Chapter 29: Reward

Zhao Hai stood up happily and said, "Take me to see this person quickly."

After saying this, he grabbed Meg's hand and walked straight out of the house. Meg was taken aback for a moment, then glanced at the hand Zhao Hai was holding, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes, which was soon replaced by shyness.

However, Zhao Hai was not in the mood to notice this, and neither did the others. They all followed Ye Hai out of the outer castle.

As soon as they appeared in the outer castle, they found a slave standing there. However, this slave surprised Zhao Hai a bit because it was a female slave.

Zhao Hai had thought that the first person to step forward would be a male slave, but he did not expect it to be a female. Zhao Hai stood there in a daze, looking at the female slave standing at the small gate connecting the inner and outer castles.

This female slave looked to be around twenty years old. Perhaps due to malnutrition, she appeared somewhat thin and had a very petite figure. Her brown hair was somewhat rough, and she wore a coarse cloth dress. Her skin was very dark and rough, and she looked quite ordinary.

She stood there very nervously, her whole body trembling. As soon as she saw Zhao Hai and the others come out, she immediately knelt down and did not dare to move.

Meg immediately said to Zhao Hai, "Young Master, it's her. Her name is Dou, and she is twenty years old. She just came to me and said she can weave grass."

Zhao Hai nodded. He knew that in this world, slaves did not have surnames, and their names were usually just one character. If they took a two-character name, it would be considered an overstepping and would be punishable by death.

Zhao Hai looked at the girl named Dou and said in a deep voice, "Look up."

Dou trembled as she lifted her head but still did not dare to look at Zhao Hai. She knelt there straight. Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Your name is Dou?"

Dou bowed her head and said, "Yes, Master."

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Are you very good at weaving grass? Where did you learn it?"

Dou replied, "Master, I became a slave two years ago. Before that, I was a commoner. At home, I often used grass to make things, and gradually I learned how to do it."

Zhao Hai nodded. He found that although this girl named Dou seemed timid, she spoke very clearly. It seemed that this was related to her previous status as a commoner.

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Go and get some grass. Show me what you can do right now."

Dou immediately responded and left. Soon, she returned with a large bundle of dry grass. It seemed she had prepared in advance, and the dry grass had been soaked in water to make it more flexible.

Dou bowed to Zhao Hai and said, "Please forgive my rudeness, Master." Zhao Hai nodded, and Dou immediately sat on the ground and started weaving. It was clear that she was weaving a mat, and her movements were very quick. In no time, a small mat was completed. The surface of the mat was very smooth and soft, and it looked very beautiful.

Zhao Hai nodded, looked at Dou, who had knelt down again, and said in a deep voice, "Good, Dou. Your contribution to the Budan family is significant. From today on, you are no longer a slave. You are a commoner of the Budan family's Black Earth territory. In the future, you can see me without kneeling, just bow. Additionally, you will have a separate room and work for the Budan family. You will receive one silver coin per month. I also grant you the surname Budan. From today on, your name will be Dou Budan. However, the name Dou is not very suitable for a girl, so you will be called Ju Budan."

Everyone in the courtyard heard Zhao Hai's words. They never expected that Dou could become a commoner just by knowing how to weave grass, and she would even receive a salary. Most importantly, Zhao Hai had granted her a surname, which was a significant matter. Many commoners on the continent did not even have surnames.

Dou, no, now called Ju Budan, knelt there, trembling with excitement. She never thought that she would really become a commoner and no longer a slave. It all seemed like a dream.

Ju Budan had the courage to step forward and say she had a skill because she was taking a chance. Her family was not originally slaves. Two years ago, they were commoners and had their own land, though only five acres, which was enough to support the family. Her father also had some stonemason skills, so the family was not in want.

However, two years ago, a pest infestation destroyed their five acres of crops, leaving them with no harvest. Many others suffered the same fate. Due to the widespread crop failure, food prices soared, and her family was on the brink of starvation. Her father worked day and night to feed the family but was injured during work and could no longer continue. The family had to sell their land and house to pay for his medical treatment, but the money was still not enough. They had to borrow from a nobleman at a high interest rate. Her father eventually died from his illness, and the family could not repay the debt. The nobleman then took her mother, her, and her younger brother as slaves. Her mother died soon after from excessive grief, and her last wish was for the family to regain their commoner status.

Becoming a commoner again was extremely difficult for a slave. Ju Budan had seen many slaves like them try to regain their commoner status by offering their daughters to noblemen, but they failed and the girls were often tortured to death.

After seeing this, Ju became more cautious, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself while taking care of her younger brother. They relied on each other for survival.

Later, their original owner sold them to a slave trader, and they were eventually bought by Green and brought to the Black Earth Wasteland.

When she first heard Zhao Hai say that anyone who could contribute to the Budan family could regain their commoner status, Ju was tempted. However, she did not immediately step forward, fearing that her skill of weaving grass would not be valued by Zhao Hai.

After observing Zhao Hai and his people for a few days, she found that they were different from the noblemen she had encountered before. They were very approachable, ensuring that the slaves were well-fed and provided with firewood for warmth.

Today, Ju had to step forward because her younger brother was sick. Although it was not a serious illness, it was dangerous if left untreated. Ju was afraid. Her brother was the hope of their family, and she had to save him, so she stepped forward.

After a moment of hesitation, Ju bowed again and said, "Master, I do not dare to accept your reward. I only hope you can save my brother. He is sick."

Zhao Hai was taken aback and said, "Oh? Is that so? You have a brother here as well. Don't worry, I will not take back the reward. Since you have a brother here, he will also regain his commoner status and be granted the surname Budan. By the way, what is his name? Where is he? What is his illness?"

Ju was stunned. She did not expect Zhao Hai to do this, to restore her brother's commoner status as well. Her mother's wish was fulfilled. Ju was moved to tears and said, "Young Master, my brother's name is An, and he is in the house."

Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Stand up. You are now a commoner and do not need to kneel. Take me to see your brother."

Ju obediently stood up. She had not been a slave for long and had not been completely dehumanized. Plus, she was very smart, so she quickly regained her composure.

Under the watchful eyes of the other slaves, Ju led Zhao Hai and the others to a stone house. The stone house was not very large, about twenty square meters, and could accommodate four people. They all lived on the ground, with only some dry grass spread out. On the dry grass lay a person.

This person looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, with a relatively strong build and an ordinary appearance. He wore a coarse cloth dress, and the Budan family's emblem was branded on his forehead. However, he did not look well, his face was pale, and his eyes were tightly closed.

Zhao Hai glanced at An and turned to Meg and said, "Grandma Meg, what's wrong with him? Why is his face so pale?"

Meg looked at An and said, "Young Master, he has been poisoned. It is likely the same poison from the toxic plants we saw yesterday. He might have accidentally touched one of those plants while working today. Because he was strong, he did not feel much at the time, but the poison gradually took effect after he returned, causing this condition."

Zhao Hai did not expect the poison from those plants to be so strong. He quickly asked, "Can it be cured?"

Meg smiled and said, "Young Master, don't worry, it can be cured." She then muttered a few spells, and a water-blue light appeared in her hand. She slowly placed the blue light on An's body, and it immediately sank into his body.

An's body also seemed to emit a blue light, and a greenish gas was forced out of his body by the blue light. When the blue light completely filled An's body, his face gradually returned to normal, and the blue light disappeared.

Zhao Hai was truly surprised that magic could be used to detoxify. It seemed he had underestimated the magical abilities in this world. The world had been developing magical civilization, and it had almost reached its peak, capable of performing many miraculous feats.

Meg looked at An's face again and said, "Young Master, he is fine now. The poison has been neutralized. He will sleep and wake up normal tomorrow morning."

Zhao Hai nodded and turned to Meg and said, "Grandma Meg, arrange a room for Ju and An in the inner castle. Prepare some furniture for them tomorrow. They are now commoners of the Budan family and should not be treated like slaves. Mu Tou, carry An to the inner castle later."