58. How can you do this to me?

In the kitchen stood Hualing and waited for Mingli to enter. Her face paled even more as he came in.

''What was this about? Is your cooking this bad?'' He rose his eyebrows and glanced through the window outside.

She sighed. ''I actually had no chance to ever cook.'' She pointed at her boys outside. ''My husband knew how to cook and never let me learn properly and just let me live comfortably. After he died my sons took overcooking. Actually they almost stared a hole into my face when they tasted the food. To tell you the truth, my cooking skills are horrible.''

Mingli rolled his eyes. ''Then why did you say you will cook?''

''I feared that miss won't take us all. I can always clean or help with sewing. I am good at sewing, embroidering and stuff like that. But there are many that are the same here so I couldn't find job. And winter is coming...'' She clearly was worried about her children as a warm smile appeared on her face as one of the boys looked her way and waved at her.

Mingli sighed. ''I will tell mistress and we will listen to her words. Trust me, she will keep you, but what kind of job you will work is not mine to choose.''

She nodded. ''I do not really care. As long we have a warm room to sleep and food on the table, we can work anything.'

Mingli was satisfied with her answer. ''By the way, why do I have a feeling you have something to ask me?''

She pointed t the storage. ''I can't understand. How come you brought only two dozen carriages of food but the storage is filled to the brim. I mean, it looks like national storage.''

Mingli looked at her and opened the door. ''It looks fine for me.'' He could see just the frontal part.

Somehow she understood what he meant and showed him the other door. ''I meant that storage.''

Mingli rose his eyebrows and as he entered the room he understood why she asked him. The room was triple the size of the previous room and was filled to the brim with rice bags. ''I need to tell miss about this. Good, you told me. I wouldn't even know about it.''

They did bring huge amounts of food, but the other storage area had enough food to literally feed the whole city. For a year at least.

But as he came out to speak to Shu Ya that sat in her chair and read the book her ould hear multiple voices talking as they came closer and closer. He stood by her side and whispered. ''Miss, there is something I would like to show you after this.''

Shu Ya just nodded and he stood straight by her side while the little girl went to stand in front of her. Mingli could see that the girl was a smart child so he felt happy for his little miss to have gotten such a smart servant.

Group of men dragged a girl that had about 11-12 years. She was no more small child but not a grown yet. Her face was filled with red streaks and it seems she was hit. Out her nose blood dropped as she was almost dragged by her brothers towards Kendra. Behind them walked a thin-looking woman weakly with dry eyes but a desperate expression.

''Husband, how can you sell and resell our children? They are your blood as well.'' She desperately tried to hold on to him but he waved his hand and she stumbled to the floor.

''So what? Here is even better than the red-light district. Or did you hope for our daughter to become a concubine to some noble? Don't dream.'' He snorted and took the girl by the hair and showed her face to Shu Ya. ''Sorry about the face. She denied sleeping with the costumer and threw a fit so they beat her up a little bit. But her teeth are still there and she is still alive.''

''Alive? I need a servant that can serve me right away. You brought to be a bunch of broken bones. It will take her days if not weeks to heal again. And you want me to give you tel silvers for this? What is the use of broken body? Am I man to want her body. I need her strength. No this won't do. I will give you two silvers for both of them...'' Shu Ya sat there and calmly spoke.

''But our deal was...'' He walked step forward while dragging the girl like some broken toy behind him.

''Our deal was to bring me, two servants. Not one servant and one broken doll. Who will work her part until she heals? You? Your sons? Your wife?'' She pointed ta him, then at his bys and then at shaking woman at the back.

His eyes flashed as he saw her annoyed. He could see that the girl in his eyes became limp as she fainted and knew that it was dangerously close to brake deal completely. He already had to give back the money and if she doesn't take her he will completely lose money. He glanced at the pale-looking woman and grabbed her neck.

As he threw her to the ground near her daughter he pointed at her. ''My boys will be given women when we get back home and I will marry another wife. If you give me the whole ten silver I will give you my wife on top of that. She can handle many things. Her strength can be compared almost compared to mine.''

Shu Ya saw the woman scooping her daughter in her arms and crying bitter tears as she rose her eyes. ''I am your wife. Your legal wife! How can you sell me?''

Her desperate call shook even Shu Ya a bit. But his expression changed for worse. With despise he stared at her and their sons just turned head away from her...