Chapter 86 Slaves
The restaurant is short of staff now, and Grandma Zhao is very clever and knows everything about the place, so Ji Zhisui feels relieved, and this is enough to help her.
But just having Grandma Zhao alone is definitely not enough. She plans to go to the market tomorrow to see if she can recruit anyone.
After hearing this, Grandma Zhao's face was full of disbelief. She even began to suspect that there was something wrong with her ears and she had heard it wrong.
Ninety cents, ninety cents...what does this mean?
But it was thirty cents more than the salary her current employer paid her. These thirty cents could buy a pound of meat, enough for their family to eat for a long time.
This ninety-cent wage is also the price for men's work.
"Sui Niang, this...did I hear correctly? You really want to pay me ninety cents a month?" Grandma Zhao asked cautiously, fearing that this was just a beautiful dream she had imagined, and when she woke up, everything would be gone.
"That's right, I just wonder if you, Aunt Zhao, would be willing to come to our restaurant to help?"
"Yes, yes, of course I am willing." Grandma Zhao nodded happily and agreed happily. She didn't even know how to describe her current mood.
The family she works for now attaches great importance to rules, and I heard that they moved here from the capital.
Rather than working in fear for her master's family, Grandma Zhao would rather go to Zhisui's restaurant to help out.
The matter of recruiting Grandma Zhao was finalized. Looking at Grandma Zhao's back as she left happily, Ji Zhisui's mouth corners raised a slight arc. She was also very happy to be able to do her best to help Grandma Zhao.
Pei Yian stood in the distance and took in Sui Niang's joyful expression. She was kind and gentle at heart, and was trying her best to help the people around her: Grandma Zhao, Grandma, Mother, Xingxing... and him.
Her emotions were so lively, optimistic, and full of energy, which was different from everyone Pei Yian knew.
So, what kind of environment did Sui Niang live in to develop such a personality?
Ji Zhisui turned around and found Pei Yian seemed to be staring at her in a daze. She was a little curious and looked around, but didn't find anything unusual around.
She walked up to Pei Yian, raised her hand and waved it in front of him, a little curious, "Brother An, what were you looking at just now? So engrossed?"
Looking at you.
"No, I was just thinking about something." Pei Yian did not speak out as absorbed in his previous words, but just made up an excuse.
Ji Zhisui didn't think much about it. There was no way the other party was looking at him anyway.
"Brother An, can you go out with me tomorrow? I want to check out the job recruitment department."
Although she could accomplish this task by herself, Ji Zhisui felt safe with Pei Yian by her side. At least his judgment of people was much more accurate than hers.
"Are you looking to recruit some staff for the restaurant?"
"Well, the restaurant business is almost stable now, but we don't have enough staff." The restaurant business is good, but there are only so many people working at home.
Pei Yian suggested: "Instead of hiring workers, Sui Niang could consider buying a few loyal slaves."
"Ah?" This was a path Ji Zhisui had never imagined. She looked at Pei Yian with confusion, waiting for everyone to answer.
"Baiwei Restaurant is developing very well now. The cooking in the kitchen cannot be done by you alone. You never know if someone will have bad intentions. Instead of using those people with ulterior motives, it is better to buy a few slaves directly." Pei Yian made a careful analysis and explained the pros and cons to others clearly.
Ji Zhisui instantly understood what he meant. If there was a traitor in the kitchen or someone had other intentions, it would definitely affect the restaurant's business. Instead of recruiting those uncertain factors from outside, slaves would be more reliable.
They have the indentures in their hands, so they don't have to worry about anyone selling them out for a small profit.
Ji Zhisui once again marveled at Pei Yian's wisdom and prudence. When he looked at a matter, he would consider all aspects of it, which she could not compare with.
The next day, the two went to a corner of the market, where human traffickers sold slaves.
Ji Zhisui had never been to this place before. Before this, she only bought things outside the market.
Here, many people were shackled and locked in cages. They were of various ages. They were wearing tattered coarse linen clothes, were skinny, and had numb and indifferent expressions on their faces.
When he first saw this scene, Ji Zhisui couldn't help but look stunned and distressed.
She didn't know how to judge. In this dynasty, buying and selling slaves was very common. With the indentures in hand, the masters could decide the life and death of these slaves at will, as if these lives were worthless.
Thinking of this, her mood became a little depressed. If she bought a slave here, would she be considered an accomplice? After all, there would be no harm without buying and selling.
Pei Yian easily noticed the changes in the people around her. She seemed to dislike seeing such scenes, but also seemed to feel sad for these people?
His big palm wrapped around the small hand and pulled the person behind him. His tall figure protected the person and prevented her from seeing such a scene again.
"Let's go back first."
The cool scent of cedar and the steady voice brought Ji Zhisui back to her senses. She drove away those messy emotions, but her voice was still a little muffled.
"Brother An, don't you think it's a bad idea for us to buy these slaves? If there were no buying and selling, these slaves wouldn't have to be locked up."
"Sui Niang, if we don't buy them, many of them might starve to death. Many of those sold as slaves have trouble even getting enough to eat."
"None of this is your fault. Don't blame yourself. We bought the slaves and kept them well fed and clothed. We were helping them, not harming them."
Although he felt a little better after being comforted, Ji Zhisui was still a little depressed when he saw many slaves with their legs and feet chained. "Brother An, why do you think there are so many slaves in this world?"
"Because if I don't sell myself to make some money, the only thing that awaits me is starvation."
When a family can’t even get enough to eat, they will sell their children. This is one of the reasons.
Floods, droughts, wars...
These can easily destroy a city. By then, the people in the city will be displaced and flee everywhere. Most of those who are lucky enough to survive will become prey to human traffickers. This is the second point.
This was also the first time that Ji Zhisui faced the cruelty of this dynasty. Qizhou County was not considered poor, and some of his neighbors on North Street could only be considered to be living in poverty.
People who are truly in difficulty probably have difficulty even filling their stomachs, and many of them starve to death. When people are about to starve to death, who cares about being slaves or not?
"Brother An, do you think everyone will be able to have enough to eat in the future?"
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