Chapter 931: Sinister Intentions, A Chance Encounter on the Street (4)
The young girl selling herself to bury her father was about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wasn’t exceedingly beautiful, but her face adorned with white flowers and clad in white clothes, with tears streaming down her cheeks, invoked a sense of pity that arose unconsciously in people’s hearts.
Upon hearing Cui Pingan’s words, the girl clung tightly to his sleeve and wept, "Wuu wuu, sir, if you are willing to give silver coins to help me bury my father, you are my benefactor. I have nothing to repay you with, I just hope to stay by your side as a maid, I beg you to take me in, wuu wuu!"
Cui Pingan had been frail since childhood, and even weaker than his health was his temper. Seeing the girl’s persistent entanglement, he suddenly lost his patience, and without regard to the impropriety of physical contact between men and women, he grabbed the girl’s wrist with one hand and pulled his hem outwards with the other, "Young master has already said that my home lacks no maids, this should be enough for your father’s funeral and to return to your hometown. How can you degrade yourself to become a slave to someone else?"
The girl who was selling herself for her father’s burial cried even more fiercely, gripping the hem of the clothing tightly, refusing to let go. To an outsider, it looked as though Cui Pingan had committed a heinous act, to make a maiden so desperate to seek justice.
"Aiyo, young master, look how pitifully this little girl is crying. You don’t seem like you’re short on silver coins, so why not just bring her home as a rough servant girl? It wouldn’t be a bother to you, just take her home for goodness’ sake!"
"Exactly, exactly, seeing how pitiful she is, can’t you show some kindness and take her in? Rich people really do have hearts of stone."
"This young master must be henpecked; taking her home would probably be troublesome when accounting to the misses back at home!"
"Hmph, she’s just a maid, not a concubine, what’s there to be afraid of? If that’s the case, then this young master is truly useless as a man."
"..."
Those watching a play love a grand stage, and such scenes of selling oneself to bury a father only come around every few years. The onlooking crowd began to egg them on; if there could be a sequel, like the two developing sentiments over time, that would be even better!
Hearing these words, Cui Pingan was extremely annoyed and struggled even harder to free himself, but whether it was due to his frail strength or the girl’s surprising might, he failed to shake off that slender white hand.