Chapter 330

Chapter 330: Older Brother Scolds Me

Wei Yu truly never imagined that his quiet, well-behaved good younger sister would one day buy people out on the street. The key question was—where would she put those people she bought? The palace certainly did not allow unauthorized people to come and go freely.

In this era, buying and selling people was very common. People’s household registrations were divided into many categories, creating distinctions of “good” and “low” status. The former were recognized as “people” under the law, while the latter were not acknowledged as having independent legal personality.

Wei Yu couldn’t change this social system, but at least he himself wouldn’t participate in it. Using people? It wasn’t necessarily by purchasing; couldn’t one simply hire them?

Twenty taels of silver to buy three sickly girls plus a baby girl—everyone else thought only someone with too much money and nowhere to spend it would make such a purchase, other than traffickers.

The Third Princess was straightforward: twenty taels was twenty taels. After announcing the price, she ordered the person behind her to pay.

“Shunzi, give him the silver.”

With such generosity, not only were the “human traffickers” shocked, but Wei Yu himself was dumbfounded.

Was she really serious?

The man selling the girls seemed like he wanted to bargain after getting the payment ready, but the Third Princess simply gave him a look.

“Are you thinking of backing out? Let me tell you, the Great Laws of Wei forbid the buying and selling of good-status people. These girls aren’t low status, are they? If you keep babbling, do you want me to drag you to see the officials?”

The onlookers were stunned.

To be honest, there were many cases of selling boys and girls; the distinction between good and low status wasn’t often mentioned unless snitched on by officials. Everyone tacitly understood this, so how could a greenhorn come and blabber nonsense here?

Wei Yu quietly covered the lower half of his face with a fan. Sorry, he really didn’t expect his Third Sister to be so wild after leaving the palace!

Hmm, she understands the law. Not bad!

Not wanting to laugh openly and risk creating enemies, Wei Yu hid his uncontrollable smile behind the fan, his eyes rolling back and forth with a mischievous sparkle.

Speaking of seeing officials, the man dared not act rashly, quickly offering a polite smile and apologizing.

“Please forgive me, Young Master, it was just my impertinence; I deserve to die! You are a man of magnanimity; please don’t take me seriously… From now on, these girls belong to you. Please!”

Apparently truly afraid of being taken to the officials, the man obediently took the silver and fled.

The Third Princess looked on coldly and didn’t send anyone to chase him.

With the culprit gone, the crowd of onlookers dispersed to avoid bringing trouble upon themselves.

Only the four little girls remained. As Wei Yu put down his fan, his good younger sister spoke.

“Ninth Brother, does your residence need people?”

Wei Yu immediately understood. Although taking in a few young girls was fine, there were some things he still needed to clarify with his Third Sister.

“Jing’an, do you know that while you can save them for now, you cannot save them for life?”

The Third Princess was momentarily stunned.

Wei Yu looked at the three timid girls huddled together. These were children who should be carefree, their eyes originally pure and innocent, but now filled with fear and terror.

This was not only oppression by the strong against the weak in a feudal society, but the suppression of women by men in a patriarchal society…

“As you saw today, there are too many such situations in the world. Girls sold for money, used as debt collateral, good-status girls reduced to low status. If they only fall to servant or slave status, it’s relatively fortunate, but if they enter the world of prostitution, then all hope is lost forever.”

Wei Yu spoke slowly and calmly to the Third Princess, “You bought these girls today to save them from those with ill intentions. Older brother understands and does not stop you. But since you bought them yourself, you must understand that from the moment you acquire them, their safety, honor, and disgrace in this life depend entirely on you. Do you understand the meaning of this?”

The Third Princess was stunned.

She turned to look at the girls and wanted to say something but didn’t know what.

She wanted to save these children. From the moment she understood the man’s shameless words and saw the disgusting eagerness in the onlookers’ eyes, she wanted to save them.

She was the Third Princess of Great Wei, a noble identity, and could do whatever she wanted.

But she didn’t realize that once she truly saved someone, she herself would have to be responsible for everything that followed…

“They are still children. If you bought them and don’t want them to fall into danger again, you must place them properly. I can provide them with a place to stay…”

The confused Third Princess immediately looked at her Ninth Brother with a hint of hope in her eyes upon hearing this.

“But I will not take care of them.”

The light in the Third Princess’s eyes vanished.

She quickly asked, “Why? They’re still so young. Since Ninth Brother is willing to take them in, why not assign some Momo to look after them…”

“Why should I?”

The Third Princess stopped abruptly.

Wei Yu shook his fan, looking at her calmly, his gaze indifferent. “Why should I do that? Did I buy them? What relation do they have to me? Why should I hire people to raise them? What use are they to me?”

One question after another. The Third Princess’s face gradually turned pale.

Wei Yu sighed and advised her, “Jing’an, this is a problem you need to consider yourself.”

Kindness is not a bad thing; Wei Yu did not oppose her doing it, but crucially, doing good deeds requires thinking things through from start to finish. If you cannot help in the long run, it's better not to start, so as not to waste heart and mind.

The Third Princess was pale and said nothing.

Seeing her pitiful, discouraged look, Wei Yu’s voice softened, “Jing’an, from the perspective of morals and propriety, Ninth Brother is pleased with how you acted today.”

A slap followed by a treat, so the children wouldn't be scared.

The Third Princess raised her eyelids, her eyes shining faintly, and pitifully asked in a small voice, “Really?”

“Of course. Otherwise, Ninth Brother would have stopped you at the start, right?”

Returning to the image of the gentle, doting elder brother, Wei Yu smiled and patted her head. “You are still young; it’s normal to be thoughtless. Ninth Brother knows your heart is good and won’t blame you. What I said earlier was a bit harsh, just hoping that in the future, you’ll think twice and consider carefully before acting. It never hurts to think more, you understand?”

The Third Princess sniffled, tears suddenly falling.

“Waa—”

Wei Yu: !

Wait, why is she crying now when she didn’t just now?!

“Oh, don’t cry, there are so many people here! Let’s go home and cry, okay? Come on, wipe your nose…”

“Waa… Older brother scolded me!”

“No! I wasn’t scolding you; I was talking sense. You’re slandering me…”

“Waa waa waa—”

Headache!

Crying openly in public, and a boy at that, passersby cast several glances their way.

Wei Yu was thick-skinned and pretended not to notice those strange looks.

He skillfully comforted his sister, took a handkerchief from a palace servant, wiped her nose, and started coaxing her gently, meanwhile pulling the girls toward the carriage at the back.

As for those few little girls, well, Ding Facai would take care of everything.