Chapter 2: A Contract of Servitude
Zhou Dalang had clearly thought the Ye family were blind fools — he actually tried to use a contract of servitude and pass it off as a land deed!
When Ye Ning questioned him, Zhou Dalang stammered, “This… this… I must have read it wrong just now. The first character isn’t field, it’s sell— this is a land sale contract, yes, a land sale contract!”
The matchmaker, obviously illiterate and not understanding what was going on, was best at smoothing awkward situations. She raised her voice with a laugh and said, “Oh my, Ning Ger, you’re being too picky! A land sale contract and a land deed—aren’t they basically the same thing? Why fuss over small details? Zhou Dalang is giving you five acres of land! His love for you is true as heaven and earth! Every Fulang in the world will envy you to death!”
“Exactly,” Mother Ye jabbed Ye Ning hard in the ribs and muttered between gritted teeth, “Why are you making trouble at a time like this?”
Ye Ning pointed to the document and began to read it word by word. His voice was clear and cool like a stream, not loud, yet every syllable was heard distinctly by everyone present.
“Resident of Qingtian Village, Ye Fang Niulao, owes Qingtian Village resident Zhou Dahu three hundred strings of cash. Unable to repay, he willingly sells his eldest son, Ye Ning, to the Zhou family as repayment. This contract is hereby signed and sealed.”
The “Ye Fang Niulao” mentioned was, of course, Father Ye. He bore the surname Ye, but had no given name. In his youth, he used to herd cattle for others, so everyone called him “Fang Niulao” — the old cattle herder.
Father Ye and Mother Ye exchanged a blank, bewildered look. Their faces were full of confusion. “This… what’s three hundred strings?”
“That’s right,” Ye Ning asked softly, “May I ask, Zhou Dalang, when did my Ye family ever owe your Zhou family three hundred strings of money?”
Zhou Dalang stared as if he’d seen a ghost. He looked at the contract, then at Ye Ning, his eyes bouncing back and forth like marbles — he couldn’t believe Ye Ning could read, and that he had read every word flawlessly.
Naturally, the Ye family had never owed the Zhou family a single coin. Moreover, Qingtian Village was a small, poor place. The Ye family was of humble standing — they couldn’t even spend three hundred strings of cash in a lifetime. Why would they ever borrow that much? It made no sense at all.
“That…” Zhou Dalang stammered helplessly. His mind and reactions were no match for Ye Ning’s quick wit; he simply couldn’t keep up.
Ye Ning spoke again, his tone cold. “According to the laws of the Great Liang, it is illegal to privately buy or sell free commoners.”
In truth, Ye Ning had only recently arrived in this world and wasn’t familiar with the laws of the Great Liang. Still, most dynasties forbade the buying and selling of people. Seeing Zhou Dalang’s obvious guilt, Ye Ning decided to bluff and steady the situation first — once the upper hand was his, the rest could be handled.
“My Ye family may not be noble, but we are law-abiding citizens. We are neither slaves nor bonded servants. For Zhou Dalang to deceive us like this — using a contract of servitude in place of a land deed — is he not afraid of being reported to the authorities? A few beatings with the rod are a small matter, but once the story spreads, the entire Qingtian Village — perhaps even the whole county — will remember the Zhou family’s fine reputation.”
Sweat dripped down Zhou Dahu*’s oily forehead, slid past the wart on the matchmaker’s face, and gave off a foul smell in the summer heat. He was speechless, unable to comprehend how this usually timid and indecisive Ning Ger had suddenly turned sharp and eloquent.
Note: His given name is Dahu, Dalang was a title referring to him being the eldest son.
Before Zhou Dahu could come up with an excuse, Father Ye and Mother Ye were already speaking on the Zhou family’s behalf. Mother Ye forced a dry laugh. “That… that can’t be, can it? What do we have that’s worth deceiving? Just a few hens that still lay eggs and two small plots of land that barely yield enough grain. There’s nothing worth stealing. The Zhou family’s a great household — they wouldn’t stoop so low.”
Father Ye nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, it must be a land sale contract then.”
Ye Ning almost laughed out of anger, but he didn’t lose his composure. Instead, he said slowly, “If Father and Mother truly believe this is a land contract, then go ahead and sign it. Just keep in mind — once you do, it will mean we owe three hundred strings of cash. It doesn’t specify how much of that is repaid by selling a son — whether the entire sum, or merely the interest. If, later on, the Zhou family comes back to demand more money, they’ll have every excuse to do so.”
Father Ye and Mother Ye hesitated instantly. Three hundred strings! That was three hundred strings of cash — an unimaginable fortune for common folk. How many donkey carts would it take to carry such a sum? Even one couldn’t hold it all — the cart’s planks would crack under the weight!
Father Ye rubbed his trouser legs nervously, Mother Ye twisted her apron, both falling silent.
The matchmaker stood frozen like a post, awkwardly blurting, “Well… this is quite a mess. Zhou Dalang, say something! Ning Ger must’ve misread it. The Zhou family is respected in Qingtian Village — how could they possibly deceive a poor Ger like you?”
Ye Ning let out a soft laugh. “Very well then — why don’t we take this document to someone who can actually read, and see who really made a mistake?”
By now, Zhou Dahu could no longer hold his composure. He had thought tricking Ye Ning would be the easiest thing in the world, but it turned out to be a nightmare. Not only had the “duck at his mouth flown away,” he’d gotten himself burned in the process.
Ignoring the matchmaker, he clutched his stomach and exclaimed, “Aiyo, my… my stomach hurts. I’ll be going home for today!”
He hung his head, avoiding everyone’s gaze, bent over, clutching his belly, and dashed out like the wind.
“Hey! Zhou Dalang! Zhou Dalang—!”
The matchmaker stood there, caught between embarrassment and panic, waving her hands and calling after him. But Zhou Dahu acted deaf and ran faster than anyone.
“This… what on earth is this? Then I’d better go too, I’ll just be going, no need to see me off, no need—”
Both Zhou Dahu and the matchmaker left in a hurry. Ye Ning discreetly lowered his gaze to the table, swiftly slipped the contract of sale into his sleeve. If the Zhou family ever tried to cause trouble again, he’d have proof.
“Hey? Hey—” Mother Ye hurried after them a few steps, reaching the courtyard gate, but Zhou Dalang and the matchmaker were already gone. All that was left was a yard full of fluttering chicken feathers and squawking hens.
“Oh heavens!” Mother Ye slapped her thighs and wailed, “What sin have I committed? Such a good marriage, ruined just like that! The Zhou family! What kind of household are they — rich beyond measure! You were born unlucky, a debt-collector of a son, and now you’ve smashed such a wonderful match! If the Zhou family refuses to come again, what will you do for the rest of your life?”
Ye Zhu immediately added fuel to the fire from the side. “That’s right! The Zhou family coming to propose is a huge deal—everyone in the village must already know and is surely gossiping about it with great excitement. If the Zhou family never comes again to discuss the marriage, wouldn’t Ning Ger become a second hand abandoned Fulang? Oh, how pitiful, my poor Ning Ger!”
“Pitiful, him?” Father Ye, already fuming, trembled as he jabbed his finger toward Ye Ning’s nose. “Look at the mess you’ve caused! Our Ye family may not be some grand household, but we still care about our reputation. All my life, I’ve never fought for food or wealth—only for dignity! Why else do I struggle, if not to see you two Gers married into decent families, and to find your third brother a good Fulang? If the Zhou family refuses to come again, tell me—how will you ever get married? Who would dare to take in such troublesome goods as you?”
At last, Ye Ning understood. Father Ye and Mother Ye weren’t unaware that the so-called land deed was fake—they knew perfectly well. They didn’t refuse to sign the deed of sale because they couldn’t bear to part with him; they were just afraid of truly owing three hundred strings of money. If they could use Ye Ning, a Ger who couldn’t bear children, to exchange for a marriage connection with the Zhou family, they’d be thrilled—overjoyed, even.
Ye Ning had lived through the apocalypse and seen the coldness and cruelty of human nature firsthand. In desperate times, people had eaten each other’s children—it wasn’t something that existed only in ancient tales. He no longer believed in affection or love, so he felt no particular hope, and thus, no real disappointment in Father Ye or Mother Ye.
Facing the accusations of the entire family, Ye Ning simply and calmly said, “It seems Father and Mother are upset only because you failed to sell me for a better price.”
“You! You—!” Father Ye was so enraged he almost struck Ye Ning with his cane. “You ungrateful child, what did you just say? Say it again if you dare!”
Father Ye cared deeply about saving face, and being exposed by Ye Ning with just one sentence made his skin burn hotter than sunbaked stone in midsummer. Naturally, he was furious out of humiliation.
Ye Zhu let out a sour, mocking laugh. “Even if it really was a contract of servitude, what’s the harm? Once you enter the Zhou family’s gates, you’d be their Fulang anyway. Others would kill for the chance to marry into the Zhou family, but they wouldn’t even look at them! The Zhou family being willing to take you—”
Ye Zhu looked Ye Ning up and down, his disdainful gaze resting on Ye Ning’s stomach before continuing, “—is already a blessing for you. And yet here you are, acting picky! If you ask me, Ning Ger, the only thing you’ve got going for you is your face and your figure, that’s all—”
According to what was written in the original story, Ye Zhu had always dreamed of marrying into a rich and powerful family, and the Zhou family was naturally his top choice. Unfortunately, Zhou Dahu was a lecherous man who found Ye Zhu’s plain looks and ordinary build unappealing. Harboring resentment, Ye Zhu had taken advantage of a moment when no one was looking and pushed the original Ye Ning into an icy pond.
Ye Ning originally hadn’t wanted to quarrel with him. For most Gers, being unable to bear children was a catastrophe, a disgrace worse than adultery, something they could never lift their heads over. But to Ye Ning, who was calm and sharp as a penstroke, Ye Zhu had actually “done him a favor.” Still, Ye Zhu was relentless and provocative. If Ye Ning didn’t assert control today, Ye Zhu would think he was easy to bully and would surely climb over his head in the days to come.
Ye Ning shot Ye Zhu a cool, cutting glance. For some reason, Ye Zhu suddenly couldn’t finish the string of vicious words he’d been ready to spew—an entire basketful of insults seemed stuck in his throat. Just one look from Ye Ning made his legs tremble, and he dared not speak further.
Ye Ning said with calm certainty, “I know exactly how I fell into the ice and how I ended up sick like this. Others may not know—but I’d like to ask you.”
Ye Zhu’s guilty conscience made him instinctively step back several paces until he was hiding behind Mother Ye. He stammered in denial, “How would I know why? Who knows whether you really fell into the ice or did something shameful that ruined your own body?”
Just then, there was a pitter-patter of footsteps—a small child ran out from the inner room. It was the youngest of the Ye family.
The little one stretched his neck out from behind the door, speaking timidly. “I… I saw it. It was Brother Zhu who pushed Ning Ger into the ice hole.”
“What?!” Mother Ye cried out, whipping her head around to glare at Ye Zhu. Ye Ning was good-looking and well-formed—if only he were a “whole” Ger, he could’ve married into a respectable, well-off family and brought honor to the Ye name. Hearing this revelation, how could Mother Ye not panic?
Ye Zhu raised his voice sharply to scold the child. “What nonsense are you spouting? What do you know, brat? This has nothing to do with you—go back inside!”
Father Ye hurriedly shut the front door tight. “Enough shouting! What are you yelling for? Is this something decent to talk about? If the neighbors hear it, won’t we be the laughingstock of the whole village?”
Father Ye cared more about face than anything. Ye Ning’s infertility was already shameful enough—if word spread that it was caused by their own family’s scheming, they’d be gossiped about for a whole year at every meal! He couldn’t afford that disgrace.
To Father Ye, his own reputation clearly mattered far more than Ye Ning’s pain.
While Father Ye was closing the door, Ye Ning stepped close to Ye Zhu and whispered in his ear, “You and I both know exactly what happened to my body. Father and Mother care about their reputation, but I’m not the same. Sometimes I care about face, sometimes I don’t—when it matters, I might, when it doesn’t, I won’t. If word gets out that you harmed your own kin, let’s see whether you can still walk through this village with your head held high—or only with it bowed.”
In the past, Ye Zhu had always been the one making snide, mocking remarks, while Ye Ning, tongue-tied and weak, could never utter a retort no matter how much he was bullied. But today, he was sharper than ever—like a shard of ice in early spring, cold and cutting.
Ye Zhu didn’t realize that Ye Ning was no longer the same person inside. This was someone who had fought to survive in a world that had ended—how could he still be that timid pushover who could be twisted any way others pleased?
Caught by his weak spot, Ye Zhu dared not utter another word. Ye Ning asked softly, “Do you understand?”
Ye Zhu hunched his shoulders and nodded quickly. “I understand.”
Ye Ning glanced around at everyone and stated firmly, “Whoever wants to marry into the Zhou family can go. I, for one, absolutely will not.”
Ye Zhu, still trembling from fear, had his shoulders quivering—but his eyes flickered with excitement. In a low voice, he said, “Is Ning Ger serious? The Zhou family is one of the most prominent households in all of Qingtian Village, and you’re really saying you’re too proud for them?”
“What, then… could it be that you want to marry into the Jiang family instead?”
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