Some people call them "Xiao Guasheng" or "Xiao Gua" very affectionately.

Although they have different names, these wandering girls are all very enthusiastic about melons.

They either exchanged simple greetings with Gua Sheng, or gave him some food while greeting him.

Thanks to the melons, Ogata tasted yokan, steamed buns, daifuku, glutinous rice dumplings, and other delicacies in less than an hour.

Ogata himself can't remember how many wandering girls he and Gua Sheng have gone through so far.

After stuffing a piece of Dorayaki that a wandering girl had just given them into their mouths and swallowing it, Ogata said to Kuaou beside him with a tone that contained a hint of helplessness and admiration:

"Miss Guasheng, you are so popular among the traveling girls... Every traveling girl knows you and greets you warmly."

"Not only did I greet you warmly, I also gave you a bunch of food."

The scene where the girls gave food to Gua Sheng just now... Although it may be strange to say this, Ogata really felt like he was "feeding a pet"...

Whenever a wandering girl offers food, Gua Sheng will be filled with excitement and accept it with a bang. In addition, Gua Sheng is particularly short, and most of the wandering girls are taller than Gua Sheng, so

It seems more like "feeding pets"...

"This may be related to the fact that I am also a girl."

Guasheng said in a half-joking tone.

"I am the only woman among all the people in the Shirobei Club who are responsible for maintaining security in Yoshihara, so compared to other men, the wandering girls definitely prefer me, who is also a woman."

After saying that, Gua Sheng handed Ogata the last piece of daifuku left in the paper package in his hand.

"Come on, Majima-kun, I can't eat anymore, so I'll give you this piece of cake."

Ogata didn't make any excuses, took the big blessing from Gua Sheng and started to gnaw it.

Looking at the daifuku in his hand that had been half bitten by him, Ogata asked Gua Sheng beside him in a voice that was somewhat muffled because of the daifuku stuffed in his mouth:

"Why do all the wandering girls have so much to eat?"

"These meals are basically given by the guests." Guasheng replied, "There are very few guests who can lavishly give gold, silver and jewelry to the wandering girls."

"In fact, most of the people who come to visit Yoshihara are ordinary people."

"The only things that ordinary people can give away without looking shabby are delicacies."

"Travel girls usually cannot enter and exit Yoshiwara freely, so if someone brings some food from outside Yoshiwara that they have not usually eaten, the travel girls will be quite happy."

"Sometimes the guests bring too much food, so the girls will share it with their friends, or give it to the official servants of our Shirobei Club."

Speaking of this, Guasheng licked his lips.

"I seem to have eaten too much just now...I'm a little thirsty..."

Hearing what Gua Sheng said, Ogata also felt his throat was a little thirsty.

Ogata looked around: "Is there any teahouse nearby..."

"Ah!" Gua Sheng suddenly shouted softly as if he remembered something, "Mashima-kun, I will take you to a place, you come with me."

"Where to go?" Ogata asked doubtfully.

"Stay in the house."

Gua Sheng said a name that was quite unfamiliar to Ogata.

“Different customers come to Yoshiwara every day.”

"Some of the guests who visit Yoshiwara are ordinary rural people."

"Some are warriors or businessmen with good family backgrounds."

"If you want to entertain these distinguished guests, it is not enough to be beautiful. You must also have good conversation, knowledge, and self-cultivation."

"So our Shirobei club opened a stay room."

"You can think of Liuwu as a school dedicated to teaching wandering girls how to read and write."

"Our Shirobei Club hired teachers to stay in the house to teach."

“Because it’s free, many young girls who can’t read or write or who want to have a deeper education sign up to study in a dormitory.”

"Even our wind chime master went to stay in the house to study."

"Did the oiran also go there to study?" Ogata raised his eyebrows in surprise, "A person who can become an oiran should be better educated than many samurai from well-off families, right?"

"Feng Ling Taifu is a very studious person. He goes to Liuwu's place every day to read and write, and he never slacks off."

After saying that, Guasheng raised his head and glanced at the position of the sun.

"Lectures should have started over at Liuwu now."

After Ogata quietly listened to Kuao's introduction to the details of the school in Touya, he sincerely praised:

"Are you teaching the wandering girls how to read and write for free... This stay is really good. This way, the wandering girls can have a skill after they leave Yoshiwara."

After listening to Gua Sheng's introduction to Touya, Ogata couldn't help but become a little curious about this school specifically open to wandering girls.

"I also think this stay is great."

Guasheng said with a smile.

"Improving the education of wandering girls will give them the opportunity to entertain guests who can spend a lot of money, and they can more quickly raise enough money to redeem themselves."

"It was the idea of ​​the current leader of our Shirobei Club, the Sixth Generation Shirobei, to build this stay that is open to wandering girls for free."

"Although our Shirobei Club is responsible for the cost of building and operating the residence, almost everyone in our club is in favor of Shirobei-sama's idea of ​​teaching wandering girls to read and write for free.

Never stop talking."

"But does this have anything to do with the fact that we are going to stay in the house now?" Ogata nodded and asked.

"There is always a delicious tea in the house."

"I usually patrol Yoshiwara, and when I feel thirsty, I go to Touya's place and drink some of their tea."

"I'll take you to taste Liuwu's tea now."

"By the way, I'll take you to note where the house is."

"Okay." After listening to Gua Sheng's introduction to Touya, Ogata, who was already somewhat curious about Touya, nodded without any hesitation.

"Then let's go." Gua Sheng held onto the wooden sword on his waist, and then led Ogata to turn towards the next intersection.

Turning this intersection, Ogata and Guasheng suddenly found three wandering girls gathering on the side of the road not far away, looking sneaky.

Gua Sheng, who felt a little confused, walked forward:

"What are you doing?"

When the three tourist girls saw Gua Sheng coming, they did not show any panic and greeted Gua Sheng warmly.

"I didn't do anything." A very tall wandering girl among the three people said, "It's just that a customer gave me an interesting thing last night, and I was showing it to these two friends of mine."

"Oh? Something interesting?" Gua Sheng looked curious, "What is it?"

"This... Miss Guasheng, you'd better not know what this is." The tall wandering girl smiled bitterly, "I don't think you will like this kind of thing, Miss Guasheng. So I won't show it to you.

I'm sorry."

"That's it, it doesn't matter." Although he was rejected by the tall wandering girl, Gua Sheng, who was not a gossip, did not show any signs of frustration or dissatisfaction.

After waving his hands cheerfully, he said: "Then I'll leave first. You three can chat slowly."

…

…

After Ogata and Gua Sheng left, the three wandering girls hurriedly gathered back together side by side.

"Look." The tall wandering girl took out a thick paper bag from her arms. After unwrapping the paper bag, she revealed what was inside - a ball as thick as an adult's thumb that exuded a strange smell.

of pills.

"This is the 'Rendan Pill'." The tall wandering girl said word by word.

The other two wandering girls looked at the black pill and swallowed.

"Is this the 'Human Dan Pill'..." one of the wandering girls murmured.

"Is this really a genuine product from the Yamada Asemon family?" another wandering girl asked.

"It should be so..." the tall wandering girl said, "Anyway, the customer who gave me this pill said it was genuine. As for whether it is genuine, I don't know."

"The customer who gave you this pill is really strange... Why should I give you a pill specially used to treat lung diseases?"

"He is a medicine dealer." The tall wandering girl said, "He can't give away gold, silver and jewelry, so he always gives me medicine."

"I told him a few days ago that I have been coughing recently. This is probably the reason why he gave me the 'Rendan Pills', but he delivered the medicine late... My cough has been cured."

"This is the first time I have seen...'Human gallbladder pills' made from human gallbladder...Doesn't it taste very bitter...By the way, why didn't you show Guasheng your gallbladder pill just now?"

Maru'ah?"

"I've heard someone say before - Miss Guasheng doesn't like this kind of medicine made from human internal organs, so it's better not to show her this 'Human Gallbladder Pill', otherwise Miss Guasheng will be unhappy.

It’s not going to be good.”
To be continued...