Chapter 261 Lai Shun

Two new groups of tenants came to the compound where the Xia family lived.

Coincidentally, on the same day that the new tenant moved in, Jiang’s family also arrived.

They lived in a large carriage inn near the slum and booked a dormitory bed. Perhaps because they were quick to seize the opportunity and made sufficient preparations, the whole family was together and, despite the long journey and the rough seas, nothing was damaged.

Last time they sent a message to inform the Xia family that they had taken a boat and traveled by sea to visit their relatives in Jixiang County, and Xia Daohua began to keep an eye out for their accommodation.

At that time, Xia Daohua didn't know how many people there were in total, so she just made a rough estimate in her mind and asked a familiar broker to help her look for a suitable courtyard.

He looked at several places, both big and small, and several places both near and far. He was ready to wait for the Jiang family to come so that he could recommend the places he thought were suitable to them and let them go and take a look for themselves before making a decision.

In order to let the pawnshop keep these courtyards and reserve priority for her family, she also bribed the manager of the pawnshop and the pawnbrokers she was familiar with a small amount.

This was not the first time that the brokerage firm had dealt with Xia Daohua. They knew that her business deal had an 80% chance of success, so they were happy to do as she wished.

In fact, unless you meet someone who is extremely wealthy, most people, whether buying or renting a house, would be extremely cautious, choose carefully, think twice, hesitate, and compare prices from three different stores, right?

Not to mention that Xia Daohua gave extra money. Even if this hadn't happened, she would have looked at a few more houses and asked the person who wanted to buy or rent a house to come and see them before making a final decision. These were all reasonable requests.

Dental clinics are always very considerate before the deal is done.

After the business is done, it is often necessary to maintain a good reputation.

Even if you don't buy a house anymore, you might still buy a few acres of land to farm and hire a few servants to serve you.

Even if your life becomes increasingly impoverished and you can no longer buy houses or land, you may have to sell your house, land, or even yourself in the future!

With this kind of friendship and a good impression left, when you have something to do or need something, you will think of him first!

Therefore, each of these brokers pays great attention to maintaining their reputation.

Unless you meet someone who is extremely difficult to get along with, everyone is very polite and easy to talk to, and their mouths are as sweet as honey.

Just a few words can make the guests smile and feel comfortable, and the tone and expression are very natural and not deliberate.

Xia Daohua had personally experienced this kind of treatment several times. Every time, she was able to resist the attempts to sell her maids and servants, and felt that she had extraordinary self-control.

It felt a bit like being in modern society, smiling and tactfully declining those extremely enthusiastic card-issuing masters all the way.

After meeting the Jiang family, Xia Daohua told them about her plan to find a house. After getting their approval, she contacted a broker she was familiar with.

As soon as they met, Lai Shun gave her a good sales pitch and encouraged her in various ways to buy a few girls back home.

Xia Daohua was in a state of confusion:

"Laishun, your good girls and boys should be left to others. I am not of high status, so even if I can afford the money, I cannot use servants."

Xia Daohua looked helpless and once again refused without hesitation.

Lai Shun is not annoyed:

"Hey, Madam Xia, you are being too cautious.

"In our Chu Dynasty, agriculture is emphasized and commerce is suppressed. Merchants are the lowest of the four classes of people. But you see, among the merchants with some money, which one does not hire slaves? Even those local tycoons who have hundreds of hectares of fertile land, which one does not buy a few maids and servants to serve them?"

Xia Daohua smiled and shook her head. She didn't say much, but just refused.

Lai Shun did not bother to argue further, but simply said sincerely:

“This time, I personally handled these girls.

He is really a child from a good family, with a clean background. He is from Zhongzhou County and came here with his family to escape famine.

The family had run out of money and could no longer survive. Seeing that they were about to starve to death, they sold them.

Each of them has a simple and peaceful personality, is nimble with their hands and feet, clumsy with their mouths, and obedient. None of them looks enchanting.

They have all signed death contracts with the pawnbrokers and sold their bodies voluntarily. Even if their families become wealthy in the future, they will not be able to redeem them.

Such a good girl is not something you can meet every day.

If you don't take this opportunity to buy a few, it won't be easy to find people when you need them in the future!"

Xia Daohua became somewhat interested in what he said, but then she thought, the Xia family had not yet had a deep foundation, and they had only been making a living in Jixiang County for a short time. The mud on their legs and feet had not been washed clean yet, so what kind of maid would they use?

When I heard him say that he was about to starve to death, I couldn't help but frown.

Logically speaking, Magistrate Yang and Mrs. Wang had done a pretty good job in providing relief, so how could someone still be so miserable?

Lai Shun observed her expression and seemed to know what she was concerned about, so he took the initiative to explain:

"This guy, sometimes he just lacks a bit of luck, I really can't help but admit it.

The first girl to sell herself was because her brother was ill and she had spent all her family's money on seeking medical treatment. But if she stopped taking the medicine, all the money she had spent would be wasted...

The family had no other choice but to sell her, the eldest sister, with great reluctance.

Among the children, the last one to sell himself had only been sold for less than half a day when the county government posted a notice to pacify the people. It was said that the refugees in the county could find work for young and strong people, where women and children could get relief food, and where the elderly and weak could get porridge and water...

When the whole family heard about this, they cried bitterly, and their reluctance to part was so great that even a heartless person would cry with them.

But the contract has already been signed. If I want to regret it, just returning the silver won’t be enough.”

After hearing this, Xia Daohua's face became gloomy.

Indeed, County Magistrate Yang and Wang have done a very good job, but there are bound to be some areas that they have overlooked.

For example, if these people get sick, where can they go to see a doctor and get medicine?

County Magistrate Yang and Wang did set up several medical tents.

But compared with the needs of the refugees, these medical tents are at best a drop in the bucket.

The herbs used were all bought on credit. This is not a long-term solution.

After all, you can't ask the pharmacy and the clinic to pay for it!

Besides, even if the pharmacy and clinic are willing to spend money, they can’t take care of so many people!

What's more, pharmacies and hospitals also need to eat and drink, how can they possibly keep paying for them?

Xia Daohua was worried for a moment, then she calmed down, smiled and shook her head again:

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

"I do need help. But I don't need maids or servants to serve people or do rough work. I need trustworthy and reliable shopkeepers, accountants, and managers... Do you have such talents?"

"This... I don't have any ready-made ones. But this maidservant is young and hardworking. If you train her carefully, wouldn't she be more reliable than someone you find outside?"

Good night.

(End of this chapter)