047 Do you want to come with me?

The manager initially wanted to ask Shen Tang why she was buying Old Chu, as that old man wasn't very likable. But when the bookstore innkeeper spoke up, he understood.

His expression softened a bit.

"You want to buy Old Chu? Alright, the price is negotiable." He voluntarily lowered his mental price, "Three taels, how does that sound?"

The bookstore innkeeper exclaimed, "Three taels? That's too expensive!"

The manager calculated on his abacus, pulled out a thick, yellowed old ledger, and flipped to a page. "Originally it was five taels, but now calling for three taels is considering our long acquaintance. Look, when Old Chu was purchased years ago, it was only one tael and two!"

The innkeeper asked, "How come it's so expensive?"

The manager snorted, "You think five years ago is the same as now? Nowadays, you can buy a girl who looks decent for two hundred wen, and even negotiate down the price. Five years ago, such a market wasn't even imaginable. Without war, even a regular person would cost five taels, and someone better could fetch ten or twenty! That batch Old Chu came with was even affected by an epidemic, so they were sold cheaply for just one tael and two."

According to the rules of the market, whether they were official or unofficial servants, the price was often marked up three to five times. If they were popular or promising, the markup could be hundreds of times, otherwise, how would they make money?

Old Chu, bought for one tael and two, would now be sold for a minimum of four taels eight, so the manager calling for three taels was already very fair.

Doing so wasn't entirely for the innkeeper's sake.

As a commoner, he indeed had a side that was worldly and greedy for money, but he also had a soft and kind side.

Upon hearing that Shen Tang was coming to redeem "Uncle," his first reaction wasn't to take advantage of the situation but to envision a deeply moving family drama—bringing together elements like family decline, separation, reunion, and familial bliss.

The old guy, Old Chu, had been working in the Moon Palace's kitchen for five years since being bought back. Over these years, he had been diligent and had never made any mistakes. Although he was taciturn and had a peculiar temper, not fitting in or flattering anyone, he had no major faults.

Now that his family had found him and wanted to buy him back to properly filial piety, it was considered Old Chu's good fortune. He didn't need to do anything immoral for a little money, obstructing a family's reunion. It could even be considered accumulating some good karma.

Seeing the innkeeper hesitate, the manager said, "Don't make it difficult for me either. If it's too little, it'll be hard for me to explain to my superiors."

The innkeeper sighed, knowing the price couldn't be negotiated further. Shen Tang, who had been quietly watching, took out several pieces of broken silver from her purse and placed them in front of the manager. "Could you weigh these and see if it's enough?"

Seeing her straightforwardness, the manager felt goodwill towards her.

He couldn't help but think, she's such a filial child.

Being beautiful, filial, kind, and good-hearted, Old Chu would be blessed in the future.

He took the broken silver, carefully weighed it, found there was still some left, and used a pair of clippers to trim off some silver until he had exactly three taels. Then, he gathered the silver shavings and took out Old Chu's contract for sale. He said, "It's still early; would you like to go to the government office to transfer ownership?"

Shen Tang shook her head. "No need."

The innkeeper grumbled, "Why would Uncle need to transfer ownership?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Not going to transfer ownership was purely because the original owner was also an unregistered citizen!

Earlier, these two were just imagining that Old Chu was her "grandfather," but now they were openly saying it? The manager slapped his forehead and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot about that, but we'll need to arrange a proper registration later." Shen Tang twitched her lips. "Yeah, I'll remember."

The manager beckoned someone over. "Go to the kitchen and call Old Chu over, tell him his granddaughter has come to take him home for a good life."

As for whether Old Chu had any objections to being bought and sold...

That wasn't important.

Shen Tang took the yellowed contract, now sprinkled with paper scraps, and decided that once she learned her craft, this contract would serve as Old Chu's tuition fee, returning his freedom to him. She would take care of his living expenses; after all, she wasn't some devilish capitalist.

So—

When Old Chu sat in the kitchen, mechanically scrubbing the accumulated dishes from the previous night, and heard the shout, his weathered face contorted for a moment. He seemed to be hearing things and grabbed the person's hand to confirm, "Who? What granddaughter?"

The messenger chuckled. "Your granddaughter has come to redeem you, old man. Your days of suffering are finally over."

Old Chu was bewildered. "..."

When he saw his supposed granddaughter, his expression almost lost control.

You're calling this young man your granddaughter?

The manager patted Old Chu's shoulder, moved, and said, "Old Chu, pack up and go with your child. Don't keep your family waiting too long."

Ah, the most touching and precious scene in today's world was undoubtedly a family reunion and shared happiness.

Just thinking about it felt heartwarming.

Old Chu's face was wooden.

Shen Tang also looked at him expressionlessly.

"I've paid the redemption money. Do you want to come with me?"

She suddenly felt a little guilty. Upon reflection, buying someone without their consent wasn't very respectful to Old Chu.

Old Chu asked, "Are you really taking me away?"

Shen Tang hesitated for a moment, feeling that her next answer should be carefully considered, but after a second thought, there was only one choice. She had paid the money, so if she didn't take him away, wouldn't she be at a loss? So, Shen Tang nodded firmly.

"Yes, come with me!"

What about the three taels of silver!

She couldn't just waste it!

In the past, she had enjoyed the knowledge and wisdom of others without paying a single cent. Now, she couldn't afford to squander even three taels.

As the conversation ended, the atmosphere became tense and strange.

The bookstore innkeeper felt that something was off, but before he could figure it out, Old Chu reacted first. He calmly nodded, "Hmm, alright. Let me pack my things, I'll be ready in a moment."

Watching Old Chu turn back to the backyard to pack, the bookstore innkeeper asked the manager, "Did this old man get brain damage from working here? Look at him, he seems dazed and out of it, like he has dementia. Taking him back home would be difficult to care for; he'll suffer."

The manager rolled his eyes. "We earn dirty money, but we're not heartless. If he doesn't work, he won't eat for two days, but there's no need to beat him. Unless he's caught stealing, then we'd give him a thrashing to remember."

Old Chu had been obedient since he arrived; why would he be beaten?

On the other side,

Staring at Gong Cheng taking his medicine and falling asleep, the innkeeper and the young man left. When the wooden door closed behind them, his demeanor changed. His refined yet somewhat sharp face gained a touch of solemnity.

He said, "I didn't expect Brother Yunchi to have a day where he's completely in the dark. Since he knows nothing, asking him is pointless. It's better to investigate ourselves. Mr. Gu, send someone to keep an eye on Shen Tang... If she's clean, that's best. The death of the Shen family and its nine generations will be the best evidence of Zheng Qiao's tyranny, and in the future, our military campaign against Zheng Qiao will be justified..."

The young man asked, "But what if there's a problem?"

The innkeeper said indifferently, "Then we eliminate it to prevent future trouble!"

He paused and added, "Also, keep an eye on the news about Gong's Five Physicians. Report as soon as there's any news."

The young man bowed respectfully. "Yes."