Chapter 258: Buying People
Half an hour later, Chu Tiankuo and Chu Yuehou left.
After the two left, Madam Gu took out a money bag and gave it to Xingnong. “This is the silver your eldest maternal aunt gave me. She asked us to help find out where Yingying was sold to and buy her back to send her back to Futai County. Have someone investigate and buy her back, don’t let her fall into those bad places. This way, we can be considered to have done our best.”
Madam Gu also knew that Xingnong didn’t like Zhou Yingying. But she was, after all, the only granddaughter of her eldest younger brother, Gu Yuxia. Although her personality was not pleasing, if she really watched her be reduced to slavery, or be sold to a brothel or something, as a relative, she would not want to see that.
After all, that child just went astray, blinded by wealth, and she was not someone with a bad heart or unforgivable.
Anyway, Madam Gu couldn’t bear to see her reduced to this. Even if her younger brother and sister-in-law didn’t say anything, she planned to take Zhou Yingying back.
Xingnong took the money bag. “I know, I will buy her back and send her back to Futai County, Grandma doesn’t need to worry.”
Madam Gu sighed. Who doesn’t make some mistakes when they are young, but some mistakes are too costly. “I hope Yingying can learn a lesson from this and be a down-to-earth person in the future. Now, your maternal great-uncle and great-aunt are so worried that they can’t sleep at night.”
Xingnong didn’t agree with this. With such a granddaughter, could they sleep well? It’s just that some people will change themselves after learning a lesson, but some will not. This depends on the person’s ideological awareness. She didn’t know which kind Zhou Yingying was now.
Hearing this, Shen Ruoxi said, “Mother, don’t worry, Yingying will be fine.”
Shen Ruoxi found that the sisters in her family seemed to have a hard life, each with their own hardships. Like Ruolan… Thinking of Shen Ruolan, she finally remembered that the servant had just reported that Shen Ruolan and Wen Ruiqing had arrived.
Shen Ruoxi stood up regretfully and said to Xingnong, “Oh my God! I forgot your aunt and uncle have come! Xingnong, quick! Let’s go and bring them here to see your grandmother.”
Xingnong stood up and walked out with Shen Ruoxi. However, after going out, she said to Shen Ruoxi, “I’ll go buy Zhou Yingying back first. Mother, you entertain aunt and uncle!”
Xingnong didn’t want to greet that couple at all.
Shen Ruoxi was also worried that Zhou Yingying would be bought by someone else, and she would not be able to explain to her uncle’s family when she returned, so she said, “Then you go!”
She hurried to the flower hall herself.
Xingnong went back to her own courtyard. As for buying Zhou Yingying, it would be fine to let Songbai go. Songbai must know where Zhou Yingying was sold.
Xingnong asked someone to call Songbai over. She gave him the purse: “Go and find out which government brokerage the female members of the Yao family were sold to. Help me buy back a person named Zhou Yingying. But there’s no rush, let her learn a lesson, but don’t let her get hurt. Just make sure she can be bought back in the end.”
Songbai understood immediately. He immediately said, “Don’t worry, Miss Xingnong, I promise to get it done!”
Songbai knew exactly where the female members of the Liang and Yao families were sold.
These women were distinguished and sold according to their status in the family and their crimes.
The female members who had taken lives and participated in treason, such as the mistress of the Song Family Porcelain Kiln, the concubine of Prime Minister Liang, were executed.
The women who were forcibly taken back by the Liang and Yao families were all sent back to their original homes.
Those like Zhou Yingying who had only been married for a short time, had not committed any crimes, but were considered half a mistress, would be demoted to government slaves and sold by the government brokerage.
As for who would buy them, no one would care.
But because the concubines and maids of these wealthy families were generally very beautiful, many brothels would go to the government brokerage to pick people first and pick out those with potential.
When Songbai arrived at the government brokerage, Zhou Yingying had already been bought by the madam of a brothel.
He checked which brothel bought her, and then he went to the brothel. He found out that Zhou Yingying had just been taken back by the madam and was immediately taken a fancy to by a sixty-year-old old man and a forty-year-old butcher at the same time.
The madam knew that she had been a concubine before, so she directly let her receive customers and let the old man and the butcher compete with each other, the highest bidder wins. In the end, the old man won.
Zhou Yingying was almost scared to death watching the two bidding, she begged the madam to let her go with tears streaming down her face.
✿✿✿
Songbai found the madam and privately said something to her.
Then the madam listened to Songbai and said to Zhou Yingying that the old man was rich and comforted her that if she served him well, he might even redeem her and make her the twentieth concubine in his family!
She also said that she was originally from a good family, and wasn’t marrying that dwarf from the Yao family as a concubine because she coveted the Yao family’s wealth? Then she said that the old man was also wealthy and guaranteed that she would eat well and live comfortably. It was just that the mistress was a bit difficult to serve, but it was the same in any wealthy family for a concubine to watch the mistress’s face. But it didn’t matter, as long as she didn’t cause trouble, she wouldn’t be sold again. It was better than being in a brothel!
In short, the madam said a lot. Seeing that she was pale with fright, she must have been scared. Finally, she said: “Serve the old man well. If you serve him well, he will redeem you, and you might even become a wealthy concubine again! If you don’t serve him well and offend him, starting tomorrow, I will arrange butchers, coachmen, and other men for you. Think about it yourself! Dress up well, you will be receiving guests in a while!”
After saying this, the madam went out.
Zhou Yingying felt extremely sad in her heart, “Wuwuwu.”
She regretted it. Why was she so obsessed with not listening to her aunt and grandparents?
She just wanted to go back to a few months ago, just wanted to have never come to the capital~
She didn’t want to be the old man’s concubine!
She didn’t want to marry into the Yao family as a concubine either!
She wouldn’t be anyone’s concubine anymore!
It’s too miserable!
Wuwuwu
~
The next day, Songbai came to Xingnong to report: “The person has been rescued. I have arranged for her to return to Futai County with the merchant caravan tomorrow. Miss Xingnong, do you want to see her?”
Xingnong thought for a moment. She thought Madam Gu might want to see her, and she was also curious if she had really turned over a new leaf, so she said, “Bring her here!”
“Yes!” Songbai responded and went to make arrangements.
Half an hour later, Zhou Yingying was brought before Xingnong and Madam Gu by Songbai.
The weather was good today, Xingnong carried Madam Gu out and sat in the courtyard to bask in the sun.
The spring sunshine was not too hot, and more sun exposure could promote bone growth.
Zhou Yingying didn’t dare to look around as she walked over, and even in front of Madam Gu and Xingnong, she kept her head down.
Seeing her ashamed look, Madam Gu sighed and asked softly, “You have suffered, child. Do you want to stay in the capital and wait for my leg to heal before going home together, or do you want to go home with the merchant caravan tomorrow?”
Zhou Yingying immediately said, “I want to go home with the merchant caravan.”
She already knew that Xingnong was the Crown Princess who was personally bestowed with a marriage by the emperor, otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to be rescued this time.
But even if Xingnong was the Crown Princess, her status as a government slave could not be removed in this lifetime.
Once branded as a government slave, one would be a government slave for life.
So she wanted to go home. She didn’t dare to stay in the capital, and she didn’t dare to dream of marrying into a wealthy family anymore!
She was afraid of being sold again!
Madam Gu said, “Alright, your grandfather and grandmother have been so worried that they haven’t been able to sleep these days. You go back early so they can rest assured.”
Zhou Yingying cried when she heard this.
If only she had listened to her aunt and grandparents, not come to the capital, and not married into the Yao family, she would not have become a government slave!
