Chapter 158: They Are Truly a Perfect Match for the Family
Seeing the father and daughter staring at him in astonishment, Broker Deng guessed what they were thinking. He burst into a hearty laugh and said, “I have never been one to make things difficult for others. If people cooperate with me, I naturally make things convenient for them. They have done a fair amount of work for me over this past half-year. If Brother Wen hadn’t mentioned needing some fish-farming experts, I honestly would have been quite reluctant to let them go.
Besides, never look down on a youth just because he is poor, nor should one look down on those who have fallen into servitude. Who can say for certain what fortunes the future holds? It is merely sowing a seed of goodwill.”
Wen Yao silently gave Broker Deng a thumbs-up. With this way of conducting himself, even if Broker Deng didn’t strike it rich, his network of connections was absolutely solid.
While they were talking, the group arrived at the backyard. Broker Deng instructed a shop hand nearby to call for them, and before long, the family of seven filed into the courtyard. They stole cautious glances at Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi before quickly lowering their heads, standing in a respectful and orderly manner. Although the family huddled tightly together, there was no sign of panic or disorder among them.
Wen Yao could tell that this family trusted Broker Deng deeply. And no wonder; if it were her, she would trust him too. She couldn’t help but let her mind wander, wondering if in the original plot of the book, she and her brother had been sold to Broker Deng by Wen Xiuyi. If so, their lives back then might have been a bit more bearable.
As Wen Yao let her thoughts drift, she heard Broker Deng introducing the family’s details to Wen Xiuyi.
Wen Xiuyi nodded. Broker Deng had already relayed most of this to him previously, so he turned his head to look at Wen Yao beside him. “Yaoyao, what do you think?”
Broker Deng cast a subtle, fleeting glance at Wen Yao. He said nothing but made a mental note of it before speaking up, “Miss Yaoyao, if there is anything you wish to ask them, you may do so now.”
Wen Yao stepped down from the veranda and walked over to the front of the family, pacing back and forth as she inspected them.
The family was lined up in order of age. The eldest man looked only a few years older than Wen Xiuyi, though younger than Old Man Wen. The two elders were clearly an old married couple.
Beside them stood a young couple and a youth. Standing properly and obediently at the feet of the young couple were two young children. The boy looked slightly older than Datou, while the girl was smaller, around two or three years old. The little children harbored no complex thoughts, their eyes wide with curiosity as they stared at Wen Yao.
Wen Yao squatted down in front of the little girl and asked softly, “How old are you?”
The little girl shrank back in fear, replying timidly, “Th-three years old.”
Sure enough, she hadn’t guessed wrong. Wen Yao stood up, patted the little girl’s head, glanced at the young boy, and then walked over to the old couple.
“You know how to raise fish?” Wen Yao asked directly.
The old couple hurriedly bowed. “In reply to the young mistress, we raised fish back in our hometown. We also know how to cultivate lotus roots.”
Wen Yao’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. Good heavens, is this a buy-one-get-one-free deal? Originally, she had been thinking that if they could plant some lotus flowers in the fish pond, strolling along the banks in the summer to admire the blossoms would put her in an incredibly beautiful mood.
However, she quickly suppressed her excitement, nodded faintly, and walked over to the young couple. “What are your skills?”
The man answered, “In reply to the young mistress, this servant followed his parents in raising fish and shrimp, and is also an expert at cultivating lotus roots. Having had the fortune of being taken in by the manager, this servant has also learned a bit of carpentry.”
Wen Yao nodded.
The woman replied, “In reply to the young mistress, this servant knows a bit of sewing, mending, needlework, and embroidery. This servant can also handle field work, wade into the ponds, and manage kitchen chores.”
Wen Yao sized her up. It really wasn’t easy. Was this what it meant to be a woman in this era? They always seemed to do far more than the men.
She then looked at the youth, raising an eyebrow. “And you? What can you do?”
The youth kept his head lowered, replying respectfully, “In reply to the young mistress, this servant can do all types of work in the fields and ponds. This servant can also drive a cart and has learned some carpentry from his elder brother.”
Having finished her questions, Wen Yao returned to Wen Xiuyi’s side. To be perfectly honest, aside from the two young children who couldn’t do anything yet, this family was simply a perfect match for their household.
But the two children weren’t entirely useless either. The boy could be raised and trained to be a pageboy for Datou in the future. As for the little girl, they could just raise her for now and see what chores she could handle when she grew up.
In short, it wasn’t a losing deal.
Wen Yao gave Wen Xiuyi a meaningful look. Wen Xiuyi understood instantly and cupped his hands to Broker Deng. “Brother Deng, allow us a brief moment to discuss.”
Broker Deng nodded. “No problem. I will wait for you.”
Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi walked over to a corner and began to whisper to each other.
“Dad, I think they’ll do,” Wen Yao murmured. “Aside from raising fish, they can even plant lotus roots. The old man and the two sons are perfect for raising fish and looking after the ducks. The old woman can help Grandma with miscellaneous chores around the house. The young woman can go assist Second and Third Aunt. As for the two kids, the boy can be trained to be a pageboy and companion for Datou—you have to think ahead regarding your son’s future prospects. The girl is too small, so we’ll just raise her for now. All in all, we won’t lose out.”
Wen Xiuyi glanced over at the family. Hearing his daughter’s arrangement, it did indeed seem very fitting; the entire family would be well settled.
“Then should I discuss the price with Broker Deng?” The words felt incredibly awkward coming out of Wen Xiuyi’s mouth. He had to give himself a heavy psychological pep talk before he could steady his nerves.
Wen Yao nodded and nudged him back over.
“Brother Deng, a word in private?” Wen Xiuyi requested.
Knowing they had reached a decision, Broker Deng nodded and signaled for the family to be led back inside before guiding Wen Xiuyi toward the front parlor.
“Brother Deng, regarding the price…?” Wen Xiuyi inquired.
Broker Deng looked at him and said, “To be honest, I didn’t spend too much money when I first bought this family. However, I have provided for them for over half a year, and I even hired people to teach them skills…”
Wen Xiuyi nodded. “Of course, I understand. Just state your price. We’ve seen the people, my daughter is quite pleased, and they suit my household well. However, let me make this clear upfront: our family is actually just an ordinary household of farmers in the countryside. I wonder if they will harbor any resentment about going back with us.”
Broker Deng scoffed softly and waved his hand. “You can set your heart entirely at ease on that front. The people who leave my agency will never say a single negative word about their masters, no matter whose household they enter. We are old acquaintances, and I know your family consists of good people. So, I won’t beat around the bush with you. Seven people in total. Five able-bodied adults. We won’t count the two children. Fifteen taels per person, making it seventy-five taels.”
Seventy-five taels of silver? Wen Xiuyi instinctively looked at Wen Yao and, sure enough, saw her brow furrow slightly.
“Brother Deng, we are old acquaintances, and I will inevitably have to trouble you with similar matters in the future. Seventy-five taels is indeed a bit… how about this: seventy taels. If that works, we will take the people back with us today,” Wen Xiuyi said straightforwardly.
Hearing this, Wen Yao looked up at Wen Xiuyi in surprise. This didn’t seem like Professor Wen’s usual style at all. She had assumed Professor Wen would refrain from bargaining out of a sense of moral guilt. She had even been planning how to ask Sister Qiu for an advance on her dividends in a moment.
As for the furrow in Wen Yao’s brow that Wen Xiuyi had noticed, she had simply been lamenting in her heart how cheap human life was in this era—an entire living person could be bought for a mere fifteen taels. The thought had naturally caused her eyebrows to knit, but she hadn’t expected Wen Xiuyi to misunderstand it as a sign that the price was too high.
