However, plans always fail to keep up with changes.
Early in the morning, while Wang Dahai and Wang Dayou were instructing their children to listen well to Auntie Xu, the city gates swung wide open. The soldiers filed out, lining up on both sides just as they had the day before, and set up tables and chairs at the gate.
But that scholar was late to arrive.
Before he appeared, the ones following the soldiers out of the city were merchants driving ox carts.
The carts were filled with wooden barrels, and inside those barrels was bright, yellow millet.
The merchants and their servants climbed down, set up their measuring bushels and sacks, and placed a sign in front of the ox carts.
Written on it in black charcoal were the words: "Ten catties for a woman, five catties for a child. No cheating the young or old."
"What does it say?" Wang Dayou and Wang Dahai asked Xu Da.
Xu Da naturally picked up Xu Yue, who was just crawling out of the shack, and gestured for her to look at the sign.
Xu Yue understood immediately and whispered the words on the sign to Xu Da, who then relayed them to Wang Dayou and Wang Dahai.
"Ten catties, five catties—they want to buy people for that?" Wang Dahai couldn't believe it.
Ten catties made one *dou*. Merchants were the most cunning of all; he feared they would even shave a few ounces off that *dou*.
In other words, a living, breathing person wasn't even worth a *dou* of millet. It was absolutely outrageous.
Wang Dayou hurriedly looked at his own wife and children, then at the refugees around them. Suddenly feeling that everyone nearby was staring at his family, he was so frightened that he quickly chased his wife and children back into the Xu family's shack.
Yet, despite such an absurd price, there were still plenty of people dragging their wives and children forward to haggle.
Selling children was the most common.
It was simply because selling a child was the most cost-effective; as long as the wife was kept, more children could be had.
Right now, a child was worth five catties of millet. Entering the city cost one and a half catties per person. Three catties of millet could get both him and his wife into the city, with two catties left over to have a full meal.
But selling a woman was different. A grown woman could work and bear children; selling her was a loss.
Raising a child, on the other hand, cost money and grain.
Comparing the two, selling a child was the most logical choice.
However, there weren't many children left who had survived until now, and the buyers were picky. They didn't want those on the verge of death, those with physical defects, or those who were too ugly.
So, children weren't that easy to sell, either.
The criteria for adult women and young girls were relatively loose; as long as there were no obvious defects, they would take them.
Those who were particularly good-looking could even haggle for an extra catty or two of millet from the buyer.
"Child, follow your father, take the good grain, and from now on, just pretend your mother is dead!"
The woman wept as she said goodbye to her husband and child.
The husband’s eyes were also brimming with tears, filled with helplessness and reluctance.
He said solemnly, "Don't worry, my wife. I will surely raise the child well. You go in peace. Once things are better at home, I will bring silver to redeem you."
Having received such a promise from her husband, the woman felt a shred of comfort. Wiping away her tears, she followed the merchant's servant onto the ox cart and was hauled into the city along with the other women sharing the same fate.
Watching their mother go, the child couldn't help but cry and chase after the cart. The man hurriedly pulled the child back, clutching the newly acquired millet as he walked toward the city wall.
Held in her father's arms, Xu Yue watched these scenes from afar, her complex emotions impossible to describe.
She pressed her small face against her father's neck, only then able to feel the pulse of life.
She wasn't like those who had sold themselves or were forced to be sold, destined to enter the slave registry and be treated like beasts of burden from this day forward.
"People shouldn't be like this," Xu Yue murmured.
Xu Da tilted his head to look at his listless little daughter resting on his shoulder, affectionately stroking her back. "Don't be afraid. Daddy won't sell you."
The girl on his shoulder lifted her head slightly to look at him and asked softly, "Daddy, have you ever seen that world where everyone is equal?"
Xu Da raised an eyebrow slightly, not telling his little daughter that the world he came from only respected the strong, and the fate of the weak was even more cruel than it was here.
He recalled the gender equality issues that the Wang woman was always harping on about, and asked softly
"Is it the world your mother talks about?"
Xu Yue nodded uncertainly. "Mm, I think so."
Her mother's world must be better than the one she was in now.
In their world, it was just equality for everyone; gender equality was still a work in progress.
But compared to this world, theirs could probably be called a paradise for women.
Xu Da was noncommittal. He hadn't seen such a world, but he had already caught a glimpse of it through the women in his household.
Whether it was the Wang woman, Erniang, or Youniang, they were all literate in their original world, and some even had their own accomplishments in certain fields.
This showed that even though they were women, they were treated much the same as men in their original world.
The Wang woman especially was learned and talented, skilled in martial arts and archery. Every now and then, she would blurt out commanding words, as if she were a female general who had commanded thousands of troops. Such a thing was unimaginable even for powerful female cultivators in the world of immortality.
If there were a chance, he would like to go to such a world and see it for himself.
Xu Yue chatted on her father's shoulder for a while, finally easing her terrible mood, and took the initiative to slide down from his arms.
"Mother!"
The Wang woman walked over. Xu Yue leaned against her happily. The Wang woman pinched her little nose and signaled for her to go play with her brother and sister. She then walked toward Xu Da, observing the situation at the city gate, and whispered a warning: "If there are any changes, come back first."
Xu Da nodded, called Wang Dayou and Wang Dahai, and the three of them covered the ten large coins in their pockets as they walked toward the city gate.
The line to enter the city was already long. Xu Da led his two brothers to cut in line. When they encountered the thugs from yesterday who had cowered at the sight of him, they dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak, obediently giving up their spots to the three men.
From this, it was clear that violent suppression was very useful at times!
At this moment, the scholar arrived late.
Standing at the very front was the man who had sold his wife and brought his son. He handed over three catties of millet and was about to take his son into the city.
Unexpectedly, the scholar suddenly called out to the father and son, saying with a smile
"Apologies, I forgot to mention: today, the fee to enter the city to pay respects is three catties of millet. You are still short by three."
"It was my oversight, so I won't hold it against you two this time. But if anyone else tries to pull these little tricks to fool me, don't blame the soldiers behind me for being impolite!"
The scholar played both the good guy and the bad guy; this ability to raise prices on the spot was truly breathtaking.
Wang Dahai had a short temper and almost cursed out loud. Xu Da glared at him and pulled him away.
Seeing Xu Da leave, Wang Dayou, despite having enough money in his pocket, also retreated.
"Brother Xu, what should we do now?" Wang Dayou asked worriedly.
He didn't want to pay double the entry fee now, but he was afraid the cost would double again tomorrow.
Clearly, many people had the same thought. The scholar had grasped this psychology perfectly, raising prices with righteous indignation.
Facing Wang Dayou's question, Xu Da didn't care about saving face anymore and said bluntly, "I'm going to ask my wife."