Zhang Tiehua hurried to the door, then closed it after confirming the courtyard was empty. He leaned in to whisper to his brother, "They took all the silver from home, but I managed to hide forty taels."
His efforts had yielded only the forty taels he'd managed to conceal. A wave of disappointment washed over Zhang Tieshan, leaving him feeling dejected.
Not far from Zhang Tieshan and Zhang Tiehua's courtyard, Wu Caiwei handed the silver in her hand to the man facing her. "This is your payment. Thank you for following him for so long."
The man's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver. He thanked her profusely.
Wu Caiwei walked out of the small path in good spirits, only to bump into a man rushing past.
Covered in mud, his trousers rolled up to his knees, and with a weathered face, he clearly looked like a farmer who had come straight from the fields without even time to wash his feet. Looking at his eyes, Wu Caiwei felt an urge to laugh. It seemed his life in this incarnation had not been easy.
Zhang Dahai had no time for explanations. He looked Wu Caiwei up and down and extended his hand. "Give me two hundred taels of silver. If not, one hundred taels will do."
Upon hearing this, Wu Caiwei's expression turned serious. From what she knew of him, he must be in some grave trouble.
"I have the silver, but it's not on me. If you have time, you can come with me to the inn to get it. If not, tell me a location, and I'll deliver it."
"Then bring it to me. I'll be at Granny Huang's place at the east end of town. If she doesn't have it, look for me on the street with the brothels."
Watching his hurried departure, Wu Caiwei quickly returned to her inn and gathered all her silver notes.
He had to ask around as he walked and finally arrived at Granny Huang's place, only to find the courtyard empty. He then rushed towards the street with the brothels as she had mentioned.
Ignoring the curious glances, he stumbled onto the street. There, he saw her arguing with a woman dressed like a madam.
"I sympathize with your situation, but we have our rules in this business. Once a woman enters here, there's little chance of her leaving." Despite her words of sympathy, the madam hid half her face with a fan, her eyes clearly betraying a mocking smile.
"Tell me, how much silver do you want?" Zhang Dahai asked calmly, unfazed.
"According to our rules, I paid twenty taels for her. Now, her value has increased tenfold, so at least two hundred taels." She then looked him up and down disdainfully. "With your appearance, can you afford it?"
Wu Caiwei quickly stepped forward and stood before him, sneering, "It doesn't matter if he can afford it. What matters is that I can."
She then dangled a thousand tael silver note in front of the madam.
The madam's eyes gleamed with delight. She reached out to take it, but Wu Caiwei quickly retracted it.
The madam, accustomed to judging people by their appearance, immediately softened her attitude. "May I ask who this lady is?" she asked solicitously.
"I am their master. Yes, you heard correctly. They were sold to me by their family long ago. We even signed a contract. Now, someone has sold her again for money, and she has ended up in your hands. How do you propose we handle this?" Wu Caiwei raised an eyebrow, looking at her.
The madam's heart sank. If that were true, she wouldn't be in the right. Although she had connections, she preferred to avoid legal trouble unless absolutely necessary.
She didn't doubt Wu Caiwei's identity for a moment. Although Wu Caiwei had no servants with her, the thousand taels were real, and she exuded an aura of authority. She suspected Wu Caiwei was the wife of some influential family. In her youth, she had frequented wealthy households and found that few wives there possessed the same commanding presence as Wu Caiwei. She didn't want to offend her.
After a moment's thought, she gave an order to someone beside her. Shortly after, a young girl was brought out. Upon seeing Zhang Dahai, the girl immediately hid behind him, trembling.
Wu Caiwei thought for a moment, then took out twenty taels of silver from her purse and handed it to the madam. The madam quickly refused, but Wu Caiwei insisted, pressing the silver into her hand. "I know you are innocent. Regardless, you shouldn't have to incur a loss. Didn't you say you paid twenty taels for her earlier? Here is the money."
The madam bowed gratefully. "Thank you, madam, for understanding our difficulties. Had we known she was already spoken for, we would never have bought her. In all my years running this establishment, I have never encountered such a situation. Please forgive any offense."
Wu Caiwei nodded serenely and said softly, "Ignorance is no offense. I still need to settle accounts with his family for selling my person without my knowledge. I cannot let this go. I won't keep you any longer, madam. Next time we meet, I'll treat you to tea."
The madam readily agreed and respectfully saw her off.
As Zhang Qiuju walked, she occasionally glanced at the woman in front. The moment she entered the brothel, she thought her life was over. She never expected to come out. In their village, a girl had once been sold by her grandmother, and her parents had tried desperately to redeem her, but to no avail.
The experiences of her two elder sisters had made her have little hope for her father. When they were respectfully escorted out, she felt a sense of unreality. At this moment, her gratitude towards Wu Caiwei was profound, and her gaze unconsciously carried a sense of reverence.
Wu Caiwei suddenly turned her head, catching Zhang Qiuju's gaze directly. Zhang Qiuju, startled, lowered her head in embarrassment.
Wu Caiwei chuckled and shook her head. She looked the man beside her up and down and said meaningfully, "Your life in this incarnation is quite miserable!"
Zhang Dahai nodded with a bitter smile. Recalling the original owner's life, he truly was unloved by his parents and neglected by his family. After he married and had four daughters, the entire family treated them as outcasts. His wife was forced to work in the fields while she was still recovering from childbirth, which led to chronic illness, and she passed away a few years later.
Even then, the original owner's mother didn't leave them alone. His eldest daughter was married off to a simpleton because the dowry was substantial. His second daughter was married to a bachelor of similar age, also for money. His third daughter was sold to Granny Huang for ten taels of silver because his elder brother's son needed money for the imperial examinations. She was sold to Granny Huang because everyone knew Granny Huang offered a high price for such girls, and their destination was invariably the brothel.