Chapter 34: Chapter 30, Wang Manman_i
Translator: 549690339
“Are you talking to me?”
Daohua pointed to herself in astonishment, glancing around and realizing that the girl was staring straight at her, her eyes sparkling with pleading and hope. To sell oneself to bury one’s father, according to convention, shouldn’t she have chosen a young master or someone of that sort?
Hearing Daohua’s question, the girl immediately started kowtowing, the ground thudding loudly with the impact: “Please, miss, buy me!”
Daohua didn’t speak and looked the girl over carefully, only then noticing that her eyes were very bright, revealing a firmness and stubbornness uncommon among ordinary young women.
The surrounding crowd turned to look, laughing and pointing at will.
Yan Wentao felt a bit anxious, quickly pulling Daohua behind him and addressing the girl still kowtowing, “Stop kowtowing, it’s cold, don’t hurt yourself. Our family doesn’t lack servants, you should find someone else!” After speaking, he hurriedly pulled Daohua away and quickly squeezed out of the crowd.
At that moment, the Yan Family’s carriage arrived.
“Isn’t it cold outside, come on, get in the carriage!” The voice of Madam Yan floated out from the carriage.
Upon hearing this, Yan Wentao scooped Daohua up under her armpits and hoisted her onto the carriage.
Before getting into the carriage, Daohua looked back at the girl who was selling herself to bury her father, their gazes meeting as the girl’s eyes lingered on her. “Ah…”
Daohua settled into the carriage and fell silent for a while before the carriage started moving, then she turned to Madam Li, “Mother, I don’t have a maid by my side yet, how about we buy that girl?”
She knew that Madam Li had been looking for a maid for her for some time, after all, Ping Tong was her senior maid and had many responsibilities, she couldn’ t always be with her.
Madam Li didn’t immediately object.
It was just a maid; the Yan Family could certainly afford it.
However, when it came to serving her daughter, she hesitated.
Glancing at Madam Yan, Madam Li pondered and said, “Are you sure? Our family only provides one servant for each young lady and young master, if you choose her, you won’t be able to replace her later.”
Daohua nodded her head.
She had taken a look just now and noticed that the girl had rough knuckles, a clear sign she was accustomed to labor.
The maid by her side didn’t need to be too clever, just obedient and good at working.
Seeing that Madam Yan remained silent without objecting and noticing her daughter’s direct gaze, Madam Li thought that if her daughter wasn’t satisfied in the future, they could always change maids, so she lifted the carriage curtain and spoke a few words to the coachman.
The coachman, understanding the signal, immediately took some silver and walked toward the girl.
Madam Li: “Let’s go, He Wu will handle this matter well.”
Daohua, feeling uneasy, lifted the carriage curtain to take a look back.
Seeing that the girl who was selling herself had left with one of their servants, she then lowered the curtain.
“You, oh you!”
Madam Yan tapped Daohua’s forehead, “When will you change this habit of meddling in other’s affairs?”
Daohua, linking arms with the old lady: “I didn’t mean to meddle, but she spoke to me, she even kowtowed to me… I couldn’t just ignore her, could I?” Actually, it was the girl’s stubbornness and the slight unwillingness to give up in her eyes that moved her and made her want to help.
The backyard of the County Governor’s Office.
Madam Li, accompanied by Madam Yan, Daohua, and the members from the third household, had gone to inspect the family properties and ended up buying a girl who was selling herself to bury her father. This news quickly spread among others.
Because of the events from a couple of days ago, even if some were displeased, they dared not voice it.
That evening, after dinner, when Daohua returned to her room, Ping Tong ushered in a new maid.
“Your servant greets the young miss!”
Daohua looked at the maid kneeling on the ground, and with little thought knew who she was. She asked, “Is your father buried well?”
Wang Manman nodded: “He’s been buried, thank you, miss, for lending a helping hand.”
Daohua said, “Alright, no need to kneel, stand up!”
Wang Manman slowly stood up, her head lowered, her demeanor far from timid.
Daohua examined her carefully, neat and tidy, she noticed that the girl was rather attractive, standing straight with an air of vigor.
How old are you, what is your name, and where do you live? Why did you sell yourself to bury your father? Do you have any other relatives at home?” Wang Manman replied, “To answer the miss, I am thirteen this year.” Daohua’s eyes widened: “You’re only thirteen?” She was even taller than Ping Tong. Daohua had thought she must be at least fifteen or sixteen.
Wang Manman: “I followed my father, so I grew taller and stronger.”
Daohua nodded: “Continue.”
Wang Manman: “My name is Wang Manman. There are no other relatives left in my family. My father was a bodyguard, and my mother passed away not long after I was born. Over the years, I’ve followed my father on his assignments, with no home to call my own.”
Daohua: “If your father was a bodyguard, he must have been skilled, so why would he…”
Even in a year of disaster, a capable person should still be able to scrape by.
Wang Manman’s face filled with sorrow: “We encountered a revolt by refugees on the road, our merchandise was looted, and the merchant demanded that my father and his colleagues compensate. We couldn’t pay, and the merchant had them beaten.”
Daohua: “Was your father beaten to death?”
Wang Manman nodded and then shook her head: “After my father was beaten by the merchant, he was seriously injured, and without money for treatment, plus enduring hunger, he fell ill and never recovered.” As she spoke, she began to cry quietly.
Seeing this, both Daohua and Ping Tong looked at Wang Manman with sympathy.
Once Wang Manman’s emotions had stabilized somewhat, Daohua, moved by curiosity, asked, “Tell me, with so many people at the scene today, why did you ask me to buy you?” Daohua and Yan Wentao didn’t dress particularly extravagantly, so why had she chosen her?
Wang Manman glanced at Daohua: “The other people there looked at me and the other two girls as if they were evaluating goods, only miss truly pitied us.” Over the years of following her father around, she had picked up a bit of skill in judging people.
Out of the many people there, it was only in this miss’s eyes that she saw compassion and distress.
It was that concern that made her speak up to sell herself.
Hearing this, Ping Tong laughed: “Your eyesight is really good. Our young lady is indeed a kind-hearted person. You must serve her well in the future.”
Wang Manman looked earnestly at Daohua: “My father told me that a person must keep their word. Since miss helped me bury my father, my life naturally belongs to you now.”
Seeing her speak so earnestly, Daohua felt a bit startled: “It’s not as serious as
you say. You just need to do well the tasks I assign you.”
Ping Tong glanced at Daohua and smiled: “Miss, why don’t you give her a new name?”
Daohua: “Doesn’t she have a name already?”
Ping Tong: “She has sold herself to the Yan family, so her previous name no longer counts. A new master should give her a new name to signify a fresh start.”
Daohua shook her head: “If she didn’t have a name, that would be one thing,
but since she does, let’s just keep it as it is.”
Hearing this, Wang Manman looked at Daohua with gratitude.
Her name was given by her parents, embedded with their love for her, and she didn’t want to change it at all.
Afterward, Daohua asked Wang Manman a few more questions, then had Ping
Tong take her to rest.
Before leaving, Ping Tong said to Daohua: “Big young lady, you should rest early too. The madam has instructed that starting from tomorrow, you will also join the second young lady and the others in attending Master Qin’s classes.” Daohua waved her hand dismissively: “I know, I know!”