Chapter 70 Buying People

They knew that the buyer this time was the magistrate, and this was better than any deal they had made before. The state office was far superior to the ordinary households.

What truly caught Cao Xi’s attention, however, were the two people standing in the dark corner of the room. The two appeared clean, heads bowed, their postures straight and upright.

Cao Xi walked over and asked, “What are your names?”

“Xinger.”

Xinger had answered this question many times before, but in the end, the buyer didn’t seem to make a decision.

Cao Xi turned to ask the matchmaker, “How much are they being sold for?”

As soon as Cao Xi spoke, the boy beside Xinger seemed to have been abandoned. He clutched her clothes tightly and stared at Cao Xi with intense eyes.

Qin Zhao noticed and furrowed his brows. He reached out to hold Cao Xi and shielded her from the boy’s gaze.

Cao Xi turned her head to face the boy and saw his face full of wariness. She gently pulled the boy away.

The matchmaker, seeing that Cao Xi was inquiring about the price, smiled and held up five fingers.

“Five taels of silver for the pair.”

Before the matchmaker finished speaking, she suddenly struck the boy’s hand away and pulled him toward her. The boy immediately rushed toward Xinger and tightly hugged her.

“We won’t sell my sister!” the boy cried out in desperation.

Cao Xi was stunned for a moment. It turned out that they were siblings. The boy’s eyes had already turned red, and he suddenly fell to his knees in front of Cao Xi.

“Madam, if you buy me, please take my brother as well. He doesn’t eat much and can work. You won’t regret it. Please, I beg you!”

The matchmaker, afraid that the scene would disturb the important guest, hurriedly dragged Xinger to the side and kicked her hard.

“You ungrateful little brat! You’ve ruined a good deal for me!”

The matchmaker was about to strike again but was stopped by Qin Zhao’s stern voice.

“Stop!”

The matchmaker trembled in fear and dared not act any further, glaring at the siblings with venomous eyes.

“Are these two your only ones?” Qin Zhao’s cold voice echoed through the room.

The matchmaker immediately fell to her knees.

“Sir, I assure you, these two were bought legally, not through any black market dealings.”

Qin Zhao stepped forward and examined their contracts carefully. He looked at the matchmaker with a terrifying gaze, making her feel as if she might faint from fear.

“Who sold them?” Qin Zhao asked, his tone unyielding.

As soon as Qin Zhao finished asking, he saw the tears streaming down the two siblings’ faces. Their expressions were filled with deep sadness.

Xinger lowered her head. “It was my uncle.”

Cao Xi took a deep breath. “Do you cook?”

Xinger immediately understood the implication and hurriedly pulled her brother to kneel.

“I started cooking when I was eleven. My brother started helping with the work when he was six.”

Cao Xi subtly pulled on Qin Zhao’s sleeve. He immediately understood that Cao Xi had made her decision. He turned to the matchmaker and said, “These two are worth less silver.”

The matchmaker, seeing hope, quickly stood up excitedly.

“Eight taels of silver for them.”

Seeing the doubt on Cao Xi’s face, the matchmaker hurried to explain, “These two are healthy and have no issues. The problem is that they’re too troublesome. They’ve ruined many of my clients. If they are sold quickly, I will offer you a discount.”

Xinger, hearing the matchmaker’s slander, retorted angrily.

“We’re not troublesome! It’s because they wanted to separate us and send us to the brothels!”

The matchmaker shot a venomous glance at Cao Xi before glaring fiercely at Xinger.

Cao Xi chose two relatively honest women. After everything was arranged, it was already late afternoon.

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Back at the state office, Cao Xi instructed the servants to prepare water and clean the room for the newcomers. She then led Xinger and the two women to the guest room.

“From now on, you will live here. I will take you to the kitchen and firewood room later. You can heat water and bathe. Once you are settled in, come to the main house and I will assign you work.”

After giving the instructions, Cao Xi checked on the housekeepers and wandered for a bit in the afternoon, feeling quite exhausted.

Qin Zhao had already prepared the bedding and was waiting for Cao Xi to rest.

Cao Xi raised an eyebrow. “That was quick.”

“Madam should rest. As for your husband, I have good eyes.”

Qin Zhao bent down, removed Cao Xi’s shoes, helped her lie down on the bed, and then sat at the foot of the bed, carefully massaging her feet.

Cao Xi felt the soothing pressure and, without realizing it, fell into a deep sleep.

Qin Zhao watched her sleep peacefully for a while, muttering a few complaints under his breath. “So comfortable.” His eyes filled with tenderness, a look he couldn’t hide.

Cao Xi woke up in the evening. Qin Zhao was reading by the dim light. As Cao Xi stretched lazily, she startled him.

“You’re awake. Are you hungry?”

Cao Xi rubbed her stomach and smiled at Qin Zhao. “I’m a bit hungry.”

“I’ll have Xinger bring the food in,” Qin Zhao said, helping Cao Xi sit up.

Cao Xi replied, “I already told them to prepare it, but I fell asleep before they finished.”

“I’ve already arranged it. The two women will handle the cooking and the household chores. Xinger will take care of you,” Qin Zhao explained.

“How about Muto?” Cao Xi asked, curious.

Qin Zhao replied, “Let him stay with Ban Li first. He’ll learn a bit before doing other tasks.”

Cao Xi looped her arm around Qin Zhao’s, saying, “Let’s eat.”

Qin Zhao pinched her nose affectionately and instructed Xinger to bring the food in.

“You don’t need to serve me, just sit down,” Cao Xi said.

“Yes, Madam,” Xinger replied.

Qin Zhao served Cao Xi some food and sat down beside her, eating together.

Cao Xi tasted a couple of dishes, feeling that they weren’t quite right.

“Hmm, the food’s okay, but it’s clear it’s not made by you.” The new women were clearly inexperienced, and they were a bit flustered while cooking.

Qin Zhao raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her words.

Cao Xi smiled playfully, picked up some food with her chopsticks, and continued to flatter him. “Your dishes are always my favorite.”

Qin Zhao had long since gotten used to her constant flattery. Still, his heart raced, and his ears couldn’t help but turn red.

He composed himself and replied calmly, “If you like it, I’ll make it for you more often.”

He quickly brought a bite of food to his mouth to cover up the blush on his face.

Cao Xi, seeing that he was embarrassed, couldn’t resist teasing him. “How can I let my husband work so hard? If you can cook one or two meals, I’d be happy enough.”

Qin Zhao suppressed his eagerness, pursed his lips, and picked up some food for Cao Xi.

“What do you want to eat? Just tell me.”

Cao Xi genuinely stopped eating and kissed his red face. Her mouth was still full of food, and her lips, slightly oily, brushed against Qin Zhao’s face.

Qin Zhao was kissed all over his face, and he didn’t get angry. Instead, he held Cao Xi by the waist to keep her from falling.

“Stop teasing me. Let’s finish eating, no more nonsense,” he said, smiling.