rriedly found an excuse to leave.The old man had seen all sorts of people in his life, but this girl in front of him felt different. This time, his illness had resolved without a hitch, but what about...Hearing this price, even Fang Jinxiu couldn't help but frown. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it, as Yu Lian said, selling a dish of vegetables for thirty wen was indeed outrageous and absurd. This was simply daylight robbery.

As for meat dishes, forget about it. Any dish with even a little bit of meat costs at least one or two silver taels, and a plate of dried beef would set you back five taels.

"A meal wouldn't cost more than a few ounces, and over three days the money spent on food would probably be enough to buy several slaves."

Yulian is indignant. She has money but she won't be taken advantage of like this, will she

The shop boy carried a teapot over to greet them.

"Alright, everyone, what would you like to order"

Yu Lian was furious with the prices of this shady shop, about to speak up when Fang Jinxiu grabbed her wrist first. She spoke instead, though her tone was much more polite than Yu Lian's.

"Little Second Brother, why are the prices of dishes in your shop several times more expensive than those in the city's restaurants"

"In the best restaurant in town, a roasted chicken wouldn't dare be sold for five taels of silver, would it"

The young waiter didn't show any change in expression upon hearing their words. Instead, he seemed used to it, as if he had heard such questions many times before.

It seems that guests at other tables have price concerns as well.

"Several guests, our host really doesn't want to set the prices of the dishes this high. We are truly forced into it."

"The estate hired us to cook for the guests attending the conference, but they didn't provide the ingredients or venue for free. The rent was extremely expensive and they also took a commission."

"The host asks us to work, and they always pay. Coming and going just means raising the price of the dishes."

"For so many years, this has been the case. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our esteemed guests."

So that's how it is.

Fang Jinshui didn't make things difficult for the young waiter, ordering four dishes and a soup before dismissing him.

Yu Lian is so angry.

"The master of this estate is too ruthless. The dishes my sister-in-law just ordered are almost worth twenty taels of silver, at least half of which goes into the estate's pockets."

"So black."

Zongyu picked up his chopsticks to stop Yu Lian.

Let's eat.

Some things are better left unsaid, and they're not here to clean up the place either.

Zongyu's intimidation was still very effective. As soon as he spoke, Yulian immediately shut her mouth and stopped talking. She only kept poking at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, clearly still feeling resentful about spending so much money on this meal.

Fang Jinshi felt somewhat helpless. Yulian's temperament, sometimes when no one was around to guide and protect her, she really wouldn't feel at ease letting her go out alone.

Being too black and white, in her eyes right is right, wrong is wrong, but sometimes many things aren't so clear-cut.

When they were eating, the servant also took out a piece of dry food and sat in the corner gnawing on it. When Fang Jinshu and the others finished eating and got up, the servant also hurried out.

Have all our esteemed guests finished their meals

Fang Jinshui nodded. "Well, take us for a tour of the venue."

"Alright, please follow me."

The little servant led the way, walking until they reached the end of this street, and only then did they realize that this was the true entrance to the venue.

Inside, the noise was deafening. Beneath my feet was a cobblestone street, lined on both sides with stalls of varying sizes. Some were over a hundred square meters, while others were just a few. Even in corners, someone would simply draw a circle and claim it as their own stall by hanging a sign around their neck.

It seems like these stalls have all paid rent to the manor.

"This is the venue for the Gathering of Talented Individuals."

The eyes of the four, Fang Jinshi included, were instantly drawn to the slaves at the stalls. It wasn't out of curiosity that they looked, but rather a sense of pity.

Slaves laid out in the open on both sides of the road were mostly the lowest quality, cheap goods. Their clothes were ragged, some barely enough to cover their bodies. Most of their exposed skin was covered in bruises and wounds of various colors.

These slaves were in poor condition, with men, women and children, almost none of them clean.

The servant, seeing the situation, hurriedly explained it to them.

“The honored guests are seeing the cheapest and lowest tier of slaves right now. The sellers don't even guarantee a survival rate, with no special skills, those bought back will just be dead slaves.”

"Prices are mostly around thirty cash coins each. For the elderly and children, they might be cheaper."

Just thirty cash for each one.

Yu Lian Mian Lu couldn't bear it, and murmured, "A human life is actually worth the same as a dish of vegetables."

That's too cruel.

Fan Jinshi immediately grabbed her wrist, she knew Yulian felt sorry for these people in her heart. The manor made deals with human lives, so cold-blooded and merciless, she was indignant.

But now is not the time to clash with the maidservant, besides, He Si is just a guide and explainer, what use would asking him be

"Jade Lotus, calm down."

Zongyu pulled Yu Lian behind him, "Say another word, and you'll go back."

Yulian only then remembered that she had stubbornly begged her older brother and sister-in-law to let her come along. She quickly shut her mouth and hid behind Fang Jinshi, with only a pair of eyes brimming with sympathy for these unfortunate people.

Fortunately, Mother didn't come. If Mother saw this scene, her tears would probably dry up.

"Let's go and see what's ahead."

Fang Jinshi and her companions stood there, the slaves on either side practically staring them down. Perhaps they looked approachable, and with Yulian's words earlier, these people all longed for a kind buyer to take them away from this place.

Yu Lian really wanted to buy all these people. Thirty wen per person, a few ounces of silver could buy back over thirty people.

Fang Jinshi's thoughts went far beyond Yu Lian. Buying them wouldn't cost much, the difficulty lay in their lack of ruthlessness and determination. Buying so many people at once would be manageable, but the real challenge was how to house and sustain them afterwards.

These few slave stalls are just the tip of the iceberg in this entire venue. It's impossible for them to control so many people all at once.

"Hey sis-in-law, shouldn't we buy a few"

Zhao Xingzhou hurriedly grabbed Yu Lian, "Miss Yu Lian, these slaves are not all mute. If the young mistress buys them out of pity, other vendors' slaves will follow suit, desperately pretending to be pitiful to win sympathy."

"They're still trying to play the victim card" Yu Lian retorted.

"Look at these people."

Zhao Xingzhou's face was impassive. "There are also those with ulterior motives among them. Miss Yulian, can you be sure they are all truly pitiful people"

"These people may have taken lives to survive."

Yu Lian paused for a moment, then said nothing more.

Just as they continued walking forward, a commotion arose beside them. A group of people, moved by pity for the slaves kneeling on the ground, impulsively took out their silver and gave it to them.

When the others on the slave stalls saw this, they went mad and rushed towards the pedestrians one by one, but their hands and feet were chained and could not move beyond the stall.

Therefore, the stall owner did not stop those slaves' actions at all, allowing them to desperately try to please the customers.

Whoever has a compassionate heart, they will make money.

But the sight was truly terrifying, the slaves' cries were horrifying. They were shrill and piercing.

There was a lady among the passersby, who was so frightened that her face turned pale and she almost fainted.

Yu Lian was dumbfounded, but what came next shocked her even more.

The passerby, naturally frightened, wouldn't give money to sell the person anymore. As they passed other stalls, they were glared at by those slaves with a look of anger and resentment, as if they had done something wrong.

"Now, do you still feel sorry for them"

Yulian swallowed nervously, speechless.completely in danger.No, she had to go to County Magistrate Pan and hear what he had to say.Since they are all officials, perhaps Pan Zhi'an has a way to resolve this crisis.In the carriage outside he...