Chapter 335: It’s None of Your Business
“Exactly! The key is to keep people here so they can spend money. Many martial artists don’t care much about luxurious accommodations—they prioritize good food. If lodgings are too expensive, they’ll leave after only a few days. But if we offer reasonably priced inns, they’ll stay longer in Luo City.”
“Understood, Miss. Within two days, I’ll have three more affordable inns set up.”
Yu Luo nodded, then suddenly thought of Chi Jinchen.
“By the way, do you know what businesses Chi Jinchen is planning to run in the twenty properties he bought?”
“So far, one is a tea house, one is a weapon shop, one is an antique store, three are inns, one is a tavern, one is a performance hall, and… one seems to be a brothel.”
“A brothel?!”
Hearing the first few businesses sounded fine, but the moment “brothel” was mentioned, Yu Luo’s face scrunched up in displeasure.
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Hu hesitated before speaking. “Miss, to be honest, Luo City lacks a brothel. I may not care for such places myself, but the majority of people coming here are men. It’s completely normal for them to seek entertainment. Every major city in the four kingdoms has brothels—if we don’t allow one in Luo City…”
“I understand the economic benefit, but the issue is that we already have close to 20,000 single men in this city. If a brothel opens, it’ll only make things worse, causing distractions and possibly disrupting social order. Besides, do you really think any woman willingly chooses to become a courtesan?”
Zhang Hu didn’t know if women willingly chose that life, but he did know one thing—the men of Luo City were desperately longing for female company. If a brothel did open, it wouldn’t just be visiting martial artists rushing in—the local men would likely be the most enthusiastic customers.
However, could they even stop Chi Jinchen? The property contracts clearly stated that once sold, the city administration had no right to dictate how buyers used their shops.
“Miss, if you don’t want a brothel in Luo City, you’ll need to speak to Young Master Chi yourself. Or, I can draft an official city ordinance restricting such establishments before you negotiate with him.”
“Alright, I have free time this afternoon—I’ll talk to him and see where he stands.”
As a modern person in an ancient world, Yu Luo found many things difficult to accept—polygamy, human trafficking, feudal hierarchies. These clashed with everything she knew. But she had to accept reality. Even she had bought people like Luo Yi and others.
Luo City might be her project, but those properties now belonged to their buyers. If Chi Jinchen insisted on opening a brothel, all she could do was regulate her own subordinates.
At noon, since Ye Jiamei was too busy to return home, Yu Luo brought food to the clinic. Seeing the long queue inside, she set down the meal box and joined the line to collect medicine.
“Xiao Luo, you’re just in time! I’ve been packaging all these medicines by myself. Xiangxiang and Ming Ye only recognize herbs, but they can’t prepare prescriptions properly. Ugh, I’m exhausted!”
With thousands of refugees arriving, Ye Jiamei’s workload had skyrocketed. Many of the patients were impoverished, and with her doctor’s compassion, she couldn’t bear to turn them away. She just kept treating them, one after another.
Finally, realizing the food was getting cold, Yu Luo forced Ye Jiamei to take a break and eat in the back courtyard.
“Mother, what’s your opinion on brothels? You know that young master who bought twenty shops? He’s planning to open one.”
“That’s his business. Can you stop him? You already sold the property.”
Ye Jiamei spoke nonchalantly as she ate.
“I know, but Luo City has too many single men. Last time I went to Yueyang City, I even considered buying women who might be willing to marry our brothers here. But even if I brought back some, it wouldn’t be enough—there are over 10,000 men! I can’t possibly buy that many women, and even if I could, it wouldn’t be right.
I’m worried that if these men remain lonely for too long, they’ll lose their will to build a life here. But if we allow a brothel, it feels like I’m encouraging exploitation.”
“Sigh, you’re overthinking again. I have a solution that’ll save you from this headache.”
Hearing this, Yu Luo’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?! Tell me, Mother!”
“Let me finish my soup first! You’re about to choke me with your eagerness!”
“Okay, okay! Drink up!”
Yu Luo even scooped up a full bowl of soup and handed it to her mother attentively.
However, the moment Ye Jiamei took a sip, she suddenly gagged, her stomach churning. She clutched her chest and dry-heaved.
“Mother, are you okay? Did you get heatstroke from overworking?”
Panicked, Yu Luo quickly rubbed her mother’s back, her face full of concern.
“It’s not heatstroke. This room isn’t even warm. It’s just… this fish soup smells too fishy all of a sudden…”
“That’s impossible! I had some earlier—it wasn’t fishy at all. I even added ginger to get rid of the smell…”
Yu Luo trailed off mid-sentence, freezing as a realization hit her. Their eyes locked.
The world seemed to pause.
“Oh my god! Quick! The test paper! Go to the washroom and check!”
Swallowing hard, Yu Luo shoved her mother toward the clinic’s restroom in a flurry of urgency.
Ye Jiamei, still in shock, grabbed her daughter’s hand and dragged her along.
Two minutes later, they both stared at the pregnancy test paper.
Two red lines.
Yu Luo covered her mouth, suppressing a scream of joy, while Ye Jiamei’s face turned crimson, overwhelmed by disbelief.
“I… I’m really pregnant? Xiao Luo, you’re going to have a sibling?!”
Watching her usually composed mother look utterly dumbfounded, Yu Luo couldn’t help herself—she tackled her into a tight hug, laughing uncontrollably.
“Yes! I never got to be a big sister in my past life, but now I finally get to be one! Mother, you were almost at menopause! Who would’ve thought you’re still so strong? No, wait—it’s not you, it’s Father who’s strong!”
Before she could finish teasing, a loud smack landed on her shoulder.
Ye Jiamei, laughing and scolding at the same time, pulled her daughter back into an embrace. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Yes… Your father always regretted not giving you a sibling. He used to say you must’ve been lonely as an only child. I never thought… In this lifetime, we’d get a second chance.
No matter if it’s a little brother or sister, Xiao Luo, you’ll finally have a blood-related companion for life.”
