mtl008 Chapter 130 There are no born slaves in the world
Chapter 130 There are no born slaves in the world
Wanxia slowly opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Her heart suddenly raced, and she frantically checked her body. Only after confirming that she was alright did she breathe a long sigh of relief.
She gently lifted the covers, stepping barefoot onto the floor, cautiously observing the room that felt both strange and familiar. The room was simply yet warmly furnished, with a landscape painting hanging on the wall, creating a sense of tranquility. Late Summer walked to the window, opened it, and sunlight streamed in, illuminating the entire room.
She turned and looked around, seeing a note on the bedside table that read: "Miss Shi, during last night's fight, your sword energy accidentally injured you, so I've arranged for you to stay in my room. Please rest well, and call me anytime if you need anything. — Li Changyu"
A blush crept onto Wanxia's face as she recalled what had happened last night. Li Changyu was truly formidable; that man in black was no slouch either, yet he had managed to drive him away so quickly.
Wanxia walked to the door and opened it. Li Changyu was standing guard outside. The two were in an awkward situation for a moment. Wanxia blushed and broke the strange atmosphere first.
"Brother Li, thank you so much for saving my life yesterday. By the way, is your injury serious?"
Li Changyu smiled indulgently, waved his hand, and said gently, "It was my mistake that Miss Shi was accidentally injured by my sword energy yesterday. I will definitely protect you in the future."
Shi Wanxia blushed slightly upon hearing this, and lowered her head to say softly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Li."
Seeing the shy expression on Shi's face, Li Changyu's heart stirred. He knew that he had fallen for this kind and beautiful girl.
However, she still pretended not to care and looked away, saying indifferently, "Go back to your room and change your clothes, pack your things, and we'll have breakfast on the road! Uncle has already prepared a caravan, and we'll set off once you've changed your clothes."
Shi Wanxia nodded, turned and jogged back to her room. Li Changyu strode back to his room, quickly packed his own bundle, and went downstairs. Xing Ce hurriedly took the package from the young master's hands. The young mistress hadn't come down yet; should he send someone up to fetch her?
Li Changyu was filled with doubt. He really couldn't understand why Miss Shi, who had been so fond of spending time with Young Master Shen and the others just a few days ago, had completely changed her attitude after returning to Jizhou City, becoming extremely ostracized.
Shi Wanxia was also caught in a deep inner conflict. She couldn't quite explain what was wrong with her. Recalling everything that had happened since she met up with Brother Shen and the others, she noticed that their attitude towards Qin Xin was completely different from their attitude towards Miss Wang.
While their different social statuses are understandable, Miss Wang is, after all, Young Master Cui's fiancée. The cautious, tentative manner of Miss Wang and her entourage left Shi Wanxia momentarily at a loss. After all, in this ancient world, stories of repaying a life-saving debt with one's own body are commonplace.
Her concerns were not unfounded. In ancient times, women were expected to be subservient to their husbands, and the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin. She felt that distancing herself from the two of them was the best course of action. After all, they were just strangers who had met, and becoming friends with them was already an unexpected bonus.
Even if someone had harbored some feelings for Brother Shen, the harsh reality would forcefully pull them back. The vast difference in their social status would only plunge more than one person into suffering.
With a long sigh, Shi Wanxia slung her backpack over her shoulder and draped a cloak over it. She had carefully modified the backpack, using a piece of fabric and an outer shell to make it look less out of place.
After getting ready, she went downstairs. When Xing Ce and the others saw the young mistress come downstairs, they hurried forward, but stopped because of the strict separation between men and women.
"Young Madam, please slow down. This is a carriage that the young master specially prepared for you. It is fully equipped and the carriage is very spacious."
Shi Wanxia appreciated Xing Ce's good intentions, but she still stepped onto the carriage. This carriage was several levels higher than the previous ones!
The interior was spacious and bright, furnished with soft bedding, a tea table, and cushions. She put her backpack into the locker, quite satisfied with the carriage. She couldn't help but sigh, "It's so good to be rich; I can enjoy all sorts of nice things, and even traveling is no longer a hardship."
After sitting for a while, Shi Wanxia got up and got out of the carriage. Li Changyu carefully helped her out of the carriage and asked with concern, "Miss Shi, are you satisfied? If you need anything else, just tell me and I will have someone procure it."
Shi Wanxia smiled and shook her head: "No need, Brother Li. By the way, where are Qin Xin and the others?"
Li Changyu led her to the back, where there were six more carriages. As they walked, he explained to her, "This time, your third uncle has prepared eight carriages, one specifically for transporting food and supplies. I've arranged for my other sisters to have separate carriages. Those who want to keep each other company can stay in one carriage."
Just then, seven girls, about fifteen or sixteen years old and dressed in the same clothes, bowed to them in unison.
"This servant greets the young mistress, may the young mistress be well!" The young ladies knelt before her and bowed, making quite a show of it, which startled Li Qinglan and the others in the carriage. They all got off the carriage and somewhat uneasily gathered around Shi Wanxia.
"Brother Li, Sister Shi, what happened?" Li Qinglan asked with some concern. He looked Sister Shi up and down for a long time, and when he saw that she was alright, he was relieved.
Li Changyu rarely spoke so gently to comfort them, "Don't worry! It's alright. These are maids I specially chose for you. They are both literate and skilled in martial arts, and will take care of your daily chores and protect your safety. We're about to set off, and the journey will certainly not be peaceful. With these maids here, you can be protected."
Shi Wanxia was actually reluctant. After all, she was a woman of the new era, and since childhood, the country had told her that there were no slaves in the new China. She didn't want to accept that, although it was a feudal ancient society, she was born under the red flag and grew up in the spring breeze. Everywhere she looked was China, and the five stars shining were her faith.
She quickly shook her head in refusal, her expression full of resistance. Li Changyu was somewhat puzzled as to why she was doing this. Although this girl was just an ordinary woman, any family with a modicum of wealth would buy servants. Not to mention those from royal families and aristocratic clans, whose maids were all daughters from respectable families.
“Miss Shi, why are you doing this? Don’t worry, these are all people who have followed me for many years. Many of them are born into families with clean backgrounds.”
Shi Wanxia didn't know how to explain it. The people here had a deeply ingrained sense of hierarchy. But if she said it directly, she was afraid they wouldn't accept it. If she didn't say anything, he would keep trying to get people to her.
"Slavery is an inhumane and unjust system that deprives people of their basic rights and freedoms. Slaves are treated as objects and have no rights whatsoever. This system not only causes immense harm to the slaves themselves but also undermines social stability and progress. Therefore, all forms of slavery should be abolished."
"The differences between people are particularly evident in their social status. The upper class usually refers to those born into noble or bureaucratic families, who possess extremely high social status and power and can enjoy the best education and living conditions. The lower class, on the other hand, refers to those born into poverty, with low social status, and who live in very difficult conditions."
"People were divided into different classes and social strata, and among the poor, the system of slavery arose. They could be bought and sold at will, exiled, and even executed. But these slaves were also human beings!"
"In this world, people are only divided into men and women. No one is born a slave. They cannot control their own freedom, property, or even their own lives. Don't you all believe that our bodies and hair are given to us by our parents? Aren't these people the same?"
Those present were stunned by her unconventional and morally reprehensible remarks. They remained speechless for a long time. While what Miss Shi said made sense, slavery had existed for thousands of years, and no one had ever dared to be so bold.