Chapter 21: Liu Xie, the Kindhearted Man

The little girl looked deeply aggrieved, and the woman's face was full of sorrow.

Now Liu Xie understood why she was asking for such a low price.

Twenty taels meant nothing to him. But for the mother and daughter before him, this money was their salvation.

Despite the impressive house they lived in, in truth, they had nothing left. They were desperate to fill their bellies and so had no mind to demand a higher price.

Yet even if they asked for less, Liu Xie could not bring himself to pay so little.

“Ladies, if you find it too expensive, then ten taels—ten taels will do,” the woman pleaded, turning her beseeching eyes upon Liu Xie and his companion.

“Ah, what a hard life these two have,” even the agent found it hard to bear the sight, his heart moved with pity.

“Dear, what do you think?” It was not only the agent; even Fu Shou felt sympathy for the mother and daughter’s plight.

Liu Xie took a deep breath, glancing around, and spoke gently. “What will ten taels of silver do for you? At best, it will feed you for a few days. And when that’s gone? What then?”

At his words, the woman lowered her head in disappointment. Clearly, she herself had no answer.

“We’ll just take it one day at a time,” she murmured. “With war and chaos everywhere, living each day is a blessing. But my poor daughter suffers for it.”

By the end, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Liu Xie sighed. He knew the Three Kingdoms was an age of turmoil, and that many lived in hardship. Still, he had not expected these two were in such dire straits. “To live one day at a time”—what a wretched fate.

“Very well, I shall give you twenty taels,” he finally agreed.

“Thank you, thank you, benefactor!” The instant Lin Xiao gave his consent, the woman fell to her knees in gratitude. To her, those twenty taels were a lifeline.

But Liu Xie shook his head gently, helping her up from the ground. “Don’t be so hasty—hear me out first. Don’t misunderstand; I know this house is worth far more than twenty taels. Rest assured, I am not one to take advantage of others’ misfortune. This residence is vast, nearly thirty rooms, far more than we can use. And you and your daughter—if you leave, you’ve nowhere to go.”

“I propose this: let the twenty taels be rent for your house. Twenty taels each month. You remain here, and I shall pay you every month,” Liu Xie said softly.

The woman stared at him, dumbfounded. “Young master, what did you say?” She thought she’d misheard.

Liu Xie gave her a reassuring smile. “You heard me right. This house remains yours, always. We are merely renting it from you, and I’ll pay you every month—no need to worry about that. By the way, can you cook?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, I can.”

“Good. There will be a few of us—twenty-two people in all, including us. You and your daughter can stay here, and help cook and do laundry for us. If ever it’s too much, I’ll have others help you. How does that sound?”

At these words, the woman burst into tears once again. She dropped to her knees. “Niuniu, come, kneel and thank our benefactor!”

She pulled her daughter down beside her. The little girl, obedient and sweet, knelt as well. “Thank you, uncle,” she said in her tender, childish voice.

Liu Xie quickly helped them both up. “No need for such formality. In the days to come, we’ll look after each other. We, too, had nowhere else to go. It’s us who should thank you for taking us in.”

He smiled warmly.

At that moment, Liu Xie was every inch the kindly, benevolent man—gentle and friendly, filling the mother and daughter’s hearts with gratitude.

“It seems there are still good people in this world,” the woman thought. “Jiayu, your luck has turned; you’ve finally met good folk.”

“Young master, madam, you are both such kind souls. I’ll forego my agent’s fee,” the agent declared cheerfully, refusing payment.

But Liu Xie merely smiled and tossed him a few taels of silver. “You’re too generous, old friend. Business is business; what’s owed must be paid.”

The agent nodded in approval. “Good, good! Miss, you’ve chosen the right people to trust. Indeed, birds of a feather flock together. This young lady is not only beautiful, but clearly, she’s a person of great virtue.”

“And this young master as well—both of you are truly good people,” he praised Liu Xie and Fu Shou.

By the end, Fu Shou felt a little embarrassed, even shy.

“Alright, I’ll take my leave. If you need anything in the future, just call for me,” the agent said with a grin, departing merrily.

“Oh, benefactors, let me show you around the house,” the woman said eagerly once he was gone.

Liu Xie nodded lightly. “No need to call us benefactors anymore. For us, it was but a small thing.”

“My surname is Liu, this is my wife, surname Fu,” Liu Xie said softly.

“Very well, Young Master Liu, Lady Liu. My family name is Zhang, and my given name is Jiayu. Everyone calls me Jiayu—if you don’t mind, you may do the same.”

With introductions made, everyone quickly grew familiar. She led Liu Xie and Fu Shou on a long tour of the residence, and Liu Xie gradually became accustomed to the surroundings.

As night fell, the twenty men whom Liu Xie had trained arrived, now dressed in plain clothes and settling in.

The household had suddenly grown much larger. Despite the arrival of twenty burly men, there was little unease. When Jiayu prepared the meal, Liu Xie even sent several men to help.

“Young Master Liu, these chores—I can manage them myself. Please, if you have things to do, tend to your own affairs. Letting us stay here is already more than enough gratitude for us,” Zhang Jiayu said, overwhelmed by Liu Xie’s kindness.

To be given money and help—she had not met people so kind in many years, and her impression of the newcomers was exceedingly good.

“Jiayu, there’s no need for such talk. We’ll be living together from now on; it’s only right to help each other. They have nothing to do at present, so it’s good for them to lend a hand,” Liu Xie replied with a gentle smile.