Fifty-six. Ye Weilai (Happy Lantern Festival!)

Ouyang Rong noticed that the silver-haired girl was staring fixedly at him.

The silver-haired girl seemed to realize that she was about to be taken away by this foreign new master.

She raised her small head. Beneath the messy silver hair that Ouyang Rong had just wiped clean, a pair of large eyes tilted slightly upward, locking onto him without blinking.

Her pupils no longer held the previous shyness and fear; they were replaced by a look that Ouyang Rong could not quite fathom.

The temperament of a Western Caucasian girl was indeed different from that of a shy, timid Eastern girl, being noticeably much bolder.

In the sunlight, her eyes appeared a hazy, misty grey-blue. It was a color Ouyang Rong could not find in this era of material and color scarcity, making it impossible to compare.

Regardless of her eyes, silver hair, or skin, the silver-haired girl seemed entirely out of place in the dark, gloomy tones of this dilapidated and filthy slave backyard.

Had he encountered such a silver-haired girl in a campus or a café in his past life, he wouldn't have been surprised at all. Yet here she was, stumbled upon in a corner of Jiangnan Circuit during the ancient and charming Great Zhou Dynasty.

Therefore, the moment Ouyang Rong stepped into the courtyard, he was instantly captivated, struck by an abrupt sense of time-space dislocation, half-wondering if he had been reincarnated once more.

One could only say that whether the Great Zhou Dynasty was truly in a golden age might be open to debate, but the spectacle of nations paying tribute was certainly no joke. That maritime trade route from Guangzhou down south genuinely had some substance to it...

The petty official managing the livestock and horse market, led by the junior steward, hurried to the backyard and began drawing up the contract for this slave transaction, issuing an official market certificate. This was a mandatory procedure in the slave market of the Great Zhou Dynasty; otherwise, even princes and nobles would face penalties.

The transaction for this slave sale at the Jinxiao Livestock and Horse Market involved a very small sum. For the experienced petty official, it should have been utterly mundane—a matter of skimming a little grease money and taking a red packet to wrap it up quickly. However, upon entering the backyard, he could not help but halt and cast a sidelong glance.

First of all... what on earth was this female slave being traded? Should the contract specify a child slave or an elderly slave? Moreover, were they certain anyone would dare buy this thing?

Secondly...

The expression on the petty official's face changed abruptly as he rubbed his hands together with a flattering smile: "Magistrate, why... why are you here?"

Inside the courtyard, the young magistrate traveling in plain clothes waved a hand: "Go ahead with your work, pay me no mind."

Li Yan, the Sogdian merchant, and the junior steward beside him were struck dumb. After a series of dramatic changes in their expressions, Manager Li—who had been feeling smug just moments before—wore a guilty look and softly suggested whether they should renegotiate the price. The previous price for rice seemed to have been miscalculated, and he could additionally throw in a limited-time, limited-quantity "buy one, get ten free" promotion. All of these offers were calmly and politely declined by Ouyang Rong.

The transaction proceeded. Soon, the exceptionally diligent petty official drew up the paperwork and respectfully handed it to Ouyang Rong for confirmation, filling in the final master-servant details.

Ouyang Rong spoke to the silver-haired girl for the first time that day:

"What is your name?"

Seeing him waiting patiently, the silver-haired girl fell silent for a moment. Her voice sounded like a slightly parched spring:

"Vela... Nell..."

She seemed to understand the elegant speech of the Great Zhou, but her accent was admittedly rather strange. Whether these syllables came from her hometown language or were merely her unfamiliarity with Great Zhou speech, they fell upon Ouyang Rong's ears sounding roughly like those four characters.

Ouyang Rong glanced at her large, expressive grey-blue eyes, lowered his head to ponder briefly, and filled in two characters on the contract.

"From now on, your name shall be... Weilai."

He paused, then asked softly, "Do you have a family name?"

The silver-haired girl could not help but steal a glance at the tall, slender young man with the magnetic and gentle voice standing before her. He seemed exceptionally patient, speaking in gentle tones from the very beginning, while all those fierce and wicked people around him showed him the utmost respect.

Everything that had happened today felt to the silver-haired girl like an unbelievable, beautiful dream rather than reality.

Lowering her head, she twirled the hem of her clothes with her fingers and uttered another phrase.

Ouyang Rong caught only the very first sound of this long string of syllables, which seemed to sound like the syllable "Ye," so he lowered his pen and casually wrote it down.

With her head bowed, the silver-haired girl peeked at his concentrated face, as if wanting to speak and initiate a conversation with him. At that moment, however, Madam Zhen leaned in.

The married woman glanced at the paper and curled her lip slightly: "Ye Weilai? As long as she has a name she can answer to, why would a slave need a family name? Tanlang is truly kind-hearted to go to such trouble."

Ouyang Rong shook his head without a word, lowered his head to finish filling out the form, and had Weilai and Li Yan successively press their thumbprints upon it. Then, under the witness of the petty official, the contract was completed without a single hitch.

Ouyang Rong collected the market certificate, and amidst the enthusiastic farewells of the Sogdian merchant, he left the livestock and horse market accompanied by Weilai, Madam Zhen, and their entourage.

Watching the esteemed guest depart, the junior steward could not help whispering, "Is this magistrate a bit foolish? Why did he buy such a..."

"What do you know!" Li Yan rebuked him with a stern face. Turning back to look at Ouyang Rong's retreating figure, he sighed:

"I misunderstood him earlier. No wonder he didn't care for any of the fine maidservants in our livestock and horse market. It wasn't just about the price—this Magistrate Ouyang is truly a gentleman untainted by worldly desires, just as the rumors say. He doesn't even look at beauty when buying a bed-warming maid, choosing only the ugliest and most pitiful one."

...

On the bustling streets of the West Market.

The silver-haired girl brought along by Ouyang Rong's entourage instantly drew frequent glances and double-takes from passersby.

No matter where they went, the group instantly became the focal point of the entire West Market.

However, the Longcheng commoners and peddlers watching with relish were not attracted by any sort of beauty; rather, their eyes were wide open, as if looking at some strange and ugly creature—curious yet afraid to approach.

Because Ouyang Rong had made an appearance on the main viewing platform during the Dragon Boat Festival, many people recognized the young magistrate, which only heightened the sensation caused by his group.

Ouyang Rong, however, turned a deaf ear to all of this. Although he still didn't quite understand where the aesthetic gap between himself and the others of the Great Zhou Dynasty lay, it did not dampen his excellent mood, and he walked with a light, breezy step.

Mainly, the act of picking up a bargain was inherently quite thrilling.

"So my one thousand merits were spent right here... The Blessing Bell certainly understands blessings after all."

Ouyang Rong suddenly had a whimsical thought: if he had a smartphone right now, he could take a photo of the silver-haired girl calling him "master," post it in his old scholar-gentleman study group with a smug explanation about picking up a bargain, and probably none of those beasts in the group would be able to take their exams this year...

"Tanlang!"

A reproachful voice suddenly came from behind. Ouyang Rong, who had been lost in thought, started, turned around, and realized he had been walking too fast. Aside from the silver-haired maidservant—who was lowering her head and clutching the hem of his robe, following closely step-by-step—along with Liu Ashan, Madam Zhen and the rest of the group had been left far behind.

Ouyang Rong coughed behind his hand and waited in place for Madam Zhen and the others to catch up.

The woman in the silk skirt could barely contain herself. If they weren't out on the street right now, she really would have gone over to twist this scoundrel's ear.

Madam Zhen walked up with a light snort, her delicate hand shooting out to pinch Weilai's chin, forcing the girl's small face upward. The latter shuddered, not daring to move or resist the tall, beautiful matron before her.

Madam Zhen frowned and looked her up and down. As for the silver hair tied up with ropes on the girl's head, she was even more reluctant to touch it with her fingers, fearing bad luck. The matron sighed:

"Tanlang, why are you interested in someone with such a high nose and deep-set eyes? She looks just like a Rakshasa ghost from the temple. And these eyes... they look like a civet cat. What if she scares you at night? And this head of white fuzz... Shall we shave it off when we get back and have her wear a nun's hat instead?

"Besides, Tanlang, what can we possibly do by bringing her back? Wash clothes and mop floors? We have plenty of servants for that. Luer Courtyard lacks nothing except a personal maid for you. Today's trip was a waste of time. Your auntie thinks that impoverished Goguryeo young lady from earlier was quite nice—she can read, write, and even keep accounts..."

With her chin pinched, Weilai began to tremble slightly all over. It wasn't just because of Madam Zhen's sharp and critical gaze, but also because of the pointing and whispering of the surrounding onlookers regarding her "bizarre appearance." Why was she the only one who looked like this? The girl felt immensely inferior; she even closed her eyes in a tremble, not daring to look at the gentle young man who had helped her out of the iron cage and taken her hand.

He... he would surely regret it, wouldn't he? Captivated by novelty at first glance, he ended up buying a losing proposition, and soon his eyes would slowly reveal that familiar look of disgust, finding her ill-omened and avoiding her at all costs... He surely would. Wasn't that how everyone she had ever met since childhood treated her?

"It wasn't a waste of time. She's the one—my personal maid."

Ouyang Rong gently pressed down on Madam Zhen's arm, then reached out to take the silver-haired maidservant's small, ice-cold hand. He silently fished two copper coins from his tunic, pressed them directly into her palm, and said to her earnestly:

"Hold onto these, Weilai. Help me manage the money from now on. These two copper coins are our entire net worth at the moment. They may be a bit meager, but it's still a start, isn't it? Take good care of them."

Ouyang Rong turned around, walked forward with his hands behind his back, and tossed back a laughing remark: "Auntie, where is Weilai ugly? Nephew likes her hair very much, and no shaving is allowed. She's my personal maid, and as long as I like her, that's enough."

Madam Zhen nodded helplessly, sighed, and followed along.

Weilai lowered her head, staring dazedly at the two small copper coins resting quietly in her palm.

This was... her and her master's starting point.

Apologies, good brothers, I couldn't help writing too meticulously and got carried away. The main plot will start in the next chapter!