Chapter 1: Five Taels for a wife
Thier he was, just after his transmigration, already sold to a human trafficker.
Unlike other people, Su Yun wasn't some rich scholar or a small landlord.
He was a Ger, a Ger from a nobel family. But not anymore.
Right now, he was just a another slave being sold at open market like some kind of cheap thing.
__
He hadn't expected anyone—he'd long given up on expecting anything at all—but there he was, standing at the edge of the marketplace, watching with eyes that seemed to see straight through him.
The auctioneer's voice still rang in the air, sharp and unrelenting, as though it could make something real out of Su Yun's emptiness.
"Six taels! Six tails for a beautiful ger!" The crowd shifted restlessly, eyes moving from one person to the next. But no one looked at him.
Not really.
Not in a way that mattered.
'So I only worth six taels? Precious owner used to spend that much in 2 months. I wonder which bastard would buy me...? To be honest, I really don't want to know'
Su Yun sighned in his heart.
He was just another thing to be bought, another set of hands to work a field, another mouth to feed.
The thought clung to him like the cheap robe they'd given him to wear—thin, ill-fitting, and far too large for his slender frame.
"Six taels only!" The auctioneer repeated, his voice grating in the cool air.
Those people kept looking at him and other slaves with thier eyes filled with list and thing Su Yun didn't wanted to explain.
But one thing was clear, he didn't wanted any men in crowd buying him. But it's like his choice matters here.
Su Yun felt his shoulders tense but didn't move. He'd learned long ago that it was better not to attract attention.
The more people looked at him, the more they saw what they wanted—a thing to be owned, to be used, to be forgotten when it was no longer useful.
But then, a tall scary looking man stepped forward.
Crowd instantly lowered thier voice, waiting to eat the melons.
[ Melons = When there is a drama or fight going on, these people silently watch it and get entertained heavily.
They don't want to do anything with person doing the drama.
Eating Sugar, has the exact same meaning. Just more about Romance drama, compared to normal drama in general.]
His eyes were strange. Not the cold, indifferent gaze that many had given him in the past, but something softer.
Something told Su Yun that this man didn't looked at him so perevertly.
Atleast not according to the Perv meter both he and previous owner honed. They could easily feel someone's gaze is disgusting or indifferent.
Unknown to Su Yun's inner turmoil, The man offered his price.
"Five Taels, final prize" the man said, his voice low but firm.
There was a pause, a heartbeat that stretched too long.
That man had a scary face, with a huge scar on his lip. He looked like a bandet.
The auctioneer didn't dared to mess with such person and just nodded and handed him a slip of paper, sealing the deal with a finality that made Su Yun's chest tighten.
Just like that he was sold, like a peace of rag..
It was not that Auctioneer didn't wanted to bargain, but six was already a heavy price. He himself brought Su Yun for 2 taels. At a brothel Su Yun could at most be sold for 3 taels or maybe 4 taels since he was so pretty.
But nothing more than that. Auction continued his business, showing other slaves to the crowd.
The man didn't cared about the auctioneer, he didn't even speak again as he turned, walking away without a word.
Su Yun hesitated, his eyes flicking toward the other buyers, the ones who'd only offered a glance of disinterest before moving on.
Gawking a un-brought slave and a brought slave was a different thing. They were bunch of trouble makers and didn't wanted to deal with that tall scary owner of beautiful ger.
__
Su Yun continued moving, barely able to catch up with the fast pacing man.
They both sat in that man's horse cart, Just him and the man, alone.
five taels were spent, just like that.
---
The journey back to the man's home was quiet. The road was long, winding between fields that stretched far beyond the horizon.
The land seemed endless, the sky infinite, and yet Su Yun felt small, insignificant in the vastness of it all. He didn't know why he was following. It wasn't like he had any choice.
The man never spoke, walking ahead, his steps purposeful and unhurried.
Su Yun's eyes drifted to his back, taking in the way his shoulders shifted under his worn tunic, the faintest trace of muscle beneath the rough fabric.
His body was ripped, that was for sure.
He started look at his new owners featurs clearly, not just his face.
He was way taller than Su Yun, his frame broad, and there was something steady about the way he moved—grounded, as though nothing could push him off balance.
They reached a small house at the edge of the village, tucked between two large willow trees, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze.
The walls were blue bricked, the windows simple, and the roof thatched but sturdy. There was no sign of extravagance, no show of wealth.
The house was just a simple Blue bricked house. It was humble, functional, extremely uncommon in countryside and yet Su Yun felt something stir inside him.
Was this to be his life now?
But Su Yun knew this was extremely rare in countryside. Because on Carriage journey, there was was just only 1-2 or sometimes even none houses like this in village alongside the road.
The man opened the door, his movements efficient, and nodded toward the small space inside.
The fire was already lit in the hearth, the smell of something cooking drifting from the kitchen.
It seems something had just been cooked.
"Come in," the man said, his voice just as quiet as before.
Su Yun stepped over the threshold, hesitant. The air inside was warmer, but it felt unfamiliar, too. There was no one here except them.
No sounds of children or bustling wives. Just the quiet of an empty house, the kind of silence that seemed to press in on him from all sides.
Just him and that man.
The man pointed toward the small table in the corner. "Sit."
Su Yun obeyed without thinking, lowering himself onto the rough-hewn chair, his fingers skimming the edge of the wooden surface.
There was a bowl of rice, some boiled vegetables, and a pot of something simmering over the fire.
He couldn't move his eyes from the fate.
He was more concencered about the food than his fate.
This man didn't looked kind at all. But it doesn't matter as long as he gets enough food, a hopefully respectful owner, and someone who won't force him in sex, or atleast be gentle while doing it.
He doesn't wanted his young frail body to get exploited so soon.
The man moved around the kitchen with practiced ease, his hands sure as he prepared the meal. He didn't glance at Su Yun, not once, as he sliced vegetables and stirred the pot.
He was experienced at cutting vegetables, but when it came to cooking, let's say he wasn't so great.
Su Yun watched, his gaze drawn to the rhythm of the man's movements.
He wanted to point out the man's mistakes, but refained to do so. He was in no position to correct the man.
He didn't wanted beating. He already knew that Slaves can be beaten and killed according to their masters words.
When the meal was ready, the man set the bowl before Su Yun, the food steaming gently in the evening air.
"Eat," he said simply.
Su Yun's fingers hesitated over the spoon, then he took it.
It wasn't much—just rice, some poorly stir fried vegetables—but it tasted better than anything he had eaten in a long time.
He moved his chop sticks faster than his mouth can chew. He didn't cared about manners at the moment, he was to hungry to do so.
Bieng starved for 2 whole days was enough answer for his Impoliteness.
And for a moment, the emptiness inside him felt a little less hollow.
The man didn't say anything else. He ate his own meal in silence, watching the fire instead of Su Yun.
The only sounds were the quiet crackle of the flames and the soft clink of bowls against the wooden table.
When the meal was finished, Su Yun stood to clear the table, but the man stopped him with a raised hand.
"Leave it," he said, his tone as calm as ever. "It can wait."
Su Yun hesitated but sat back down, unsure what else to do. The silence between them was different now.
It was awkward. Su Yun didn't knew what talk with his new... Uh...Owner.
He finally mustered up the courage and asked the question that he wanted to know from a long time, "What's your name?"
The man looked at him without a visible expression "Ren Shang"