Xiang Bei seemed to have known that Zhu Cheng would refuse her, her smile didn't even flicker in the slightest as she motioned for Zhu Cheng to sit down. The latter didn't want to follow her order and stubbornly continued to stand, seeing that she wasn't willing to listen, Xiang Bei sighed. " Look Miss——"

  " Zhu Cheng."

  " Ah yes, Miss Zhu," said Xiang Bei as she peered up at the woman who was standing in front of her. " We can do this the nice way—- that is, you listen to what I have to say and everyone stays happy that way. Or we can do this my way——" said Xiang Bei instilling a threatening note in her voice as she leaned back on her chair and imperiously looked at Zhu Cheng who was stiffening under her hazy gaze. " I can call my mammies and we can take this matter more professionally as I do with everyone else who refuses to pay the money. I am only being nice since this is your first time here, or else I would have already broken all the bones in your body and dumped you in front of your house before taking all the valuable things you have stored in there, you get it?"

  Zhu Cheng swallowed and even though it felt like she was on the losing side, she still sat down on the chair.

  " Good, it seems that you have understood." Xiang Bei smiled as she tapped on the armrests of her chair with her nails. " now let's get on the point how this mer costs fifty taels…actually he only costs thirty taels——"

  " that's what I was——"

  Began Zhu Cheng but then Xiang Bei glared at her and the latter shut up instantly.

  " Cut me off again and I will call my workers to cut your tongue off," warned Xiang Bei and waited for Zhu Cheng to nod. " Good, so what I was saying is that this mer indeed costs thirty taels, but he is the top courtesan of our tavern and before last night he was a virgin."

  This time Zhu Cheng's heart really started thudding in her chest. " V……Virgin?"

  " That's right a virgin," repeated Xiang Bei as she was afraid that Zhu Cheng didn't catch her correctly the first time. " Usually we don't sell the top courtesan and only allow him to company someone while drinking wine." Then Xiang Bei raised one finger and solemnly pointed out. " as you already know the more untouchable the fruit the more extravagant it costs, our Tian Yu only invited you to a drink because you praised his performance but then who would have known that you will go ahead and get engaged in a drunken fit with another woman as you bid to take his virginity and I am really pleased to tell you, missy, that you won that bid with fifty taels. So the money—— hand it over."

  " But I —— I was drunk!"

  " I don't care, you used my goods an entire night, now you have to pay the rent no matter what."

  Xiang Bei cornered Zhu Cheng skilfully, the latter licked her lips and shook her head before whispering in a voice that was smaller than a mosquito. " I…I don't have fifty taels, I was even kicked out of my job last night!"

  As she said that, Zhu Cheng got on her knees. Now she was done for, how can she be stupid? Getting drunk and bidding on a useless mer and that too fifty taels? Was her head filled with water? Though she was feeling remorseful, there was nothing she could do, she repeatedly knocked her head on the floor and apologised, " Mommy Xiang please let this offender go, I will —— I will slowly pay everything back, please."

  Once she gets out of this tavern she will just run away for a few days and lay low. It's not like Xiang Bei would be able to catch her if she ran to another city, right?

  " Heh——Do you think I am stupid?" Zhu Cheng didn't hear those magical words that she wanted to instead she heard the cold jeering voice of Xiang Bei who was glaring down contemptuously at her. " If I let you go, who is going to pay me back huh? You took advantage of my mer's beauty——either you pay it back by money or you pay it back by a beauty that I will be able to sell and get the money that you have made me lose yesterday night, I don't care about how you do it. But remember that if you want to get out of here, you will have to pay me something. Or else——" she motioned at her mammy who started to crack her knuckles immediately.

  Zhu Cheng shivered. She understood the underlying meaning of the threat, if she could pay Xiang Bei back —— she would be killed.

  " How—— How should I pay you back? I don't have any beauty or money——"

  Xiang Bei leaned down so that she was at eye level with Zhu Cheng and clasped her face with her hands tightly. " Hmm, your skin is rough and you are indeed not as good looking at my mers but——"

  " What …what are you talking about?" shrieked Zhu Cheng as she struggled free of Xiang Bei's hold and scurried away. " I am not a mer!"

  Xiang Bei tittered lightly as she cupped her face. " I know you aren't, but we always get a weirdo once in a while, you can stay here and serve them, I promise that as long as you pay me back fifty taels I will let you go and redeem yourself." She smiled snidely and added, " after all it is not always women who come here, sometimes Mers who want to look for a nympho to please them also come looking for a suitable candidate and of course sometimes men come too but most of the time its women who like to sway both ways who come asking for a nympho."

  Zhu Cheng's expression turned disgusted as Xiang Bei clicked her tongue. " Of course, if you don't like this suggestion then you can always sell your house or kids, I won't take married mers since they create a lot of ruckuses and kill themselves, later on, it's twice a loss. So what will it be? House or Kids in case you have a few…. You can also hand me something worth fifty taels."

  Listening to Xiang Bei's suggestions, Zhu Cheng licked her lips. She couldn't sell the house or elsewhere will her parents go and there was nothing worth fifty taels at the moment in her house. In the end ——-

  " I will sell the kids." She was still young, she could always give birth to more.

  Xiang Bei smiled and raised her hand. " Five kids, each for ten taels, you have that much stock right?"

  She didn't but when she counted her sister's children along with hers, she did. So, she nodded and answered without hesitation, " Yes."

  Anyway, she was the eldest daughter her life was more precious, right?

  —— read a/n: