Qin Fang had no particular opinion about merchants.

First, unlike the civil officials, the military men did not look down on them.

Second, Qin Fang came from a poor family, and the poor had no right to disdain merchants; in fact, they even envied merchants for being able to eat meat and wear warm clothes.

Therefore, Qin Fang nodded and simply said, “Pretty good.”

However, Aunt Fan felt a bit scared.

She saw that the lady was cultured and gentle, much like the young ladies she had encountered in wealthy households, but she did not know that the gentleman was so tall and strong, and with a stern face that made her somewhat uneasy.

When it came time for dinner, Aunt Fan was too afraid to eat with them, so she waited until they finished before eating.

Although the braised fish was gone, there were leftovers of other dishes—pork belly and egg soup.

For Aunt Fan, even if it wasn’t as good as what she had eaten in wealthy households before, she hadn’t had such a meal since being sold.

After Aunt Fan finished eating and washed the dishes, she went to the courtyard in the bustling market.

Yang Haiyan and Qin Fang were bored, and it was still a bit early to sleep, so they went to the study to read.

Qin Fang could recognize characters and looked at basic books like “Hundred Family Surnames,” while Yang Haiyan read about the history of their country.

After an hour of reading, they both took a bath and returned to bed, where Yang Haiyan recounted the content of the history book to Qin Fang.

Although Qin Fang was not an official of the court, as a citizen of the country, he still had some knowledge of the state affairs, which was beneficial.

Listening to his wife talk about the history of their country gave him a new understanding.

At that moment, Qin Fang realized how fortunate he was to have such a good wife.

Early the next morning, Aunt Fan arrived and took the initiative to go to the kitchen to boil water and prepare breakfast.

Yang Haiyan had already told her the menu the day before: rice porridge, pickled vegetables, and boiled eggs.

After Yang Haiyan finished her exercise, she made a cup of milk powder for herself and Qin Fang with hot water.

As for Aunt Fan, she didn’t make any.

Although she had no classist views, she learned to adapt to the local customs rather than imposing her previous world’s customs onto this one.

After breakfast, Qin Fang went to the military camp without bringing lunch since Yang Haiyan would bring him food later.

Once Qin Fang left, Yang Haiyan took Aunt Fan to the market.

It was quite nice to have someone accompany her, as she didn’t have to carry the basket herself while shopping.

Yang Haiyan bought pig liver, half a chicken, a few loofahs, radishes, peanuts, and eggs.

The variety of vegetables at the market was quite limited.

When Yang Haiyan bought pig liver, Aunt Fan felt conflicted; she couldn’t imagine someone like the lady eating that, but she didn’t voice her thoughts.

When they returned to the military family quarters, they saw Uncle Hong standing at the door with a woman holding a baby.

Seeing Yang Haiyan, Uncle Hong looked a bit nervous: “Madam, this is my wife, Chai Qiuping, and this is our son, who is just half a year old.” Uncle Hong was 32 and had just married and had a child because he married late.

His father had spent a lot of money on his education and illness, and after his father passed away, the family debt fell on him.

He had repaid the debts for many years before finally marrying.

Of course, it was clear that his wife’s family had issues since she hadn’t married for so long.

Yang Haiyan nodded, “Come in and sit.”

Once inside the courtyard, Aunt Fan went to wash the vegetables, while Yang Haiyan led Uncle Hong’s family into the study: “Sit down and talk.”

Uncle Hong quickly said, “Thank you, Madam, I can stand.”

Yang Haiyan didn’t insist: “Standing is fine, but Auntie has been holding the baby outside for a while, so she must be tired.”

Uncle Hong replied, “Thank you, Madam.”

Aunt Hong said, “Thank you, Madam.”

She indeed felt somewhat tired.

Ever since her husband suddenly returned yesterday, she had been in a state of shock.

She was both happy and scared; ever since her husband sold himself for money to treat her illness, she had felt terrible.

But now it was too late; he had already been sold, and the money to redeem him was insufficient.

There was nothing she could do but visit her husband every few days.

As long as he hadn’t been sold, she still had a chance to raise the money.

Fortunately, her husband had injured his leg, so no one wanted to buy him.

Uncle Hong said, “Madam, I would like to ask if my wife and child can also stay in the courtyard in the bustling market? They won’t take up any of the rooms, and we will provide our own food, so it won’t cost you anything.”

Yang Haiyan thought for a moment. “That courtyard is meant for making snacks. What if your wife accidentally sees something and gets curious?”

Aunt Hong was frightened and quickly stood up. “Madam, you can rest assured. I will be mute and won’t say a word.”

Yang Haiyan replied, “But I’m still not assured.”

Aunt Hong looked helplessly at Uncle Hong.

Uncle Hong felt powerless too; after all, he was a servant.

Yang Haiyan continued, “If Aunt Hong is willing to sign a contract of servitude, then I can allow you to live together.”

Uncle Hong quickly protested, “No, no, no, that won’t do.”

Signing a contract of servitude meant entering into slavery.

He didn’t want to put his wife in such a position.

Having a father who was a servant was one thing, but he didn’t want his child to have a mother who was a servant too.

Yang Haiyan said, “Perhaps Aunt Hong signing the contract could raise enough money to treat Uncle Hong’s leg. Furthermore, five years later, whether it’s Aunt Hong or Uncle Hong, I will allow you to buy back your freedom, and the amount will be the same as the contract fee.”

She didn’t see them as mere servants. “After ten years, I can release you from the contract without any payment.”

It would be as if she had hired them but without the contract, although she still felt uneasy about it since they were strangers and there was no foundation of trust.

In Qi Country, there were two types of contracts: a living contract and a dead contract.

When Uncle Hong sold himself to the pawnshop, that was a living contract.

However, a servant with a living contract could not be sold at will, as the master had only the right to use them, not ownership.

On the other hand, with a dead contract, the master had both rights.

Aunt Fan was sold because she was under a dead contract.

Many masters disliked buying living contracts for this reason.

However, while the law stated this, the practical operation was another matter; in a feudal society, power often outweighed the law.

Living contracts could last for five or ten years.

Regardless of the duration, the redemption fee for a servant was several times higher than the initial selling price.

Otherwise, if the master bought a servant and provided food, housing, and monthly allowances, wouldn’t that be a loss?

Uncle Hong was sold to the pawnshop for one tael of silver under a five-year living contract, and the pawnshop sold him to Yang Haiyan for two taels for the same five-year term.

However, if Uncle Hong wanted to buy himself back after five years, it might cost him twenty or thirty taels.

Fortunately, as long as servants did not make mistakes and were honest in their work, masters would not usually charge exorbitantly.

Aunt Hong initially did not want to sell herself; it wasn’t that she looked down on servants, but she worried about how people would perceive her child in the future.

However, upon hearing Yang Haiyan’s words, she was tempted.

If her selling price could treat her husband’s injured leg, she would definitely be willing.

Moreover, hearing that after five years they could redeem themselves at the original selling price and that after ten years she would be free from the contract, she felt hopeful.

Being a servant meant at least her basic needs would be met, while without selling herself, she would still have to worry about food.

In fact, Uncle Hong was also tempted; he was mainly concerned about the treatment for his leg.

If his leg healed, it would be a good thing for both his wife and child.

Yang Haiyan was not a saint, but she was willing to lend a helping hand.

A man who would sell himself for his wife wouldn’t be that bad.

Moreover, if they both worked for her, their efficiency might improve, and Uncle Hong wouldn’t need to worry about his wife at home.

Then Yang Haiyan said, “You can go to the medical clinic first to see if your leg can be treated, and if so, how much it would cost.”

Aunt Hong replied, “Yes, yes, thank you, Madam.”

Half an hour later, Uncle Hong and Aunt Hong returned.

The doctor said the leg could be treated, but the total cost would be considerable—fifteen taels of silver.

Furthermore, during the treatment, Uncle Hong could not do any strenuous work, like farming or hunting.

If he took good care of himself, he could expect to recover in about six months.

Helping out in Yang Haiyan’s courtyard would not be laborious; the most he would do is drive a donkey cart to deliver lunch to Qin Fang.

Sitting in the cart wouldn’t tire him out, so on their way back, they discussed it, and Aunt Hong decided to sell herself.

If they couldn’t sell for five taels, they could use the monthly allowance from Yang Haiyan to pay for treatment gradually.

At least with Uncle Hong’s leg getting better, they would have hope for their future.

After hearing this, Yang Haiyan immediately gave them fifteen taels of silver without hesitation.

Wasn’t it better to have a capable servant in six months?

Moreover, this money was not a gift; two taels were Aunt Hong’s selling price, and the remaining thirteen were a loan to them.

They could repay it by deducting three taels from their monthly allowance for five years, with the final year only deducting one tael.

Aunt Hong and Uncle Hong would have the same monthly allowance, which was 200 wen, giving the couple an annual income of four taels, or 800 wen.

Since their food and lodging were covered, deducting three taels meant they would still have a little extra, which they could save.

They happily agreed, grateful for their employer’s kindness.

Moreover, by the time they redeemed themselves in five years, they would have saved enough for that too.

Even if they were released from the contract ten years later, Aunt Hong felt it was worth it.

Because lunch for Qin Fang was earlier, and now with the donkey cart, there was no need to rush as before.

Before this day, Yang Haiyan had been the only one in the household.

Now, with Uncle Hong and Aunt Hong, along with Aunt Fan, the place suddenly felt much livelier.

Although Yang Haiyan was homebound, in modern times that meant having a computer to pass the time with endless entertainment.

But in ancient times, with no entertainment or computers, life could be quite tough.

Now, with three servants in the house, things felt much better.

Uncle Hong was outside cleaning the donkey cart, which would be his responsibility from now on.

He treated the donkey like a treasure, scrubbing it clean and washing the cart thoroughly.