Chapter 130: I Was Still Too Naive!

“Models are everywhere. A day of product promotion pays three to six hundred yuan. A full set of advertising photos might bring in ten to fifteen hundred, but opportunities like that depend entirely on luck.”

“Making a living in the capital is terribly hard. I’ve seen so many people who once stood straight slowly bent beneath the weight of reality, until in the end they could only survive on their knees.”

“The thing people say most often is: ‘If you’re willing to work, there are plenty of opportunities!’ Take photography, for example. It pays roughly two to four hundred an hour, though some jobs pay by the day. The rate for a single session may be low, but if you can work a few extra hours, next month’s rent is practically secured.”

“Set up some half-decent equipment, lie down in front of all sorts of pathetic perverts, then close the door. Who cares what you do inside?”

“Really, as long as you obey, shut your eyes, and grit your teeth, it’ll be over soon enough. It’s not as though you want to end up like that supposedly top-tier model, Xu Qian, back in 2007—she went to Lijiang to take so-called artistic photographs for a paltry seven thousand and wound up dead, unclothed, in a hotel room.”

Song Qiao sneered. “That’s where all those pictures flooding the internet come from. Both sides agree, the price is clearly stated, and once you’ve had your fun and I’ve been paid, what more is there to say?”

They ate and chatted, trading all sorts of inside information. After finishing a bottle of liquor, Song Qiao insisted on dragging Zhuang Chen over to the company for a look.

With nothing else to do, they drove to the central business district. On the ninth floor of a commercial tower stood an imposing entrance, its luxurious offices occupying half the floor.

Song Qiao touched up her makeup in the car, transformed herself into an imperious female executive, and led Zhuang Chen into the office with elegant strides. Slowly drawing back a curtain on the wall, she smiled.

“Hearsay is worthless. See for yourself.”

Good heavens—there was a whole other world behind it.

A vast sheet of one-way glass stood before them. Beyond it was a photography studio, where twenty or thirty long-legged women, dressed only in revealing outfits, stood in two orderly rows as though awaiting inspection.

“You see it now? Even the most beautiful women are worthless around here!” Song Qiao said smugly. “They’re all ordinary commercial models. You can find them everywhere. Today we’re selecting a small show for a regional brand. The whole job will cost less than eight hundred thousand.”

“As long as the client is willing to pay, he can choose anyone he likes and take her away.”

Zhuang Chen was speechless. Any one of those pale, long-legged women would have been regarded as a goddess walking down the street, yet now…

“Well?” Song Qiao said confidently. “All you have to do is say the word. Whatever profession you want, one phone call will bring twenty or thirty people here. Tall or short, slim or full-figured, delicate or voluptuous—you can take your pick.”

“For twenty thousand, you can have as much entertainment as you like, with no limit on numbers. There are all kinds of specialties…”

Seeing Zhuang Chen smile without replying, as though he had understood something, she hurriedly drew the curtain shut. Then she took two directories from the safe and presented them with a mysterious smile.

“I understand, I understand. Ordinary women become boring after a while. Let me show you something better.”

“This is…”

Curious, Zhuang Chen accepted the first directory and opened it. It was filled with photographs of delicate, slender young women.

“Thin horses? Wives? Nuns?” he asked in confusion.

Song Qiao moved close beside him, pointed to the directory, and smiled seductively.

“What is a thin horse? Skin smooth as cream, a slender and graceful figure, moving like a startled swan and reclining like a delicate songbird.”

“During the Ming Dynasty, many frail young women were purchased by wealthy merchants. They were treated like small horses—trained, controlled, and abused at the owner’s whim.”

“They were divided into three grades. The finest were taught music, poetry, calligraphy, painting, chess, games, elaborate personal grooming, and the art of carrying themselves.”

“The second grade learned some reading and music, but were primarily trained in bookkeeping and household management so they could assist merchants as capable aides.”

“The third grade was not taught to read. Instead, they learned needlework, tailoring, pastry-making, cooking, and other domestic skills, so they could be turned into respectable housewives.”

“Thin horses raised with care sold quickly and for high prices. Whenever a wealthy man expressed an interest in buying one, brokers and matchmakers would fix their eyes on him and cling to him until the deal was done.”

Zhuang Chen turned to the second page. Several illustrations had been drawn there, accompanied by a series of instructions:

Upon arriving at the household of a prospective buyer, sit down and accept tea. The broker then leads the girl out.

The broker says, “Pay your respects,” and she bows.

“Walk forward.” She walks.

“Turn around.” She turns, presenting herself in the light.

“Let me look at your hands.” Her sleeves are drawn back so her hands and arms can be examined.

“Look at the gentleman.” She casts a furtive glance at him.

“How old are you?” She answers, allowing her voice to be judged.

“Walk again.” The broker lifts the hem of her skirt to inspect her feet.

The book went on to describe the methods used to assess a girl’s appearance, along with the detailed process of selection, payment, and delivery.

Once again, Zhuang Chen could only marvel at the ingenuity of the ancients.

Seeing his interest, Song Qiao secretly rejoiced and continued.

“Thin horses were admired for their slenderness. Some were naturally frail; others were starved thin, all to make a man seem more powerful and virile. The women of Datong had an entirely different style. They were prized for their fullness, firmness, smooth skin, and famously skilled bedroom manners.”

“According to legend, they began training from the age of eight or nine, practicing every day under strict supervision. Years of conditioning gave them extraordinary control and made them especially popular with older men.”

“Even the Zhengde Emperor, Zhu Houzhao, who possessed the Leopard House, that most extravagant of pleasure grounds, could not resist traveling to Datong for amusement. When he encountered the enchanting Li Fengjie sisters, he staged an elaborate romance worthy of a dragon and phoenix.”

“Third were the Mount Tai maidens. Nuns under thirty were made to grow out their hair, dress in secular clothing, wear elaborate ornaments, and study music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and literature until they acquired the bearing of refined ladies.”

“They possessed both the solemnity of religious women and a charming, elegant air. Their appeal was much like the allure of a nurse or schoolteacher, and pilgrims were captivated by them.”

“Later, when the nuns took away their business, the secular women living among the flowered windows and winding doors at the foot of the mountain grew jealous. They imitated them one after another, changing their appearance and turning themselves into Daoist establishments.”

“Finally, there were the West Lake boat women. People say that the land and water of a place shape its people. The waters of West Lake were clear and silky, and the boat women were correspondingly delicate, enchanting, and tender.”

“Ancient pleasure boats were divided into two levels. The upper deck was used for entertainment and lodging, while the lower deck served as a reception hall. The furnishings were fashionable, making the boats ideal for officials and wealthy merchants to host banquets, entertain guests, and indulge in opium.”

“Raised in the humid southern waterways, the boat women were usually petite, graceful, gentle, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Besides spending the night with guests, they could accompany them on excursions across the blue waters of West Lake. A small boat drifting over the lake, several boat women accompanying the guests on their tour—such scenes were beloved by cultured scholars.”

“In the early years of the Republic, the boat women of West Lake followed the latest fashions. They cut their hair into short fringes, put on cheongsams and coarse white stockings, and looked like pure, charming schoolgirls. Their efforts to attract customers were almost always successful.”

Thin horses were young women, wives were mature women, nuns were women in uniform, and boat women were the ancient equivalent of a modern yacht party.

Zhuang Chen gave a thumbs-up.

“Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.”

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