Published: March 11, 2025
Chapter 29: Reward
Zhao Hai stood up happily and said, “Quick, take me to meet this person, now!”
With that, he grabbed Meg's hand and strode out of the house. Meg was momentarily taken aback, then glanced at Zhao Hai’s hand holding hers. A flicker of joy crossed her eyes, soon replaced by shyness.
However, Zhao Hai was not in the mood to notice this, nor did Merlin and the others pay attention as they followed behind Zhao Hai towards the Outer Fortress.
As they emerged from the Outer Fortress, they noticed a slave standing there. To Zhao Hai’s surprise, it was a female slave.
Zhao Hai had expected a male slave to be the first to step forward, but he was taken aback to find a girl instead. He stood there, stunned, staring at the female slave standing at the small gate connecting the Inner and Outer Fortresses.
The girl appeared to be around twenty years old but looked a little thin, likely due to malnutrition. She had a petite figure, messy brown hair, and wore a rough cloth garment. Her skin was dark and coarse, her appearance quite ordinary.
She stood there nervously, trembling, and when she saw Zhao Hai and the others emerge, she immediately knelt down, not daring to move.
Meg quickly said to Zhao Hai, “Young master, it’s her! Her name is Dou, she’s twenty this year. She just came to find me and said she can weave grass.”
Zhao Hai nodded. He understood that in this world, slaves did not have surnames, and their names were generally just one character. If someone had a two-character name, it meant they had crossed a line and would be sentenced to death.
Zhao Hai looked at the girl named Dou and said in a deep voice, “Lift your head.”
Dou trembled as she raised her head, but still did not dare to look at Zhao Hai, remaining kneeling. Zhao Hai nodded and asked, “Your name is Dou?”
Dou bowed her head again and replied, “Yes, master.”
Zhao Hai nodded again, “Are you good at weaving grass? Where did you learn it?”
Dou replied, “Reporting to master, I became a slave two years ago. I was a commoner before, and I often used grass to weave things at home, which is how I slowly learned.”
Zhao Hai nodded. He noticed that although this girl named Dou seemed timid, she spoke coherently, which likely had a lot to do with her being a commoner before.
Zhao Hai then said, “Go get some grass and weave something for me to see right now.”
Dou immediately responded and stepped back. Before long, she returned with a large bundle of dried grass, suggesting she had come prepared. The grass was treated with clean water beforehand to make it more pliable.
Dou bowed to Zhao Hai and said, “Please forgive my rudeness, master.” Zhao Hai nodded, and Dou quickly sat on the ground, beginning to weave. It was clear she was making a mat, and she worked swiftly. In no time, a small mat was completed. The surface was smooth, soft, and quite beautiful.
Zhao Hai nodded, glancing at Dou, who had knelt down again. He said solemnly, “Good, Dou, you have made a significant contribution to the Budah family. From today onwards, you will no longer be a slave but a commoner of our Budah family in the Black Soil Territory. In the future, you don’t need to kneel before me; just bow will suffice. Additionally, you will receive your own room and work for the Budah family, earning one silver coin as a salary each month. I also grant you the surname Budah. From today on, your name will be Dou Budah. Hmm, Dou isn’t quite suitable for a girl; let’s change it to Judy Budah.”
Everyone in the courtyard heard Zhao Hai's words and could hardly believe that Dou could become a commoner just for her skill in weaving grass, and she would even receive a salary. Most importantly, Zhao Hai granted her a surname, which was an incredible feat. Many commoners on the continent did not even have a surname.
Dou, or rather now Judy Budah, trembled with excitement as she knelt there, overwhelmed. She truly didn’t expect to become a commoner and no longer be a slave; it felt like a dream.