Chapter 169: Selling a Daughter into Slavery, Giving Up a Pill to Save a Person

At high noon.

Inside Guanyin Temple, the bell rang, and the nuns sat together, beginning to chant scriptures.

The people of the Four Great Families all knelt solemnly before the statue of Guanyin.

One person stood at the very front, holding a piece of brocade, reading the prayers written upon it in a clear, loud voice.

The crowd repeated in unison, bowing after every passage.

The entire process was dull and tedious, repeating until evening.

Of course, they also received their reward.

After the palace learned the news that they had come here to pray for the new king, they sent eunuchs and palace maids to deliver food and wine as a sign of commendation.

Seeing this, everyone felt a secret joy in their hearts.

Clearly, this was the effect they wanted.

A new emperor brings new courtiers; now that the king had changed, these old aristocrats were naturally anxious, wanting to find every possible way to show their loyalty.

Seeing that they had caught the palace's attention, the group discussed and decided to remain at Guanyin Temple tonight to pray for the new king throughout the night.

"Everyone, take turns kneeling, burning incense, and chanting tonight; it must not be interrupted..."

After the sun set, the autumn wind blew chillingly, and the temperature plummeted.

Everyone had been kneeling all day; by now they were cold, hungry, and physically exhausted, so they paused temporarily and had the servants bring dinner.

It was all plain noodles, steamed buns, melons, fruits, and pastries.

The group gathered together, silent and quiet, yet they ate with relish.

"Not going back tonight?"

In the side room next to the Hall of the Child-Giving Guanyin, after Luo Zijun heard this news, he was stunned for a few seconds and said, "Can Ziyuan and I go back first?"

Cuimo, who had come to deliver the message, said, "The Young Lady said that the Master will come later to meet with you, Young Master. The Young Lady, Young Lady Yingchun, they will all be coming."

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment, thinking, *I will wait here then. *

This was not outside the city, so there was no need to worry needlessly.

However, he still prepared to add a seventh layer of security: no sleeping tonight!

After Cuimo left, she brought over more plain noodles and pastries.

Luo Zijun and Ziyuan both ate a little, chatting casually while drinking cold tea.

The sky outside darkened quickly.

In the front courtyard, the sound of chanting scriptures rose once again.

After about another stick of incense had burned, a burst of footsteps suddenly came from the corridor outside.

Then, the door was pushed open, and Jia Tanchun walked in from the entrance, bringing Jia Yingchun and Lin Daiyu with her.

As Luo Zijun saw the three of them and was about to speak, Jia Tanchun said in a low voice, "Young Master Luo, my uncle will be here immediately. We will go hide in the inner room; you just proceed to discuss matters with my uncle. Rest assured, we will not spread today's conversation; I just want the Second Sister to know his true face."

Luo Zijun hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Jia Yingchun looked at him with tears in her eyes, then lowered her head.

At this moment, another burst of footsteps came from the corridor.

The three of them hurriedly went to the inner room to hide.

Cuimo's voice rang out in the corridor: "Master, Young Master Luo is in this side room; you may go straight in."

Then, Jia She, dressed in a white brocade robe, entered the door with a solemn expression. Seeing Luo Zijun, he said indifferently, "Zijun, I heard you were looking for me?"

Luo Zijun glanced to the side.

Ziyuan hurriedly went out and closed the door.

Jia She turned his head to look around again, and seeing there was no one else, a smile immediately appeared on his face. He then came over, grabbed his wrist, and said excitedly, "Zijun, the medicinal pill you gave me last time had such an incredible effect! I used to be exhausted after doing it once a night, unable to move again, and the next day I would have no energy at all. Ever since I took the medicine you sent, hehe, I can go three times a night and still be full of vigor. It's been like that for three nights in a row; I'm even more valiant than when I was young, hahahaha..."

He seemed to have become a bit carried away and laughed out loud.

Luo Zijun said indifferently, "I am glad you like it, Master Jia."

Jia She chuckled, his face full of lewdness as he said, "Like it! Of course I like it! You don't know, those maidservants in my room are all afraid of me every night now; the effect is truly supreme! Hahahaha..."

A trace of mockery appeared in Luo Zijun's eyes.

The better the effect, the faster you old lecher will die.

Jia She hurriedly fawned again, "Zijun, do you have any more of that medicine? How about giving me a few more bottles? The great name of that Daoist Ziyang is truly well-deserved; I feel like I've become a dozen years younger!"

Luo Zijun did not answer, but looked at him and said, "Master Jia, I heard that you intend to marry off Young Lady Yingchun?"

Jia She was startled and laughed, "That's right, that girl is of age, it's time for her to be married off. I originally intended to have that girl marry you, but since you didn't want her, I have no choice but to betroth her to someone else."

Luo Zijun asked, "Does Master Jia know the character of the other party?"

Jia She smiled faintly and said, "Regardless of the other party's character, they are a person of status and are worthy of that girl."

He then changed the subject, saying, "Zijun, let's not talk about that. That medicine..."

Seeing him like this, Luo Zijun knew that in his heart, he did not treat that daughter as a human being at all, and further persuasion would be useless, so he went straight to the point: "I still have the medicine, but Master Jia needs to agree to one thing for me."

Upon hearing this, Jia She immediately said impatiently, "Please speak, Zijun."

Luo Zijun said indifferently, "Write a statement severing the father-daughter relationship with Young Lady Yingchun, and then sell Young Lady Yingchun to me."

As soon as these words were spoken, Jia She was stunned, looking at him with a face full of astonishment.

The three people in the room were also stunned.

Jia Yingchun's eyes welled with tears, and she held her breath.

The room was quiet for a moment.

Jia She suddenly laughed and said, "Zijun, you are joking. How could a Young Lady of my Jia Family be sold? If others were to find out, what would happen to the reputation of my Jia Family? As for severing the father-daughter relationship with her, I cannot bring myself to do that either."

Luo Zijun met his gaze for a while and said, "Master Jia, you should just name a price."

Jia She looked at him with a face full of smiles and said, "What, Zijun, did you suddenly regret it after hearing that the girl is to marry someone else?"

Then he laughed again: "What a pity, it is too late. This old man has already promised the Sun Family. You also know that in a great family like ours, a promise is worth a thousand gold; once things are agreed upon, it is impossible to go back on them." Luo Zijun said: "Jia Laoye, two bottles of Five-Stone Powder, two bottles of Virility Pills, plus five thousand taels of silver, how about that?"

A flash of light shone in Jia She's eyes, and he laughed: "Zijun, this old man already told you just now, this old man does not sell his daughter, and I have already promised the Sun Family. Even if you give more, this matter is impossible."

Luo Zijun nodded, and with a calm expression, said: "When Daoist Ziyang left, he gave me three bottles of Five-Stone Powder and three bottles of Virility Pills; now there are still two bottles of each left. Since Jia Laoye does not want them, then I can only give them to someone else."

Jia She still wore a smile on his face, remained silent for a while, looked at him and said: "Zijun, this old man will tell you the truth. That Sun Family gave this old man five thousand taels of silver; if this old man goes back on his word, I would need to return at least ten thousand taels to them, and this old man does not have any extra silver here to pay him back. The five thousand taels he gave were also used up by me to buy young maids."

Luo Zijun paused and said: "Then let it be ten thousand taels. Two bottles of Five-Stone Powder, two bottles of Virility Pills, plus ten thousand taels of silver. Jia Laoye sells Young Lady Yingchun to me, and writes a statement and a deed of sale, how about that?"

Jia She frowned and said: "If you want to marry that girl properly, this old man can accept these conditions. But if you want this old man to sell her... Zijun, you should know this old man's status; if others were to find out, how would they curse this old man? This stigma of selling a daughter is something this old man cannot afford to bear."

Luo Zijun said: "This junior can swear, Jia Laoye knows, this junior knows, only the two of us will know."

Jia She pondered for a moment, looked at him and said: "Zijun, actually this matter is very simple; if you marry her, wouldn't all the problems be solved? You are spending so many things to make this old man sell her to you, is it not because you have taken a fancy to her?"

Luo Zijun was silent for a moment and said: "This junior only wants to save her."

Jia She sneered and did not speak again.

Luo Zijun also did not speak again.

!

Outside the room, the night curtain fell quietly, and the sound of scripture chanting from the front could still be heard clearly.

At this moment, Jia She suddenly said: "Add another five thousand taels of silver, and this old man will agree to all the conditions you just proposed: sell her to you, sign a slave contract, sell her to you with the status of a slave, and write a statement severing ties with her. But this matter must absolutely not be known by a third person."

Luo Zijun nodded: "Good."

After saying this, he walked to the table nearby, spread out the rice paper that had already been laid out, picked up the ink stick to grind the ink, and said: "Jia Laoye, let's write it now."

Jia She said: "Have you brought all the things?"

Luo Zijun, while grinding the ink, said: "This junior can write an IOU first."

Jia She frowned slightly, and just as he was hesitating, Luo Zijun turned his head to look at him and said: "Jia Laoye knows my name, knows my status as a scholar, and also knows where I live; are you still afraid that I might run away?"

Jia She suddenly smiled, walked over, and said: "With Zijun's talent, you will surely pass the imperial examination in the future; what are these few pills and this silver? This old man naturally trusts you."

As he spoke, he sat down at the table, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, pondered for a moment, and began to write.

Very quickly, a statement severing the father-daughter relationship was written.

He signed it and pressed his fingerprint.

Then, he began to quickly write the slave contract.

After writing it, he signed it the same way and pressed his handprint.

Luo Zijun looked it over carefully once more, then took the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote an IOU for the pills, as well as an IOU for fifteen thousand taels of silver.

Likewise, he signed and pressed his handprint.

The two exchanged the items with each other.

Jia She looked at the two IOUs, his face full of smiles: "Zijun, you must get this silver to this old man soon; if it drags on too long, it will be hard to talk to the Sun Family side."

Luo Zijun nodded and said: "I will do it as soon as possible."

Jia She smiled, carefully put away the IOUs, then patted him on the shoulder, and said with a face full of enthusiasm: "Zijun, although this old man has already severed the father-daughter relationship with that girl, the blood connection still remains; if she follows you, you and this old man can be considered one family. In the future, if Daoist Ziyang returns and gives you more pills, remember to come find this old man first."

Luo Zijun looked at him and said: "Does Jia Laoye have any other daughters to sell?"

The smile on Jia She's face stiffened for a moment, then he laughed again: "I don't have any more daughters, but if Zijun likes, there are still a few nieces in my Jia Mansion, and quite a few pretty young maids. This old man is the head of the family, and when the time comes, I will have ways to get them for you."

Luo Zijun did not speak again.

Jia She looked at the sky outside and said: "This old man must go to the front; if there are other matters, have a maid come to the front to find me."

After saying this, he immediately hurried away.

In the room, quiet was restored.

Cuimo and Tanchun entered, closed the room door, and lit the oil lamp.

The gloom was illuminated.

From the inner room, low sobbing sounds of a young girl suddenly came.

Luo Zijun did not go over, but lowered his head, silently looking at the two sheets of rice paper on the table.

Jia Tanchun suddenly came out from the inner room with red eyes and a gloomy face, came to the table, picked up one of the slave contracts, and looked at it with trembling hands.

After reading it, tears suddenly rolled down her face: "That person... is worse than a beast!"

Luo Zijun said softly: "Young Lady Tanchun can keep these two handwritten documents; after the marriage with the Sun Family is successfully cancelled, you can burn them."

Jia Tanchun's lips trembled, and she picked up the handwritten document severing the father-daughter relationship to look at it.

At this time, Jia Yingchun walked out with a face full of tears.

Lin Daiyu supported her, silently shedding tears.

The two came to the table, and Jia Yingchun tremblingly picked up the slave contract, looked at it with tears in her eyes, and then looked at the other one.

Luo Zijun could not bear to watch, went over to light a few sticks of sandalwood incense, and inserted them into the incense burner.

The lamp light was dim and yellow, and the incense smoke curled up.

The Guanyin on the high platform opened her eyes, her face sorrowful, as if pitying something.

Jia Yingchun suddenly took the two handwritten documents, walked over, and then knelt down before him, saying with a face full of tears: "Young Master Luo, thank you, thank you for saving Yingchun... From now on, Yingchun is your slave; Yingchun is willing to be a beast of burden for Young Master, for a lifetime..."

"Young Lady Yingchun."

Luo Zijun hurriedly helped her up, his gaze gentle as he looked at her and said: "I had him write these two handwritten documents not because I truly want him to sever the father-daughter relationship with you, and certainly not because I truly want him to sell you as a servant. Because only in this way can you escape the sea of bitterness, become a free person, and not be sold by him at will in the future. You will still be a Young Lady of the Jia Mansion, still live there, and still have the Old Ancestor and your siblings to accompany and cherish you, and you won't have to listen to him anymore; he won't dare to expel you, and he won't dare to tell everyone the truth."

"As for these two handwritten documents, you can keep them yourself, or place them with someone reliable. After this matter is over, you can burn them. You are not some slave, and certainly not my slave; you are still..."

"No!"

Jia Yingchun suddenly shook her head, looking at him with tear-blurred eyes and said: "Young Master Luo, Yingchun does not want to stay in the Jia Mansion anymore, Yingchun never wants to see him again; I beg you, let Yingchun be your slave? No matter what you want Yingchun to do in the future, Yingchun is willing, I beg you..."

As she spoke, she wept and was about to kneel again.

Luo Zijun hurriedly supported her, and just as he was about to persuade her further, Jia Tanchun walked over, looked at him and said: "Young Master Luo, do you think that in the current situation, Sister Yingchun can still live in the Jia Mansion? Let alone her, Daiyu and I also... so disgusting..."

She shook her head, two lines of clear tears sliding down from the corners of her eyes, and said tremblingly: "That person... is truly disgusting... worse than a beast... not a human..."

(End of chapter)