Chapter Text
The morning’s sunrays dappled the room of the Verdigris House through elegant curtains. That particular room was filled with the smell of herbs, even when the window was cracked open as it was. A light breeze found its way in, barely swaying the rows of drying herbs on the opposite wall. A strand of dark green hair wandered onto the girl’s face.
Maomao stirred under her blanket before blinking awake. She sat up, yawning and holding her hand over her mouth. Using the clothes she had laid out the night before, she dressed herself, a simple green tunic wrapping around her torso and a magenta skirt below it. She slipped her feet into the brown shoes by the door. There was a small bag of candies on the dresser, which she smiled softly at. She pocketed the bag and opened the door to an empty hallway.
The brothel was elegant inside and out. Polished wood framed the walkways, and deep red pillars held the building upright. The air was thick with incense, though it was lighter early in the morning. There was a peaceful atmosphere, contrasting with the usual bustle and business of the house. Now, it was early morning, and the girls had yet to stir.
Maomao drifted through the house, completing regular chores swiftly. She counted medicines, checked powders and poultices, and opened windows to let fresh air in. While she was employed as a serving girl, her chores reflected those of an apothecary.
She made her way to the ground floor, finding a room on the edge of the house. In the corner was a raised area with tons of drawers in mahogany wood. She slid off her shoes before crawling next to the low table and taking a mortar and pestle in hand.
Inside the small bowl, she crushed together a mix of dried marigolds and a small amount of oil. Gradually, she added more of each ingredient, creating a paste. It was methodical work: the kind Maomao preferred and enjoyed.
As the sun rose higher, Maomao started to hear others in the house waking up. Soft footsteps ran up and down the halls, serving girls and courtesans alike walking through the building. Maomao eventually put down her tools and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.
She muttered thanks to the cook as she took a bowl of porridge with fruits and sat at one of the tables to eat. A couple of people said hello to her as they passed, but most paid no mind to her. She was just the strange girl who liked herbs and occasionally played the role of a doctor for the house.
When Maomao was almost done with her bowl, another woman stepped into the room, dressed in a simple but colorful dress that showed off her bosom. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Maomao, and she fluttered over to hug the girl from behind.
“Good morning, Maomao! How is the birthday girl?”
“Morning, Pairin.” Maomao sighed and suppressed a smile. “I’m well.” She tilted her head forward so it was less against Pairin’s chest. The woman let go of Maomao and sat beside her, smiling and putting her head in her hand.
“Did you try the candies?”
In response, Maomao found the small bag in her sleeve and placed it between them. “Not yet.”
Pairin reached for it and loosed the string, revealing pink triangular candies. She took one and popped it into her mouth. Maomao did the same and sucked slightly on it. It was sweet, which wasn’t usually her preference, but it had good flavor. Strawberries and… was it honey?
“Joka and Meimei have some other treats for you. I’m not sure they’re awake yet, though.” Maomao nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for our little sister. I can’t believe you’re already seventeen! I remember when you were just learning to walk. Even then, you waddled straight towards the herbs and medicine. There was once when Meimei and I had to pull you away from a poisonous plant outside. You were so intent on eating it.”
“Sounds like me.” Maomao never really had a mother growing up, only her sisters and the old lady of the house. However, Pairin was the one who nursed her as a baby, able to feed her milk even though she never had a child of her own. She was a mother in nature, and Maomao hoped Pairin could have her own children one day. She was the closest thing to a mother that Maomao had.
The two made their way back to the apothecary room, where Maomao continued making more paste. Soon, they were joined by Meimei and Joka, the former holding a small box and the latter gripping a small bag.
“Happy birthday, Maomao!” they said in unison.
“Seventeen– what a special day! You’re practically a woman now.” Joka placed the bag in front of Maomao and opened it. “I found these peppers at the market. The seller said they were rare and could have medicinal properties, so I thought you’d enjoy them!”
Maomao smiled softly and nodded. “Thanks, Joka.”
Meimei swiftly appeared next to Joka. “You’ve probably eaten breakfast already, but I got you these.” She opened the box to reveal two buns and a skewer. “You can have it at lunch. It’s spicy buns and a meat skewer! Made fresh this morning. I woke up early to get them from down the street.”
Maomao leaned forward to inhale the smell of the food, and her eyes sparkled. “Those smell amazing. Thank you. Thank you all for the presents.”
“Anything for our little apothecary!”
The three women leaned in and hugged Maomao, nearly crushing her between them. When she let out a small noise of protest, they giggled and released her.
Joka put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I spoke to the old lady last night. She said she’d visit you today. I can’t say it will be for birthday wishes, so I wanted to let you know.”
Maomao nodded. “I appreciate it.” She felt her stomach drop. What did the Madame of the Verdigris House want to talk to her about? She had an idea… something the old lady had planned for a while. She hoped she was wrong.
The day continued as normal, and Maomao completed her chores and made medicines. She delivered some to courtesans– Baoling, for example, was a young woman developing early arthritis, and Maomao made a paste for her to help with aching. Another courtesan played the harp, so her fingers often had cuts and irritations for Maomao to treat.
When Maomao settled down for lunch, opening the box from Meimei, the old lady walked in. She had her cane in one hand and a soft package in the other.
“Ah, great, you’re here. I thought you would be.” She pulled up a chair and sat across from Maomao. “I need to talk to you.” She placed the package between them, and Maomao took it tentatively.
“Hello, Granny.” She waited a moment to see if the older woman would speak again, then opened the parcel. She pulled at the strings until it opened, revealing beautiful orange fabric with green details. Maomao lifted it and identified it as a sleeveless dress. The hem had little red flowers, and the sash was dark green. The color made her think of an orange fruit with its vibrancy. “A dress,” Maomao noted aloud.
“I’m sure you can guess what this is for.” The woman put an elbow on the table between them. “I’m officially employing you as a courtesan.”
Maomao fought a sigh. She had seen it coming, of course, but she had hoped things would be different. She didn’t understand it. How could a short, thin, flat-as-a-board girl like her work as a courtesan?
“I see.” She folded the dress and looked at the Madam.
“I’ve decided you will be good for the customers. I’m sure the girls will train you well.” ‘The girls’ would probably be her three sisters, and they had already taught her most of the information that would suit a courtesan. “Some men like the mysterious, aloof type. You’ll be good at playing that. Of course, I’ll still allow you this little apothecary room. Many people here appreciate you and your medicines.” Maomao sighed internally with relief.
“Thank you,” Maomao said, her voice somewhat cautious. “Though, if I am going to have a contract now… I ask that you don’t let anyone buy it out.” She frowned ever so slightly. By ‘anyone,’ she mostly meant one man. It was the one man who had been trying to bargain with the old lady for her the past few years.
“Hm… I can’t promise that, but I’ll do my best to keep you here. Money is money.” Maomao nodded. From the lady, that was enough assurance. “We’ll finalize your contract tonight. Don’t want to ruin your birthday completely, you know.” She barked a laugh before continuing. “Tomorrow will be your first day. Simple things first, of course. Pouring wine for guests. No dancing or taking clients of your own yet.” It was only a step up from what she did now. Maomao was thankful she wouldn’t have to take clients yet, but didn’t let that show.
“I understand.”
The old lady nodded before standing up. “I’ll take my leave, then. Don’t disappoint.”
Maomao watched her go, then ate her meal in silence.
The food had helped her mood a bit, but after inspecting her oily hair, she decided to take a bath. No one would mind, since it was her birthday and therefore somewhat of a day off. She entered the baths and set her clothes aside to grab a bar of soap and a towel. She left the latter at the edge of the water, then dipped in. It was comfortably warm, and Maomao sank in easily.
“A courtesan, huh?” she murmured to herself. She rubbed a strand of hair between two fingers, then removed the beads and ribbon. With a light splash, she dunked her head under the water and soaked her hair.
Her life had been nice the past few years. Being a servant wasn’t so bad, and being a healer, even just for the girls of the house, was fulfilling. But this day had been inevitable, so she might as well face it with dignity. The life of a courtesan was familiar to her; she saw it in all the girls around her. Those like Pairin, Meimei, and Joka enjoyed it. Then again, they were the three princesses and didn’t have to deal with the worst of the clients. Only the rich could afford them, but there were rotten ones among them, too. Maomao saw the way some of the lower courtesans were treated. Being a courtesan made men think they could treat you with less respect. Some saw courtesans as toys to be played with. Most did, in fact.
Maomao could make the best out of this. She would have to. Every moment off the stage could be spent with herbs and medicine. She could still tend to her gardens in the courtyard. At least she wasn’t on the street; she was safer in the house than out there. Maomao could fight for herself, even with someone like her Granny. She would have a strict no-touch policy, like most of the courtesans, and enforce it well. If someone got too close, Maomao knew how to deal with them. A needle dipped in poison, a poultice that stung the skin, a little drop in a drink, not enough to kill but enough to disarm… all of these could be self-defence for her. It would benefit the other courtesans as well.
She’d be sure to stock up on poisons the next few weeks.
When Maomao lifted her head out of the water and took in a breath, she noticed another girl at the entrance: Meimei. With one hand, she gestured for her sister to come over, and with the other, she scrubbed her now-wet hair with soap.
Meimei approached and set her clothes aside too, sinking into the water next to Maomao. She let out a relaxed sigh and stayed quiet, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the peace. Maomao thought she looked serene, but then again, Meimei always looked that way.
A few moments later, Meimei spoke. “I heard about the old lady’s decision. I see where she’s coming from, but you don’t exactly want to be a courtesan, do you?”
Maomao shrugged. “I don’t, but I guess I am indebted to the Verdigris house. It’s about time I paid that off and helped bring in more money for it.”
“Personally, I don’t see you as indebted.” Meimei sighed and opened her eyes to look at Maomao softly. “You’ve done so much for the girls as a healer.”
“I appreciate that, but it doesn’t matter what you think.” She scrubbed her arms. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to go. I’ll be making myself more useful now.” Meimei frowned slightly.
“Here, let me scrub your back.” Maomao opened her mouth to protest, but Meimei had already grabbed the soap and one of Maomao’s shoulders. She hummed a little as she made circles on the girl’s back with the bar of soap. “Just know, if you ever need anything, we’re here for you.” Maomao nodded.
She had no idea what the next few weeks would hold. Looking forward, she didn’t even know where she’d be in a few years. Would the old man win and take her away? Would another rich official buy her out? Would she be a courtesan until sickness or age drove her away from the profession? Would she ever just get to be an apothecary? It was uncertain. Maomao didn’t like it, but the future would come whether she wanted it to or not. Might as well go with it.
“I know,” she murmured. Meimei’s hands on her back were soothing. She closed her eyes and let herself be calmed by the steam from the water and her sister’s comfort.