Chapter 157: Meeting Deng the Broker Again

[Page 1 of 3]

Wen Xiuyi sighed. “Ah, girl, you know that where we came from, this sort of thing wasn’t allowed. It’s… against the law.”

Wen Yao was more open-minded than her father. “Dad, since we’ve come to this place, we ought to adapt to the times. Of course, I’m not saying that buying and selling people is right. According to the education we received, it’s certainly wrong. But here, it’s an entirely ordinary thing.

“Have you forgotten? In the original story, you sold both me and my brother. Two perfectly living people, exchanged for a few ounces of silver and a piece of paper.”

Wen Xiuyi frowned. “Your father isn’t muddleheaded. Of course I know that. I just haven’t managed to change my way of thinking yet.”

Wen Yao continued, “Just think of it this way: our family is a family business, and they’re employees we’ve hired to work for us. We’ll pay them their wages every month and give them all the benefits they’re entitled to. Isn’t that better than being sold elsewhere, with no idea what their future holds?

“Besides, Dad, speaking of the absolute worst-case scenario, we have too many secrets. Unless someone is utterly loyal to us, would you dare let hired workers know or do too much? That would only limit what we can accomplish.”

Wen Xiuyi seemed persuaded. “I suppose you have a point.”

“So there’s no need to agonize over it. If you think they’re suitable, then we’ll bring them home. It’ll be good to have them help with the household chores. Just look at Grandpa and Grandma—what have they been reduced to?”

More than anything, Wen Yao pitied the old couple. They had yet to enjoy even a few days of good fortune, and the whole family was already being worked to the bone.

Wen Xiuyi thought it over for a while longer before slapping his thigh. “All right. Tomorrow, the two of us will go into town and settle the matter with Deng the broker.”

Only then did he turn to Wen Yao and ask, “By the way, how much money do we have left?”

Wen Yao rolled her eyes without the slightest hesitation. “After buying land, buying the mountain, purchasing ducklings, repairing the waterwheel and irrigation channels, and digging the pond, you’re asking me how much money we have left?”

Wen Xiuyi froze. “We’re out of money?”

Wen Yao spread her hands. “There’s less than a hundred ounces of silver left.”

Wen Xiuyi scratched his head. “What do we do if that isn’t enough?”

[Page 2 of 3]

Wen Yao reclined in the chair, swaying gently as she spoke. “What else can we do? We’re delivering the recipes to Sister Qiu tomorrow anyway. If necessary, we can ask for another advance. What other choice do we have? We can’t just stand by and watch Professor Wen bow his head for the sake of a few measures of rice.”

Wen Xiuyi burst out laughing. He raised a hand and tapped his daughter on the head. “That mouth of yours—always making jokes. Come on, go to bed. I was only teasing you just now. You don’t smell anymore. If you don’t want to go to the duck shed, then don’t. If your second and third aunts truly can’t manage, we’ll hire a couple of trustworthy people from the village to help look after them. It’s no great matter.”

“All right. When I get back tomorrow, I’ll talk to my second and third aunts. I really can’t go to the duck pen every day anymore. Just look at Wen Di and Wen Ying—they’re practically black as charcoal. I’ll have to find the time to make something to lighten their skin.”

As she spoke, Wen Yao flipped herself out of the reclining chair. Wen Xiuyi nearly had a heart attack, afraid she would fall flat on her face. He hurriedly reached out to catch her, but the girl landed steadily on her feet. He glared at her in exasperation and walked away.

The next morning, Wen Ying and Wen Di rose early, prepared to drag Wen Yao off to work again. But Wen Yao had already washed and changed, and was ready to leave.

“Second Sister, where are you going? Can you take me with you?” Wen Ying was young, and after being forbidden to play or run around all this time, she had not even had time to practice her characters. Her head was filled with nothing but the quacking of ducks. She was nearly going mad.

Wen Yao affectionately pinched her little sister’s nose. “I’m going to do something important. Whether I can rescue the two of you depends on today. You girls stay home and behave while you wait for me, all right?”

The moment Wen Ying heard that they might be rescued, she leaped for joy. Even Wen Di’s face relaxed. “Yao Yao, be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going with Dad to drive Big Yellow. You and Ying wait for me at home. Once things settle down, I’ll make something for you to put on your faces. We can’t let you get any darker.”

Wen Yao raised her arm and glanced at it. It was almost too painful to look at. She had been thoroughly tanned.

The sisters walked Wen Yao to the gate. They watched Wen Xiuyi drive Big Yellow and take San Xiwang, Wen Yao, Wen Nong, and Wen Jun away before turning around, drawing a deep breath, and trudging heavily toward the duck shed.

The two of them had business in town that day, so Wen Xiuyi temporarily took over as driver. He first delivered San Xiwang to the academy, while Wen Jun went to the medical hall. Then he took Wen Nong to the wharf. At last, he and Wen Yao swayed along in the ox cart toward Deng the broker’s establishment.

The moment the brokerage house opened, its assistant saw Wen Xiuyi stopping the ox cart and hurried over to help.

“Master Wen, you’ve arrived! Our manager has been waiting for you since early this morning.”

As he spoke, the assistant took the reins from Wen Xiuyi’s hand.

Wen Xiuyi and Wen Yao merely smiled. Wasn’t it said that people in business were all shrewd as foxes? They had never said they would come today, yet the assistant’s words were perfectly judged. Whether Deng the broker had truly been waiting for them or not, hearing it certainly made them feel welcome.

[Page 3 of 3]

“Let’s go in,” Wen Xiuyi said, leading Wen Yao through the door.

Before long, the assistant had secured the ox cart and followed them inside. He poured tea for them, then hurried to the rear courtyard to fetch Deng the broker.

“Brother Deng, we’ve come to trouble you again,” Wen Xiuyi said apologetically.

Deng the broker returned the greeting. “It’s no trouble at all. So, Brother Wen, have you made up your mind?”

“Yes.” Wen Xiuyi nodded. “We’d like to trouble you to take us to meet them first.”

Deng the broker gestured for them to proceed. “Brother Wen, Miss Yao Yao, this way, please. I had them prepared long ago.”

As they walked, Wen Yao asked, “Uncle Deng, what sort of people are they?”

Deng the broker smiled. “They’re a family of seven, refugees from the south. I happened to encounter them on the road. At first, they only intended to sell their sons and daughters so the rest of the family could survive. Seeing how pitiful the entire family was, I asked whether they would be willing to come with me instead. They would have to live as people of lower standing from then on, but at least they would have enough to eat and a proper place to sleep.

“I also promised to find them a good household. If they met kind-hearted masters, worked diligently all their lives, and remained loyal, perhaps one day they might even ask those masters to restore their descendants to commoner status. They were already on the verge of starving to death, so they agreed to return with me.

“I haven’t mistreated them during these past six months or so. I’ve kept them well fed and healthy. There are people at my brokerage house whose particular duty is to teach others various skills, and I had the family learn from them as well. Other households have come to choose among them before, but they refused to be separated from one another, so they’ve remained here until now.”

Wen Xiuyi and Wen Yao were both stunned by his words. After all, Deng the broker was a businessman, and this was the sort of business he dealt in. Yet he actually possessed such compassion. He had not forcibly torn the family apart.