stingy landlady

Chapter 135 Buying a Wife

Dazhu's family slaughtered a pig without disturbing too many villagers! The farmhands helped out! There was no more pickled cabbage at this time! So they washed the pig offal clean, cut large chunks of pork belly, and stir-fried a big pot of pig's blood and other ingredients. It smelled delicious and was served with mixed flour steamed buns!

The farmhands were all overjoyed with their meal! They kept praising the landlord for his kindness and generosity! It wasn't even the New Year yet, and they already had a feast of pork! Each of them took two pounds of meat home with them. They were all from the village, and their families envied the farmhands for their good treatment!

Dazhu wasn't stingy either; he cut off two strips of meat for Jinxiu to carry, and had Zhou Qiong bring a small bowl of stir-fried pork offal. The two of them took it to the old lady together! How the old lady divided it was her business!

After eating the meat, the old lady asked Zhou Qiong, and it turned out to be the same pig she had bought with her. She even went to the vegetable garden to check on her own pig, and it was clear that it hadn't grown up yet!

Unwilling to give up, she went to the east end of the village to see the pigs that Zhou Niangzi was feeding, and they were all plump and strong! Feeling heartbroken, she went home and gave Zhao Shi and Tao Zhi a good scolding!

"You two lazybones! You're not feeding the pigs properly! You must have been slacking off! You didn't cut enough pig feed, otherwise how could your pigs be so much smaller than Old Zhou's? They're all from the same batch, so let's pick the bigger ones first, and the rest will go to Dazhu!"

"Useless at everything, but eats everything!"

Before they knew it, it was harvest season again, and the farmhands began cutting the rice! Just then, Madam Zhou went into labor; her stomach ached, and she was about to give birth!

Li quickly told Zhou Qiong to take Guiling with her, while she went to the village to find a midwife! At home, Zhou Niangzi asked Jinxiu to boil water for later use!

Guizhi couldn't help, so she took the silver and household registration documents and summoned Pan Sen and Pan Qiang! Pan Sen was called back as soon as the autumn harvest began!

"Brother Pansen! Quickly, hitch up the carriage, let's get to town!"

The two brothers didn't think much of it and assumed that Guizhi was going to fetch a doctor.

The carriage arrived at the brokerage firm, and after it was secured, the brokerage matron warmly welcomed the passengers!

"Young master! Young lady! What kind of person do you wish to buy?"

Pan Sen and Pan Qiang blushed deeply and stammered:

"We're not young masters! We came with the young lady!"

The matchmaker knew exactly what was going on! Guizhi said:

"I need to see two young women! Are they efficient and capable at housework? And can they cook?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Miss, please come with me!"

Inside the room, a row of girls had already been told to come forward. Guizhi picked out a few of the older ones, around sixteen or seventeen, and asked them:

"Is any of you married? Or were you married before?"

A woman in her early twenties came out.

"Miss! I was married before! My husband lost money gambling and had no choice but to sell me to pay off his debts!"

"Don't you have children? What did you do before?"

"I was pregnant before, but my husband beat me and I miscarried! I was sold to my husband by my parents when we were fleeing famine! After we got married, I made a living by washing and mending clothes for others!"

Guizhi looked at her hands and saw that they were indeed rough. Turning to Pan Sen and Pan Qiang, she said:

"Choose two from among you two who have never been married! Take them home to be your wives! You'd better choose carefully!"

The matchmaker was stunned. "Such a thing? Buying a wife for a servant!" she thought, then quickly dismissed the thought. "The world is full of wonders!"

Pan Qiang and Gui Zhi spent a lot of time together, and Pan Qiang knew that Gui Zhi liked down-to-earth and capable men.

He wasn't shy at all; he stepped forward and carefully examined her, asking a round-faced girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old and probably had experience with manual labor:

"We farmers are looking for women who can endure hardship and work hard! Since you're being sold to a young lady, you have to do whatever she says! Are you willing?"

The girl looked up at Pan Qiang. Pan Qiang spent most of his time cooking inside the house, so he was fair-skinned and looked quite handsome!

"I'm willing! I'll follow your arrangements, Master!" The young girl was shy, but she still expressed her wishes clearly. Guizhi nodded, thinking that she was a woman of her own mind!

Then she gestured for Pan Sen to choose, but Pan Sen worked in the fields every day and was tanned dark! He was also bad at talking and was even more at a loss when he saw those girls.

"Miss! You choose! Just pick one that you don't mind!"

Guizhi pushed Pan Sen forward and asked the remaining girls:

"Who among you would want to live with him? He's a farm worker, can't you see how tanned he is? If you follow him, you'll have to do farm work honestly and live a down-to-earth life!"

Don't even think about climbing the social ladder! If anyone wants that kind of life, then stand up for yourself! Forced relationships are never sweet, are they?

The girls looked at each other, remaining silent. The matchmaker secretly lamented; those personally brought out by the master to select women must be highly regarded! These girls lacked experience and were still inexperienced!

Just as the matchmaker was lamenting and Guizhi was about to get up and leave, a pretty, fair-skinned girl stepped forward!

“Miss! I used to serve others! I've never done farm work! But I'm willing to do manual labor and live a good life!”

Guizhi looked him up and down and asked:

"Whom did you serve? How were you sold?"

"I have served you since I was a child. After you got married, I was a maid who came with you as part of your dowry! But because the young master wanted to take me as a concubine, I refused and was sold off by you!"

Guizhi asked again:

"There's so much work to do in the village, can you handle it?"

"I'm of marriageable age now. If I don't become someone's concubine, I'll have to become a nun! It's rare to be able to be a proper wife! I can endure hardship!"

"Pansen! What do you think?"

Pantheon sized up the girl and said:

"As long as you're willing to live a down-to-earth life with this servant, that's fine! It's all up to Miss to decide!"

The two brothers each took one, and the woman they had just betrothed to suddenly knelt down and pleaded:

"Miss! I can do farm work! I can do anything! Miss! Please! Take me away from here! I don't know how to serve people, I can't go to a wealthy family! I'm just destined to do manual labor!"

That's quite clever! He guessed that Guizhi probably likes people who can endure hardship and work hard! Every word he said hit the nail on the head for Guizhi.

Guizhi thought for a moment, and then said:

“My family are farmers! There will be endless work to do with me! I'm not a slave in a wealthy family, living a life of luxury with my master! I do all the work myself!”

The woman nodded hurriedly.

"Miss! I can do all the farm work! Working with you is so reliable!"

"Alright! Let's go then! Let's get the deed done! I have an urgent matter at home!"

Guizhi waited for the matchmaker to go to the yamen to change the indenture, while instructing Pan Qiang...

"Take your future wife to pick out some coarse cloth! Pick a red one, because she has to wear a bright red dress as her wedding gown!"

And also, pick out some fine cotton fabric for your two brothers' clothes! Aunt Zhou's baby needs some!

Guizhi took out one tael of silver, thought for a moment, then added another tael, saying:

"Pick two more silk flowers! A new quilt is needed for the whole family after the wedding! Go buy cotton and fabric! Be quick and come back soon! There's a lot to do at home!"