Li Xiaoxiao answered honestly, “If I don’t go work in the kitchen, I won’t have anything to eat, so I had no choice but to go.”
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the courtyard grew still. A trace of pity flashed through Granny Qi’s eyes, and she sighed. “You’re a pitiful one too. In that case, come with me to meet Madam.”
Wei Yingjie’s eyes widened. She had been chosen just like that? She was going to meet the magistrate’s wife?
He remembered Granny Qin’s instructions. The county government had posted the job for several days now. Steward Zhao wanted to find a few literate servants. They did not need to be highly educated. As long as they could recognize some characters, that would do. Literate servants cost several taels more than ordinary servants, so their brokerage house had been paying close attention to the matter and searching for suitable people these past few days.
But how easy was it to find literate people? They wanted to establish a good relationship with the newly appointed county magistrate, so they had been specifically searching for people like this, but had found no one. At last, they had found Li Xiaoxiao, who was only half-literate. She did not know many characters, but that was more than enough for a servant.
They had originally planned to sell her at a high price, but somehow she had offended Granny Qin. Granny Qin had asked him to conceal the fact that she was literate, intending to take her back and teach her a good lesson after she failed the selection. Who would have thought that things would backfire and she would actually be chosen despite that?
Wei Yingjie was filled with regret. In order to curry favor with Granny Qin, he had concealed the fact that Li Xiaoxiao was literate from Steward Zhao. Now that she had been chosen, he could not suddenly say that she was literate, or he would offend Steward Zhao. He could only sell Li Xiaoxiao as an ordinary servant, losing ten taels of silver for nothing!
Granny Qi selected four female servants, including Li Xiaoxiao, and was about to head into the inner courtyard. Er Niu watched helplessly as Li Xiaoxiao’s figure was about to disappear through the gate, her eyes red as if they might bleed.
Her face flushed. She stamped her foot, mustered up her courage, and shouted, “W-Wait!”
Everyone in the courtyard was startled by her voice and turned to look at her in unison, including Granny Qi, who was just about to reach the gate.
Wei Yingjie watched as Er Niu stepped forward, and his heart sank. He secretly cried out that something was wrong. He was just about to reprimand her when Granny Qi spoke first.
“What is it?”
Er Niu hurriedly said, “Granny Qi, you, you should choose me. I can do everything. Sweeping the floor, washing clothes, cooking, chopping firewood, I’m used to doing all of it. I’m more suitable than anyone for being a servant…”
Granny Qi gave her a casual glance, then turned around and was about to continue walking.
Er Niu panicked. “Granny Qi, please listen to me. Even if, even if you don’t think I’m suitable, you can’t choose this Li Xiaoxiao either. You don’t know what she’s like. She slept until the hour of Si this morning and still hadn’t woken up. When Granny Qin went to wake her, she even hit her. She, she’s not suitable for being a servant at the county government…”
Granny Qi stopped walking and looked at Li Xiaoxiao in surprise. “Is what she said true?”
Li Xiaoxiao had not expected that even simply becoming a servant would earn someone’s resentment. Besides, Granny Qi had clearly only said that she was taking them to meet Madam. She had not even said that she was going to buy her, yet Er Niu was already so eager to drag her down?
Li Xiaoxiao frowned. So this world was not as simple as she had thought either. Some people were truly disgusting. Just because she had gotten up late and accidentally injured Granny Qin because of her instinctive reaction, it had instantly become something others could use against her.
Seeing Granny Qi looking at her, Li Xiaoxiao said expressionlessly, “Forty-two days ago, I escaped from the flood and headed south with the refugees. Since I was alone, I had to sleep with one eye open. So when I was bought by the brokerage house yesterday, I finally slept without waking up.”
She looked directly into Granny Qi’s eyes without averting her gaze, but she did not mention why she had hit someone.
Granny Qi sighed, instantly understanding her difficulties.
Seeing that Granny Qi had actually been persuaded by just a few words and was about to turn around and continue walking, Er Niu immediately panicked. “But she hit someone.”
Steward Zhao suddenly shouted sternly, “Enough! At the magistrate’s residence, what right does a servant like you have to meddle and run your mouth?”
Er Niu was startled. Wei Yingjie also quickly abandoned his attitude of watching the spectacle and stepped forward, slapping Er Niu across the face. “You worthless thing! Who allowed you to make such a commotion here? What did I warn you before we left?”
Under his murderous gaze, Er Niu finally became frightened. If she could not stay here today, wouldn’t Wei Yingjie tear her apart when they returned?
She hurried forward several steps and dropped to her knees in front of Steward Zhao with a thud, grabbing the hem of his robe. “Steward Zhao, I really can work. Please give me a chance. I promise I’ll do a better job than Li Xiaoxiao…”
Steward Zhao frowned deeply and tried to pull his robe free, but Er Niu clung to it stubbornly, refusing to let go as she pleaded tearfully for his mercy.
Granny Qi gave a cold laugh. “Zhao Zhiren, if this kind of unruly, shameless troublemaker enters our county government…”
Steward Zhao was startled and immediately flung Er Niu away. She was no match for his strength and was pushed to the ground. Before he even needed to say anything, Wei Yingjie had already ordered the attendants who had followed them inside to grab Er Niu by either arm and drag her outside.
Er Niu’s face was covered in tears, and she still tried to speak, but Wei Yingjie pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and stuffed it firmly into her mouth. As he did so, he barked at the attendants, “Take her back to the brokerage house immediately and keep a close watch on her!”
Large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he was suffering inside.
Er Niu’s outburst had thoroughly harmed their brokerage house. If the magistrate’s residence came to believe that all the servants he brought were of Er Niu’s caliber, their Jinji Brokerage would not be able to survive in Miyang County.
Wei Yingjie felt that he had done something incredibly foolish. He had been too careless. He should not have brought servants who had not yet been properly trained. With a temperament like Er Niu’s, even if she were sold, she would only bring disgrace upon the brokerage house! If what happened today got out, his fellow brokers would never let him hear the end of it!
He felt as though his back were drenched in sweat. For a moment, he also resented Granny Qin. If she had not insisted that he curry her favor, he would not have concealed the fact that Li Xiaoxiao was literate. Now she had been chosen, he had earned less money, and Er Niu had offended Steward Zhao. He really could not have had worse luck!
When Er Niu’s figure finally disappeared from sight, he wiped away his cold sweat and bowed to apologize.
“Steward Zhao, the servant didn’t know any better. I’ll take her back and teach her a lesson right away. I’m sorry you had to witness such a disgraceful scene. Please rest assured. Of the people I brought today, only eight were selected yesterday from the refugee camp outside the city. The remaining dozen or so have all been trained at the brokerage house for some time. They’re absolutely obedient, capable, and won’t cause trouble. Please choose whoever you like.”
But because of Er Niu’s outburst, Steward Zhao was no longer in much of a mood. He waved his hand, signaling for him to take the people away.
Wei Yingjie felt his heart bleed, but he did not dare say anything. He could only wave his hand and have all the remaining servants wait outside, leaving himself behind to wait for news from the inner courtyard.
Granny Qi had taken four away. If they were lucky, two might be kept. This trip would not have been completely wasted, he thought dejectedly.
Less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense later, Granny Qi came out with the four female servants. Wei Yingjie’s heart sank. Could it be that none of them had been chosen?
Granny Qi said to Wei Yingjie, “Mama Mao from the kitchen has kept Li Xiaoxiao. She’ll be helping in the kitchen from now on. Madam didn’t take a liking to the rest. Take them back.”
Only Li Xiaoxiao had been chosen…
Wei Yingjie endured the pain in his heart and took out Li Xiaoxiao’s deed of sale. He hesitated again and again but did not dare mention that Li Xiaoxiao was literate. If he said it, he would be guilty of another offense, and they might even refuse to take Li Xiaoxiao.
The brokerage house sold girls by openly calling out prices. A girl sold under a permanent contract cost eighteen taels. Granny Qi tossed the pouch containing the silver to him. “Eighteen taels. It’s all here. Count it.”
Li Xiaoxiao’s half-lidded eyes suddenly widened. Eighteen taels?!
This slave broker had only spent five taels to buy her, and had only given her half the money. In just one day, he had more than tripled his money?
And why did he still look as though he had suffered a huge loss?
These ancient people were really disgusting! Not a single one of them was any good!
Seeing Wei Yingjie take the silver and her deed of sale before turning to leave, Li Xiaoxiao could not help stepping forward and blocking his path. “What about the rest of the money? Are you trying to cheat me?”
Wei Yingjie immediately came to his senses and hurriedly protested, “No, no! How could I? Our Jinji Brokerage has a well-established reputation. How could we possibly owe you such a small amount? Hehe… Granny Qi, could you do me a favor and let me have a few words with this girl in private?”
Granny Qi said indifferently, “All right, but be quick. I have other business to attend to. Liu Zhi, stay here. Once they finish the handover, take her to Mama Mao. She’ll arrange everything for her from now on.”
Liu Zhi answered crisply and stood beneath the corridor, waiting for them.
Wei Yingjie hurriedly pulled Li Xiaoxiao to the corner of the corridor. He looked left and right, and only after confirming that no one was around did he take three taels of silver from his pocket and hand them to her. “Here. This is the rest of your money.”
Li Xiaoxiao took the money and left. Although she was quite unhappy that Wei Yingjie had bought her only yesterday and had already made more than three times his money by reselling her, the matter had already happened, and she would not dwell on it. Besides, she already had a place to stay. Whether it was five or three taels made no difference to her.
Wei Yingjie hurriedly grabbed her. Although he had suffered a crushing defeat today, he still wanted to take the opportunity to find out what the influential people liked. Perhaps there would be another chance to work together in the future.
“The four of you went in just now, so why did they only want you? What happened? Tell me everything in detail.”
Li Xiaoxiao glanced sideways at him, then looked at the three taels of silver in her hand. She tossed the money lightly in her palm. “You want to pry information out of me? Fine, but give me another hundred copper coins.”
Wei Yingjie nearly vomited blood. “I’m only asking you two questions, and you dare ask for a hundred copper coins?”
Li Xiaoxiao said, “You bought me for five taels of silver yesterday, then sold me for eighteen taels today. What’s wrong with me asking for another hundred copper coins? If you don’t want to give it, forget it.”
She turned around and was about to go find Liu Zhi.
Wei Yingjie stomped his foot and hurriedly grabbed her again. Wincing at the expense, he took another hundred copper coins from his money pouch. “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll give it to you. Now tell me carefully, what exactly happened?”
Li Xiaoxiao took the money and stuffed it into her pocket. Only then did she say, “We went to the back courtyard to meet Madam. Madam asked us a few questions about where we came from, then said she had a headache and was helped inside. Granny Qi told us to come out and said Madam didn’t take a liking to us. She gave each of us a string of cash as a reward. What a pity. Since she took a liking to me, I didn’t get any.”
She shook her head regretfully, looking genuinely disappointed. There were probably ten or twenty copper coins in a string, enough to buy more than a dozen plain steamed buns.
Wei Yingjie’s eyes widened.
“That’s it? They just sent you back out? No, wait. Then how did you get chosen?”
Li Xiaoxiao raised her head proudly.
“Of course it was because I’m strong. When Mama Mao heard that I used to work in the mines, she brought out two buckets of water and asked me to walk a few steps with them. I lifted them with one hand. She immediately reported to Madam and had her buy me.”
Wei Yingjie sighed. “You really do need to have something you’re good at. Consider yourself lucky. You offended Granny Qin badly this time. If the magistrate’s wife hadn’t taken a liking to you, she would have skinned you alive when you went back.”
…
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