Chapter 3 Selling Oneself (3)
As soon as Wei Yingjie said this, the refugees immediately became agitated.
Aside from Li Xiaoxiao, the four men and three women were all between their teens and twenties. They had bought clothes before the disaster. According to the prices in Yizhou, a brand-new set of clothes would only cost about 150 wen and shoes would cost about 30 to 35 wen. But Wei Yingjie charged them double the price!
And even now that the indenture has been signed, he hasn't given them the remaining half of the money. Is this intentional? Is he deliberately trying to force them to buy clothes and shoes so he can deduct the money from their earnings?
Those who saw through his intentions dared not speak out in anger. Even though Biyang County was thousands of miles away from Yizhou, the prices couldn't possibly be twice as high, right? This slave trader had reduced their value by more than half, and was still going to make double the money off their clothes and shoes, all while claiming he was going to sell them to good families. It was clearly a lie he made up to make money! No one could be sure how much of it was true.
Seeing that none of them answered, Wei Yingjie's face darkened: "None of you are going to buy, is that it? Dressed like refugees, who would dare buy you? If you can't be sold and stay here, it's not free food and drink. Each person has to pay fifteen coins a day for food and lodging. The longer you drag it out, the less money you'll have left. Oh, I forgot to remind you, the remaining half of your money from selling yourself will only be given to you after we find a new owner, after deducting the food and lodging fees—"
Wang Dazhuang and the others were shocked: "You, how could you do this? You clearly said yesterday that you would give us the remaining money after we signed the indenture, but now you say you will only give it to us after we are sold, and you are deducting so much money from us every day. I, I don't want to sell anymore, I want to go home!"
"Not selling anymore?" Wei Yingjie sneered, and with a wave of his hand, seven or eight burly men walked out of the door and stood behind them with their arms crossed.
Wei Yingjie sneered, "A brokerage firm has its own rules. This isn't a charity place. You lowly people, if I hadn't been willing to pay you to save your families, you'd all be starving to death! All I wanted was for you to buy some new clothes so you could look presentable and find a good employer. And you're so uncooperative! Are you trying to stay at Jinji Brokerage Firm? Without these rules, if you can't sell them, you'd better pay me back. Even after I've deducted half your money, if you still haven't sold them..."
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes: "I naturally have ways to deal with you!"
His sinister and malicious gaze sent chills down one's spine.
Wang Dazhuang was so frightened he almost cried, and the other women also started sobbing. They had no choice but to move and reach out to take the dress from the middle-aged woman's hands.
Seeing this, the others had no choice but to take a new set of clothes. Wei Yingjie was very satisfied: "Someone, take them downstairs to wash up and get dressed before they come to see me."
The men and women carrying the clothes were divided into two groups and taken away.
Wei Yingjie nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly noticed someone else standing there. He didn't react for a moment: "What are you still doing standing here?"
Li smiled and said, "Can I go to the bathroom even if I don't buy clothes?"
Wei Yingjie then noticed a set of clothes on the table; of the eight people, she was the only one who didn't buy it.
Wei Yingjie immediately remembered the grudge she had caused him: "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
Li smiled and said, "Did you hear me clearly?"
Wei Yingjie glared: "You heard me clearly, and you still aren't buying? Looking like that, if you don't sell it, your room and board will be deducted..."
Li smiled and said, "Then deduct it."
A set of clothes and shoes costs three hundred coins, which could buy three hundred steamed buns. Why waste money on such an unimportant thing?
Wei Yingjie was so angry that he almost exploded: "You brat, don't be so stubborn!"
Li Xiaoxiao didn't quite understand the meaning of those words: "What does that mean?" She was completely clueless, but in Wei Yingjie's eyes, it was a blatant provocation.
Wei Yingjie was furious. He raised his hand, about to slap her, when the woman in blue who had written the indenture came out: "Wei Yingjie!"
Wei Yingjie immediately composed himself: "Granny Qin."
Granny Qin looked at Li Xiaoxiao and said, "If you don't want to buy it, then don't. But you should at least wash up and clean your face and head. I have an old set of clothes here; you can take it and wear it." As she spoke, she tossed her a set of slightly worn autumn-green silk robe.
Such a good thing without spending any money? Li Xiaoxiao wasn't going to turn her good luck against her, so she quickly gathered up her clothes and went to the backyard to find a place to wash up.
She wasn't curious at all why Granny Qin was so kind to her, and of course, she wasn't afraid that Granny Qin had any ulterior motives or wanted to scheme against her.
She has always lived a straightforward and simple life, and she dislikes all people and things that are roundabout.
Let's talk about it when something really happens.
Wei Yingjie's face darkened: "Granny Qin, why do you tolerate this troublemaker?"
Granny Qin retorted, "She can read. How long do you intend to delay this job at the county government? Is our brokerage the only one in Biyang County? Luo's across the street has been eyeing it for a while now. We finally found someone who meets the requirements, and you still want to delay it in your hands?"
Wei Yingjie was furious: "Granny Qin, that girl is a troublemaker. You saw her attitude. If she continues like this and is sent to the county government, it will ruin the reputation of our brokerage firm. We won't get any favors from the magistrate's wife either!"
Granny Qin didn't take it to heart: "She didn't say anything wrong, why are you angry? Does not buying your clothes make you a troublemaker?"
Wei Yingjie was furious, but he couldn't do anything about Qin Mama, who was more experienced than him.
Li Xiaoxiao quickly finished washing up behind the group and changed into the old clothes that Granny Qin had lent her.
Although the clothes were old, they looked about 70-80% new, so standing among the other refugees who were wearing new clothes, she didn't look out of place at all. On the contrary, because of the different style of her clothes, she looked like a leader.
Standing before the newly dressed refugees, Granny Qin nodded expressionlessly: "Now that you've finished washing up, I'll give you some necessary instruction, lest you become servants and enter the backyard of a wealthy family, still standing tall and acting like masters, not only lacking manners but also tarnishing the reputation of our brokerage. If you continue to stand and sit improperly after being bought back, and are returned by your employer, you'll all receive thirty strokes of the cane."
She pointed to a wide wooden plank leaning against the courtyard wall: "See that plank? It's just as severe as the county magistrate's beating. Thirty strokes and you'll never be able to stand again. You've all signed a death contract, so even if you become lame or paralyzed, it has nothing to do with your families. You can only die in our brokerage. After you die, the brokerage would rather wrap your corpses in a straw mat and throw them into a mass grave to become wandering ghosts than allow your families to welcome you into their ancestral graves. That's the price you pay for signing the contract!"
Everyone present trembled involuntarily, large drops of cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. They couldn't even be buried in their ancestral graves after death?
Granny Qin's gaze was sharp as lightning: "Don't think I'm bluffing you. Every few years, the brokerage firm throws out a few corpses. The people don't care, and the officials don't investigate. Those who died were the ones who didn't know their place. Of course, I hope you won't go down that path. Now listen carefully. I'll only say it once. If you can't remember, remind each other what servants should and shouldn't do!"
After Qin Mama's stern rebuke, everyone present listened intently and with utmost concentration.
Even Li Xiaoxiao listened with great interest.
This was her first encounter with the rules of this world, and she would likely have to follow these rules for a long time to come, so she listened very carefully.
Of course, Granny Qin couldn't possibly lecture these refugees like she was reciting palace rules. They were illiterate and their memories were certainly not very good. She simply told them some taboos and etiquette, such as what to greet the master of the house, what to greet an official, and the taboos that wealthy people's houses were divided into front and back courtyards, and that men over the age of twelve were not allowed to enter the back courtyard, and that female servants were not allowed to enter or leave the outer courtyard easily. After she finished speaking, she randomly called on someone to recall what she had just said. Fortunately, the content was relatively short, and everyone listened attentively, so the effect was quite good.
Granny Qin was very satisfied and then demonstrated the proper bowing postures to them, including the cupped-hands salute, kneeling salute, bowing salute, clasping salute, and the Wanfu salute. Everyone followed along, but their postures were awkward. Granny Qin did not require them to immediately achieve perfect posture, but they must remember what each salute is and in what occasion.
Although they didn't carry anything, the process of bowing was still quite tiring, especially since these refugees were hungry. Although it wasn't a difficult task, the constant movement was very physically demanding.
Finally, after inspecting their postures, Granny Qin declared, "That's all for today. Tomorrow you'll practice with the others for another day. The day after tomorrow, I'll take you out to meet important people. What kind of fortune you'll have, and what kind of employer you'll find, will depend on the day after tomorrow. So, keep your spirits up! Important people don't like servants who are timid and stingy when they even bow."
Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. After Granny Qin left, an old man with a towel draped over his shoulder came over and said, "Come and eat here."
Upon hearing that there was food, the refugees immediately ran as fast as they could. When they entered the canteen, they found that there were seven or eight tables inside, and all the other tables were occupied. When they saw the newcomers enter, the people inside just glanced at them indifferently and then lowered their heads to eat.
New people come and go in the brokerage firm almost every now and then; they're used to it.
The old man pointed to two empty tables in the corner: "You can sit there."
The eight people were divided into two tables, with four bowls of porridge and a small basket of steamed buns on each table.
Each person was given a large bowl of porridge and two steamed buns. Although Li Xiaoxiao had already eaten ten steamed buns, she didn't give up any more and finished all the porridge and steamed buns.
These steamed buns seem to be made with unleavened dough; they're rock hard. If used as a hidden weapon, they'd definitely cause a concussion with one hit. Li Xiaoxiao sighed; they weren't as delicious as the ones she bought from the steamed bun shop earlier.
But the others were clearly satisfied. After being hungry for so long, they ate the steamed buns made from unleavened dough with great relish. Moreover, a bowl of porridge and two steamed buns only filled them up to half full. Thinking that there would be two more meals tomorrow, they couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
After dinner, it got dark. A woman who had gone out with Wei Yingjie during the day, called Sister Gao, came over and led Li Xiaoxiao and the other three to the shared sleeping area on the east side: "The other rooms are all full. The four of you will sleep here tonight."
With their stomachs full, their bodies no longer smelly and damp, and they could finally sleep in bed, this kind of life felt like something out of a dream, which immediately made one of the younger girls burst into tears.
When she cried, everyone else started crying too, and they wiped each other's tears.
The first girl to cry wiped away her tears and said, "My name is Qiaoniang. May I ask how you ladies should address me?"
The other two said, "My name is Da Hua."
"My name is Erniu."
The three of them glanced at Li Xiaoxiao at the same time, but even without her introduction, Li Xiaoxiao's performance today was enough for them to remember her name.
They actually envied her audacity.
The group then discussed their ages: Qiaoniang was fifteen, Dahua was seventeen, and Erniu was the oldest, twenty.
Hearing that Erniu was twenty years old, Dahua asked, "Sister Erniu, are you married?"
A sad expression immediately appeared on Erniu's face: "I've been married for more than three years, and both of my children died before they were even a year old. This flood, I—" She covered her face and wept.
She fled with her husband's family, but unexpectedly, they encountered a flash flood during a heavy rainstorm. The whole family was swept into the floodwaters. She, her husband, and her parents-in-law clung to a tree, trembling with fear in the flood.
They thought that clinging to a tree was a stroke of luck, and that they could survive as long as the rain stopped and the floodwaters receded. However, the water rose higher and higher, and they climbed higher and higher until they were almost at the top of the tree. Of course, the branches at the top could not support the weight of four people, so her mother-in-law ordered her to let go and leave the chance to live to the three of them.
With her life at stake, Erniu naturally refused to let go. Even though she believed deep down that her husband was her everything, her instinct for survival prevented her from releasing him.
Then, her husband personally pried her fingers apart one by one.
Erniu was lucky. After her hands were pried open, she was quickly swept into the floodwaters, but after only a few waves, she grabbed onto a tree, and it was an even taller tree. This time, no one tried to take it from her, and no one pried her hands open.
She held onto the tree for a short while before she saw her mother-in-law, father-in-law, and husband being swept away one after another before her eyes.
Sure enough, even after prying her fingers apart, the tree couldn't support the remaining three people.
A note from the author:
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Third update, begging for favorites!
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