In such places, women usually don't have children, and the boss won't give you time to have children. But Qingwen was stubborn and insisted on giving birth to the child because she felt it was the young master's and that this child was her chance to turn things around. To protect the child, she signed a huge IOU with the boss, basically meaning she would never leave Hong Yuan for the rest of her life.

The sisters in the brothel all advised her not to be silly, to have an abortion, and say a few nice words to the boss; the boss might not really make things difficult for her.

But Qingwen was never one to listen to advice, saying that the sisters were jealous of her and couldn't stand to see her doing well. Once she soared to the top, everyone would know that she was actually a phoenix. Even if the young master went abroad, he would eventually return. The young master was a man of love and loyalty, and since she was carrying his child, he would definitely marry her in a grand manner. This angered the sisters so much that they didn't want to bother with her anymore.

Later, the child was finally born. There was no need for a DNA test; just looking at the face, you could tell it was one of Qingwen's customers from Hong Yuan. That customer had recently been killed in a fight. If that wasn't bad enough, the child was born mute, and no one wanted to adopt it.

Qingwen had originally wanted to turn things around, but in the end, not only did she not give birth to the young master's child, but she also ended up with a disabled child and a debt that she could never repay in her lifetime. She almost went crazy. The boss was afraid that she would really go crazy and lose everything, so he told the sisters to enlighten her, telling her that many girls who worked in Hong Yuan later married into wealthy families and lived good lives.

It was all a lie. There were indeed women from Hong Yuan who married into wealthy families, but there had only been one in the past decade or so, and she had died mysteriously in the second year of her marriage. Those in this line of work find it difficult to marry even an honest man, let alone a rich one. But Qingwen stubbornly believed it, dressing up carefully and working hard to receive customers every day. Coupled with her own good looks, she quickly became the boss's cash cow. With the monthly debt repayment quota met, she had more freedom and pocket money.

However, Qingwen's better days did not mean better days for the little mute. The little mute was still hungry and full inconsistently, and sometimes was even Qingwen's punching bag. One sister couldn't stand it and said a few words to Qingwen, who then complained about her to the boss. As a result, the sister was assigned by the boss to a lower-class place to serve customers.

From then on, no one said anything anymore. Anyway, it was her own child, and a fatherless one at that. She could do whatever she wanted with it.

But people are truly strange sometimes. Qingwen treated the little mute so badly, yet the little mute was particularly dependent on Qingwen and treated her exceptionally well. If Qingwen cried, the child would help her wipe away her tears. If she was tired, the child would help her massage her legs. The child wouldn't allow anyone to say anything bad about Qingwen.

But even so, it still couldn't warm Qingwen's cold heart. Qingwen would take out her anger on the little mute at the slightest frustration, sometimes locking the child in a small room for three or four days, and the child wouldn't even dare to cry.

Such days passed for several years. Qingwen not only didn't age at all, but she became even more beautiful. Finally, one day, she went out for a stroll in a pure and innocent getup and was spotted by a wealthy young man. The wealthy young man didn't know she was from Hong Yuan and mistook her for a college student from some school.

Qingwen took the mistake and pretended to be a college student, quickly trapping the rich second-generation. Then, Qingwen fabricated a lie about being cheated by her classmates and owing a huge debt. The rich second-generation foolishly expressed his willingness to help her repay the debt.

Although the boss was reluctant to part with this cash cow, he was quite happy when someone paid off the exaggerated IOU in one lump sum. The boss generously agreed that as long as Qingwen brought back the money, he would immediately agree to her redemption and guarantee that he would not reveal her identity or ruin her good deeds. The only requirement was that Qingwen had to take the mute child with her.

The child had nothing to do with Hong Yuan in the first place; it was Qingwen's own child. When Qingwen left, she should naturally take the child with her. No one else had the obligation to raise the child for her. Qingwen didn't say anything and took the child away. But the next day, the little mute was drowned in the river, eyes wide open, unable to believe what was happening until death.

From then on, the little mute's wronged soul wandered around this neighborhood and often brought Taoists with him.

That's the story of the little mute. As for what the little mute brought the Taoists for, Jasmine didn't know.

"What happened to those Taoists who came with the little mute?" I asked.

"I don't know, they probably left. Those Taoists don't come to places like ours; we don't care where they go."

"So, have you seen those Taoists leave this neighborhood?"

Jasmine frowned and seriously recalled, telling me, "No, I haven't seen them anyway."

"How many times have you seen the little mute bring Taoists in?"

"I can't remember clearly. There must have been five or six times. Other sisters have also seen them. The little mute wanders around the neighborhood with the Taoists every time. It's normal for the sisters to run into them. That stinky fish smell is too unforgettable."

"Where was the little mute drowned?"

"The river to the north. Although it's called a river, it's actually just a stinky ditch."

"What's the name of the rich second-generation Qingwen married? Where is he from?"

"I don't know. He's not from Hua City. He seems to be from the south. Because he's not familiar with Hua City, he didn't know Qingwen was from Hong Yuan; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily deceived."

"Did Qingwen go back to the south with him now?"

"Yes, she cut off all contact with us after she left. She soared to the top and became a phoenix; why would she be friends with people like us? She looked down on us before, and now she looks down on us even more."

"I understand, thank you."

Then, I stood up directly, ready to leave.

"Are you just leaving like that?" Jasmine seemed a little reluctant to part with me. "Actually, if you like chatting, we can continue chatting. I'm not just good at that kind of thing; I can chat too. We can chat all night. Qingwen isn't the only one with a story; I have many stories too."

I smiled and thanked her again, "I know you all have stories, but I have things to do. I'll listen to your stories another time if I have the chance. If you trust me, then listen to me: stay away from that stinky ditch during this time, and don't take in customers with moles between their eyebrows, no matter how rich, generous, or handsome they are. Don't take them in even if they bring out gold bars."

"Okay, thank you." Jasmine lowered her head and reluctantly opened the door to see me out.

As I was about to reach the corridor entrance, Jasmine suddenly shouted again, "You said you'd come back to listen to my stories when you have time. You have to keep your word. You can't lie to me."

Jasmine even sounded like she was crying at the end. When I turned back, she had already slammed the door shut, and all I could see was the empty corridor.