The light filtering through the window gradually dimmed, and as Sun Miao'er stood in the light, the room grew darker and darker.

At first she could still see Jin Lao Er's face clearly, but now the entire bed was shrouded in darkness.

She didn't know what time it was, and feeling a bit tired from standing, she simply squatted down against the wall.

At first, Jin Lao Er would occasionally curse at her, but every time he finished cursing, he would cough for a long time, the coughing so violently that it seemed like his internal organs were going to come out.

After he finished coughing, he was exhausted and could no longer curse; he fell silent.

Sun Miao'er didn't know if he was dead or alive; after all, in his condition, it wasn't impossible for him to die at any moment.

If he really dies, wouldn't the Jin family make him be buried with them?

Sun Miao'er felt a chill run down her spine and asked, "When will they let me out?"

There was no sound coming from the other end.

Sun Miao'er was truly afraid that Jin Lao Er had already died, so she tentatively asked, "You're not dead, are you?"

A short while later, a weak, hoarse voice came from the other end of the bed, "I'll come in to deliver dinner tonight."

Sun Miao'er still hoped that this sickly man would have a change of heart before he died and ask Granny Jin to release him.

Do you really want to die in this house with him?

She had never heard Jin mention having a sickly younger brother before. No wonder Jin had that kind of face; there wasn't a single normal person in this family.

The room fell into a deathly silence once again.

Sun Miao'er thought that since she had been out for a day, her master might have already discovered her. She hoped he wouldn't come looking for her so soon, otherwise the lead on the Song family might really be lost.

I hope God will protect her from dying in this godforsaken place.

The room went completely dark; she knew it was night.

Through the small window, she could see the moon hanging in the sky, a crescent shape.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and with a creak, the door opened.

Granny Jin lit the candles in the room, and the room suddenly brightened up. Her face looked eerily strange in the candlelight. Every wrinkle was filled with pale, cheap face powder, and her high cheekbones were covered with heavy blush.

This face looks vulgar during the day, but I never expected it to be so terrifying at night.

"Have you thought it through, girl?" Granny Jin brought the food to Jin Lao Er's bedside and skillfully helped her son up, as if she were handling an inanimate object.

Sun Miao'er remained standing at a distance, only able to stall for time, and replied, "I've thought about it, I've made up my mind."

Suddenly, Granny Jin pulled out a booklet from somewhere and threw it at Sun Miao'er's feet. "If you've thought it through, take a look at what's in here and do it accordingly."

Sun Miao'er carefully used her foot to hook the booklet over, and opened it by the dim moonlight. She found it was full of obscene images, which were usually prepared for inexperienced new brides.

She instantly understood: Old Man Jin only wanted to leave an heir; he had given up all hope for this son.

Granny Jin forcefully stuffed the food into Jin Lao Er's mouth, even though Jin Lao Er's face was so disfigured that no expression could be seen.

But his mouth never opened on its own; it was pried open entirely by Granny Jin with chopsticks.

After feeding Sun Miao'er, Granny Jin walked up to her and said coldly, "Let me tell you the truth, if you can't do this, you won't leave this house alive."

Before Sun Miao'er could say anything more, the door had already been closed abruptly, leaving the room still dark.

"Is your illness very expensive?" Sun Miao'er asked.

Jin Lao Er's voice was much weaker than it had been in the afternoon. "Otherwise what? They've spent all their dirty money on me. If you don't do what they say, how do you think they'll retaliate against you?"

His tone carried a hint of mockery, as if he were waiting for the show to begin.

Logically speaking, given that Old Man Jin has been doing so many shady things for so many years, he should have made a lot of money. Plus, he's a village bully, so he shouldn't be living in such a remote place. Oh, I see.

Sun Miao'er and he remained locked in a stalemate inside the house, seemingly waiting until dawn.

In the middle of the night, a rather loud noise suddenly broke out outside.

The sounds were chaotic, but she could tell it was the sound of horses' hooves.

Why would there be the sound of horses' hooves in this rural area in the middle of the night?

It still sounded like the clanging and solid sound of iron hooves; it was definitely not a horse raised by an ordinary family.

Before long, voices could be heard coming from the courtyard. In the dead of night, even the slightest sound could be heard very clearly.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually subsided, followed by the crisp, powerful sound of iron boots pounding the ground.

Where are they?

A male voice rang out from the courtyard.

"Today is the first day of the lunar month. They come to collect people every month." It was Jin Lao Er who spoke; he was not asleep either.

Sun Miao'er pressed her ear against the wall, listening intently, afraid of missing even the slightest bit of news.

Old Man Jin said, "There really isn't anything good this month. Could we wait a little longer? We'll definitely wait until next month!"

“I can wait, but can your son?” the man threatened, his iron hooves pounding the ground with a clear sound.

Suddenly, Granny Jin's wailing echoed through the courtyard, "Please, please be lenient and give us this month's medicine first. We'll definitely bring the goods to you next month!"

"This is a secret imperial medicine. Do you know how difficult it is to obtain? You won't give me the goods, but you want to ask me for the medicine? Do you think such a good thing would fall from the sky?" The man seemed unwilling to give them a chance.

A silence fell over the courtyard.

Jin Lao Er murmured, "They've been buying medicine to prolong my life. They have to buy it every month, and a month's supply costs over a hundred taels of silver. If they can't afford the silver, they can use women to pay off the debt, but they have to be women he likes."

After hearing what he said, Sun Miao'er felt that the couple was both hateful and pitiful. If they had done fewer evil deeds when they were young, they probably wouldn't have suffered the consequences on their children.

Otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this.

Granny Jin's voice rang out again in the courtyard, "Why don't we give him that girl in the house? The second son's illness can't be delayed any longer!"

Old Man Jin shoved Old Woman Jin's arm and hissed, "Shut up! What kind of girl is this!"

"If your son doesn't take his medicine soon, he might not see the sun rise tomorrow. I've already calculated everything. You can decide for yourselves." The man's tone was indifferent; to him, everyone here was no different from ants.

Old Man Jin closed his eyes, his fists clenched tightly. "Go and bring the person out."

Sun Miao'er knew that they were going to hand her over to this person in exchange for Jin Lao Er's medicine.

Could this person be the Jin family's supplier? Could the Song family have ended up in his hands?

Just as she was frantically sorting through her thoughts, the door outside suddenly opened.

"Come with me."

Granny Jin was in the courtyard when she called out to her.

Startled, she immediately came to her senses and ran outside.