Selling one's body to provide for a father's burial.

At a T-junction, a crowd had gathered, packed three layers deep inside and out. Zhao Hu pushed his way in, only to emerge again almost immediately.

Jing Chen asked, "What is going on?"

"Sigh, it’s a young girl selling herself to bury her father. But the price is too high—eighty taels... Who would buy her?" Zhao Hu shook his head and sighed.

Jing Chen and Zhang Meng were both startled. The monthly salary Jing Chen paid them was twice that of the imperial court, yet it was only five taels. A young girl of decent appearance would fetch at most thirty taels if sold into a household. Curiosity piqued, Jing Chen said, "Let’s go take a look."

Zhao Hu, acting as the vanguard, eagerly cleared a path, shouting, "Make way, gentlemen, watch your step!" The crowd looked down at their feet and shifted aside, automatically opening a path in the middle. Everything requires the right method. Jing Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile; this Zhao Hu was quite capable.

In the center sat a girl of about sixteen or seventeen. She had a dignified appearance, exquisite features, and large, expressive eyes. Her skin was a healthy wheat color. Beside her sat a dog that caught Jing Chen’s eye—it was a wolf-dog! A hybrid of wolf and dog. How could such a creature exist in this era? Could someone have tamed a wolf?

The dog was powerful and majestic, its yellow fur shining like satin. Its round eyes were fixed on the crowd, ears pricked, and the hair on its neck bristled like a flame. Its limbs were thick and sturdy, with white patches on its paws like plum blossoms. A low growl rumbled in its throat. On the ground lay the body of a middle-aged man. The girl was weeping, her tears falling like rain.

The onlookers whispered among themselves. "Too expensive, little girl. Twenty taels, and I’ll take you home, I