"What?"
Qingdeng was stunned immediately, and his voice broke uncontrollably when he spoke.
"Bai Ju is not here anymore? When was she not here?"
The counter clerk sighed heavily.
"Alas... Sir, it's really an unlucky time for you to come..."
"The white chrysanthemum disappeared suddenly this evening."
"As early as half a month ago, we noticed that she was very close to a poor samurai named Irie Matahachiro."
"Ever since I met this man, Bai Ju has become less interested in work."
"Not only is he perfunctory when picking up guests, but he also often smiles in the air."
"We have seen this situation too many times - silly girls who fall in love have this kind of behavior."
"We wanted to remind her not to do stupid things, but... before we could go find her, we received the news that 'Bai Ju can't be found' more than an hour ago."
"We guess that she probably eloped with that Irie Matahachiro."
Speaking of this, the counter clerk could not suppress his emotions and gritted his teeth.
"Damn it! This dead girl is such a heartless little beast!"
"When she was about to starve to death on the street, we took her in, provided her with food and drink, and taught her music, chess, calligraphy and painting, so that she could survive in Yoshiwara where competition is fierce and girls are eliminated every month.
One bite to eat.”
"It's just that she doesn't want to repay her, but she actually ran away privately!"
"It's really disgusting!"
Although the government built walls and dug ditches to prevent the wandering girls from escaping, the harsh living conditions still forced the wandering girls to scramble to escape - and there were many who succeeded in escaping.
Their means of escaping include but are not limited to: disguising themselves as men and sneaking out of the gate, hiding in a bucket that transports urine and feces, and paying off officials at the Shirobei Club...
Since the birth of Yoshiwara, incidents of "wandering girls eloping with their lovers" have become commonplace.
Some people often think that wandering girls have to come into contact with so many men every day, so they should have become numb to love and matters between men and women.
This is not the case.
Because I have eaten too much bitterness, I feel refreshing after tasting any sweetness.
This is why, no matter in ancient or modern times, there are frequent incidents of "a mortal woman eloping with her lover".
Novelists and playwrights in the Edo period particularly favored the "traveling girl theme" and often compiled love stories in which "traveling girls run away for love" - mostly tragedies.
Qingdeng was not in the mood to listen to the counter staff complaining here.
Although he knew there was little hope, he still asked:
"As for where Baiju went... do you have a general idea?"
The counter clerk smiled bitterly.
"Sir, we also want to know where Bai Ju has gone. If we knew where Bai Ju is currently, we would have sent someone to capture her long ago!"
…
…
Qingden walked out of Thousand Flowers House with a solemn expression.
——Tsk... My luck is too bad...
Qingdeng rubbed his eyebrows and said "Hey", turning his frustrated mood into a voice.
A good living person, she would have disappeared earlier or later, but she disappeared today when he had something urgent to look for her...
If Bai Ju really ran away with her lover as the counter clerk said, then that would be fine.
What Qingdeng fears the most is... Bai Ju is silenced by the gangster who does not act according to common sense...
After all, according to what Higasaka said, Kamenosuke Yuki was particularly fond of Shirogiku and would always have a chat with her whenever he came to Yoshiwara.
It cannot be ruled out that in order to reduce the probability of exposing their whereabouts, the gangs will silence all the relevant people involved with them...
Just as Qingdeng was standing on the busy street with people coming and going, thinking hard about what to do next——
"Hey, boy, boy!"
An old female voice came from beside him.
"Um?"
Because the sound came from a very low position, Qingdeng had to lower his chin at several angles.
First, a pair of bright and lively eyes broke into Qingdeng's retina.
She is a very short old woman.
Qingden thought she looked familiar, and after blinking, he remembered where this familiarity came from—it was the old woman he had crossed paths with when he first entered Thousand Flowers House.
Before Qingteng crossed the threshold of Qianhuaya, she was arguing with the counter staff about something.
The old woman is probably in her 80s.
She has frosty hair and a simple but clean blue kimono.
Her hair, which had turned gray early, was incompatible with her energetic appearance.
The petite body is a bit thin, and the bones of the hands and feet look like they are connected with screws and nuts.
Although his face is covered with traces of time, his skin is very fair.
Although layers of wrinkles covered up the original appearance of the facial features, Qingdeng relied on his rich experience of having close contact with many beautiful girls. He dared to conclude that this old woman must have been a particularly cute lady when she was young.
beauty.
"Mother-in-law, is something wrong?"
Qingdeng asked.
"Young man, are you looking for Bai Ju?"
--Um?
Qingden raised his eyebrows, raised his gaze, and carefully looked at the old woman from head to toe several times.
She must have heard the conversation I just had with the counter staff, Qingdeng thought to himself.
Although he didn't know why the old woman asked this question, Qingdeng still answered truthfully:
"Yes, what's wrong?"
The old woman nodded thoughtfully.
Then, she said something shocking:
"In that case...young man, do you want to cooperate with me? Let's get Bai Ju back together."
"cooperate?"
Qingdeng blinked in surprise.
Things were developing and changing so quickly and suddenly that he felt a little overwhelmed.
After gathering his emotions, he asked:
"Mother-in-law, I don't know, who are you?"
"Ah, sorry, I was so busy talking that I forgot to introduce myself."
The old woman cleared her throat, and then straightened her already straight waist like a strong bamboo stick.
"My name is Gua Shengxiu, and I am currently considered an old official in the Shirobei Club."
As soon as the old woman...that is, Gua Shengxiu finished speaking, Qingdeng's expression was instantly dominated by strong astonishment.
He subconsciously looked at the other person a few more times.
——She is... "Yoshiwara Doshin" Kuao Xiu?
Qingdeng never expected that he would meet this legendary heroine in such a place and in such a way...
Seeing the famous "Yoshiwara Doshin" certainly surprised Ayoto.
But what surprised him even more was the proposal the big man just mentioned.
Qingdeng suppressed the astonishment in his heart for the time being and asked with a serious face:
"Mother-in-law...ah, no, Miss Guasheng, I don't know what you meant by what you just said?"
"That's what it means literally."
The melons grow on the beautiful road.
"I know Bai Ju's temperament very well. She is not the kind of girl who would elope with others. So I think there must be another reason for her disappearance."
"I'm worried about her safety."
"But if we want to find someone, I can't do it with my old bones."
"Young man, you and I have the same goal, we both want to find Bai Ju."
"Then, instead of fighting individually, it's better to unite with each other."
"So...young man, what do you think?"
Gua Shengxiu's tone was quite calm.
After explaining this, she stopped talking and waited quietly for Qingdeng's answer.
Qingdeng looked at the other party speechlessly.
After a moment, he slowly asked:
"...Miss Guasheng, I have a question: You don't know me, right?"
"Aren't you worried that I'm a bad person?"
At this point, Qingdeng raised his hand to press the bamboo hat above his head.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm looking for Baiju?"
"You don't know who I am, let alone my name, and you don't even know what I look like."
"You seek cooperation from someone like me, who is full of secrets, without knowing my details at all... What you do is 'heroic' at best, and 'reckless' at worst."
Qingdeng's comments are indeed sharp.
Qingdeng didn't know what other people were thinking, and he didn't want to know. Anyway, he himself found it quite puzzling to see Gua Shengxiu's approach of "seeking cooperation from strangers who didn't know the details."
After receiving such harsh comments from Qingdeng... Gua Shengxiu did not show any negative emotions.
Not only did he not feel displeased, he even laughed.
I saw a faint smile on her old face.
"Young man, although my body is old, my brain is not broken. How could I not know what you said?"
"I'm not stupid enough to ask for help from someone I can't trust."
"The reason why I extend the invitation to cooperate with you is actually very simple - because I trust you."
When Qingdeng heard this, he couldn't help but frown.
"How can we talk about 'trust' when we don't even know the other person's name, appearance, age and other basic information?"
"Because of the smell."
Gua Shengxiu smiled slightly, then stretched out his right index finger and tapped his nose.
"Young man, don't underestimate the elderly - especially an old man like me who has lived in Yoshiwara, a place in all directions for nearly a lifetime."
"Which people are trustworthy good people and which people are villains who need to be vigilant? I can tell by just smelling their scent."
"It's true that I don't know your appearance, name, or age, but your body exudes a scent that makes me feel at ease."
"And this is enough."
At this point, Gua Shengxiu suddenly stopped talking.
She seemed to be recalling something, she was startled, and then continued:
"Besides, strangely speaking, the smell on your body reminds me of a... senior who I respect very much."
Having said that, a vague look of reminiscence appeared on Gua Shengxiu's old face.
Qingdeng was silent.
If someone else had said to Qingdeng, "I can identify people by their smell," he would definitely think that the other person was talking nonsense.
But the owner of these remarks was "Yoshiwara Toshin" who had a legendary experience... This made Aitobo feel inexplicably trustworthy.
"...Ms. Gua Sheng, I have another question. As far as I know, as a veteran of Yoshiwara Toxin and Shirobei Club, you enjoy a very high reputation in Yoshiwara. Whether you are looking for someone or in other
You should be able to find a lot of helpers who are willing to help you with anything, right? Why do you need to recruit a stranger like me?"
As soon as Qingdeng said this, Gua Shengxiu immediately looked up to the sky and laughed as if he had heard some Coca-Cola joke.
Although she smiled happily, Qingdeng could vaguely feel that there was a hint of helpless lament hidden in her laughter.
After she had laughed to her heart's content, she said quietly:
"Young man, let me tell you a cruel truth: Yoshiwara's 'Yoshihara Dozen' who has devoted his whole life to Yoshihara is not welcomed by Yoshiwara."
"To be precise, it is only popular among wandering girls."
"The rest of the people...whether it's the boss of Yumeiya or the officials at Shirobei Club, they only regard me as an old immortal who 'likes to make trouble' and 'get in the way of their work.'"
"Not everyone is like me and treats wandering girls as living human beings."
"Although due to seniority, everyone in the Shirobei Club respects me and dare not act arrogantly in front of me, but that's all."
"My qualifications can only make them respect me, but it cannot make them respect You Nu."
"I can indeed use my identity to pressure the officers at the Shirobei Club and ask them to help me find Baiju."
"But what you get in return is a blank stare and a perfunctory search that doesn't even bother you."
"My past life experience tells me: 1,000 absent-minded people are far inferior to 1 dedicated person."
"Instead of relying on these bastards who just want to get money to get by and don't take the joys and sorrows of the wandering girls seriously, I would rather lend a helping hand to a stranger like you who has a good smell about you."
After listening to Gua Shengxiu's words, Qingdeng couldn't help but think of what he saw when he entered Qianhuaya just now - the counter staff talked to Gua Shengxiu in a very impatient tone.
Qingdeng was very wise and did not delve further into this issue.
"...Okay, I understand. In this case, I am willing to do my best."
After thinking for a moment, Qingdeng finally gave an affirmative answer.
"Young man, I knew you would agree."
Gua Shengxiu looked very happy.
"Miss Guasheng, I can cooperate with you, but I have a condition - to be honest, I came here to ask Bai Ju something very important, so I came here to find her."
"After you find Bai Ju, please leave her and me some space and time alone."
Gua Shengxiu didn't think too much, and didn't ask Qingdeng, "What do you want to ask Baiju?", so he nodded gently.
"no problem."
With a few simple words, the deal was done.
"It seems that I haven't reported to my family until now, which is really rude."
Qingdeng said as he put his heels together and stood up straight.
"I'm Huatian Qingqing, please give me some advice."
Qingdeng was currently wanted by the government and had deliberately concealed his whereabouts, so it was impossible for him to give his real name.
This name is a pseudonym he just came up with on the spur of the moment.
"Tachibana" has the same pronunciation with another Japanese surname "Tachibana", both of which are "Tachibara"
"Hanada" is a combination of his last name "Tachibana" and the last name "Okita" of the Souji who currently has the same status as his fiancée.
As for "Qingqing", it is a mixture of his common name "Qingdeng" and his real name "Shengqing".
"Please give me some advice, Hanada-kun."
Gua Shengxiu bowed lightly to Qingdeng with a smile on his face.
After Qingdeng returned the favor, he went straight to the point:
"Miss Guasheng, do you have any idea about where Baiju is?"
"First of all... I plan to confirm whether Bai Ju is still in Yoshiwara."
"Although this is not a commendable thing, the Shirobei Club has unparalleled rich experience in preventing wandering girls from escaping."
"If you want to leave Yoshihara, unless you have the ability to climb over the wall and cross the river, no matter how great your ability is, you can only go through the only gate that is heavily guarded."
"Although the defenses of the Shirobei Club are not impregnable, they are not impregnable either."
"The wandering girls must have the right time, place and people in order to have a chance to escape from this magnificent 'prison'."
Gua Shengxiu turned around and walked north.
"Hanada-kun, come with me. Let's visit all the places Baiju might go."
…
…
At this moment——
Yoshiwara, Thousand Flower House——
Snap, snap, snap, snap...
The counter clerk who heard heavy footsteps in front of him immediately raised his head.
Two samurai, both very young, walked straight up to the counter. They both had distinctive appearances, one had a scar on his neck, and the other had a birthmark on his face.
"2 guests! Welcome!"
In just a snap of a finger, the counter staff's face changed from "expressionless" to "full of flattering smiles."
"Which girl are you looking for?"
"Gui'an."
The "birthmark man" with the red birthmark on his face said directly after saying hello coldly:
"Is Bai Ju here? Let's look for Bai Ju."
"White chrysanthemum?"
The counter staff was stunned.
"Uh... Sir, I'm sorry, Bai Ju is missing."
The counter staff copied exactly the same rhetoric he had just used when explaining to Qingdeng.
"disappeared?"
The two samurai's brows instantly furrowed to the point of killing a fly.
Birthmark Man: "Damn...how could it be such a coincidence..."
"Hey, sir, I'm just talking about cleverness."
The counter clerk grinned.
"It's really weird... Why are so many people looking for Bai Ju tonight... When did that damn girl become so popular?"
"popular?"
This set of words immediately attracted the attention of the two warriors.
"Besides us, is there anyone else named Bai Ju tonight?"
asked the birthmark man.
"Oh, yes."
The counter clerk said casually.
"Just now, a very tall warrior came, and he also asked Bai Ju to sleep with him."
Birthmark Man: "What's that person's name? What does he look like?"
"Uh... I don't know about that. The guest officer didn't give his name. He wore a hat with a very low brim the whole time, so I didn't see what he looked like."
"..."
The two warriors both fell silent.
After a while, they turned and left without saying a word.
Seeing this, the counter staff shouted quickly:
"Ah! Sir! Although Bai Ju is no longer here, there are still many very good girls in our store! Do you want to choose some other girls?"
The two samurai turned a deaf ear to the counter staff's enthusiastic attempts to persuade them to stay.
In the blink of an eye, they had quickly left the Thousand Flower House.
When they blinked again, their figures disappeared into the vast sea of people...
*******
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Lots of suspense added up. I wonder if any book friends can guess what the two samurai at the end of this chapter are doing~~
This chapter has been completed!