Beautiful Peasant Girl: The Young Marquis's Beloved

None of them drank alcohol, so the meal was over in less than half an hour.

The waiter came up to take away the dishes and served them tea and snacks again. From the voices in the lobby, it was clear that Shopkeeper Wu and his men would be busy for a while. Thinking that they still had to go shopping, they decided to go shopping first.

So he explained the situation to Shopkeeper Wu and asked them to help look after the carriage, and then they left Zuiyunxuan.

Compared with Yuyang Town, the streets in the county town are more numerous and wider. However, it is estimated that the ancients had similar views on the orientation of houses. The county school and bookstores in Qinghe County are on the east side of the street, including those so-called scholars and scholarly families; restaurants and silver shops like Zuiyunxuan, where wealthy people go, are basically on the south side.

The difference is that the small vendors, grocery stores and other shops frequented by ordinary people in the county are basically in the west; the north is the slums. And there are vegetable markets in every direction, unlike Yuyang Town where there is only one. This has greatly facilitated the residents in the county.

After all, Liu Changshun had worked in the county before, so he knew which street to buy things from. So Liu Xu, Xing'er and Shuisheng walked in front, chattering, Xu Ruolan and Chen Lan walked in the middle with their children, and Liu Changshun followed behind.

The few of them first came to a cloth shop on West Street.

It was lunchtime, so there weren't many people in the store. But the size and style were much bigger than those in Yuyang Town.

Seeing several people coming in, the waiter hurriedly greeted them, and the shopkeeper stood behind the counter with a smile on his face, telling them to look around.

So for the next two quarters of an hour, Liu Changshun and Shuisheng sat in silence, watching the four women, big and small, moving between all kinds of clothes and fabrics. Finally, considering that the family needed to buy someone, Chen Lan chose ten rolls of fine cotton cloth of different colors, ten rolls of coarse cloth, and bought sixty kilograms of cotton. Xu Ruolan and Liu Xu were even crazier, buying fifteen rolls of fine cotton cloth, ten rolls of coarse cloth, one hundred kilograms of cotton, and two sets of winter clothes for each of the four people in the family.

In total, one spent 13 taels, and the other spent 29 taels.

The shopkeeper was so happy that he gave each of them a pair of cloth shoes, including two small ones! He also packed the scraps of cloth in the store into two large sacks and gave them to them.

Liu Xu asked again tentatively if it could be delivered to Yuyang Town, and the shopkeeper agreed immediately. Well, the few of them left their addresses and asked the shopkeeper to deliver it tomorrow, and then happily went to the next store.

An hour later, several people returned to Zuiyunxuan empty-handed.

Didn't I buy anything? I'm kidding, how could that be possible? I had someone deliver it directly to Zuiyunxuan. Of course, they were all things I would use after moving to the new house, such as new pots and pans, tea sets, bowls and chopsticks, candied fruits and so on.

Liu Xu was greedy, so she bought some snacks and desserts, but they finished them on the way.

After entering Zuiyunxuan, they found that there were no more customers. When Manager Wu saw them coming back, he asked them to go to the private room to rest for a while, and he had sent someone to call the broker.

Soon after, a guy came and invited them to the backyard.

The group arrived at the living room in the backyard, where Manager Wu was already waiting. There was also a young man in a brown short coat in the hall.

"Little...Xu girl, everyone, please take a seat!" Shopkeeper Wu stood up and greeted them gently.

"Uncle Wu, is this uncle the dentist of the official dentist?" Liu Xu asked with a smile, and the others smiled, nodded and sat down.

"Yes, uncle will introduce this to you. This is Liang Yaren, the official from Qinghe County. Brother Liang, this is Liu Xu, the sister of my young master, and her family." Shopkeeper Wu introduced this to tell Liang Yaren that this is someone the young master values.

Liang Yaren just understood, stood up and bowed to everyone. He was of medium build, with a sophisticated smile on his face that was acquired from years of dealing with people. His small eyes were particularly bright, and he quickly looked at everyone present.

"Nice to meet you. It is really an honor for me to meet with you all today." Liang Yaren's voice was loud and refreshing.

"Uncle Liang, hello!" Liu Xu and the others also returned the greeting. After everyone sat down, Liu Xu's clear voice sounded again:

"Uncle Liang, I'm sure Uncle Wu has already told you all our needs. Since time is a bit tight, I wonder if we can see him now?"

"Miss Liu, you are too polite. Of course I can. I have brought the people here and they are waiting at the door. Do you want to see it here or in the yard?"

Liang Yaren said with a friendly smile.

"Then let's go to the yard and take a look!"

After saying that, the group left the living room, and Liang Yaren bowed and asked everyone to wait for a moment.

Soon, he brought a group of people over. Everyone looked up and saw that there were men, women, old and young, about 40 to 50 people. Fortunately, the yard was big, otherwise there would not be enough room.

Liang Ya people separated the men and women and asked them to stand on their own sides. Then they signaled Liu Xu that she could start choosing.

"Uncle San, Aunt San, would you like to take a look first?" Liu Xu asked.

"Xu girl, why don't you choose together? Your uncle and I don't know much about it." Chen Lan and Liu Changshun looked at each other and whispered to Liu Xu.

Liu Xu thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll make a selection first, and then you can take a look at the remaining ones. After all, it will be yours when the time comes. It's just like buying something, you have to choose the one that suits your taste."

"Okay, then you choose a round first." Liu Changshun understood what Liu Xu meant and agreed immediately.

Liu Xu turned to look at Xu Ruolan again, "Mom, you should have experience in this matter. Can you accompany Xu'er?"

Xu Ruolan nodded, handed the child to Xing'er, and asked her to help hold the child for a while.

The mother and daughter walked to the front. Liu Xu straightened her back and looked at the man with a serious face.

"Those who know martial arts, step forward."

Soon, eight people stood up. Liu Xu looked and saw that six of them were burly and looked like they were not easy to mess with. There were also two young men with similar facial features.

Liu Xu asked them to stretch out their hands again, and after a glance, she found that several of them had calluses on their hands, presumably they had been servants and guards before. She also found that the calluses on the knuckles of the two young men were very obvious, and her heart skipped a beat. She had read a lot of novels in her previous life, and it was said that people with calluses on their knuckles were the kind who used swords or knives. Liu Xu felt a little excited.

Let the eight people stand aside and wait. Then he looked and asked:

"Are there any who can read and do math?"

Four people came out of the crowd. Liu Xu looked at them, three young men and one middle-aged man. He asked them to stand aside, and then selected six people who looked strong and honest and knew how to farm from the rest. There were eighteen people in total.

As for the rest, Liangya people had someone take them out and wait at the back door.

The mother and daughter walked towards the women's side again, and Liu Xu asked Xu Ruolan to choose.

Xu Ruolan walked forward calmly and asked everyone to stretch out their hands first. She took a look and quickly selected fifteen, including those of both young and old.

Then he asked these people which one of them could cook or do needlework, and whether any of them had served as errand boys in the master's yard before, etc., and another four were eliminated.

In the end, there were eighteen men left and eleven women left.

Xu Ruolan asked them to stand in the middle, and Liu Xu saw her mother's expression become serious.

"We are not a wealthy family, but just ordinary farmers. We have some small businesses and need some manpower. If you mind, please step back."

After saying this, he scanned the expressions of these people one by one. Liu Xu also perked up and watched carefully.

Soon, some people in the crowd began to retreat, and the mother and daughter waited for a while.

Liu Xu found that six men had retreated, including two with fists, a young man who could read, and three who looked honest before. Five women had retreated, leaving two women, a middle-aged woman, two young women, and a pretty and somewhat honest girl.

In total, there were twelve men and six women left. To Liu Xu's surprise, the two skinny men both stayed.

Xu Ruolan nodded to Liu Xu and turned to hug the child.

Liu Xu straightened his back and took two steps forward, then asked with a smile:

"Are any of you family?"

Everyone in front of them was stunned for a moment, and then the literate middle-aged man came out, pulling the two boys who knew how to fight and a middle-aged woman. An old woman also came out, pulling the young woman and a simple and honest young man.

Liu Xu nodded and prepared to let Liu Changshun and the others choose first.

At this moment, a man with strong features but a decadent look walked out quickly, knelt down in front of Liu Xu, and said sadly: "My dear lady, I have a wife and two children. Unfortunately, they have caught a cold and are trapped in the pawnshop. I beg you to have mercy and buy them all. I will repay your kindness by working like a slave!"

The man's voice was obviously trembling, his eyes were red, and his eyes were full of pleading and helplessness. He bit his cracked lips so hard that blood oozed out. His forehead was already covered with dense beads of sweat due to nervousness and anxiety. His body was trembling slightly, as if he had placed all his and his family's hopes on Liu Xu.

Seeing this, Liang Yaren was about to step forward and scold him, but Liu Xu shook her head at him and looked at the man.

"You should stand up and talk to me first. Tell me the details of the situation. What is their condition like?"

The man stood up, lowered his head, and said in a tearful voice: "Miss, I used to be a security guard in an official family. I was appreciated by my master and was promised the maidservant of the lady to me as my wife. After marriage, my husband and wife lived in harmony and had a son and a daughter. The daughter is eight years old and the son is six years old. Half a year ago, my master got into trouble and all the people were imprisoned. All the servants in the mansion were sold and moved to Qinghe County. Due to the fatigue of the journey and the cold weather, my daughter and son caught a cold one after another. My wife also fell ill because she had no rest taking care of them day and night. Although the pawnshop gave some medicine, it was limited. Although there was no improvement, at least it did not get worse. But if I leave them, I am afraid..." As he spoke, he choked up again.

Liu Xu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, looked at her mother, and after seeing Xu Ruolan nodded slightly, she said, "Don't worry, I want to see them first."

A hint of surprise flashed in the man's eyes, and he kowtowed hurriedly: "Thank you, Miss. Thank you, Miss."

Liu Xu asked him to get up and wait by the side, then turned to look at Liang Yaren.

"Uncle Liang, could you please bring his wife and children here for me to see?"

"Miss Liu is kind-hearted, so of course it's possible." After saying that, she ordered someone to bring the person over.

Liu Xu then turned to Liu Changshun and said, "Uncle San, you guys pick first!"

Liu Changshun nodded. He selected the old woman's family of three and the literate young man, and also selected two people who knew how to fight and two people who knew how to farm. A total of eight people.

There were eleven people left: an old woman, a young woman, the young girl, the middle-aged man's family of four, the man just mentioned, two people who knew how to fight, and a strong laborer.

After a while, the Liangya people brought the person over.

The woman was also smart. She probably knew the situation from the person who brought them here. As soon as she came in, she brought her two children and knelt down in front of Liu Xu and the others:

"Master, Madam, and Young Ladies, please buy us. This slave and the two children can all work. Please!"

"I can cook and clean, and my brother can also help with the housework and run errands. Madam and Miss, please buy us as well." The girl also kowtowed and begged. The little boy did not say anything, but just followed his mother and sister with a panicked look.

Seeing this, the man also wanted to kneel down, but was glared at by the Liangya people. He could only stand by and wait anxiously.

Liu Xu quickly moved aside the moment she knelt down. Are you kidding? This woman is almost like her mother. If she kneels down, it will shorten her life. Liu Xu looked at her mother, meaning that Xu Ruolan should come quickly.

Xu Ruolan smiled and nodded at her before speaking:

"You guys get up and talk first!"

Hearing this, the woman looked at them cautiously before pulling the two children up.

Xu Ruolan looked at her carefully. She was indeed from a wealthy family. She looked a little embarrassed because of the kneeling just now. Her face looked a little sick, but she was pretty. Although her clothes were a little shabby, they were very clean. The two children were also good-looking. They looked a little timid, probably because of the accident. The older one was still calm, and the younger one held tightly to the corner of her mother's clothes.

Xu Ruolan had a clue in her mind, and then asked the woman in a gentle voice:

"Can you read and count?"

"Yes, ma'am. After I got married, the lady of the former master's family took a liking to me and asked me to help the young lady manage the courtyard. I also know a little about needlework." Although the woman was nervous, she answered in an orderly manner.

Liu Xu and her daughter looked at each other, and there was a hint of surprise in their eyes: She is actually the wife of an official!

"I can buy your family and hire a doctor for you and your child. But once you enter our house, your past and future will be gone, and you will have to be loyal to us from now on. Do you understand?" Xu Ruolan said seriously.

"Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Madam. Don't worry, Madam. I swear that from now on, my family will only be loyal to you and your family, even if it means going through fire and water. If you break this oath, my family will die without a burial place."

The woman immediately knelt down and solemnly swore an oath.

Xu Ruolan nodded with satisfaction and reached out to help her up.

Everyone was settled, and Liu Xu asked those who stayed to wait in the yard, and then the group went into the living room.

They bought about twenty people, and the people of Liangya all smiled. They looked at Liu Xu and others with even more enthusiasm.

"Miss Liu, everyone, have you decided on these people?"

"Well, Uncle Liang, please calculate the total amount! We have hired so many people, you must give us a discount, right?" Liu Xu said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Miss Liu. That's for sure." Liang Yaren replied with a smile.

Finally, according to the calculation of eight taels for each young and strong man, five taels for a maid, and six taels for a woman, Liu Changshun's eight people were paid a total of fifty-nine taels.

On Liu Xu's side, Liang Yazi calculated the total price of the two children at five taels, and the total price of the fourteen people was ninety taels.

The people were bought, but they couldn't be allowed to walk back, so the two families discussed it and bought two horse-drawn carriages and a mule cart from Liangya.

With the help of Manager Wu, the two horse-drawn carriages cost only seventy taels and the donkey cart cost twenty taels.

After saying goodbye to Liang Ya Ren, they exchanged some pleasantries with Manager Wu. Then, they waited for the Ya Ren to send the carriage over and said goodbye to Manager Wu.

When they came, there was a horse-drawn carriage with three adults and four children. When they went back, there were three horse-drawn carriages and a mule-drawn cart, all of which were full.

It was almost evening when they returned to Yuyang Town. Shopkeeper Chang was a little surprised to see that they brought so many people back. Liu Xu told Shopkeeper Chang about it, and Liu Changshun returned the horse-drawn carriage, exchanged it for an ox-drawn cart, and took the buyers to Liujia Village.