Kwee Seng turned his body when he heard this loud and booming voice. When he saw the person, he was stunned. Not only was Kwee Seng startled, but all the boatmen stared with wide eyes; no one answered. This speaker was a tall, large man, a head taller than the average person. Seeing his simple and loose clothing, especially his bald head, one would certainly say he was a *hwesio* (Buddhist monk). However, what was doubtful was: if he truly was a monk, why did he order meat, wine, and even prostitutes? Stranger still, he was alone, yet why did he order such a large quantity of food and drink, all in five portions, and also order five courtesans? These questions seemed to flood the minds of the boatmen, leaving them astonished and unable to answer for a long time.
"Hah! You rotten beggars, why are you silent? Are you deaf and dumb?"
The tall, large, bald man, who must have been fifty years old, roared. A boatman who was somewhat more courageous bowed while chuckling.
"Excuse me, *Lo-suhu*, but what *Lo-suhu* ordered is so much—"
The *hwesio* sneered and glanced toward Kwee Seng, who stood calmly, assessing and racking his brain to figure out who this strange *hwesio* might be.
"Heh-heh, if a poor scholar can afford to rent a boat and pay for wine, do you think I, a mere traveler, have no money?"
He rolled up both of his wide sleeves, revealing strong, muscular, hairy arms. He reached inside his robe, and out came a purse filled with money. He untied the purse, and the *hwesio* displayed pieces of gold and silver currency! The boatmen stared wide-eyed and swallowed hard. Never in their lives had they seen so much money.
"Forgive me, forgive me, *Lo-suhu*, I never doubted that *Lo-suhu* could pay. It's just that *Lo-suhu* is alone, and the order is so large, especially including five celestial maidens."
"Heh...heh, idiot! What's wrong with that? In fact, the flower of the courtesans must also serve me; whatever the cost, I will pay."
"But, *Lo-suhu*, Ang-siauw-hwa has already been hired by Lim-wangwe on the luxurious boat over there."
The boatman pointed. The tall, large *hwesio* looked and his thick-lipped mouth sneered.
"I will fetch her myself later. Now, prepare all my orders. Hurry, and here is the money; you can share the change!"
The *hwesio* took out a dozen pieces of silver currency and threw them to the boatmen as if tossing trash. The boatmen were in an uproar. Truly, that day they had stumbled upon great fortune. As if racing, they ran everywhere to fulfill the strange *hwesio*'s order. However, Kwee Seng already felt sick to his stomach, and as soon as his order arrived, he immediately boarded the small boat already filled with his food and drink, then rowed it toward the middle of the lake, no longer paying attention to the *hwesio*.
Hmmm, how tiresome. He thought. If the nation's officials enjoy stealing state money and taking bribes like starving dogs, if its monks violate their vows, drink wine, eat meat, and consort with women, what will become of the nation and the state? Thinking this far, Kwee Seng felt deeply disappointed. However, the view of the lake was truly beautiful, so his disappointment was soothed. Dusk was approaching, and the sun in the west seemed to sink into the lake water, reddish and extremely beautiful. Kwee Seng began eating the meat and vegetables, and drinking his wine little by little; indeed, he was not very fond of drinking wine.
The darker the weather, signaling nightfall, the more beautiful the scene became. The moon appeared with its brilliant light; the sky was clear, without a single cloud; the surface of the lake bathed in moonlight, seemed to burn into gold, shimmering. A gentle breeze caused the golden water to ripple slightly, and the clusters of lotus flowers here and there began to dance, swaying their hips left and right. The boats scattered across the lake surface began lighting lamps decorated with various colors—some red, green, yellow—adding to the beauty of the lake scenery. Suddenly, Kwee Seng's ears were drawn by the faint, high-pitched sound of a flute, its voice flowing high and low in accordance with the movement of the water. Kwee Seng was intrigued and rowed his boat toward the sound.
It turned out the flute sound came from a large, luxurious boat, and now Kwee Seng could hear the flute clearly. However, he immediately became disappointed. The sound had seemed beautiful earlier because it was played upon by the wind. After listening closely, he realized that even though the player mastered the melody and rhythm, the blowing lacked strength and was very weak, failing to convey the player's inner feelings. But alongside his disappointment, a heart-pounding suspicion arose. This large, luxurious boat was likely the boat of Lim-wangwe, who was hosting his five guests, and it was highly probable that the flute was being played by Ang-siauw-hwa, as the boatmen had mentioned! Hmm, if that woman truly was the one playing it, that's quite something! At the very least, if a mere courtesan could play the flute like that, she truly was an extraordinary courtesan.
When the flute stopped playing, applause and praising laughter were heard from inside the boat, indicating that the people inside were happy and impressed. Not long after, the flute sounded again, now playing Kwee Seng's favorite tune: *Bulan mengembara cari kekasih* (The Moon Wanders Seeking a Lover). If Kwee Seng had only been disappointed earlier hearing the flute playing, which he considered poor, now his ears ached hearing how his favorite song was being ruined. Unable to restrain himself any longer, the young man, already influenced by the effects of the wine, pulled a flute from inside his shirt, and soon after, the high-pitched sound of his flute soared over the lake surface, overwhelming the first flute sound coming from the large boat. Because Kwee Seng's flute sound was extraordinarily strong, the first sound was drowned out and no longer heard.
"Friend, how beautiful is the sound of your flute!"
Kwee Seng, who had just finished the last verse, quickly looked up. A woman in beautiful pink attire stood at the edge of the boat, looking like a lake goddess.
"Ah, if only I had wings, I would fly away from here to learn how to play the flute from you, friend."
Kwee Seng was astonished.
Is this the courtesan nicknamed Ang-siauw-hwa? No wonder she is famous as the flower of all courtesans in this West Lake region,