The first time in history

Qian Mingduo looked at Lu Shishi, then at Li Shishi, and nodded slightly.

In the following days, Qian Mingduo's family members were packing their bags. Qian Mingduo was most worried about Li Shishi and Xiao Cui, both of whom were already more than five months pregnant. Although the journey from Lin'an to Jiankang was not far, it still took more than ten days.

Qian Mingduo wanted to add a few more servants, so after dinner he went to Li Shishi's room.

"I know why you came to see me," Li Shishi helped him sit on the bed, "Do you want more servants in the house?"

"You are really smart." Qian Mingduo nodded, took Li Shishi in his arms, and said jokingly: "We are now a fourth-rank official, so we have to have someone to serve and listen to us."

"I don't think it's necessary now." Li Shishi stroked Qian Mingduo's cheek with her hair. "When we get to Jiankang Prefecture, the yamen runners and soldiers there will be enough for us to use. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"The backyard still needs some maids and old women. Xiao Cui and I are pregnant, and we don't know when Madam Lu will be pregnant..." Li Shishi looked up at Qian Mingduo. "She will be pregnant too, so we should buy some maids and old women!"

Qian Mingduo smiled, and suddenly remembered the story in Jin Ping Mei about Ximen Qing buying Pan Jinlian a mother-of-pearl bed, which cost him more than ten taels of silver. On the way home, he bought two maids at the market, spending twelve taels of silver. One was thirteen years old, and the other fifteen years old.

In that era, people were not as valuable as a bed. It was so sad that he spent only twelve taels of silver to buy the lives of two girls!

"Okay, let's go buy a few tomorrow." Qian Mingduo looked at Li Shishi in his arms. Although her figure seemed a little bloated due to pregnancy, her peerless face looked even more beautiful.

Qian Mingduo couldn't help but kiss Li Shishi on the lips, and Li Shishi responded with a sweet moan. But she gently pushed Qian Mingduo away, "We can't do it now," she said shyly, "If you want... you can find Madam Lu!"

"She is she, and you are you." Qian Mingduo wanted to kiss her.

"No!" Li Shishi hid behind him. "Didn't we agree that you can't touch Xiao Cui and me during this period of time? Be good! Listen to me."

"Okay." Qian Mingduo stood up helplessly, "I have nothing to do now, why don't I go to the downtown area and see if there are any suitable girls."

The human market of Lin'an Prefecture is near the east gate of the city. Qian Mingduo came here in casual clothes. To the left of the city gate is the human market, where mainly some laborers are waiting for employers.

On the right is the place where boys and girls are sold. Qian Mingduo walked slowly among the crowd and found that there were basically no boys for sale here. All the girls had straw tags on their heads, waiting for buyers like commodities.

Qian Ming suddenly recalled the scene when he bought Ling'er in the capital. These were extremely poor families who sold their daughters to save their families from starvation. They exchanged for a pitiful amount of silver to give their families some food.

Qian Mingduo saw two girls kneeling on the ground, and a woman was kneeling beside them. He walked over, squatted down, and looked at the two girls.

"Sir," the woman said hastily when she saw a buyer coming, "Which child do you like?"