Chapter 29: The Reward

Zhao Hai stood up excitedly and said, "Quick, take me to meet this person, quick!"

With that, he grabbed Meg's hand and headed straight for the door. Meg froze for a moment, then glanced down at Zhao Hai's hand holding hers; a flash of joy crossed her eyes before being replaced by shyness.

However, Zhao Hai was in no mood to notice this, nor did Merlin or the others. They all followed behind Ye Hai as they walked toward the outer fort.

As soon as they emerged from the fort, they found a slave standing there. This slave, however, came as a bit of a surprise to Zhao Hai, for she was a female slave.

Zhao Hai had assumed the first person to step forward would be a male slave, but he hadn't expected a woman. He stood there dazed, staring at the female slave standing by the small gate that connected the inner and outer forts.

The girl looked to be about twenty years old. Perhaps due to malnutrition, she appeared somewhat thin and quite petite. She had frizzy brown hair and wore coarse cloth clothing. Her skin was dark and rough, and her features were quite ordinary.

She stood there extremely nervous, her entire body seemingly trembling. As soon as she saw Zhao Hai and the others coming out, she immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to move an inch.

Meg immediately said to Zhao Hai, "Young Master, it's her. Her name is Dou, she is twenty years old, and she just came to find me saying she knows how to weave straw."

Zhao Hai nodded. He knew that in this world, slaves did not have surnames; their names were usually just a single character. To take a two-character name was an act of transgression punishable by death.

Zhao Hai looked at the girl named Dou and said in a deep voice, "Raise your head."

Trembling, Dou raised her head, but she still did not dare to look directly at Zhao Hai, remaining kneeling there. Zhao Hai nodded and asked, "Your name is Dou?"

Dou kowtowed again and said, "Yes, Master."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Are you very skilled at weaving straw? Where did you learn?"

Dou replied, "Reporting to Master, I became a slave the year before last. I was a commoner before; back home, I often used straw to weave things, and I gradually learned."

Zhao Hai nodded. He noticed that although this girl named Dou appeared timid, she spoke very logically. It seemed this was largely due to her former status as a commoner.

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Go get some straw and weave something for me to see, right now."

Dou immediately complied and retreated. A moment later, she returned carrying a large bundle of dry straw. It seemed she had been prepared; the straw had been pre-soaked with water to make it more flexible.

Dou bowed to Zhao Hai and said, "Please forgive my rudeness, Master." Zhao Hai nodded, and Dou immediately sat on the ground and began to weave. It was clear she intended to weave a mat, and her movements were incredibly fast. Before long, a small mat was finished. The surface of the mat was very smooth, quite soft, and aesthetically pleasing.

Zhao Hai nodded, glanced at Dou, who had returned to kneeling on the ground, and said deeply, "Good. Dou, you have made a great contribution to the Buda family. From this day forward, you are no longer a slave. You are a commoner of our Buda family's Black Soil Territory. In the future, you may see me without kneeling; a simple salute will suffice. Additionally, you will be granted a private room. You will work for the Buda family and receive a monthly wage of one silver coin. Furthermore, I grant you the surname Buda. From today on, your name is Dou Buda. Hmm, 'Dou' doesn't quite suit a girl, so you shall be called Ju Buda."

Everyone in the courtyard heard Zhao Hai's words. They never imagined that Dou could become a commoner and even earn a wage simply by possessing the skill of weaving straw. Most importantly, Zhao Hai had granted her a surname—this was a monumental event, considering many commoners on the continent did not even have surnames.

Dou—no, she should now be called Ju Buda—knelt there in excitement, her whole body trembling. She truly never expected that she would actually become a commoner and no longer be a slave; it all felt like a dream.

The reason Ju Buda had found the courage to be the first to step forward and claim she had a skill was that she was essentially gambling. Her family had not originally been slaves; two years ago, they were still commoners. They owned a piece of land, and though it was only five acres, it was enough to support a family. Combined with her father's skills as a stonemason, the family had no worries about food or clothing.

However, the year before last, a pest infestation struck their area. The crops from their five acres were eaten entirely by insects, leaving them with not a single grain of rice. Many others shared their fate. Consequently, the widespread crop failure caused grain prices to skyrocket, and her family was pushed to the brink of starvation. To ensure his family could eat, her father had to work day and night, but he was injured while working and could no longer continue. To pay for his medical treatment, the family had to sell their land and house, but even that wasn't enough. They had no choice but to take a high-interest loan from a noble. In the end, her father could not hold on and died of his illness. Unable to repay the debt, the noble seized her mother, herself, and her younger brother, turning them into slaves. Her mother, overcome by grief, died shortly after. Before she passed, her mother's only wish was for their family to regain their status as commoners.

But for a slave to regain commoner status was incredibly difficult. Ju Buda had seen many slaves like them offer their daughters to nobles in hopes of regaining their status, only to fail; often, the girls were tortured to death shortly thereafter.

Having witnessed this, Ju had become even more cautious, trying her best not to be noticed while caring for her brother. The siblings relied on each other for survival.

Later, their former master sold them to a slave trader, and they were eventually bought by Green and brought here to the Black Soil Wasteland.

When she first heard Zhao Hai say that anyone who could make a contribution to the Buda family could regain their commoner status, Ju's heart stirred. However, she did not step forward immediately, fearing her skill would not be valued by Zhao Hai, as she only knew how to weave straw.

Through observation over the past few days, she realized that this noble, Zhao Hai, was different from the nobles she had encountered before. They were very easygoing, ensured they were fed every day, and even provided firewood for warmth.

Today, Ju felt she had no choice but to step forward because her brother was sick. Although it wasn't a major ailment, it would be very dangerous if it continued. Ju was afraid; her brother was their family's only hope, and she had to save him no matter what. That was why she had come forward.

After a long moment of stunned silence, Ju kowtowed once more and said, "Master, I dare not accept your reward. I only hope you can save my brother; he is sick right now."

Zhao Hai was startled. "Oh? Really? So you have a brother here as well? Don't worry, I will not take back the reward I gave you. Since your brother is here, let him regain his commoner status alongside you. I shall grant him the surname Buda as well. By the way, what is his name? Where is he? And what illness does he have?"

Ju was stunned. She had not expected Zhao Hai to go this far—to restore her brother's status as well. Her mother's wish was actually being fulfilled. Tears streamed down Ju's face as she sobbed, "Young Master, my brother's name is An, and he is in the house right now."

Zhao Hai nodded. "Get up. You are a commoner now; there is no need to kneel. Take me to see your brother."

Ju obediently stood up. She had only been a slave for a few years and had not been completely broken by servitude. Combined with her natural intelligence, she had managed to maintain her composure and recover quickly.

Under the watchful eyes of the other slaves, Ju led Zhao Hai and the others to a stone house. The house was not large, only about twenty square meters, and could accommodate four people. They all slept on the ground, which was simply covered with dry straw. Currently, someone was lying on that straw.

The person looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. He had a relatively sturdy build and very ordinary features. He wore coarse cloth clothing, and the Buda family emblem was branded on his forehead. However, he did not look well; his face was tinged with a bluish hue, and his eyes were tightly shut.

Zhao Hai glanced at An, then turned to Merlin. "Grandmother Merlin, what is wrong with him? Why is his face blue?"

Merlin looked at An and said, "Young Master, he has been poisoned. It is very likely the poison from that toxic herb we saw yesterday. He might have accidentally brushed against it while working today. Because he was strong, he probably didn't feel much at the time, but the poison slowly took effect after he returned, which is why he is like this."

Zhao Hai had not realized the toxicity of that herb was so potent. He hurriedly asked, "Can he be cured?"

Merlin smiled. "Don't worry, Young Master, he can be cured." After speaking, she whispered a few incantations. A ball of light-blue radiance appeared in her hand, and Merlin slowly placed the blue light onto An. The light immediately merged into An's body.

An's body seemed to emit a blue glow as well, and a surge of bluish gas was forced out of his body by the light. Once the blue light had completely permeated An's body, his complexion gradually returned to normal, and the light then vanished.

Zhao Hai truly had not realized that magic could be used for detoxification. It seemed he had consistently underestimated the magical capabilities of this world. This world had been developing its magical civilization, and it had now reached a near-limit; it was no wonder they could perform such miraculous feats.

Merlin checked An's complexion again and said, "Young Master, it is done. The poison is neutralized. After a good sleep, he will be back to normal by tomorrow morning."

Zhao Hai nodded and turned to Merlin. "Grandmother Merlin, arrange a room for Ju and An in the inner fort. Prepare some furniture for them tomorrow. They are now commoners of our Buda family; they cannot be treated like those slaves. Wood, carry An to the inner fort in a moment."

(End of Chapter)