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Ch8 - Transaction
The ox-drawn carriage plodded on for more than half a day before Liang Feng realized that he’d been too naive; returning home wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought it’d be. Carriages in this era didn’t have any kind of suspension and the official roads had fallen into disrepair after years of war. Traveling over the bumpy, uneven surface was almost like riding a roller coaster. Even if an ox-drawn carriage was steadier than a horse-drawn, it was still jolting enough to tie one’s stomach into knots.
After Liang Feng resolved his grievances with the Li family, the spring that’d been driving him finally unwound. The moment the last of his strength dissipated, the sickness came back with a vengeance. With the exhaustion and nausea exacerbating his condition, Liang Feng caught a high fever in the late night.
As he drifted in and out of consciousness, Liang Feng dreamed that he was roaming the streets in a Jeep, a couple friends riding along. He dreamed that the drill sergeant was bellowing at him during morning training; he dreamed of his shots hitting the bullseye again and again. He dreamed of how his heart had raced the first time he’d arrested someone. He dreamed of the bars along Lake Houhai flashing with neon lights, and the charming, dolled-up young women.
Liang Feng saw all sorts of recollections replaying in his mind. He was lost in the long corridor of memory, pushing open door after door, looking back on his life through the distance of a thousand years. The images spun by unceasingly, finally settling on a funeral hall. An old man dressed in white was standing by a coffin. His back was unbent, but his head sank low, pressed down by weight unbearable enough to overwhelm an old man who’d never admit defeat.
He stood stiffly before the coffin and brushed its surface with a calloused hand. The soft rasp echoed through the hall.
“Xiao-Feng, you were a good kid, you didn’t shame the Liang family….”
His voice was tremorous, pained, but also heartbreakingly proud. A tear splashed on the ground by his feet.
“Grandpa…” Liang Feng felt like his insides were being wrenched. He wanted to run over, to kneel in apology, and viciously slap himself in the face. He wanted to howl and weep; he wanted to stop this scene of the old sending off the young.
Did he regret? Regret running forward and blocking the explosion? If only he could have realized a second earlier, if only he’d had time to draw his gun, if only he knew sooner that there was another person…. Thousands of if only’s whirled about and tore at his mind. But he knew that given another chance, he wouldn’t do anything differently, he’d sacrifice his life, save the day, because that was his duty, because his comrades had entrusted their lives to him.
He didn’t regret. He was only unwilling to concede!
Liang Feng opened his eyes with a sudden gasp.
“Master! You’re finally awake!”
Liang Feng slowly turned his head towards the sound of choked sobbing and saw a puffy-eyed girl kneeling by his side. It was Lüzhu. He was still in the carriage, still in a world he didn’t belong in…..
“Master! Your fever yesterday was so sudden, I thought you might never wake up!” She cried, “Let’s go back, go back and find a doctor…” Lüzhu was so distressed, her words were getting away from her.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
She’d stayed up the whole night keeping watch over her master, wiping away his sweat and pouring medicine down his throat. There’d been so many times when she’d thought her master might be beyond saving, she almost didn’t believe he’d be able to wake ever again.
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At Liang Feng’s quiet instruction, Lüzhu retrieved the alcohol that had been meant to be used with cold-food powder and sponged him with it. It couldn’t compare to the high alcohol content liquor of the future; its effect was minimal. Lüzhu still had to keep using handkerchiefs soaked in icy water. Despite his condition, Liang Feng didn’t order the carriage to stop. He needed to hurry back to the Liang Estate. Only there would he be able to meet the imperial physician that Wang Wen had sent. Only then would there be hope for his defective shell to keep surviving.
The carriage continued to rattle onward. Liang Feng, wrapped in soft blankets, wavered on the edge of consciousness. Sometimes he saw visions of his past, sometimes he saw Lüzhu’s worried face. The two worlds tangled together, but he didn’t rend them apart. He had no attachments, no longing towards this unreal world that he’d unwittingly trespassed into like a confused, unknowing tourist. He didn’t care at all about this world.
The road ahead was long yet, so long they’d never reach the end. Suddenly, the carriage shuddered to a halt. He heard the sound of conversation.
“Master, the road’s blocked by a group of soldiers who’re transporting slaves.”
Liang Feng lifted the bamboo curtain and looked outside. He saw ten or so men, some squatting, some kneeling, in the middle of the road being castigated by the soldier overseeing them. The blows that rained down on their heads made their dusty forms even more haggard. One person among them was standing up straight and facing the officer head-on. Despite being bound by a large wooden pillory, heavy enough to bend a lesser man’s back, he didn’t retreat a single step. He stood in front of the whip-wielding soldier as if protecting the companions behind him.
Liang Feng’s conscience was prodded by a single glance. He asked, “Who are they?”
“They look like Jie slaves,” ah-Liang immediately replied. “The Ningbei General has been selling Jie slaves recently, I guess they must’ve just been captured.”
“They can be sold and bought at will once they’re captured?” Liang Feng frowned. What dynasty would allow that kind of slave trade? Wouldn’t that force them into rebellion?
Ah-Liang, however, answered as if it was natural as the sun rising from the east, “These last few years, Bing Province and a lot of other places have been suffering from drought and famine. Those Jie slaves are strong, sturdy, and so poor they can hardly eat, of course they oughtta be sold to a rich household, otherwise it’d be worse if they ran about kicking up a fuss.”
Great. Circular reasoning, Liang Feng scoffed self-mockingly. “Well, how about I buy them then?”
Even though it had nothing to do with him, the upbringing he’d received throughout his life didn’t allow him to tolerate slavery. He especially couldn’t watch as others were being forced into a life of subjugation when he himself was trapped against his will in a defective body.
Ah-Liang was somewhat dumbstruck by his words, but Liang Feng had let the curtain down already. He scratched his head and approached the soldiers, for lack of a better option.
“You fucking Jie slaves! You all were spared by the general’s mercy, so know your place!” Corporal Sun lashed his whip about, hopping mad. He’d been to Wu Township many times and captured countless Jie slaves, but he’d never seen one that was asking for a beating as much as this one. He would’ve killed the arrogant slave if it weren’t for the reward money!
The leather whip struck the young man’s face, leaving a red mark. His blue-gray eyes blazed with fury and killing intent. Corporal Sun shivered and reached for his broadsword. He’d bet that he could beat that slave into submission sooner or later!
“Yiyan! Don’t force it, I’m fine…,” someone behind him said timidly as he pulled on his clothes. However, he didn’t back down; he tensed like he was getting ready to tackle.
Just as the situation was about to deteriorate, someone suddenly interrupted, “Sir officer, is your troop shipping these Jie slaves to the market? Would it be possible to sell them to my master instead?”
Corporal Sun paused and took his attention away from the slave. He saw a stocky man walk up to him, a smile on his face. Behind him were three carriages and several servants. It looked like they belonged to a wealthy household. The corporal hadn’t expected to meet a buyer halfway on the road; he weighed his options before pompously announcing, “These slaves are being shipped to Ji Province, how could we sell them here?”
That meant there was room to negotiate. Ah-Liang pushed, “It’s all the same no matter where they’re sold, so why waste the travel expenses? My master wants to buy a few Jie slaves to order about; if you could do him a favor, sir officer….“
Seeing as the steward was being affable, Corporal Sun mulled it over, one didn’t slap a smiling face after all. His superiors had only ordered them to grab people, but there wasn’t a fixed quota. Bringing them back to the commandery capital would only net him two short strings of coin per slave, but he’d get a lot more if he sold them on the sly, even if the money was split between the whole troop.
Once he’d figured it out, he finally grinned and said, “These slaves are in their prime, they could go for ten thousand each in the commandery capital!”
Ah-Liang chewed it over, “Maybe a while ago, but they’re not worth that much anymore, are they? I reckon in Shangdang, they’d only sell for three thousand each.”
“That’s the price nobles get, but what’d you count as?” Corporal Sun squinted sidelong at their traveling party. They couldn’t be that important with carriages that shabby.
“I’ll have you know, my master is a fifth-order marquess!” Ah-Liang’s expression soured. He didn’t care if people looked down on him, but he wouldn’t tolerate insults to his master!
Not expecting that their master was actually an aristocrat, Corporal Sun instantly wilted. He wasn’t clear on all the different ranks those nobles had; all he knew was that he couldn’t afford to offend them.
Corporal Sun relented, “There’s eleven of ’em so I’ll just count it as twenty thousand. They don’t have slave deeds right now, but I can give you a token so you can get it done at the commandery capital.”
Ah-Liang frowned, the price was okay, but the lack of deed was troublesome. He hesitated, then returned to the carriage to inquire, “Master, the corporal said the price is twenty thousand, but that we’ll have to get the deeds done at the commandery capital. I’m worried these soldiers are gonna go back on their word…”
So, eleven living people were only worth the price of a few doses of cold-food powder. Human life was sure cheap in this era. Liang Feng didn’t have much money on him, but the Li family had stuffed twenty thousand into Yan Sheng’s room in order to give truth to the lie that he’d stolen the powder. It was just enough to buy these people. As for the deeds, he didn’t care. Liang Feng coldly scoffed, “It’s fine, I’ll take that deal.”
Orders received, ah-Liang didn’t dally. He handed over the money to Corporal Sun, who beamed at the unexpected windfall. He received the payment eagerly and handed ah-Liang a wooden tablet, “You can use this at the county office to arrange the deeds, just look for County Magistrate Sun.”
County Magistrate Sun was his father’s cousin. Having connections meant that getting a few slave deeds written up was easy as pie, that was what gave him the guts to sell slaves in secret.
Ah-Liang inspected the tablet carefully and nodded, “I’ll lead them away then.”
“Certainly, certainly, here’s the keys to the locks. Best if you wait till you get back before taking them off. Wouldn’t want these uncivilized Jie barbarians injuring the noble.” He yelled to another soldier, “What’re you waiting for? Get ‘em over there!”
The soldiers herded the Jie over to the carriage train like livestock. Corporal Sun saluted in satisfaction then sauntered off with his subordinates.
Most of the Jie were apprehensive after they’d just been sold by the side of the road. Ah-Liang ignored them as he went to the carriage to report, “Bought the slaves just now, master.”
The curtain was shifted slightly as a weary voice said from behind it, “Remove the pillocks then, and give them something to eat.”
Ah-Liang was bewildered; his master wanted to remove the pillocks right now? And give them food? Still, he didn’t dare disobey orders. He bowed in affirmation then turned and said to the Jie, “Master, being benevolent, has ordered for your shackles to come off, so show some gratitude. If you all behave, there’ll be a place for you in the estate once we get back!”
The Jie, who’d been marching on an empty stomach for a whole day, became restless upon hearing that they’d be given food and that their restraints would be removed. The famine was bad enough that being sold to a noble to work the land was better than starving to death out in the hinterlands. There were a few who’d already shuffled over to ah-Liang to see if they could cozy up to their future supervisor.
A limping man tugged at the person standing stupidly beside him and exclaimed excitedly, “Yiyan, we’re saved!”
He absently made a sound of affirmation, but both his eyes were glued to the curtain that had once again been let down. Seeing that it remained unmoving after a few moments, he silently shifted his gaze away.
The author has something to say:
Hahaha, has everyone guessed? XD