Chapter 54

Fifty-four, Choosing a Maid

"Su Su Xiaolang, please look, this fine maid comes from a small country across the sea, the East Ying. Her skin is white with a hint of red, her black hair is thick, her eyes are melancholy, and her temperament is gentle and delicate... She looks like an obedient beauty, conforming to our Great Zhou aesthetics, suitable to be a personal maid to serve the Su Su Xiaolang. The price is only thirty strings of money."

The Dashi merchant Li Yan held a rope, leading a girl in silk, and introduced her to Ouyang Rong, Madam Zhen, and others with a smile.

Madam Zhen turned her head with a smile to question Ouyang Rong's opinion, but the latter's attention was a bit strange. He couldn't help but ask:

"Is Shopkeeper Li also a Great Zhou person?"

Li Yan was a bit anxious when he heard this, and immediately said:

"Although I am a Hu merchant, I am also a Great Zhou person. My mother was a Great Zhou woman, and my father had already registered and naturalized in Guangzhou City when the two saints ruled together. My family is a genuine Great Zhou good citizen, not that kind of Hu guest who has returned to the barbarians."

Ouyang Rong smiled: "So that's it. No other meaning, it's just that Shopkeeper Li's elegant language is more fluent than mine."

Li Yan smiled proudly and asked again: "What does the Su Su Xiaolang think of this fine maid? Those who can enter our Jin Xiao commercial firm are all pure and healthy exotic Hu women."

Ouyang Rong looked at the East Ying slave who looked a bit like a certain teacher.

It's just that the makeup was pale, and the eyebrow shape was also very strange... Maybe her hometown thought it looked good, but he couldn't appreciate the customs of a small country.

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

"Alright then. Bring the next one."

Li Yan turned his head and ordered. The Kunlun slave nodded and went to the back of the house, soon bringing up another tall girl, with a completely different style.

"Su Su Xiaolang, please look, this fine maid is a Western Region Hu girl. Her skin is very white, with golden hair and blue eyes, gorgeous and tall, her eyes are charming, her personality is enthusiastic, and she can sing and dance... This is a popular item right now. It's not easy to train one. She can not only be a personal maid but also a singing and dancing girl. The price is only fifty strings of money."

Madam Zhen looked at the Western Region girl's high nose and deep eyes, and frowned slightly, "The figure and talent are good, but why does she look like a ghost?" What if she scares my dear nephew in the middle of the night?

Li Yan coughed and said:

"It is indeed a bit inconsistent with our ancestors' aesthetics. However, it is quite popular in the wine shops of Chang'an and Luoyang right now, and there are many men in the Great Zhou who like this exotic style."

"Madam, please look, although this golden hair is not as noble and elegant as black hair, golden hair looks festive and attracts wealth. It's exotic style. We call this the Heavenly Dynasty's inclusiveness, compatibility, and inclusiveness."

Thinking of the strange hobbies my dear nephew might have, Madam Zhen swallowed her words and didn't say anything more, letting the Young Master choose for himself.

Facing the Western Region Hu girl's flirtatious eyes, a certain person's expression remained as usual, and he shook his head.

The Dashi merchant found that Ouyang Rong didn't even look at them a few times before shaking his head. So picky? He frowned slightly in his heart, but smiled on the surface, continuing to shout:

"It's okay. Next one, bring her up."

At this time, a small steward walked in from outside the door, poking his head to look around. His expression looked like he had something to report, but seeing the Shopkeeper Li in the hall entertaining distinguished guests, he stopped and waited outside the door with great discernment.

Li Yan turned his head and glanced at the small steward outside the door, not dealing with it immediately.

Soon, the third and fourth fine maids were brought up one after another:

There were plump and enchanting Persian beautiful concubines, gentle Silla maids transported from the East Yi, and fallen noble female slaves from the broken families of Goguryeo.

Especially the latter, who had read poetry and books and learned needlework, could not only be a concubine maid but also take on heavy responsibilities and help manage the family business. Madam Zhen looked at her more and more favorably. This was a plus point, but Banxi was too stupid. Hmm, sixty strings of money, expensive is expensive...

Banxi, who was waiting on the side, pinched her fingers together, her small face very nervous. She didn't expect that today was not just shopping, but also losing her job.

A certain lady in a Luo skirt couldn't help but secretly wink at her nephew, but Ouyang Rong turned a deaf ear, all... shaking his head, shaking his head, and shaking his head again.

And it was every time Li Yan just finished introducing, he shook his head immediately, very decisively, without even taking a second look.

This made the Dashi merchant a bit suspicious of himself. Their Jin Xiao commercial firm was taking a high-end international route. Were these fine maids really that bad? The distinguished guests they received before, even the wealthy guests of brothels, were all colorful in their expressions when bombarded visually by these exotic beauties.

But today, this young master didn't even blink his eyes, as if he was not surprised at all by these fine maids pulled out by their Jin Xiao commercial firm, his expression calm.

Wait, could it be that he was here to find fault, or... the standard was too high?

Li Yan secretly gritted his teeth. It seemed he had to increase the intensity. He couldn't lose the reputation of Jin Xiao commercial firm.

Just as this Dashi Hu merchant was about to turn his head and order again, the small steward who had been waiting for a long time couldn't hold back anymore. He walked in lightly, apologized to the distinguished guests with a smile, and whispered to Li Yan:

"Shopkeeper, the cargo ship is waiting at Peng Lang Ferry. Should we load the goods onto the ship now?"

Li Yan said with dissatisfaction: "Can't you see there are guests in the shop? The distinguished guests are important. Those are money-losing goods, what's the rush? Wait a while, don't get in the way of the distinguished guests choosing maids."

"Yes, yes, yes." The small steward bowed and apologized.

Li Yan turned his head and apologized. Ouyang Rong and Madam Zhen shook their heads, not caring.

The former continued to order the Kunlun slave behind him: "Next one... go and bring the Bodhisattva Barbarian up."

Ouyang Rong was curious when he heard this, and Madam Zhen turned her head to explain. It turned out that under the leadership of the Great Zhou Empress Wei, the Buddhist style in the Great Zhou gradually prevailed, and beautiful women began to be called female Bodhisattvas, and Bodhisattva Barbarian, naturally, was the name for beautiful barbarian women.

Finally, when this fine maid named "Bodhisattva Barbarian" was brought to the stage, Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but take a few more looks.

Mainly because he, who had watched countless films, had really never seen this type of exotic woman.

In the hall, a Bodhisattva Barbarian fine maid, with a high bun and golden crown, tassels covering her body... that is, with a high hair bun, exquisite and crystal-clear gems covered her whole body. At a glance, it was indeed a bit stunning. Ouyang Rong couldn't tell which ethnic minority this was.

Li Yan, who was observing Ouyang Rong's expression, breathed a sigh of relief. Hmph, young man, still can't shock you? Should have said you liked such expensive ones earlier, everyone is happy.

He smiled faintly: "Su Su Xiaolang, please look, this fine maid from the Female Barbarian Country is our shop's finale item. The Female Barbarian Country is a strange place. Bodhisattva Barbarians are generally only offered to the imperial power and dignitaries of Chang'an and Luoyang. However, our commercial firm finally managed to get a few..."

Ouyang Rong shook his head directly.

Li Yan was about to talk eloquently, but was choked, and couldn't help asking: "Su Su Xiaolang doesn't like this either? Then which type do you like?"

Ouyang Rong's expression was a bit embarrassed, and he said sincerely: "It looks very expensive. Let's forget about these." The Bodhisattva Barbarian's outfit looked like a krypton gold skin at a glance.

Madam Zhen patted his hand and frowned: "My dear nephew likes it, price is not a problem."

Ouyang Rong shook his head stubbornly.

Li Yan didn't react for a while, thought for a moment, and said: "This Bodhisattva Barbarian is one hundred strings... one hundred thousand coins is indeed a bit expensive, but it is absolutely worth the money. How about this..."

He sighed, his tone pretending to be a bit hesitant: "Ten strings cheaper, ninety strings of money, how about it?"

The Dashi Hu merchant was looking forward to this handsome young man bargaining again, and then he would pretend to be pained and agree, making a friend.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that what this person lacked was not ninety strings of money, nor was it a friend.

Ouyang Rong said sincerely: "Actually, I don't even have ten strings. My salary can't afford it. At most one string. Forget it, one string is also a bit expensive. Buying things must be within one's means... Does your shop have maids for a few hundred coins? I don't have any other conditions, as long as there are some, I'll go pick one. By the way, can I write an IOU? The sixty coins I have on me were just used to buy rice." He didn't forget to point to the rice carried by Liu Ashan.

Listening and listening, Li Yan's eyes went black, and he was nearly sent away.

The small steward next to him hurriedly supported the shopkeeper and hurriedly pinched his philtrum.

Madam Zhen was stunned, "What kind of joke is my dear nephew making? Aunt will pay for today's money. One hundred strings, aunt can still take it out if I tighten up!"

Ouyang Rong said seriously: "I promised aunt to choose a maid, but I didn't say I would spend aunt's money, nor did I say I would buy a very expensive one. Can't I just pick one I find pleasing to the eye?"

Madam Zhen was annoyed, "Aunt's money isn't your money? Isn't this family yours! Still being polite with aunt?"

"Fine, then let aunt pay for a few hundred coins first. I'm going to pick one I find pleasing to the eye now." Ouyang Rong's tone was unquestionable. After his face turned stern, it was the momentum of the head of the family.

"..." Madam Zhen. Banxi, who nearly lost her job, looked slightly happy.

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Shopkeeper Li, does your shop have cheap maids? If not, we'll change to another shop."

Li Yan took a few deep breaths before recovering, pushed away the small steward next to him, and looked at this handsome young master in a scholarly outfit in disbelief. He didn't expect to meet a miser, wasting so much saliva in vain!

The small steward next to him couldn't help but interject, "Shopkeeper, isn't there a batch of money-losing goods in the backyard who eat white rice? They can't be sold, and the grain price has been rising recently. It's too wasteful to keep them. Why not let the young master pick one at random, and it can save a little shipping cost."

Li Yan was speechless, too lazy to even talk, his hand pointed weakly toward the backyard and waved, signaling him to go by himself.

Ouyang Rong smiled, didn't care, and took Liu Ashan, who was carrying the rice, toward the backyard.

Junior Sister was indeed right that day, but he thought again, those expensive high-quality fine maids didn't need him to save them. They were so expensive, the possibility of being bought back by a wealthy family and living well was greater. On the contrary, cheap slaves were the most miserable.

This Jin Xiao commercial firm didn't completely give no face, and still sent that small steward to mean something. The small steward led Ouyang Rong to the backyard and said politely:

"Su Su Xiaolang, the slaves in the backyard were all picked over by guests wave after wave, and haven't been sold for a long time. The shopkeeper thinks the shipping cost is too expensive. You can pick at will, the most expensive one won't exceed two hundred coins. I'll speak for you later and give a discount."

"Two hundred coins, that's great, we can make a friend." Ouyang Rong nodded lightly, walked to the backyard with his hands behind his back. The backyard was open-air, very dirty, full of iron cages, and there was no glamour of the front hall at all.

However, just as he arrived in the backyard and hadn't walked around enough for a circle, his eyes were pricked by a shadow that was white and dazzling in a corner. His expression was stunned, doubting whether his eyes were blurred because he hadn't slept well recently, but after checking repeatedly, he revealed an expression even more stunned than when he saw the Bodhisattva Barbarian just now.

Ouyang Rong pointed to a dirty little cage and asked seriously: "She... only costs less than two hundred coins?"