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The head steward had originally intended to ask Shěn Táng why she wanted to buy Old Chǔ—that old fellow wasn't very endearing. But when the bookshop Zhǎng Guì spoke, he understood, and his expression became more benevolent.
"You want to buy Old Chǔ? Alright, the price is negotiable." He proactively lowered his asking price. "Three taels, how about it?"
The bookshop Zhǎng Guì: "Three taels? That's too expensive!"
The head steward rattled his abacus and pulled out a thick, yellowed old ledger, flipping to a page: "It was originally five taels. Offering three taels now is because we've known each other for years. Look, back when we bought Old Chǔ, it was only one tael and two hundred cash!"
The Zhǎng Guì: "How could it be so expensive?"
The head steward snorted: "Do you think five years ago was the same market as now? Nowadays, you can get a decent-looking maid, if you haggle, for two hundred cash. That market, five years ago, was unthinkable. Back then, there were no wars yet. Buying a person would cost at least five taels, and good ones would be ten or twenty taels! That batch of Old Chǔ's was from an epidemic, only cheap to sell, and still cost one tael and two hundred cash."
According to the rules of brothels and entertainment districts, whether it was the officially registered courtesans or the general laborers, a three to fivefold markup was normal. If it was a top-ranked courtesan or a popular potential star, a hundredfold markup was common. Otherwise, how would they make money? Old Chǔ, bought for one tael and two hundred cash back then, would now sell for at least four taels and eight hundred cash. The head steward offering three taels was genuinely conscientious.
Doing this wasn't entirely out of respect for the Zhǎng Guì. As a common city dweller, he certainly had a shrewd, cunning, and greedy side, but also a tender, kind, and generous side. Hearing that Shěn Táng was here to redeem her "grandfather," his first reaction wasn't to seize the opportunity to rip her off, but to imagine a deeply touching family drama—complete with elements like a family's decline, separation of bloodlines, a reunion after long absence, and enjoying familial bliss, all popular tropes.
Old Chǔ, that old fellow, had been working in Yuè Huá Lóu's kitchen for five years since he was bought. All these years, he had been diligent, never made a mistake, and was quite nimble with his hands. Aside from being taciturn and having a strange temper, not being sociable, fawning, or flattering, he had no other major flaws. Now that his family had found him and wanted to redeem him to care for him dutifully, it was Old Chǔ's turn for good fortune after enduring hardship. He didn't need to do anything immoral for a small sum of money, hindering a family's reunion, and could accumulate some positive karma.
The head steward, seeing the Zhǎng Guì hesitate, added, "Don't make it difficult for me. If I take too little, I won't be able to report to my superiors." The Zhǎng Guì sighed, knowing the price wouldn't drop further. Shěn Táng, who had been quietly standing by, now pulled out several pieces of broken silver from her money pouch and placed them before the head steward: "Please weigh them and see if it's enough."
The head steward, seeing her so straightforward, felt a surge of goodwill. He inwardly sighed, this is truly a filial child. Beautiful, filial, and kind—Old Chǔ will have blessings in his later years. He took the broken silver, weighed it carefully, found there was too much, and used a pair of clippers to snip off some silver until it was exactly three taels before putting away the silver dust and retrieving Old Chǔ's deed of servitude. He said, "It's still early. Xiǎo Niáng Zi, do you want to go to the government office to transfer the ownership?"
Shěn Táng shook her head: "No."
The Zhǎng Guì said irritably, "She's buying her grandfather; why transfer ownership?"
Shěn Táng: "..."
Not going to transfer ownership purely because the original owner is also an unregistered citizen! These two were already imagining Old Mr. Chǔ as her "grandfather," and now they're brazenly saying it out loud???
The head steward slapped his forehead and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot that, but you should still find time later to register him as a free citizen."
Shěn Táng's mouth twitched: "Mm, I'll remember."
The head steward waved and called someone: "Go, go to the back kitchen and call Old Chǔ over. Tell him his granddaughter has come to take him home to enjoy life."
As for whether Old Mr. Chǔ, the one being bought and sold, had an opinion... That wasn't important.
Shěn Táng carefully put away the yellowed, paper-fragmented deed of servitude, inwardly resolving that once she had learned her skills, this deed would serve as payment for Old Mr. Chǔ's lessons, returning his freedom to him. She would be responsible for the old man's food and clothing; after all, she wasn't some devilish capitalist.
Therefore—
When Old Mr. Chǔ, sitting in the back kitchen, numbly washing the accumulated plates and food trays from last night, heard this shout, his weather-beaten old face twisted for a moment. He seemed to have ringing in his ears, grabbing the person's arm and repeatedly confirming: "Who? What granddaughter?"
The messenger smiled and said, "Your granddaughter has come to redeem you and take you away. It seems the old man's hard days are finally over."
Old Mr. Chǔ, utterly bewildered: "..."
When he saw his never-before-met, heaven-sent "granddaughter," his expression control nearly failed again. You call this Xiǎo Láng Jūn a granddaughter?
The head steward patted Old Mr. Chǔ's shoulder, his face moved, and said emotionally to him, "Old Chǔ, pack your things and go with your little one. Don't make your family wait too long." Alas, in this world, the most touching and precious scene is undoubtedly a family reunion, enjoying familial bliss. Just thinking about this scene felt heartwarming.
Old Mr. Chǔ's face was blank. Shěn Táng also looked at him expressionlessly.
"I've paid the redemption money. Do you want to come with me?"
She suddenly felt a little guilty. Thinking back, buying someone without their permission wasn't very respectful to Old Mr. Chǔ.
Old Mr. Chǔ: "...Are you really taking this old man with you?"
Shěn Táng opened her mouth, inexplicably feeling that her next answer should be more cautious, not hastily given. But on second thought, there was only one choice for this question. She had already paid the money; wouldn't not taking the person be a huge loss?
So, Shěn Táng nodded heavily. "Yes, come with me!"
Three taels of silver! Can't let it go to waste! In the past, she had always freeloaded off Qí Shàn's knowledge and wisdom; let alone three taels, she hadn't even paid three cash.
As her words fell, the atmosphere grew stiff and incredibly awkward. The bookshop Zhǎng Guì mulled over what felt wrong, but before he could figure it out, Old Mr. Chǔ reacted first. He nodded calmly: "Mm, alright, allow me to pack my clothes; please wait a moment."
Watching Old Mr. Chǔ turn to the back courtyard to pack his clothes, the bookshop Zhǎng Guì asked the head steward, "Has this old man been driven silly working here? He looks dazed, like he has an old-age illness. He'll be hard to care for if taken back, and suffer a lot."
The head steward rolled his eyes: "We earn dirty money, but we're not inhuman. If he doesn't work, he'll go hungry for a couple of meals, but there's no need to beat people." Unless it was for running away or stealing money, in which case a beating would teach them a lesson. Old Chǔ had been very compliant since he arrived, so how could he have been beaten?
Meanwhile.
After watching Gōng Chěng finish his medicine and fall asleep, the courtesan and the young man left one after another. When the wooden door behind them closed, his demeanor changed. A touch of majesty was added to his exquisitely sharp face.
He said, "I never expected Brother Yún Chí to have a day when he knew nothing. Since he knows nothing, asking him is pointless; we might as well investigate ourselves. Mr. Gù, send someone to keep an eye on that Shěn Táng... If this person is not problematic, that's best. The Shěn clan's nine generations perished unjustly; this person and Brother Yún Chí are the best evidence of Zhèng Qiáo's tyranny and loss of public support. In the future, when we dispatch troops to conquer Zhèng Qiáo, it will also be just and proper..."
The young man: "What if there is a problem?"
The courtesan said indifferently: "Then eliminate them, leaving no future troubles!" He paused, then added, "Also, pay attention to any news about that Grandee Wǔ Dà Fū of the Gōng clan. Report any news immediately."
The young man lowered his gaze, cupped his hands, and accepted the order: "Yes."
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