Mountains and rivers pray for peace

Chapter 40 West Street Sparrow Slave
In the blink of an eye, three slender figures appeared on West Street.

Listening to the rain and listening to the wind followed Huo Qi on the street, feeling suffocated.

West Street sounds like a street, but in fact, it is just a narrow alley.Everywhere you set foot is muddy. The muddy smell in the air is mixed with the strong smell of sweat, and the dry and cold wind attacks every sense of the person, making people unable to help but cover their mouth and nose with a handkerchief.If you hadn't been there, it would be hard to imagine that the prosperous and wealthy capital could have such a shabby place.

West Street is a mix of schools and schools of thought. Generally, the people who come here are peddlers and pawns doing hard work, and occasionally some gangsters come to rob.Suddenly, a beautiful girl like Huo Qi came, and many peddlers shouted enthusiastically at Huo Qi with their eyes wide open.

"Girl, come and take a look at our goods, they are all good."

"My goods here are all new, Miss Bao is satisfied!"

"Our goods here are cheap, and it's the most cost-effective for you to buy our old Wang's goods!"

It is the most common thing for peddlers to sell on the street.

But the paradox of the scene is that the goods in the mouths of these hawkers are not ordinary items, but people.

To put it bluntly, West Street is a veritable human slave market.

"Girl, why are people here staring at us..." Ting Yu murmured.

She is usually quite courageous, but now looking at the scene of West Street, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive.The vendors stared at them closely, as if they were looking at a piece of pork on a chopping board.What made her feel even more uncomfortable was that the human slave squatting in the cage had eager eyes following her everywhere, as if she was about to break out of the cage and rush towards him.

Huo Qi turned to Tingyu and smiled: "Don't be afraid, they are all people who want to do our business."

"Girl, what business are we here for?" Ting Yu asked.

"What do you think?" Huo Qi raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"Could it be that you want to buy a slave?"

This was the only answer Ting Yu could think of.

Listening to the words, Listening Feng frowned and didn't say much.

Although she had heard the old man talk about human slavery, she had never witnessed it with her own eyes.Now that I saw a live one for the first time, I couldn't help but feel my heart burn.It can be seen that Huo Qi's face is calm and confident, and she is also at ease, her daughter's actions must have deep meaning.

"Exactly, but what we want to buy is not ordinary human slaves."

As he spoke, a strange color flashed in Huo Qi's eyes, and his pupils shone like bright agate.She ignored all the looks that fell on her and walked quite comfortably.As she walked, she carefully looked at the cages on both sides, and finally stopped in front of a dilapidated bullock cart.

The vendor leaning against the cart was nibbling pancakes when he saw Huo Qi stop. He swallowed the pancakes in three bites at once, wiped his mouth, patted the crumbs of pancakes on his hands, and smiled flatteringly.

"Girl, do you want to buy something?"

"Exactly." Huo Qi smiled slightly.

The peddler rolled his eyes, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.Although he didn't know Huo Qi's identity, but seeing her delicate skin and tender flesh, she must be a woman from a wealthy family. If this business can be done, it is estimated that she will not be able to open for the next month.

Thinking of this, he spent some time trying to please her: "Young lady is really good at goods! Although I have few goods here, it is rare! It is no exaggeration to say that it is the best in West Street."

As he spoke, he patted the cage on the bullock cart vigorously to wake up the slave who was dozing inside.

Then, the hawker was quite proud and said with a high-spirited look: "Hey, I don't dare to deceive you. Look at the mouths of these human slaves. They are all good people who are not sick or injured. Look at this arm again. They are all covered with... Endless strength, whether it is grinding or plowing, I guarantee your satisfaction."

Huo Qi took two steps forward, carefully looking at the five or six human slaves in the cage.

The cage was cramped, so they could only squeeze inside, with their chests touching their backs.There were some lively ones inside. They stretched out their arms along the gaps in the cage, trying to pull Huo Qi's clothes, and kept murmuring from their mouths.

The vendor slapped the slave's outstretched arm fiercely and smiled flatteringly at Huo Qi: "Girl, be careful, they have soiled your clothes. Just look carefully, it doesn't matter how long you look, until you are satisfied!"

"There's no need to pick any more, just him." Huo Qi pointed at one of the slaves.

The peddler looked in the direction Huo Qi pointed.

Actually a bird slave?
The peddler's mood was indescribable, and Que Nu was the most despised item in his hands!

He usually keeps these human slaves, and in order to get more food from him, the human slaves will flatter him.But Quenu had a dull temperament and could not please others, so he often whipped him.Just like at this moment, other human slaves were asking Huo Qi for favors, but the bird slave was the only one huddled in the corner, staring at his toes without saying a word.

The peddler's flattering smile disappeared, and his face turned to be embarrassed: "Girl, to tell you the truth, Que Nu is the cheapest item in my hand. But you must not be short of this little money, so naturally you have to pick the one you like the most." Isn't he? He is usually quiet and can't hold a fart for a long time, so he must not please you. Why don't you look at other things? I think Hua Nu is also good."

"But I think he looks pretty." Huo Qi was unmoved.

Hearing this, the peddler had a strange expression on his face.

Usually, the people who come to buy goods from him are rough people. They either buy human slaves to abuse and vent, or they buy them to do rough work, regardless of whether they are beautiful or not.But looking at Huo Qi, one can tell that she is an official woman.Could it be possible that this girl came here specifically to buy a human slave and wanted to gain publicity?
The taste is really strong.

He took a breath and reminded kindly: "Girl, if you want to buy a bird slave, there is a saying, the villain still has to tell you in advance."

"what?"

The hawker took two steps closer and said in a low voice: "To be honest, this bird slave is a eunuch from heaven. I'm afraid it won't suit your taste."

This is the fundamental reason why bird slaves are sold so cheaply.

Huo Qi looked calm, as if he had expected it.

She said: "Thank you for letting me know, but I want Que Nu."

"Come on girl! In this way, with 20 taels of silver, you can take Qinu away."

Seeing that Huo Qi was quite interested in Que Nu, the peddler stopped trying to persuade her to change her mind. Instead, she took advantage of the situation and raised the price, making it clear that she wanted to cheat Huo Qi for a sum of money.

Ting Yu, who was standing by Huo Qi's side, was furious: "You scoundrel! With 20 taels of silver, you can buy several well-informed home-born slaves! You just said that Que Slave is the cheapest in your hands, and now you dare to Calling such a high price?"

"Hey! You little girl's film! Although Que Nu doesn't talk much, she is the youngest one in my hand, and it can be used for many years! If you don't buy it, you will lose it!" The peddler blushed and cursed.

Ting Yu wanted to argue, but Huo Qi calmly held down her arm and shook his head at her.When Ting Yu saw this, he didn't know what to say, so he just gave the vendor a few sharp glances.

"Listen to the wind, take 30 taels of silver and give it to him."

"Girl! He clearly wants to cheat us! Why are you still increasing the price!" Ting Yu screamed first.

When the hawker heard this, he rubbed his hands, his eyes and brows filled with indescribable pride. He was lucky today and met a real victim.He saw that Huo Qi was a young girl, and she didn't have many guards around her, so she had gained a lot of courage.If he doesn't take advantage of the opportunity to grab someone with a big pen, he has been living in West Street for so many years in vain. Where can he put Zhang Laojiu's face?

"50 taels!" He made a five with his hands, and smiled: "Girl, 20 taels was the price just now. Now, if there is no 50 taels, I will definitely be reluctant to part with Que Nu."

"You! This is so unreasonable!" Ting Yu was furious, wishing he could give this profiteer a kick in the face for raising prices.

"Girl, let's go, I'm sure there will be better ones." Even Lefeng, who has always been calm, couldn't help but speak.

Huo Qi remained motionless, a hint of coldness flashed across his brows: "I just said it was 20 taels. I paid an extra [-] taels on your price, not because I was afraid of you, but because I felt that I had some affinity with Que Nu. But you If I don't know what is good and what is wrong, I will call Jing Zhaoyi to judge. Don't think about it. I, a girl, dare to come to West Street to do business alone. Whose courage did I borrow? "

The hawker was originally a stern person, but when he heard that Huo Qi had moved out of Jingzhaoyi, he didn't dare to say anything more, so he had to apologize: "Girl, why should you be serious? Being friendly makes you rich! 30 taels for 30 taels, deal done!"

As he said that, the hawker took a bunch of keys from his waist, opened the cage in twos and twos, took the bird slave out, and pushed it hard in front of Huo Qi.

"Girl, after you pay the money, the bird slave will be yours!" The vendor smiled and stretched out his hand.

"Give me Que Nu's deed of sale, and I'll give you the silver, and it's considered both money and goods."

The vendor saw that Huo Qi was not easy to fool, so he did not dare to use any other tricks, so he quickly took out the slave's deed of prostitution from his sleeve and handed it to her.

Huo Qi looked at it, and after confirming that it was correct, he asked Lefeng to pay for the money.

The peddler took the purse thrown by Lefeng, weighed it, and grinned: "That's it!"

The back and forth between Huo Qi and the peddler has already attracted many spectators around West Street.They are also acquaintances with this hawker. Zhang Laojiu is not a big business man in the first place, so it is rare for someone to patronize the business.It is for sale. A slave can sell for five taels of silver at most.

Therefore, everyone could not believe that Que Nu could be sold at such a sky-high price.When the other vendors saw this, they were extremely jealous and hated that the goods in their hands could not catch the eyes of Huo Qi, the God of Wealth.

Huo Qi took two steps closer to Que Nu, and smiled slightly: "From now on, you will be my man, understand?"

Qinu's head, which had been lowered all the time, finally lifted up. His face was covered with plaster, his long hair was messed up like a broken broom, and there were even lice.What's rare is that a pair of eyes are extremely pure, like a newly born little beast.At this moment, Que Nu looked at Huo Qi timidly, as if he was also looking at the girl in front of him.

Huo Qi took Quenu's hand, wiped it with the handkerchief, and smiled: "Come with me."

Que Nu blinked, looked at the peddler, and saw the peddler waving at him, as if to drive him away.Seeing Huo Qi pulling the corner of his clothes, he had no choice but to follow Huo Qi in a daze.

There were three people when we arrived, but there were four when we returned home.

Huo Qi brought a grown man back to the house, which inevitably attracted attention. Therefore, Huo Qi took three people back to the house through the dog hole at the back door.

Tingyu and Lingfeng were so shocked that their jaws almost dropped to the ground when they saw Huo Qi digging into the dog hole.The two of them have followed Huo Qi for many years, and they understand Huo Qi's character best. Huo Qi's words and deeds have been taught according to the rules of women from aristocratic families since he was a child, and he will never do anything out of the ordinary.Now he came to the dog hole, which made them suspect that the person in front of them was not their girl, but just a woman who looked exactly like the girl.

The four of them avoided the women and servants in the yard and returned to Qiju. Huo Qi led the two maids back to the main house, and then ordered two trustworthy servants in the yard to take Quenu down to take a bath.

The road was full of dust and dust, and finally returned to the mansion, Ting Yu couldn't help but poured two bowls of hot tea.

"Why did the girl go out to buy sparrow slaves? If there are fewer people doing things in the yard, you can tell Madam." Ting Yu put down the tea bowl in his hand, let out a long breath, and couldn't help asking Huo Qi who was nestled in the chair.

Huo Qi smiled: "I didn't buy a bird slave to do chores."

"Does the girl really want to buy a face?" Tingyu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You silly girl, where did you think you were? I just thought that although you and Leaf Wind are powerful, they are two girls after all, and some things are still beyond their capabilities. Que Slave is by my side and can protect my safety."

Ting Yu nodded with a vague understanding.

However, Huo Qi still did not tell the real reason why Quan bought Quenu.

In the eyes of the peddler, Que Nu was just an inferior human slave who couldn't please others.But in fact, Que Nu is not an ordinary person. He has good legs and feet, and has good hearing and eyesight. Not only can he hear tiny sounds that ordinary people cannot hear, but he can also see places that ordinary people cannot see.

It would be nice if this hawker didn't starve the bird slave to death at ordinary times, let alone find out what he has in him.But she recognized the extraordinary qualities of Que Nu, so she was willing to increase the price to buy Que Nu.After all, Que Nu is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Even if she bought it for 50 taels, she still made a profit.

In the previous life, the bird slave was bought by Yuan Xianzhi on West Street. After training, he presented it as a treasure to Emperor Xiaowen. Emperor Xiaowen was delighted.Since the bird slave entered the palace, it has become Emperor Xiaowen's favorite pet. Except for going to court, he takes it with him almost everywhere.She once thought that Emperor Xiaowen had a habit of cutting off his sleeves, but later Yuan Shao told her that Quenu was an eunuch and was just entertaining Emperor Xiaowen.

On the surface, Que Nu is Emperor Xiaowen's pet, but secretly, it is the secret work of the Zhenyuan Houfu.He was controlled by Yuan Xianzhi and secretly passed on many palace secrets to the Yuan family.

Speaking of which, the reason why she knew about this matter was because Concubine Shu was jealous, she disguised herself and came to Zhenyuan Hou's mansion to inquire in private, but she happened to bump into her.

In this life, she wanted to be the first to take away Que Nu so that Que Nu could be used by her.

Now, Huo Xian is about to return to the capital, and there are undercurrents surging in the capital. She must find someone she can trust to protect her, and Quenu is the best candidate.There is no shortage of reckless men around her, but there is a shortage of people with unique skills like Que Nu.

After a stick of incense, Lefeng brought the bathed Que Nu to Huo Qi.

At this moment, Que Nu has changed into a clean white robe. Perhaps because he has not had enough to eat for a long time, he is as thin as a green bamboo, and the sleeves of the robe are empty, which looks very unfit. At this moment, his back is slightly bent , eyes full of timidity.

When Tingyu saw Quenu's face, his breath froze.

　Thank you all for your votes~ I don’t have much to say, I can only try my best to maintain high-quality updates and thank you all~ In addition, do you think Quenu is a member of the protagonist group or a supporting role?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)