Uesugi, who was a few steps behind Ogata, came out of the room at a faster pace than Ogata. He rushed to Ogata's side and asked him in a surprised tone:
"Mashima-kun, you can speak Chinese?"
"The teacher at the Terakoya where I studied before could speak Chinese," Ogata said. "I learned Chinese from this teacher."
The lie that Ogata made up was flawless.
After all, this reason sounds very reasonable, and no one can verify its authenticity.
After listening to Ogata's casually made-up reason, which seemed completely unproblematic at first glance, Ueyu nodded seriously:
"That's amazing... Mashima-kun, now that you have the skill of 'speaking Chinese', you don't have to worry about food and drink anymore. In the future, if you open a private school specializing in teaching Chinese in some big towns, you will definitely be flooded with people who come to study."
What Guasheng said is correct.
Having the skill of "speaking Chinese" makes it very easy to find a way to make a living in this era.
Because Sinology, headed by Zhu Xi's philosophy, occupied the absolute mainstream of the academic world of that era, there must be people who have great academic aspirations or simply want to show off their knowledge and want to learn Chinese.
So, as Uesugi said, if Ogata opened a private school specializing in teaching Chinese in big cities such as Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka in the future, he would not have to worry about not having customers.
With the skill of "speaking Chinese", you can even apply for the position of translator for the shogunate.
Although Japan adopted a "closed-door policy" during the Edo period, it still maintained normal diplomatic relations with China, Korea and the Netherlands.
In order to maintain normal diplomatic relations with these three countries, the shogunate has always been training or recruiting talents who can speak the languages ​​of these three countries.
Therefore, if you can speak Chinese and apply for a translator position at the shogunate, the shogunate will definitely welcome you.
After hearing what Uesugi said, Ogata smiled:
"Opening a private school to teach Chinese in Oshiro Town... That's a good idea, but unfortunately I have no interest in teaching."
While chatting, the two left the house one after another.
The air with a faint scent of powder came towards them again.
After walking all the way to a place far away from the house, Guasheng slowly stopped, put his hands on his hips, took a deep breath of the fresh air outside, and smiled widely:
“It’s so relaxing!”
After saying that, Uesugi raised his hand and patted Ogata on the back.
However, because Ueo is about 30cm shorter than Ogata, Ueo has to raise his hands slightly to touch Ogata's back.
"Mashima-kun, did you see the expression on Takigawa's face when he heard you recite the Analects in Chinese?"
After raising his hand and patting Ogata on the back, Uesugi continued.
"When I saw that a ronin who had only studied in a terakoya for a few years, whom I looked down upon, could recite the Analects so fluently in Chinese, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets."
"It's a pity that I can't draw."
"If I could draw, I would definitely draw Takigawa's expressive expression just now."
"Also, Mashima-kun, I don't know if you noticed just now. While Takigawa was giving that long speech just now, his eyes were always glancing at Furin-no-Tayu."
"I really haven't noticed." Ogata said at this time.
Ogata was just concentrating on listening to Takigawa's "profound speech" and didn't pay attention to, nor did he want to pay attention to where Takigawa's eyes were looking.
"When I saw his expression, I knew what he was thinking - he wanted to get the praise of Furin Taifu."
The corner of Guasheng's mouth curled up in a mocking arc.
"That guy is really persistent. Taifu has shown in numerous occasions, both overtly and covertly, that she has no interest in Takigawa, but Takigawa still keeps trying to get close to Taifu."
"Fortunately, the lady never even looked at Takigawa from beginning to end."
After saying all these words in one breath, Guasheng let out a long breath and looked refreshed.
After Guayushi finished speaking, Ouba smiled wryly and said softly:
"Ms. Ueyu, I now fully understand why you said that Takigawa was a rather annoying guy. In the eyes of a lower-ranking samurai like me, he is indeed quite annoying."
In the extremely brief contact with Takigawa just now, the most profound impression Takigawa left on Ogata was arrogance, and there was always a sense of superiority in his words.
When Takigawa was talking about his so-called "political ideas", his words always had a sense of "looking down on others from above".
With the attitude of a "superior", he advises "lower-class people" like Ogata on how to get rid of poverty.
"I am the daughter of an ordinary samurai." After hearing Ogata's sigh, Ueyu also smiled bitterly, and then slowly said, "So I can't stand Takigawa's arrogant attitude and such ideas."
"However, from what I know, there seem to be quite a few people who are positive about Takigawa's proposal."
"Those who think Takigawa's ideas are correct are basically high-ranking samurai like Takigawa who come from the hatamoto or samurai families."
Guasheng had a troubled look on his face, and as his expression became serious, he raised his hand and scratched his hair.
"We are all warriors, but our thoughts and ideas are completely different..."
"We are all samurai, but we have completely different ideas... I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."
After expressing this little emotion, Guasheng sighed softly.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."
The beautiful smile reappeared on Guasheng's face.
"Come on, Mashima-kun, I'll take you to familiarize yourself with the layout of Yoshiwara. We still have a lot of places to go."
"Yeah." Ogata, who also didn't want to dwell on this topic any longer, smiled and nodded, "Let's go."
…
…
The total area of ​​Yoshiwara is about 20,000 square meters.
One tsubo in the Edo period is approximately 3.31 square meters in modern times.
That is to say, the total area of ​​Yoshiwara is about 66,200 square meters.
It is a place that is not particularly big, but if you say it is small, it is not particularly small either.
Although Uesugi had said before that she wanted to take Ogata around the entire Yoshiwara before lunch, this was still a bit too much of a stretch.
By the time Ueokata took Ogata to tour the entire Yoshiwara, it was already around 4 p.m.
It is autumn now, and it gets dark quickly. It is almost dark at this time.
Since it was almost dark, Uesugi simply invited Ogata to come to Shirobei Club to sit with her and rest for a while.
After resting for an hour or two and waiting until dark, Osamu could officially start his first day of work in Yoshiwara.
At this point in time, it is almost dark before we even get back to the hotel.
Therefore, Ogata readily agreed to Uesugi's proposal.
According to Uesugi, the Shirobei Club has many rooms specially used for officials like them to rest on weekdays.
Ueo led Ogata back to the Shirobei Club, which was located next to the Yoshiwara main gate.
After bringing Ogata to the door of an empty rest room, Uesugi turned his head and said to Ogata:
"Rest in the room for a while. I'll go get you something. I'll be back soon."
"Help me get something?" Ogata asked in confusion, "What is it?"
"You'll know this later. Go into the room and rest first. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, Uesugi turned around and quickly left Ogata's sight.
After watching Uesugi leave, Ogata slowly opened the paper sliding door of the room.
This room specially used for the officials of the club to rest is quite spacious, about the size of 8 and a half tatami mats, and is completely sufficient to be used as a temporary resting room.
I just wonder if all the rest rooms are this big.
Since it is a room specially used for the officials of the club to rest, there naturally won't be too much furniture in the room.
The whole room could be described as empty, with only a few cushions and thin quilts piled in the corner that were neither clean nor dirty.
This cushion and thin blanket must have been used by the officials of the club to take a nap in this room.
Uesugi didn't keep Ogata waiting for too long.
Not long after Ogata entered the room and sat down on the tatami, Ueo came back.
Compared to before he left, Uesugi had one more thing in his hand - a dark blue haori.
"This is for you." Uesugi handed the haori in his hand to Ogata, "When it gets dark and we start working, you can put on this haori."
After Ogata took the haori and shook it open, he was shocked to find that this haori was exactly the work uniform that Shirobei wore at the club - there were two Chinese characters for "club" painted on each side of the lapels, and a big character for "门" painted on the back.
"Do I have to wear this?" Ogata shook the haori in his hand.
Ogata prefers the light green onion-colored haori with a refreshing color scheme.
As for the dark blue haori in his hand...to be honest, Ogata didn't have much desire to put it on.
"Of course ." Uesugi nodded and sat down opposite Ogata without any image. "If you don't wear this, how will other people in Yoshiwara know that you are an official of the club?"
"We occasionally have to go outside Yoshiwara to hunt down thieves who committed crimes in Yoshiwara but then fled outside Yoshiwara."
"When you leave Yoshiwara, remember to wear this haori inside out."
Uesugi took the haori back from Ogata's hand, and then turned the haori over, so that the lining of the haori became the outer cover, and the outer cover became the lining.
After turning this haori inside out, the words "Club" and "Gate" originally painted on the lapels and back are completely invisible because the original outer skin is lined outside, and it has become an ordinary solid color haori.
"This is one of the rules of our club. When you go out to Yoshiwara to do business, you have to wear the haori inside out. I don't know the specific reason for this rule."
"But I guess it was to conceal their presence. To avoid causing the citizens to have unwarranted fantasies after seeing the officials wearing the Shirobei Club's special haori walking around the streets of Edo."
"So that's how it is..." Ogata nodded seriously, "No wonder you were wearing your haori inside out when I first saw you at the sushi restaurant yesterday."
Yesterday at noon, when he first met Uekusa in the sushi restaurant whose name he had forgotten, Obe noticed that Uekusa was wearing his dark blue haori inside out.
Ogata was very confused at the time, but now the question has finally been answered.
After returning the haori to Ogata, Ueyu took off the wooden sword from his waist and placed it on the tatami mat beside him. He then asked Ogata in a joking tone:
"Mashima-kun, how is it? What do you think after touring Yoshiwara?"
"I don't have any strong feelings." Ogata, who was kneeling solemnly opposite Uesugi, scratched his hair. "If I have to say there is something that left a deep impression... the scenery on the bank of the Rashomon River is much better than I imagined..."
Last night, when I came to Yoshiwara for the first time with Atachi, Obunaga had heard Ueo introduce the Rashomon Riverbank.
According to Uesugi, that area was the most chaotic place in Yoshiwara. Most of the prostitutes who were no longer able to receive customers due to old age or illness ended up on the banks of the Rashomon River.
Ogata originally thought that the area should be desolate, with only a few intact houses.
But this afternoon, after taking a walk along the Rashomon Riverbank, Ogata was surprised to find that the Rashomon Riverbank was not as dilapidated as he had imagined.
Although there are indeed some houses that are dilapidated, they are not numerous.
Most of the houses looked as if they had been recently renovated.
Not only the houses were like this, the road on the Rashomon Riverside also looked like it had been renovated recently.
"Oh, about that." Guess smiled, "Do you think Rashomon Riverbank is not as dilapidated as you imagined?"
"Yes." Ogata nodded. "Just from the state of the houses and roads, it's hard to tell that it's the most chaotic place in Yoshiwara."
"It's normal for you to feel this way. The old Rashomon Riverbank was indeed just as you imagined. There weren't many intact houses left."
"The reason why you have become so much more beautiful now is all thanks to Furin Taifu."
"Fuu Ling Taifu?" Ogata asked doubtfully.
"I seem to have forgotten to tell you." Uesugi said seriously, "Furin Taifu was born on the banks of the Rashomon River."
“…Huh?” Ogata tilted his head.
"Furin no Taifu was born on the banks of the Rashomon River." Uesugi repeated what she had just said. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is true. This is no longer a secret in Yoshiwara. Everyone knows that Furin no Taifu was born on the banks of the Rashomon River."
Ogata was so surprised that he was speechless.
Although the condition of the houses and roads on the other side of the Rashomon River was much different from what Ogata had imagined, the mental outlook of the prostitutes living on the Rashomon River and the atmosphere in the air were not much different from what Ogata had imagined.
There were not many pedestrians on the Rashomon Riverbank, only a few of them, and according to Uesugi, they were all prostitutes living on the Rashomon Riverbank.
These prostitutes either had obvious signs of old age or illness on their faces.
When Ueyu and Ogata passed by them, they either turned a blind eye or gave them blank looks that were either numb or simply devoid of any emotion.
The atmosphere in the air on the Rashomon Riverbank is completely different from that in other places.
To use a more vivid metaphor... the air on the banks of the Rashomon River seems to be filled with a lot of ice, and there is almost no sense of human vitality and breath.
It was really hard for Ogata to equate the glamorous Furin-taifu with a place like the Rashomon Riverbank.
"Although prostitutes generally take necessary pregnancy prevention measures when receiving guests, these pregnancy prevention measures are not always effective."
Guasheng told the story slowly.
"Furin Taifu is the child that a certain courtesan accidentally conceived when she was old and had to live on the banks of the Rashomon River."
"Children like this are quite common in Yoshiwara."
"These children were either secretly abandoned by the prostitutes, or raised by responsible prostitutes."
"And Fuujiro is very lucky to be the latter."
"After accidentally getting pregnant with Furin Taifu, Taifu's mother did not abort the baby, but gave birth to him and raised him."
"I don't know if I've ever told you this - Oiran are trained from a young age. Those who don't decide to become a prostitute until they are in their teens or twenties will never become an Oiran in their entire lives."
"Those powerful brothels will specifically pick out those little girls who have the potential to become oiran when they recruit girls."
"Then we train these little girls who have the potential to become oiran from a young age."
"Only girls who have been trained since childhood have the chance to become an oiran."
"When Furin Taifu was only a few years old, she showed a beauty far beyond that of other people of the same age."
"After the people of the Umeya took a liking to the lady, they brought her to the Umeya with the consent of her mother and herself, and trained her as a 'future oiran'."
"After living up to everyone's expectations and becoming a bald man, Furisode Shinzo... and finally becoming an oiran after passing many tests, Furin Taifu has become the biggest cash cow of the Umeya family."
"Not only did she earn a lot of money for Miumeya, she also earned a huge fortune for herself that would put samurai and merchants to shame."
"But she spent almost all the money she earned last year."
"It is used to repair the Rashomon Riverbank."
"It is thanks to Furin-Tayu that the Rashomon Riverbank has a completely new look."