Chapter 3: Selling Oneself

Chapter 3: Selling Oneself

Ambition soars to the heavens, but one's fate cannot be self-determined.

Meng Yuan had been in this world for a month, constantly on the run, and had never had a full meal.

He didn't know much about this world, but a few days ago, while burning books for warmth in an abandoned house, he discovered that the characters were the same as in his previous life, but the historical records of the dynasties were different.

This place was called the Kingdom of Qing, established nearly five hundred years ago, and now it was in turmoil.

In this world, there were Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist Masters, as well as monsters that could devour an entire city, and peerless sword immortals.

Meng Yuan had arrived through a crossing, with nothing to rely on except for a strange essence fire within his body, the location of which he didn't know. But whenever he thought about it, he could sense it.

Due to the constant fleeing in recent days, his body had become weak, and the essence fire had nourished him, but its power was gradually diminishing, shrinking to a tiny spark.

Now, after eating a bowl of hot tofu, his body warmed up, and the spark grew slightly stronger.

This essence fire was closely connected to his body. As long as he was healthy, the essence fire could draw nourishment from his food and gradually grow stronger.

But Meng Yuan didn't know how strong it could become or what its potential uses might be.

However, Meng Yuan knew that in this difficult situation, he needed to find a way to get a full meal first, and then he could consider nurturing the essence fire.

"Starting with an empty bowl is worse than weaving straw mats and selling shoes!" Meng Yuan sighed, seeing that Old Man Jiang and his grandson were still eating with their heads down, so he simply picked up his empty bowl and asked the stall owner to refill it with hot water from the cooked tofu.

Holding the bowl and sipping the hot water, Meng Yuan started chatting with the stall owner.

Currently without skills, distant relatives, or money, the young man with nothing to his name was unwilling to sell his body, so he could only sell his strength.

This place was called Songhe Prefecture, adjacent to the Canglang River, where water transportation thrived. Perhaps he could find a short-term job at the docks.

But after a brief inquiry, he learned that the water level of the Canglang River had dropped, and with fewer boats sailing during winter, there were even fewer jobs available.

The dock work was already insufficient for the locals, and the Canal Guild wasn't hiring either. If an outsider tried to take on private jobs, a beating would be the least of their worries.

As for eating military rations, one had to pay first.

After thanking the shop owner, Meng Yuan left the alley with Old Man Jiang and his grandson, heading towards the city gate.

Outside the city gate was an open space where many people had dry grass stuck in their hair, and there were also many brokers coming and going.

The first to be chosen were naturally skilled workers and young, strong laborers. Next were women, children, the elderly, the weak, and the disabled, who were definitely not to be chosen.

Selling sons and daughters, becoming slaves, and pawning wives was a common sight.

Moreover, during this year's festival, not only were the rich, brokers, and officials colluding, but the prices for selling oneself were also low, and it was a lifelong bond of sale.

In times of disaster, the common people were like grass, and this was the usual situation.

"Brother, do you want a wife? Pay up and she's yours!" A broker grabbed Meng Yuan.

"Brother, I'm also here to sell myself, take a good look," Meng Yuan said.

"Then will you sell for two silver coins?"

"Am I cheaper than pork?"

"What do you think?"

Meng Yuan was speechless.

Old Man Jiang, seeing this, pulled Meng Yuan aside and comforted him, "Let's not rush. Old man like me has a family heirloom skill, guaranteed to find a way to make a living."

Upon inquiry, Meng Yuan learned that Old Man Jiang's so-called skill was actually castration work, castrating pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks. Moreover, he was skilled in selecting horses and treating livestock.

This indeed qualified him as a skilled craftsman.

"I think it's best for the three of us to stick together and look out for each other!" Old Man Jiang said.

Meng Yuan considered that becoming a scholar in this world was too far-fetched, so he decided to learn a skill from Old Man Jiang first. Today, he would castrate cattle, and who knew, perhaps tomorrow he could castrate the world.

The two discussed and grabbed a handful of snow to wash their faces before finding a female broker.

"In this world, your castration skill isn't in high demand, especially with a family to feed. You probably won't get a good price!" The female broker, obviously experienced, started by intimidating them to lower the price. She then pulled Meng Yuan to a corner and said, "Young man, you're quite handsome. If you have enough capital, the rich will be fighting for your services!"

As she spoke, the female broker reached down to touch Meng Yuan.

The Kingdom of Qing was established through martial prowess, and its people were fierce. Women held high status, and it was common for them to expose themselves, even keeping male concubines.

Meng Yuan was terrified. After barely protecting his body, another part of him was being touched, and he hurriedly guarded his groin, barely maintaining his innocence.

"Alright, no luck!" The female broker didn't insist and led Meng Yuan and the other two to a courtyard house. Before they even entered, she shouted, "Head Steward Liu! Here's an old castrator and a young castrator, who can also care for cattle and horses. Everyone outside is waiting for them, I've had them all wait, so you can inspect them first!"

As they lifted the long curtain at the door, they saw a middle-aged man in a long robe sitting by a stove, with six or seven people standing around him.

On the stove, a thick-bottomed iron pot simmered, emitting a fragrant aroma from the tofu and pickled vegetables inside.

The middle-aged man picked up a piece of hot tofu, took a sip of warm wine, and then turned to ask, "Have you served cattle and horses? Have you ever taken care of deer and sheep?"

"I've looked after them all. I can even draw deer blood! I've raised cattle and sheep, taken care of horses, assisted with births, and treated their illnesses! I've been with livestock since I was a child! I can castrate pigs and sheep, and I'm used to it all!" Seeing the man's grandstanding, Old Jiang bent over and boasted incessantly.

The middle-aged man neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply scooped up the hot tofu from the pot, and another man with a donkey face asked a few questions about postpartum care for cows.

Old Jiang answered one by one.

Seeing the donkey-faced man nod, the middle-aged man asked again, "Are these two with you?"

"Yes, my lord," Old Jiang replied, bending over and forcing a smile. "This is my granddaughter, and this is my future grandson-in-law! This child can do it too. Since she was young, she's been picking up manure and can endure hardships!"

This was what Meng Yuan and Old Jiang had agreed upon—to claim that the three of them were a family. The old man had skills, the young man was in his prime, and the girl seemed like a burden, but she could keep the adults in check and didn't eat much. This would put the master's mind at ease.

Moreover, in these times, girls from poor families married early, so it was common to arrange marriages in advance. It was normal for there to be a few years, or even over ten years, difference in age between the bride and groom.

"Then let's sign the bond of sale. From now on, you'll work at the Empress Dowager's livestock farm, and we won't short you on food and drink." The middle-aged man agreed.

The toothless woman quickly took out three indentures of sale, "The old castrator is worth five qian, the young castrator is worth three qian, and the girl is worth two qian! We're all honest people, and you won't find this price anywhere else!"

Just one tael of silver for the three of them? Meng Yuan couldn't help but take the documents to read. It was a lifelong bond of sale, only needing their names and seals.

Circumstances were stronger than people. Outside, this was how things were done, and the wealthy had taken advantage of the homeless. If they delayed for a couple more days, there would be even more disaster victims, making it harder to make a living.

But Meng Yuan still felt it was outrageous. In this world, while it was true that the Empress Dowager had found a slave broker and was following the rules, selling three people for just one tael of silver was outrageous. If they were all chopped up and sold at the price of pork, it wouldn't be just this amount of money.

"Don't underestimate the low price of the bond of sale. We're going to the Empress Dowager's livestock farm, where we'll have food and lodging, and even receive a monthly salary! The Empress Dowager treats her servants well. Go and ask around; many people want to go but can't." The toothless woman, seeing Meng Yuan's incredulous expression, quickly reassured him.

"You three are so lucky!" The toothless woman, having facilitated the transaction and earned her commission, was delighted.

Meng Yuan and the other two, having lost their homes and now selling themselves into slavery, found this statement particularly ironic.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end