GBP Chapter 55 Buying People Again
Chapter 55 Buying People Again
Song Jiaojiao wanted to know more, so she said, "You're here because you're short-handed at home and need help."
"Yes, yes, yes, look at my mouth! So, what are your requirements for Miss Song today?" Granny Xu chuckled and slapped her lips twice.
Song Jiaojiao didn't answer Granny Xu's question immediately. Instead, she looked at the group of people in the courtyard and asked, "Are they all refugees from famine, and all farmers?"
"That's not necessarily true. There are all sorts of people on the road of fleeing famine, but those who can get here must have some skills. If they had other options, they wouldn't have sold themselves into slavery."
"You said it's a snow disaster, but I haven't seen any disaster victims outside the town?" Song Jiaojiao asked疑惑地问道, thinking that she hadn't seen any disaster victims in the town.
"Of course we don't have any here. The disaster victims were stopped in Tongan County and are all outside the county seat. The county magistrate is worried about this. These people were all bought from outside the town by the higher authorities."
Granny Xu didn't hide anything, telling what she knew, half true and half false. The fact that she was able to bring disaster victims into the city during such a tense time showed that the owner behind Fengtang was not to be underestimated.
Hearing this, Song Jiaojiao had a general idea. "Are these people selling?"
"Madam Song wants to buy these people? Selling is fine, but they only arrived today and haven't been trained yet. Madam Song should think it over carefully." Granny Xu was naturally pleased to hear Song Jiaojiao's words, after all, they hadn't even used a single grain of food yet.
However, he didn't show it on his face, and instead looked worried, advising Song Jiaojiao to think it over more.
"It's alright, let me see if there's anything I need." Song Jiaojiao thought that this was perfect, perhaps there were people here who were experts in poultry.
"Alright then, please go ahead, Madam Song." Seeing that Song Jiaojiao had her own plans, Granny Xu didn't say anything more.
Song Jiaojiao walked up to the group of people, who included men, women, and children. But they all had one thing in common: they were thin, very thin, and as thin as bones. They were also dressed in tattered clothes, wearing autumn clothes in such cold weather. Their clothes were worn out and could not keep out the cold at all.
“Among you, whether you are illiterate or not, if you know how to feed poultry or have experience in planting fruit trees, men or women, please step forward.”
After Song Jiaojiao finished speaking, no one moved. Granny Xu was furious. She thought they were all hopeless and said angrily, "Are you all deaf? Didn't you hear what Madam Song said? It's your good fortune that Madam Song has taken a liking to you. If you miss this opportunity, you won't have another chance."
Upon hearing Granny Xu's words, the group began to move. Quite a few people came out, both men and women.
"Raise your head first so I can see." Although Song Jiaojiao didn't know how to choose people, a person's appearance would more or less reflect their personality.
All I saw were faces covered in dust.
Song Jiaojiao: ......
I forgot they just arrived and haven't even settled in yet.
Fine, Song Jiaojiao told them to line up according to their age, with those under eighteen standing on one side and those over eighteen on the other.
There were only three people under the age of eighteen, one girl and two boys. Song Jiaojiao asked them if they could read and what they used to do.
The two men were farmers and illiterate, but the woman was literate. Song Jiaojiao looked at her hands and saw that there were no calluses, only recent new wounds.
Looking up at her face, Song Jiaojiao could vaguely make out that she was a girl from a modest family. If she were left here and cleaned up, she might not have a good ending. Thinking of this, Song Jiaojiao told her to wait aside.
Song Jiaojiao, who was over eighteen, asked those who were good at raising poultry and those who had planted fruit trees. Two women and one man came out, all around forty years old.
After asking some basic questions and confirming that they were farmers, they were asked to stand with the woman.
Before Song Jiaojiao could say anything, she saw a man kneel down with a thud.
"Please, Madam, take me in. I used to work as an accountant and a waiter. If it weren't for this terrible snowstorm, I wouldn't be stranded here. I beg you to take me in, Madam, and I will do my utmost to serve you." He then began to kowtow.
Seeing that Song Jiaojiao looked displeased, Granny Wang was afraid that he would ruin her business, so she quickly gave a look to the big man at the door, signaling him to pull him up.
"What are you doing? Madam Song dislikes kneeling at the drop of a hat. If you were capable, Madam Song would want you."
Song Jiaojiao noticed that the man in front of her was dressed better than the others. Due to the large movements he had just made, his exposed neck was quite fair, which didn't seem like someone who had fled famine. Looking at his shifty eyes and his hands clenched nervously, she feared he might be a troublemaker.
“I’m just a farmer, I don’t need an accountant. With your talent, you’ll find a good place to go.” After saying that, Song Jiaojiao walked up to the man she had seen earlier.
The man in front of me was a full 1.9 meters tall, a typical northerner, and quite large. He was the least dressed among the group, but the least afraid of the cold, except for a scar on his face that made him look fierce.
Being fierce is good; even if he doesn't know martial arts, his face alone can intimidate many people.
"Do you know martial arts?" Song Jiaojiao asked him, tilting her head back.
"No, it's just that my family used to be hunters, so I'm quite strong." The man's voice was booming, echoing in Song Jiaojiao's mind.
Song Jiaojiao: ......
There's no need to shout so loudly when we're so close.
Song Jiaojiao asked him to come out and wait to the side. Looking at the five people she had chosen, Song Jiaojiao said, "I am just a country bumpkin. I chose you to work. If you are not willing, you can go back now. Once the indenture is completed, it will be too late to regret it."
After Song Jiaojiao finished speaking and waited a while, seeing that no one came out, she continued, "Do any of you have family members here?"
Only the hunter behind him brought out a skinny boy who looked like a stick. Looking at the two standing together, Song Jiaojiao wondered if the hunter had stopped feeding him.
After looking at the six people, Song Jiaojiao turned to Granny Xu and said, "I've chosen the people. Granny Xu, name your price."
When Granny Xu saw that six people were gone, she smiled even more obsequiously, "Hey, I'm an old friend of Madam Song's. How about this, we'll all be charged at seven taels, for a total of 42 taels."
After thinking about it, Song Jiaojiao agreed, since it was about what she had expected. Once Granny Xu had completed the formalities and she received the indenture, she paid the money and left with the person.
Seeing that the crowd was starving, Song Jiaojiao first asked Wang Hefan to buy steamed buns. After glancing at the hunter's large figure, she asked Wang Hefan to take someone to buy thirty steamed buns.
Then he took the rest of the people to Buzhuang and told them to wait outside. He wasn't worried about them running away, as the laws of the Great Jin Kingdom were particularly harsh on runaway slaves, and without household registration documents, they couldn't even leave the county.
She bought a lot of cotton and linen fabric so that they could make clothes and quilts themselves when they got back. Because the quantity was so large, Song Jiaojiao left her address and asked the fabric supplier to deliver the fabric to her door.