Jiang Yuanyuan was already fifteen. Buying a boy to raise as a younger brother wasn’t feasible—he wouldn’t grow close to her anyway. Since she had already undergone the ji-ji ceremony and reached the age for marriage, she figured she might as well buy a man, have a son, and then she wouldn’t have to worry about her uncle’s family scheming against her anymore.
Having made up her mind, she retrieved her small money pouch from under the bed plank. Inside were some broken pieces of silver she had saved over the years by doing embroidery work with her mother, amounting to roughly one tael.
One tael was a considerable sum, but she wasn’t sure if it would be enough to buy a man. After all, Zhang the Lame had to pay ten taels to marry her, so buying someone outright probably wouldn’t be cheap.
Jiang Yuanyuan thought for a moment, then found a small locked box on the other side. Inside were some savings left by her parents, along with jewelry, totaling about eight or nine taels.
She picked out a few larger pieces of broken silver, tucked them close to her body, and set off for the town in the dim morning light.
To avoid being cheated, she first inquired about the market rates in town before heading to a Yahang reputed to have the best reputation.
The Yahang sold all sorts of things. When she mentioned wanting to buy a strong, sturdy man, the broker assumed she needed a laborer and led her inside.
“Young lady, you’ve come to the right place! We may not boast about much else, but we sell more men than any other Yahang in town!”
Jiang Yuanyuan dressed plainly, but she was naturally pretty, with smooth, fair skin, which led the broker to mistake her for a high-ranking maid from a wealthy household sent on an errand for her mistress. Thus, the broker treated her politely and respectfully.
This was Jiang Yuanyuan’s first time in such a place. She looked around curiously, taking in the mix of adults, children, men, women, young and old, until the broker led her to a room, at which point she finally averted her gaze.
The room was filled entirely with men, roughly estimated to be around a dozen.
The broker smiled and said, “These men are all fresh stock—young and quick workers. Would you like to take a look, miss?”
Even though village girls weren’t as reserved as city women, suddenly seeing so many men, all young and with eyes seemingly glued to her, Jiang Yuanyuan instinctively shrank back in fear.
There were so many… which one should she choose?
The room had a gloomy, stagnant air, as if the windows hadn’t been opened in a long time, mixed with a damp, musty smell.
Jiang Yuanyuan walked up to the first man. He looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a square head and large ears. His features were decent, but there was an inexplicable roguish air about him.
Jiang Yuanyuan asked the broker, “How did this man end up being sold here?”
The broker replied, “Gambling debts. He couldn’t pay up, so the gambling den sold him here. If you’re a strict master, you might consider buying him for labor.”
Life in the Yahang was harsh—one meal a day, consisting only of plain vegetables and rice porridge. The man had long grown weary of it and was about to say a few nice words to plead his case when he saw the young lady had already moved on to the next person.
Jiang Yuanyuan was looking for someone to build a life with, so naturally, she needed someone with decent character. A gambler… that wouldn’t do!
Choosing a husband was a serious matter. His character couldn’t be flawed, and he couldn’t be too ugly either, or Jiang Yuanyuan would feel uncomfortable. Most importantly, he had to be tall and sturdy, someone who could protect the household in the future.
With such high standards, she scrutinized each of the dozen or so men but didn’t find a single one she liked. She then turned to look at the broker.
The slave trader’s mouth twitched. It was truly the first time he’d seen someone so picky when buying a laborer. It wasn’t like she was choosing a husband for herself—wasn’t strength enough? How could she also reject those who were ugly?
But today was the end of the month, and business had been poor all month. After some thought, the slave trader took Jiang Yuanyuan to another room.
“Don’t say I don’t have them. I actually have two who are both decent-looking and strong. But they were just bought in recently and haven’t been trained yet. I’m afraid they won’t know how to serve their masters properly.”
As he spoke, the door opened. Inside were two large cages for holding people. One was empty, and only the one in the corner still had someone sitting inside, silent and unmoving. Faint light and shadows fell upon him, outlining a lean, muscular back that even coarse hemp clothing couldn’t conceal.
The slave trader slapped his forehead. “Ah, look at my memory! One was already bought, so only one is left. Would you like to take a look first?”
Jiang Yuanyuan casually asked, “Weren’t they not trained yet? Where was the other one bought?”
The slave trader chuckled softly. “That Xianggu Guan—someone there wanted him.”
Besides, once bought, someone there would train him, so they didn’t have to worry about it.
As the slave trader finished speaking, the man in the cage seemed to stir slightly, raising his head a little.
Jiang Yuanyuan couldn’t see clearly, so she moved closer.
The man wore tattered, coarse clothing that looked rather thin for autumn, yet the muscles beneath were undeniably robust. Though he hadn’t stood up, it was clear he must be extremely tall. His face wasn’t visible, only a rough outline—firm and rugged.
Seeing that Jiang Yuanyuan seemed somewhat satisfied, the slave trader knocked on the cage and shouted, “Why aren’t you standing up?”
After he spoke, the man in the cage remained still. Just as the slave trader was about to knock a second time, he slowly rose to his feet.
Tall—he was indeed tall. Jiang Yuanyuan was considered quite tall among women, but compared roughly now, she only reached just below his shoulders, making her appear so petite.
Looking upward, the room was too dark to see the man’s face clearly. The slave trader opened a window, and the moment Jiang Yuanyuan saw the man’s appearance, she immediately made up her mind—she would take him!
Although she hadn’t seen many handsome men in her life, this man before her was truly good-looking. It was hard to describe, but seeing someone with such looks in this place felt even rarer than seeing a ghost—like a person from a painting, with ink-dark eyebrows and eyes, unlike ordinary mortals.
Noticing the man kept his eyes downcast, not looking at her, cold and aloof, Jiang Yuanyuan asked the slave trader, “Why was he sold here?”
The slave trader replied, “This man arrived yesterday. It seems his family offended someone, but I don’t know the specific reason. In any case, it’s not a matter of character. Young lady, have you taken a liking to him?”
Jiang Yuanyuan nodded. As long as he didn’t have a criminal record, it was fine. She then asked, “How much for him?”
Seeing a potential sale, the slave trader smiled. “Usually, strong men like him sell for seven taels of silver here. I won’t give you an inflated price—if you’re sincere about buying, six taels and five maces will do.”
Although Jiang Yuanyuan had never bought a servant or maid before, she had inquired about the market prices. Frowning, she said, “At most four taels.”
As soon as she spoke, the man in the cage lifted his eyes and gave a cold glance at the woman standing before him, as if feeling insulted by the price.
The human trafficker’s face stiffened. “Young lady, you’re too good at bargaining. You cut the price by two taels and five mace in one go. How am I supposed to do business like this?”
“How about you add a bit more? Five taels, how about it?”
Jiang Yuanyuan still shook her head, one hand clutching her small purse tightly, her tone resolute. “Four taels. If it’s acceptable, I’ll buy him. If not, I’ll go look elsewhere.”
The trafficker gritted his teeth. This young lady didn’t seem like such a tough negotiator, but his Yahang also needed to make a living and support its people. Fine, four taels of silver wasn’t a loss—just a bit less profit. “Alright, four taels it is!”
Money and the deed were exchanged, and after filing a copy of the document with the authorities, Jiang Yuanyuan finally felt at ease.
She turned to look at the man who had been silently following her all along, growing more and more satisfied the longer she looked. After carefully tucking the deed of sale close to her body, she splurged another ten coppers to buy half a catty of meat. Only then did the two of them board the donkey cart back to the village.