educator Zhou Dezhang rarely issued an article to express his support: "Prostitutes are a major sore in the country. Many literary politicians do not have the courage and ability to treat the sore, so they simply cover the sore tightly and pretend that the sore is not there at all. Existing. Such an act of deception is ridiculous! It is the bad nature of today’s Chinese authorities to deal with the person who raised the issue first because they have no ability to solve the problem!”

Mr. Zheng Yiliang, a famous talker, even said dirty words when faced with the obscene remarks made by Tang Nan and others: "Fuck you! Why are you talking so dirty and indecent at such a young age! I really want to meet you." Let’s talk about Mr. Tang’s tutoring issues.”

In addition to these two big guys, some university professors also stood up to support the Night Watchmen and scolded those who opposed the Night Watchmen's articles.

Le Jing browsed these articles and felt that they were amazing. He was worthy of being a cultured person. Even his curses were refined, just like Mr. Zheng Yiliang scolded Tang Nan in the article: "Are you a human? A dog! The dog keeps barking, I'm afraid it's going to happen." It’s spring!”

As soon as the experts took action, there was nothing left. With so many big players standing up for Lejing, Tang Nan and his friends immediately disappeared.

Tang Mansion.

Mr. Tang: "Stop publishing some messy articles for me in the newspaper! Don't you think your reputation is bad enough?"

Tang Nan was unconvinced and defended: "That kid provoked me first!"

"I don't care who is right or wrong, just remember that the pen of a writer can kill people! Do you want the Tang family to be infamous with you forever?" Mr. Tang said firmly: "Find a time to meet with the night watchman, build friendship, and turn hostility into friendship."

Tang Nan's face turned the color of liver: "You want me to apologize to him? You might as well kill me!"

"You!"

Tang Nan sneered, turned around and left angrily, slamming the door hard.

Mr. Tang was so angry that he fell backwards: "Rebellious son! Rebellious son!"

Tang Nan felt a fire burning in his heart, and he hated the night watchman so much that he wanted to chew his bones and flesh.

What a night watchman! He would never let him go!

The author has something to say:

The famous prostitute Sai Jinhua, the wife of the famous No. 1 scholar, accompanied her husband on a visit to Europe. During the Boxer Rebellion (the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China), she tried her best to work for the country as a socialite. She sold herself to the leading general and begged him not to hurt the people. Later, the No. 1 scholar's friend thought she brought shame to her husband and expelled her from the capital. In order to make a living, she had to go back to her old job and later married a patron. After the patron died, she died in poverty in the Eight Great Hutongs.

As the saying goes, most people who are loyal are butchers, and most people who are unfaithful are scholars.

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