Chapter 40: Rescue the Gu Family's Old Servant

Crabs are still delicious in October. After arriving in Nanjing, Gu Youan followed his uncle Du and the Du family to meet the head of the drug store. He met four or five groups of people and ate three meals of crabs.

Gu Youan was thinking about his parents, elder brother and Axuan at home, so he specially asked a chef who was good at cooking crabs to prepare a jar of fried butter for her to take home.

Du Qing said, "You're so far away from home, it's hard to believe you're still thinking about them."

"I miss my parents, and they miss me too." Gu Youan said with a smile, "In addition to the yellow butter, I also plan to buy some other local rituals to bring back home."

Gu Youan plans to buy some Nanjing brocade, Yuhua tea, salted duck, plum blossom cake, pressed duck, etc. to take home.

After selling all the medicinal materials in Nanjing, everyone was very anxious because they were afraid that it would snow outside the Great Wall and they would not be able to return. Gu Youan gave the escorts a day off and asked them to use this free time to purchase some items they liked. They would set off tomorrow.

Before leaving, Gu Youan prepared two hundred kilograms of dried sea fish, one hundred kilograms of dried kelp, and more than a dozen packed third-grade ginseng for the Du family.

Gu Youan said to his uncle Du Qing, "As a doctor, you must know more than me. The medicinal properties of third-grade ginseng are sufficient. I'm giving this as a gift. Uncle, second uncle, please don't despise it."

Du Qing smiled and said, "We all know your feelings. If anyone dares to say anything disapproving, you can go and ask them to return the ginseng."

Upon hearing this, the Du family members all smiled and thanked Gu Youan.

Second Uncle Du even said, "Thanks to your family, our Du family has earned so much money this year. Please allow us to go home and rest for two months. We will visit Songjiang City again in the spring of next year."

Gu Youan looked at Du Qing, who waved his hand and said, "I won't be going to Songjiang City next year. I'll ask your cousin to go there so he can broaden his horizons with your Uncle Du and the others."

"Okay, then I'm looking forward to my cousin coming."

Du Qing said, "Next year I will ask your cousin to send a thank-you gift to Doctor Zhang. You can help guide him then."

During the past few months that Du Qing worked as a doctor in Zhang's pharmacy, he received guidance from Zhang Shinan and made great progress in his medical skills. Du Qing is very grateful for Zhang Shinan's kindness.

After talking about the Zhang family, Du Qing started talking about Gu Youan's mother again, and asked Gu Youan to go back and persuade her more. The family is not starving, so just ask someone to do the farm work and don't work yourself to the point of being unable to straighten your back.

Mrs. Du was a strong-willed woman. When Gu Wen was an official in Luoyang, she was willing to be an official's wife. When the family was exiled to Songjiang City, she was willing to be a peasant woman digging the fields and carrying water. Du Qing talked and talked, and persuaded her, but Mrs. Du would not listen.

Gu Youan smiled and said, "Don't sigh. This time we're going back with dozens of servants. Mother will be busy enough managing these servants. She definitely won't have time to take care of the work in the fields."

When Gu Youan came to Nanjing from Luoyang, he asked the wife of Imperial Physician Zhang to help him find some trustworthy brokers. Both she and Zhang Yinshan's family wanted to buy people, so Mrs. Zhang agreed to help.

Gu Youan's requirements for servants were high, but with Zhang Yinshan in the fold, there was no need to worry about the Zhang family's inability to provide adequate services. Gu Youan suspected that when he returned this time, Madam Zhang would have her agents prepare a sufficient number of candidates for them to choose from, and would also send the one she wanted to her.

Uncle Du explained, "The people you're looking for have all been enslaved by the government. It's not easy to find them all. Besides, the people you bought from outside are all based on the broker's lies. You don't know their background. If you encounter someone trying to escape or someone trying to kill or rob them, don't show any mercy."

"Don't worry, Uncle, I know what's going on."

There were dozens of bodyguards there. They were tall and strong and rode horses. It was like a piece of cake for them to beat up a few skinny servants.

Du Qing and Uncle Du were both worried about Gu Youan's safety, and they explained everything in detail several times. They only let Gu Youan go after all the people who went out to purchase returned to the inn.

"Doctor Du, Shopkeeper Du, Shopkeeper Gu, you didn't go out today?"

"We bought everything we needed a few days ago, so we didn't go today."

"So that's how it is."

"You two go ahead and do your work, we'll go put the things in the house."

Several bodyguards said hello to the three men, went back to the house to put their luggage, turned around and went out chatting and laughing, saying that they were going to the duck shop on the front street to buy two salted ducks and chop them up to eat with wine in the evening.

"An An, it's okay to rest today, but if there are escorts drinking on the road, you must not allow it." Uncle Du was worried and gave another instruction.

"Uncle, I know."

Gu Youan was helpless. Wasn't she really that worried about them?

No matter how worried he was, Gu Youan and the Du family members had to say goodbye early the next morning, one to the north and the other to the west, each of them setting out on their journey home.

The medicinal herbs on the cart were replaced with cloth and various local products and new items from the south of the Yangtze River. They took the official road and enjoyed good weather, so they returned to Luoyang City smoothly.

"Susu, you won't be going into the city with me today. You and the escort leader will guard the goods. If I'm fast, I'll be back this afternoon. If I'm slow, I'll definitely be here before noon tomorrow."

"yes."

Gu Youan and Zhang Yinshan went into the city to the Zhang family. The wife of Imperial Physician Zhang invited them to sit down and asked the maid to bring tea.

Madam Zhang smiled and said to Gu Youan, "The servants of your Gu family were all sold off after the house was raided a few years ago. They went to various houses, and it was really difficult to find them all in such a short time. I asked the broker who often worked in the backyards of wealthy families to inquire, and at least he found some of them for your family."

Madam Zhang added thoughtfully, "We've already questioned these people in advance, and they're all happy to follow their former master and agree to go with you to Songjiang City."

Gu Youan didn't expect Madam Zhang to be so meticulous. He stood up and thanked Madam Zhang earnestly: "Thank you for your trouble."

"Don't worry, the subordinates will do the work, I just talk."

Madam Zhang said to Zhang Yinshan, "When your family was raided, the Zhang family members did their best. Except for the servants who were determined to betray their master, the Zhang family members found ways to get the indentures of all the others."

"Regarding the matter of the health-preserving recipe, the servants should have been sent to you two years ago, but... your father was too stubborn. He had a rift with the clan because of the health-preserving recipe, so he didn't send them."

"Your father has his own plans, and the clan has its own frustrations. I'm not doing this hoping for your family's forgiveness. After all, we're family, and it wouldn't be nice if we were treated like enemies, right?"

"Thank you for your trouble, ma'am."

No matter what Zhang Yinshan thought in his heart, he refused to say a word to Madam Zhang, so Madam Zhang could only sigh inwardly.

"Madam, the agent has arrived."

"Please come in."

The broker was a woman in her fifties. She was wearing a purple-red jacket and skirt, a pair of silver hairpins on her head, a pair of twisted silver earrings on her ears, and a pair of silver bracelets on her wrists. She was dressed very decently.

The broker smiled and greeted everyone as he entered, then spoke fluently, "I, an old woman, have been scouting the backyards of every official family and wealthy household in Luoyang City these days to find the people Madam Qi wants. I don't know how many connections I've borrowed and how much money I've spent to buy them back."

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "I know you are a capable person, otherwise I wouldn't have thought of you first."

The woman laughed heartily. "You know the ins and outs of this, but let's be clear: the ones you specifically requested are no easier to find than the others who have sold themselves into slavery. Their value cannot be paid according to market prices, or I will not comply."

"Old fellow, just point out the person and I'll give you the silver you deserve, not a penny less."

When Madam Zhang was greeting the old woman, Gu Youan had already recognized the servants standing in the first row. They were all once servants of their Gu family.

"Miss!"

Xiaoju is careful in her work and a down-to-earth person. Since she was ten years old, she has been taken care of by Mrs. Du's daughter. Xiaoju is very familiar with the young lady's appearance. Even if she is dressed as a man, Xiaoju recognized her at a glance.

Xiaoju blurted out "Miss" with tears in her eyes. The people standing next to Xiaoju, who had been bowing their heads and looking like quails, suddenly raised their heads.

"It's really the young lady!" Mrs. Wei, who used to be the housekeeper's wife beside Gu Youan, was both surprised and happy.

Gu Youan smiled at her, and Mrs. Wei was suddenly overwhelmed with grief, tears streaming down her rough yellow cheeks.

Mrs. Wei's husband, Wang Quan, the Gu family's chief steward, asked in a trembling voice, "Miss, are the master and the mistress still here?"

"Yes, the whole family is here. Although things are not as good as before, at least we are still living a decent life. Mom and Dad are just thinking about you."

Gu Youan did not lie. When she proposed to buy slaves to open up the wasteland, her parents told her that if there was a way, she should try her best to find the old servant back home.

Gu Youan said gently, "You all know the situation at home. We've had a hard time in the past few years. We have no money and no connections. We don't know where you've ended up, and even if we wanted to find you, we couldn't. It was only this year that I led some people on business and made some money, and with Madam Zhang's help, I was able to find you."

Wang Quan is the Gu family's chief steward, and he knows the most about external affairs. Just thinking about it, he can guess how difficult it is for a young lady like you to hide your identity and make money while doing business.

"We've caused trouble for the young lady."

"That's not true. The Gu family was in trouble, and you couldn't escape it either. Just don't blame us, Gu family."

Chen Chang, who was standing next to Wang Quan and used to be Gu Wen's long-time attendant, said quickly, "Master, you care about us and are willing to rescue us. This is already a great favor."

Chen Chang's wife, Mrs. Zhang, quickly nodded in agreement with the head of the household. If it weren't for the young lady's help, they and her husband would have been tortured like this and it was unknown how many years they could have lived.

This time, the broker found Xiaoju, Wang Quanwei's wife and her family of three, Chen Chang and his wife, and Yang Pozi, the former kitchen manager of the Gu family.

Mrs. Yang looks old. When she was in the Gu family, she was only about 30 years old, but she looked like she was in her early 40s. People called her Mrs. Yang even though she was so young.

Wang Quan and his wife, and Chen Chang and his wife are both the managers of the household. Although they are a few years older than Mrs. Yang, they look younger than her.

After the Gu family was exiled and their property was confiscated, Wang Quan and his wife were sold to the home of a criminal official named Zhang to do odd jobs. That family treated their servants very badly, and they treated Wang Quan and his wife, who were from a family of convicted officials, even worse. In just a few years, Wang Quan and his wife became thin and old, with white hair, and looked even older than Mrs. Yang.

The Chen Chang couple was not much better off than the Wang Quan couple; they were both suffering. However, the difference between the Chen Chang couple and the Wang Quan couple was that they suffered not only physically but also mentally.

Chen Chang and his wife were both capable people. When they met Gu Wen and Du, they were both reasonable people. They freed their son and two daughters from slavery.

The two daughters married common people with clean backgrounds, and the son and daughter-in-law ran a small business in Yizhou Prefecture. They lived a good life and often came to the Gu family to visit them.

Before the Gu family fell into decline, Chen Chang and his wife were very proud of their children's filial piety. After the Gu family fell into decline, their daughter turned a blind eye to their miserable situation and their son pretended not to know. It's hard to describe how they felt in their hearts.

The couple thought that this was the end of their life, but they never expected that one day they would be rescued by their master.

Mrs. Yang is the youngest person besides Wang Quan's son Wang Hu and Xiaoju. The reason she can live a slightly better life is because of her ability to cook delicious meals.

It was also because the person who bought her liked her cooking skills that Mrs. Yang used the excuse that Xiaoju was her apprentice and asked Xiaoju to help her, thus saving Xiaoju from a lot of misery.

Xiaoju wiped her tears and cried, "Once a teacher, always a teacher. I will take care of you until you die."

Gu Youan looked at them with a smile and said, "Don't cry, wipe your tears. Tomorrow I will take you to Songjiang City to live a good life."

"Why!"