Chapter 56 A Blessing Weighing Only Five Pecks of Rice (Shamelessly asking for votes!)
Slaves were also divided into different classes.
Undoubtedly, it is determined by one's net worth.
The maids who were just summoned to the front hall by Manager Li all have their own rooms, and even the Kunlun slaves have their own rooms. Kunlun slaves are very expensive, you know. If one of them has a talent like swimming, then he is more expensive than a "half-maid". The death of one of them is enough to make Manager Li feel the pain for a long time.
These are all the treatments given to high-ranking slaves.
In the open backyard, dirty iron cages were either piled on the ground or stacked up, taking up most of the passageway.
It was here that Ouyang Rong saw the cold reality behind the glamorous facade of Jinxiaokou Horse Stable.
The iron cages held ordinary slaves who were old, weak, sick, or disabled. Some were missing limbs, some had ugly and strange faces, and some were seriously ill. They all had strange foreign faces, and Ouyang Rong could not recognize them all.
No wonder these were the leftovers from the customers. Before they were transported to some unknown place to make their last use, Jinxiaokou Horse Shop gave Ouyang Rong, its last customer, a seasonal clearance sale:
The price for each item is less than 200 coins.
You'll end up losing out and being cheated.
It was in this environment that Ouyang Rong saw "her".
Her iron cage was relegated to the most remote spot, closest to the open space in the courtyard.
This also meant that the eaves of the corridor could not shield her only little home. The heavy rain last night had only just stopped by morning, and the morning sun had just risen from the east, slanting through the eaves, but it could not fall on her wet body. Instead, the water accumulated on the eaves dripped all onto her long hair. She remained motionless, as if numb.
Until a tall, slender figure emerged from the early morning sun in the courtyard and strode straight into the damp, dark shadows.
"Squeak~"
The sound of the iron cage scraping against the ground.
Ouyang Rong felt that the iron cage in his hand was not heavy, even though there was a girl inside.
She was dragged, cage and all, into the sunlight in the center of the yard, and only then did she look up in fright, like a rabbit suddenly awakened.
Although he quickly buried it again, Ouyang Rong still caught a glimpse of that small face.
This was also thanks to the rainwater from the eaves, which washed my face and hair quite clean.
Then, under the warm sunlight, Ouyang Rong could see even more clearly.
He wasn't mistaken.
Ouyang Rong turned to look at the steward who had followed him. The steward had a strange expression on his face and quickly nodded in response.
“Young master, if it’s this little slave girl… instead of two hundred coins, fifty coins should be enough.”
"Fifty coins?" Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure?"
"Sure!"
The steward's answer was resolute.
However, his gaze toward Ouyang Rong became increasingly strange, while Ouyang Rong looked down at the caged slave in the sunlight, and then his gaze toward the steward was also very strange.
The two looked at each other with very similar expressions, as if they had both mistakenly entered the Beitian Salon of Donglin Temple at the same time.
The atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment.
The steward, seemingly afraid that he might change his mind, hurriedly said, "If you think it's too expensive, we can lower the price to forty coins."
Why is the price being reduced?
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
The junior steward discreetly observed his expression, and said without changing his demeanor:
"This little slave girl... the shopkeeper plans to transport her to some remote towns in the south to see if any private shrines need her for sacrifices..."
"How can you perform human sacrifice? Those are all wicked rituals that mislead the people, and the government has explicitly prohibited them!"
Ouyang Rong frowned and interrupted, then paused, pointed to the iron cage, and said seriously:
"Then I'll buy it, fifty coins it is, no need for a discount..."
He was afraid his conscience would bother him if he took another discount.
Ouyang Rong then said sternly, "However, your Jinxiaokou Horse Shop is not allowed to engage in such acts that encourage licentious worship, otherwise you can expect the yamen runners to come and shut down your shop."
"Yes, yes." The steward nodded quickly, chuckling, "It's just too special. We can't think of anything else besides that purpose."
Ouyang Rong smacked his lips, said nothing more, and without delay, immediately called Zhen Shi, Banxi, and the stern-faced Li Yan to the backyard.
The young magistrate pointed to the small iron cage, then lowered his head, clenched his fist, and covered his mouth:
"Ahem, well... this is it."
As soon as he finished saying those words, which even made him blush, Ouyang Rong suddenly noticed that the whole world seemed to fall silent.
Everyone's eyes were on him.
Li Yan, who was initially a little annoyed, now had a very interesting expression on his face.
As for Zhen Shi and Ban Xi, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Only Liu Ashan's gaze towards him changed from initial astonishment to... growing ever more admiration.
Ouyang Rong looked directly at them and asked seriously, "Why... are you looking at me like that?"
Li Yan turned to Zhen Shi and sighed, "Madam, you are absolutely right. Your nephew's judgment is indeed a little bit... good."
Pointing at the little female slave in the cage, Madam Zhen said incredulously, "Why would my lord buy such a slave? With that head of white hair... is she an old woman or a girl?"
Li Yan immediately clarified: "It's a girl, definitely a girl. Judging from her teeth, she's about a teenager. Don't worry, madam. She might have a little premature graying, haha, but she's definitely healthy. She's just a bit thin, but she eats little, which saves food and allows her to do more work... If you like her, young master, feel free to take her away."
The Arab merchant grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, but compared to the delicate skin of the caged girl's neck, which had been washed clean by the rain, the smile appeared rather yellow.
Madam Zhen glared at him angrily, "Of course you're happy to sell such an ominous thing to your beloved!"
"Absolutely not."
Li Yan waved his hand, and said with an air of seriousness:
"Our family has been in the horse and fodder trade for so many years, and this is the first time we've ever seen such a white-haired barbarian woman. Madam, think about it, things are valued for their rarity, and ordinary people wouldn't know how to appreciate them... It is your son who has a discerning eye!"
Mrs. Zhen remained expressionless. "But Manager Li only sells it for fifty coins."
Li Yan, without batting an eye, said, "Let's be friends."
The woman in the silk skirt grew increasingly displeased as she looked at it. Her right eyelid twitched uncontrollably, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Where did your esteemed establishment find this... such a precious item?"
Li Yan initially wanted to laugh it off, but Ouyang Rong cast a curious glance at him. The origins of such goods needed to be clearly explained by both the buyer and seller, so the principled Arab merchant could only shrug helplessly.
"It was a shipment from a friend from the Arab world. He went to a place even further west than the Arab world and by chance captured a group of barbarians, blond and blue-eyed. My friend thought that these slaves could make a lot of money in the Great Zhou Empire, so he traveled thousands of miles along the maritime route to Guangzhou to sell them, and then..."
"That was it. Business wasn't very good. Later, when he went north, he was robbed of all his belongings by a group of bandits. So he gave me the only little slave girl he had left, took some travel money, and went back to the Abbasid Caliphate. It seems he's never going to do this kind of business again."
Li Yan sighed and shook his head:
“This little slave girl was born to one of the pregnant barbarian women. Logically speaking, she should have blonde hair, but strangely enough, I don’t know what kind of race she is, but she has white hair…” He quickly changed his words, “Silver hair? It’s a bit of a pity.”
Zhen was speechless, but her words hit the nail on the head: "Even the bandits avoid robbing this white-headed barbarian, right? They take everything else back to their stronghold, but they dare not steal this ominous thing?"
Li Yan chuckled awkwardly, then said with high emotional intelligence, "It's Silver-haired Barbarian, Silver-haired Barbarian, hahaha."
In fact, the Arab merchant also felt that this silver-haired barbarian woman was a little strange. Anyway, no one in the backyard liked this silver-haired barbarian woman. Whether it was the steward, the slaves, or even him, the manager, they all disliked and ostracized her and were unwilling to get too close.
However, this silver-haired barbarian woman was quite resilient and survived until today. Although she was thin and frail, it was actually because the treatment at their horse stable was too good. Li Yan couldn't help but sigh. The main reason was that the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty provided corresponding protection for the lives of slaves. The market official in charge of the horse stable at this street intersection would check the slaves' food and injuries every morning and evening.
The thought of the skyrocketing grain prices these days, and the high-priced grain being consumed by the silver-haired barbarian woman and other lowly slaves in the backyard, made Li Yan feel a little distressed.
After listening to Li Yan's words, Ouyang Rong looked down at the girl with her head buried in the iron cage, his expression thoughtful.
A certain Arab merchant, having regained familiarity, and seemingly fearing someone might change their mind, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with great enthusiasm:
"If you wish, sir, I will release her now to clean her up, and then I will notify the city magistrate to come and witness the signing of a city contract."
“Okay.” Ouyang Rong replied without looking up.
Li Yan immediately looked at the steward, who tacitly left to go find the market magistrate.
He then took a set of keys from the Kunlun slave and opened the silver-haired barbarian's iron cage.
Ouyang Rong squatted down and helped her untie the ropes binding her hands. The silver-haired barbarian buried her face in her knees, not daring to look at anyone.
These wet little hands are icy cold. Although it is already late spring, they are covered with chilblains and feel like doorknobs in winter, or rather, made of iron.
The young magistrate covered it with his warm, large hand, and "it" shrank back in fright, so he let go.
Li Yan summoned a rough-looking woman, who helped the silver-haired barbarian up and took her to the laundry room next door to wash.
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze and turned to say:
My aunt helped me pay fifty coins.
Zhen said softly and tactfully, "My dear, your aunt doesn't really like this. We're here today to choose a maid, not to do charity."
A prominent Arab merchant timely reminded them: "Paying with grain is not an option either."
Zhen turned her head expressionlessly, and Li Yan quickly avoided her gaze.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Liu Ashan, who tacitly put down the rice bag and handed it to the Kunlun slave who stepped forward to take it. This dark-skinned, sturdy slave tested it with a scale, opened the bag to check, and honestly reported the amount:
"Sixty catties, five dou of rice."
Li Yan nodded, "Based on the rice price in the West Market before noon, it will cost a bit more, but we still have to split the cost of asking the market magistrate to issue market coupons..."
He did some quick calculations, then took two copper coins from the Kunlun slave and handed them back, saying, "I have two coins left, sir."
Ouyang Rong casually took it, then suddenly asked:
"You all think...she's ugly?"
Li Yan was the first to praise, "It's quite unique."
Liu Ashan nodded: "The master is kind-hearted."
He muttered in a low voice, "Freak."
Zhen didn't speak, but her gaze towards Tanlang was somewhat resentful, the kind that couldn't be coaxed.
The rough-working woman will bring the silver-haired barbarian woman back.
This time, the silver-haired barbarian changed into a clean coarse linen dress, no longer dirty, but her wet hair was dripping wet.
She lowered her head and stepped into the sunlight, shivering as if she were very cold, and was led by the rough-working woman to a scale.
The Arab merchant shouted expertly, "Weigh it!"
As was customary, the two Kunlun slaves picked up a suspended scale one after the other to weigh people.
The Arab merchant glanced at it and joked loudly, "What a coincidence, sir! This servant weighs sixty, and is worth the same as rice!"
The young magistrate ignored her, grabbed a towel, and walked straight over to her, facing her directly, to personally wipe the silver-haired barbarian's wet long hair.
In the sunlight, the girl's features were clearly visible in every detail:
Beneath the coarse cloth skirt, her delicate body was slender, and the skin from her slender neck to her collarbone was as smooth and white as milk, yet it was pale due to long-term malnutrition.
She had long, straight, silver-white hair that reached her waist and had a faint golden tinge in the sunlight.
Her nose was high and upturned, her eye sockets were slightly deep, and her face had a deep contour, but it was softer and smoother compared to the features of women from the Western Regions. Her facial features were delicate and petite, with bright eyes and white teeth, and her pink lips were now somewhat pale from the cold.
In particular, she possessed a pair of large, misty gray-blue eyes, which were now gazing, with hazy tears, at the calm man carefully drying her hair in the sunlight…
The silver-haired barbarian girl looked every bit like a delicate and noble white-haired loli, a beauty in the making.
Is it pretty?
He traded it for a bag of rice.
Thank you so much to "Uncle Yong" for your support! Thank you also to "Chaoyun Hengai," "Zuihan Qianzhou," "Moquan," "Tianji Qingkuang Haoyue Kong," and "Yuzhuan Shiqing Qianjiang Wu" for your generous donations! There are many more I haven't listed, but I've noted them all down... Thank you all for your support since the book's release! Hugs to everyone! Finally, I'm shamelessly asking for your votes; they're really important for a new book! (bows)
(End of this chapter)
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