The old woman who had been talking to Shen Yuning rushed over and nudged her. "Don't be silly. That woman is good for nothing but being sold to those shady places. You're here to recruit workers. Don't take such a useless person back."
She jerked her chin at the woman in the tooth - trader's hands, making her meaning clear. A woman like Cen Xiaoniang, without good looks or a good figure and having lost her virginity, was hard to sell anywhere. She was considered too old to be sold as a maid. The only option was the most despicable and dirty places. But even those low - class places wouldn't be willing to pay ten taels of silver for a woman, which was why the tooth - trader disagreed and was haggling with the Liu family woman.
Shen Yuning ignored her and just told Shen Fugui to announce their intention. "I'll give you ten taels. Have someone write a contract. From now on, Cen Xiaoniang is mine, and has nothing to do with your Liu family anymore."
The woman from the Liu family thought the young girl in front of her was too easy - going and felt that she might have made a bad deal. Her eyes rolled around.
As the people in Yun County were living better and better, the business of selling women was becoming rarer. Formal slave - trading was handled by official tooth - traders. Private tooth - traders had a hard time finding customers. Finally, she got a young woman. Although she didn't look good at first glance, she might be useful after a good wash. Originally, she just wanted to lower the price, but unexpectedly, this strange young girl appeared and seemed to be competing with her for the woman.
The tooth - trader naturally refused. She shouted immediately, "Everything has its order. You little girl are so unreasonable. Do you think just because you say she's yours, she is?"
Hearing this, the Liu family woman beamed. She never thought that there would be someone scrambling to take her useless daughter - in - law. "I don't care about the order. You two figure it out. Whoever offers more silver can take her away."
The tooth - trader gritted her teeth. She even suspected that the young girl in front of her was a shill hired by the Liu family woman to force her to pay more. So after hearing the Liu family woman's words, she hesitated to speak. She decided to wait for the young girl to name a price first, and then decide whether to compete.
A strange smile appeared on Shen Yuning's face. She looked at the two people in front of her. "The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty are strict. Boys and girls can only be bought and sold after the age of ten, and the transactions are limited to being slaves or workers. If they are to be concubines or enter the low - class register, their own consent is required. I'm buying her because my embroidery workshop is short of hands. What do you want to buy her for?"
The tooth - trader was startled and took a step back. She argued stubbornly, "What laws and consent? I'm paying the silver to buy a person fairly. Her future is her own business. What does it matter to me..."
Shen Yuning then turned to the Liu family woman. "What I just said applies to unmarried men and women. If they are already married, it's different. The husband's family has no right to sell his wife. They can only divorce her. If you can't tolerate this woman, you can divorce her, but you can't sell her."
The Liu family woman half - opened her mouth and quickly asked, "Then... what about the ten taels of silver I spent to buy her in?"
"That wasn't the money to buy her. It was the betrothal gift your family gave. At that time, both the Liu family and the Cen family were willing, so it didn't involve buying and selling. But we often hear about giving betrothal gifts and dowries to children. We've never heard that when divorcing a wife, they still have to divide up the betrothal gifts and dowries, have we?"
The Liu family woman blushed. "You're talking nonsense. You're an unmarried girl. What do you know? Get out of here. I won't sell her to you!"
Only then did Shen Yuning look serious. "You can choose not to sell her to me. But I've discovered that you're involved in the illegal business of selling good - born women. Later when I go to the town, I can just drum the grievance for this poor woman. The county magistrate of Yun County has said that he will take care of all matters related to the people's livelihood. He definitely won't ignore such things that violate the law."
Hearing this, the tooth - trader didn't dare to take the dirty woman in front of her anymore. She was afraid that the young girl would go to the government to report her. All the illegal things she had done might be exposed, and she might even end up in prison. Thinking of this, she turned around, pulled her accomplice, and ran away in a flash.
The Liu family woman sighed for a long time. She couldn't keep the tooth - trader. Then she gritted her teeth and looked at Shen Yuning. "What on earth do you want?"
Shen Yuning stretched out her hand and showed five fingers. "Five taels. Sell her to me as a maid."
The Liu family woman spat on the ground. "I won't sell."
Shen Yuning didn't insist. She turned around and called her brother. "Brother, let's go back. I think five taels is too much. It's just as well that she doesn't want to sell. Anyway, divorcing a wife and remarrying isn't a glorious thing..."
Hearing this, the Liu family woman thought that if she didn't get rid of Cen Xiaoniang, Xiao Cui wouldn't marry into their family. So she quickly grabbed Shen Yuning's hand. "I'll sell, I'll sell. Five taels is fine, okay!"
After the contract was written and the money and the person were exchanged, the siblings took Cen Xiaoniang away. Then Shen Fugui asked unhappily, "Didn't you say she could be divorced and we didn't need to spend money? Then why did you buy her?"
Hearing this, Cen Xiaoniang shrank back and hugged her arms, not daring to make a sound. It was still cold in early spring. Everyone was wearing padded jackets, but she was only in a single - layer dress. A large clump of her hair had been torn off, and there was dried blood on her head. She looked extremely pitiful.
Shen Yuning sighed. "Although it's true, the Liu family doesn't seem to be easy to deal with. If we didn't spend some money to buy her, who knows how they would torture Cen Xiaoniang."
Hearing this, Cen Xiaoniang suddenly knelt down and kowtowed desperately. "Miss, thank you so much. From now on, I'm yours in life and death. I'll work like a beast for you... No, not just in this life, but in all lifetimes."
Shen Fugui was driving the cart. Seeing her like this, he felt pity. "Big sister, please don't say such things. My sister bought you just to help with the work, not to make you work like a beast."
Cen Xiaoniang shook her head and rolled up her sleeves. Her arms were covered with dense scars, which were horrible to look at. She choked with sobs. "They're not human. They didn't treat me like a person. I was already desperate. I originally thought that no matter where the private tooth - trader sold me, it would be a relief. I didn't expect you, miss, to buy me. You're my reborn parents!"
Shen Yuning originally just felt pity and thus had this extra expense. But after asking in detail, she learned that Cen Xiaoniang's family was well - off when she was a child, and she had learned weaving and embroidery. But over the years, her hands had become rough from doing heavy work, and she couldn't do very delicate work anymore. But Shen Yuning was still happy and thought that she hadn't lost too much.
So the next day, she took Cen Xiaoniang to the embroidery workshop to settle her down. She told her not to be in a hurry, to take good care of her injuries first, and then slowly start making the lowest - grade embroidery products.
But Cen Xiaoniang only thought that the miss had saved her from the abyss. She wished she could earn silver to share the miss's burden earlier. So she mustered all her energy. She first took care of her hands and then practiced needlework on coarse cloth. In just half a month, she had regained some of her former skills.
When Shen Yuning looked at her embroidery products carefully again, she was overjoyed. Cen Xiaoniang's skills were really good. She had enough talent and was hard - working. Given time, her works would surely, together with Shen Yuning's, support the signboard of the Shen's Embroidery Workshop.
However, because of the busy spring plowing, Old Man Zhang took Shen Fugui and Xuanzhi back to work. The affairs of the embroidery workshop were only left to Shen Yuning and Zhang Rong. Shen Yuning was afraid that Zhang Rong, who was about to give birth, might have any accidents. She told Yuanbao to take good care of Auntie Zhang and didn't allow Zhang Rong to touch any of the affairs of the embroidery workshop.
One day, Yuanbao was squatting in front of the stove, watching Zhang Rong's busy figure. She stared at Zhang Rong's belly for a long time and couldn't help asking, "Auntie, Aunt said there's my little brother or sister in your belly. Is it a little brother or a little sister?"
Zhang Rong baked the cakes, quickly flipped them out of the pan, put them in a basin, and handed them to Yuanbao. "Do you want a little brother or a little sister?"
Yuanbao was eating the hot cakes. She was blowing on them while grinning. "Naturally, a little brother. Everyone says boys are better."
Zhang Rong had always hated this kind of prejudice because people always said she wasn't a boy when she was a child. After baking the cakes, she held her belly and sat down on a low stool with difficulty. She frowned and said, "That's what others think. I'm different. I think little brothers and little sisters are equally good. As long as the baby is healthy and lively."
She was usually straightforward and generous. But at this moment, the gentle way she stroked her belly fell into Yuanbao's eyes. Yuanbao didn't know whether she was shocked or envious. She even forgot to put the cake into her mouth.
This warm scene only lasted for a moment. Zhang Rong held her belly and cried out in pain. "Yuanbao, hurry, go and call your aunt. I... I'm afraid I'm going to give birth..."
Yuanbao panicked. She put down the cake and ran outside.
...
Because the business of the Shen's Embroidery Workshop was good, Shen Yuning specially rented a small courtyard at the back for the embroiderers to rest during the day. Zhang Rong also rested in the small courtyard during the day. Now that she was about to give birth and didn't have time to go back to Xiaoshu Village, she was just helped to the bed by the embroiderers. Everyone was busy lighting the fire, boiling water, and preparing the things needed for childbirth.
Shen Yuning sent someone to Xiaoshu Village to spread the news, and someone else to invite the midwife they had arranged in advance. She also specially went to the Baozhilin Pharmacy to invite a doctor just in case.
Zhang Rong was usually a straightforward and active person. Her delivery was much smoother than that of ordinary women. When Old Man Zhang and Shen Fugui rushed over excitedly, they only waited for a short while before they heard the crying of a baby from inside the room.
Old Man Zhang was overjoyed. "Oh, this cry is so strong. It must be a grandson!"
Hearing this, Yuanbao squinted at him and argued, "I think from the cry, it's a little sister."
Old Man Zhang glared at her and pinched her face. "Don't talk nonsense. It's your little brother."
While they were arguing, Cen Xiaoniang had already carried the baby out. She was as happy as if the baby were her own. She smiled at Old Man Zhang and Shen Fugui. "Master, sir, madam has given birth to a young master!"
Old Man Zhang didn't care about arguing with little Yuanbao anymore. He walked forward eagerly, wanting to hold the baby. Then he looked back at Shen Fugui. Seeing his stupid - looking face, he quickly urged, "Fugui, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and hold your son."
Yuanbao watched all this gloomily. She withdrew her hand that was holding Old Man Zhang's corner of the clothes and slowly walked towards the shop. After going out of the door, she still looked back. She thought Auntie was wrong. Girls were different from boys. Look at Grandpa and Uncle. Because Auntie gave birth to a little brother, they were so happy.
There were tears in Yuanbao's eyes. She seemed to remember the past when her mother twisted her arm and scolded her for not being a son but a good - for - nothing girl. She squatted on the ground and pulled at her hair. I'm just a good - for - nothing girl that no one likes.
The cheers inside the room continued. Yuanbao felt even more unhappy. She simply started running towards the shop with her short legs. She was too young to go far. She could only hide in a place where no one was around.
Just as she pushed open the back door of the embroidery workshop, she saw two people carrying big buckets coming out.
Yuanbao shouted, "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"