"Young master, please look. These maids are all in the prime of their youth, though they are merely the dependents of those scoundrels!"
As they walked, the human trafficker kept introducing the situations of these people to Han Mo.
"Are there any literate ones among them?"
Han Mo hesitated for a moment before asking.
"Second brother, you don't know, but any young literate individuals have long since been sent to the Jiaofangsi. Such goods are generally not found in the human market!"
As soon as Han Mo finished speaking, Chun Tao lowered her voice and said.
"How do you know these things?"
Han Mo looked at Chun Tao curiously.
This young girl was not old, yet she seemed quite knowledgeable about these matters.
"Of course, it's what the storytellers in the entertainment district say!"
Chun Tao said, covering her mouth and giggling.
But her laughter made the corners of Han Mo's mouth twitch.
In this era, this damned feudal system was truly harmful. Even Chun Tao, a victim of human trafficking, could now treat this matter as a joke.
"Little lady, you're mistaken. I actually do have one literate person here. Young master, would you like to take a look? If you fancy her, I can reduce the price for you. Young master, this is a bargain that's being delivered to your doorstep."
Upon hearing the human trafficker's words, Han Mo became truly curious about what kind of merchandise it was that he was willing to sell at a loss just to get rid of it quickly.
"You human traffickers are the most detestable. You're usually as greedy as vampires, and now there's a bargain waiting for my master?"
Hearing him say that, Chun Tao immediately looked at him vigilantly.
"Little lady, you wouldn't understand. I have no choice..."
As the human trafficker spoke, he led the master and servant to a small courtyard nearby. The conditions here, though still dire, were much better than those in front.
"Young master, look, it's her! Her name is Yue Nu, and she only costs fifteen strings of cash."
After the three entered the inner room, the human trafficker pointed to a woman sitting on the bed, about eighteen or nineteen years old.
"Fifteen strings of cash?"
Han Mo couldn't help but frown. This price was incredibly cheap.
Although the woman named Yue Nu was not stunningly beautiful, her appearance was certainly above average.
Was he selling her so cheaply because there was a trick involved?
"Is it really only fifteen strings of cash?"
Even the young girl's eyes widened. This price was unbelievably low.
In this era, literate ladies from reputable families, even if they entered the Jiaofangsi, would be worth over a hundred strings of cash.
Those with more beautiful appearances were priceless.
Every year, brothel madams would spend a large sum of money to buy these young ladies and train them specifically.
Even if only one out of dozens became successful, they would profit immensely.
After all, which top courtesan in a brothel was not able to compose poetry?
It was not something an ordinary woman could learn in just a few short years, like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or composing poetry.
"This, this..."
Upon hearing Chun Tao's words, the human trafficker's face immediately showed embarrassment.
"She, she also has a newborn child, and she herself broke her leg a few days ago..."
Hearing him say that, Han Mo's mouth twitched. After all that, he had been waiting for him here.
In this era, a common person suffering a broken bone was a life-threatening matter.
Like Han Mo, he had merely caught a severe cold last time, which not only cost him dozens of strings of cash but also his life.
"Fifteen strings of cash, right? I'll buy her!"
Looking at Yue Nu's numb and indifferent eyes, Han Mo hesitated for a moment before suddenly saying.
"Second brother!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, the young girl quickly stopped him.
Although the young girl herself was not inherently bad, their current living situation as master and servant was not optimistic. Bringing two more mouths to feed at this time was like creating trouble for themselves.
"It's alright, these are just temporary matters. It's just a broken leg; find a doctor to treat it, and it will heal in a few months!"
Han Mo, having transmigrated from modern times, was still willing to do such "foolish" things when he could.
Moreover, his future endeavors would become increasingly complex, and he indeed needed someone literate to help him manage accounts.
Although Chun Tao was loyal enough, she was illiterate.
This woman was a perfect fit. Once he bought her, she would legally belong to him entirely.
In this era, if she betrayed him, she would likely face a miserable death.
"Young master is right. If her leg wasn't injured, the price would have been at least ten times higher!"
"Alright, I still need a few maids who are quick-witted. Help me pick a few smart ones!"
After carefully examining Yue Nu, Han Mo turned to the human trafficker next to him again.
"Young master, rest assured, we have excellent goods in the front courtyard for what you need!"
Since the workshop was still in its early stages, not many people were needed.
Han Mo bought four more maids. After completing the procedures, he led his newly acquired servants back to the carriage.
Yue Nu, with her broken leg, huddled in a corner of the crowd, her eyes filled with fear for the future.
Looking at the exquisitely carved child in her arms, Han Mo couldn't help but sigh.
"Rest assured, I'm not buying you to mistreat you. You can be completely at ease about this. As long as you are loyal and devoted, I will grant you your freedom after five years!"
Upon hearing Han Mo's words, the numb eyes of those people finally showed a flicker of light.
"Thank you, sir!"
This time, including Yue Nu, several of them bowed deeply to Han Mo.
"Alright, let's head back first!"
Five unfortunate women, plus an infant still in swaddling clothes.
In total, it cost less than 100 strings of cash. For ordinary people, this was indeed an astronomical sum.
However, for wealthy families, this price might not even cover a single meal.
But Han Mo had no time to dwell on these matters. At this time, he was merely a stronger ant.
If truth be told, he was not much better off than these women.
If it weren't for his background from the Han family of Xiangzhou, he could only imagine what his life would be like now...