“It’s a scam!”
Ruan Su’s first instinct was to suspect a trap. He took two steps back, calculating his chances if things turned physical. With a rough estimate of a thirty to seventy chance, he pondered whether to call for help or report to the authorities.
His caution wasn’t unwarranted. The man before him was strikingly handsome and tall, standing out even in the bustling Jinguan City. Surely, someone like him wouldn’t find it difficult to find work in a wealthy household.
Ruan Su, dressed in simple coarse clothing, couldn’t fathom why this man would choose him, a poor man, from among the crowd of well-dressed people in Jinguan City, unless it was some kind of scam.
Did he look like someone who could afford a servant?
“Sorry, young man,” Ruan Su declined. “I have elders and children to care for. I really can’t afford to support another person. You should look elsewhere.”
The young man, Qin Yunxiao, calmly asked, “You have children?”
Ruan Su nodded vigorously, fabricating a story. “Yes, three of them. It’s hard to make ends meet. I barely earn enough for food and drink. You should find someone else.”
After sharing his supposed hardships, Ruan Su thought he could leave. But just as he lifted his foot to walk away, he was stopped again.
Even though Ruan Su disliked conflict, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anger. “What exactly do you want?”
“Is your family relying solely on you?” Qin Yunxiao said without a hint of emotion. “Your husband must be useless. You should divorce him. I can hunt and earn money.”
Ruan Su: … Is this guy crazy?
The two were at an impasse. Ruan Su was about to suggest the man get his head checked when a teasing voice interrupted:
“Oh, isn’t this Ruan ge’er? So, is this the man you bought?”
Matchmaker Liu, dressed in a red top and green skirt with a pink hibiscus flower in her hair, approached and gave Qin Yunxiao a once-over. She clicked her tongue and shook her head mockingly.
“Ruan ge’er, you can’t just pick someone based on looks. Look at what he’s wearing. Besides doing some heavy labor like farming or fetching water, what else can he do?”
“I know your family lacks male laborers. Ruan Jian is struggling with the farm work alone, especially now during the rice harvest. It’s understandable you want to buy a live-in husband to help out.”
“But listen to me. Instead of buying a husband for hard labor, why not marry into a good family? Once your father receives the bride price, you’ll be living well, eating well, and can hire someone to manage the fields. You won’t have to toil in the fields anymore. Isn’t that right?”
Listening to Matchmaker Liu’s chatter, Ruan Su noticed Qin Yunxiao giving him a “you lied to me” look. He sighed, feeling slightly swayed.
He was busy with his pastry business, leaving the fieldwork to Ruan Jian. Although their land wasn’t as extensive as others in the village, and Ruan Jian often said he was used to it, Ruan Su still felt uneasy seeing Ruan Jian, with his limp, working in the fields.
Glancing at Qin Yunxiao’s broad shoulders and slightly muscular chest, Ruan Su thought, “He looks like he can handle hard work, but can he endure it?”
“Aunt Liu, I know you mean well, but this is my family matter,” Ruan Su said dismissively. “Please don’t interfere. Whether I buy someone or not, and who I buy, is my decision.”
“Tch,” Matchmaker Liu grumbled, “You ge’er think I’m trying to harm you. Just be careful not to get scammed. Keep the bond of servitude safe. If he runs away, you can have the authorities find him. Otherwise, you’ll be crying.”
With that, Matchmaker Liu swayed her hips and left, her green skirt swaying like algae in a pond.
Ruan Su looked away, about to speak, when Qin Yunxiao said, “I can sign a bond of servitude with you. I’m not a scammer.”
Just because you say you’re not a scammer doesn’t make it true.
Ruan Su rolled his eyes subtly, crossed his arms, and asked, “Where’s your father?”
Qin Yunxiao pointed to a conspicuous roll of straw matting by the Jin River. From Ruan Su’s position, he could see silver-white hair and straw sandals peeking out from the matting, indicating an elderly man.
Frowning, Ruan Su turned back and asked, “There are many wealthy families here. Why did you choose me?”
Qin Yunxiao, expressionless, replied, “Wealthy families have many secrets. I’m afraid I might lose my life. You have a kind face and can afford honey, so I assume your household is less complicated.”
“You’re quite calculating,” Ruan Su chuckled. “Didn’t you hear what that aunt said? If you come to my house, you’ll be working day and night. And we don’t have money. The honey isn’t for idle enjoyment.”
“I don’t mind working,” Qin Yunxiao said earnestly. “Before my family fell on hard times, I managed the fieldwork. Now, I just want to bury my father. If you buy me, I will repay you with all my heart.”
His words sounded a bit too smooth, but perhaps because Qin Yunxiao seemed reliable, Ruan Su, despite his doubts, couldn’t help but feel tempted.
If someone could help with the household chores, he could focus on creating new products. After all, chestnuts are only in season until winter. Once winter is over, he hasn’t decided what dessert to replace the chestnut cakes with.
With this in mind, he asked, “What’s your name?”
“Qin Yunxiao.”
“How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“Where is your household registration?”
“Bianjing.”
“Bianjing!” Ruan Su exclaimed, surprised. “That’s quite far.”
Qin Yunxiao explained, “My mother died early. Our family fell on hard times last year. My father and I came to seek refuge with distant relatives, but we were robbed at a black inn along the way. We barely escaped to catch our breath here, only to find that our relatives had long disappeared. Misfortune struck, and my father’s old illness flared up due to the stress and exhaustion of the journey. Despite seeking medical help, he passed away after three days.”
What a string of bad luck.
If Qin Yunxiao didn’t seem so composed and honest, Ruan Su might have suspected he was spinning a tale. After a moment of silence, he emphasized, “There really is a lot of work at my place. If you don’t do it, I’ll sell you to someone else.”
Qin Yunxiao nodded, promising, “If I don’t meet your expectations, you can deal with me as you see fit.”
He seemed sincere.
Ruan Su felt more tempted. Taking a deep breath, he asked the most crucial question, “How much silver do you want?”
Qin Yunxiao hesitated for a moment before replying, “Five taels.”
“Five taels!”
The tension in Ruan Su’s heart eased instantly. He waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave. “You better find someone else. I can’t afford that.”
He almost forgot how poor he was. Just because he asked a few questions, he almost believed he was wealthy.
In all honesty, Qin Yunxiao’s asking price wasn’t high, but Ruan Su didn’t have much silver. He had to save for emergencies and certainly couldn’t spend five taels on a person.
Suddenly, his wrist was grabbed. Ruan Su frowned, and Qin Yunxiao said, “Four taels will do.”
Ruan Su struggled to free his hand. “I don’t have four taels either.”
Qin Yunxiao: “Three taels.”
“No!”
“Two taels.”
“I don’t…” Ruan Su started.
“I can’t go any lower,” Qin Yunxiao said, his deep voice tinged with urgency and a hint of unnoticeable grievance. “I need one and a half taels for a coffin, and I still need to buy paper money and ingots.”
Ruan Su paused, pursing his lips. Two taels…
He actually had two taels!
Ruan Su had left home with a hundred wen. After buying flour, glutinous rice flour, meat, honey, and other miscellaneous items, plus the cost of the ox cart, he had spent a total of one hundred and forty-one wen. With the silver An Tuoyan had given him, he still had two taels and fifty-nine wen left.
“Really, just two taels?”
Squinting slightly, Ruan Su tried to discern any deceit in Qin Yunxiao’s eyes. If there was anything suspicious, he would report it immediately. But Qin Yunxiao’s expression was calm, and he confidently stated, “Just two taels.”
Two taels of silver to bring someone home to work seemed like a good deal.
Besides, Matchmaker Liu was right. Once he had Qin Yunxiao’s bond of servitude, he wouldn’t have to worry about him running away. As for where to hide the bond, Ruan Su was confident he could place it somewhere Qin Yunxiao would never find.
“Alright,” Ruan Su gritted his teeth. “Let’s go sign the bond and make our marks!”
The two of them signed the bond of servitude and made their marks. Technically, Qin Yunxiao should be registered under Ruan Jian’s household, but they needed to inform the village headman first. Then, Qin Yunxiao, Ruan Jian, and the village headman would go to the county office to complete the registration.
After examining the writing on the bond, Ruan Su carefully folded Qin Yunxiao’s bond and tucked it into his chest. He also took Qin Yunxiao’s travel pass document for safekeeping before handing him two taels of silver from his money pouch.
Since Qin Yunxiao came from Bianjing, without a travel pass document, he couldn’t enter the next prefecture city. Without proof of household registration in the Shu region, he couldn’t even enter the county town freely, so there was no worry of him escaping.
“Where are you staying now? I’ll come to get you in a few days.”
Thinking that burying his father was a significant matter, Ruan Su wasn’t a miser. He didn’t mind waiting a day or two, allowing Qin Yunxiao to handle his father’s affairs before discussing anything else.
“I don’t have a fixed place to stay,” Qin Yunxiao said. “Why don’t you tell me where you live, and I’ll come find you early tomorrow.”
Assuming Qin Yunxiao had nowhere to stay, Ruan Su hesitated for a moment before agreeing. “Alright, my home is in Huanhua Village. When you enter the village tomorrow, ask around, and they’ll tell you where I live.”
Qin Yunxiao nodded. After exchanging a few more words, they parted ways.
From a distance, Ruan Su watched Qin Yunxiao carry the straw mat away from the riverbank. He silently envied Qin Yunxiao’s strength before taking an ox cart back home. Naturally, he didn’t see Qin Yunxiao turn into an alley and set the straw mat down.
The old man inside the mat stretched, took the silver Qin Yunxiao offered, and left happily. A moment later, Matchmaker Liu sneaked over, patting her chest and sighing, “I told you Ruan ge’er is clever. Young Master Qin, you’d better find a way to get Ruan Jian and Zhou Mei’s approval. Only then can you be registered as a son-in-law.”
Qin Yunxiao gave Matchmaker Liu a thoughtful look, tucked the two taels Ruan Su gave him into his chest, and then took five taels from his money pouch to give to Matchmaker Liu.
“This matter must remain confidential,” Qin Yunxiao said coldly. “Otherwise, you know the consequences.”
Matchmaker Liu, who had been grinning with the silver in hand, immediately nodded in understanding. “I understand, Young Master Qin. Rest assured.”
When he left home, he had a hundred wen. By the time he returned, he only had fifty-seven wen left. If not for the work at home and the weight of the items in his basket, Ruan Su would have preferred to walk back to Huanhua Village instead of taking the ox cart.
He returned home early. Zhou Mei was about to head to the creek with some clothes when she saw Ruan Su return with a troubled expression. She asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you settle the payment?”
Ruan Su shook his head, unsure how to explain the situation to Zhou Mei. After hesitating for a while, he sighed and said, “I’ll go harvest the rice. We’ll talk about it in detail tonight.”
It was the first time Zhou Mei had seen Ruan Su so uneasy. She was a bit worried but didn’t press him. After all, if there was a problem with the transaction, she had enough silver to cover it for Ruan ge’er.
Ruan Su set down his basket, took a sickle from the shed, and hurried to the rice field with a large basket on his back.
Today, Zhou Mei was in charge of cooking. For lunch, they had stir-fried cucumber with meat and stir-fried eggplant. She also prepared two jars of tea to bring to them at noon. Zhou Mei’s cooking was decent, though she tended to use less salt, resulting in a lighter taste.
Ruan Jian and Ruan Su weren’t picky. After eating and resting for a while, they continued harvesting the rice.
The Ruan family had ten mu of rice fields. Eight mu were still unharvested. Looking at the golden, heavy rice in his hands, Ruan Su rubbed his aching waist and squinted with a smile.
Families with more people would transport the harvested rice to the threshing ground daily. However, with fewer people in the Ruan family, they had to wait until they accumulated two or three days’ worth before taking it to the threshing ground.
It had been three days now. Ruan Su and Ruan Jian carried the rice home in the afternoon, loaded it into baskets and carts, and then headed to the threshing ground together.
Zhou Mei watched over the threshing ground. Ruan Su and Ruan Jian made five or six trips before finally transporting all their rice there.
After pushing the cart back home with the threshed rice, they unloaded the baskets and carts into the shed. Ruan Su felt like his back was about to give out.
For dinner, they had leftovers from the day, with an extra serving of stir-fried cucumber. Ruan Su was devouring his meal when Zhou Mei suddenly asked, “Ruan ge’er, what happened this morning? You didn’t look right when you came back.”
Ruan Su choked and quickly drank two sips of tea to swallow the food stuck in his throat.
Looking up, he saw Zhou Mei and Ruan Jian staring at him intently. Forcing a dry smile, Ruan Su put down his chopsticks and quietly said, “It’s like this… Father, Mother…”
He took a deep breath and calmly announced:
“I bought someone.”
Author’s Note:
Ruan ge’er: Tsk, it seems like I’ve stumbled upon a great bargain. Could it be a setup?
Qin Yunxiao: There’s no setup [Let me see]