Chapter 164 Righteousness is More Important Than Money
"Shopkeeper Yu, how is it?"
The slave trader had been waiting there since early morning. When he saw Sui Yu coming, he first glanced at Zhao Xiping. By observing the other's expression, he already knew what the two had decided.
Sure enough, Sui Yu nodded.
"I'll go have breakfast first." Sui Yu said.
"Okay, take your time. I'm in no hurry." The slave trader smiled. "I'll wait for you at the guesthouse."
Zhao Xiping took half a day off specifically to come and help out. After breakfast, he and Sui Yu went to the tenth guest house to select servants.
"I want someone with strong arms," Sui Yuxian stated. "Both men and women are welcome. They need to be strong enough to farm."
Without the slave trader's orders, some slaves stepped forward. They were about thirty or forty years old. Although they were thin, they had big frames, prominent knuckles and broad shoulders.
Zhao Xiping glanced around and eliminated those with short legs and arms first.
"How old are you?" Sui Yu asked, "I don't want anyone over 40."
The three middle-aged women took two steps back in silence.
"Where did you buy these people from?" Zhao Xiping asked.
"Some sell themselves to survive, some to save their sick fathers or children. There are also many widows whose husbands have died and who are sold by their uncles or sisters-in-law. As for the men, most are in debt or have suffered disasters." The slave trader made no secret of anything. Considering Zhao Xiping's identity, he pointed out three men and asked them to leave, explaining, "These three are debtors and bankrupts. They are dishonest and have dirty hands. The others are clean, so you can continue to choose."
"Do you have any slave-born children?" Sui Yu asked.
The slave trader squatting under the eaves chewing willow branches made a gesture, and someone else went to lead people over. This group of people were relatively young, mostly fifteen or sixteen years old, and some were around ten years old.
"The master's family fell into ruin, and they were sold to me," the slave trader explained.
Sui Yu noticed a mother and daughter. The girl had a well-defined figure and was about fifteen or sixteen years old, while her mother was only in her thirties. The mother and daughter snuggled together, looking at her anxiously.
"These two." Sui Yu said, "Come here, what are your names?"
"Liu Yaer," the girl replied softly, "My mother can't speak. Her name is Meng Ma."
Sui Yu said nothing and looked at the others.
Zhao Xiping has selected five people, three women and two men, all of whom look honest.
"Master, please buy me. I'm strong." A half-grown girl with a thin face spoke up. She looked at Sui Yu with hope and said, "My name is Xiao Chunhong. When I was a child, I helped my mother sell straw sandals. I know how to entertain guests. I can work in the guesthouse and even work in the fields during the busy farming season."
During her stay at the guesthouse, Xiao Chunhong accidentally discovered that Gan Da and Gan Er, who came to boil water daily, were servants of the master's family. She had noticed that Gan Da and Gan Er were well fed, and even received tips from merchants for their work, without being scolded by the master. At the time, she had been thinking that it would be wonderful if she could be bought by the master, but she had no idea that the master actually intended to buy her.
Sui Yu looked at her twice and asked, "Were you a slave before?"
"No, I was sold by my brother and sister-in-law. My parents died and my brother and sister-in-law took over the family. They sold me in order to find a wife for their nephew." Xiao Chunhong was a little sad.
This did not suit Sui Yu's choice, so she looked away and continued to choose.
Zhao Xiping was selecting two more female slaves. He came over and asked, "How many do you want to buy?"
"Almost." Sui Yu looked at the people selected by Zhao Xiping. They all had numb eyes. To them, it seemed that it didn't matter which host they went to.
"How much are these seven in total? Give me a fair price." Zhao Xiping asked.
"Five women and two men, a total of 16,500 coins." The slave trader pointed at Liu Yaer and her daughter and said, "If you want these two too, just give me 19,000 coins. You bought too many people, so I'll give you an extra head for free."
Zhao Xiping and Sui Yu looked at each other and thought that the price was acceptable and they could buy it.
"Master, please buy me. I can work." Xiao Chunhong's face was full of anxiety. "Please buy me. I can do anything."
The slave trader took two steps forward, slapped her twice with his hand, and scolded her, "Be quiet, Old Qiu, take her away and teach her a lesson."
Xiao Chunhong's face immediately turned pale with fright, and she shrank back, not daring to say a word.
"Don't worry, Shopkeeper Yu. The people I have are all taught the rules. I come here almost every five years. If there is any problem with the people I buy from you, you can come to me." said the slave trader.
Sui Yu's eyes were fixed on Xiao Chunhong, and he suddenly said, "Since you said so, I'll buy her. If there's any problem in the future, I'll come back to you."
"If we buy enough for ten people, you can ask for less money." Zhao Xiping bargained, "This is not honest. We have to go through the trouble of teaching the rules after we buy it back."
The slave trader refused to lower the price and said, "Give me two days. We will train her and hand her over to you, or you can choose someone else."
Sui Yu was also a little hesitant because she didn't have enough money.
"Master, please buy me." Xiao Chunhong knelt down.
Sui Yu looked at Liu Yaer and asked, "What do you think of her?"
Liu Yaer didn't react for a moment. After she reacted, she looked at her mother helplessly. She didn't know, so why was she asking her?
Meng Ma was unable to offer any advice. Along the way, it was already difficult for them to take care of themselves, so how could they pay attention to whether others were good or bad?
Based on the reactions of the mother and daughter, Sui Yu decided to buy Xiao Chunhong. These servants were too honest and dull, and they needed a flexible and thoughtful leader.
"Twenty thousand coins for these ten people," Sui Yu said.
The slave trader shook his head. He pointed to an old man with a white beard and said, "If you want to buy this, it will cost 20,000 yuan."
"Twenty-one thousand yuan." Zhao Xiping said, "She came to me on her own initiative. Sell it to me at a lower price."
"Add another two hundred coins." The slave trader relented, saying, "If you buy this and raise it for two years, it will be enough to add to the population. Selling it to you for two thousand two hundred coins is really a loss. If you didn't buy so much, I really wouldn't sell it to you."
"Okay." Sui Yu stopped bargaining and said, "I'll bring the money to you in the evening."
"I will give you the person after I receive the money. Go to the government office to exchange the deed tomorrow," said the slave trader.
Sui Yu had no objection.
In the afternoon, Sui Yu went to Dinghu Lane and asked Song Xian to borrow five thousand coins.
"I can return it to you by next May at the latest." Sui Yu promised.
Song Xian was not worried that Sui Yu would not be able to pay back the money. If Sui Yu helped sell or rent a hundred camels, she would earn the five thousand yuan.
"Why do you buy so many slaves? Do you want to expand the guesthouse?" Song Xian asked.
Sui Yu hesitated for a moment, then chose to speak frankly: "In preparation for future business ventures, I have no trustworthy relatives or friends, so I can only choose to train slaves."
"Are you serious?" Song Xian was shocked. "Are you really planning to go into business?"
"I do have this idea, but I'm not sure whether I can take this step in the end." Sui Yu smiled.
"What did Captain Zhao say?" Song Xian asked. "Will he agree?"
"He agreed." Sui Yu nodded proudly. Zhao Xiping was her confidence. "He is willing to wait for me at home."
Song Xian felt an indescribable feeling in her heart, a mixture of envy and bitterness. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at the expression on Sui Yu's face. The light was too bright, making her dizzy. She felt like a pitiful, gray clown.
"Do you want to come with me?" Sui Yu asked.
Song Xian felt an urge in her heart, but she couldn't let go of the mess at home, so she could only refuse silently.
Four boxes of copper coins were tied to the camel's back, and Song Xian led the camel to accompany Sui Yu for a walk.
"By the way, next year, if merchants staying at my place buy or rent camels from you, I won't take a cut." Sui Yu said, "I just gave you an idea. I've already made quite a bit of money from it this year."
Song Xian shook her head firmly. Righteousness is more important than money. If she were to burn the bridge after crossing it, her business would come to an end.
"The plan is worth a thousand gold, and we will fulfill the terms we promised. I will pay you what I owe you. As long as you introduced me here, I will give you a commission from the money I receive." After saying this, Song Xian flicked the camel's reins and said, "I'll leave you a group of good camels. When you go on a business trip, I'll lend them to you, free of charge."
"Thank you for your support." Sui Yu smiled. She rubbed her belly and said, "It's still early. I have to wait until he can eat before I can leave home without worry."
"Your Captain Zhao is really a good person and is willing to support you." Song Xian sighed enviously.
Sui Yu smiled but said nothing. She remembered that Huang Ancheng had once advised Zhao Xiping to stay out of the house because of her beauty. This showed that Huang Ancheng was a cautious and conservative person, very different from Song Xian's.
After handing Sui Yu to Zhao Xiping, Song Xian went home empty-handed. After sitting for a while, she went out for a stroll. When she reached the west gate, she saw Huang Ancheng leaning against the city wall picking his teeth out of boredom. She turned around and left again.
…
In the evening, Sui Yu transported 21,200 coins to the guesthouse on camels. The 21,200 coins filled ten large money boxes, and it took seven slave traders an hour to count them.
"How are you going to take so much money back?" Sui Yu asked. "I noticed you only brought seven camels with you when you checked in. If the camels are loaded with goods, they won't be able to carry people."
"Change it to silk. Silk is easier to carry." The slave trader pushed out ten people and said, "Take what you picked this morning. Go to the government office tomorrow morning at noon to exchange the deeds."
Sui Yu nodded, and she asked one more question: "Are you buying camels?"
These people really had this plan. Silk was in great demand outside the Great Wall, and camels were even more popular inside the Great Wall. They drove the slaves all the way to the northwest, and then brought the camels from the northwest back to the interior. They made money both ways.
Seeing this, Sui Yu hurriedly sent someone to deliver a message to Song Xian. The next day, when he returned from the government office to exchange the deed, Song Xian was already waiting for him in the open space outside the guesthouse with twenty strong camels.
The more than 20,000 yuan that Sui Yu gave out the night before went back into Song Xian's pocket. The slave trader picked up ten female camels and one male camel that had given birth.
"Five hundred and fifty coins. Here, I give it to you." Song Xian gave Sui Yu a cut and said, "You know I'm not short of money. Don't be in a hurry to pay back the money you borrowed. Give it to me when you have enough."
"Okay." Sui Yu didn't refuse her kindness and said, "I'll introduce another business to Xiaomi tomorrow when the slave traders leave."
"Ask her for a commission too." Song Xian suggested.
Sui Yu shook her head and said, "She's just starting out. We can talk about other things after her business is established."
"Once her business is successful, you won't be short of money anymore."
"Then I'll lend you my good words." Sui Yu said happily, "Do you have enough manpower there? If not, I can lend you my people."
"It's enough. These are the old men my father left for me. They work very efficiently." Song Xian led the other nine camels away and said, "You're busy. I'll be back."
Sui Yu watched her walk away before entering the house. Ten servants were scattered around helping with the work. Xiao Chunhong and Liu Yaer, mother and daughter, were kneading dough in the kitchen to prepare steamed buns.
"Starting tomorrow morning, you will run circles around the guesthouse every morning and evening. You are too weak, so you need to exercise first, so as not to delay the spring planting next spring." Sui Yu instructed, "Xiao Chunhong, this is your responsibility."
Xiao Chunhong nodded in agreement without hesitation.
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