Wufu clearly understood Madam Zhou’s temperament; she was easily swayed by others’ opinions. Now that Madam Lu and her kin had come acting pitiable, her heart had softened. Didn’t she remember how the Zhou family had treated them, mother and daughter, in the past?
If Wufu hadn’t been away from home, would they dare to come and feign pity to garner sympathy? If she had been there, would they have managed to gain any advantage?
Thinking about how Madam Zhou had given them silver, Wufu’s heart was filled with discomfort. It wasn’t that she begrudged the silver, rather that those receiving it were not deserving. Giving to beggars would at least earn one the reputation of being a kind person, but giving to those ungrateful wolves would likely make others laugh and call her a fool.
Shaking her head, Wufu realized that in the future, she probably shouldn’t let Madam Zhou handle the silver. Otherwise, it would be just as she had said, selling herself out and even helping the buyer count out the money.
Putting that matter aside, Wufu called over Liu Jin and asked him how he came to be sold.
A look of discomfort flashed in Liu Jin’s eyes as he lowered his head and said, "My real mother was once a girl in a brothel."
Wufu was taken aback; no wonder he had such looks. He must have taken after his mother.
"...Later, she was redeemed to be a concubine, but offended the madam of that family, so she was sold to my father to be his wife. Not long after, she gave birth to me. Over the past few years, we mother and son have constantly been beaten by that scumbag dad. My mother was frail and couldn’t withstand it; she died last year. He then married a widow and had another son. Now, with disaster striking our home, prompted by the widow, he sold me."
In just a few words, Liu Jin had explained his entire background.
Wufu was no fool; with just these few words, she could fill in the gaps to a tragic tale.
"Have you decided not to go back?" Wufu asked him. Although she thought it was a redundant question—as who would return to a heartless scumbag dad and a cruel stepmother—only a fool would go back.
"Going back would just mean being sold once more," Liu Jin said. "I resemble my mother. To be sold again would likely mean following in her footsteps. Miss, I don’t want that. I would rather die than fall into that kind of place."
Wufu looked at him intently.
"Miss, my mother was originally from an official’s family, forced into that situation due to our family’s hardships. Despite everything, my mother was a good woman. Miss, I am clean," Liu Jin said earnestly.
No wonder he had such features, and his manner of speaking didn’t quite resemble that of an ordinary farm boy. He had a family background after all, though sadly it was marked by misfortune.
Seeing Wufu lost in thought, Liu Jin clenched his hands tightly, filled with apprehension.
If Wufu didn’t want him and cast him out, where would he go?
"How old are you this year?" Wufu asked him.
"Seven," Liu Jin added, "Miss, my mother taught me to read." And then he said: "I can also do arithmetic."
He was clearly afraid that Wufu might send him away, eagerly trying to show his value.
Wufu laughed: "Is your full name Liu Jin?"
"My family name is Qi, my mother’s surname. Liu Jin is because I weighed six jin when I was born, a name that man gave me. My mother said, having a cheap name makes life easier," Liu Jin said, head lowered as his nose felt sour.
Rejecting even the surname of his biological father showed just how much he loathed him. To Wufu, this seemed entirely appropriate; before blaming a son for lack of filial piety, one should consider an unkind father.
"Our household is small, as you’ve seen; we’re not a rich and noble family. Since you want to stay, then stay. We have enough to feed one more mouth," Wufu said indifferently. "But let me make it clear, I won’t tolerate freeloaders here."
"Miss, you can count on me," Liu Jin immediately assured her. "Whatever you ask, I will do."
Wufu smiled, taking his word for now.