“Honorable gentlemen passing by, come take a look at my daughter! Big breasts and wide hips – you can tell at a glance she’s built for bearing sons! Her looks are absolutely top-notch too, only twenty taels!”
The midday sun beat down fiercely, leaving the marketplace sparsely populated.
A shabbily dressed old woman, looking quite destitute, was shouting her wares with all her might.
Leaning against the wall nearby sat a woman with disheveled hair.
Ye Wan felt dazed, the overhead sun making it difficult to keep her eyes open.
Her chapped lips parted slightly, throat burning as if on fire as she rasped out with difficulty, “Water…”
The next second, her hair was grabbed and yanked. Just as the pain made her want to curse, the skinny old woman roughly poured water down her throat.
“Worthless girl, drink! If you dare try to die again, I’ll have you married off in a ghost marriage!”
Water mixed with the smell of cow dung was forced down her throat, making Ye Wan choke and cough.
“Mother, I don’t think those wealthy families would want this worthless girl either. We might as well sell her to the brothel!”
“The brothel drives too hard a bargain – they won’t even pay one tael of silver. Of our three worthless daughters, she’s the best-looking. Let’s wait a bit longer!”
Hearing their conversation, Ye Wan’s mind regained some clarity as sudden memories flooded in.
Had she died?
No… she had transmigrated.
Into the dirt-poor Ye family, who had three daughters before finally getting their precious son Yaozu.
To gather bride price for their son Yaozu, they had already sold the original host’s two older sisters, and today they were selling the original host.
Last night, the original host had committed suicide in despair, and that’s when she had transmigrated into this body.
The two people before her were the original host’s birth mother, Granny Qian, and her birth brother Ye Yaozu.
“Get up, worthless girl! Lying around half-dead like this, what gentleman would want to buy you? Stand up straight for me!”
Her scalp stung from the pulling as Ye Wan was forcibly dragged upright. Her eyes sharpened as she looked up and locked gazes with a man.
The man was tall and slender with sharp eyebrows and dark eyes, his long hair tied back casually. Though dressed in coarse linen robes, he carried an indescribably ethereal aura.
Seeing the man wore the long gown only wealthy people could afford, Granny Qian immediately tugged Ye Wan’s hair and smiled obsequiously.
“Sir, take a look! Twenty taels! Buy her to do your laundry, cook, serve you – guaranteed to bear sons!”
The man looked refined, but his words were astonishing.
“How big are those breasts exactly? Can I touch them?”
?
Hanging on by a thread, Ye Wan’s pupils widened in shock.
In her stunned state, Granny Qian loosened her grip, and Ye Wan’s body uncontrollably pitched forward.
“Mmm~”
Just when Ye Wan thought she would land face-first, the man caught her, making her involuntarily let out a soft moan.
Where was his hand?!
Summer clothing was already quite thin, and Ye Wan could feel the hand holding her was frighteningly hot.
His slightly calloused fingers even squeezed… twice.
Ye Wan’s already fever-flushed face grew even redder.
Yet her body felt weak and limp, unable to muster any strength.
“Lin Anyuan, if you’ve got no money then get lost! A useless man like you wants to marry?” Ye Yaozu’s tone was full of contempt.
A cold glint flashed in Lin Anyuan’s eyes, his expression instantly turning gloomy.
“Say that again, you bastard!”
“Yaozu, you know him?” Granny Qian asked, startled.
She quickly pulled Ye Wan back – couldn’t let some penniless pauper touch her and ruin the price.
“I know him. He can’t afford it.” Ye Yaozu hunched his shoulders and spoke quietly.
Everyone in the local circles knew Lin An Yuan – that beast who at twelve had dishonored his mother, killed his father, and served three years in prison. He’d only been released three years ago during the imperial amnesty.
Rumor had it they’d castrated him in prison. Since his release, he’d beaten many people, even women.
His reputation was more disgusting than rats crawling out of sewage ditches – everyone loathed him.
That long gown he’s wearing? Probably borrowed from somewhere, coming here to act like some gentleman.
Ye Wan, who had been pulled aside, had flushed cheeks. Her phoenix eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at Lin An Yuan, her voice hoarse as she pleaded softly.
“Please, save me.”
She had no strength left in her body. This man looked scholarly and weak, probably impotent too?
Perfect. She’d use him to escape first – she absolutely couldn’t be sent to the brothel.
Lin An Yuan recalled those men’s crude jokes: “Big ones have milk.”
He felt his money pouch. “One tael. I’ll take her.”
Granny Qian was stunned. Who bargained like that?
Recovering, she scowled. “If you’re serious about buying, twenty taels! Not a coin less!”
Lin An Yuan sneered coldly. “She’s burning with fever and barely breathing. Might die any moment. Think I’m some fool? One tael! Or keep her for the funeral!”
Granny Qian’s face twitched. Gritting her teeth, she said, “No deal! One tael is too little! Get lost!”
Ye Wan thought to herself: With looks like his, why did he have to have a mouth that seemed to drink arsenic?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a wealthy man who looked like a “black pig demon” approaching. Her instincts screamed danger.
Her mind went blank. With a desperate burst of strength, she broke free from Granny Qian’s grip and threw her arms around Lin An Yuan as he turned to leave, planting a firm kiss on his cheek.
Pressing close to his ear, she whispered hoarsely, “Buy me, and you can touch me every day. I can wash clothes and cook – I can do everything. You won’t lose out. Please.”
Lin An Yuan froze momentarily. The ears hidden by his hair instantly burned as if scorched by fire.
“You slut! So desperate for a man? Who’ll want damaged goods? I’ll drag you to the brothel and make you spread your legs for customers all day!”
Granny Qian was furious. She raised her hand to slap Ye Wan’s face.
Too weak to resist, Ye Wan closed her eyes.
But the expected pain never came.
Opening her eyes, she saw Lin An Yuan gripping Granny Qian’s wrist.
His gaze was terrifyingly cold. “One tael, you old hag. Don’t know what’s good for you? You and your son better sleep with one eye open from now on!”
Granny Qian trembled with rage at his shameless behavior.
But Ye Yaozu, who knew Lin An Yuan’s reputation for keeping his word, was already trembling as he reached for the money pouch.
One tael was fine – the brothel wouldn’t even give that much! A ghost marriage would only fetch a few dozen coppers.
“Brother Lin!”
Just then, the wealthy man who looked like a “black pig demon” approached, his belly protruding. His eyes lit up when he saw Lin An Yuan.
“Brother Lin! Been looking for you everywhere. So you’re here?”
“Master Zhang!”
Lin An Yuan released Granny Qian and bowed respectfully, a barely noticeable disgust flashing in his eyes.
Granny Qian and Yaozu grew excited seeing Master Zhang – he was famously wealthy in these parts.
“Master Zhang, look at my daughter here…”
Before the words were finished, Lin An Yuan’s money pouch had already been thrown into Ye Yaozu’s hands. “I’ve already bought this person! How dare you mess with me?!”
Upon hearing this, Master Zhang’s eyes swept back and forth between Ye Wan and Lin An Yuan, gleaming with increasing interest.
His tone carried a playful edge, “Brother Lin, so you rushed out in such a hurry to buy a woman after all. This one looks half-dead already—why not give her to me instead? I’ll find you a better one later.”
Ye Wan’s vision darkened. Her instincts screamed that falling into this man’s hands would mean she wouldn’t survive the night. She could only cling desperately to Lin An Yuan’s sleeve.
Please, no.
Lin An Yuan, however, adopted a respectful demeanor. “I wouldn’t dare take one of Master Zhang’s precious women. I have matters to attend to at home, so I’ll take my leave now.”
With that, he grabbed Ye Wan and practically dragged her away, showing no trace of tenderness.
After a few steps, Lin An Yuan suddenly turned back and fixed a cold stare on Granny Qian.
“Where’s the deed of sale?”
Just as Ye Yaozu reached into his robe to retrieve it, the document was snatched from him.
Master Zhang stroked his chin as he watched the two depart, clicking his tongue in regret.
“What a pity! Such a pretty young woman—if only you’d sold her to me for fifty taels! With her looks and figure, it’d be worth it even if she died after one night.”
Fifty taels?!
Granny Qian and Ye Yaozu felt as if the sky had fallen.
Their gleaming silver—gone just like that!