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Xie shi's Goal
Translated by atsam
Edited by atsam
Xie shi’s face was beaten and she was not very happy. “You are sisters. Do you have such an evaluation of your own sisters? Do you not understand the principle of sisterly affection? I let you read books usually to understand reason. Seeing you like this, are my words like wind past your ears?”
Gu Yue felt wronged, nearly crying. “Mother, I…”
Xie shi didn’t retain the least bit of sentiment. “Quickly apologise to your er jiejie.”
Gu Yue looked at Gu Jiu with a fierce expression.
Gu Jiu looked so sorrowful and heartbroken that she couldn’t support herself, leaning against the chair, her face pale and devoid of blood.
In contrast, Gu Yue had a ruddy complexion. She was clearly younger than Gu Jiu by half a year but she was a little taller than Gu Jiu.
Anyone seeing this would say without doubt that Gu Yue was bullying Gu Jiu, causing Gu Jiu’s illness to aggravate.
What was Gu Jiu’s illness?
Of course it was physical weakness.
What were the symptoms of this illness?
Of course it was to not be angry in the least. When she was bullied, she would instantly feel sad. Her weak body couldn’t bear it, letting her lie down for several days.
It was unclear whether Gu Jiu had this problem before.
Anyway, the present Gu Jiu definitely, for sure, had this problem. Extremely fragile.
“Er meimei, did someone bully you?”
Gu Ting rushed in impatiently. Gu Jiu’s heart thumped. Why did her brother come here?
It was not the right time for him to come.
Gu Ting looked at Gu Yue fiercely. “San meimei, did you bully er meimei?”
Gu Yue burst into tears, seizing this chance to break away from the embarrassing situation.
“Presumptuous!”
Xie shi attacked immediately, slapping the table, scolding Gu Ting angrily. “San lang, why are you being unreasonable? Rushing in unannounced, have you learnt any rules?”
Gu Ting had a crabby temper and only listened to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu hurriedly gave him a meaningful glance, stopping him from causing trouble.
Even if Gu Ting was dissatisfied, he lowered his head. “Greetings to taitai. I was only worried about er meimei.”
Xie shi was furious. ”Absurd! Can someone bully er guniang under my watch? I see you haven’t learnt the rules well. Let laoye discipline you properly.”
Gu Ting lowered his head and said nothing. He looked at Gu Jiu secretly, concerned.
Gu Jiu’s heart warmed. This brother was rude and impetuous but everything was because he was worried about her.
“Taitai, gege knows his mistake.”
Gu Jiu sighed. She had to let Gu Yue off for now. Otherwise, she could have peeled a layer of her skin.
Xie shi stared at her with a smile that wasn’t a smile. “Is er guniang uncomfortable?”
Gu Jiu said weakly, “I’m still a little uncomfortable. But when I see my brother, my heart feels relieved and happy.”
“So that’s the case. The relationship between you and your brother is quite profound.”
“Just like san meimei, liu ge and ba di. Children of the same parents naturally have deep feelings.”
Hearing this, Xie shi raised her brows and smiled. Gu Jiu unexpectedly understood things so clearly.
“Since san lang has come, sit down. There is a shortage of manpower in the household. I intend to add a few clever and sensible maidservants. Er guniang, do you have any preference?”
Gu Jiu looked at the fresh faces. “I request taitai to allow me to choose slowly.”
Xie shi smiled. “There is no hurry.”
Gu Jiu wasn’t in a hurry to decide. She wanted to see what Xie shi was plotting.
Among the twenty girls, the most stunning was was the slim girl standing in the front. Truly a natural beauty, so charming, as if created by the heavens.
Why did she need to sell herself as a slave with such an outstanding appearance? Relying on her looks, it was a matter of minutes before she could become the concubine of a wealthy master. Why was she a slave?
Was it that she didn’t have any origins?
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but think about this girl several times.
Jiang Yan had her head lowered and didn’t dare to look up rashly.
Through the war of words between the young ladies earlier, she was able to open her eyes, realising that her elderly woman’s words of caution really weren’t shooting without aim.
Wanting to work for a big family wasn’t easy.
Jiang Yan had always been beautiful. She was very good at exploiting her good looks for benefits.
Her parents were honest farmers with nothing special about them. But they gave birth to such a beautiful daughter.
Everyone said that a golden phoenix had flown out of a chicken nest and the Jiang family would prosper.
Because of her beauty, the family doted on her, treating her like a treasure, reluctant to make her work in the fields.
All was well but since last spring, her native town met with a disaster.
Finally, in the beginning of spring this year, her family was unable to open the pot.
The rich Landlord Li who wanted to take her as a concubine, gave a betrothal gift of one hundred taels of silver.
With this hundred taels, the Jiang family could live. They could also buy a house and also help her big brother and second brother marry.
But Jiang Yan was unwilling. She disliked Landlord Li’s old and ugly appearance.
Even if she really wanted to become the concubine of an old man, she wanted him to be from an aristocratic or official’s family.
It was simply a fantasy for a little landlord to want to marry her.
Jiang Yan had big dreams. Her family advised her repeatedly but were unable to persuade her.
Seeing that they were going to starve and flee from the famine, Landlord Li pressed them harder.
Jiang Yan simply gritted her teeth, found a middleman and signed a five-year contract, selling herself for ten taels of silver and arranged for her family’s livelihood.
She was tossed about, finally entering the city walls where she was trained for three months by an elderly woman. Finally, she entered a great family’s fu to look for work.
Jiang Yan treasured this opportunity. She was also clever. She had already seen that the er guniang spoken about by everyone wasn’t born of taitai but she had a lot of courage and means.
Jiang Yan couldn’t help but glance at Gu Jiu, just as the other looked at her. Jiang Yan was flustered and she hastily lowered her head.
Standing beside Jiang Yan was her fellow townsperson Guo Taohua.
Guo Taohua had average looks. She was a little short and skinny. Her hair was yellow. She appeared undernourished.
Her hands were covered with calluses from several years of doing heavy manual labour.
Guo Taohua’s family was extremely poor, so poor that they had to sell their daughters.
Her parents in the Guo family initially wanted to sell their two little daughters but Guo Taohua couldn’t bear to see her sister being sold at such a young age. So she sold herself, signing a death deed, and entered the city.
She didn’t think too much. She just thought that if a wealthy family would buy her, let her work for a living, give her food to eat, and pay her every month, she could save some money and send it back to her family.
Xie shi’s eyes swept across these twenty girls. She more or less knew the situation already.
The middleman stood in front of Xie shi. “Taitai, is there anyone who catches your fancy? If there isn’t, I will bring another batch tomorrow.”
Xie shi asked faintly, “Are they all trained?”
“Taitai, be at ease. They have all been trained well. They can be commanded the moment they are bought.”
“En.”
Xie shi sipped on her tea, saying, “Extend your hands.”
Twenty girls extended their hands at once. Their nails had been clipped and their hands were clean. There were a few pairs of hands that were fair and tender, which were eye-catching, including Jiang Yan’s.
There were also several cracked and calloused hands which were also very conspicuous.
Xie shi raised her hand slightly, pointing casually. “This, this… leave these few behind.”
The middleman was elated. “Taitai has good vision. Why aren’t you all hurrying to thank taitai?”
“Kowtow to taitai.”
Being chosen, Guo Taohua was stunned. She mechanically knelt and kowtowed.
Jiang Yan was calm. She was a little disappointed that she wasn’t selected. But if she wasn’t chosen here, there was still the next time.
Xie shi said again, “I remember that there aren’t any maids in san lang’s room. Why don’t we choose two for you right now to take back?”
Xie shi pointed at Jiang Yan. “San lang, do you like this servant? She is quite pretty.”
Gu Jiu looked at Jiang Yan’s charming face. She instantly realised. Xie shi’s purpose for buying maids this time was not for her but for her older brother.