Trouble Finds Me Like an Ant

Two days later, Jiang Shouyi walked into Anqiu City carrying the two children, and he could be said to have wept with joy!

In these past two days, he had only slept for a few hours, and for the rest of the time he was basically hurrying on the road.

Seeing that the female infant only drank rice gruel, her cries growing weak as she was on the verge of starving to death, he finally managed to enter the city.

Langya Commandery had nine counties. Apart from the administrative seat of Kaiyang City, the only ones with a large number of stationed troops were Anqiu.

Precisely because there were official stationed troops who were unafraid of refugees causing chaos, the city gates had not been tightly sealed.

Yet there were still disaster victims everywhere, and countless people had frozen to death.

By the roadside in the city, countless people were numbly curled up in the alleys. Soldiers were patrolling the streets, and at the same time, some sturdier disaster victims were being organized to clear corpses outside the city, shovel snow, and clear paths.

The disaster victims who took part in the cleanup work could undoubtedly have a full meal.

Jiang Shouyi sighed, found an alley, huddled together with some people to ask around, and learned that the local noble families of Anqiu would distribute porridge to provide disaster relief every afternoon. These disaster victims all relied on that thin porridge to survive until today.

During the porridge distribution, stewards would also pick people from among the disaster victims. Those who were suitable could sell themselves into a household in exchange for a few dou of rice and flour.

Jiang Shouyi licked his lips and pondered.

It was evidently extremely difficult for a female infant to be sold to someone as a commoner's daughter, and the current situation could not be dragged out any longer.

Since that was the case, it would be better to sell her to a major clan. Even if it was to be a slave or a maid, at least food and warmth would definitely not be lacking.

However, after all, he intended to raise Yan Nu personally, so he wouldn't sell himself together with them, watching over Xue'er as she grew up.

As for Xue'er being sold to someone, he wouldn't be able to see what kind of life she had in the future and wouldn't be able to help her, so only by her becoming a commoner would he feel at ease.

Yet in this year of great calamity, human life was worthless, and Xue'er was a female infant besides. Who would want to take her in as a daughter?

Sigh, I'll do my best, he wore a bitter expression. The child was about to starve to death, and he could only do his best.

"Old man, the appearance of these two children of yours is so good. Why don't you find Zhang the Broker to ask?" The disaster victim who had been asked saw that the children in Jiang Shouyi's arms were bright and spirited with exceptionally good skin, so he introduced a person to him.

"Zhang the Broker?"

Under the guidance of the disaster victim, Jiang Shouyi found an agency.

It turned out that besides the stewards from the local noble families collecting people, there were also some merchants and agency people picking from among the disaster victims.

Countless disaster victims were unable to survive, so selling oneself was extremely cheap. Many agencies that specialized in trafficking servants were like cats that had smelled blood, wandering around the major gathering places for displaced people.

Zhang the Broker was one of them. The first glance he cast at Jiang Shouyi caused him to furrow his brows straight into a frown.

An old, useless man, and what he brought was actually an infant. Infants were the most worthless—not yet weaned, what did one want them for, and one still had to raise them!

Only those over ten years old could be sold for a good price.

However, when his gaze landed on the infant in his arms and he looked closer, a smile appeared.

"Good goods!" Zhang the Broker was in his old line of work, having seen countless people with an eyesight that was fiercely sharp!

Even if it was just an unweaned child, he could still tell what their skin and features were like.

Yet these two children were simply like jade dolls.

The female infant looked like she had been hungry for a long time and her skin had lost its luster slightly, but with careful nurturing, she would definitely be an absolute beauty in the future.

"Selling a child or entering a household?" Zhang the Broker asked.

Some disaster victims might still have fields at home and be commoners, so even when fallen on hard times, they merely sold a child in exchange for money and grain to survive.

As for other disaster victims, they already had nothing left and often simply moved their whole family to enter someone else's household as slaves, so as to avoid the separation of flesh and blood.

"Selling a child..." Jiang Shouyi replied softly.

Before winter, he had already sold his farmland and entered the household of the Zhang clan of Hua County, becoming a lowly commoner. However, during the snow disaster, the Zhang clan hadn't bothered with him either, since tenant farmers were a dime a dozen anyway.

Therefore, as long as he could survive, it didn't matter if he didn't go back.

"Good. Put the two children down, and you can collect eight dou of rice," Zhang the Broker waved a hand, looking extremely generous.

In a good year, no one would exchange two children for eight dou of rice, but now, many surrounding disaster victims revealed looks of envy, because when they sold their ten-year-old children, they only got two or three dou of rice in exchange. Eight dou was enough to tide them over for a month.

Jiang Shouyi froze, then said, "Even if it were a mud doll, it couldn't be sold for just eight dou of rice!"

"Does a mud doll need to eat? Such a tiny child—this old man still has to find a wet nurse. Raising her to adulthood doesn't cost money?" Zhang the Broker was extremely overbearing, completely failing to take Jiang Shouyi seriously. He had no idea that this old man had just slaughtered a top-tier pugilistic expert two days ago.

Jiang Shouyi hugged the child tighter and said, "I'm not selling to you!"

Zhang the Broker was somewhat surprised, then came to a sudden realization and said, "Fine, I'll give you another three hundred wen."

He didn't really care about adding a little bit. In this sort of year, three hundred wen might not necessarily buy three dou of rice.

These two little dolls' appearances were simply too good; he didn't want to miss out.

Yet Jiang Shouyi still shook his head, and this time Zhang the Broker grew annoyed. "Old man! You think you can bargain? This is already this old man showing boundless mercy! If you don't sell, starve to death then!"

"Slap!" Jiang Shouyi slapped down a string of cash and said, "Introduce me to a good family, one that can take her in as a daughter."

He wasn't selling the child for money, only because he truly couldn't feed her anymore. From the conversation just now, he knew Xue'er could not be sold to this person.

"Hey, you old man!" Seeing him give money, Zhang the Broker was momentarily dumbfounded.

With money, yet still selling a child? He immediately looked Jiang Shouyi over carefully and suddenly froze.

It turned out that all along the road, Jiang Shouyi had slept embracing the snow. When he had just arrived, he was like a snowman, indistinguishable from the disaster victims outside.

But the moment he slapped down the string of cash and shook the accumulated snow from his body, Zhang the Broker instantly saw the fur robe on the old man's body clearly.

Although it was only sheepskin fur, the workmanship was good. This entire outfit was worth two or three strings of cash—not something an ordinary commoner could afford to wear.

So it wasn't a displaced refugee selling a child, but rather a real customer had arrived?

As a famous broker in Anqiu, Zhang the Broker's main business was still acting as an intermediary.

"So that was it. It was I who lacked manners. Old man, follow me inside to talk... Someone, serve tea!" A referral fee of one string of cash was already enough to make him meet him with a smiling face.

Jiang Shouyi entered the inner room and made his intentions clear, causing Zhang the Broker's brows to instantly knit together.

Good heavens, in this sort of year, even the supply of servants exceeded demand, and he was still hoping someone would buy a child back to be their daughter?

Someone lacking a son might perhaps be introduced to someone, but who wanted a daughter?

"Old man, you're already selling the child, why still fuss over whether she has commoner status? Mm, I can still think of a way for this boy."

Regarding Zhang the Broker's words, Jiang Shouyi was mentally prepared, and immediately stated, "If worst comes to worst, I won't sell for now... I'll hire a wet nurse for a few days first. This child is utterly starved."

"This..." Zhang such Broker was somewhat unwilling. He didn't want to miss a budding beauty with such good looks.

As long as she was sold into a wealthy, prestigious clan, he could turn around and make a hefty profit. Even if he were just the middlemen, he would rake it in.

"Old man, why stubbornly cling to commoner status? Selling her into a noble, aristocratic family to be a slave—isn't that also very good?"

"I'm telling you, just a few days ago, the Zhu family of Anqiu wanted to buy a female infant. I don't know what for, but they offered an extremely high price, and the requirement was simply that her looks had to be good."

"I delivered one at the time, also a budding beauty, but compared to the porcelain doll in your arms... Bah! There's simply no comparison!"

"I don't know if they still want any. Old man, if you agree to sell her to the Zhu family, you can get ten strings of cash at the very least!"

Zhang the Broker tried desperately to bewitch him, hoping to sell this female infant to the Zhu family.

Jiang Shouyi sighed. "To be a maidservant?"

He was extremely conflicted. Of course he knew his request was laughable, so if worst really came to worst, he would truly have no choice but to sell her to a noble, aristocratic family as a maid.

Zhang the Broker replied, "That's absolute rubb—"

He was just about to say absolute rubbish, but turning his eyes, he changed his words. "If... if we must speak of it... the Zhu family did not explicitly state that they wanted a maidservant..."

"The Zhu family is a major noble clan right here in our Anqiu. The head of the clan serves as the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince at court, while among the brilliant talents of the younger generation, one is the current Anqiu County Magistrate, and another serves as the Langya Commandery Five-Camp Commandant... They are all extraordinary, renowned scholars and talents."

"Such a noble clan does not lack servants. This time, they wish to buy an adoptive daughter... to prepare for future marriage alliances! That's why they demanded good looks, and only wanted infants!"

As he spoke, Zhang the Broker even convinced himself.

In truth, the adoptive daughter stuff was all a guess, but it wasn't impossible either. Since he was hoodwinking the old man, he simply stated it as the truth.

Jiang Shouyi was overjoyed—an adoptive daughter would do just as well! He couldn't manage things like marriage alliances anyway, but at least those people would properly educate and nurture the child!

In the future, she would be a young lady of a great family, a daughter of a prestigious clan! What else was there to say? He wouldn't find such good fortune even if he searched with a lantern!

This was already the most perfect destination for Xue'er that he could possibly imagine!

"Really? You said before that it was impossible for anyone to want..." Jiang Shouyi doubted slightly.

Without a red face or short breath, Zhang the Broker said, "That was because such good fortune had already been missed! I delivered one female infant before, but yours is even better! I think we can ask! After all, raising one is no different from raising two!"

"Good, good, good... Ask! Hurry and ask!" Overjoyed, Jiang Shouyi nodded repeatedly.

The corners of Zhang the Broker's mouth split into a grin. "Follow me!"

He called for a carriage to be driven, leading the old man directly toward a luxurious, grand estate in the city.

Upon reaching the place, Zhang the Broker stepped down first, tidied his attire, and stepped up to knock on the gatehouse door. "Old Man Tan, are you in? This humble one is Zhang the Broker..."

This was the servants' back door of the Zhu Mansion. An old gatekeeper emerged, looking down at Zhang the Broker and Jiang Shouyi.

"What is the business?"

Zhang the Broker bowed humbly, piling on a smile. "Old Man Tan, a few days ago Miss Xiangyun entrusted this humble one to scout out a female infant for your esteemed mansion. Today this humble one has discovered even better goods; compared to the one delivered last time, it's simply like fireflies beside the bright moon!"

"The person has been brought. Sorry to trouble Old Man Tan to pass along word; this humble one will wait right outside the gate."

The so-called Miss Xiangyun was actually the personal maidservant of the Zhu family's eldest young master's concubine, yet even with such a status, Zhang the Broker had to address her as Miss.

Old Man Tan was stunned. "Scouting for a female infant?"

"You didn't know?" Zhang the Broker blinked his eyes and said, "Two days ago this humble one delivered a female infant, and Miss Xiangyun even came out personally to collect her... Oh, you weren't about that day..."

As he spoke, Zhang the Broker also felt something was a little amiss.

He remembered that Xiangyun had once warned him to forget about this matter and not speak of it to outsiders. Could it be that even the people within the estate had been kept in the dark?

"Wait right here!" Old Man Tan turned and went back inside the estate.

Meanwhile, outside the gate, Zhang the Broker shivered. The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt, and the more terrified he became!

If they were taking in a maidservant, there was nothing to hide; if they were taking in an adoptive daughter, they only needed to keep it from outsiders. As a gatekeeping steward, Old Man Tan was naturally a trusted person within the estate, so there was no need to conceal it from him either.

Therefore, keeping it from Old Man Tan actually meant keeping it from the entire estate!

There had to be some scandalous secret of the Zhu Mansion's inner courtyard tied up in this, yet he had actually blundered right into it.

"I'm finished! I'm finished! This is a disaster! I must have had my brains scrambled by ghosts!"

Zhang the Broker hated himself for not thinking of this sooner. To think he had told Jiang Shouyi just for money—and that was whatever.

He had actually brought people right to their doorstep, eagerly thrusting the matter back into the gatekeeper's face.

Taking his life for people inside the Zhu Mansion wouldn't even be as hard as slaughtering a chicken!

"Just wait right here... I'll go and return swiftly." Smiling stiffly, Zhang the Broker placated Jiang Shouyi into staying while preparing to make a run for it immediately.

He didn't even drive the carriage, lest Jiang Shouyi suspect anything; he wanted Jiang Shouyi to block the blade first and buy him a moment of time.

Sensing something strange, Jiang Shouyi grabbed him directly. "You have to stay. What kind of sense does it make for you to dump me here and leave?"

"Dammit, can't you just let people inspect your goods yourself? Let go!" Zhang the Broker grew somewhat anxious, yet he couldn't break free from Jiang Shouyi's grip.

As it turned out, over the past two days Jiang Shouyi had eaten and drunk his fill, and coupled with the fact that Chen Hu's medicine was truly efficacious, the injuries on his body had healed for the most part. Thus, his physical strength was simply not something a flabbily fat fellow like Zhang the Broker could compare to.

On this freezing winter day, sweat broke out on Zhang the Broker's head, making Jiang Shouyi all the more suspicious. Yet not knowing what was going on, he simply refused to let him leave.

"Fine, fine, fine, let's go! Let's get out of here right now!"

"Xiangyun scouting for a female infant—it wasn't the Zhu family wanting an adoptive daughter at all. This matter was kept hidden from the entire household. I'm afraid it involves the struggles of the inner courtyard, and the concubine is probably going to pull off a scheme to swap a civet cat for a prince..."

As Zhang the Broker spoke, he had already imagined countless dramatic scenarios, concluding that specially preparing a female infant was likely meant to replace a son born to another woman!

"You've thought wrong there." Suddenly, a icy-cold voice arrived.

Trembling, Zhang the Broker turned his head to see a sword-wielding maiden in green robes walking out, a plum blossom stuck in her hair carrying a faint fragrance.

"M-Miss Xiangyun, this humble one knows his mistake..." Zhang the Broker's legs went soft, and he collapsed straight to his knees.

Xiangyun's face was like frosted ice, her voice chillingly cold. "Old Man Tan knew his mistake as well. What kind of thing are you?"

Hearing these words, Zhang the Broker's teeth chattered and rattled, driven to the absolute depths of despair.

Since Old Man Tan was the gatekeeper yet hadn't returned, he had undoubtedly already met with foul play.

If even an old hand of the estate like Old Man Tan was killed without a second thought, how could Xiangyun ever spare him?

"Run!" Knowing he was doomed and refusing to waste any breath, Zhang the Broker fled for his life with all his might.

Yet he had barely run a few steps when Xiangyun raised her hand slightly, and a flash of red light was visible as Zhang the Broker collapsed to the ground.

Landing alongside him at the same time was a blood-stained flower petal!

"Hiss!" Jiang Shouyi drew in a sharp breath. It was too fast; he hadn't even seen how Xiangyun had flicked the flower petal out!

That was a flower petal! It was precisely the plum blossom worn in Xiangyun's hair. In this season, if a woman wished to wear flowers, there was only the Snow-Defying Cold Plum Blossom.

Xiangyun had long since intended to kill with it, gently snapping off a petal and holding it in her hand at some unknown moment—likely because she was unwilling to stain her own sword.

Such a fragile object easily slit a man's throat, completely beyond the imagination of someone like Jiang Shouyi.

The fragile, soft flower petal killed as swiftly as a flying knife, and after killing it was completely undamaged, even drifting down gently without any surplus force to fly any further. Everything was just right.

Anyone could tell that what was displayed behind this was extremely formidable martial arts. Just how old was Xiangyun? Ten-odd years old? Was this what martial artists from genuine noble clans were truly like?

Feeling the killing intent washing over him head-on, Jiang Shouyi knew he was next, and could not help but fall into despair.

Yet he was not afraid of death. Seizing the moment while he could still speak, he hurriedly shouted, "This old man truly knows nothing! You can kill me, Miss, but please take in these two children, even if it's just to be slaves or maidservants..."

p.s: Apologies.