A young girl in plain clothes was kneeling in front, with disheveled hair, pale face, and a pitiful look.
The men watching looked at the kneeling young girl with eyes full of lust, yet they were also cautious. They gathered around her, whispering, hesitant, and no one stepped forward.
The young girl knelt there, watching the group of men in front of her coldly. It was obvious that many men coveted her beauty, but no one was willing to pay to buy her. Thinking of her old father who was still seriously ill in the clinic, she was extremely anxious.
What a bunch of stinky men!
If it wasn't for my father's medical treatment, I wouldn't be kneeling here and selling myself as a slave! I want to marry into a rich family, an official family, and I'm not willing to marry these stinky men with a little money! However, my old father is seriously ill and urgently needs 20 taels of silver to save his life. My brother doesn't care about my old father, but I can't watch my old father pass away in pain... ...
It was just a pity that Zhao Xiucai, who had been engaged earlier, not only did not help, but also took advantage of the situation to break the engagement! What a useless man, he failed the imperial examination, he was also very poor, and his character was extremely bad! Even if he didn't break the engagement, I would have found a way to cancel the engagement, he was just a poor scholar! I just wanted to squeeze some money out of him!
It’s just, how hateful, why didn’t he let me be born into a wealthy family, how hateful, why did he let my old father become seriously ill!
I should marry into a rich family and become an official's wife! How can I be willing to be a slave! I should be a little more ruthless and ignore my old father like my brothers, but, but I can't bear it after all! How can I abandon my father when he gave birth to me and raised me
The young girl looked coldly at the stinky men around her, feeling extremely angry, but when she thought of her old father who was still seriously ill and in critical condition in the clinic, she had to sigh, raised her head, pushed her drooping hair behind her ears, and said sadly:
"My father is seriously ill and needs 20 taels of silver for treatment, but my family is too poor to afford it. I have no choice but to sell myself as a slave to save my father's life. I have only one unwelcome request. After I take care of my father and he recovers, I will go to your house as a slave and work like a cow or a horse to repay your kindness."
The girl's face was pale and pitiful.
But when they heard that the price was 20 taels of silver, and that the girl would not be sold into slavery until she had nursed her father back to health, they held their breath like a deflated balloon, suppressed their restlessness, and said nothing.
After hearing what the girl said, Zhu Ping'an did not wonder why so many people only surrounded this slightly pretty girl and did not buy her as a maid. You know, maids in feudal society had no human rights and personal freedom. They just did whatever their masters told them to do and whatever they wanted to do. For example, when Jia Baoyu first tried sex, he did it on his personal maid Xiren.
The reason these people are discouraged is simple: having too much money is risky.
20 taels of silver was enough to buy at least two maids of similar quality in the Ming Dynasty. For example, in the story of the maids in the Golden Lotus, Chunmei spent 3.5 taels of silver to buy a maid named Jinqianer for Chen Jingji; Ximen Qing spent 5 taels of silver to buy a little maid named Xiaoyu to serve Yueniang... ...
The risk is that the girl said she would sell herself into slavery only after she nursed her father back to health. Who can I expect to see her father back to health? One year, two years... This is still the case of keeping the promise. After such a long time, keeping the promise is still another matter. After such a long time, if you run away, who can I turn to
Therefore, despite the desire, no one took action.
"Girl, what disease does your father have?" asked a well-dressed man in the crowd.
"My father is in the clinic next door. He has headaches and body aches, feels cold and is slightly thirsty. He coughs up blood frequently and sometimes faints. The doctor said it was a serious illness called typhoid fever and fainting." The girl complained and looked pitiful.
Typhoid fever, syncope and collapsing disease are several serious illnesses that come together and are difficult to treat.
Everyone was discouraged when they heard this. It would take who knows when your father would recover. Although you want to wear mourning clothes, if your father can't bear it, it will be unlucky for you, a woman in mourning. If he gets sick again, it will be even more unlucky.
After thinking about it, everyone lost interest and was even more unwilling to do it.
Zhang Siwei stood there, watching, with no intention of taking any action.
Wang Shizhen wanted to pay to buy the girl and help with her father's medical treatment, but when he felt his pockets, he found that he only had ten taels of silver.
"Which clinic is your father in?"
Just then, a question was suddenly heard.
The girl looked up and saw a young man dressed like a scholar, with an elegant and noble air, looking at her and asking questions.
The young man's clothes showed that he was from a wealthy family, but the mink fur used as decoration showed that this suit must have cost at least 100 taels of silver. The clothes were also those of a scholar, so he must have had a great reputation.
The girl's eyes sparkled with a gleam of light, and she was delighted. It is said that good people are rewarded, and it is true. She met a noble man when she saved her father. If she wanted to be bought as a slave by such a noble man, it would be great.
This young man was born into a wealthy family, had achieved fame, had a simple and honest look, and was willing to buy me under my own conditions, so he must be kind-hearted.
If I go to be his slave and be accepted by him, it will be easy for me to be his concubine. If I use some tricks, it will not be too difficult to be a concubine. As the male master's concubine, I will have no worries about food and clothing in the future. And from the clothes and demeanor of this young man, it can be seen that he is a child of a wealthy family. Being a concubine in a wealthy family and having a husband with a good reputation is a great honor. When I go home in the future, I will definitely show off to my two brothers and neighbors, and I will definitely make the whole village envious.
"My lord, my father is in the Henian Hall ahead..."
Thinking of this, the girl couldn't help but stretch out her slender hands to push her hair behind her ears again, trying to make her face look more charming, and answered in a soft voice, which made people feel full of protective desire.
Hearing this, Zhu Ping'an nodded, then turned and walked towards the Henian Hall he had just passed.
The girl was a little surprised. She didn't know why the young man turned around and left after asking her a question. What she said was all true.
The girl bit her lip, feeling very lost.
However, the next second, the girl's eyes lit up again, because she found that the direction the nobleman was heading was the direction of Henian Hall. The nobleman wanted to verify that what she said was true, and that her father was seriously ill was also true. Naturally, there would be no problem with the nobleman's verification.
A wealthy family, a successful husband, no worries about food and clothing, a successful life, the glorious days are coming...
The girl was full of hope...
"Zihou, where are you going? Wait for me."
Wang Shizhen followed Zhu Ping'an closely, thinking that if Zhu Ping'an didn't pay, he would borrow some money from Zhu Ping'an and buy the girl to help her.
Zhang Siwei also followed the two of them.
When he walked into Heniantang, Zhu Ping'an saw a pitiful old man curled up on the ground. There seemed to be a pool of blood on the ground. The waiter of Heniantang was cleaning the ground while cursing.
Zhu Ping'an walked into Henian Hall, pointed at the old man on the ground and asked the doctor for information.
The doctor's medical skills are quite reliable. After all, if he can make a living under Yan Song, his medical skills must be decent.
Well, that's right. The old man was indeed suffering from typhoid fever and syncope as the girl said. Although he was seriously ill, fortunately he was not yet terminally ill and still had a chance of survival. He just needed good medicine to prolong his life. Roughly speaking, he would need at least twenty taels of silver.
Zhu Ping'an also found out the old man's name, age, address and other information from the Heniantang registration book.
Then, after thanking the doctor, Zhu Ping'an, Wang Shizhen and Zhang Siwei left Henian Hall.
Seeing that the noble young man had indeed returned to the crowd, the young girl was secretly delighted and tears were about to come out of her eyes.
"What is your name, father? How old are you and where do you live?" Zhu Ping'an asked the girl after returning.
The girl answered one by one, and it was exactly the same as what Zhu Ping'an had learned in Henian Hall, without the slightest difference.
That's true.
Seeing the poor old man curled up and vomiting blood in Henian Hall, Zhu Ping'an made up his mind to save the old man. Although 20 taels of silver was a lot, it was within his ability to afford. His parents and brothers were not short of money, and the money he brought from home had hardly been spent, so it was enough.
20 taels of silver can save a life, why not do it
So Zhu Ping'an took out his purse from his sleeve, opened it, and counted out two ten-liang silver bills from it.
The girl looked at the purse that Zhu Ping'an casually took out, and there were several 50-tael silver bills in it. She was even more excited. He was indeed from a wealthy family. The pocket money he carried with him was enough for an ordinary person to struggle for several lifetimes.
Zhu Ping'an walked up to the girl and handed her twenty taels of silver.
"Thank you very much, benefactor."
The girl looked at Zhu Ping'an with such a charming look that tears were about to drip out of her eyes.
"You're welcome. Just take good care of your father."
"Ziwei, Wensheng, let's go."
Zhu Ping'an waved his hand, ignoring the girl's charming gaze, greeted Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen, then turned around and left the crowd.
"Sir, sir, may I ask your name and where you live? When my father recovers from his illness, I will serve you as your slave."
Watching the young man leave, the girl stood up and anxiously chased after him.
"Now that the money has been given, don't worry about the person anymore."
Zhu Ping'an stopped, curled the corners of his lips, shook his head and smiled, then strode away without hesitation with Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen.
What a bloody plot...
Silly...
The crowd watching around were secretly complaining. (To be continued.)