Chapter 89 Sold by the Stepmother

Ten taels a month, that's twelve taels a year?

So much silver, it sounds tempting.

Hongmei jumped up excitedly, "Ten taels is a lot! ...Qingdai, will you come with me?"

The woman looked at Hongmei and said, "You can't read, so you won't get ten taels of silver if you go. But you're quite pretty. If you're lucky enough to be noticed by the young master and become his head maid, he can give you ten taels of silver. It all depends on your luck."

"I'll go!" Hongmei nodded excitedly.

She would go even if she didn't have ten taels of silver, just so she could wear new clothes and hair ornaments.

"Here is five taels of silver, as this is my wages for this month. I'll take Hongmei with me. She can come back if she decides to quit after a year."

The woman handed five taels of silver to Hongmei, who had been waiting nearby.

"Oh, very good, very good." Hongmei's mother happily accepted.

Then he gave Hongmei a few instructions and told her to go with the woman, work for two years and then come back. By then she would be old enough to be married off.

"I'll go too."

Er Ya looked at the silver and thought for a moment. She had met Young Master Liu before and knew him.

When I become Young Master Liu's head maid, I can earn twelve taels a year. With that money, my mother can open a shop.

It's a good deal.

"But I need a month's salary to send back to my mother!" Er Ya was cautious.

The woman nodded. "Alright, I value your literacy. There aren't many literate people. The rest of the silver is in the carriage. Take your sister with you to get it. The carriage is not far away."

Hongmei was still talking to her mother when the woman urged, "Hurry up, if you can't bear to part with her, then don't go."

Hongmei immediately stopped talking and followed the woman.

Er Ya, holding San Ya's hand, followed along.

"Second sister, Mother doesn't agree?" Sanya asked softly.

"Take the money back and ask them. If they don't agree, I can return it." Er Ya felt that she couldn't lose out no matter what.

She probably wouldn't go to other families, but she can go to the Liu family.

If things don't work out, we can always come back. Young Master Liu is such a kind person; he doesn't seem like he'll make things difficult for anyone.

"Where's the carriage?"

They had already left the village, and Er Ya looked left and right but couldn't see the carriage the woman had mentioned.

"It's just ahead, almost there."

The woman waved her handkerchief and urged, "You three, hurry up."

After walking a while, the woman looked at Sanya and said, "This little girl can't walk anymore, I'll carry her."

"I'm not going." Er Ya stopped pulling San Ya, then suddenly realized something was wrong.

Wasn't the carriage supposed to be nearby? Why didn't she see it? Could she be a liar?

"Er Ya, why aren't you going?" Hong Mei asked, puzzled.

“My mother will definitely disagree, I’m not going.” Er Ya pulled San Ya and walked back.

The woman grabbed Sanya, her expression changing. "Little girl, you can't go now, it's not up to you."

"What are you doing? Let go! I'm going to call for help!" Er Ya shouted anxiously. "Help! There are kidnappers!"

"Shut up! Li Er and Li San, hurry up!"

The woman shouted, and two men jumped out from behind the low earthen wall, quickly grabbed Er Ya, and covered her mouth with a cloth.

Er Ya struggled a few times, then went limp and lost all strength.

"ah--"

The woman holding Sanya was bitten and screamed in pain. Another man quickly covered Sanya's body.

The two men stopped moving and were quickly stuffed into sacks.

"That brat almost got away!" The woman covered her bitten hand with a handkerchief and urged, "Hurry up and put her in the carriage, let's go, don't attract attention."

Hongmei, standing to the side, was terrified. "You..."

The next second, she was also knocked unconscious by having her mouth covered.

The three were stuffed into sacks and carried onto a carriage hidden in the woods. The woman breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was chasing after them.

Satisfied, he looked at Er Ya and San Ya inside the sack.

"I spent a few taels of silver to get two top-quality goods. These two sisters are quite good-looking. It's rare to find such fair and tender skin in the countryside. If we raise them well for a few years, they can definitely fetch a good price."

"As for this, it's not a loss." The woman kicked Hongmei.

Li Er, who was driving the cart, cursed under his breath, "Old woman Li, shut up! There are people ahead!"

...

...

Ye Wan slept until the afternoon before waking up.

As soon as I woke up, I went to the kitchen to get busy, smoking some dried meat to stave off hunger. I planned to deliver the food to Lin Anyuan when it got dark.

"Sanya, Sanya, come and eat some jerky!"

Ye Wan called out to San Ya, that little glutton, from the kitchen.

After calling out a few times, it was Daya who came in. "Mother, Erya and Sanya haven't come back yet."

"Why aren't they back yet? It's almost dinnertime." Ye Wan looked at the sky.

"I'll go out and look for it," Daya said, starting to walk out.

Ye Wan wiped her hands. "You watch the fire, I'll go."

Daya squatted under the stove, while Ye Wan came out and headed straight for the village.

"Er Ya! San Ya!"

Ye Wan called out a few times, but no one answered. However, she saw several women sewing shoe soles under a tree in the distance.

They saw Ye Wan and the others speaking in hushed tones with strange expressions.

Ye Wan probably heard the words "Ye family" and "black-hearted" and walked over directly.

"Aunties, what are you talking about?"

"She didn't say anything, Ye family. Now that your family is rich, are you going to build a big courtyard?" Aunt Li drawled as she looked at Ye Wan.

"What do you mean, 'renovated yard'? My house doesn't have a yard! I just heard you saying I'm heartless. How exactly am I heartless? Explain yourself!"

Ye Wan's face fell.

She loves to cause trouble for people, but if someone dares to mess with her, don't blame her for being impolite.

“Mrs. Ye, what are you saying? We didn’t say anything,” a young woman muttered.

Ye Wan sneered, "I heard everything. Speak your mind directly, don't be a gossip behind people's backs, or you'll ruin your tongue!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Li couldn't stand it anymore. Pointing at Ye Wan, she said, "I'm giving you some face, but you still don't care about your own dignity. You can't blame us. What despicable thing have you done?"

"What despicable thing have I done? Explain yourself clearly, don't try to save face for me!" Ye Wan said with a stern face.

"Stop pretending! You sold those two girls. A stepmother is a stepmother after all—heartless and rotten!"

"Explain yourself clearly. When did I sell the children? Where are Er Ya and San Ya?"

Ye Wan was startled and grabbed Aunt Li by the collar.

The people nearby grew anxious, "Ms. Ye, let go! Didn't you sell them both out? What are you pretending for!"

"I didn't sell it. I'll ask again, where are Er Ya and San Ya?" Ye Wan's eyes were filled with hostility, as if she was about to hit someone at any moment.

Aunt Li turned pale with fright. "I don't know! Around noon today, a well-dressed old woman came to buy people. Ask Hongmei's mother, her daughter Hongmei went too!"

When Ye Wansong arrived, he immediately ran to Hongmei's house.

Aunt Li was released and coughed a few times.

The young woman watched Ye Wan's retreating figure. "She doesn't look like she's selling children, does she? Could Er Ya and San Ya have been snatched up by child traffickers?"

Aunt Li spat angrily, "A stepmother is a stepmother, she has to put on an act, otherwise how will she explain it to Lin Anyuan?"

"Why does Lin Anyuan keep these three girls? It's a waste of food. Maybe Lin Anyuan even agreed to sell them!"

"I don't know, but I heard that Lin Anyuan can't do *that* anymore... It's better to pick up a girl than to have no children at all."

"What? How did Sanya come about?"

Ignoring the gossip, Ye Wan kicked open the gate to Hongmei's courtyard.