Chapter 33: I… I Can Make Him Happy

Hui Niang kept observing the five young women.

Ah lang had good looks, so she hoped to find him a beautiful wife—surely, their children would be good-looking too.

But… with Ah lang barely clinging to life, how could she dare hope for him to carry on the family line?

Only Yu Tingwan was unaware of her thoughts. If she knew, she would surely be muttering complaints in her heart—

—Your son may be weak, but he’s certainly quick when it comes to undressing people.

Madam Chen shot a sidelong glance and scolded, “Why are you all just standing there like fools? Have you lost your tongues? Hurry up and tell the young lady about your backgrounds.”

“Following her will be far better than following me.”

The young women’s hearts skipped a beat. They all knew that Madam Chen never made a losing deal.

Madam Chen was well-known in the north for making a living from this trade and never showing mercy.

Those with good luck might be sold into prestigious households as maids—though they would live at the mercy of their masters, at least they wouldn’t starve. Those less fortunate would be sent to brothels, where losing their innocence would be the least of their worries. If they contracted a vile disease, there would be no hope for them at all.

The girl closest to Hui Niang was the first to understand. Seeing Hui Niang as her lifeline, she immediately fell to her knees.

“My name is Zhaodi, I can do any kind of work.”

“Auntie, please take me in. I’d be willing to work like an ox or a horse.”

Yu Tingwan stood at the doorway, watching from a distance.

The girl’s clothes were tattered, her frame thin and frail, her hair a tangled mess. Her face was covered in grime—who knew how long it had been since she last washed? She looked like she had fled from a famine.

Startled, Hui Niang quickly helped her up.

“That won’t do. We are all people, born of parents, you—”

Before she could finish, the girl’s sobs interrupted her.

“My brother is getting married, but we couldn’t gather enough silver. At first, we thought of arranging a marriage exchange, but my future sister-in-law’s brother found me too ugly. My mother scolded me for holding my brother back and sold me off. She never cared whether I lived or died.”

As she wept, the other girls came to their senses. They rushed forward, each eager to plead their case.

A girl with a sorrowful expression said, “Auntie, look at me. I don’t eat much, so I’d save on food. I’d be willing to be your daughter-in-law.”

Yu Tingwan glanced at the girls, then turned her gaze toward the sickly man lying inside the house.

Wei Shen must have heard everything.

But he didn’t seem to care whether his future wife was round or thin.

Hui Niang’s emotions churned beneath the surface.

Without power or wealth, even the kindest heart was useless.

Who wasn’t struggling in this world? Was she not suffering? Was Miss Wan next door not suffering? These girls’ misfortunes were not her doing—she couldn’t possibly use all her savings to buy their freedom.

Hui Niang sighed. “But I only have one son. I can only afford to buy one.”

She laid everything bare, ensuring the girls knew what they were getting into.

“You’ve probably already heard about my son from his father. He’s inside now—he doesn’t like talking to people, refuses to follow the doctor’s orders, and has a difficult temper. He’s weak and cannot be left alone. As long as my husband and I are alive, his medicine will never be cut off. Having a sick person in the house is difficult, and you should understand that. No one can predict how things will turn out for Ah lang in the future.”

“If I really choose one of you to buy, that person will be our family’s daughter-in-law. Though bought, she will not be treated as lesser. And I am not an evil mother-in-law.”

“There won’t be much work to do at home. My husband and I will handle the fields—my daughter-in-law won’t have to work there.”

In Xilin Village, every new bride was expected to pick up a hoe and work the fields the moment she married in. Hui Niang could easily leave the farm work to her son’s wife while she stayed home caring for Wei Shen.

But she didn’t.

“I do the cooking at home. Whatever we eat, my daughter-in-law will eat. She won’t go hungry. But during the busy spring planting season, she may need to help with the cooking.”

The girls were stunned.

What kind of daughter-in-law received such treatment? Was Hui Niang tricking them?

But no—it wasn’t their choice to make anyway. Madam Chen controlled the trade, not them. Hui Niang had no reason to deceive them.

Yu Tingwan furrowed her brows, feeling a pang of envy. Wei Shen’s future wife would get to eat delicious braised pork intestines the moment she stepped through the door.

She had never even tasted them herself!

Hui Niang continued, “Being a Wei family daughter-in-law isn’t easy. Let me be clear—if you neglect Ah lang and something happens to him, I will not be merciful!”

Yu Tingwan heard Hui Niang explain, “After marriage, your main duty will be to care for Ah lang. He is reserved, but you must talk to him. You must ensure he drinks his medicine after preparing it.”

“When the weather is nice, take him outside to bask in the sun.”

“Oh, and don’t let him near knives, scissors, or anything sharp. He must never touch them.”

Hui Niang was thorough. “Keep him clean and well-groomed. I’ll handle the laundry. Whether it’s one set of clothes or two, it makes no difference to me. If you don’t want to wash your own clothes, just hand them to me—I don’t mind.”

She was efficient and didn’t fuss over trivial matters.

Yu Tingwan fell into deep thought.

Was being the Wei family’s daughter-in-law… too easy?

Wei Shen was sick and unpleasant to talk to, but he was generous.

Yu Tingwan felt a bit melancholic.

If Wei Shen took a wife, he would surely stop tossing eggs to her.

What a shame Madam Chen didn’t sell men. Otherwise, she could have bought herself a husband.

Yu Tingwan: …

Oh, she almost forgot—she was poor.

Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t afford it.

Hui Niang’s words left the girls utterly shocked.

They didn’t even think about looking at Wei Shen’s appearance.

They pushed and shoved, all crowding around Hui Niang.

“Auntie, my cooking skills are excellent! Not just during the busy season—I can handle the kitchen all year round. You can work me as hard as you like.”

“Auntie, I have experience caring for the sick. I nursed my family members when they fell ill, so I can definitely take good care of Ah lang.”

“Auntie, a fortune-teller once said I have the gift of bearing sons. I will surely give Ah lang a fat baby boy.”

Hui Niang was not a harsh person.

She added, “I know—you all see this as your lifeline. Under normal circumstances, who would willingly marry a sickly man? Think it over carefully before you agree.”

“I understand that this is a compromise for my future daughter-in-law, but once she marries in, I will treat her as my own daughter.”

Yu Tingwan’s eyes widened.

A… a daughter?

Madam Chen found this intriguing.

In all her years traveling north and south, meeting all kinds of people—who had ever escaped her grasp unscathed?

But she could tell with a glance—this Wei family couple was truly honest.

Setting down her teacup, Madam Chen wiped her mouth with a cloth. “That would be their good fortune.”

Just then, Hui Niang’s arm was tugged by Yu Tingwan, who had rushed over with excitement.

Yu Tingwan looked at her with bright eyes.

She wanted to say that she could cook.

But… barely passable.

She wanted to say she had cared for the sick before.

But… last time, when she spoon-fed medicine to the ailing Madam Wang, she had nearly sent the woman straight to the afterlife.

Yu Tingwan opened her mouth, then closed it. Opened it again, then shut it.

Finally, she sighed, defeated, and muttered dryly—

“I… I can make Wei Shen happy?”