After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Shen Zhuang hurriedly advised, "Wouldn't five or six be too many? Our family's situation is different from Shen Yi's. Can we afford to feed so many more people?"

Xu glared at him unhappily, "Five or six is ​​too many? We have so much land now, it would take the whole family working themselves to death every year to finish it. Look at you, you're almost ruining your health. What's the use of making money if you're too dead to spend it!"

I've already thought it all out. I'll see what happens tomorrow. If there are any men who can work in the fields, I'll buy two to take over the farm work. I'll also buy a woman to cook and clean the house, so my daughter-in-law won't have to take care of everything at home after finishing her work outside.

Also, I think the children Xiaotai bought for Yuezhang and the others are quite good. They are obedient, sensible, and perceptive. We can buy a few of them too, to use now. If the girls are nice, our grandson might also like them and marry them in the future.

They can also help with chores and earn money; they won't just sit around doing nothing. Either way, we're not at a disadvantage.

Upon hearing Xu's plan, Su Tai gave her a thumbs up, "Second Aunt is indeed Second Aunt, this idea is really good! However, most of those willing to sell themselves in Qiongzi are orphans and widows, and there are usually not many buyers for the elderly. Those brought over tomorrow should all be orphans and women."

"Keep your eyes open. As long as the person is decent, it's okay if they bring a baby. You'll still buy from them and get their gratitude in return."

Upon hearing this, Shen Liang said to Shen Zhuang, "Father, since my sister-in-law and mother have already made their plans, we'll just listen to them."

the other side.

When Yu Xinghai’s wife saw the silver tael, she couldn’t help but whisper to Yu Xinghai, “I saw it all today. The things Yu Mei is wearing and carrying are things we don’t have here, and she’s so clean. She’s prettier than the village beauty. She looks nothing like she used to.”

You're saying selling yourself into slavery is really that good? It's making me want to try it!

Yu Xinghai rolled his eyes in annoyance. "If it's so good, why aren't people scrambling to sell themselves? The reason Yu Mei and the others are doing well is because they followed the right master. Not everyone has that kind of good luck!"

Besides, you see how well she's doing now, but who knows what the future holds? What will they do if something happens to the family? You only see the good things, you don't think about anything else!

Yu Xinghai's wife pouted, "I don't know much, why are you getting angry with me!"

Early the next morning.

The village chiefs from several nearby villages came over with their people.

Almost every village has a dozen or so people, all of them women and children. The children are of varying ages, and the oldest woman is around thirty-five, while the youngest is only eighteen or nineteen.

She's still in the prime of her life, yet the years have worn her down and made her lose her vitality.

None of the village chiefs and villagers could speak the Langya dialect, so Yu Xinghai had to act as their translator.

With Yu Xinghai's introduction, Su Tai and her group learned about the situation of these women and children.

Yesterday, Mr. Xu was excitedly and eagerly waiting to buy people today.

At this moment, he was so heartbroken that tears were about to fall, and he wished he were the richest man in the world so he could buy all these poor people.

Having learned from her previous experience, Su Tai was more composed. She carefully observed their eyes and reactions, and selected about thirty people from among them.

The remaining person was given one tael of silver and asked to be taken back by the village chief.

One of the girls, around twelve or thirteen years old, protested indignantly, "Why am I being sent back? She said she was going to buy people, so why wasn't I chosen?"

Yu Xinghai's face instantly darkened, and he coldly looked at the old village chief who had brought the little girl over, "Have you forgotten what I told you? This kind of person has nothing to do with being honest and upright!"

The old village chief turned pale and kept bowing and apologizing, "I'm sorry, she said she wanted to sell herself and that she would behave. She's the prettiest girl in our village, and I thought the important person would like her, so I brought her along."

Yu Xinghai frowned, "Then hurry up and get them away, lest you anger the important person, or they'll even confiscate your village's fishing boats!" The old village chief was shocked and quickly knelt down to kowtow and beg Su Tai.

Su Tai couldn't understand a single word. "Village Chief Yu, what is he doing?"

Yu Xinghai hurriedly went over to explain, "Madam Shen, he took it upon himself to bring that girl who didn't meet the requirements. He was afraid you would be angry, so he begged you for forgiveness."

Su Tai waved her hand, "I'm not angry, just take it with you."

“Madam Shen is kind and benevolent. I’ll go and tell her right away.” Yu Xinghai winked at his wife and several women in the village.

He then whispered a few words to the old village chief.

The old village chief felt as if he had been granted a pardon. After getting up from the ground, he scolded the girl.

The little girl was very dissatisfied and refused to leave. In the end, she was dragged away from the village by Yu Xinghai's wife and a few others.

The girl's angry shouts gradually faded into the distance.

Yu Xinghai's face was very ugly. He turned around and apologized to Su Tai, "Madam Shen, that child probably got too big for his britches and didn't want to stay in the fishing village, so he used sweet words to coax the village chief. As people get older, their minds become confused. Please forgive him, Madam Shen."

Su Tai didn't take it seriously. "That's fine. These people will stay in your village for today, and we'll leave early tomorrow morning."

Ruan Haizhu, who had been driven out of Xiaogang Village, returned to the village with a belly full of anger.

Her parents were shocked when their daughter returned; their smiles vanished.

"You brat, didn't you say you were willing to sell yourself? Why are you back?" Ruan's mother looked at Ruan Haizhu with disdain and wished she could kick her out with a broom.

Ruan Haizhu was so angry that she cried, "Do you think I don't want to sell myself? It's just that they don't even want me! And you still dare to criticize me!"

Mr. and Mrs. Ruan exchanged a surprised glance, then became furious. "Why do they look down on you? What makes you inferior to those widows' bastards? No way, I have to ask the village chief. Even if they have to force you in, they'll still force you in!"

The Ruan family raised four daughters, each of whom was quite beautiful, which fostered in them an arrogant and disdainful attitude.

Mr. and Mrs. Ruan originally wanted to get a high dowry by marrying off their daughter, but their area was poor and there weren't many families willing to spend a lot of money to get a wife.

The eldest daughter's dowry was only 800 coins, the second daughter's was the same amount, but when it came to the third daughter, no one was willing to spend 800 coins, so she was finally married off for 660 coins.

Ruan Haizhu didn't want to become as cheap as her sister, after all, she was the best-looking among the sisters.

But she also knew that in such a small place, no matter how good-looking she was, she would never get ahead.

Yesterday, upon hearing that a nobleman from Langya Kingdom had come to buy servants, she immediately had an idea. After discussing it with her parents, they also felt that it would be better for their daughter to sell herself.

After all, they could get two taels of silver from selling their daughters into servitude, which was almost equivalent to the dowry for marrying off three daughters.

The couple had been hoping for the two taels of silver to come home ever since their daughter was taken away, but instead of the silver, their daughter returned!

Ruan's mother stormed into the old village chief's house, throwing a tantrum as soon as she entered. "Village chief, you were the one who said the nobleman wanted to buy the servant! My daughter went through all that trouble, and they just say they don't want her anymore! How can they treat people like this?" (End of Chapter)