Zi You listened to the slave dealer’s introductions. Eight or nine-year-old girls were three silvers, ten or eleven-year-olds were seven silvers, twelve- to fifteen-year-olds were the most expensive at fifteen silvers, and sixteen- to eighteen-year-olds were eight silvers.

  The reason was simple. After feeding twelve- to fourteen-year-olds a year or two, they could earn lots of silvers for brothels.

  The younger ones needed more silvers to raise them for longer periods of time and could not immediately make silvers or work.

  The older ones did not need to be raised anymore and could only be maidservants or get married after a few years.

  The girls Zi You chose were mostly nine to eleven years of age, totaling thirty-eight. Only seven were twelve years of age.

  They cost Zi You 318 silvers. She began to bargain, “300 silvers.”


  The slave dealer counter-offered, “This xiaojie, this is the best slave market, with the best slaves. You go back and teach them a bit and you can use them. How about this? 310 silvers.”


  Zi You again said coldly, “300 silvers.”


  The slave dealer was anxious, “Xiaojie, even selling them to brothels would not fetch this price……” “Xiaojie, I beg you to do a good deed. Can you also buy this slave’s big brother?” The two were deadlocked, when a nine-year-old girl suddenly kneeled in front of Zi You and cried sorrowfully.