Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 302: The Buyer’s Slave

Chapter 302: Chapter 302: The Buyer’s Slave

The news that Sanwei Residence had opened a ladies’ floor had spread throughout Yan City, and naturally, reached Madam He’s ears.

Because of the disturbance with Qiaozi and Yanzi Manor, Master He was quite dissatisfied with her, going so far as to punish young master He with a month of confinement.

When she received an invitation from Sanwei Residence, she simply let her servants handle it. However, she brought up the ladies’ floor when having tea with Lady Liao.

After hearing Madam Liao say that the ladies’ teahouse was quite good, Madam He merely responded with a nonchalant, "Oh, really?"

As the daughter of Lady Liao was to be married in five days, she was radiant with joy. Seeing Madam He’s demeanor, she slyly chuckled, "The owner of Sanwei Residence gave me an invitation and though I did not attend, it was definitely well-intentioned. I sent a gift in return. I wonder, did you attend?"

"Of course, I did not."

Madam Liao chuckled and slowly said, "I assumed as much. After all, you must be very busy these days."

Madam He’s expression turned slightly sour. Unfazed, Madam Liao continued to bait her, "I heard that Young Master He is close with Lady Su. As I recall, she owns a business and is quite revered amongst the townsfolk."

"That’s obviously not the case. Lady Su is merely a business acquaintance of his. He is currently at home studying hard for his official examination."

The other ladies nodded and sipped their tea, their deference towards her clearly diminished.

After the tea luncheon ended, Madam He’s face was ashen. The servants tiptoed around her, fearing they would provoke her wrath.

Lady Liao did not hold Sanwei Residence in high regard. After all, it was just a restaurant. The ladies’ floor was likely just a gimmick.

On the twelfth of May, Shen Zhiyu and his two younger brothers had no class at the academy, so Nanzhi didn’t need to work at Sanwei Residence.

"Mother, when will father return?" Zhiyu, having spent some time playing in the yard with his brothers, quickly ran over to his mother during a those precious fifteen minutes of rest.

"Your father might still be busy." Nanzhi said, then added, "Or he might be on his way home right now."

The young boy simply nodded, not pressing further. He drank a bowl of water and quickly rejoined the others for exercise.

Nanzhi rested comfortably in a bamboo chair, watching as the children practiced their boxing technique. Occasionally, she would clap to encourage them.

Lapping up the praise, the children devoted themselves even more to their practice.

Nanzhi grinned widely as she watched them, only then noticing Xiaomi, who was squatting by the door.

It was then that she remembered him.

After Xiaomi’s wounds healed, he lived in the side room. Busy with the restaurant from dawn to dusk, she had completely forgotten about him.

"Hey, you there. Come here." Nanzhi beckoned to Xiaomi, momentarily unable to remember his name.

Xiaomi had been living in the Lin’s household for some time. Afraid of being kicked out, he tried to make himself useful as soon as he woke up. Seeing Shen Zhiyu and the others enjoying themselves, he found himself stopping to watch out of envy.

When he heard Nanzhi call him over, he felt somewhat scared. Despite this, he slowly started to approach.

"What’s your name?"

Nanzhi observed Xiaomi who looked quite different. He was clean and wore fresh clothes. With stable meals, there was a bit more flesh on his face. He barely resembled the skinny beggar she took in.

"My name is Xiaomi." Xiaomi’s voice was timid, a stark contrast to the daring pickpocket that Nanzhi caught on the streets.

"How old are you?"

"I... I’m ten years old. I can work hard." Xiaomi gripped his broom tight. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words ’Don’t kick me out.’

He remembered he had stolen her purse. He couldn’t utter such words.

"You’re ten years old? Be honest!" Nanzhi feigned anger, placing her hands on her hips.

"I, I am seven years old this year, but I am strong, I can work!" Xiaomi seemed to want to say more, but stopped at the sight of Nanzhi’s smile.

"Mother." Zhiyu, hearing the commotion here, hesitated for a while but still spoke up.

"What is it, Zhiyu?"

"Mother, can you let Brother Xiaomi stay, please?"

"Why?" Nanzhi neither refused nor agreed, only continued to ask.

"Brother Xiaomi has no mother or father. If he’s driven away, he’ll continue to be a beggar."

"Auntie, let Xiaomi stay. He can work." Lin Jian, who was on the side, also spoke up for Xiaomi.

"But there are many little beggars out there without parents as well. Does Zhiyu plan to bring them home too if she encounters them in the future?"

Nanzhi shook her head and looked at Zhiyu to ask.

Hearing Nanzhi’s words, Xiaomi’s eyes were full of disappointment. He wiped his eyes. As a beggar and thief, he had already been living comfortably here for so many days, which was already a luxury.

"If Zhiyu encounters other people in the future, she can give them some food, and then twenty wen, so they can clean themselves up, and find some work to do. Mother, I want Brother Xiaomi to stay." Zhiyu ran to Nanzhi, pulling at her sleeve, and whispered.

"Why twenty wen?" Nanzhi asked with some surprise.

"Because with dirty clothes as mortgage and twenty wen, they can buy the oldest and cheapest set of coarse clothes at the clothing shop, so that they can go and find work."

Nanzhi nodded with satisfaction. She hadn’t expected Zhiyu to be so clever.

She had originally planned to take Xiaomi to Sanwei Residence to learn a craft, which was better than begging on the street.

But he is only seven years old now and she didn’t know what he could do there.

It might be better if he helped to clean the house at home.

"Then let Xiaomi stay, but one of these days we’ll have to go to the county office and sign a contract, to avoid any future complications."

"Thank you, Mother!" Zhiyu giggled, while Xiaomi’s eyes reddened.

"Thank you, Master!" Just as Xiaomi was about to kneel down, Nanzhi felt a headache coming on.

"Alright, alright, don’t call me Master, call me Auntie."

Having settled Xiaomi’s matter, Nanzhi went to Yahang in the afternoon again. After all, Xiaomi was only a child, he couldn’t do much work. As she was running to the restaurant every day, there had to be someone at home to clean up.

Seeing her coming, Hu San thought the restaurant needed more people again, and began to go through his record to introduce some to her. It was only when he found out that Nanzhi wanted to buy a maid to clean up her house, that he directly guided her to look at the candidates.

"This one, Aunty Zhuang, is honest, thirty-five years old and from another town. She was sold by her gambler husband. If you want her, I will charge only five taels and four li."

Nanzhi took a while to see her clearly, so Hu San called her to come forward.

Aunty Zhuang seemed rather dull, and her appearance was average. After asking if she could cook and do laundry, Nanzhi gave the money to buy her.

Now, she gave one tael of silver to the family each month, and with Aunty Zhuang to share the workload, it would be a bit easier.

When Lin’s mother and others closed the stall and saw an extra person at home, they almost reported to the officials. It was only after Nanzhi explained the situation that they put down the kitchen knife in their hands.

Now, the carpentry shop earned more than fifty taels of silver a month, and although their small food stall business was a bit worse, it could still earn twenty taels a month. Buying a person to do laundry and cooking at home was feasible.

The women of the Lin family had no objections, but Lin’s father was not very happy.

Mumbling about how he was not used to having an extra person in the house, Lin’s mother deemed that he was just unhappy about having another mouth to feed, so she ignored him.