Chapter 29: Buying People

Lin Nuo opened the door and let Madam Zhou and the others in.

Looking at her son sitting on the bed eating a lollipop, his little face flushed and his big eyes sparkling, Madam Zhou felt like she was dreaming.

“Mom, I’m hungry. I want to drink porridge,” he said, trying to get out of bed, but the wet nurse was quick and picked him up, placing him back on the bed.

“Okay, okay, I understand, dear.”

“Just eat some light porridge. Child hasn’t eaten for a few days, so his stomach is a bit weak. Let’s start with something bland. After tomorrow, he can have some oily and meaty food,” Lin Nuo said as she prepared to get some food.

“Got it, got it, I’ll remember. Thank you, Miss Lin. I’ll go prepare it right away.”

Saying this, the wet nurse stepped out.

Lin Nuo handed the medicine to Madam Zhou, explaining it clearly. Looking at the small, round pills, Madam Zhou was somewhat lost in thought. She had seen quite a few strange things since she was young, but this was the first time she had seen such pills.

Madam Zhou expressed her gratitude again.

At this moment, her anxiety had faded a bit, and she carefully observed Lin Nuo, feeling that she was different from before. What remained the same was her beauty.

She stood up and pulled Lin Nuo over to have a closer look, examining her several times. Lin Nuo’s face seemed a bit rounder than before, and upon closer inspection, her figure also looked different. There was an indescribable tenderness about her. Finally, her gaze shifted to Lin Nuo’s belly.

At a glance, she was startled. She noticed that Lin Nuo’s abdomen was slightly protruding, and she had a bold guess. She widened her eyes, looking at Lin Nuo in disbelief.

Lin Nuo couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. Smiling, she pulled Madam Zhou down to sit.

“As you guessed, sister-in-law, I am indeed pregnant, three months along.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou’s expression changed repeatedly. Lin Nuo had never mentioned marriage, so how could she suddenly be pregnant? Had something unfortunate happened?

Seeing her face change again and again, Lin Nuo knew she must have misunderstood. She took her hand and said, “Sister-in-law, I didn’t tell you before, but I actually got married over three months ago. However, just a few days after the wedding, my husband was conscripted. Later, my mother-in-law couldn’t accept me, so I had to escape with my brother. My mother died during childbirth, and my stepmother’s family wouldn’t accept me either, so I could only wander far away.” After speaking, her eyes turned red; she didn’t have much feeling for the past, perhaps it was the original owner’s emotions.

“I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.”

After speaking, she looked at Madam Zhou with a guilty expression. She still couldn’t reveal to them that she came from the imperial capital; she wasn’t strong enough yet. She couldn’t take the risk and couldn’t let herself and her brother be harmed, especially since she was pregnant now.

“Do you know? There are actually such in-laws in this world. If they come out, that’s one thing, but otherwise, I would have to bring people over to settle this.”

Then she repeatedly reminded Lin Nuo about the matters of pregnancy. In this era, women giving birth faced great dangers, and if things went wrong, they would have to report to the King of Hell.

After chatting for a while, Lin Nuo finally explained her purpose.

“Sister-in-law, I came to town today to buy a few people to help me. I’m about to move, and I can’t manage the house by myself. Now that I’m pregnant, I have even less time and energy to take care of everything, so I want to buy a few people to help me. However, I’ve never bought anyone before, so I’d like your assistance.”

Hearing Lin Nuo say this, Madam Zhou replied, “Yes, it’s indeed inconvenient for you right now. I know where there’s a place to buy people. Let me tidy myself up and I’ll take you there.”

“Great, no rush. I’ll wait for you, sister-in-law. Take your time.”

After getting ready, the group went to the place to buy people.

Upon arriving, the madam of the place came forward, smiling obsequiously at the group.

Seeing their attire, which indicated they were from a wealthy family, she knew to treat them well.

“Madam, what kind of people are you looking to buy? We have all kinds here.”

Lin Nuo frowned slightly. “Let us look around first.”

After a quick glance, she noticed that many of the people lacked spirit, all huddled in the corners, showing no vitality. Lin Nuo felt a bit disheartened.

She said to the madam, “Do you have anyone a bit older, perhaps a wet nurse or someone with experience? If it’s a girl, I’d prefer one who can read.”

“Oh, isn’t that a coincidence? We just have what you need. They came over from another county yesterday—a family of three. The man can read; he was previously the steward of a wealthy family. The woman was a respected wet nurse in front of the master, and their daughter is 16, literate, and quite pretty.”

“They refuse to be separated and insist on being sold together.”