Chapter 1189 - Zhu Si and Zheng Yue'e
Huang Ande was a "major client" here, purchasing several women almost every visit. Upon his appearance, people immediately cleared a path. Accustomed to the scene by now, he paid it no mind. Just as he was selecting according to Chief Zhu's standards, Zhu Si suddenly slapped his arm and called out nervously:
"Brother Huang!"
"What is it?" Huang Ande started.
"Isn't that Moon Maiden!" He pointed.
"What?" Huang Ande followed his finger and saw, sitting blankly behind the side of the rope circle, a young woman—similarly naked and with disheveled hair.
It took him a moment to place her—wasn't this Zheng Yue'e, the daughter of Cao Five from the Dengzhou Water Camp?
Zheng Yue'e was a rather well-known figure among the families of the Dengzhou Water Camp soldiers. Cao Five's wife had died young, and Yue'e was the eldest daughter with several younger siblings below her. She had managed the household single-handedly, which developed a bold and capable personality. Not only did she dare curse loudly in the streets, but she would roll up her sleeves to pull hair and tear clothes in fights with neighborhood women. She had once smashed open the head of a loafer who molested her with a water jar. In short, she was someone who never let herself be taken advantage of.
Because of her reputation and heavy family burdens, Zheng Yue'e—though not bad-looking—had remained unmarried. The Cao and Zhu families lived close by, and Zhu Si had developed some interest in her. He often came around to help with heavy work, and through flirtatious glances both understood the meaning. But whenever Zhu Si considered the five or six siblings she would bring along, realizing the burden of becoming this brother-in-law would be considerable—both families were ordinary camp soldiers, and military pay couldn't support a family—he had remained indecisive.
Huang Ande had spent some time with the Zhu family and heard Zhu Si muttering about this. He hadn't expected her to be captured too!
At this moment, this small woman famous for her boldness had a swollen face and dried blood at the corner of her mouth. Her body was covered in whip marks, as if she had just been tortured. Her eyes were vacant, and a foolish smile hung at the corner of her mouth—the shrewd, bold expression that had once animated her features was entirely gone. She seemed nothing more than an idiotic fool.
"Master Huang, see anything you like?" The rebel steward watching nearby noticed his fixed gaze and immediately approached.
"This woman?" Huang Ande nodded slightly.
"Oh, seems her name is Yue'e or Heng'e," the steward said, recognizing her at a glance. "The base is decent, but she's a bit crazy. Went mad a few days ago, got whipped before she settled down—otherwise General Zhao wouldn't have dumped her."
"How could she be crazy?" Zhu Si rushed to ask, only realizing his slip when Huang Ande's glare cut him short: this was a rebel den. Even if confident, it wasn't a place for loose talk.
The steward didn't seem to mind: "How? Parents killed, couldn't process it for a moment and went to pieces. What new trick could it be? Looking at her body she should be a maiden; probably wasn't a husband or son killed."
Seeing Huang Ande and his follower showing interest in this woman, he seized the opportunity: "Master Huang, if you like her and think she can still be of service, take her for two taels of silver—I'll count it as doing a good deed. One like her, if not sold, stays as a camp whore and sooner or later gets used to death anyway."
Huang Ande hesitated. Two taels was indeed cheap, but looking at her appearance she had fallen into idiocy. The Chiefs' first rule in selecting people was no disabled ones. Besides, buying her with silver meant she would likely become a concubine or maid for the Chiefs—how would he explain bringing back a madwoman?
Zhu Si kept tugging at his sleeve. Huang Ande knew the lad harbored strong feelings for Zheng Yue'e and wanted to save her—if he didn't buy her, Zheng Yue'e would fulfill the steward's prediction: sooner or later raped to death.
The death of one helpless woman didn't count for much here: the moat outside the "market" was choked with corpses. She wasn't necessarily more pitiable or more worthy of rescue than the women still suffering in the human pen.
But Zhu Si's expression made refusal impossible. Zhu Si's elder brother Zhu San had been Huang Ande's sworn brother, beheaded for stealing from government granaries alongside him. After Huang Ande infiltrated Dengzhou, Zhu Si had followed him through life and death—any way you looked at it, he was a true brother.
But this was using public office for private gain. Huang Ande knew the Australian temperament well: everything had rules, everything followed systems. They particularly emphasized "discipline" and "obeying orders."
Still, looking at Zhu Si's expression, then at Zheng Yue'e still wearing that empty smile, Huang Ande hesitated a moment before asking: "You want me to save her. After saving her, are you willing to take her?"
"I am willing!"
"In her condition, she may not be able to cook or raise children. Are you still willing?"
"I am willing!" Zhu Si answered without hesitation.
"In that case, I'll help you buy her." Huang Ande said, then spoke a few words to the steward. The steward immediately agreed to knock off a few more fractions of silver.
Having done such a thing, explaining it back home would be difficult. Huang Ande thought for a long while, then steeled himself: the silver would come from his own pay—though he didn't know the exchange rate between circulation notes and silver, his savings were considerable, probably enough. Let his Dengzhou military merits offset the disciplinary breach.
Thinking this, he felt at ease. He selected five or six more women, spending his twenty-tael quota.
After the stamping was done, the two walked out. Only after walking several dozen steps did Zhu Si call out, eyes reddening: "Brother Huang..."
"Say no more," Huang Ande patted his shoulder. "I didn't do it for you..." Just as he spoke, something touched his foot. He looked down to see a woman curled in rags who had crawled to his feet. Skeletal and barely human, she used all her remaining strength to thrust a ragged bundle under his feet, pleading in a voice so weak it was scarcely audible:
"Have mercy... Master, give him a way to live..."
Huang Ande looked closer. Inside the ragged bundle was a dead child, likely dead for some time, face covered in flies. He couldn't help recoiling in disgust, hurriedly taking several steps forward. He led Zhu Si walking quickly ahead as if fleeing.
After walking several dozen steps, he felt it was too cruel and turned back: even if the child was beyond hope, the woman still drew breath. Rescuing her for a few full meals might revive her. Having violated discipline once, he didn't fear violating it again.
But when he returned, the woman had already breathed her last. Two laborers were dragging her by the feet toward the corpse-disposal trench. Her hands were still clutching the dead child tightly.
The sunlight was blinding. Huang Ande felt a bit dizzy. He looked at this "market" filled with wailing victims, a hell on earth, and thought of Lingao—that was simply another world. He couldn't help but raise his eyes to the scorching sky and cry out: "Senate, when will your rain and dew cover the earth!"
The population Huang Ande had purchased had already gathered at the designated place. Over a dozen large straw sheds stood there specifically for their use. Cao Qing led several dozen militia managing the operation: stamped refugees were sent here. After stamp verification, each person was first issued a straw hat—reusable. Then two rice biscuits mixed with bean flour were distributed to give the refugees some strength, followed by a bamboo tube of weak saltwater—walking without water under the summer sun would cause mass heatstroke.
Most had to walk on the return journey. Women purchased with silver naturally received different treatment; by rule, there was a light mule cart they could ride in. Huang Ande had brought over a dozen standard military two-wheeled transport carts drawn by single mules or horses. The carts were laden with relief rations for exchanging population. On the return trip, they transported children and the frail.
Beyond population, the market sold all manner of goods. Lu Wenyuan naturally wouldn't miss such opportunities. Huang Ande's task was to place orders for items he spotted—specific payment and inspection would be handled by Zhu Mingxia personally. Unlike buying people, wealth tempted hearts, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't encounter desperate men willing to risk their lives for money.
According to the Planning Commission's purchasing guidelines, first priority went to livestock: horses, donkeys, mules, oxen. Besides capturing large numbers of military horses and pack animals, the rebels had looted massive quantities of livestock from the populace. The rebels possessed so many animals that when they later fled Huangxian, Shandong Touring Censor Xie Sanbin was able to organize a sizable transport team to supply grain for tens of thousands of government troops just using the donkeys and mules the rebels had discarded, fully replenishing his stocks in three days.
The rebels valued livestock highly as well, but lacking any comprehensive logistics system, they relied entirely on locust-style "eat all, loot all" supply methods. Animals received neither good feed nor rest and would soon be overworked, fit only for meat. Recognizing this opportunity, Lu Wenyuan negotiated with Kong Youde, agreeing to exchange silver or grain for the rebels' excess livestock. These animals were also sent to Zhaoyuan for local grazing—summer grass was lush, and with proper care, the animals would quickly recover their health.
However, livestock sent to the "market" remained limited. For most rebels, slaughtering animals for meat was the simplest solution. So oftentimes Huang Ande had to settle for second-best: purchasing animal byproducts like hides, hooves, and horns. These were raw materials needed by Lingao industry. Originally Lu Wenyuan also bought animal bones, but stopped after discovering rebels mixing in human bones.
Today the market had a large pile of "merchandise" the Planning Commission was keenly interested in—metal objects. These were obviously looted from commoners and shops, heaped together in a jumble. All kinds of utensils were mixed inside. Huang Ande even spotted several temple bells.
(End of Chapter)