Yi Yami is busy every day and is so busy that she is dizzy.

Ma Rongrong came to the store carrying the cloth bag made for him by Ma Dasao, ordered a plate of braised meat and a bowl of rice porridge as usual, and sat obediently in a corner waiting for his meal.

"Hey, Rongrong, you came so early. Did you get up to have breakfast?" Yiyami was surprised to see Ma Rongrong before dawn.

"Sister Xiaoyi, my mother found a school for me and asked me to go to school today! My mother can't get up, so she asked me to come to your place for breakfast." Ma Rongrong said obediently.

Yi Yami rubbed his head and said, "Good boy, which school do you go to?"

"My mother wanted me to be closer to home so it would be more convenient, so she found the nearest school for me called Cunzhen School." Ma Rongrong told the whole story.

Yi Yami nodded, took the meal brought by Yi Xiaomai, and placed it in front of Ma Rongrong.

Yi Yami looked at Ma Rongrong, then looked at Yi Xiaomai who was running to the kitchen.

The two children are about the same age, and now it's time for them to go to school.

Yi Yami pondered this matter in her mind, and then chatted with Ma Rongrong, "Rongrong, how much did you pay for school? What else do you have to pay besides tuition?"

Ma Rongrong answered her while eating, "Sister Xiaoyi, the tuition at this Cunzhen School is relatively affordable in town, but the food and accommodation are expensive. The tuition is two taels of silver per semester, and a semester lasts four months. During this period, the rest time will be based on the progress of the farming work. However, if there is no farming work, the rest time is about once a month. The children who board at the school usually choose to go back during the rest time. The school's food and accommodation are charged separately. My home is close, so I didn't pay this fee. However, I have to take care of my own food and sleep."

Yi Yami nodded, "What about books, writing brushes, inkstones, and so on?"

Ma Rongrong took a sip of porridge and said, "You have to prepare this yourself. The school doesn't provide books. You can buy books from the teacher or copy them yourself. It's all fine. My mother doesn't have much money and my father is away on a long trip, so I plan to borrow this book from a classmate and copy it myself."

"Can you copy it clearly?" Yiyami wondered.

“…Can…can I…” Ma Rongrong blushed.

"Sister Xiaoyi, do you want Xiaomai and the others to go to school?" Ma Rongrong asked.

"Yes, children have to go to school when they grow up. Children are the future of the country!" Yiyami nodded.

"Well, Sister Xiaoyi, can you tell me that I introduced you when you go? That way I can get some new books from the teacher, and I won't have to copy them myself." Ma Rongrong's eyes sparkled.

Yi Yami patted his head and said, "Rongrong, how come you are so smart! Okay, no problem."

Ma Rongrong jumped up happily and quickly finished her porridge. "Sister Xiaoyi, I'm leaving now. Don't forget to tell her that I introduced you when the time comes!"

Yi Yami smiled and nodded, saying goodbye to him.

After the busiest morning, the sun was already high in the sky and we had lunch.

Yi Yami was thinking in his mind, so he asked Wu Wa and the others to look after the shop while he went to the pawnshop in town.

The owner of the dental shop, Shirakawa Jing, was lying on a rattan chair, humming a tune leisurely with his eyes closed. A shadow stood in front of him, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, it's Miss Xiaoyi. What a rare guest. How come you have time to come to my dental clinic? Come, have some tea." Bai Hejing poured her a cup of tea.

"Boss Bai, I'm here to see if there's anyone suitable. I'd like to buy him home and make him my assistant." Yiyami took the tea but didn't drink it.

"Okay, I'll show you." Shirakawa Jing stood up, and his big beer belly shook a few times with his movements.

Shirakawa Jing took the key chain and opened the locked doors one by one, only to see a lot of people standing together inside.

"Wake up, everyone. Guests are coming. Behave better so someone can buy you away and save you from suffering here." Bai Hejing shouted.

They were all skinny and stared at Yiyami with eager eyes.

Yi Yami felt goosebumps all over her body.

"Boss Bai, why are all the people here so thin?" Yi Yami asked.

"Oh, you've asked the right person. These are refugees who were displaced from the war on the northwest border and have nowhere to go. Some of them starved to death on the road, and some had nowhere to go and no place to stay, so they simply sold themselves to make a living. Some of them had committed crimes in their families and were punished or demoted. Some were born to slaves or prostitutes and had nowhere to go, so I recruited them here. Business is bad and I have no food to eat, so they have even less food to eat." Bai Hejing said, not forgetting to get closer to Yi Yami.

Yi Yami frowned slightly and quietly took a few steps away from him. She didn't believe a word he said. She thought it must be this man who abused them, while she herself was eating so much that she looked greasy, fat, and had a big belly.

"What's the price for you guys?" Yiyami asked.

"Adult men, 4 liang, 300 wen; adult women, 5 liang, 500 wen; elderly men, 2 liang, 500 wen; elderly women, 900 wen; young men, 3 liang; young women, 3 liang, 500 wen." Shirakawa Jing said slowly, looking Yi Yami up and down. "How much does Miss Yi want?"

Yi Yami hated the way he looked at her, and also hated the way he treated people like animals. If it was a legitimate pawnbroker, it would be fine. After all, it was legitimate and respectable, and everyone had a legitimate reason. But this one was obviously a black-hearted pawnbroker, and it was unclear where these people came from.

She looked around, and everyone's eyes were filled with fear and desire. Everyone was dressed in rags, their feet and hands shackled to varying degrees. This was a human smuggling den.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!