Soon, Zhiyin arrived at the largest brokerage firm in the town.
As soon as she entered, a broker greeted her warmly and respectfully, "Miss, come in and take a look. Do you want to buy a maid or a servant?"
"Do you want a child or an adult?"
"We're the biggest brokerage firm in town. Whatever you want, we have it here!"
The slave trader's eyes were full of pride as he said this.
But Zhiyin simply waved to the slave trader and started browsing on her own.
When she saw the rows of people locked in cages, treated like livestock, her eyes stung for a moment.
Even if it was expected, seeing this scene in person still inevitably evokes a sense of sadness.
The people in the cage were men and women, young and old, the youngest being only six or seven years old, and the oldest possibly around 30 years old.
They either squatted there blankly, maintaining the same posture for a long time, or their eyes were filled with flattery, expectation, and ingratiation, hoping to be selected.
"Miss, I can do everything from laundry to cooking, and I don't eat much, so please buy me..."
"Miss, I can play the piano and sing songs, please buy me..."
…
Seemingly sensing the reluctance and heartache in Zhiyin's eyes, several seemingly lively men and women couldn't help but grab Zhiyin's sleeves in hopeful anticipation, begging her to take them away.
Zhiyin looked at these restless people with a complicated expression, and in the end, she could only sigh.
"May I ask what you bought it for, young lady? Would you like me to describe their characteristics and personalities to you?"
Just then, the slave trader from before came forward again, looking at his confidant expectantly.
Zhiyin glanced at the slave trader's enthusiastic manner, then stopped looking at the other slaves and said directly, "I need three people who have cooked before, or who are healthy, strong, and powerful, whether male or female."
"We also need someone clever and quick-witted. Age and gender don't matter, but someone who has served as a maid in a wealthy household would be best!"
Zhiyin thought that the human trafficker was, after all, the person who knew these slaves best, so it was better to rely on his own blind observation.
It would be better to ask the slave trader for his opinion, narrow down the candidates, and then combine that with your own thoughts; that would be faster.
"Okay, okay!"
The slave trader's eyes were practically crinkled with laughter. He raised his eyes and scanned all the slaves present, instantly locking onto his target. He couldn't wait to take Zhiyin to find a suitable person.
Before he could even start, the slaves who heard Zhiyin's voice all had their eyes light up.
"Sister, I...I can do it. I have studied arithmetic, attended school for two years, and am healthy, smart and capable."
A clear, youthful voice, tinged with joy, rang out first.
The voice was full of vigor and vitality, very special, and the listener was attracted almost instantly.
He instinctively looked over and saw a boy who was about eleven or twelve years old, with rosy lips and white teeth, and looked very handsome.
Of course, most importantly, he had a pair of bright, obsidian-like eyes that were very lively and made him look like a clever person.
Seeing that his confidante was looking over, the young boy's eyes were full of eagerness, and he kept trying to sell himself to her.
He was extremely anxious, clinging to the edge of the cage with both hands, his eyes fixed on Zhiyin without blinking.
He prayed even more, hoping that his soulmate could take him away.
After all, Zhiyin doesn't look very old, so she must be a kind-hearted girl.
They probably won't do anything bad to him.
He was terrified, terrified of missing out on a kindred spirit. If some perverted person bought him, he was probably doomed.
After all, he is quite good-looking, and some perverted people like young boys like him.
He didn't want to be ruined.
Thinking of this, his originally large and bright eyes welled up with tears, and he almost knelt down to his soulmate.
"Hehe, girl, what do you think of Xiao Jiu? I'll grant your second request."
"He was only sent here today. He's been to school for two years, he's good-looking, healthy, and has a lively and cheerful personality. Usually, someone with these qualities would have been chosen long ago. It's lucky you arrived early today!"
When the slave trader saw that his friend looked over and seemed very interested in Xiao Jiu, he quickly started promoting her.
Zhiyin stared at the young boy carefully, nodding inwardly. She was quite satisfied, after all, he had a very approachable appearance, and he looked outgoing and knew how to sell. He was clearly a talented person, very suitable for attracting customers.
Meeting his expectant gaze, Zhiyin raised an eyebrow at him slightly before looking at the slave trader, "How much does the shopkeeper charge?"
Upon hearing that there was hope, the human broker grinned, revealing eight large teeth. He rubbed his hands together and said, "As you can see, our Xiao Jiu is handsome and clever. We have no trouble finding buyers. The price will be a bit higher than the average."
After saying that, he stretched out his two index fingers and crossed them together, which clearly indicated that it was ten taels.
Upon hearing this exorbitant price, Xiao Jiu immediately stared at Zhiyin with a mixture of sadness and nervousness, somewhat afraid that he would find it too expensive.
However, Zhiyin simply smiled slightly, neither haggling nor lingering.
Instead, he walked off toward the other slaves.
This time, she didn't have the slave trader introduce them to her anymore. Instead, she looked at each one individually, mainly focusing on their physique, hand lines, and eyes.
Soon, three people were selected. Although they looked big and burly and had been through the years, their eyes were still kind and even a little cautious. Their fingers also showed obvious signs of hard work.
They were two women, probably around 30 years old, and a burly man who, though taciturn and keeping his head down, had a sharp glint in his eyes.
Of course, most importantly, his confidant noticed that he had a habit of holding a sword for a long time.
He looks like he knows martial arts, which is great. He'd be good at being a cook and a fighter at the same time.
“Girl, you have a good eye. Those two women used to be cooks in a wealthy family, but that family fell on hard times and sold them off.”
"As for this man, he used to be a pig butcher and has a lot of brute strength. Buying him to guard the house is very worthwhile."
The young man looked at the person chosen by his confidant and immediately began to introduce him in great detail.
Seeing that the slave trader was about to dig up all the three men's birth dates and backgrounds, and that the three men were clearly in a predicament.
Zhiyin quickly stopped her, "Alright, let's just have the four of them. How much silver?"
The slave trader was delighted and quickly said, "The two old women are too old, so five taels each will do. This man, like the previous Xiao Jiu, will need ten taels!"
As he said this, fearing that his friend might find it too expensive, he quickly added, "Don't worry, they don't eat much, but they do a lot of work. It's definitely worth it."
"Of course, if you need it again in the future, we can give you a slight discount."
As he said this, a hint of heartache appeared in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiu and the three others who were looking down couldn't help but quietly glance at Zhiyin, waiting for her decision.
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