The Red Mansion

Chapter 6 It's Xiangling
This morning, He Yun went to Wang Dian's house and proposed buying a slave.

In the afternoon, Wang Dian came to Jiang Nian's house, accompanied by Wang Maoan, leading six prepared servants, including a maid from Suzhou.

Jiang Nian was practicing martial arts in the backyard, or to be more precise, practicing with a sword. A short-handled broadsword with an icy aura was flying and slashing in his hand, and the shadows of the sword were so numerous that it was dazzling.

He Yun, the martial arts coach, stood by and gave instructions.

Upon learning that Wang Dian had arrived and brought six servants, He Yun led Wang Dian and his party to the study to meet Jiang Nian.

"Hello, Brother Nian!"

Wang Dian, who was over fifty years old, greeted Jiang Nian, who was only fifteen years old, with a smile and respectful words.

"Meet Mr. Wang, meet Mr. Wang San."

Jiang Nian politely returned the greeting and then began to inspect the six servants.

Among the six servants, in addition to the Suzhou maid, there are Dong Liang's family of four. Among them, Dong Liang can be a groom, his wife can be a cook, his teenage son can be a servant, his little daughter can be a maid, and there is also a 22-year-old strong man named Meng Xiong who can be a guard.

Dong Liang and his family of four fled to Jiangning due to famine.

Meng Xiong was a servant who had been kept by the Wang family for several years. His parents had both passed away and he had never married. He was a loyal and brave man.

This time, Wang Dian personally selected Meng Xiong to be sent here in order to please Jiang Nian and He Yun.

Jiang Nian examined the servant while listening to Wang Maoan's detailed introduction and felt satisfied.

At this time, his eyes looked at the Suzhou girl. He saw that the girl was extremely pretty, with a fair face and curved eyebrows. What was particularly eye-catching was that there was a rouge mole the size of a grain of rice in the middle of her eyebrows.

When Jiang Nian saw the rouge mole, he immediately became suspicious: "Could it be Xiangling?"

The original book wrote that Xiangling had a rouge mole the size of a grain of rice between her eyebrows!
This rouge mole is natural.

Jiang Nian, suspicious, asked Wang Maoan, "What is the origin of this girl?"

Before Wang Maoan could speak, Wang Dian said with a smile, "I will discuss this matter with Nian Ge'er in detail. Please dismiss everyone."

Jiang Nian understood and ordered everyone in the room to leave, including the Suzhou maid, leaving only He Yun, Wang Dian and Wang Maoan.

Wang Dian then began to introduce the girls: "This time, Brother He asked me to choose a maid for Nian'er. I dare not neglect it in the slightest and will definitely choose the best. However, my pawnshop currently does not have any good maids. Although there are two pretty ones, one is a little old and the other is timid and sickly. Neither is suitable for Nian'er. Fortunately, there is a man nicknamed 'Gu Lame' who has a maid who is extremely beautiful and well-educated, just like Nian'er just saw. To satisfy Nian'er and Brother He, I bought this girl from Gu Lame."

At this point, Wang Dian glanced at He Yun and continued, "I can't hide it from Nian'er and Brother He. Gu Bozi is a kidnapper. He kidnapped this girl in Suzhou seven years ago. She's quite pitiful and often abused by Gu Bozi. Scolding and beatings are common. I think if this girl becomes Nian'er's maid, it would be a great fortune. She will have a peaceful life in the future, and it would also be a good deed for Nian'er and Brother He."

It’s Xiangling!

After hearing what Wang Dian said, Jiang Nian was almost certain that this girl was Xiangling.

He was both surprised and amazed.

The surprise, of course, was that Xiangling was going to be his maid.

What’s surprising is how coincidental this is.
Yesterday, when He Yun and his wife proposed to find him a maid, he thought of Xiangling, and today Xiangling actually came!
"I probably really do have this golden finger of luck, and it's probably my luck that came into play this time!"

Jiang Nian sighed quietly in his heart.

He looked at He Yun and said, "Butler He, buy all six of these servants."

He Yun nodded and said to Wang Dian, "Thank you for your trouble, Master Wang. It seems that my master is satisfied with the six servants. What is their price?"

Wang Dian said, "According to the normal price of our pawnshop, the girl from Suzhou alone can be sold for one thousand taels of silver, and a skilled servant like Meng Xiong can also be sold for several hundred taels. Since it is Brother Nian and Brother He who are here to buy them, I will naturally reduce the price significantly. I will give you a total of one thousand taels of silver for the six servants. I want to continue our good relationship with you two." He actually wanted to give the six servants away for free, so that he could please Jiang Nian and He Yun better, but he would feel bad about it, as one thousand taels of silver was already a considerable sum for him.

He sold it for one thousand and two taels of silver this time, which was indeed a price reduction, but he still made a profit, it was just a matter of how much.

He Yun felt that it was worth buying six such slaves, including the Suzhou girl and Meng Xiong, for one thousand taels of silver, so he looked at Jiang Nian without bargaining. Seeing Jiang Nian nod, he said to Wang Dian, "Okay, then one thousand taels."

Immediately, both parties settled the matters of indenture and money.

After completing the transaction, Wang Dian said to Jiang Nian and He Yun, "I have a favor to ask of you, Brother Nian and Brother He."

He Yun asked, "What's the matter?"

Wang Dian said, "Brother He, as you know, my eldest son, Maozhen, is currently serving as a fifth-rank garrison commander in the Tongzhou Camp in the capital. I would like to ask you to tell me your addresses in the capital. I will write a letter to Maozhen and ask him to visit you. I also ask Brother Nian and Brother He to consider our close friendship and that we are from the same hometown of Jiangning. Please make friends with Maozhen after you arrive in the capital."

He Yun looked at Jiang Nian after hearing this.

Jiang Nian knew that Wang Dian was deliberately trying to curry favor with him, and thought to himself that this man was smart. No wonder he could make his pawnshop business so prosperous in Jiangning City, a place where powerful people gathered.

Jiang Nian was willing to associate with Wang Maozhen because he had heard of Wang Maozhen's deeds and knew that he was a man of both civil and military talents. Moreover, Wang Maozhen was only in his early thirties and was already a fifth-rank garrison commander of Tongzhou Camp.

However, Jiang Nian really didn't know where he would live after arriving in Beijing.

So Jiang Nian asked Wang Dian to give him Wang Maozhen's address in the capital.

……

……

Wang Dian and Wang Maoan have said goodbye and left.

He Yun has also withdrawn.

There were only Jiang Nian and the Suzhou girl in the study.

The Suzhou girl with a fair face and curved eyebrows was standing stiffly in front of Jiang Nian, with her head lowered and her hands clenched tightly, like a new leaf that dared not unfold.

Jiang Nian deliberately took a few sips of tea quietly to make the maid in front of him feel a little more relaxed.

At this moment, he put down his teacup, stared into the Suzhou girl's watery eyes, and asked softly, "Were you kidnapped by a kidnapper in Suzhou seven years ago?"

The Suzhou girl shook her head: "I don't remember."

Jiang Nian asked again: "What's your father's surname? What's your mother's surname?"

The Suzhou girl shook her head again: "I don't remember anything."

Jiang Nian paused for a moment and said, "When you were kidnapped, you were about four or five years old. You should have some memories. How come you don't remember anything? Are you scared of the beatings and scoldings from the kidnappers and dare not talk about your childhood?"

The girl from Suzhou twisted the corner of her clothes with both hands, her eyes gradually becoming moist.

Jiang Nian said softly, "You've met me now, and it's your great fortune. Tell me the truth about your parents back home, and I'm willing to send someone to Suzhou to find them so you can be reunited with them."

Upon hearing this, the Suzhou girl's tearful eyes suddenly brightened, and she looked up in surprise and met Jiang Nian's gaze...

(End of this chapter)