Chapter Text
“What a …. face… him…”
“Should… we… baby”
Shen Jiu blearily woke up to the sound of murmuring around him. The scent of flowers was almost nauseating with the smell of various herbs on his body. Every muscle he knew were aching, but at least it reminds him that he is alive. Finally free from that hell that he burned to the ground.
“Where…” Shen Jiu asked nobody. The room went quiet as they heard his feeble voice. He felt the stares towards him and motion to get up when—
“I would stay in the bed if I were you, the sooner you are able to stand the sooner you’ll have to work to pay me back.” A voice of an old woman at his side went. She looked tired, blood still staining her clothes. This made him urge to run more but his body JUST. WON’T. LISTEN.
“Please… just do it quickly” He weakly pleads as he shut his eyes out.
“What the hell are you talking about?!” replied the old woman
“Auntie, your clothes” he heard a young woman say gently with other voices of giggles and a loud “STOP SCARING THE PRETTY BOY AWAY DOC”
Doctor?... He slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. Near the door were a gaggle of women dressed promiscuously. A brothel. Is he gonna get sold again? He looked at a sign near the door “Silk… Storage?” He finally noticed the rows of blankets and bedsheets surrounding him. So this was a high-end brothel then. Just like the one his mother was sold to. He only knew one in the town near the mansion, one that the bastard Qiu Jianluo complained about because he was kicked out after accidentally killing one of their girls.
“WHAT ARE YOU ALL GATHERING THERE AROUND FOR DON’T BOTHER ME UNLESS SOMEONE IS DEAD”
“But healer you’ve picked a pretty one this time we wanted to see an eye-candy.” Cloyingly says another voice from the group.
“I SWEAR YOU GIRLS ARE–”
“Excuse me healer, is this the Hidden Lotus pavilion?” Shen Jiu finally mustered to ask the screaming woman.
“Huh, were you hoping it is, young man?” the doctor replies, eyeing him like he was a perverted runaway teen who was hoping to get a good time in this kind of establishment.
“No, not at all. I had noticed from the fabrics that this is a brothel with significant prestige and spoke the first one that came to mind” said Shen Jiu politely.
“And you mention that run-off-the-mill establishment that can’t even take care of their girls properly? That is also mighty far. We’re near Ciang Qiong Mountain, and that brothel is one of Huan Hua Palace’s territory." the doctor spoke curiously. “Although I do frequent that place more than this one, you were lucky you ran into me.”
“I’m still terribly sorry about that ma’am. I will repay you in whatever way possible. Does this pavilion need another courtesan?” Shen Jiu still uses his prim and proper voice as if he wasn’t saying that he was willing to subject himself to men’s lusts in order to survive.
“Goodness, what in the world are you saying? You? Becoming a courtesan here? Not in a thousand years. You do have the looks but this pavilion only offers women. How are you even gonna take care of your brother? Warm Red Pavillion can’t afford to raise another baby.” the doctor says exasperatedly.
“But I still have to repay you back. I’m being a trouble–” Shen Jiu weakly replies
“Trouble? You are damn right you did cause a hefty amount of trouble for me this week. You passing out on the street triggered the labor of a courtesan in this pavilion. I had to take care of her and you cause she can’t stop screaming about how she’ll become like you once she gives birth and how her baby is gonna be sick and die like the one you held in your hands. As if the father of the kid hasn’t already bought her… I also had to take care of your brother cause she won’t stop crying bout a baby dying just as she was giving birth. So stupid, can’t even see that you were a man…” The doctor rambled as she was preparing medicine for him. “Now drink up, I’m gonna bring you your brother later. Take it easy so that you can pay me back faster.”
“Are they okay? The courtesan and my… Br-brother?” The word still tasted like ash on his mouth. His previous brother left him to the wolves.
“Who the hell do you think I am? Of course I did. Name’s Li Fei. Make sure to spread the word as soon as you heal.” Li Fei finally finishes up replacing the bandages on his foot and arms.
“My name is Shen Jiu, as for my brother… I don’t– he doesn’t have a name.” In truth, he also doesn’t have a proper name either. His birth name forever buried and forgotten in his memories as he was sold to the slave traders all this years ago. Only his surname stuck. His current name also stuck and he still wasn’t willing to let go of it, that’s the one his Qi-ge knew.
“You’re a sharp one though, you know how to read right?” Shen Jiu nods. “I doubt your parents give a rat's ass about your names so why don’t you give him one. You can even give him a fancy one from poems or whatnot. You’re gonna be stuck with him for a long time after all.”
A brother that’s gonna be stuck with him? He’s still a baby and it’s going to make his life much more difficult, but a brother who can’t run away and leave him all behind... He likes that. The baby is gonna be a burden but still… “Yuan. I would like to name him Yuan.” It’s a burden he’s willing to shoulder in this new life.
“Hope. How quaint” Li Fei says as she finally leaves Shen Jiu alone in the room.