Buying People

 

Looking at the courtyard full of people, Jing Yi took a step forward and called out loudly, “All the people here in the courtyard have suffered hardships and disasters, forced to come here to seek a living. We understand your situation and don’t want to deceive anyone. So, let’s be clear about it first.”

 

The slave manager raised an eyebrow, finding this interesting. He had never seen someone give the slaves a pep talk before making a purchase, but he let Jing Yi continue, leaning against the porch column with curiosity.

 

“We’re from Xiwan village in Fuyang Town, Anchang County. If you come back with us, we can’t offer you a glorious destiny, only the life of a servant or a hardworking farmer. If any of you have great ambitions and can’t bear the village life, please choose a different owner.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard buzzed with discussions. Some people didn’t want to return to the countryside, having already sold themselves. They didn’t want to work the fields again. But did they have a choice?

 

The eloquent customer’s words seemed pleasing, but did they have any room for choice? Some clever ones cast sidelong glances at the slave manager.

 

The slave manager pondered for a moment, then said, “Listen to what the esteemed guest has said.”

 

As a result, about half of the people in the courtyard began to walk away. These were the ones who had no families to worry about.

 

“Very well, let’s talk about the rules in our family.” Jing Yi continued, his gentle expression turning solemn.

 

“No deception or betrayal allowed; no rebellion or going against authority; no unfounded accusations against others; no thievery or trickery; no stealing or immoral behavior; no seeking power or scheming. These rules may sound simple, but they are challenging to uphold. If you violate any of these rules and I catch you, you’ll find out that I’m not a kind-hearted person!”

 

As Jing Yi spoke, his face grew cold, his tone sharp, and his demeanor became more formidable than his initial friendly demeanor. He made it clear that he shouldn’t be underestimated.

 

The slave manager silently marvelled at Jing Yi’s tactics. His combination of diplomacy and intimidation was well-played. The manager was also impressed by Jing Yi’s eloquence, but he realized that Fuyang Town was quite far away. He hadn’t heard of Jing Yi before.

 

After Jing Yi’s intimidating speech, he, along with Jing’s father and Lin’s father, filtered out dozens of people. These were either the ones who appeared cunning and shifty after hearing Jing Yi’s words or those who showed indifference and disregard for the rules.

 

Unscrupulous individuals are not wanted, neither are sly or despicable ones.

 

In the end, the Jing family selected five servants. Two of them were young men in their twenties, tall but thin, and they were cousins. They appeared honest and simple, mentioning that they had been poor in their hometown and hadn’t even found wives yet.

 

The next two were middle-aged men in their forties, skinny and sunburned, and both claimed they could work as farmers. Surprisingly, they had some additional skills. One could do basic carpentry, while the other had studied for a couple of years and could read and write.

 

The last one appeared to have potential. He was mature but not yet thirty, and back in his hometown, he worked as a hunter. He was skilled, and his family was relatively prosperous.

 

This man was very tall, even taller than Jing Yi, who was already about 6’1″ (approximately 1.85 meters). He had a rugged face, answered questions calmly, and exuded an aura of integrity. Jing Yi felt that he had found a talented and capable individual.

 

This man’s name was Tong Mujie. He wasn’t alone; a little boy who resembled him by 70-80% accompanied him. Jing Yi understood that if he wanted to buy Tong Mujie, he would need to take the child as well, which wasn’t a problem.

 

To Jing Yi’s surprise, the robust man immediately knelt down when he realized Jing Yi intended to buy them, and the little boy followed suit.

 

Raising his brows, Jing Yi didn’t say anything immediately but waited to see what was going on.

 

“Sir, I won’t deceive you. My family includes my husband and a little boy. We’re a package deal. They haven’t come out today because my little boy has had a fever since last night, and my husband is unwell, continuously coughing.”

 

The strong man looked at Jing Yi with tears in his eyes, his voice choked, but he continued to gaze at Jing Yi expectantly.

 

“Please, sir, buy my entire family. Give my husband and son a chance to live. I’m willing to do anything for you in the future, no matter the hardship.”

 

After speaking, he knocked his head three times in the direction of Jing Yi and left deep bloodstains on the stone floor. His tears mingled with the warm blood.

 

“Please, sir, save my father and brother. I can work now, and I’m very capable!” The little boy also knocked his head, wiping away his tears with his small hands.

 

Jing’s father and Chuxia had never experienced such a grand gesture, let alone three little boys. They felt distressed just watching all the disaster survivors in the courtyard. Now, their eyes were filled with tears.

 

Jing’s father quickly approached and helped the little boy stand up, trying to comfort him and stop his crying.

 

Seeing a six or seven-year-old child dressed inappropriately, some parts of his exposed skin red, swollen, and frostbitten, Jing’s father felt extreme discomfort.

 

It was evident that the parents had tried their best to take care of the child. The oversized cotton-padded jacket seemed like it belonged to an adult, but it failed to provide sufficient warmth in some areas, and the child’s little hands were icy. His father, Tong Mujie, wore only a thin shirt.

 

Jing Yi had never wanted to be overly demanding. After a glance, he noticed that the middle-aged slave manager didn’t seem upset by Tong Mujie’s impulsive plea. Jing Yi figured out the situation.

 

“You may rise. The lord of the manor is compassionate and has ordered us to treat the disaster survivors with kindness, and they should not be forcibly separated. Therefore, we will follow the lord’s orders and share the burdens for him.”

 

After helping Tong Mujie up and ensuring he stood firm, Jing Yi turned to the slave manager and said, “Could you please arrange for a physician to come and examine the child and the man? I’ll cover all expenses.”

 

The middle-aged slave manager responded gently, “This esteemed guest is kind-hearted. Of course, we can arrange that.”

 

Saying this, he gave a signal to his nephew, instructing him to summon a physician from the slave market.

 

Following this, Jing Yi also helped his father select a family of three, including a woman and her husband, both around their thirties.

 

The woman’s entire family had fled to Qingzhou, thinking they could endure hardship and make it through. However, they had been betrayed and exchanged for food by their family members.

 

Her husband had been a servant in a wealthy household in their hometown, but that family had sent away some of their older servants when they sought refuge in Qingzhou, and he was one of them.

 

Now, Jing’s family had completed their selection.

 

Then, Jing Yi helped his father oversee the selection of laborers for the Lin family. They chose three agricultural laborers and two male servants, with a couple among them, and they brought along a fourteen-year-old boy.

 

One laborer seemed rather extraordinary, with an average build, average appearance, but an air that didn’t match typical peasants. He had clear eyebrows and a bright gaze, speaking respectfully.

 

His surname was Hou, and he could read.

 

After discussing with his father, Jing Yi believed he was a good candidate. Whether as a steward or to manage the shop, he seemed promising. His father had authority, and Lin Dongjiang was intelligent, so they wouldn’t have trouble managing him.

 

With both families having made their selections, Jing Yi was about to go with the slave manager to calculate the final cost. However, Chuxia walked over and tugged on his sleeve.

 

Jing Yi immediately gave the slave manager a signal to wait and moved aside to speak softly with Chuxia.

 

“Ah Yi, can we buy these two?”

 

Following Chuxia’s gaze, Jing Yi quickly understood who he was referring to.

 

The reason was that within the entire group of disaster survivors, either they were adults or entire families. These two were the only ones who were unaccompanied, huddled together and seemed very vulnerable.

 

Especially the smaller one, who looked around seven or eight years old. Jing Yi couldn’t fathom how these two young children managed to escape to Qingzhou alone.

 

They had been in the courtyard for some time, and the sight of these two had inevitably captured their attention.

 

Both brothers were remarkably handsome. The older brother had striking features and incredibly bright eyes. The younger brother was more delicate and adorable, with lips turning pale from the cold. Looking at him was enough to break one’s heart.

 

The older brother held his younger sibling tightly, never letting go, his alert and wary gaze scanning his surroundings.

 

It was evident that he desperately wished to be bought by Jing Yi. Seeing that Jing Yi and his family were about to leave after completing their transactions, his eyes dimmed.

 

Jing Yi couldn’t help it; he wasn’t a saint or a bodhisattva. Even in this situation, buying these two children was driven by his self-interest.

 

But now, Chuxia had spoken up, and he would certainly consider his wishes. His husband had always been restrained, knowing his limits, and for him to speak up now meant he was likely very frustrated.

 

He walked over with Chuxia and asked, “How old are you, and how old is your brother?”

 

“I’m eleven years old, and he’s seven. He’s not my little brother; he’s my spouse!” The tall young boy replied, his voice a bit hoarse, showing a touch of determination, but he remained polite towards Jing Yi.

 

“Haha! Well, you’re a good kid for protecting your spouse. How about you come with us, with your spouse, back to our home!” Jing Yi was genuinely surprised by the boy’s response.

 

Child bride! Well, this was the first time he had seen such a thing.

 

Just for the fact that this young boy, at such a tender age, already knew how to protect his spouse, was reason enough to take them back and raise them well!

 

Chuxia couldn’t help but laugh. The atmosphere of melancholy was temporarily lifted.

 

“Will both of us go with you? We want to be together. You can’t sell my spouse to a dirty place!” The young boy urgently asked, knowing that he had no bargaining chips and could only cling to his precious one. If something happened, he would fight to the end.

 

Jing Yi’s brow furrowed when he heard this, and his gaze turned towards the slave manager. He started to question whether the Qingzhou officials had given both overt and covert orders. If the top official in Qingzhou was unreliable, he would need to make more preparations in the future.

 

The slave manager quickly began to explain, as he couldn’t let their official reputation be tarnished.

 

However, the young boy was sharp and could read between the lines. He knew his words had led to a misunderstanding with Jing Yi. He quickly spoke up before the slave manager could, saying, “It has nothing to do with the local officials. It’s something that happened before we reached Qingzhou Prefecture. Fortunately, we had an uncle who helped us.”

 

After saying this, he glanced anxiously at the slave manager and then fixed his gaze straight on Jing Yi, nearly engraving “take us with you” on his face.