Out of Money
Bai Ruoli still had tears on her cheeks. She quickly raised her hand to wipe them away, then reached out to tug at Shen Jingchuan's sleeve, her voice trembling with sobs but unusually earnest:
"Young master, I can't let you spend all of this. Over the years, I've secretly saved over three thousand taels of silver, which I deposited in a bank in the Capital and exchanged for banknotes to carry with me. I also have some jewelry and ornaments that I can sell to raise a few hundred taels. I'll give them to you now."
As she turned to walk into the inner room, Shen Jingchuan reached out and grabbed her, his heart aching terribly.
"Silly girl, there's no reason for you to pay. Keep your money safe; I can afford this little bit."
In his heart, he thought, "That's all I have." Shen Jingchuan had only quoted five thousand taels, not because he was unwilling to spend more, but simply because he only had this much cash on hand.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered haggling with the madam; he would have just paid her off.
If the neighbors found out about this tomato incident, it would be a huge embarrassment for a time traveler.
He quickly went through the calculations in his mind just now:
During his time in this world, he wasn't in a rush to make money. It was only later, when he was searching for Spirit Stones, that he became motivated to earn money. But what if he found Spirit Stones but didn't have the silver to exchange for them? He supplied the general store with glass mirrors several times, and after deducting expenses, he managed to save up more than four thousand taels of silver.
The prize money for winning a place in this poetry competition, plus the extra five hundred taels awarded by Prince Jing, came to a mere little over a thousand taels in total.
He couldn't remember exactly how much silver he had on him, but if he was short a little, he still had thirty taels of gold ingots from the poetry competition prize money in his spatial storage, which could make up for it; it would be enough.
Xu Mo and Su Yan, who were sitting next to each other, exchanged a glance and nodded quietly.
Originally, they thought it was just a talented man being romantic and spending money to buy pleasure. But now, seeing Bai Ruoli's sincere eyes, without a trace of pretense, and that she was not greedy for money but instead wholeheartedly wanted to share the burden with Shen Jingchuan.
Everyone felt that although this woman came from a life of prostitution, she was remarkably sincere, and Shen Jingchuan's actions were indeed worthwhile.
Zhou Tong leaned against the table and quietly gave Shen Jingchuan a thumbs-up.
Everyone says that actors are heartless and prostitutes are ungrateful, but Shen Jingchuan is lucky enough to have redeemed someone who is both affectionate and righteous.
Before long, Madam Liu came running back, clutching a yellowed indenture and a pre-written redemption document. She spread the documents on the table, her face beaming with smiles:
"Young master, look, this is Ruoli's indenture, sold from her family years ago. It's all clearly written in black and white. I've also drafted the redemption document. You two can sign it, and this gentleman can be a witness. Then the matter will be settled."
Zhou Tong stepped forward, picked up the document, scanned it, and after confirming there were no traps, nodded to Shen Jingchuan.
Shen Jingchuan didn't say much. He took out a silver note from his pocket (in his spatial storage), counted out five thousand taels, pushed it in front of Madam Liu, and then wrote his name on the document.
Madam Liu picked up the silver note, carefully checked it several times, and then hurriedly pressed her fingerprint on it before respectfully handing the indenture to Shen Jingchuan.
According to the rules of the Great Qian Kingdom, once a prostitute in a private brothel redeems herself, she is considered completely free as long as she returns her indenture, signs a redemption document, and has a witness.
As for going to the government office to remove one's lowly status and change one's identity to a respectable one, these are procedures that need to be completed later and are not urgent. As long as the madam cooperates in providing the necessary certificates, that will suffice.
Shen Jingchuan handed the indenture to Bai Ruoli and said gently, "Pack your things first, and we'll leave when you're done."
Bai Ruoli clutched the thin contract of indenture, her fingertips trembling. This was her dream of over ten years, something she thought she would only realize when she was old and faded, but it had fallen into her hands just like that.
Tears welled up again, this time hot. She nodded vigorously, clutched the indenture, and turned to go into the inner room.
Inside the room, Qinghe followed behind Bai Ruoli, her eyes slightly red, and murmured softly, "Miss, then I..."
Bai Ruoli was folding clothes in her hands, not even raising her head, her tone very firm:
"What's the rush? I've already thought it through. Go and pack all your things, make sure you don't forget anything."
Qinghe's eyes lit up instantly, and she responded crisply, quickly gathering her belongings.
A moment later, the two emerged carrying simple luggage. Bai Ruoli stopped in front of Madam Liu and gave a slight curtsy:
"Madam Liu, Qinghe has been with me for so many years, we're like sisters. Now that I'm leaving, she wants to come with me. Could you please do her a favor and give her her indenture as well?"
Just as Madam Liu had counted the five thousand taels of silver three times and stuffed it into her bosom, she was in a good mood and didn't make things difficult when she heard this. She just chuckled:
"I knew that brat was definitely going to go with you."
As he spoke, he pulled a thin piece of contract paper from his sleeve and threw it on the table:
"I bought her for twenty-eight taels back then, which was already a top price among maids. This girl is pretty, and if I raise her for a few more years and train her a bit, she could make money. Normally, she would cost you at least a hundred taels. Today, thanks to Young Master Shen, I'm giving her to you."
Qinghe quickly stepped forward and gave a deep bow. "Thank you, Madam Liu."
Shen Jingchuan reached out and picked up the indenture, glanced at it, and then handed it to Bai Ruoli.
The maid's indenture was a private contract, not a prostitution contract, so it didn't need to be cancelled by the government; the contract was valid once the ownership changed.
Bai Ruoli took it, then immediately placed it in Qinghe's hand, saying softly, "Keep it; you're free now."
Madam Liu pursed her lips but said nothing—five thousand taels were already in her pocket, and a maid's indenture was nothing compared to that; she was just doing a favor by going with the flow.
The commotion inside the house quickly spread throughout the entire Phoenix Perching Tower. The news spread like wildfire, from the maids in the back courtyard to the waiters in the front hall, and even the girls in other courtyards gathered together to whisper among themselves.
The talented scholar Shen, who won first place at the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering last night, actually stayed in Bai Ruoli's room and took the virginity of the most beautiful of the eight beauties.
What's even more astonishing is that instead of denying their debt, they immediately produced five thousand taels of silver and ransomed the person.
This price is unprecedented, not only in Chang'an City, but also in all the brothels of the entire Great Qian Kingdom. Calling it an astronomical ransom is not an exaggeration at all.
The four top courtesans felt a mix of envy and sourness upon hearing this. After the banquet yesterday, which one of them hadn't considered currying favor with Young Master Shen? But they were ultimately a step too late, and Bai Ruoli beat them to it.
Now, recalling Shen Jingchuan's talent, demeanor, appearance, and his willingness to spend lavishly, they were all filled with deep regret.
Let alone five thousand taels to redeem them, if they could really catch the eye of Young Master Shen, they would be willing to spend not a single penny and even use their own savings to pay him.