Hui Niang had been sizing up the five girls.
A’lang’s appearance is good, she had the intention to find a presentable-looking girl, in the future the children born would definitely also be good-looking.
But… A’lang’s half-dead-not-alive appearance, how could she hope that he could continue the family line?
Only Yu Tingwan didn’t know what she was thinking inside her heart, otherwise she would definitely be silently cursing.
—Your son’s health is indeed not good, but the way he rips off clothes is very urgent.
Chen Po slanted her eyes and scolded: “What are you all foolishly standing around for? All turned mute? Still not honestly confessing your backgrounds to Meizi.”
“Following her is much better than following me.”
The girls all felt a “ge-deng” in their hearts, of course they knew that Chen Po never did loss-making deals.
Chen Po was considered a well-known person up north, making a living specifically in this line of trade, never soft-hearted.
The ones with good luck could be sold to big and noble households as servant girls. Though they were slaves and had to live watching the moods of the masters, at least they didn’t need to worry about food and clothes. The ones with bad luck would be sent to brothels to do flesh work. Losing purity and being trampled by thousands was a small matter; getting a dirty disease was truly a case of crying to the heavens with no response.
The girl closest to Hui Niang was the first to come to her senses, seeing Hui Niang as a life-saving straw, she directly knelt in front of Hui Niang.
“My name is Zhaodi, I can do any kind of work.”
“Auntie, please take me. Even if I have to be an ox or a horse, I’m willing.”
Yu Tingwan stood at the door, looking from afar.
The other party was in rags, looked thin and frail, hair messy and tangled. Face was ashen and dusty, who knows how many days since last washed—looked like a refugee fleeing famine.
Hui Niang was so frightened she quickly helped the person up.
“Can’t do this, who isn’t born of a father and mother, you…”
The words weren’t finished before she was interrupted by the girl’s crying voice.
“My older brother is getting married, really couldn’t scrape together enough silver. Originally thought the two families could swap marriages, but my sister-in-law’s brother disliked my looks. My mother scolded me for dragging down my brother, and just sold me. She never cared whether I lived or died.”
As soon as she cried, the girls beside her all returned to their senses one after another. Scrambling to crowd in front of Hui Niang.
A girl with a bitter face: “Auntie, look at me, I don’t eat much, I can save the most grain. I’m willing to come to your house and be your daughter-in-law.”
Yu Tingwan looked at these girls, then turned to look at the person lying in the room.
Wei Shen, he definitely heard it.
But he didn’t seem to care whether his future pillow-side person was round or flat.
Emotions churned in Hui Niang’s eyes.
When a person doesn’t have the ability, even having sympathy is useless.
In this world, who isn’t bitter?
Is she not bitter?
Is the Wan-niang next door not bitter?
These people’s misfortunes weren’t caused by Hui Niang. She couldn’t possibly take out all her savings to redeem their bodies.
Hui Niang let out a sigh: “But I only have one son, I can only buy one person.”
She spoke frankly, revealing all her cards, so that these girls could have a clear understanding in their hearts.
“My son’s situation, his father should’ve told you all as well. Right now he’s in the house, doesn’t like to interact with people, doesn’t follow doctor’s advice, and has a strange temper. His body is weak, he can’t be without someone by his side. As long as his father and I still have a breath in us, the medicine won’t be cut off. There’s a sick person in the family—you all should know just how hard the days are. But what A’lang will be like in the future, no one can say for sure.”
“If I really choose someone from among you to buy, then that’s my family’s daughter-in-law. Though it’s a bought one, there’s no talk of high or low, noble or cheap. I’m not a wicked mother-in-law either.”
“There’s not much to do in the house. Over in the fields, his father and I take care of things, the daughter-in-law doesn’t need to work.”
Which new wife in Xilin Village isn’t the kind that, right after entering the household, has to carry a hoe and go work in the fields?
As the mother-in-law, Hui Niang could totally stay at home enjoying leisure, watching over Wei Zhao, and send the daughter-in-law out.
But she didn’t.
“Usually at home, I cook the meals. Whatever we eat, the daughter-in-law eats too. I won’t let her go hungry. But if it’s really busy during spring plowing, the daughter-in-law will have to cook.”
Those girls were stunned.
Which household’s daughter-in-law gets this kind of treatment?
Could this Hui Niang be trying to trap them?
But then again, not likely. After all, the buying and selling is all decided by Chen Po, not up to them. Hui Niang truly has no reason to say all this just to trick them.
Yu Tingwan stood to the side, frowning, feeling especially envious—once Wei Shen’s wife enters the household, she’ll get to eat fragrant, piping-hot pig intestines.
She herself hasn’t even eaten that!
Hui Niang kept talking to herself: “Being a daughter-in-law of the Wei family is not easy either. I’ll say the ugly words first—if you don’t take care of A’lang seriously and cause something to happen to him, I absolutely won’t be soft-hearted!”
Yu Tingwan heard Hui Niang say: “After marrying in, what you have to do is take care of A’lang. His personality is stuffy, but you must talk to him. After decocting his medicine, you must watch him drink it down.”
“When the weather is good, you must take him outside to get some sunshine.”
“Oh right, things like knives, scissors at home must not get near him, and you must not let him touch them.”
Hui Niang spoke in full detail: “You have to tidy up A’lang clean and neat. The clothes he changes out of, I’ll wash them. Washing one is washing, washing two is also washing. If the clothes you wear, you don’t want to wash them, you can throw them to me too, it’s no trouble.”
She does things swiftly and doesn’t like to fuss over such matters.
Yu Tingwan was lost in thought.
Is being Wei family’s daughter-in-law a bit too idle?
Wei Shen is sick, and his speech isn’t very pleasant, but he’s generous!
Yu Tingwan couldn’t help but feel melancholy.
If Wei Shen marries a wife, he definitely won’t throw her eggs anymore.
Such a pity that Chen Po doesn’t sell men, otherwise she could also learn to recruit a husband.
Yu Tingwan: ……
Oh, almost forgot—she’s poor.
Even if she had, she couldn’t afford to buy.
Hui-niang’s round of words left all the girls utterly stunned.
They didn’t even think about wanting to see what Wei Shen looked like.
You push me, I push you—everyone squeezed over to Hui-niang’s side.
“Auntie, auntie, my cooking skills are very good. Don’t even talk about spring plowing—just hand over the kitchen to me normally and that’s fine. You can use me however you like too.”
“Auntie, I’m best at taking care of the sick. Someone in the family was sick before, and it was all me taking care of them. I will definitely be able to take good care of Wei A’lang.”
“Auntie, the fortune teller said I’m good at giving birth. I’ll definitely give Wei A’lang a big fat son.”
Hui-niang was never the picky or harsh type.
She added: “I know, right now you all see this as grabbing at a life-saving straw. Normally, who would be willing to marry a sickly one? Think it through clearly before you speak to me.”
“I know it’s grievance for a daughter-in-law, but once you marry in, I’ll treat you like my own birth daughter and love you.”
Yu Tingwan suddenly widened her eyes.
Own… own daughter?
These words made Chen Po find it interesting.
These past years, whom had she not come across in her travels up and down the country? And who had ever ended up with something good after passing through her hands?
Chen Po could tell with just a pair of eyes whether the person across from her was human or ghost.
This Wei family couple were truly honest and upright folks.
She put down her tea and used a kerchief to wipe her mouth: “Then that’s these girls’ good fortune.”
Right at this moment, Hui-niang’s arm was tugged by Yu Tingwan, who had dashed over with a hot head.
Yu Tingwan’s eyes were shining brightly as she looked at her.
She wanted to say, she could cook.
But… barely edible.
She wanted to say, she had taken care of sick people.
But… back then when she fed Wang-Shi spoonful by spoonful, Wang-Shi nearly got cared for all the way to the afterlife.
Yu Tingwan’s lips opened then closed, closed then opened again.
In the end, she deflated, and dryly said: “I… I can make Wei Shen happy?”