[For those following the story, start reading from the previous chapter.]
Gan Li patted Xiao Si's head: "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. Now go home first, and don't let your mother know that you saw me today, and don't say that you spoke to me, understand?"
Xiao Si looked at Gan Li with teary eyes, as if grasping at a straw, and asked timidly:
"Auntie, will you... will you really save me? I don't want to be sold..."
Ganli gave him a reassuring look: "Why would I lie to you? Don't worry, just go back and wait. But you absolutely mustn't let anything slip."
Xiao Si glanced timidly at Gan Li, then looked at Gan Quan, her eyes still filled with fear, but she still nodded.
"Don't worry, Auntie, I won't say anything!"
He wiped away his tears, turned around and ran home, his thin figure stretching long in the setting sun.
After Xiao Si had walked away, Gan Quan spoke with an indignant expression:
"I never imagined that Gan Tao's mother could be so heartless! For money, she would even sell her own son. And... and to a place like that! Xiao Si is still so young. If he really gets sold to a place like that, his life will be ruined!"
Gan Li sneered, "She's been shameless for a long time."
Thinking about what had happened recently, Gan Quan silently agreed with his aunt's words.
Thinking of what happened a few days ago, he thought of another person and said bitterly, "Besides Gan Tao Niang, there is another person who is also the most hateful."
You mean Matchmaker Li?
"That's right! She was the one who interfered in Gan Tao's affair before, and it's her again this time. They say evil deeds will be punished, but she has harmed so many people over the years, so why hasn't she received her retribution yet?"
Seeing the boy's indignant expression, Gan Li smiled wickedly: "Who said there wasn't? Here I am!"
Gan Quan: "???"
Gan Li looked at her nephew, whose face was full of doubt as he stared at her with wide eyes. A sly glint flashed in her eyes, and she mysteriously beckoned to him with her finger:
"Come here, I'll tell you right now how to deal with this matchmaker, Li."
She leaned close to Gan Quan's ear and whispered her plan. Gan Quan was stunned, and it took him a while to come to his senses before he hesitated and asked, "This...will this work?"
"Why don't you try and see?" Gan Li patted Gan Quan on the shoulder. "Just do what I asked you to do. Think of a way to do it without leaving a trace and without letting others know that we did it. That's up to your skills."
Gan Quan's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked at her. When he saw the meaningful look in his aunt's eyes, he immediately understood—his aunt was testing him.
He was nervous but even more excited. He nodded twice firmly and agreed:
"Don't worry, Auntie, I will definitely complete the task you asked me to do!"
...
Suddenly, news spread through the town that a wealthy merchant from out of town wanted to adopt a bright and clever son to inherit his family business. He promised a generous reward to anyone who could find him a suitable child.
The news spread like wildfire, and everyone was talking about it with envy, wondering which child was so lucky to be noticed by this wealthy businessman.
When the matchmaker, Li, heard the news, she perked up immediately, like a cat smelling fish.
After what happened last time, she was terrified and lay low for a long time, not daring to show her face. Now that Gan Tao has left and no one is discussing the matter anymore, she finally dares to come out.
Hearing that she could receive a generous reward for helping the wealthy businessman find a suitable model, she was very tempted.
But she was also a seasoned veteran of the business, and although she was tempted, she still had doubts—this wealthy family was so rich, what kind of smart child couldn't they find? Why did they come all the way to this remote and impoverished place to look for him?
However, her question was soon answered.
It turns out that this wealthy businessman was looking for an adopted son, but in reality he wanted to raise a male prostitute. Ordinary families who love their children would not be willing to give their children away to be abused like this.
Even if there were willing ones, the wealthy merchant wouldn't even look at them.
After the news spread, everyone cursed the wealthy businessman for being heartless, but Matchmaker Li became even more obsessed.
She's good at this job, and there's someone right now who's suitable.
She quickly contacted Gan Tao Niang.
Matchmaker Li rubbed her hands together, her face beaming with smiles, and said to Gan Tao Niang:
"Sister-in-law, this is a great opportunity. This wealthy merchant is very generous. As long as the child is clever, he can easily give several hundred taels of silver, which is more profitable than selling him to the prefectural city."
By then, your family will have paid off the money you owe the Wu family, and you won't have to be bothered by them every day. You'll even have some money left over to raise your remaining children properly. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Since Gan Tao left home, Gan Tao's mother has suffered a lot. Not only does she have endless housework to do every day, but she also has to figure out how to raise several children.
Unfortunately, she doesn't have her daughter Gan Tao's skills. In the past two years, being supported by her daughter has given her a kind of "rich person's disease" that makes her unable to lift heavy things. These days, she helps people wash clothes, her hands covered in blisters, and she can barely afford to eat two meals of porridge a day so she doesn't starve to death.
Because life was so hard, she became increasingly resentful and blamed everyone else. The first person she blamed was naturally Gan Tao, but unfortunately, Gan Tao was now far away in the capital, and no matter how much she hated her, she couldn't reach her.
Therefore, he vented his resentment on the fourth son who testified for Gan Tao.
This son was neither her first nor her youngest, so he was caught in the middle and not favored at all. With this incident, Gan Tao Niang looked down on him even more.
Even so, when the matchmaker Li said she was going to sell Xiao Si to that kind of place, Gan Tao Niang still hesitated.
But soon, she was overwhelmed by the burdens of life and took the initiative to find the matchmaker, Li, and asked her to come and take Xiao Si away as soon as possible.
She had already overcome the most difficult step, and now that she heard from Matchmaker Li that the person had been replaced and was to be sold to a wealthy merchant, Gan Tao Niang agreed without hesitation.
Since it's all about selling anyway, what difference does it make who you sell it to? When she heard that she could sell Xiao Si for a good price, she was overjoyed, her mind filled with nothing but piles of money.
She grabbed Xiao Si, roughly changed him into clean clothes, and then followed the matchmaker, Li, excitedly to meet the wealthy merchant.
In a private room of a teahouse, a richly dressed 'wealthy merchant' sat upright, with a strong bodyguard standing beside him.
Xiao Si was so frightened by the scene that he trembled and instinctively hid next to his mother.
Seeing this, Gan Taoniang grabbed the man and pulled him out, glaring at him fiercely and ordering him to stand still.
Seeing this, the matchmaker quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying that although the child was a little timid, he was clever, filial, and sensible, and most importantly, he was quite good-looking.
As she spoke, she winked at the wealthy businessman, as if they were exchanging knowing glances.
The wealthy businessman eyed Xiao Si with covetous intent, clearly quite satisfied.
Neither side had any other objections and was about to start discussing the price when suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a group of officials rushed in, surrounding Matchmaker Li, Gan Tao Niang, and the 'wealthy merchant' and others.
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