It was difficult to tell that they were even engaging in clouds and rain. The rice merchant was perhaps Xiu's most refined client. He was a connoisseur of the tea ceremony, and anyone passing by the chamber would have thought that this was all the merchant Fu Yang and the young
jinan
âmale prostituteâwere doing: drinking tea and having an intimate moment.
And having an intimate moment was exactly what they were having. They were kneeling, closely side by side, on a tatami mat in front of a tea service on a low table. They were both clothed in rich-colored silk
hanfu
ârobesâwhich billowed around their bodies in folds that intertwined with each other. The merchant had an arm around Xiu, holding him closely into his side. Xiu was twisted away from Fu and rolled over on his thigh and hip. Somewhere in the twisted folks of the two men's hanfu an opening had been created that permitted access to Xiu's channel by Fu's
yang chu
âcock. The rice merchant was slowly and languidly pulling Xiu on and off his yang chu by the pressure and release of his arm around the jinan's body.
Xiu caught the hint of motion at the door to the chamber and looked over to see the new
zhaoguzhe
âcaretaker, manager of the Cut Sleeve Nanleshijia men's pleasure houseâpeeking around the door frame. He signaled to Xiu that they had something to discuss. Xiu inclined his head. He usually didn't rush Fu when he visited, sometimes letting him overstay his time. Xiu was too senior to have to stay within the set bounds on time, and for the men who were the most attentive in scheduling his time, he liked to extend the time, telling them that it was because they were so good to him. That kept them coming back and paying wellâand bringing him gifts for himself.
The zhaoguzhe's signal, though, told Xiu to keep the session short. The caretaker would not have interrupted the session if he did not have something important to discuss with Xiu. The new zhaoguzhe was as strict, organized, and commanding as the old one had been. Xiu wondered if all zhaoguzhe were alike. This one had stepped in like he knew the Cut Sleeve Nanleshijia intimately and had a schedule set up for Xiu almost before his month of rest after the initiating clouds and rain ceremony was over. Considering the unusual demands made on Xiu for his first clouds and rain experience, he might have asked for extra restâhe had done so for Bolin, who still had not recovered from the assault of the rough, golden-haired
kueilo
âforeign ghostâsailor. But the new zhaoguzhe reviewed the requests coming in for Xiu's services and decided that the benefits to be had of scheduling Xiu within the usual custom was just too tempting to pass up.
Xiu turned his face to Fu's and took the merchant's lips in his. The merchant was surprisedâbut not angryâat this forwardness by Xiu.
"I'm sorry, sire, I cannot resist you," Xiu murmured. "You are irresistible to me in your attentions. You make me lose control."
The rice merchant grunted his surprise and pleasure as Xiu moved his buttocks up onto Fu's lap without losing the purchase of the merchant's yang chu inside him, and started to pump his pelvis up and down on the cock, moaning and sighing, and congratulating the merchant on the size and strength of his yang chu.
Fu ejaculated well before his usual time was up, but he had been given such a surprising and unusual clouds and rain that he gave no complaint, not even realizing he was being bundled out earlier than usual.
When Xiu came to the zhaoguzhe's office after kissing the rice merchant away, he discovered that the issue was connected with the benefits to the nanleshijia's treasury that the zhaoguzhe could not resist. He found the caretaker talking in hushed and serious tones with his associate, a strange, quiet young man from the north of the kingdom of Wu who the zhaoguzhe had brought with him.
The zhaoguzhe looked up at Xiu as he entered, almost startled that the jinan had been able to end his session so quickly.
"Don't worry," Xiu said. "Fu Yang left happy."
"You are such a blessing to the nanleshijia, Xiu," the zhaoguzhe said. "I am quite sorry what must be done. But there is no choice. You have been requested specifically."
Xiu didn't speak. He was accustomed to not being the one in any scheme that was given notice or preference.
"You have, no doubt, heard of the pirate, Ming Lei?" The zhaoguzhe spoke in a low voice, while looking around the office, as if the walls had ears.
"Yes, certainly. Who has not? What of him? I have heard that he has not been bothering the shipping at the mouth of the Yangtze recently."
"He hasn't because he's been up the river bothering the shipping up there."
"And you know this becauseâ?"
"Because his emissary has told us so."
"His emissary?" Xiu didn't like the thought of where this was heading.
"Yes. Ming Lei is coming here, to the nanleshijia. Under a cover of secrecy, of course."
"And he is coming to clouds and rain with me?"
"Yes. We have no choice, really."