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墨書 Inktalez
"What?"
Liuyang doubted he had heard correctly and took a moment to process the situation.
The woman assumed he was stunned by the amount of silver and snorted, saying, "This is the kindness of the master; you all better remember it. Brother, can you make a decision on this? Or should we go get your elder out here?"
Liuyang suddenly realized that this woman was a human trafficker, someone who specialized in selling people. In chaotic times like these, such individuals were more prevalent. Previously, Ye Xiaohan had also been sold by a human trafficker before being bought back by his older brother.
Liuyang had never encountered this particular human trafficker before; she wasn't the same one from before.
"What’s going on, Liuyang? Why aren’t you inviting the guests in to sit?" Ye Xiaohan's voice called out from behind him.
Turning around to see Ye Xiaohan, Liuyang felt even more conflicted. This troublesome woman had been bought back once; now that she had changed for the better, would she be sold again?
After all, she wanted to leave.
Seeing Liuyang in a daze, completely unlike his usual lively self, Ye Xiaohan curiously reached out to touch his forehead. When she found he didn't have a fever, she felt relieved.
The human trafficker was taken aback when Ye Xiaohan appeared; was this really the same ugly woman from before?
During this time, through relentless effort, Ye Xiaohan had slimmed down significantly. Although still plump, she no longer looked grotesquely overweight. With a new demeanor and aura, she seemed like a different person altogether.
If it weren't for those who knew her well, they wouldn't have recognized her at all.
The human trafficker scrutinized her closely before confirming her identity. A hint of mockery crossed her eyes as she shrieked with laughter, "Oh my, so this is Miss Ye! Truly a blessed person; you look so rosy and plump! Hurry up and get ready to come with me; the master is waiting!"
"What are you doing? Leaving? Where are you going?" Ye Xiaohan was filled with questions. "Aunt Zhang, are you here to find me? My memory isn't great, and I can't recall where we met."
The Human Trafficker forced a smile. "We've never met, but now that we have, Miss Ye, there's no need for you to be too grateful. This is all part of our job. In our line of work, we toil away for what? Just to send you to a good family so you can enjoy a better life, right?"
"Send?" Ye Xiaohan thought for a moment and, connecting the dots with the woman's appearance, quickly guessed her identity. A human trafficker acting as if she were doing something noble—how could she not be embarrassed by her own audacity?
Realizing the Human Trafficker's true identity, Ye Xiaohan lost any interest in hospitality. "Aunt Zhang, you've come to the wrong place. My family has no one to sell; please leave, and I won't see you out."
Knowing full well that she was already the wife of the Liu family, the woman still referred to her as 'young lady,' clearly showing that she didn't regard her as a person. To these traffickers, there were no living beings—only commodities. A legally married wife was nothing more than a joke in their eyes.
Ye Xiaohan didn't mind being looked down upon as a wife; it was another matter entirely when others disdained her.
"Oh, this won't do! The Liu family has already sold you to me! That's fifty taels of silver!" The Human Trafficker exclaimed as she grabbed Ye Xiaohan's arm and pointed at Liu Yang. "This gentleman promised it himself; he can make decisions here. You can't back out now!"
Ye Xiaohan was taken aback and looked at Liu Yang, surprised that he still held some reservations about her.
Indeed, some things were not easily changed. She had thought that after living together for some time, he might feel closer to her, yet he had so readily sold her off. How much did he despise her?
Ye Xiaohan didn't blame Liu Yang; the foolish actions of the original owner made her want to strangle that idiot herself. However, being so disliked still left an unpleasant feeling.
Since they clearly couldn't stand each other, it would be better to part ways now. After all, she had never intended to stay here for a lifetime; she would leave sooner or later. Did they really expect her to live like a farmer's wife with Liu Bei from now on?
Thinking of Liu Bei brought back memories of their time together. She had to admit that he was a good man—kind-hearted, considerate, and gentle. The original owner must have been blind to have rejected him. But she wanted to leave; she and Liu Bei were not suited for each other, and she needed to find a way back to the modern world. Leaving now might actually be for everyone's benefit.
Feeling her thoughts scatter, Ye Xiaohan quickly refocused and decided not to dwell on those matters. Since she had already resolved to leave, she didn't want any complications; this was just the opportunity she needed to escape.
However, Ye Xiaohan's eyes twinkled with interest. Who would spend fifty taels to buy a woman with a tarnished reputation?
Ye Xiaohan quickly put on a face full of disappointment and said to the Human Trafficker, "Li Bei has gone hunting in the mountains today, and the only man left at home is my uncle. Since the Li family sold me, I have no reason to stay here. I will go with you, but I have one request."
"Sure," the Human Trafficker replied, relieved that she had agreed. The buyer was a wealthy person who was generous with their money. After the deal was done, she would receive two taels of silver—a rare and lucrative transaction.
Li Yang had been struggling with his thoughts. He wanted Ye Xiaohan to stay and live well with his older brother, but he was also afraid that after Ye Xiaohan got close to his brother, she would leave again, leaving him heartbroken.
Hearing Ye Xiaohan voluntarily say she would leave with the Human Trafficker made him so angry that he forgot to argue that he hadn’t sold her; it was the Human Trafficker who had misled her.
Pointing at Ye Xiaohan, he shouted angrily, "I knew it! You don’t care about my brother at all! You just want to leave the Li family as soon as possible. Fine! Go ahead! Go enjoy your life with your rich master!"
He suspected that this wicked woman must have had some sort of relationship with that master already; otherwise, who would spend fifty taels to buy someone? Li Yang felt deceived; this bad woman was still the same as before, and all her changes over these days were just a facade!
Ye Xiaohan secretly rolled her eyes. Stupid boy, after feeding you so many good things for free, you'll spit it all out sooner or later!
She weakly rubbed her eyes and discreetly pressed an acupoint to force out some tears, making herself look particularly sorrowful. "Aunt Zhang, you see it too; the Li family doesn’t like me, and I can’t stay here any longer. However, Li Bei is my savior; I cannot be ungrateful. I only hope to sell for a bit more silver to leave for the Li family so they can get by."
The Human Trafficker wasn’t interested in how well she lived but didn’t want to offend the buyer. She casually comforted her, "You don’t need to cry anymore; there are better days ahead. Look at this master; he’s willing to spend such a large sum on you. He will definitely treat you well in the future—much better than living in poverty here!"
Li Yang turned and shouted at the Human Trafficker, "All you talk about is money! Have you fallen into a pit of gold? If it’s so good, why don’t you sell yourself?"
Then he yelled at Ye Xiaohan, "If you don’t want to live in poverty with the Li family anymore, then hurry up and leave! No one is begging you to stay!" With that, he stormed off like a gust of wind.
Ye Xiaohan watched him turn red with anger, puffing up like a pufferfish about to explode—it was somewhat amusing. Forget it; why bother arguing with a child? She would take the high road. It was better to take advantage of this foolish buyer and make some extra profit; it would be her way of repaying the Li family's kindness.
The Human Trafficker, unwilling to delay any longer, directly asked, "So how much silver does Miss Ye want? You name your price, and I'll report back to my master."
This was the moment Ye Xiaohan had been waiting for. She pretended to hesitate for a moment, then held up one finger and said, "Then, one hundred taels of silver."
"Wow!" The Human Trafficker jumped in shock. "You really know how to ask for a price! Don't think just because someone is interested in you that you're worth it. Just look at yourself—do you really think you can fetch a hundred taels? With that much silver, you could buy two beautiful concubines!"
Ye Xiaohan retorted, "If that's the case, then there's nothing more to discuss. You can leave now."
Seeing her firm attitude, the Human Trafficker softened again and smiled apologetically. "Wait! How about this? I'll make another trip back to consult with my superior and see what the buyer thinks."
Ye Xiaohan waved her hand dismissively. "Alright then, please trouble Aunt Zhang."
The Human Trafficker hurried away, and Ye Xiaohan stroked her chin as she scanned the suspicious figures around her, finding no signs of anything unusual. Who could be so generous as to offer fifty taels? That was no small amount; in rural families, it could last a lifetime if spent frugally.
Moreover, the original owner wasn't exactly a beauty; no matter how she looked at herself, she couldn't see anything worth that kind of money.
However, it was precisely because of this that Ye Xiaohan became even more certain that the buyer would agree. Anyone willing to spend fifty taels on something seemingly ordinary must see some intrinsic value in it.
Ye Xiaohan leisurely sat in the room, waiting for the Human Trafficker to return.
Meanwhile, completely unaware of all this, Bei Liu was happily prying open a trap and tying up a fat rabbit before placing it into a bamboo basket.
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