After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 146 One for One

Pan Daqiang turned to look at Feng Niang, whose expression had changed from hysteria to calmness, and his heart began to pound.

Before he could figure it out, Fengniang raised her voice and asked again, "Which brokerage did you sell Tiger to?"

Pan Daqiang touched his nose. "No one, just the one on Xingfu Street."

Fengniang ignored him, turned around and ran back into the room, where she took out a bundle from under the bed.

Pan Daqiang's eyes widened when he saw this. "Didn't you say we were broke? You lied to me!"

“Fengniang, you can’t blame me entirely for selling your son. It’s clearly because you refused to give me the money.”

Ignoring Pan Daqiang's shameless behavior in the courtyard, Fengniang took her bundle and went directly to the brokerage firm on Xingfu Street.

Boom boom boom!
Fengniang knocked on the door of the brokerage shop, which was already in operation.

The guy who came out was annoyed that someone would come so late.

"Who is it? It's so late! Our shop is already closed. Please come back tomorrow if you need anything."

Fengniang did not give up. "Shopkeeper, I'm here to buy someone. I need them urgently. Please open the door, shopkeeper."

When the broker heard that someone wanted to buy a person, the clerk, despite being very tired, thought that business was more important and opened the door.

A woman dressed in coarse linen clothes, patched all over, looked quite energetic. Was she buying people? Now even poor people can afford to buy people?

The waiter felt he'd been tricked, and his temper flared up. "Get out of here! It's so late, what are you doing here causing trouble, woman!"

Fengniang, holding the bundle in her hands, said in a gentle and polite voice, "Shopkeeper, I really am here to buy someone. Please let me in to take a look."

The waiter was delighted by Fengniang calling him "shopkeeper" repeatedly and let her in.

What kind of person do you want to buy? We have them all here.

"However, the prices are quite different. Given your circumstances, I think you should just buy a maid, it's cheaper."

Fengniang shook her head, "Shopkeeper, I want to buy a little boy, around ten years old."

"Do you have any money?" the shopkeeper asked Fengniang with a suspicious look.

Feng Niang nodded, "I have money!" To show her sincerity, Feng Niang specially took out a five-tael silver ingot from her bundle.

The waiter rubbed his hands together, and his expression became warmer.

"Okay, come with me."

The shop assistant led Fengniang to a woodshed in the backyard of the brokerage firm. Inside, there were more than a dozen boys in their teens.

"Take a look! Which one do you like?" the waiter said.

Fengniang looked around the woodshed and saw Pan Hu trembling all over in the corner.

“I want that one,” Fengniang said, pointing to Pan Hu in the corner.

Pan Hu was already terrified when he was sold into the country, and now that he heard a woman had taken a liking to him, he raised his head in even greater fear.

“Mother!” Pan Hu recognized the woman who came to buy people at a glance.

Upon hearing Pan Hu call for his mother, the broker immediately became alert. "Oh no! They're here to cause trouble."

The waiter shouted loudly towards the courtyard behind him, "Help! Someone's trying to kidnap someone!"

The dentists, who were already getting ready for bed, all rushed over.

They were all armed and cornered Fengniang in the woodshed.

The brokerage firm manager was the last to arrive. As soon as he appeared, the clerk rushed up to him and reported, "Manager, there's someone inside trying to kidnap someone."

The brokerage manager raised an eyebrow, and without saying a word, went straight into the woodshed, where he saw Fengniang holding Pan Hu, who was trembling all over.

"So you're the one who wants to kidnap people?" the broker asked.

Fengniang pulled Pan Hu to his feet and answered without the slightest fear, "Shopkeeper, it's all a misunderstanding. I'm here to buy people, how can you say I'm kidnapping them?"

The brokerage owner raised an eyebrow slightly, and the clerk who had just served her quickly explained, "No, boss, as soon as this woman came in, the child called her 'Mother.' Isn't that kidnapping?"

"If you had money, why would you sell your child to a brokerage firm!"

The shopkeeper nodded slightly, agreeing with the clerk's analysis.

Fengniang didn't want to get entangled with these people; she just wanted to leave with Pan Hu. "I'll pay you, shopkeeper. How much is this child? I'll give it to you now."

As he spoke, he took out the five taels of silver he had just received and waved it around.

"Isn't this just plain rich?" The shopkeeper's gaze toward the waiter grew impatient.

"Go, bring the purchase ledger and show this lady how much the child cost!"

The waiter immediately ran out to get the account books. Seeing that Fengniang did not do anything out of line, the manager dismissed the other waiters, leaving two others to stay with him.

A short while later, the clerk who had brought the ledgers returned.

"Shopkeeper, we just took in this child today, and this is the price we charged." The shop assistant secretly held up five fingers to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper nodded and turned to look at Feng Niang.

"Madam, you may take the child with you, but it will cost you seven taels of silver, not a penny less."

Pan Hu huddled tightly around Feng Niang, shrinking his head back, afraid that his mother would abandon him here like his father had done.

Fengniang frowned and held Pan Hu tightly. "Shopkeeper, this child has only been here for a short time and has only eaten one meal. Could you please charge a little less?"

“Fengniang will be eternally grateful.”

Looking at Feng Niang, the shopkeeper sighed, "Madam, we brokers have rules to follow. Now that the child is registered, we have to do it according to the rules. You can ask around elsewhere; this is the lowest price I can offer." Feng Niang pursed her lips and thought for a moment, "Shopkeeper, I only have five taels of silver on hand right now. How about I work for you to pay off the debt, and then you can let me take my son back?"

The shopkeeper saw that Fengniang had indeed had a hard time, and his heart softened a little. However, this brokerage firm was not his own, and he dared not offend the owner behind it.

"Madam, please don't make things difficult for me, I really have no other choice," the shopkeeper said.

Fengniang couldn't just watch Pan Hu be sold off like this, so she suggested, "How about this, I'll sell myself to the brokerage firm, and see how much silver I can get for it?"

The shopkeeper was taken aback, then asked, "What can you do?"

"I can cook. I used to own a restaurant, Chunfenglou."

"I can do sweeping and cleaning, and I'm willing to risk my life if needed."

When Fengniang got to this point, the shopkeeper softened and accepted it. "Alright, you're not going to fetch a very good price at your age, but you'll still be worth four taels of silver."

Do you think this will work?

Feng Niang gritted her teeth and nodded, "Alright! I'll sign the contract with you right now."

"What about my son's contract?"

The shopkeeper waved his forearm and said, "Alright, bring him with you and we'll get the paperwork done together."

Pan Hu and Feng Niang switched places. Feng Niang stayed at the brokerage, while Pan Hu took the remaining two taels of silver and prepared to go home.

"Tiger! You can't go home."

“After you go back, your father will sell you again.”

Pan Hu shuddered when he heard Feng Niang's words.

"Mother! What should I do! I'm scared." Pan Hu was so frightened that tears streamed down his face.

"Go to Aunt Cao's house next door and hide there for a year. Give them the two taels of silver and hide for a year first."

"And what about a year from now?" Pan Hu asked.

"A year from now? A year from now, Mother will definitely have made a name for herself in the master's family. Don't worry, Mother will take you away then." Feng Niang tried her best to comfort Pan Hu.

Pan Hu nodded with tears in his eyes, "Hu Zi understands, Mother can rest assured."

Fengniang smiled with relief, then nodded to the shopkeeper before turning her head away, unable to look any further.

The shopkeeper stepped forward and grabbed Pan Hu, "Let's go! Get out of here quickly! Don't disappoint your mother's good intentions."

Pan Hu followed the shopkeeper out of the brokerage firm, and the shopkeeper saw him off.

"Do you know the way?" the shopkeeper asked.

Pan Hu didn't want his mother to worry, so he said, "I know, thank you, shopkeeper."

The shopkeeper sighed and slowly closed the door. In this world, especially in the north, what kind of pitiful people are not there!

He was also in the dental business, and had seen much of the world's suffering.

孽 孽!
Pan Hu listened to his mother and headed towards home, but before he even left Happiness Street, a pair of hands reached out from the darkness and dragged him into a dark alley.

Pan Hu struggled desperately, but his opponent was much stronger than him, and he couldn't win at all.

Just as he was about to call for help, the person covered his mouth and nose.

"You brat! What do you think you're doing? I'm your father!" Pan Daqiang slapped Pan Hu hard on the back, making Pan Hu's eyes redden again.

But Pan Hu stopped struggling. Pan Daqiang released his grip, looked at Pan Hu, and asked, "Where's your mother?"

Why didn't you come back with me?

Pan Hu was furious. "Bah! You don't deserve to be my father. I don't want you as my father anymore!"

Pan Hu was about to leave after he finished speaking, but how could Pan Daqiang let him go?

"You beast, who gave you the guts to disown your own father now!"

"What, did your mother give you money?"

"Take it out! Take it out now!" Pan Daqiang said, reaching out to search Pan Hu's body. Pan Hu desperately covered his chest, but Pan Daqiang still managed to find the two taels of silver.

"Son! Don't worry, if you stay with me, I'll make sure you live a life of luxury from now on."

"No, give me the money, I need to save it to redeem my mother!"

Pan Hu reached out to snatch the silver from Pan Daqiang's hand, but Pan Daqiang pushed him far away.

"You brat, you've gone too far!"

"Wait! What did you just say? You're going to redeem your mother?"

Pan Hu got up feeling wronged, wiped the tears from his face, and said, "Yes! You can't take the money away. That's the money to redeem my mother."

At this moment, Pan Daqiang finally understood that the silly woman had actually used herself to get her son back.

"Stupid! Stupid! You two are both idiots!"

"In the end, all the money goes to the brokerage firm."

After Pan Daqiang finished speaking, he pocketed the silver and prepared to go home.

Pan Hu ran over and grabbed Pan Daqiang's leg. "Dad, I beg you, please give me the money. Let's redeem Mom and live a good life together, won't that be better?"

Pan Daqiang initially wanted to kick Pan Hu away, but after touching the silver in his pocket, he changed his mind.

(End of this chapter)