Chapter 30: Out of Money Again

In the evening, Zhao Hai specifically arranged for Ju Buda to dine with them. Zhao Hai intended to use this method to make Ju Buda a role model for the slaves, inspiring them with new vitality and motivating them to find ways to change their current lives; only in this way could the slaves become more creative.

Ju Buda was very nervous. Although she now held the status of a commoner, she knew that commoners were not entitled to dine with nobles. The fact that Zhao Hai had summoned her to the dining hall of the main castle made her even more anxious.

However, when Merlin brought out the dinner, Ju Buda was stunned. Having previously been a commoner, she had never seen what a noble's meal looked like, though she had heard rumors about how many courses a noble would eat, the order of service, and how meticulous the first course would be. She had even heard that their tableware was made of gold and silver, so when Zhao Hai invited her to eat, she expected to see such a scene.

But when she saw the dinner Merlin served, she could hardly believe it was Zhao Hai's meal: ordinary bread, soup, vegetables, and meat. Furthermore, only Zhao Hai had meat; the others did not. Such a dinner was not much better than what the slaves ate outside.

Zhao Hai noticed Ju's expression. Since entering the dining room, she had been standing there very nervously, not even daring to sit down when invited. Seeing her state, Zhao Hai couldn't help but smile slightly and say, "Ju, come and sit. I have already bestowed a surname upon you. According to the rules, you are now considered a member of the Buda family. Don't be so nervous, just sit."

As he spoke, Zhao Hai gave Meg a meaningful look. Meg understood his intention immediately. She walked to Ju's side and said with a smile, "Sister Ju, please sit down. The Young Master is very easygoing. We eat at the same table with him every day now. The rules of other nobles don't apply here; you don't need to worry."

Ju knew Meg's identity and knew that Meg and the others had previously been servants of the Buda family. Such people, if they were elsewhere, would hold high status—at least much higher than commoners like themselves.

However, through their interactions over the past few days, Ju had learned that Meg was a good person. Although she had always overseen the slaves' work, she never beat or scolded them; she simply told everyone what tasks needed to be done. Additionally, since Meg was a girl, Ju's nervousness gradually eased.

A moment later, Merlin brought out the rest of the dinner. Looking at the still-nervous Ju, Merlin gave a kind smile and said, "Young lady, there is no need to be nervous. From now on, you are a member of the Buda family. Rest assured, the Young Master is a very good person. By the way, you said you were a commoner before? How did you become a slave?"

Perhaps because of Merlin's kind demeanor, Ju let go of her last shred of tension and finally whispered the story of how she had become a slave.

Zhao Hai and the others remained silent, listening quietly. It wasn't until Ju finished that Zhao Hai sighed and said, "It is a miracle that the world hasn't fallen into chaos with nobles like that existing. Alright, Grandma Merlin, let's eat. Ju, from now on, you are a servant of the Buda family. As a commoner, you will receive a monthly wage. Tomorrow, follow Meg; learn as much as you can from her."

Although Zhao Hai was quite excited about Ju's straw-weaving skills, he knew that her current skill level wasn't of great help to them yet. The reason he gave Ju so many rewards today was less about her craftsmanship and more about her courage. Regardless of why she had stepped forward, the courage she showed was worth rewarding. Moreover, with Ju as an example, he believed the other slaves would work even harder.

While eating, Ju kept stealing glances at Zhao Hai and the others, but she found that they showed no unusual behavior; they ate quite naturally, without the difficulty of swallowing that she had imagined.

After the meal, they moved to the living room. Once seated, Zhao Hai said to Ju, "Ju, I will have Mutou and Shitou bring a bed and some bedding to you in a moment. Just take good care of your brother today. Tomorrow morning, follow Meg. Do whatever she tells you to do. If there isn't much to do, weave some more straw mats and send them to the people in the outer castle. The weather is still a bit cold, so let them hang the mats on the windows to block the cold wind."

Ju immediately replied, "Yes, Master."

Zhao Hai smiled slightly and said, "Ju, you are now a servant of the Buda family, not a slave. You don't need to call me Master. Just call me Young Master, like Meg and the others. Mutou, Shitou, go deliver the bedding to Ju and An's room. Ju, go back and look after your brother."

The three responded and turned to leave. Meg and Merlin remained standing beside Zhao Hai. He sighed and said, "I hope Ju's situation can stimulate the slaves. Right now, our Buda family is truly starting from nothing. If these slaves can produce something, we might discover a few talents among them."

Merlin nodded. She also understood the difficulties the Buda family faced. Although they had purchased a lot of supplies when they came to the Black Soil Wasteland, most of those supplies were primarily food and clothing; they hadn't bought many tools or bulky items, otherwise, they could have provided a bed for every slave.

Although they no longer faced the pressure of food shortages, they were constantly worried about the situation in the Rotten Corpse Swamp, which created even greater pressure than before.

In truth, Merlin was quite confident in her and Meg's combat abilities. She believed they could handle ordinary magical beasts; after all, she was an eighth-level mage, Meg was a sixth-level mage, and Mutou and Shitou were sixth-level warriors—none of them were weak.

The reason Merlin didn't dare claim that Zhao Hai could be completely at ease was that she was uncertain herself. What kind of place was the Rotten Corpse Swamp? It was one of the five great forbidden zones of the continent. Even if a ninth-level Archmage entered, they might not escape unscathed, let alone an eighth-level mage like herself.

While they didn't necessarily have to enter the swamp, if the magical beasts attacking them were too strong, she couldn't guarantee she could drive them back. Thus, she didn't dare make such bold promises to Zhao Hai.

Just then, Zhao Hai suddenly stood up and turned to Merlin. "Grandma Merlin, I'm going into the Space for a moment. The Morai Radishes are ripe, and I need to harvest them. Do you want to come?"

Merlin shook her head. "Young Master, I won't go. I still need to go to the kitchen to clean. Let Meg accompany you."

Zhao Hai nodded and turned to Meg. "Meg, come with me to a place in a moment. That place is the greatest secret of our Buda family. Aside from you, me, Grandma Merlin, Mutou, and Shitou, no one else knows about it—not even Grandpa Green. So, you must never mention it to anyone."

Seeing how solemn Zhao Hai was, Meg felt a bit overwhelmed and glanced at Merlin. Merlin nodded and said, "Meg, listen to the Young Master."

Meg immediately nodded. "Yes, Young Master. Don't worry, I definitely won't say anything."

Zhao Hai nodded, and with a thought, the two arrived inside the Space. Meg's reaction upon entering was similar to Merlin's. The radishes in the Space had matured, and the corn had sprouted small seedlings.

Zhao Hai explained the function of the Space to Meg before harvesting the radishes, separating the radishes from the leaves just as he had done last time.

Looking at this miraculous Space, Meg understood why her mother and Zhao Hai considered this the Buda family's greatest secret. It wasn't just a secret; it was the hope for the family's revival. No wonder they valued it so highly.

After harvesting the radishes, Zhao Hai bought a bag of radish seeds from the shop. He now had nearly six thousand pounds of corn stored in his Space, along with three seasons of radishes, but he only had fifty gold coins left. Although he had several bags of other seeds, it wasn't the right time to plant them, so those seeds would have to wait.

Having finished this, Zhao Hai turned to Meg. "Meg, this is the miraculous Space I obtained. Everything here is under my command. This is also the hope of our Buda family. You must never tell anyone."

Meg said seriously, "Rest assured, Young Master. I know what is important and will not speak of it."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Let's go out. There's no need to stay here. It's getting late; you should go and rest early as well."

With another thought, the two reappeared in the living room. By this time, Mutou and Shitou had returned, but they were not surprised by the sudden appearance of Zhao Hai and Meg, as they had already been to the Space and knew what it was.

Seeing everyone present, Zhao Hai nodded. "Alright, everyone go rest. We have things to do tomorrow. Meg, make sure to help Ju learn more tomorrow." Meg acknowledged him, and Zhao Hai slowly walked toward his room.

Zhao Hai needed to think carefully about his next steps. He only had fifty gold coins left. Should he sell the radishes for gold or the corn? If all else failed, he might have to plant corn on those ten acres of radish land.

Lying in bed, he pondered the matters of the Space. With only fifty gold coins, he definitely had to sell something from the Space to make money. He leaned toward selling the radishes. Before Green returned, radishes weren't of immense use, and since he had already harvested the radish leaves separately, he wouldn't have to worry about having nothing to feed the Blue-Eyed Rabbits even if he sold the radishes.

As for the corn, there was plenty of it, and its uses were greater than the radishes; it could serve as both food and fodder. Zhao Hai truly did not intend to sell the corn.

(End of Chapter)