Rumors were going around the village that An Jiuyue had sold a child for food.
An Jiuyue was silent.
When did I carry my children to town? I was driving an ox cart!
“Uncle, I didn’t bring the children with me today. I brought a child back from town,” she explained.
“Huh?” The Junior Officer did not seem to understand her and was bewildered. “Is there a difference?”
An Jiuyue sighed and looked at the two of them helplessly.
“I went to town today to buy some grain. I placed my basket on an ox cow cart and wanted to buy some cabbage. When I turned around, there was a child in my basket.
“I couldn’t find his parents. I had no choice, I couldn’t abandon him so I brought him back. ”
The Junior Officer was stunned. “Huh? Can something like that happen?”
So someone handed their child to An Jiuyue for her to raise? Is this what the town is like now?
On the other hand, Aunt Ju was not too surprised. “Of course.” She sighed.
“I went to town the day before yesterday too. I heard from the people there that many have been stuffing their children into strangers’ arms on the streets because they can’t raise them anymore,” she explained.
“This… This… Sigh, how can this be?”
The Junior Officer was speechless. He sighed deeply.
He grew concerned after some thought. There was a flood recently, and An Jiuyue might not have enough food for herself. He wondered how she could possibly provide for another child.
“The grain store in town is sold out of grain. The brokers took in some of the children initially, but the children were too young and immature. They kicked up a fuss, and the brokers don’t want to take in any more of them.
“Those penniless have no choice but to send their children away. I think the child’s parents saw you driving an ox cart and could afford cabbages, so they felt that their child wouldn’t starve if they gave him to you,” Aunt Ju guessed.
She had been to town and knew what was happening. “Jiuyue, do you intend to raise that child too?” she asked.
“What else can I do? Aunt Ju, I can’t just abandon him. This is a human life,” An Jiuyue said helplessly.
The child would have nowhere to go if An Jiuyue chose not to raise him. He could not find his parents anymore, and the authorities would not care about that. An Jiuyue’s biological father might even sell him to a broker to earn a few taels of silver!
She had to take him in.
“I’ll have to trouble you with this, Junior Officer. Can you ask the Chief if he can register all three children in the genealogy?” she asked.
“Alright, I’ll ask him,” the Junior Officer agreed swiftly.
“However, Jiuyue, this might not be easy. Everyone saw the two babies, so registering them without payment might be okay. But as for the one you brought back today… You might have to fork out some money.”
He wanted to be honest with An Jiuyue first so that she would not be upset later.
“Alright, I understand,” An Jiuyue replied.
Old Tu had spent five taels of silver to register Zheng’er and Rong’er in the genealogy then. She reckoned that spending another five taels this time should be enough.
Regardless, if money could resolve something, it would not be a problem for her. She could sell another wild boar if needed.
There were a couple more boars in her space anyway. She was not afraid of not having enough money.