And it was precisely the look the woman cast his way that made Shi Yi's heart skip a beat!
Crystal-clear!
Yes, exactly those crystal-clear eyes described in the cliché web novels of his past life!
He never imagined he would get such a perk after transmigrating!
Yet he still suppressed his urgent desire, not letting anyone else see it.
Otherwise, this single catty of grain he was holding would never compete with those wealthy squires' gates.
The yamen officer stared at him and frowned.
Although they were in the human trafficking business, they were actually giving these convicts a chance to start over.
They could make a living and save a human life at the same time.
There was still a shred of kindness in his heart.
Taking in Shi Yi's patched clothes and the straw sandals on his feet,
he could tell at a glance that he was an impoverished household from deep in the mountains.
Therefore, the officer spoke up: "This woman has been coughing all along the way. Most people think she's got consumption and wouldn't dare go near her."
"What are you buying her back for? Don't ruin yourself."
Before Shi Yi could reply, Liu Zhigao hurried over from the side.
"Officer, Officer, this is my own younger brother."
"It's hard for poor families to take a wife. The woman might be a bit frail, but she's still a woman at heart."
"Have mercy, take pity on us poor folk."
With that, Liu Zhigao went all out just to trick Shi Yi into taking a consumptive woman home.
He dropped straight to his knees with a thud: "Officer, I beg you!"
Shi Yi was dumbfounded.
He never expected that this idiot would actually kneel down just to help him get this top-tier beauty!
For a moment, he was almost moved by this idiot.
The officer was in a difficult spot.
Frowning for a moment, he turned back to look at Shi Yi and paused in surprise: "Young man, how come you're crying?"
That's right, Shi Yi changed his expression in a second, turning his head away and rubbing his eyes fiercely a couple of times.
Squeezing out a few actual teardrops by sheer force.
To successfully buy this top-tier beauty, he was going all out too!
In his heart, he even cursed: "Damn it, back in my past life when I went on so many blind dates, women with two kids still demanded hundreds of thousands in bride price from me."
"After transmigrating, I can take home a top-tier beauty like this for just a catty of grain. How could I let her go so easily?!"
He spoke loudly: "Officer, my father's generation has all passed away. Now in our family's generation, only my elder brother and I are left."
"My elder brother cannot have children, leaving only me as the sole heir to our lineage!"
"If I can't take a wife, my family line will die out. Please make an exception!"
As he said this, the cold-eyed woman trembled all over with anger.
Because as she looked at Shi Yi at this very moment,
she felt an urge to vomit.
This rustic country bumpkin!
He actually regards me as a mere tool for continuing his family line!
Utterly shameful!
Yet she glanced over at the towering gates of the Great Chu Western Frontier Army camp nearby.
She forced down her inner disgust, remaining as still as a bend of lake water.
Liu Zhigao's brain failed to keep up; he gave a loud kowtow and blundered right along with Shi Yi's lie: "That's right, Officer, the heavy responsibility of carrying on our family line in this generation lies..."
"Lies..."
His brain suddenly snapped back to reality, and he glared back at Shi Yi with furious eyes.
Feeling as though he didn't recognize Shi Yi anymore: "This blockhead, is he indirectly calling me a eunuch?"
"No way, isn't he just a blockhead who gets sold and still helps count the money? Does he have the brains for that?"
The yamen runner's head was spinning from all this.
He snatched the catty of rice right out of Shi Yi's hand: "Then take her back and continue your family line."
"Stop making a racket here."
"Thank you, Officer!" Shi Yi's hanging heart finally dropped back into place.
With so many eyes around, he was terrified someone else would notice the woman.
He hurried over to her, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her along.
"Let's go, come home with me."
The woman was trembling all over, especially when she saw Shi Yi's calloused hands with their blackened fingernails.
Deep down, she felt extreme resistance.
Yet she had no other choice.
If she didn't leave with him, she would immediately be handed over to the Western Frontier Army and face certain death!
She would first leave with this rustic country bumpkin and get away before anything else.
So she forced down her aversion and followed behind him.
The bystanders began pointing and whispering.
"This young man's head must have a lump on it, and a pretty foolish one at that."
"Buying a consumptive woman like this back home—that's bringing a curse upon yourself!"
"Ha, look at that silly bastard's face, acting like someone's going to snatch her from him!"
"I recognize this fellow; he's that blockhead young master of Shiniu Village!"
"I heard his second uncle seized his family property, and he's even thanking his second uncle for taking him in."
"Really? No wonder they say there are fools like this, taking a woman like that for a precious treasure with his empty head."
"Misfortune picks on the destitute, and hemp ropes always break at the thinnest spot. This kid's days are going to get even harder!"
Having succeeded, Liu Zhigao sneered inwardly behind their backs: "What a fool!"
"Let's see how you manage to survive with a consumptive ghost like that!"
He used to be a servant in Shi Yi's household.
Shi Yi's father had frequently scolded him, so he had always harbored a deep grudge and loved seeing Shi Yi's life go to the dogs.
Ignoring him, Liu Zhigao had to procure some supplies for the village while in town, so he went off to tend to his own business first.
Xiguan Town was not large, consisting of just this single street.
Passing around it, one hit a gravel road leading straight to the various villages in the Qingniu Mountains.
Shiniu Village was located deep within these mountains.
Along the way, the woman only wanted to escape the yamen runner.
So she walked even faster than Shi Yi, practically fleeing for her life.
Yet no matter how Shi Yi questioned her,
the woman remained completely silent and utterly aloof.
And yet, the more Shi Yi looked at her, the more he liked her, viewing her through the lens of modern aesthetics:
Her golden height was one meter sixty-eight, and her body proportions rivaled those of the international supermodels he used to swipe past on the internet in his past life.
Her legs were straight and slender.
No matter what, coming back through transmigration and picking up a beautiful wife right off the bat wasn't bad at all.
He felt even happier and wanted to laugh out loud: "Those bumpkins in town missed out on a real treasure!"
Following the host's memories, Shi Yi found his home in the Four Cows Brigade.
It was so poor it made him want to cry.
It felt even poorer than in the original host's memories!
A small, dilapidated wooden shack, leaning crookedly to one side.
It felt like a gust of wind could blow it right over, and hanging in front of the shack were two small animal pelts.
Was this because the host couldn't even survive his own misery, so he specifically dragged him over to get rich and save face for him?
Shi Yi brought the woman here and inspected the front and back of the shack.
Hoping to find something of value.
After searching around, the most valuable item he found was a broad chopping knife!
Starting off with just a single knife?
After looking around, the cold woman, who had originally loathed this rustic country bumpkin, couldn't help saying with a trace of sympathy: "Your home is so poor."
Shi Yi almost vomited blood from anger: "Duh, isn't this the objective reality right in front of us? I don't need you to remind me."
"But I won't let you starve. Go wash your face first while I check the back mountain for wild vegetables or something, and I'll scrounge up something to fill both our bellies."
"Don't run around, you hear? The people in that village over there are all my enemies. Stay obediently at home."
With that, he took the chopping knife and left.
The woman paused, staring at his retreating figure: "Objective reality? I don't understand that."
"Aren't... aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
Shi Yi tossed back a reply: "You'd better not run. There are tigers in these mountains, and plenty of wild boars too."
"It's for your own good."
"Damn it, why is he so damn poor?"
"Living like this is simply too tragic to behold; I've never seen anyone live a life this wretched!"
Shi Yi felt that his top priority right now was to fill both their stomachs.
With that parting remark, he headed into the mountains.