It was also a coincidence that when Li Yu went out this time, he met the driver who was pulling his cart again.
"You happen to be familiar with the road. Please take me to Dongchang Hutong." Li Yu jumped into the car.
"Okay." The coachman replied listlessly, and then slowly pulled up the car.
As soon as he walked out, Li Yu immediately stopped him: "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you seem to have taken the wrong route, right? We should go north. If you go south now, you will leave the city."
"Ah?" The coachman was a little confused, and suddenly realized that he had really gone the wrong way, and apologized quickly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Li Yu felt that he was obviously helpless, so he asked, "What's wrong? What's bothering me?"
"No, it's nothing." The coachman replied dejectedly.
Li Yu said with a smile: "I have heard that you are now famous for being 'a smoker' in this area of Dongjiaomin Lane. You know the roads and the cars are fast!" You are not like your old style now. If you have any questions, just come and listen. Maybe I can help. "
"Hey!" The coachman sighed deeply, "You can't help me. What's happening to me is a big deal."
Li Yu asked curiously: "How big can such a big thing be?"
The coachman slowed down and said, "To tell you the truth, it was my brother who was in trouble."
"Is your brother responsible for such a big deal?" "Li Yu asked.
"Yes, he owes the dealer 40 taels of silver! 40 taels, it costs lives! We brothers will never be able to save so much money in our lifetimes." The coachman said desperately.
"40 taels? What did your brother do? Gambling?"
Li Yu felt incredible, how could a coachman owe so much money. 40 taels is indeed a huge number for them. According to their income, excluding daily expenses, it is almost impossible to save 40 taels.
"It's not gambling," the coachman said. "The thing is like this. My brother usually pulls the carriage for a young man. That young man likes to go to Shitou Hutong and visit brothels. Some time ago, he fell in love with a prostitute. He didn't want to have any other My brother liked the same prostitute. When my brother took the young man there that day, he was blocked by another group of people, and a fight broke out between the two sides. "
Li Yu wondered: "It doesn't sound like it has anything to do with your brother."
"It doesn't matter!" the driver said angrily, "but they beat my brother indiscriminately, and most importantly, smashed the car! They left after the fight, and now the car dealership wants to ask my brother to pay for the car. "
Li Yu understood clearly that his brother was lying on the gun inexplicably and suffered the same disaster as Chi Yu.
"Where is your brother now?"
"My brother is lying in a medical clinic in Shitou Hutong. Luohua Tea Room also feels that my brother is wronged and helps pay for the medical treatment."
Fireworks places in the Qing Dynasty were also divided into levels. The first level was called Qingyin Xiaoban. The women in it generally performed arts but not their bodies. They were basically good at playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and could even recite poems and compose poems. They were also very beautiful and had bright eyes. With his affectionate smile and frown, celebrities, gentry, powerful and wealthy businessmen often flock to him.
The second level is the teahouse. Although the teahouse is inferior to the Qingyin Xiaoban, the teahouse is also a relatively high-end romantic place, and the interior decoration, withered flowers and bright colors are quite particular. Although Yingying Yanyan of this class is not as talented as the girls in the small class, she is still young, beautiful, and knowledgeable in literature and art.
The third level is the lower place. It is not as beautiful as the first two buildings and courtyards, and the interior decoration is simple. The fireworks woman is relatively older and has average appearance.
As for the fourth level, it is the so-called "yaozi".
"If you take me to Shitou Hutong, I should be able to help you." Li Yu said.
The driver stopped suddenly, and Li Yu almost fell out of the car with such force.
"Can you help my brother?" the coachman asked excitedly.
Li Yu smiled and said: "Yes, but it's not a white gang."
The coachman immediately knelt down in front of Li Yu: "Master, I call you master! If you can help my brother, I can make you a cow or a horse!"
Li Yu hated people kneeling down to him. In his era, people would only kneel down before their parents, or when brothers made sworn vows.
Of course, kneeling down to your wife is a special situation and is not within the scope of discussion!
But this era is like this, no wonder he is.
Li Yu jumped out of the car and helped the driver up, "Don't kneel down for me in the future. I told you that your help is not in vain, so there is no need for this."
The coachman was almost in tears, "I really met a good person! You are the living Bodhisattva! What is your name? I will burn incense for you every day from now on!"
"My name is Li Yu, what's your name?"
"My name is Zhao Qian." said the coachman.
"I understand. You should hurry up and take me to Stone Alley first."
"Come on, Master! Sit down!"
The coachman Zhao Qian seemed to have exploded in a small universe in an instant, sweeping away the gloomy mood just now, and transformed into "a puff of smoke" again, and rushed out in a swish. Li Yu was directly pushed back by the inertia.
Zhao Qian led Li Yu towards Shitou Hutong at his highest speed.
Stone Hutong is one of the famous eight alleys in the capital, and is also the place where the fireworks alleys and willows will appear.
In fact, there are not only eight Bada Hutongs, there are more than a dozen similar ones, but the Bada Hutongs are the highest grade among them.
Starting from the 21st year of Qianlong's reign, fireworks were not allowed in the inner city of Beijing, and they were all moved to Nancheng, right next to Liulichang.
When they arrived at Stone Alley, Zhao Qian was already sweating profusely from running, and Li Yu was almost vomiting in the car.
"Slow down, slow down, we're here anyway!"
Zhao Qian smiled naively and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just too excited."
Li Yu jumped out of the car, "I can walk the rest of the way by myself. It's called Luohua Tea Room, right? How far is it?"
Zhao Qian wiped his sweat and said: "It's not far, it's not far, just a hundred steps ahead."
"Okay, let's go."
But Li Yu stopped just after taking two steps because he saw a familiar figure.
Yang Xiaolou!
The two of them instantly looked at each other, looking at each other.
Yang Xiaolou coughed, "Brother Li, are you here to have a good time?"
"No, no, no! That's not what happened. I'm not here to find a girl." Li Yu quickly explained.
Yang Xiaolou's eyes were full of disbelief, "Brother Li, you don't need to explain, I understand. Besides looking for girls, what else can you do here? Are you here to study your knowledge?"
"I'm not here to study knowledge, nor am I here to find a girl!"
Li Yu was jolted in the car and started coughing in a hurry.
Yang Xiaolou said: "Brother Li, there's no need to do this. If you're looking for a girl, just look for a girl. You're not an official of the imperial court, so it doesn't matter. And I just heard the words 'Luohua Teahouse'. I know where it is." "
The Qing government explicitly prohibited officials from visiting brothels. To a certain extent, this was also the reason why many high-ranking officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties liked boys.
Li Yu stopped coughing: "I'm here to see his brother."
Yang Xiaolou looked at Zhao Qian, the coachman pointed by Li Yu, who was tall and thick, and frowned, "Brother Li, you have to change this habit!"
"It's not what you think. His brother is lying in bed and can't get out of bed." Li Yu said.
"Ah!" Yang Xiaolou's face changed drastically, "Brother Li, how could you do this! You, you, you!"
Gan!
Why can't I explain it!
"His brother is injured and lying on the bed. I said Brother Yang, what are you thinking about?"
Yang Xiaolou breathed a sigh of relief, "It turns out he was injured! I thought..."
Li Yu asked: "What do you think?"
Yang Xiaolou was also a little embarrassed for misunderstanding Li Yu, and quickly waved his hand: "Nothing, nothing!"
Li Yu pretended to snort and asked: "You still talk about me, but why are you here?"
Yang Xiaolou pointed to the yard behind him: "This is my adoptive father's home. I'm here to get things."
"Your foster father? Senior Tan?"
Yang Xiaolou nodded, "Yes, this Yingxiu Hall belongs to my adoptive father. What do you think?"
Li Yu said: "What I thought was what you thought just now."
Yang Xiaolou was laughed out loud by Li Yu.
Li Yu glanced at the plaque in the yard behind, "Yingxiu Hall".
In fact, the Bada Hutong was originally the place where Hui opera troupes came to Beijing to stay and live, and it was a foothold for Peking opera artists. Later, with the development of industry and commerce, the increase of poor families, and the serious imbalance in the ratio of men to women in the capital, the ratio of men to women reached an astonishing 160:108! Where there is demand, there will naturally be a market, so gradually the eight major alleys have become red light districts at the same time.
But in the late Qing Dynasty, the Bada Hutongs were not very large. According to statistics during the Guangxu period, there were 37 registered families. If there were more than a dozen people in each family, in general, there were only four to five hundred prostitutes registered and working with certificates.
The real development of the Eight Hutongs had to wait until the Republic of China.
At that time, many Liyuan opera masters lived in Bada Hutong, and they lived and taught opera at the same time. Each master will also name his residence. Tan Xinpei named his residence Yingxiu Hall, and Mei Lanfang came from Zhu Aiyun's Yunhe Hall.
In "Farewell My Concubine", Cheng Dieyi, played by Leslie Cheung, was called Xiaodouzi when he was young, and his mother was a prostitute. Why she was able to take her children to the troupe immediately at the beginning of the movie is because she lived close by and her status was not high, so she would not be looked down upon.
Master Guan also said in the play: "We are all low-class, no one dislikes the other!"
Of course, the Bada Hutong has now become a place where ordinary people live, and there are also some historical sites left.
Li Yu has a classmate from Beijing who lives in Bada Hutong. He said that every holiday, he would always hear some tour guides leading tourists pointing to the downstairs of his house and saying, "Did you see it? This is where Cai E was back then." The place where you get engaged with Xiao Fengxian!"
His classmate was very worried. Think about it, if the tour guide pointed at your house and said that it used to be a brothel, would you be happy?
Li Yu said to Yang Xiaolou: "I still have business to do, so I'll leave first!"
Yang Xiaolou said: "I'll go with you, I'm familiar with this place."
"Are you familiar?" Li Yu asked jokingly.
"I'm just familiar with it!" Yang Xiaolou quickly corrected.
The three of them came to the hospital together. Zhao Qian saw his brother on the bed and immediately grabbed him and said, "Brother, how are you?"
Zhao Qian's brother was a little surprised when he saw Zhao Qian and said, "Brother, why are you here? You didn't even get enough money for your contribution today!"
Zhao Qian said with a tearful tone: "It's already like this, brother, why do you still want to pull a car?"
Brother Zhao Qian said: "It's impossible if I don't do it. How can I eat if I don't do it? How can I pay back the money if I don't do it?"
"But you!" Zhao Qian couldn't help crying.
Li Yu also saw his legs. Zhao Qian only said that his brother was injured before, but he didn't expect that his legs were broken. These people really went too far!
Although the hospital tried its best to reattach his leg, the medical condition at this time was just that. There would be no problem in walking normally in the future, but it was impossible to continue pulling the car.
Brother Zhao Qian squeezed out a smile and said: "Don't cry, brother! How are you doing, brother! At least I can last another ten years. I won't lose to you again!" "
"Stop talking, brother!"
"Also, how many times have I told you not to come here again! I am responsible for my own affairs. If they know that you are my brother, they will definitely ask you for money. Just let them come to me. At worst, I’ll give them my life!”
While the two were talking, a woman was heard talking to the doctor from the medical center outside the door.
The woman said in a special gentle voice with a hint of romance: "Boss, if you wait a little longer for yesterday's medicine, I will be able to pay it back to you in a short time."
The doctor sighed: "Feng Ling, of course it can be relieved, but the medicine costs a lot of money. I'm not telling you, but for Zhao Qian, you can be considered as benevolent and righteous, and that's about it!"
The woman said: "No! His brother was injured because of me, how could I ignore it?"
The boss said: "You are not the poor man you used to be. How much money can you have now? Don't get yourself involved."
The woman said firmly: "I don't care, I'm in charge anyway!"
Fengling used to be the shepherd of the Golden Flower Class. The Golden Flower Class was a romantic place where the famous Sai Jinhua bloomed.
As mentioned above, Qingyin Xiaoban is the highest-level brothel. The girls in it are prostitutes but not their bodies. They are the so-called "Qinghuren".
But things are not so absolute. Some funders are willing to spend money to "make money." "Being a flowerhead" is similar to giving rewards to anchors now, starting with at least 10 taels of silver at a time.
If you give a lot, you can get close to her. In fact, the madam sold the girl to the big brother.
This kind of ceremony is quite solemn, commonly known as "combing the comb". There will be many red lanterns, a lot of red silk, and big dragon and phoenix candles.
Jin Xiangyu, played by Maggie Cheung in "New Dragon Inn", sang the phrase "Light the candles on August 15th". The so-called lighting of candles is the same as that of the Qing Dynasty.
From now on, the Qing shepherds became "Hunguanren", and the "Hun" who fished in troubled waters were also called "Red shepherds".
It would be fine if the eldest brother on the list really kept her as a concubine, but I couldn't stand the fact that some eldest brothers on the list were afraid of their real wives when they came home even though they were having fun outside. Or for some other reasons, such as being attacked by political opponents, they had no choice but to abandon her.
The red waiter will definitely never return to the Qingyin class and can only enter the teahouse one level below.
But after all, she was from the Qingyin class, Fengling was pretty, and she knew how to play music, chess, calligraphy and painting, so she was obviously much better than the other girls in the teahouse.
In addition, she is from Sai Jinhua's Golden Flower Class, and she is even more popular.
In the past, Sai Jinhua was a side chamber of the No. 1 scholar. When she entered the sea again, she was known as the "No. 1 scholar on the flower list" and became famous throughout the world. The women she trained were also more bookish, and were quite popular among dignitaries.