章節 196: Good People and Good Deeds
Jake stared in shock at the scene before him, while Adrian seemed accustomed to it, showing no surprise.
"Captain, how many maids and servants shall we buy?" Adrian asked, unfazed by Jake's shock. Jake finally snapped out of it but was still taken aback by the scene before him.
"Let's start with twenty of each," Jake said after some thought. Buying forty servants should be enough to manage Jake's "mansion." When people learned that Jake and Adrian were here to purchase servants, a crowd quickly gathered around them.
"Sir, my youngest child is obedient and well-behaved, just two gold coins."
"Sir, please consider buying my little daughter. She's only twelve, but she can do laundry and cooking, anything you need."
"Sir, my daughter can survive on just one meal a day."
"Sir, choose me; I'm strong and can do any kind of work."
These people were promoting their children and themselves with enthusiasm, making Jake uncomfortable. They didn't seem to be selling themselves or their children; it was more like selling an ordinary commodity. Perhaps, in their minds, their children or even themselves were worth less than common goods.
"Step back, don't get too close to my master. He will decide who to buy," Adrian quickly separated those people from Jake.
They obediently stepped back, possibly afraid of displeasing Jake and losing the chance to be purchased. They watched Jake with hopeful eyes.
Jake, overwhelmed by the eager gazes, found it difficult to make a decision. So, he said to Adrian, "Adrian, you choose."
"Alright," Adrian agreed, sensing Jake's discomfort.
With that, the people around them turned their hopeful eyes toward Adrian, as if him choosing them and buying them would be a great favor. Jake couldn't bear to watch this scene and walked away.
"It seems that this world is not as stable as Brenton and the others claimed," Jake thought as he observed the market filled with scenes of selling children.
The influence of the rebel forces on the imperial regime was far greater than what they had previously believed. Brenton and the others had claimed that the imperial rule was relatively stable, and the rebel forces, while numerous, would be quickly suppressed. However, seeing these desperate people who could barely survive and were resorting to selling their own children, Jake understood why so many people rebelled and why rebel forces kept emerging. When there was no other way to survive, rebellion seemed to be the only option.
Most rebel forces were not friendly to ordinary civilians. In their desperation to survive and avoid being wiped out, they would engage in rampant looting, depriving others of their already scarce livelihoods. This, in turn, would push more people towards rebellion, creating a vicious cycle and worsening the living conditions within YF's borders.
Now, with beings from the demon realm arriving, it was bound to make the already harsh living conditions even worse. More people might not be able to survive and would choose rebellion. This would further deteriorate the situation in YF, and chaotic times were indeed approaching.
Jake suddenly realized this. Initially, he had just wanted to farm here and earn some money to spend. But now, it seemed like his plans might not be achievable.
"I hope those officials in the court can see this situation and find a solution, so I can farm peacefully," Jake thought to himself.
As he walked and pondered, Jake inadvertently found himself in a corner of the market. He had initially intended to turn around and leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that there were people here—more than one, in fact. One person lay on a straw mat on the ground, while two others sat in the corner.
The person on the straw mat had their eyes tightly closed and didn't move at all. There was even a foul odor emanating from them, making it unbearable to be around.
In the corner, there were two children, a boy and a girl. The girl was slightly older, and they both looked emaciated, clearly suffering from malnutrition.
"Sir, are you going to buy us?" the timid boy asked when he saw Jake standing there. The girl, with a cold expression but a hint of hope and caution in her eyes, looked on.
"Where are your parents?" Jake crouched down and asked.
"Our dad was eaten by wolves when we were very young," the little boy replied, growing more confident with Jake's kind demeanor. "Now, our mother is also gone."
Jake glanced at the decaying corpse on the ground. This must have been the children's mother. It meant that these two kids, so young, were already orphans.
"Sir, please be kind and buy us. We need money to bury our mother," the little boy pleaded. "We haven't eaten for two days, but once we eat, we'll have the strength to do anything."
Jake looked at these pitiful children and felt compassion. He said, "Okay, come with me."
"Thank you, sir, thank you," the little boy said excitedly.
"Thank you," the girl, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. Her voice was clear but carried a touch of coldness, even colder than Wendy's. At that moment, Adrian had just finished purchasing the maids and servants they needed.
"Adrian, help these two children with their mother's affairs and then bring them to my residence," Jake instructed.
"Yes, Captain," Adrian replied.
Subsequently, Adrian went to assist the two children with their mother's affairs, while Jake led the purchased maids and servants back to their residence.
These servants and maids were cautious around Jake but also expressed their gratitude. It was as if buying them had been an incredibly kind and generous act. This made Jake somewhat contemplative. However, after gaining a better understanding of this world, he began to grasp the situation better. These people had been sold to his side to work as servants, not only saving some food for their families but also earning money to support their households. Even though they were now servants, at least they didn't have to worry about starving to death. So, buying them was indeed a good deed, and he could understand why they were so grateful to him.
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