“This humble servant greets Miss Liu!”
Liu Shiqi lifted her chin, carrying herself with the air of a noble young lady.
She raised her hand with a smile. “No need for formalities, Butler.”
The butler stood up, glancing at Zhuang Yan with a troubled frown. “Miss Liu, this…”
Liu Shiqi sighed. “Since you’re here to buy someone, Butler, you should buy from a clean, well-known family. Isn’t that right?”
“Otherwise, if you bring back a troublemaker, wouldn’t that implicate the Pan family?”
“And then, would you still be in good standing with the Pan family?”
The butler frowned.
Zhuang Laoda didn’t know Liu Shiqi, but hearing her words, he grew furious.
“What nonsense are you spouting? How are we not a clean family? You’re the one who…”
Liu Shiqi narrowed her eyes, pivoted her foot, and a small stone flew straight into Zhuang Laoda’s mouth.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
With the stone in his mouth, Zhuang Laoda nearly choked to death.
Mrs. Li hurriedly helped him dig it out.
In the end, he spat out a mouthful of blood and two front teeth.
Mrs. Li turned around angrily and cursed at Liu Shiqi, “Where did this cheap…”
Before the word “woman” could leave her lips, Mrs. Li fell to her knees, her kneecaps nearly shattering.
Everyone who heard it winced in sympathy.
Liu Shiqi held a stone in her hand, tossing it lightly.
“It’s not even the New Year or a festival, so why is this old woman kneeling to me?”
“I don’t have any lucky money to give!”
The crowd stifled their laughter, delighted to see Mrs. Li and Zhuang Laoda beaten.
Someone whispered, “Let’s see how arrogant they are now…”
Mrs. Li trembled with rage, hearing that Liu Shiqi not only beat her and made her kneel but also called her an old woman!
She pointed at Liu Shiqi, “Ah, ah, ah, you cheap…”
Liu Shiqi narrowed her eyes. “Do you not want that finger anymore?”
“I can help you chop it off!”
Mrs. Li fell silent like a chicken with its neck wrung.
Zhuang Lao San, who had opened his mouth to speak, quickly shut it.
He thought to himself, We can’t win against her.
Forget it, we’ve already taken the money. There’s no way we’re giving it back, even if we get beaten to death.
[Seeing Zhuang Laoda and Mrs. Li beaten up, the big shot will be happy, right?]
Liu Shiqi glanced at Zhuang Yan.
Zhuang Yan: She beat them up for me, to make me happy…
A warm feeling spread in Zhuang Yan’s heart.
The butler frowned, surprised that this young Miss Liu possessed such impressive skills despite her age.
Truly, she’s from the capital. She’s different.
Even if I and the two servants combined, we probably wouldn’t be a match for her alone.
Seeing that no one dared to interrupt, Liu Shiqi felt pleased and continued speaking to the butler.
“Butler, have you thoroughly investigated Brother Zhuang’s background?”
The butler frowned. “In reply to Miss Liu, Zhuang Laoda said he’s his nephew. Not a blood relative, but someone he picked up.”
Liu Shiqi nodded. “Then do you know who picked Brother Zhuang up? Who is his father?”
The butler shook his head. He had previously assumed that Zhuang Yan was just a village farmer—what other identity could he possibly have?
But now he thought differently.
If the eldest daughter of the Liu family calls him Brother Zhuang, he must have some background.
Mrs. Hao seemed to understand something and quickly said, “Zhuang Yan’s father works in the imperial palace in the capital!”
Jiang Cuihua added, “That’s right! Even the county magistrate has to speak carefully when he sees his father!”
A villager chimed in, “Yes, every time his father returns, he rides a tall horse…”
The butler grew suspicious and looked at Zhuang Laoda.
Zhuang Laoda’s mouth was injured, and he couldn’t speak.
Zhuang Lao San hurriedly said, "My second brother is a eunuch, but we haven't heard from him for four years!"
"He might already be gone…"
The butler frowned deeply, "You didn't say that before!"
A eunuch from the palace, even though just a eunuch, who knows what connections they might have.
They say it's easier to meet the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings.
The Pan family may be a prominent household here, but in the capital, they are nothing.
A minor eunuch could probably wipe out their entire family.
He felt Zhuang Yan was a hot potato.
If handled poorly, he could really be in trouble.
The butler looked at Zhuang Laoda, "We don't want this person anymore, refund the money!"
Liu Shiqi breathed a sigh of relief, [Oh, done! I'm such a genius!]
[The big shot finally doesn't have to be sold!]
Old Man Zhong, Mrs. Hao, and Zhuang Yan also breathed sighs of relief.
Zhuang Yan thought to himself that he must repay her properly.
Seeing the butler demand the money back, Zhuang Laoda quickly took a step back, clearly unwilling to refund it.
Zhuang Lao San, Mrs. Li, and their children quickly shielded Zhuang Laoda behind them.
The butler frowned and signaled to two servants with his eyes.
The servants understood and were about to step forward to snatch the money.
Mrs. Huang, from Zhuang Lao San's family, anxiously wrung her hands.
She stood at the very front and quickly fawned, "Really, really, Second Uncle hasn't returned for four years! He must be dead!"
She then pointed at Zhuang Yan, hinting subtly and flatteringly, "Butler, such fine features are rare!"
"Are you really willing to give him up?"
Liu Shiqi frowned at her, and Mrs. Huang, feeling somewhat intimidated, quickly hid behind Zhuang Lao San.
She mustered her courage and said, "The Pan family's eldest young master would like him very much!"
"Once this opportunity is gone, there won't be another…"
The butler frowned as he looked at her.
Mrs. Huang gritted her teeth, "Even if you don't use him yourself, giving him to someone else would surely be very good…"
So, it was this Mrs. Huang who had suggested selling Zhuang Yan in the first place.
Mrs. Huang had relatives in the county town, so she knew about some of the Pan family's unsavory affairs.
She also knew that many wealthy and influential families kept such fair-skinned, delicate, and pretty boys as gifts to give away.
Coincidentally, they were short on money recently, and Zhuang Yan was exceptionally good-looking, so they planned to sell him to the Pan residence at a high price.
Otherwise, how could a child fetch ten taels of silver, with the butler of a prominent household personally making the trip?
Hearing Mrs. Huang's words, the butler was indeed tempted.
Because Zhuang Yan was the most handsome he had ever handled. He was also exactly the type the eldest young master liked most.
He thought the eldest young master would surely be very pleased and would reward him handsomely.
Even if the eldest young master didn't keep him for himself but gave him away…
He knew that many high-ranking officials in the court were fond of this sort…
As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold.
Zhuang family's second son hadn't appeared for four years—maybe he really was dead!
Why should he fear a dead man!
Liu Shiqi narrowed her eyes; she could see the butler was swayed by Mrs. Huang's words.
[This really complicates things now.]
[After all, I'm not really the young lady of the Liu family. Using this identity too much could easily expose me!]
[And they've already completed the transaction with money and goods, so it's not illegal.]
[What should we do now…]
Mrs. Hao, Old Man Zhong, and Zhuang Yan's hearts also tightened.
But there was nothing they could do, only watch anxiously.
Zhuang Yan let out a bitter laugh in his heart. He looked at Liu Shiqi and the others, still grateful for everything they had done for him.
If given the chance, he would definitely repay them.
Especially for her, a chance encounter.
The butler frowned and suddenly said to the servant, "Take this person away!"
He no longer looked at Liu Shiqi, intending to leave directly with the person.
He thought that even if she were the eldest daughter of the Liu family, she had no authority over the Pan family's purchase of people.
The Pan family was not afraid of the Liu family.
Liu Shiqi pursed her lips, hesitating at this moment whether to intervene and stop them.
[I've already done my best.]
[I can't go on a rampage just for the big shot.]
[I could run away alone, but I can't disregard my family's safety.]
[You can only rely on a powerful ally when you have the ability!]
[Don't drag my family into this again!]
Zhuang Yan also didn't want to involve them.
He said to the butler, "Butler, please wait a moment. I'll say a few words and will go with you willingly."