Chapter 22: The Wan Family

Zhao Chun subconsciously blocked his younger siblings behind him. “Who are you? I don’t know you.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know me. All you need to know is that I’m the only one who can save your father right now. If you’re a step too late, your father will suffer terribly in prison. He’ll be beaten by Yamen Runners, bitten by insects, and gnawed on by rats. Tsk, tsk, how truly pitiful.”

The man’s voice was manipulative as he spoke to the three children.

Zhao Chun knew at first glance that this man had ill intentions, but he was still frightened by his words. “What did you do to my father?”

The man smiled. “Your father offended someone and has to go to the great cell. I’ve come here out of the goodness of my heart to help you.”

“Who wants your help? Go away, or I’ll call for help.” Zhao Chun didn’t believe him and watched him warily.

The man was dismissive. “Your family has made quite a bit of money selling Tofu. Selling the Tofu Secret Recipe to me now isn’t a loss. Once you have the money, you can bail your father out.”

Zhao Xin was almost crying from fear, clutching her eldest brother’s hem as tears fell. “Big Brother, I want Daddy to come back quickly. Has something happened to him?”

“As long as Mount Qingshan remains, one need not worry about firewood¹. If you wait any longer, even an immortal won’t be able to save your father.” The man deliberately tried to scare them.

As expected, Zhao Chun also grew terrified, his small face turning deathly pale. “Can you really save my father?”

“That’s natural. Money makes things easy. I’ll offer fifty taels of silver for the Tofu Secret Recipe. When the time comes, you just take the silver to the Yamen to redeem him, and your father can come home immediately.” The man narrowed his eyes.

Zhao Mao pulled his brother back. “No, he’s definitely a liar. Brother, did you forget the lesson from last time?”

Mentioning the time they had sold their fertile land for a pittance made Zhao Chun hesitate instantly, but he said, “But Dad also said that people are the most important.”

“Even if we have to spend money to save him, we must discuss it with Grandpa Village Chief. Who knows if this man is good or bad? What if we’re being cheated?” Zhao Mao insisted.

Hearing this, Zhao Chun felt it made sense. “We won’t sell it to you.”

The man hadn’t expected him to come to his senses and snorted coldly. “That Old Village Chief of yours went into town, didn’t he? By the time he returns, it will be too late. Your father might have already been sent to the border to dig in the mines.”

“Do you know what mining is like? It’s so bitter and exhausting that even strong laborers can’t handle it. Someone as frail as your father won’t last a few days before losing his life.”

Zhao Xin wailed in fear. “No! I want Daddy to come back!”

The man continued his manipulation. “Sell the secret recipe and bring him back, and your family can still be whole and together. Time waits for no one.”

Seeing that Zhao Mao wanted to speak again, he said pointedly, “Tsk, you child are truly cold-hearted. You aren’t even worried when your own father is in trouble. It’s clear you’re an ungrateful brat. Is money more important to you than your father’s life?”

Zhao Mao’s expression changed, and he was left speechless.

“Nonsense! My second brother isn’t that kind of person!” Zhao Chun shouted, clenching his fists.

He kept his father’s parting instructions firmly in mind to take good care of his younger siblings. He reached out and pushed the man. “Get out! You’re not allowed to insult my brother!”

Caught off guard, the man stumbled back. His anger flared. “Refusing the easy way only to be forced into the hard way. Just you wait for Zhao Mengcheng to meet his end. When you want to sell the secret recipe then, you’ll have to beg me, and the price won’t be the same.”

“Hey, who are you? What do you think you’re doing!”

Liu Fengshou had been worried about the children and came over to check on them. Seeing a strange face, he immediately shouted.

The man sneered. “You’ve come at just the right time. Quickly, persuade these three children. Which is more important, a secret recipe or a human life?”

Zhao Chun pulled the two younger ones and ran over. “Grandpa Fengshou, can you take us to town to see Dad?”

Liu Fengshou breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the children weren’t hurt, but he only offered comfort. “Don’t worry, your father will definitely be fine. Stay home and be good, don’t go and add to the trouble.”

“But he said Dad is going to jail and has to go to the mines.” Zhao Xin’s tears wouldn’t stop, making her look like a little puddle of sorrow.

“What!?” Liu Fengshou was shocked. “What else did he say?”

Zhao Chun then recounted everything that had just happened.

The more Liu Fengshou listened, the tighter his brow furrowed. “This is bad. Someone has their eye on your Tofu recipe and deliberately set a trap to harm him.”

“Then what should we do? Will Dad be okay?” Zhao Mao asked repeatedly.

Liu Fengshou was momentarily at a loss. “Wait a bit longer. I’ll ask the Village Chief when he gets back.”

In his heart, however, he was extremely worried. To have the Yamen send people over, the person targeting the Tofu recipe was likely no ordinary individual. Even if Zhao Mengcheng hadn’t broken the law, he would easily suffer a loss.

Although Liu Fengshou didn’t say anything, the three children could tell from his expression that the situation was bad, and their hearts grew even more anxious.

“Who exactly are you? You’re deliberately harming Mengcheng. I’m going to take you to see the officials.” Liu Fengshou reached out to grab the man.

Unexpectedly, the man didn’t even struggle. Instead, he said mockingly, “Go to the officials then. I only heard that the Zhao Family was in trouble and came to buy the Tofu recipe. I haven’t done anything illegal. I’m not afraid to see the officials.”

Liu Fengshou’s hand trembled.

The man shook him off. “It’s you who should decide quickly. Sell the recipe and you get the money, and Zhao Mengcheng can return whole and intact. If you don’t sell, hmph.”

The threat was clear in his voice.

Liu Fengshou’s face turned ashen. He desperately wanted to seek justice for Zhao Mengcheng, but the person before him clearly had power and influence, making him very wary.

“I’ll take you to town,” Liu Fengshou gritted his teeth.

No matter what, they had to go to town first to see what was happening before discussing the sale of the Tofu recipe.

Glaring at the man, he said, “I don’t believe there’s no justice in this world.”

“Then think it over carefully. Either sign and put your thumbprint on the sale of the secret recipe now, and Zhao Mengcheng can return tonight, or wait until tomorrow when he’ll only have half a life left.” The man looked completely confident.

Liu Fengshou summoned his courage. “Don’t think a few words can scare me. I’ve seen the world too.”

The man scoffed. “Do you know the Wan Family? My master is the Third Young Master of the Wan Family.”

The Wan Family?

“Once you’re in the Yamen, will the County Magistrate listen to you, or will they listen to the Wan Family? You know the answer in your heart.”

When Liu Fengshou thought of the Wan Family’s reputation, his face turned deathly pale. No wonder the Yamen had come to take him. If it was the Wan Family, their entire village combined wouldn’t be enough for them to crush with a single finger.

The three children also knew things were bad and looked up at him. Liu Fengshou, intimidated by the man, was momentarily unable to make a decision.

He was afraid the man was telling the truth. If something really happened to Zhao Mengcheng, how could he face the three children?

“The Village Chief isn’t here, and no one is at the Wang Family home. Almost everyone who makes Tofu has gone to town. I… I can’t make the decision either. How about we ask your eldest uncle?” Liu Fengshou was honest, but because he was too honest, he lost his head when trouble struck.

“Not our uncle,” Zhao Chun immediately objected.

After the last time, Zhao Chun understood that his uncle would only harm them, not help them.

Liu Fengshou felt even more spineless, only repeating, “Then wait a bit longer, at least until the Village Chief returns.”

The man saw through his brave front and sneered. “You’d better hurry. I don’t have much time. I’ll wait one more quarter of an hour. If not, you can just wait to collect Zhao Mengcheng’s corpse.”

“Brother!” Zhao Xin cried out in terror. Having cried for so long, she began to hiccup and nearly fainted.

Zhao Chun subconsciously shouted, “No! I… I’ll give the secret recipe to you.”

Zhao Mao gripped his brother’s hand and added, “We’ll do it outside the Yamen. As soon as my father returns home safely, we’ll give the secret recipe to you.”

The man looked at him coldly. “You don’t have the right to negotiate with me.”

He disdainfully brushed his sleeves. “My patience is wearing thin. Sign or not? Give me a straight answer.”

He threatened again, “Think of your father’s life.”

Zhao Chun’s hand was shaking. He knew the person opposite him was a villain, but at this moment, it was just like when they sold the land. If he didn’t sign, his father might die.

Just then, Zhao Chun’s ears twitched. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he bolted toward the intersection.

“Dad!”

The one walking quickly toward them was indeed Zhao Mengcheng.

He leaned down and caught his son. “I didn’t lie to you, did I? I’m back.”

Zhao Chun could no longer hold back his tears. He hugged his father’s neck and sobbed. “Dad, you’re finally back. You scared me to death.”

“Daddy!” Zhao Mengcheng felt his legs grow heavy as Zhao Mao and Zhao Xin each hugged one of his thighs.

“Don’t cry. Daddy is really fine. Look, there’s not a single injury on me.” Zhao Mengcheng comforted them with a smile.

Liu Fengshou was also overjoyed and ran over. “Mengcheng, you’re finally back. You scared me to death.”

After speaking, he remembered that so-called member of the Wan Family. He turned to look, only to find the man had actually slipped away. “That bastard ran off!”

“What bastard?” Wang Ming asked curiously.

Liu Fengshou recounted everything that had just happened, getting more and more indignant as he spoke. “He claimed to be from the Wan Family. If you hadn’t come back in time, we would have been intimidated by him. He might have even tricked us out of the secret recipe.”

“What? Someone actually came to steal the secret recipe?” The Old Village Chief, who had met Zhao Mengcheng halfway, was also greatly shocked.

The villagers were filled with righteous indignation. At the thought of someone taking advantage of their absence to trick the children out of the secret recipe, they immediately chased after him, caught the man, and gave him a beating.

The man realized things were going south and tried to flee, but he was still caught and given a thrashing. If the Village Chief hadn’t stopped them for fear of a fatality, he wouldn’t have left in one piece.

Zhao Mengcheng frowned. He looked at the man carefully and was certain this wasn’t the one who had been outside the yamen.

It seemed the person plotting behind the scenes for the secret recipe was no simple character. Unfortunately, the captured man refused to say anything, not even mentioning the Wan Family anymore.

They couldn’t beat the man to death, so they had no choice but to let him go.

Zhao Mengcheng spoke up, “Everyone has been busy all day because of me. I will definitely come to your homes to thank you another day. For now, everyone should head home and rest.”

“What are you talking about, thanking us? We’re all from the same village. You were willing to give away something as valuable as the Tofu Secret Recipe, so it’s only right we lend a hand. Besides, we didn’t really help with anything today.”

They had only gone to watch the excitement. Zhao Mengcheng had turned the situation around himself with just a few words.

Other villagers gathered around to ask what happened. The villagers who had gone to the yamen immediately began to recount the events vividly. Those listening were shocked, and one after another, they condemned Boss Ma as a beast.

“Who would have thought there’d be such a greedy dog? Hurting you once wasn’t enough, he had to try a second time.”

“It’s a good thing the County Magistrate is an upright official, or else they really would have succeeded in harming you.”

“I’m going to go pee in front of his house later. What a piece of work, thinking he can bully us country folk just because he’s from the city.”

The Old Village Chief knit his brows. “What are you all shouting about? Disperse, disperse. Let Mengcheng go home and rest too.”

However, he followed Zhao Mengcheng and pulled him aside to warn him, “It’s not the scammers I’m afraid of. I’m afraid that man really is named Wan.”

Zhao Mengcheng’s thoughts shifted, and he immediately understood why the Old Village Chief was so wary of the Wan Family.

This went back to the current Empress Wan. Empress Wan came from a commoner background, but through her beauty, she had risen step by step to become the Empress. She was the most favored woman of the current Emperor, and her legitimate son had been appointed Crown Prince early on.

When one person achieves success, even their pets rise to heaven². Consequently, the Wan Family had also risen rapidly, flourishing through their connections to the throne.

Setting aside the Duke’s Manor³ in the capital, anyone even remotely related to the Wan Family took advantage of the Empress and the Crown Prince’s power.

It was said that the Wan Family in Shanghe Town had a distant, roundabout connection to Empress Wan. Because of this, even the local officials showed them great respect.

Among the common people, the Wan Family’s reputation was truly terrible.

When the Zhao Family had previously been in dire straits, it was the Wan Family’s steward who had bought their fertile land at a low price.

In the original owner’s memory, every household in Qingshan Village had far more fertile land ten years ago than they did now. But in just ten years, half of that land had ended up in the Wan Family’s hands. Now, many farmers were merely tenants of the Wan Family.

The Old Village Chief’s implication was clear. If the Wan Family had set their sights on the Tofu Secret Recipe, they wouldn’t stop just because they failed this time.

Zhao Mengcheng also realized the trouble, but he turned to comfort the chief. “Uncle, you’ve forgotten. The secret recipe is no longer a secret.”

The Old Village Chief paused, quickly catching on.

He laughed. “I was overthinking it. If only one person knows, it’s a secret recipe. Now that so many people know, how much can it be worth?”

Zhao Mengcheng even added, “Once our village’s Tofu business is up and running, we can sell the recipe to people in other villages. It’s best if they’re further away so we don’t compete for business. That way, before long, all the people of the Great Zhou will be able to eat cheap Tofu.”

“The Wan Family can deal with one person, but can they really deal with everyone in the world? Even the Emperor himself doesn’t have that kind of power.”

The Old Village Chief patted his shoulder appreciatively. “That’s a good way to handle it. It’s just a pity you’ll be at a bit of a disadvantage.”

Zhao Mengcheng simply said, “It’s still better than letting their family have it.”

“As long as you know what you’re doing.” Seeing that he already had a plan, the Old Village Chief breathed a sigh of relief.

He was truly afraid of clashing with the Wan Family. Honest people like them were simply no match for a powerful family. Those people could kill them with a flick of a finger.

After seeing off those who had helped, Zhao Mengcheng leaned over to wipe the tears from the three little ones.

Including Zhao Chun, every single one of them had eyes red from crying. They looked quite pitiful. Zhao Xin had cried the hardest, her large eyes swollen like walnuts.

Zhao Mengcheng felt a pang of heartache. He boiled eggs to soothe the children’s eyes, adding this grievance to the debt he owed the Wan Family.

“Feeling better?” Zhao Mengcheng asked softly.

Zhao Xin nodded obediently, nestling in his arms. “Much better. My eyes don’t hurt anymore.”

Zhao Chun wasn’t afraid of pain at all. He cracked an egg against his forehead, peeled it clean, and stuffed it into his mouth, nearly choking himself.

Zhao Mao didn’t eat. He just rolled the egg back and forth, looking a bit lost in thought.

All three children were a bit listless, clearly still shaken by the fright. They wanted nothing more than to cling to Zhao Mengcheng.

Zhao Mengcheng knew they had been terrified today. After a moment’s thought, he simply took out a large pumpkin, peeled it, and stewed a pot of it.

Once it had stewed long enough over the high heat, Zhao Mengcheng took out some red dates. He placed one in each bowl of pumpkin as a garnish and sprinkled them generously with white sugar.

In a short while, the sugar melted into the pumpkin, and the steamed pumpkin was ready.

The pumpkin was golden and bright. Paired with the red dates, it looked wonderful. It immediately caught the attention of the three little ones, and they were no longer as listless as they had been.

“Come, eat a bowl with Father to calm your nerves,” Zhao Mengcheng called them to the table.

The pumpkin with added sugar was as sweet as honey. It was comforting to the stomach and helped their emotions relax.

After finishing a bowl of steamed pumpkin, the expressions of the three little ones indeed lightened significantly. They were no longer as jumpy as before.

Only after they had eaten their fill did Zhao Mengcheng ask, “Were you very scared?”

Zhao Xin sniffled. “I was so scared just now. Luckily Father is okay. Father, please don’t ever leave Xin’er behind again.”

Zhao Mengcheng stroked his daughter’s hair and soothed her, “Father will be fine. Xin’er needs to trust Father.”

He then looked at his two sons. “You both did very well today. You weren’t tricked by the bad man.”

Zhao Chun said sheepishly, “If Father had come back any later, I’m afraid I would have been tricked again.”

He lowered his head in shame. “I’m really too stupid. I’m always being fooled. Last time it was Eldest Uncle, and this time it was a bad man.”

“Ah Chun is not stupid. You were only like that because you were worried about Father. The bad man just exploited our weakness. Even Uncle Fengshou was almost intimidated by what happened today, let alone you children.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “Father is very happy to have three such filial children.”

He reached out and pulled the children into his arms, kissing each of them on the forehead. He said with a smile, “Father promises that something like this will never happen again.”

Only then did the three little ones’ moods completely settle. Once their spirits relaxed, they all became drowsy.

Zhao Mengcheng simply carried them into the house. Ignoring the fact that it was still early, he stroked their heads and said, “If you’re tired, sleep for a while. Father will stay here with you.”

Zhao Chun and Zhao Xin soon fell asleep, though they refused to let go of his hands.

Zhao Mengcheng looked at the second child. “Why isn’t Ah Mao sleeping? Aren’t you tired?”

Zhao Mao rolled into his arms and said in a low voice, “Father, I want to study. I want to become the top scholar and a high official in the future.”

Zhao Mengcheng was a bit surprised, but he nodded. “Father will look for a suitable private school and send you all to study when the time comes.”

Zhao Mao’s small face was determined as he reached out to touch Zhao Mengcheng’s cheek. “Once I become a high official, no one will ever dare to bully Father again.”

In that moment, Zhao Mengcheng was both moved and saddened.

“Alright, Father will wait for that day.” Zhao Mengcheng kissed Zhao Mao’s forehead, and only then did the boy close his eyes.

Once the children were asleep, Zhao Mengcheng knit his brows as he reviewed the day’s events.

Strictly speaking, it was his own carelessness that had led to today’s disaster.

He had been lucky this time. Lord Huang, the County Magistrate of Shanghe Town, was not the kind of corrupt official who disregarded human life to curry favor with the powerful. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have waited for him to argue his case; they would have dragged him into the yamen and given him a beating first.

One only had to look at Ma Ping’s fate to know how severe a caning⁴ was. After one round of beating, the man was already broken, with no strength left to argue.

If he encountered such a thing himself, Zhao Mengcheng could naturally rely on his Mental Power to forcibly escape. But he wasn’t alone now. He had three children, and he couldn’t spend his whole life in hiding.

Today’s incident served as a warning to Zhao Mengcheng. This was ancient times, not a society ruled by law. The difference between social classes was like the distance between clouds and mud. The lives of ordinary commoners were worthless, and the upper class could take their lives with a single word.

Zhao Mengcheng fell into deep thought.

It suddenly occurred to him that his three little ones were all villains who would become increasingly ruthless, eventually tearing the Great Zhou apart.

No, the three little ones would only act as catalysts. The Great Zhou might look peaceful now, but in reality, it was already riddled with corruption. Its collapse was only a matter of time.

Zhao Mengcheng pondered, various thoughts flashing through his mind. Sensing its host’s emotions, his Mental Power surged aggressively, as if making a show of force toward some unknown direction.

With their father by their side, the three children quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Zhao Mengcheng reined in his thoughts, tucked them in, and then left.

“Brother Mengcheng, are the children asleep?” Wang Ming was waiting outside.

Zhao Mengcheng nodded. “I held up your business today.”

Wang Ming hurriedly said, “Don’t talk about holding anything up. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t help with this?”

As he spoke, he set down a basket. “Come here quickly. This is pig’s trotter rice noodles my mother made. She said eating it can ward off bad luck. You must eat it all.”

Auntie Wang had packed a massive bowl, and inside was a whole pig’s trotter.

Zhao Mengcheng had already eaten a large bowl of steamed pumpkin, but he still sat down and finished this bowl completely, even drinking every last drop of the soup.

“Thank Auntie Wang for me.”

Wang Ming smiled. “As long as you like it. Sigh, we’re just useless. When things happened, we only knew how to worry and couldn’t say a single word to help.”

He had been scared to death in the courtroom earlier. Fortunately, Brother Mengcheng was capable enough to clear his own name and seek justice for himself.

Thinking of today’s events, Wang Ming’s heart still pounded with fear. “Brother, are we still going to sell tofu in the future?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Zhao Mengcheng asked back.

Wang Ming said hesitantly, “This was all caused by selling tofu. If we didn’t sell it, people wouldn’t be envious. What if something like this happens again?”

Seeing no one around, he lowered his voice. “I heard from the Village Chief. The Wan family isn’t someone we can afford to provoke. It’s better to just stop selling and have some peace.”

“Think about it, if something happens to us, what will the old mother and children at home do? They would be worried to death.”

Zhao Mengcheng shook his head. “Even if we stop now, it won’t bring peace. We not only have to sell it, we have to sell it openly. The more we sell, the better. That’s how we’ll be safer.”

Wang Ming didn’t understand.

Zhao Mengcheng explained, “Once everyone knows how to make tofu, the Tofu Secret Recipe won’t be worth anything. It won’t be worth their trouble anymore, and then we’ll be safe.”

He wasn’t particularly worried about the Wan family. For one, he had read the novel and knew they wouldn’t be prosperous for long and would soon meet with misfortune.

Secondly, a convoluted scheme like today’s certainly wasn’t the idea of the head of the Wan family. If the Wan family truly wanted a tofu recipe, they wouldn’t go to such lengths.

Since it was the work of subordinates, they clearly didn’t want to cause a huge scene. He was safe for the time being.

Wang Ming didn’t think too deeply but took the words to heart. “You’re right. I’ll go sell tofu right now and see what they can do to me.”

His fighting spirit was ignited.

Zhao Mengcheng was a man of his word. Not only did he not stop selling tofu, but he also prepared the Fermented Tofu⁵ and sent it to Yingbin Lou ahead of schedule.

Shopkeeper Wang had also heard about his situation and cursed privately, “It’s a good thing you memorized the ledgers. Otherwise, you would have been framed by that man Ma Ping. He’s really a piece of work.”

Then he asked, “I didn’t expect you to have such a talent, being able to memorize years of ledgers. Now the whole town says you have a photographic memory and an extraordinary mind.”

“Sigh, it’s a pity for someone with your talent not to study.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After a brief explanation, he asked, “Brother Wang, do you know about the Wan family?”

“The Wan family? You don’t mean the Empress’s Wan family, do you?”

Shopkeeper Wang was a bit surprised but said, “A small person like me couldn’t possibly have ties to the Wan family. I only know they are a high-ranking and very wealthy household. A few years ago, they were called ‘Wan Half-the-City,’ but for some reason, they’ve been much more low-key lately.”

Zhao Mengcheng thought to himself that if the Wan family was suddenly being low-key, it was likely because the Empress and the Crown Prince in the capital were in a difficult position.

This was good news for him.

Shopkeeper Wang seemed to guess something and lowered his voice. “I don’t know much about the Wan family, but there’s one person who definitely knows something.”

“Zhang Dahu, the one who manages the market. He used to be a guard for the Wan family.”

Zhao Mengcheng thanked him and headed to the market.

While Zhao Mengcheng was asking about the Wan family, the Wan family was also mentioning him. However, Third Young Master Wan was currently furious, kicking over the steward who had botched the job.

“Useless trash! He’s just a farmer, yet you couldn’t even get a simple recipe from him.”

The steward groaned inwardly. Even after being kicked, he didn’t dare cry out in pain. “It’s my fault for being useless. I really didn’t expect Ma Ping to be so greedy, changing fifty taels to two hundred on his own. That’s how Zhao Mengcheng found a flaw.”

It was thanks to Ma Ping’s insatiable greed and acting on his own that Zhao Mengcheng had been able to clear his name. Otherwise, it would have taken much more effort.

Third Young Master Wan sneered. “It’s all because of your incompetence. Luckily, I wasn’t dragged into it, or that old fossil would be lecturing me again.”

“I don’t know what he’s thinking. Everything was fine before, but suddenly he won’t let us be high-profile. I think he’s just getting old and cowardly. With the Empress and the Crown Prince backing us, would the Shanghe Town County Magistrate even dare to breathe a word against the Wan family?”

“In the past, if I wanted a recipe, I just had to ask and I’d get it. Now we have to be all secretive. It’s truly frustrating.”

The steward said subserviently, “Young Master, that man Zhao has no power or influence. He escaped this time, but there are plenty of other ways to deal with him.”

Third Young Master Wan said impatiently, “Do whatever you want.”

He clearly looked down on the tofu recipe now. “How is the matter of purchasing the young girls going?”

The steward knew this was what Third Young Master Wan cared about most. If done well, the young master would be directly connected to the main family and would no longer be scolded by an old manager from a branch family.

“We have already bought thirty-six girls.”

Third Young Master Wan told him to bring them over. After looking them over, he was very dissatisfied. “What kind of ugly bunch is this? How can we present them looking like this? Go buy more, and pick the ones with pretty and outstanding features.”

The steward nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that he needed to send more people out to look. Once they found a pretty one, they would find a way to buy her. As for whether the girl’s family was willing, he had his ways to make them agree.

Translator’s Notes