Chapter 580 - Chapter 580: Chapter 567: Broker (1/2)

Chapter 580: Chapter 567: Broker

Ordinarily, residence in the Qingzhuyuan would be arranged, with a day off every ten days to return home.

Everyone was quite satisfied with this arrangement.

Only Zhuang Qingning sighed.

For suddenly, the courtyard, usually filled with laughter, was left with just her and Snowball, a solitary woman and her cat, a situation she found hard to get used to.

Moreover, as business steadily increased, it was hard for her to keep up all by herself…

After pondering for a night, Zhuang Qingning went to the county town the next day.

She didn’t bother going anywhere else, heading straight for the brokerage.

The brokerage was bustling at this time.

As the spring planting had just ended and the summer harvest hadn’t yet arrived, it was a time of transition. Not a few people were selling their fields, houses, or even their children.

With so many sellers, naturally there were plenty of buyers too.

The clerks and the shop manager were busy welcoming customers and negotiating prices.

One clerk recognized Zhuang Qingning and promptly came over to greet her, asking, “What are you looking to buy, Miss? Whether it’s dry fields, rice fields, or houses, we have everything.”

“I’d like to see if there are any girls of similar age to me, perhaps one or two years older. Girls who are honest and industrious, to help with household chores and such.” Zhuang Qingning explained her intentions.

“You’ve come at just the right time, Miss. We’ve just received several of them.” the clerk smiled, “They are all honest children from farming families who can’t make ends meet, thus they have to swap their daughters for some money to survive.”

“If you’d like to take a look, they are just in a courtyard not too far from here. I can lead the way so you can see if there’s anyone that catches your eye?”

“That’s fine.” Zhuang Qingning nodded.

“Alright, please follow me, Miss.” The clerk smiled broadly, informed the shop manager, and then led Zhuang Qingning into the spacious courtyard at the back of the brokerage.

This courtyard was indeed spacious, with many houses. However, these houses were built without regard for aesthetics, just along the perimeter of the courtyard. In the middle, there were numerous bamboo poles for drying clothes, with a variety of garments hanging from them.

What was shared between these clothing items were the patches. Every piece was tattered and patched-up.

It was clear these people had all been purchased from various places by the brokerage and housed here.

An older woman, with strands of white in her hair, saw the clerk approaching with a potential buyer and approached, smiling, “Are you here to look at people? What type are you interested in?”

“Aunt Dong, this lady wants to buy a couple of maids. Please pick out some that are practical and sensible.” the clerk instructed.

“Alright.” Aunt Dong agreed, proceeding to fetch about a dozen young girls and lined them up for Zhuang Qingning to view, “Please take a look, these were all bought last month. We taught them the ropes, they are all hardworking and quick-witted.”

“Moreover, they were bought directly from their parents. Their backgrounds are clean, all are from farming families. You can rest assured.”