13：Buying Life and Redemption

Arriving at the busiest area of the market, where small vendors are the most informed, Shen Hao learned from a vendor selling sunflower seeds that someone was selling a house.

Moreover, in Yangguan Town, which is located on a major transportation route, there weren't many identity requirements. As long as you wanted to buy, the government would give you the land deed.

Of course, Shen Hao also bought two pounds of sunflower seeds, paying with several copper coins.

In this world, silver and copper coins were very valuable, even more so than in modern society.

Here, one stone of rice costs only 300 wen. This means that one tael of silver could buy around 10 stones of rice, and one stone was about 50 kilograms in weight.

In other words, one tael of silver could buy 1,000 pounds of rice.

In modern society, rice costs about 2 yuan per kilogram, so one tael of silver here would be worth about 2,000 yuan.

Of course, prices weren't standardized, since different worlds had different purchasing powers.

Some things were cheap, while others were expensive.

Salt, iron, and sugar were particularly expensive here.

In contrast, they were cheap in the real world.

If one were to smuggle salt and sell it here, it would be far more profitable than silver.

But this was risky, and Shen Hao didn't plan to get involved.

Historically, salt merchants were some of the wealthiest people, with power rivaling that of kingdoms.

In ancient Yangzhou, salt merchants were known for their extravagant wealth. Anyone worth less than a million was considered a small merchant, showing just how rich they were.

Shen Hao thought that if he smuggled salt, he would likely be caught.

Such high-profile activities were something Shen Hao didn't want to get involved in.

The housing prices in Yangguan Town weren't high, and the homes for ordinary families were quite spacious.

A modest house could be bought, and a man could secure his wife, which was truly a comfortable life.

Guided by the vendor, Shen Hao spent 260 taels of silver on a traditional four-courtyard house with three sections. It was a three-story building facing the street.

The storefront had four rooms, and the building itself had three stories, with a floor facing the street.

Entering through the main gate, there were rooms on both sides, three guest rooms, and one servant's room. Walking through the corridor, there were three bedrooms on the third floor, along with a kitchen.

Although the house was a bit far from the bustling streets of Yangguan Town, it was quiet, which suited Shen Hao's preferences.

Moreover, there was a large courtyard in the back, about 400 square meters in size. This would be considered a luxury mansion in modern society.

Such a luxurious independent house only cost 260 taels of silver.

This showed that in this world, the wealthy lived in houses so large that they couldn't even fully utilize them.

After the vendor left, Shen Hao took a moment to inspect the house.

It was indeed quite large, which made Shen Hao think about hiring a few servants.

Looking up at the scorching sun, he realized it was still early.

The main thing on his mind was buying a beautiful maid, which was quite affordable here.

The maid had to be beautiful. Shen Hao didn't care much about other qualities.

His values always followed his physical desires. As for character—who would pick an ugly woman?

However, this time Shen Hao didn't wear his monk robe. Instead, he put on a long robe and wore a conical hat.

At this time, it was somewhat frowned upon for a monk to buy a maid.

This was not in line with the ascetic lifestyle.

Since Shen Hao wasn't familiar with Yangguan Town, he didn't know where to find maids.

To his surprise, when he asked around, he learned that the south of the town was where maids were sold. He found out that Yangguan Town's biggest supply was actually maids.

Although Yangguan Town sounded like a small town, it was actually a county.

Yangguan Town, being the essential passage between the north and south, was always bustling with activity.

With a population of around 100,000, it might be considered a small county in urban society, but in this world, it was considered a large city.

Upon arriving in the southern part of the town, Shen Hao noticed that there were quite a few people selling daughters.

Many of these girls were poorly dressed, wearing patched clothes.

"Sir, have a look at my daughter, just 6 taels of silver, and you can take her home."

"Sir, my daughter is 16 years old, knows how to sew, and can keep the bed warm. Just 20 taels."

Looking at the various vendors, Shen Hao realized that for an unattractive young girl, you could buy a maid for just a few taels of silver.

Girls with more appealing features and skills like cooking or sewing were priced higher, around 20 taels.

Shen Hao shook his head. Most of the girls were dark-skinned, skinny, and looked like they were around the age of third or fourth graders.

But they were already around 13 years old, clearly suffering from malnutrition.

Shen Hao lost his appetite looking at them. He wanted to buy a maid, but she had to be pleasing to the eye, beautiful.

He had to admit that women in this era were in a miserable situation.

Though he felt some sympathy, Shen Hao wasn't in a position to save the world.

He wasn't that kind of saint.

Before, Shen Hao hadn't thought much about a medicinal potion costing 10 taels of silver, but looking at the fact that a maid only cost 6 or 7 taels, it really showed how precious silver was.

This world was clearly much harsher for the lower class.

Just then, Shen Hao noticed a young woman, probably in her late teens, kneeling by the side of the road. She had a sign around her neck that said "Sold to bury my father," and behind her, there was a straw mat wrapped around a body.

Though she wore rough, coarse clothes, she was very beautiful. Her features were delicate, and her skin was fair. She had excellent potential and matched Shen Hao's aesthetic preferences.

Shen Hao was looking for a maid to serve him and his brothers.

The girl looked a bit disheveled—her hair was messy, her face was dirty, and her lips were cracked and dry, showing signs of poor health.

At that moment, her face was flushed, as though she had a fever.

She had her head lowered, tears streaming down her face, like a flickering candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.

But Shen Hao noticed that not only was she stunningly beautiful, her temperament was gentle and graceful. Such poise was not typical of a common family.

There were murmurs from the crowd, but no one was buying.

The reason: This woman owed 200 taels of silver, and in order to buy her, someone would have to pay off the debt.

This kind of nobility, Shen Hao had seen it before in Xiao Bing.

It seemed that this woman's family had fallen on hard times, and she had followed suit.

Beautiful, and 200 taels wasn't a loss. Shen Hao had no interest in buying someone ugly for just a few taels.

You get what you pay for. For Shen Hao, 200 taels was just around 80,000 yuan, which was about the cost of a trip to Siam or the price of a watch he owned.

"200 taels, my god, where did this woman get the courage to ask for such a price?"

"She's weak and sick. How is she supposed to work if someone buys her? Anyone who buys her would be out of their mind."

"She's definitely beautiful though."

"Beauty doesn't put food on the table. With 200 taels, you could buy a few acres of land or a few women."

Hearing the crowd's discussions, the woman lowered her head even further.

Her frail body trembled.

At that moment, a warm voice sounded in her ears:

"Alright, come with me."

Hearing this, the woman hesitated and looked up in disbelief. Before her stood a tall, strong man.

A handsome young face smiled at her.

It felt as though he was bathed in sunlight.

In her darkest and most hopeless moment, it was as though a beam of light had illuminated the entire world.

The people around them looked at Shen Hao in shock.

Ignoring the astonished looks and discussions from the crowd, Shen Hao found a donkey cart, loaded the woman and her father's body, and headed back to his house.

The woman was asking for 200 taels. Although Shen Hao was attracted to her, he still needed to clarify a few things.

He felt something was off about the high price.

Before Shen Hao could speak, the woman immediately kneeled before him, expressing her gratitude, "Thank you, sir. From today onwards, Yongci will be your servant, willing to obey your every command without any second thoughts."

For her to say such words, she was clearly no ordinary person.

Shen Hao couldn't help but wonder, Is she reading The Spring and Autumn Annals?

Hearing this, Shen Hao helped Song Yongci up and instinctively placed his hand on her forehead. It was burning with fever.

"Ah, you're burning up! You're running a fever," he said.

Yongci's face turned red. This was the first time she had been so close to a man.

Suppressing both her embarrassment and discomfort, she said, "I'm fine, sir."

Shen Hao asked, "Can you tell me about your background?"

Song Yongci hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, then decided to tell him the truth. "Sir, my name is Song Yongci. My father is Song Youli, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Department of the Dayang Dynasty. He was deeply focused on medical research and was a straightforward person. He offended the foolish emperor and was exiled to Yangguan Town. Because I was not in the capital, I received a letter from one of my father's friends and learned everything. I've been waiting in Yangguan Town since then. But I never expected the news I received would be... bad news..."

Was his family's property confiscated?

Shen Hao's first thought was, Could this bring me trouble?

He just wanted to make some money, buy a beautiful woman, but he never intended to get involved with the imperial court here.

Shen Hao asked, "Who sent the letter to your father?"

"It was an Imperial Censor from the Brocade Bureau. My father had once treated her illness."

Having some connections within the court wasn't too bad.

"Where is she? Let me meet her first."

At these words, Song Yongci shivered. This meant that Shen Hao might not necessarily buy her.

PS:

Annotations and Explanations:

1. "The woman was asking for 200 taels..."

200 taels: In ancient China, "tael" was a unit of weight used for measuring precious metals like silver. It was commonly used as currency. The value of 200 taels in this context is significant, showing that the woman is considered valuable.

"Shen Hao was attracted to her": Shen Hao finds the woman physically appealing, but he is also cautious about the situation and the price she is asking for.

2. "Before Shen Hao could speak, the woman immediately kneeled before him"

Kneeling: In traditional Chinese culture, kneeling was a sign of respect, submission, or a gesture of asking for help. The woman's gesture indicates that she is offering herself to Shen Hao with gratitude and servitude.

3. "For her to say such words, she was clearly no ordinary person."

The woman, Song Yongci, speaks in a way that shows she is not just an ordinary servant or maid, indicating her background and status.

4. "Is she reading The Spring and Autumn Annals?"

The Spring and Autumn Annals: This is a historical text that records the history of the State of Lu during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Shen Hao's inner thought is likely a metaphorical comment, questioning whether the woman's formality and speech resemble those of someone educated or from an ancient, scholarly background.

5. "Hearing this, Shen Hao helped Song Yongci up and instinctively placed his hand on her forehead..."

Shen Hao shows concern for the woman's well-being after noticing her fever. His reaction demonstrates that despite his transactional intentions, he cares for her health.

6. "I'm fine, sir."

"Sir": A respectful form of address, indicating the hierarchical relationship between Song Yongci and Shen Hao. Even though she may be a servant or is about to become one, she still uses formal language.

7. "Can you tell me about your background?"

Shen Hao, now more curious, wants to learn more about her past, which seems to be complicated and significant.

8. "My father is Song Youli, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Department of the Dayang Dynasty."

Song Youli: This introduces Song Yongci's father, who was a high-ranking official in the imperial court, holding an important position as a chief physician. His background adds weight to Song Yongci's own status.

9. "He was deeply focused on medical research and was a straightforward person. He offended the foolish emperor and was exiled to Yangguan Town."

Exiled to Yangguan Town: Song Youli's downfall occurred because he offended the emperor. Exile was a form of punishment in ancient China, often used for those who were deemed dangerous or disobedient to the emperor.

"Foolish emperor": A reference to the emperor's lack of wisdom. In traditional Chinese storytelling, emperors are often portrayed as having a mix of wisdom and foolishness, with some decisions leading to the downfall of others.

10. "I've been waiting in Yangguan Town since then..."

This shows Song Yongci's loyalty to her father, as she stayed in the town waiting for any news, despite her own suffering.

11. "Bad news":

Bad news: This is left vague, but it suggests something tragic happened to her father, possibly his death or the destruction of his career.

12. "Was his family's property confiscated?"

Confiscation: Shen Hao immediately thinks about potential consequences for him if he gets involved with someone whose family has been punished by the imperial court. He worries this might lead to trouble for him, particularly given that he just wants to live peacefully and buy a beautiful woman.

13. "Who sent the letter to your father?"

Shen Hao asks about the sender of the letter to understand if they have any ties to powerful figures, which could give him a reason to get involved.

14. "It was an Imperial Censor from the Brocade Bureau."

Imperial Censor: This was a high-ranking official who had the power to investigate and report on the emperor's court and the state of the empire. They were influential figures who had a lot of authority.

15. "Where is she? Let me meet her first."

Shen Hao shows an interest in meeting the Imperial Censor, likely to ensure that there are no complications with his involvement with Song Yongci.

16. "This meant that Shen Hao might not necessarily buy her."

Might not buy her: This shows that Song Yongci is uncertain whether Shen Hao will take her in, as he is still deciding based on the circumstances and her background.

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Cultural Context and Understanding:

The System of Servitude and Slavery: In many traditional Chinese settings, women who are sold or offered as servants are common, especially in historical or fantasy narratives. The concept of purchasing women as servants was historically practiced, though it is now understood to be unethical in modern times.

Exile and Political Conflict: The idea of being exiled due to offending the emperor highlights the absolute power emperors held in ancient China. Exile was a common punishment for political enemies or those who displeased the emperor.

Symbolism of the "Foolish Emperor": In Chinese literature, emperors are often shown as having absolute power but making foolish decisions. This highlights the dangers of absolute power and the impact it can have on those who serve or interact with the emperor.