Chapter 46 Cinnamon
Between being an employee and being a slave, anyone who is not a fool knows which one to choose. No one would be willing to become a slave unless they have no other choice.
Su Ruojin was not a native ancient person. Equality and freedom had long been ingrained in her bones. It was difficult for her to accept that someone was going to sell her out. What was this person thinking?
Feng Wangtian knew that life in Lishantun was not easy. Since the master did not force people to sign a contract to sell themselves, Feng Wangtian certainly hoped that his niece would not become a slave who could be bought and sold at will.
But the boss was not a bad person, and Feng Wangtian was too embarrassed to interfere for the moment. He hoped that the boss would not agree to his niece's request.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Xianggui thought that the Second Lady did not agree, and she banged her head on the ground anxiously, dong dong..., left and right, over and over again. Su Ruojin was so frightened that she hurried over to stop her and wanted to pull her up, but she refused.
She raised her head, tears streaming down her face, “Second Madam, please!”
After twenty-four years of life, Xianggui finally got a glimmer of hope for survival, and she was willing to do it even if it meant getting her head broken and bleeding.
"Do you know what being a slave means?" With no freedom in life and life and death controlled by the master, what's the difference between this and being in jail?
"Yes, of course I know!" Xiang Gui cried, "But I would rather be a slave without real freedom than be a fake dead person who can be abused by anyone at will."
Fake death?
Su Ruojin stared at Xianggui's face. Although she was crying with tears all over her face, she looked much better than she did last night when she looked as if she was dead. Is there really someone who would rather sell herself into slavery than go back to her original life?
But even if your original life was not satisfactory, at least you were free!
Cheng Yingzhen heard the noise in the corridor and came out carrying her child. She saw Xianggui kneeling in front of her daughter and was happy to learn that Xianggui was going to sell herself. She bought Xianggui out and from then on, all her previous affairs would not hinder the Su family.
Seeing that his daughter was still silent, he stepped forward and asked, "If you sell it, you can't regret it. Are you still willing?"
"I am willing... I am willing..." Xianggui knelt in front of Cheng Yingzhen and hugged her legs with both hands. "Madam, I would rather work for you all my life than go back to the old days and be treated like a beast of burden."
Feng Wangtian wanted to stop her, but when he heard what his niece said, he sighed. Thinking of how he went to his sister's house to pick her up, she looked even more haggard than a dead person, even he couldn't bear to see her!
The poverty in the mountains is unimaginable for those who have not seen it. People drink soup and chew grass for two meals a day. Many families don't even have a set of clothes to go out. Many boys around seven or eight years old in the village run around naked.
My sister's family has dozens of people, and life is already difficult. My niece was divorced and sent back to her parents' home, adding one more mouth to feed. My sister's mother-in-law couldn't tolerate it. She either beat or scolded her every day. She wished she could torture her niece to death so that there would be one less mouth to feed.
If it weren’t for her sister protecting her, Xianggui would have died countless times!
It's so hard! Living is so hard! If he hadn't run out of the mountains and came to the capital to meet the noble family, what would be the difference between their family and his sister's family! He understood what his niece meant. He sold himself and had nothing to do with the Chen family that abused her. Although he was a slave, he could get a monthly salary. Such a good boss would definitely not abuse her. She would have a very comfortable life in the future.
Cheng Yingzhen knew that her daughter was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see people being enslaved or servants, but the world was just the way it was, and it was not something that a small person like her could change.
"Ajin, we didn't force her. She wanted to do it."
"Yes, madam, second lady, Xianggui is willing. I will never regret it and am willing to work like a slave for you..."
"You don't need to work like a slave. Just do what you are supposed to do, don't leak the master's affairs or secrets, and be a loyal servant."
When Xiang Gui heard the word "slave", her eyes lit up and widened with excitement, "Second Madam, do you agree?"
If the servants' lives were better than hers, Su Ruojin was willing to fulfill her wish, "Then buy them out."
"I thank Second Madam for her great kindness..." Xianggui kowtowed excitedly, and only Su Ruojin and Feng Wangtian held her back.
Feng Wangtian, who wanted to go home, stayed for two more days until he got Xianggui's indenture contract from the government. When he returned, he took away the ten taels of silver that Xianggui had earned from selling her body. "Uncle, tell mother to give this silver to the Chen family. From now on, treat Xianggui as dead and have nothing to do with them anymore."
After sighing, Feng Wangtian felt happy for his niece, as she was finally living a good life.
Looking at the ten taels of silver that her uncle took away, Xianggui was actually unwilling. In fact, she had told the master that only two taels would be enough. She really didn't want the Chen family to get so much silver, but the master's job was to do things according to the rules, and she had no choice. Looking at her uncle's back, she felt a little melancholy, but more of a hope for the future.
Suddenly, she ran out to chase after him.
Cheng Yingzhen was a little worried, "Did you regret it?"
Su Ruojin shook her head, "No."
"Can't bear to leave her uncle?"
“No.”
"That is..." Cheng Yingzhen couldn't guess.
Su Ruojin guessed a few things, "I guess she asked her uncle to reduce the amount of money she earned from selling her body, and let her uncle secretly give the rest to her mother."
After hearing her daughter's words, Cheng Yingzhen thought it was possible. She smiled and said, "You were as depressed as a dead person two days ago, but you have become smart today."
It's better to be smart than stupid.
Three days ago, Su Ruojin was still wondering whether to use her, but now he bought her. The world is really unpredictable.
Now that she has escaped from her miserable family, even though Xianggui is very busy at the Su family, her face has changed visibly. Her complexion has changed from dull and sallow to plump and slightly pale. She is dressed neatly in a light brown linen dress. When she walks, her feet are full of energy and she is full of vitality, which is a pleasure to look at.
Cheng Yingzhen and her son were freed from housework. Cheng Yingzhen focused on taking care of her son and started to make clothes for her family when she had free time, of course, when her daughter was not at home.
Her daughter felt sorry for her and didn't let her do these tiring and eye-straining tasks, but she couldn't sit idle and always felt uncomfortable if she didn't have something to do.
Thinking of this, perhaps this is what my daughter meant by the shadow cast by her original family. Thinking about the first seventeen years of her life, the life she spent in Bo's house was almost the same as Xianggui's!
There are so many poor people in the world!
With more help at home, Shutong was completely freed from the breakfast stall and followed his little master all day long to look for a suitable breakfast shop.
In order to make it easier to walk, Su Ruojin dressed up as a bookkeeper and a servant, and every now and then he would take Su Dalang out to show him how to choose a shop and deal with the people in the pawnbrokers. "When you become a parent official in the future, you will definitely have to deal with people's livelihood. You don't have to know how to do these things, but you have to understand them. Don't be blinded by the adjutants and clerks below you."
Su Ruojin's search for a shop had already attracted the attention of Mrs. Xu. She found her idle son and said, "Let's trick her."
One update at 12 noon, and make up for it at 7 pm!
(End of this chapter)
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