“…”
To be honest, Shen Yu did not want to look. She could not bear to see such scenes; they made her conscience feel uneasy, left her feeling unsettled, and made her heart ache.
Particularly after choosing one, the disappointed gazes of the other children who were also being treated as commodities would make Shen Yu feel as if her heart was being pierced by needles.
She did not have the ability to save everyone, nor did she have the courage to convince herself to harden her heart and pick just one.
“Perhaps it would be better to…”
With a loud bang—
Just as Shen Yu was thinking of letting the matter go for now and waiting until after they entered the Capital City, the carriage suddenly braked hard.
The momentum sent Shen Yu’s head slamming directly into the table in front of her.
Half of the tea and snacks placed on the table fell to the floor, and several white porcelain tea bowls were instantly smashed to pieces.
“What happened?”
Feeling dazed, Shen Yu instinctively pulled out a Short Knife hidden in her shoe.
After removing the scabbard, she gripped it tightly in her palm.
“Miss Shen, are you alright? There was a sudden rockfall ahead. We are currently trying to find a way to clear the debris. Please remain calm.”
“Is anyone hurt?”
Shen Yu opened the carriage window and saw that there was indeed a severe landslide ahead.
Massive boulders blocked the only road that a carriage could pass through, and several Escort Guards dressed in sturdy outfits were clearly injured.
Shen Yu’s question momentarily stunned the Escort Guard who was riding a tall horse nearby.
In the past, when escorting high-profile clients, they would only ever ask if the incident would delay the trip.
Some with foul tempers would even scream abuses at them or even strike them.
But this gentle-looking Miss Shen was different; she actually asked if his brothers were injured?
“It happened suddenly, and a few men sustained minor injuries. Rest assured, it will absolutely not pose any threat to your safety. I will send someone to the vicinity now to see if there is a doctor.”
“No need.”
Shen Yu conveniently took out a Small Medicine Box.
From inside, she took out some Golden Sore Ointment she had made herself, along with some Sterile Dressing Gauze treated with honey, and stuffed them all into the hands of the Escort Guard.
“I have medicine here. Treat the injured first.”
“This… how can we accept this?”
“It is fine.”
Shen Yu’s slender, white fingers gently rubbed her slightly reddened forehead.
In her eyes, these Escort Guards were the powerful guarantee of her own safety.
Moreover, the sudden rockfall had injured them quite badly; if it resulted in a reduction of their numbers, it would not be a good thing for Shen Yu.
The Escort Guard left with the medicine Shen Yu had given him, while Shen Yu stayed alone in the carriage to clean up the mess.
Just as she finished tidying up the broken tea bowls, there was another knock on the carriage window.
“Miss Shen!”
Shen Yu opened the window.
It was the same Escort Guard she had given the medicine to earlier, but unlike before… there was a thin little girl standing behind him.
“The medicine you gave is truly miraculous! We have been escorting goods for so many years, but this is the first time we have seen such effective medicine. It stops pain and bleeding instantly… it is truly a divine remedy!”
That Escort Guard praised Shen Yu’s Golden Sore Ointment incessantly.
After finishing his words of praise, he pushed the little girl behind him toward Shen Yu.
“Miss Shen, what do you think of this girl? She is fourteen years old, knows needlework, can do chores, is quick on her feet, eats very little, and is obedient. My brothers and I are grateful for the divine medicine you gave us, so we took on the labor of clearing the rocks and opening the road to trade with those Human Traffickers for her. It did not cost a single copper coin. Would you like to take a look?”
Shen Yu’s eyes widened as she looked at the little girl, who was too timid to meet Shen Yu’s eyes.
For a moment, Shen Yu felt a sense of trance.
The girl was thin, but her features were quite pretty.
She was not as filthy as Shen Yu had imagined, and at fourteen, her figure was already becoming pleasing to the eye.
If she could be raised in comfort for a while, she would certainly become a complete beauty.
Her watery eyes looked pitiful; anyone who saw her would feel a deep sense of heartache.
“A little girl like this could sell for five taels of silver if sent to the Capital City!”
“The Capital City?”
Shen Yu instinctively took a deep breath, knowing full well that the Escort Guard was referring to the brothels in the Capital City…
“I can work… Miss. I do not eat much. The guard told me everything. I… I can serve you well, Miss.”
The little girl squeezed the corner of her tattered clothes tightly and spoke timidly. In her view, following Shen Yu was far better than sleeping in the wild and enduring hunger all the way to the Capital City, only to be sold into a brothel.
“I…”
Shen Yu hesitated to speak, but the little girl mustered her courage and grabbed the corner of Shen Yu’s clothes, as if clutching the final straw for survival.
“I… I can chop wood, carry water, do laundry, and cook. You will not lose out by buying me, Miss. Not only can I take care of you, but once we reach the Capital City, I can find work to earn copper coins for you. I am very capable. Please keep me, Miss.”
“I only need to eat one meal a day. I can eat bran, rice husks, wild herbs, or even tree leaves. I eat less than livestock, but I do not work any less than they do. I beg you, Miss, please keep me.”