My Manor

"Bang..." Just as Jiang Hai walked past the cells of these male prisoners, a girl suddenly jumped out of another cell next to him. The girl's hands slammed heavily on the iron bars of the cell. The loud noise attracted Jiang Hai's attention. The girl appeared to be about 1.6 meters tall, with short brown hair and a small face, roughly the size of a palm. Her light blue eyes were very beautiful, but her thin face showed signs of malnutrition. At the same time, her clothing seemed somewhat familiar to Jiang Hai. If nothing unexpected happened, this girl should be the thief he caught earlier.

After seeing Jiang Hai looking over, the girl quickly gestured at him with both hands. Unfortunately, Jiang Hai hadn't learned sign language, so he didn't understand what the girl was saying.

"Uh, I don't understand what you mean." Seeing the girl growing more agitated, Jiang Hai said helplessly.

"She said that she knew she was wrong and was willing to atone for her mistakes, but please save her sister. She hasn't done anything bad." At this moment, the policeman who had led Jiang Hai in spoke slowly.

"Do you understand sign language?" Hearing the policeman's words, Jiang Hai asked him in surprise.

"I used to be a volunteer." The fat policeman shrugged and replied softly, seeing Jiang Hai's astonished expression.

Hearing the policeman's response, Jiang Hai turned his attention to the two cells in front of him. The cells contained the girls. Unlike the alley where he had found them, their clothes were now cleaner. Each of the beautiful faces appeared pale and numb. Aside from this girl, there was another standing not far behind her, looking very similar. None of the other girls reacted much to Jiang Hai's presence.

For them, perhaps living was no more liberating than dying. Yet human nature pushed them to keep struggling to survive in this sinful world. Jiang Hai was just another passerby in their lives, representing nothing significant.

"Hey, I haven't figured out what to do with you. Those guys are guilty, but as for you... you're all pitiful people. I came here to ask: What are your plans after you get out?" Seeing the expressions of the girls, Jiang Hai felt a pang in his heart. What must they have gone through to be so desperate for life?

In the past, Jiang Hai always thought that after his parents left, he was the loneliest and most pitiful person in the world. But now, he realized that the saddest days of his life seemed nothing compared to the daily struggles these people endured.

Although not a saint, Jiang Hai hesitated and scratched his head. He seemed to be viewed as a villain, but being a villain didn't matter. As long as he didn't do anything to make them unhappy.

Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, the girl paused her gestures and looked at him hesitantly. "Future?" For them, the word "future" was both illusory and unrealistic. How could they talk about the future when they didn't even know what would happen tomorrow? Would they starve to death or be killed by someone else?

For these girls, living in this world felt almost hopeless. Perhaps life would always be like this—locked up for fifteen days, then released, only to return to their old lives. After all, it was the only life they knew. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the girls seemed confused.

"Listen, if, and I mean if, I want to help you, would you want to go back to a welfare home, find a job, or would you prefer I don't get involved?" Looking at the girls before him, Jiang Hai noted that they were all still quite young, with the oldest being just 22. He had reviewed their records before coming in.

The oldest girl among them was 22, but she had been living in that environment for six years, which would have a severe impact on her life. The oldest man there was 31, having lived in the same place for 17 years. People in these circumstances rarely lived beyond 25.

Among the girls, the oldest was 22, and the youngest was only 14. These two were likely twins. The older sister might have resorted to stealing out of necessity, while others hadn't sold their bodies yet, but it was only a matter of time. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the group looked at him with a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

"Boss, are you serious?" As the girls raised their heads, Moses Adams, who had been standing behind Jiang Hai, asked hesitantly. After all, these women didn't have spotless pasts.

"Yes, I'm serious. There's a winery at my manor. We'll be planting grapes this year. I think they'd make good winemakers." Jiang Hai shrugged, replying to Moses Adams. He hadn't yet decided whether to help them, but seeing their numbness, he chose to lend a hand.

"If that's the case, I won't say much more, boss. Although I appreciate your character, it's easy to hire them, but changing them is no simple task. But there's an upside: it could help you avoid taxes," Moses Adams replied. "It's not easy to change them, but it could get complicated, given their unique backgrounds."

Most manors might hire one or two such women to avoid taxes, but Jiang Hai wanted to hire more than that. At least ten of them would probably agree to work for him, but that would complicate matters. Welfare institutions would constantly check on them to ensure they weren't mistreated.

"When they had nothing, no one cared about them. But when someone offers help, moralists often stand up to find fault," Moses Adams sighed.

"I'm not thinking about that. I just want to help. Let me tell you, although this matter involves you, I don't want to mention it anymore. I can offer them jobs at the winery. I don't know the specifics, but I imagine it's taking care of the grapes and picking them in season. I won't give them less money just because of their past. The pay will be the same as any other employee's. They'll have food and accommodation, including beef and fish from my estate. They'll live in a villa. If they're willing, I can bail them out, and we'll sign the contracts tomorrow. If not, I can arrange for them to be sent back to the welfare home. But once they leave, they're on their own." Jiang Hai spoke seriously, looking at the women before him.

Some of the girls, who were half-believing or completely numb, suddenly became interested in his offer. However, the oldest woman still stared blankly at the ceiling, devoid of life.

"Okay, bail them all out!" After expressing his intentions, Jiang Hai was unwilling to say more. This was his act of kindness. Standing up, he spoke to Moses Adams.

Moses Adams shrugged. Though he wasn't convinced Jiang Hai had made a clear decision, Jiang Hai was the boss, and it was his call. These women didn't have criminal records, so they only needed to pay a small amount to leave.

The twenty-three women were sold for a total of $11,000—about $500 per person. The two twins, who hadn't committed any crimes, didn't need to pay.

After the procedures were completed, Jiang Hai took the twenty-three women out of the police station. As they left, the thirteen men in the cells reached out, hoping Jiang Hai would take them too, but he didn't even look their way.

Eight of the twenty-three women left on their own. They didn't trust Jiang Hai or society, so they chose to leave. Jiang Hai didn't try to stop them.

The remaining fifteen, including the twins, stayed behind.

"Those under 18 should return to the welfare home. If they don't want to go back to the original one, Adams will help them contact the one in Boston. I'll cover the expenses." Looking at the remaining women, Jiang Hai hesitated before speaking.