The Road to the Imperial Examination for Poor Children"

121-125

If there is a suitable shop, don't hesitate, just buy it and open a shop selling inkstones.
　　In addition to the dozens of Bodhisattva paintings ordered this time, Lin Yuanqiu also brought seven freehand landscape paintings.
　　As before, shopkeeper Zhu took out his abacus and settled the money after checking all the paintings one by one.
　　Fourteen portraits of Bodhisattvas, plus seven landscape paintings, totaled one hundred and forty taels of silver.
　　Because he had to go to the dental shop, Lin Yuanqiu didn't stay too long. After collecting the banknote, he said goodbye and left.
　　The last time he asked about the selling price of the house, Lin Yuanqiu also asked about the price of the shop.
　　There are several types of prices for shops in Beijing. Those on the main street are relatively more expensive. They are basically around 300 to 400 taels. Moreover, a store with this price is just a storefront. If there is a house behind it, it can be lived in. Yes, the selling price will be four hundred taels higher.
　　However, the shops on the main street are basically used for restaurants and inns, or teahouses, so they are not suitable for small businesses. What's more, the shops on Main Street are rarely resold, so Lin Yuanqiu basically doesn't have to think about it.
　　The rest are the shops on the small streets, like Shopkeeper Zhu’s calligraphy and painting shop. Most of the shops in the capital are of this type, and the selling price is about two hundred taels. As for the ones with a yard at the back that can be lived in, an additional one hundred taels of silver is needed.
　　What Lin Yuanqiu wanted to buy was one that could be lived in.
　　...
　　There are many dental shops in the capital, but the most concentrated one is on Changrong Street.
　　Lin Yuanqiu has been in the capital for a few months, and he is not only 100% familiar with the locations of various streets, but he is still 80% familiar with them.

　　So half an hour later, he came to Changrong Street.
　　When Lin Yuanqiu came from Tongzhou and sat on a carriage, he passed by this street, but he was far away at that time, so he didn't see clearly what the people standing on both sides of the street were doing.
　　Only today did Lin Yuanqiu find out that these people were not the common people who came to Yaqi looking for work as he had guessed, but people who were all waiting to be sold.
　　Even though Lin Yuanqiu was well-informed in his previous life, he was still indescribably shocked when he walked past the skinny "people for sale". What he was thinking at this time was that everyone is equal. Modern times are good, here, the saying that human life is like grass is really not just talk.
　　Also, I have heard people say before that in order to facilitate control, Renyazi only feeds prostitutes one meal a day. Looking at how skinny they are now, this must be the case.
　　Alas, Lin Yuanqiu sighed inwardly. At this moment, he had no choice but to do anything.
　　But when Lin Yuanqiu was about to walk out of the shopping mall at the corner of the street, he saw a family, a middle-aged couple and their three children. As for why they knew they were a family, it was obvious that the faces of the two boys standing in front of the couple looked like they were carved out of the same mold as the middle-aged man.
　　As for the two boys, the older one was about eleven or twelve years old, and the younger one was about seven or eight years old. What worried Lin Yuanqiu the most was the little girl in the woman's arms. She was probably very hungry. The little girl's eyes looked particularly big. When she looked at him, Lin Yuanqiu felt confused.
　　Confused?
　　Lin Yuanqiu felt that his heart had been hit hard by a giant hammer, and he was a little out of breath for a moment. This little girl was at least three years old, and she had such eyes, which showed how much damage her young heart had been.
　　Perhaps seeing Lin Yuanqiu pause for a long time, the salesman hurriedly came up and greeted, "The guest wants to buy a servant, right? Here, guest, look here, whether it is a servant, a maid, or a concierge, we are here But there are all of them."
　　Ya Po said while pointing to the other people squatting on the ground on the other side. Compared with Xu Laoshi's family, she felt that these people were more likely to be sold. After all, Xu Laoshi had two other people here. What about children who can’t do anything but eat?
　　Alas, I only blame myself for buying them cheaply, and it has been almost two months since I bought them.
　　Ya Po thought to herself that if it didn't work out, no matter whether he lived or died and didn't want the family to be separated, she had to sell them separately.
　　Humph, they are all slaves, why do they have so many demands?
　　Lin Yuanqiu's eyes did not follow Ya Po's finger, but pointed to the family in front of him and asked, "How do they sell it?"
　　Upon hearing this, Xu Laoshi and his wife were surprised and a little worried at the same time. To their surprise, if they Once a family is bought, the children will no longer have to go hungry. What I'm worried about is that the other party won't buy his entire family.
　　Thinking of this, Xu Laoshi quickly pulled his two sons into his arms, and then held them in his arms. When his wife saw it, she also had a free hand. In this way, the family hugged each other tightly. .
　　The scene in front of her did not make Ya Po feel any sympathy. She had been in the market for more than ten years and had never seen anything like this. She then asked Lin Yuanqiu with a smile on her face, "Guest, do you like any of them?" Which one?"
　　Seeing that Lin Yuanqiu didn't say anything, Mrs. Ya hurriedly reported the selling price of Zhang Laoshi's family, "The male is twelve taels of silver, the female is eight taels, the older boy is six taels, the other is five taels, as for the hand The little girl I'm holding in my arms, let's just consider it a tael of silver."
　　After hearing Ya Lao's quotations, Xu Laoshi finally lost the last glimmer of hope in his eyes. After letting go of his hand, he hurriedly knelt in front of Lin Yuanqiu, " Master, please do me a favor and buy a small one. The younger one is very strong and can do any work. I beg you, Master, please do me a favor."
　　Soon the two boys and their mother knelt on the ground together.
　　And the little girl who was hiding in her mother's arms and holding on to her mother's clothes finally couldn't help but burst into tears.