Chapter 6

On ordinary days, Aunt Wang, who would call her sister and brother, went up to cry a couple of times, yet she didn't even touch the corpse. She felt immensely relieved, not only had this troublesome woman died, but even the son she bore had contracted the same illness. The master found him distasteful and ordered him to be thrown out to be raised elsewhere, fearing he wouldn't last long. Aunt Wang was so pleased that she had an extra bowl of rice that day.

A mat was wrapped by Aunt Huang, and it is unknown where it was discarded. Outside, it is said that Aunt Huang had a miscarriage, resulting in the loss of two lives.

"Since Aunt and Sister are unwilling, why don't they take me along to escape?" Xuelan thought this and asked accordingly

"Aunt, please stop crying, or someone will hear you," said Third Sister, tears streaming down her face

After much effort, it is not only Xuelan who fears the outside world; the women raised within the confines of the home also harbor their own fears. For the sake of this refuge, they have allowed the men in their households to dictate their fates.

"What was done with that doll?" the lady asked

Outside, the gentle voice of Aunt Zheng could be heard: "Sister Li, everyone is having their meal in the hall. The madam knows you are feeling unwell and has instructed me to bring you some food. If I take it back again, it will not look good on the master and the madam's faces. What do you say, sister?"

Aunt Li's expression changed slightly as she called out, "I am tired today; Sister Zheng can come again tomorrow"

The sky outside gradually darkened, and the room became dim. Looking out the window, candles had been lit in the other houses, but this room remained pitch black. Xuelan had no choice but to light a candle herself. In the flickering light, Aunt Li and Third Sister were both crying, their eyes swollen and red. The handprint on Aunt Li's cheek was still very evident; it was left by Master Liu, and one could only wonder how much force he had used, as half of the woman's face was swollen.

Those old folks are not short of money; just from their monthly salaries, they can become extremely wealthy. Coupled with the gifts they receive from all around, they hardly pay any attention to a little money.

Aunt Li felt a surge of anger rising in her heart, suppressing the fire within her. Just as she was about to defend herself with a few words, she saw the lady wave her hand.

Compared to the fear before them, many people prefer comfort over effort, choosing only the simplest and most popular path. They endure and retreat step by step, allowing their bottom line to lower increasingly. When they can retreat no further, they blame fate and complain about the unfairness of the heavens, unaware that the heavens are constantly forging new paths for them; it only depends on whether they dare to take that step.

They want the third sister to marry someone with the surname Chen. This Deputy Director Chen is notorious, truly a person who indulges in all manner of vice. It is one thing to keep a harem of concubines at home, but not a single maid brought into the household has escaped his grasp. The number of women who have met their demise within these walls cannot be counted on two hands. To put it nicely, they are married off as concubines; to put it bluntly, they are merely given as playthings.

Aunt Li shook her head: "Even if we could run, where could the three of us women go? I have never stepped outside in my entire life; if I did, I wouldn't even know the directions of east, west, south, and north. Moreover, we have no money on us. Besides, let's not even mention that if we run, we could easily be caught again. What if we were to be abducted and sold? There are plenty of local ruffians and scoundrels around here."

If it were just a concubine from an ordinary family, I wouldn't feel so bad. Compared to marrying a poor boy and suffering, what does being a concubine matter? But that family is not an option; he... he... I can't even bring myself to speak of that sordid affair! If you go there, you will be utterly ruined!

Brother Liu sighed and said: "Keeping him in this world is merely enduring suffering; in the later stages of this venereal disease, his whole body could rot away. After all, he is our brother, so we should directly send him on his way"

The two daughters supported each other as they walked back, suppressing their sobs along the way, with tears flowing continuously.

In this room, there is a large carved wooden bed, which is Mrs. Zhang's dowry, made of huanghuali wood. She slept on this bed when she was a young lady, and now, over forty years old, she is a grandmother. Unfortunately, she has been keeping this empty bed to herself for more than ten years now

That night, everywhere was filled with sighs, and the same was true in the lady's house

Aunt Li, enraged, slammed her hand on the table and stood up to open the door.

Her husband, Liu Pinsan, is a capable man with high ambitions, managing a substantial family estate. After the establishment of the Republic of China, he also held a position in the government. However, he is excessively indulgent when it comes to women. As one woman after another was brought into the house, Mrs. Zhang eventually came to terms with it.

"Madam, please do not take it to heart; it is merely a trinket, not worth much," said Brother Liu

What is there to hold on to or let go of? The eldest sister and the second sister are no different, haven't we known this all along? This household is full of devouring people, the third sister said while crying

Aunt, please do not cry. Being a concubine is not so bad; you are sheltered from the wind and rain, have food and drink, wear gold and silver. What more could you want? Haven't you lived quite well in this life? If you hadn't become this family's concubine, where would I and Fifth Sister come from?

Mrs. Zhang fed a slice of apple to her eldest son lying beside her, just like when he was a child; her eldest son still loves eating apples the most

Clearly, Aunt Li and Third Sister are both very hesitant. On one side is the familiar life of affluence, with no worries about food and clothing, a high bed and warm pillows; on the other side is an unknown future, a society that is strange and fraught with danger. The two women evidently lean more towards the former, and in comparison, that terrifying deputy director seems not so terrifying after all.

Not long after, Aunt Li returned, with a swollen handprint on her face.

They dare to commit such a wicked act, yet they are afraid of being overheard

Early in the morning, someone was sent by the lady to call both Aunt Li and the third sister over

So... have there been any developments regarding what you mentioned earlier

Xuelan felt very hungry and wanted to go to the dining hall to eat, but the two women in the room were crying so much that she felt a bit embarrassed to leave. It seemed inconsiderate not to stay with them in their sorrow, especially since both of them had been quite good to Xuelan.

Madam sighed again: "I am doing this for your sake. The waiter has his father-in-law to support him, so his future is promising. But you, having worked in the government for five or six years, are still just a junior clerk. Despite sending so much money up, there has been no response. It is truly frustrating."

"You are no longer a child," the lady said with a smile. "I was already married at fifteen, and after that, I didn’t need to go to school anymore. I stayed at home to prepare for marriage. Your father and your brother have already found a suitable match for you; he is the deputy director at your brother's workplace, comes from a wealthy family, and is a good man who knows how to care for others. If you can have a son or a daughter in the future, your fortune will surpass mine as a wife."

Aunt Li wiped her eyes and said, "What do you know? It's not that easy to just run away whenever you want."

It turns out that the lady called them over to discuss the marriage of the third sister

This matter is settled, and the master has also agreed. You may leave now; I still have some matters to attend to here

We are not the kind of ruthless people; it is only to blame that he is a boy. Among the girls in this house, which one have I not raised with care? I can only lament that he was born into the wrong circumstances. The lady said lazily, "I cannot allow him to grow up and take away your share of the inheritance. Even if he only takes away ten silver dollars, I would feel extremely uncomfortable."

When they returned, as soon as the door was closed, the two of them began to cry in each other's arms

"No way, if I marry you off with my eyes closed, I won't be able to live the second half of my life! I must go plead with the master again." Aunt Li wiped her tears and left the room

Xuelan also fell silent; many things are not impossible to do, but rather, they are things that one dares not do

My poor third sister, those who commit such sins are trying to drive us to our deaths! Aunt Li clutched her chest and cried, gasping for breath.

This day was a thunderclap for everyone in Aunt Li's room, and no one had the heart to eat. They all sat in the room, either silent or quietly shedding tears

Aunt Zheng entered carrying two food boxes

Madam smiled and said: "Then let's give him one; we have a whole string of good daughters behind our house, which will surely help you rise smoothly."

At that moment, someone knocked on the door

Which wealthy family is not like this? Fortunately, she gave birth to two sons, and they are the only two sons of Master Liu. Both are quite accomplished; not only did they attend university, but after graduation, they both entered the government

There are no classes at school this Sunday

Third Sister turned pale on the spot

She originally thought that in this unfamiliar era, she was utterly helpless, with no one to turn to and lacking the courage to face challenges, feeling completely useless. Little did she know that the two women beside her were even more ineffectual than she was

"She truly deserves a terrible fate! You are also the beloved daughter of the master; how could he bear to treat you so poorly!" Aunt Li wailed.

"Why is it not easy?" Xuelan said, "We are not bound hand and foot; if we want to run, we can definitely do so."

No money? The jewelry box of the aunt contains quite a few silver ornaments, right? If exchanged for silver dollars, it would amount to several dozen. We are not sleeping on the streets; which bold kidnapper would dare to abduct someone in broad daylight? As for being caught as soon as we run... won't we just take the train directly? The main roads are all connected, and we can easily find a big city to hide in. They will never find us in this lifetime.

Has Cheng Wu cleaned everything up

Aunt Li forced a smile and said: "She is still young, only fifteen; she wishes to serve the master and the mistress for a few more years."

Aunt Li and Third Sister looked at Xuelan in surprise. After a long while, Aunt Li finally said: "You are just a child, thinking too simply; this is not something you should meddle in."

The voice of Wang Ma came through: "Madam, Mrs. Zheng has come to see you."

Rest assured, he knows. I told him to have his fun with that woman and leave her with a little memento in the end. He bought a box of snowflake cream from the brothel, which was mixed with pus extracted from the sores of a sick woman by the madam's orders. The woman used it, and it was all clean; no one could trace it back.

Xuelan let out a deep sigh; the twelve-year-old girl had sparse, dry hair and a body that was little more than bones. This sigh was somewhat amusing.

It has been a long time since I saw my wife with a smiling face, her eyes curved with joy. She held the hand of my third sister and said: "What a good girl, so beautiful and clever; it is indeed time to talk about her future family."

I showed him a photo of the third sister, and he seemed quite satisfied. That old man usually tires of ordinary women; now he only fancies female students. It's not enough for them to just sing and play instruments; they must also be skilled in chess, calligraphy, painting, and literature. Where can one find such refined young ladies? Money cannot buy them.

Xuelan watched in confusion; this was not a case of the Black Society kidnapping someone and sending them to a brothel to be sold. With two legs to stand on, if one was unwilling, they could just run away. Could it be that despite crying so heart-wrenchingly, they were actually reluctant to part with the comfortable life within the grand estate?

She embraced her third sister and cried out in anguish: "I am such a worthless life, I never expected you to be this way as well. What kind of sin have we committed?"

Aunt ... ... "Third Sister looked at her with eyes full of hope