214

"Master, Master! Look at this girl's teeth, look at her face! I'm not bragging, she'd be worth a few taels of silver if sold to a brothel... Master, don't leave!"

A dark and thin man pulled a little girl, forced her mouth to show her teeth, and turned her head, trying to show off to others like selling livestock.

Her arms were pinched until they turned white, and her face was covered with red marks, but the girl didn't say a word, nor did she scream or cry out in frustration. She just let herself be dragged and stumbled forward.

The burly man walking ahead sneered, "Do you think we're human traffickers? If it weren't for orders from above, who would bother with this? It's only one or two taels, so sell it quickly and don't waste time."

One tael seemed a little below the other party's expectations, but seeing that there were still men and women pulling the girl, he gritted his teeth and said loudly: "One tael is one tael, sir, I'm selling it at a discount. How about giving me another bag of rice?"

The strong man then lowered his head and took a look at the little girl. She was about six or seven years old, a little thin, and had a pretty face. She was not at all bad. Without further ado, he said to the people around him, "One ounce of silver and a bag of rice."

The man immediately took out the money. The man was still a little unwilling, but he couldn't raise the price anymore. He could only kick the little girl hard: "You losing money, why don't you kneel down for me!"

The kick was quite hard, and the little girl was knocked to the ground. She didn't say a word, enduring the pain and righting herself, lying in the dust. No one cared about this little humility. After the payment and goods were settled, someone came over and tied a hemp rope around her waist, pulled her up, and continued to walk forward.

The little girl, barefoot, struggled to follow the people in front of her, but she couldn't help but turn her head, trying to find the man who betrayed her. Unfortunately, there were too many people and she was too short, so she could only see the chaotic crowd and no trace of the man.

Her eyes were a little red. The person in front of her suddenly stopped, and she quickly stopped and lowered her head, fearing that the other person would find out and kick or hit her.

Unexpectedly, the people ahead were just blocked by someone. A couple holding a baby girl stopped the strong man tremblingly, "Uncle, this child only needs a bag of rice. Please, uncle, just a bag of rice..."

Looking at the skinny, dark-skinned child of three or four years old, the strong man frowned and said, "You're too young to support me. Get out of here!"

The woman's legs went limp, and she knelt on the ground, sobbing, "Master, Master, I have three children at home, and I really can't support them. Please give me a bag of rice. No, even a dou will do! Even a dou will do!"

Seeing his wife crying like this, the husband beside her also choked up and said: "Uncle, please be kind. This girl is tough and can survive with just a meal of porridge. She can also work and is very smart..."

After taking another look at the girl, the strong man reluctantly said, "It's a bargain for you. Give them a bushel of rice."

The couple immediately thanked him profusely and handed the baby girl over. The man didn't take it, but said to the little girl following behind him, "Take good care of her. If you lose her, I'll throw you into the sea to feed the fish!"

The girl was pushed forward by her mother, her face blank, as if she didn't understand what was going on. The little girl quickly pulled her towards her, and only felt relieved when she saw that she could barely walk. It was good that she could walk, because she couldn't hold a child that big.

The two, one large and one small, pulled each other and struggled to keep up with the pace ahead. After walking around the market, they brought back more than 30 girls of varying ages. The strong man did not stay any longer and led his people back to the boat.

"Hey, why are there so many today?"

"I heard that Lin County was plagued by bandits, so everyone is fleeing."

"That's a good deal. How much did it cost in total?"

"It's only about a dozen taels. We haven't even used up all the rice we brought. Oh, the boss is really a fool. He insisted on making us do all this."

"I heard it was sent to the Red Flag Gang. I'm afraid they're trying to build relationships with them. It's not a big deal anyway, so I'll just run errands."

"What do you think the Red Flag Gang wants so many girls for?"

"Who knows? Maybe they're planning to open a brothel? Hahaha, isn't the Red Flag Gang headed by women? They have to win over the people."

"Hahaha, that makes sense. We should start teaching them from the age of three or four, that's what makes it more interesting."

A group of men roared with laughter, muttering nonsense, while a group of girls were herded into the cabin like ducks.

"Behave yourself, everyone. Anyone who shouts or screams will be thrown into the sea!" The sailor roared angrily and turned away.

The girls didn't dare to utter a word, huddled together in fear. Once they adjusted to the darkness, they realized there were other people there, young girls too, no one knew how many there were, a sea of ​​black. The cabin smelled foul, stuffy, and suffocating. No one dared to speak, making the atmosphere even more depressing.

Her stomach growled and her feet were rubbed raw, but Arya remained silent, holding the little girl in her arms, preventing her from suddenly crying out. Little children were like that; they cried when they were hungry, when they were hurt, when they were tired. She would get beaten if she wasn't careful when taking care of her brother. Now those evil people said they would throw the crying girl into the sea, and she couldn't let this little girl be thrown away.

Unexpectedly, the girl nestled in her arms didn't say a word, but just held her arm tightly with her skinny little hands, refusing to let go at all.

There was no light in the cabin. After an unknown amount of time, someone came in carrying a wooden bucket and shouted, "Dinner is ready. If anyone dares to grab it, I'll beat them to death!"

Indeed, no one dared to grab the drink. The girls, like little animals, walked over in order, took a few sips from the wooden spoon, and then quickly made way. One after another, it was finally Erya's turn. She pulled the girl next to her and carefully approached. The wooden spoon was a bit large, so she clumsily scooped a spoonful, but instead of drinking first, she fed it to the girl she was with. Seeing her eagerly drink several sips, she turned the spoon back and drank it all in big gulps.

It was a soup made from rice bran, which was a bit irritating to the throat, but it still had a hint of rice flavor. It was not an ordinary taro soup. Erya drank it very quickly. After finishing a spoonful, she didn't dare to get more and obediently stepped aside.

Although there were quite a few people, the meal was still eaten very quickly. Whether old or new, they all followed suit and didn't dare to mess around. When the bucket was empty, the man yawned and said to everyone, "We're sailing tonight, so behave yourself. If you want to vomit, vomit in the bucket. If you vomit on the ground, I'll lick it back!"

After cursing and scolding, he walked out with the bucket.

Without the ferocious man, Arya breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her original position, holding the girl in her arms. She had never seen the sea before, and this was her first time on a boat. She didn't really know what it was like to go out to sea, but since she was already on the boat, what else could she do?

I don’t know where they will be sent, I just hope they can get off the ship safely.

With this thought in mind, Erya calmed down and curled up in a corner with the little girl in her arms, falling into a deep sleep. She didn't know how long it had been, but when she opened her eyes again, she felt her body was light and seemed to be swaying with the boat. Was the boat leaving? She felt a little nauseous and swallowed several times in succession. Remembering what the man had said before, she couldn't help but cover her mouth. She couldn't vomit. There was only a little soup in her stomach. If she vomited, wouldn't she be hungry again? And she couldn't cause trouble. Maybe she would be fine after a while.

While she could hold it in, others couldn't. Soon, the cabin was filled with the sounds of vomiting, soft sobbing, wiping the floor, and cursing. The smell in the cabin grew even worse. Arya shifted, letting the still-sleeping girl beside her lean more firmly against her, and closed her eyes again.

After a long, long time, the hatch opened again, and this time someone walked in, holding a torch. The girls moved rustling like mice at light, some trying to hide their vomit. But the newcomer paid no attention to them and instead inspected the crowd one by one.

"One of them is dying." He suddenly shouted.

Upon hearing this, a man immediately came over, picked up a person from the crowd, and held him under his armpit.

"There's another one over there. Tsk, I told you not to buy such a small one."

Another small body was pulled out. The firelight happened to shine on her, and Arya could see her hands and feet trembling slightly. She was not dead, so why was she picked out? Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she shook the sleeping girl vigorously. The child would probably cry when awakened, but the girl was so well-behaved that she didn't say a word, just snuggled up to her.

It's okay, she's still alive, as long as she wakes up. Erya breathed a sigh of relief, but the people over there didn't stop, and they dug out three people in total.

"Throw it away quickly to avoid an epidemic. Alas, I told you that the boss is kind-hearted. It's better to avoid such troublesome things in the future." Muttering, the two men walked out with the corpse. Without the torch, the cabin became quiet again.

Staring at the darkness before her, Erya felt her heart pounding. The nausea returned. She covered her mouth tightly, trying to hold back the vomit, but her hand on her face was wet. She cried, without making a sound. It was even quieter around her, so quiet that she could hear people trembling, teeth chattering, and tears dripping. Yet, no one in the cabin cried out loudly. The occasional sob was a little louder, but it was stifled tightly, just like Erya herself, and just like the girl beside her.

There was no day or night, no words, only the occasional wooden barrel thrown before them and the occasional corpse carried out. The girls starved, and after who knows how long, the rocking boat finally trembled slightly and stopped.

"We're here, come out here right now!"

Someone standing at the cabin door shouted loudly, and countless girls began to tremble. Even though their knees ached and their stomachs were empty, they still forced themselves to stand up and followed the crowd out.

When the light pierced her eyes, Erya closed them, but her hand held the girl beside her tighter. When she opened her eyes again, she saw an island, very large and green, with many boats parked at the dock.

"Don't dawdle, get off the boat!" someone shouted.

Erya quickly pulled the girl and walked up the gangway with difficulty to the shore.

On the side of the boat, two people were laughing and talking.

"Your gang really spent a lot of money this time. I wonder how much it cost?"

"Hey, that's being polite. The boss asked us to deliver the goods. What are a few girls worth?"

"Look at what you said, with so many people, it would cost a lot to buy it..."

"Hahaha, such a young girl, you just gave her away for a few dou of rice. Women in our area are not worth much anyway. If the boss knew I took the money, he would definitely be angry."

"Boss Shen is really kind. How about this? I'll give you some water and some newly brewed sugar wine. Take them with you. Don't hesitate!"

"If there's wine, I definitely can't be polite, hahahaha..."

Erya didn't understand what the two were talking about, so she just pulled the girl next to her and followed closely behind them, walking one step deep and one step shallow until they reached a big tent.

The men who had brought them here were gone, leaving only a few women waiting outside. Seeing people approaching, one of them shouted, "Come over here and line up according to your height. Anyone taller than this stake, step out first."

The stake wasn't too high, and Erya, feeling she might reach it, immediately shrank her neck, fearing she'd be caught. The other women didn't care, but simply picked out the tallest ones and told them to wash up first and then help the other girls bathe and change clothes.

"Throw all your dirty clothes over here and follow them to wash up. Rub your hair well so you can comb out the lice later." The woman in the lead was very efficient. She drove groups of girls to different buckets and let them bathe and cleanse themselves.

Erya had never seen this before. She held the girl's hand, at a loss, not knowing what to do. The woman guarding outside saw her and immediately stepped forward: "You two are of different heights. She needs to wash in the basin over there. You go over here first..."

Erya refused to let go, and as if sensing something was wrong, the girl also held onto her hand tightly. Seeing the two of them, the woman smiled and said, "Is this your sister?"

Erya shook her head, then nodded vigorously. She was the little sister she had picked up, and she couldn't lose her!

The woman's smile became gentler. "Our Red Flag Gang is different from other places. We're not that kind of despicable place. Go take a shower first. We'll have food later. If you're worried about your sister, you can take a shower first and then wash her. It won't be a problem."

This smile was even kinder than her mother's. Erya nodded unconsciously and followed her to a wooden barrel. Carefully leading the girl aside, she undressed and entered the barrel. Contrary to her expectations, the water inside was warm and had a faint aroma. Following the others' example, she untied her hair, scratched vigorously, and used a loofah to scrub the dirt off her body. When her entire body was red, she finally emerged. She was covered with a blanket, rubbed all over, and then put into a clean linen robe.

"Okay, take your sister to the basin over there to wash and make sure she is clean." The woman patted her on the back and told her to move aside quickly.

Arya was stunned for a long moment before she pulled the girl over to the wooden tub on the other side to wash. She was extremely careful, not because she was afraid of hurting the girl—she had bathed her brother several times and knew how to bathe someone—but because she didn't want to dirty her brand new robe, which was the cleanest piece of clothing she had ever worn.

After the girl was washed with great effort and put on a new robe, they were both sent to comb her hair. Even after washing it with water, it was still difficult to comb through the hair. However, when the lice were combed out from her head and swayed in the vinegar water until they filled the basin, it somehow made her feel happy.

After combing her hair and tying it into a small bun, Erya touched her head, pulled the girl up, and followed the others to the back. There were some wooden bowls on the table, and the delicious aroma of rice.

"You've been hungry for too long. Don't eat too much." The woman dressed as a cook gave these instructions and quickly added rice to two bowls. One was full, the other half, both of which were steaming hot porridge, very thick, with some vegetables.

The aroma of the rice invigorated the two, who had been starving for a long time, and could no longer resist, digging into the food. This was real porridge, with chewy rice grains and a salty taste. Although it still had no fat or water, it was already the best thing Erya had ever eaten. However, after wolfing down a few mouthfuls, the girl next to her, who had been sitting there in a daze and being so well-behaved, suddenly stopped and burst into tears.

"Mother! Mother!"

The crying scared Erya so much that she almost threw the bowl away. I hurried to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

Even though they were wearing such comfortable clothes and eating such delicious food, the sound of the cry still brought out tears and a sense of inexplicable grievance. The older ones could still cover their mouths, afraid of making any noise, but the younger ones were already crying in a heap, making a lot of noise that was frightening.

Erya's face turned pale with fear. What if someone gets angry with such a commotion? Don't they understand? If you cry, you will be beaten. You can't cry out loud!

However, the expected scolding did not come. Instead, a woman clapped her hands vigorously and shouted, "Don't cry. From now on, the Red Flag Gang is your family, and the gang leader is your adopted parent. Good days are still to come. You must eat well, work hard, and repay the gang leader in the future!"

Her voice held a hint of sympathy, yet also a firmness and confidence. Hearing those words, Erya somehow burst into tears, unable to hold back the noises in her throat. But no one hit her, and the bowl of rice was still steaming in front of her. So she smiled again, turned to wipe the tears from the girl beside her, and then struggled to grab the bowl again, eating bite by bite.

The crying gradually stopped and turned into the sound of wolfing down, with only a few intermittent sobs left.