Qin Chuan brought the news of Su Ruyan's pregnancy to the Su residence.
When they heard the news, everyone in the Su family was happy for him.
"Haha, I'm going to be a grandfather again!" Su Zhi Qiu stroked his beard and laughed.
Even Madam Yan smiled, a rare occurrence: "This is a case of good deeds leading to good results. Yan'er's five years of perseverance were not in vain; she has finally found a good man. I was too shallow before..."
"Mother-in-law, what are you saying? Please have some tea."
Qin Chuan served tea to Madam Yan.
He no longer cared about Madam Yan, Su Ruxue, and Su Ruhua looking down on him, since their attitudes had changed.
Madam Yan summoned Ping'er and said to her, "Ping'er, from now on you will go and stay with the Fifth Miss. She is six months pregnant and needs to be taken care of..."
"Yes, madam."
Ping'er bowed and straightened her robes.
Qin Chuan naturally did not refuse Madam Yan's kind offer, and said to Ping'er, "When I go back later, you come with me and ride in my carriage."
"Yes, son-in-law."
Ping'er is both capable and beautiful, so Qin Chuan trusts her quite a bit.
Chen Xueyan and Su Ruyu walked over together, calling out at the same time, "Fifth brother-in-law."
Upon seeing the couple, Qin Chuan knew that his second sister's husband must have told his second sister about selling salt.
Qin Chuan and the couple left the hall, passed through the moon gate, and arrived at Chen Xueyan's guest room to discuss the matter together.
Su Ruyu dismissed the maids from the Su residence, poured tea for the two of them, and got straight to the point: "Fifth brother-in-law, you've already told me about the salt sale. I think your proposed 50/50 split is unfair and not in your best interest. How about a 40/60 split, with us getting 40% and you getting 60%?"
Qin Chuan smiled and said, "Salt trading is hard work. It involves trekking through mountains and rivers, passing through checkpoints, and traversing plank roads. None of it is easy. Second Sister, please don't say that. I've always preferred to split the profits 50/50, so that you get some and I get some too."
Su Ruyu had no choice but to nod, "Alright then."
The three of them talked about some details for about half an hour before finally finishing the conversation.
With the matter settled, Qin Chuan did not linger at the Su residence.
They called Ping'er and went straight back to the Qin family courtyard.
Ping'er went to see Su Ruyan, while Qin Chuan went alone into the third courtyard and entered the west wing.
When he came out of the west wing, he was carrying a large black box.
"Husband, are you going to Li's Medical Clinic?"
Seeing Qin Chuan carrying a large black suitcase, Su Ruyan walked over and asked.
Qin Chuan nodded: "Since I came to the capital, my wife has been working so hard to send money and medicine to the Li family's medical clinic. From now on, you don't need to do this for me anymore."
He paused slightly at this point, then continued, "The reason I'm going there today is to completely resolve this issue and give Doctor Li all the medicine he needs for the year at once."
"Okay, it's cold outside, you should go home early."
Su Ruyan helped him tie on his cloak and said softly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Qin Chuan kissed her luscious red lips, and she couldn't help but give him a coquettish glare, "Someone's watching..."
"I'm leaving."
After Qin Chuan finished speaking, he went to the gatehouse and called Li Aniu.
Li Aniu came to drive the carriage, carrying an ironwood stick.
Before long, the carriage entered the inner city from the outer city...
...
Jiangzhou Subdistrict.
The streets were quite lively in the first few days of the year.
Jiangzhou had several snowfalls last year, and it's still very cold now. Qin Chuan sat in the car and felt a chill blowing in from time to time.
As the carriage traveled along, it entered East Street when it suddenly heard a commotion ahead. It seemed as if the road was blocked, and the carriage abruptly stopped.
"Ah Niu, has something happened up ahead?"
Qin Chuan sat in the carriage and asked Li Aniu.
Li Aniu said, "It seems like someone is selling their daughter..."
"Selling your daughter?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan's pupils contracted slightly, and he stepped out of the carriage.
Li Aniu led the carriage a little to the side, and seeing the beams and pillars of the nearby shops, he simply tied the horse's reins to the beams and pillars, picked up an iron wooden stick, and came over to protect Qin Chuan closely.
On the cold street, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in clothes covered in patches and with disheveled hair, was kneeling. A straw was stuck in the back of her neck, and the straw stretched up her hair to the top of her head.
Planting this straw marker meant that one was about to sell oneself into slavery.
The girl was thin and bony, her face pale and sickly, her head bowed, looking pitiful.
Behind her stood a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a worried expression; he appeared to be her father.
The middle-aged man was also wearing coarse cloth clothes covered in patches, with his hands tucked into his sleeves. However, the tattered sleeves could not hide his hands, which were oozing pus from frostbite.
His eyes welled with tears, and he weakly cried out, "Please have pity, twenty taels of silver..."
He couldn't bring himself to say "sell my daughter," he only cried out "have pity on me," it was unclear whether he was lamenting his own fate or hoping that someone would take pity on him and buy his daughter.
The onlookers pointed and whispered among themselves.
"I heard that his son is sick and he doesn't have money for treatment, and his wife has also died and he doesn't have money for her burial, so he's thinking of selling his daughter to pay for his son's treatment and to bury his deceased wife..."
"Oh, how pitiful!"
"Pitiful as she may be, who would want this skinny girl for twenty taels of silver?"
"Yes, yes, it's too expensive. A while ago, the rich man next door bought a chubby maid for only fifteen taels of silver..."
Qin Chuan listened to these discussions with mixed feelings. Just as he was about to buy the girl, someone cut in front of him and asked the middle-aged man the price.
"Hey, you selling your daughter, what's the price?"
The man was wearing a black mink coat, a felt hat, and a scarf; he looked like a wealthy person.
He asked the price, and before the middle-aged man could answer, he reached out and lifted the girl's chin, examining her closely. After a while, he chuckled and said, "Oh ho, she's quite pretty. If I offer her to my master, he'll surely like her!"
Before the middle-aged man could answer, a bystander chimed in, "He's selling it for twenty taels of silver, do you want it?"
"Twenty taels of silver?!"
The man jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, yelling, "So skinny and scrawny, and you dare to sell him for twenty taels of silver?!"
The middle-aged man hung his head and said in a low voice, "Please, please, twenty taels of silver..."
The man's eyebrows shot up, and he spat out, "Look at yourself! What makes you think your daughter deserves to be sold for twenty taels? Shameless!"
A bystander said, "His wife died, and his son is sick. He's waiting for money to bury his wife and pay for his son's medical treatment!"
"Sir, you look like a wealthy and philanthropic man, why don't you just buy it!"
The man waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go away! Stop making a scene!"
Then he pointed to the kneeling girl and said to the middle-aged man, "Fifteen taels, one price. I'm asking you, will you sell it or not?"
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