A child costs fifty taels, Wufu didn’t react immediately upon hearing this price, but the owner of the grocery store beside her started to show pain in his teeth.
"What’s the matter?" Wufu found it strange.
The grocery store owner pulled her back a couple of steps and whispered, "They’re asking for the sky here. In these times, a child is worth at most a few taels of silver, and for the cheaper ones, one could even buy them for just one or two taels."
What, only a few taels of silver?
Wufu was an outsider from the modern world and was born in a society that valued human rights. Although she had heard a little about the trade of people, she had never participated in it, and in this era, even less so; therefore, she hadn’t thought about what the price should be.
Human life is so cheap!
Although she felt indignant, she was powerless to change such national conditions. Now that she knew the price, she would not be taken for a fool, and moreover, the other party was not good people, so why waste silver ingots?
"You think I don’t understand bargaining? Fifty taels, do you think I’m a fool?" Wufu didn’t like being taken for an idiot.
"Hey, girl, fifty taels is already a cheap price. Look at the complexion of this boy, once we train him well, who says he won’t become an Oiran in the future? By then, it won’t just be fifty taels." The Big Man cackled with a sinister laugh, "You don’t even have to wait for him to grow up, just at the age of ten or so, he will be enough to let those who fancy this kind of thing spend a lot of money to play, and then it will be tough for you to redeem him even if you wanted to."
Wufu’s face darkened, seeing the terrified look on the child’s face, she coldly said, "Keep your mouth clean."
"I was bought for only five taels of silver," the little boy cried out.
Wufu immediately said, "Twenty taels, I’m buying him."
"No deal!" The Big Man refused without a second thought.
The little boy then said harshly, "If you don’t sell, then I’ll starve myself to death, and you won’t get back even five taels."
Wufu raised an eyebrow, looking at the little boy, fierce determination blazed in his young eyes.
"Big brother, let it go. This kid is trouble, we can’t be at a loss," a henchman advised, mainly because the girl in front of him seemed quite formidable, and people naturally seek good fortune and avoid misfortune.
The Big Man glared at the child with hatred, his face showing he was far from pleased, "Twenty taels it is then."
Wufu took out the silver, and the grocery store owner, seeing this, hurriedly said, "Where’s the deed of sale?" Noticing Wufu’s confusion, he added, "Without the deed of sale, even if you buy him, it doesn’t count."
The Big Man took out a stack of papers, flipped through them, and pulled out one, "Is it this one?"
The little boy swiftly grabbed it to take a look, "Liu Jin, it’s mine."
The Big Man snorted, took the silver from Wufu, and left a harsh remark, "Lucky brat." He then gave Wufu a cold look, "Young lady, you’ve got some nerve." After saying that, he led his two companions away.
Watching him walk off into the distance, the little boy deflated like a balloon and slumped to the ground, staring at the deed of sale in his hand as if in a daze.
Wufu thanked the grocery store owner; his assistance today had prevented her from being the ignorant fool.
"Young lady, you can’t be this impulsive in the future. Even if you know some Kung Fu, you’re still a woman after all," the grocery store owner sighed.
Wufu smiled and nodded, then once again expressed her gratitude with a bow.
With the matter settled, Wufu didn’t linger. She took a long look at those still being bought and sold and sighed softly to herself.
This was truly beyond her control.
She picked up her bamboo basket and walked on, and the boy called Liu Jin hurried to follow.
"Why are you following me?" Wufu was somewhat mystified.
Liu Jin widened his eyes and handed over the deed of sale, "You bought me, so from today on, I belong to you."
Wufu stumbled in her steps, what on earth was he talking about, I belong to you?