The little girl named Erya lost her biological mother early on. Her stepmother bore a son and a daughter, treating Erya as insignificant. Since childhood, she was abused, and when she turned twelve, her father and stepmother sold her to a brothel for twelve taels of silver.
Bai Mei, responsible for the task, went to Qingmei and said she wanted to redeem Erya's freedom.
"That girl escaped to your charity house?"
Madam exclaimed, "This is really setting a precedent. In the future, when these girls don't want to work, they'll all run to your charity house. How am I supposed to run this brothel?"
"Mom, please don't worry. If that happens, we might have to change our charity house's name. This is not what Lady wishes," Bai Mei remarked sharply. "The Emperor conferred the title of Lady Wei Guo and First-Grade Imperial Decree upon her because she accomplished many things ordinary people could not, and her time and energy are too precious to contend with Mom over business."
Madam...
