50

It was already late when we returned from the main courtyard.

After entering the women's camp and returning to her room, He Ling found Lin Mo holding a bowl and feeding the silly girl bit by bit.

Seeing He Ling coming back, Lin Mo whispered, "The porridge is over there, you can have some too."

After a busy and tiring day, He Ling was almost speechless. She walked to the table, picked up the bowl, and drank quietly.

Today's porridge was vegetable porridge. Although it was a little cold, it had salt and oil, and tasted good. She drank while watching Lin Mo's movements. He was also very careful. Each spoonful fed her was not too much, and not a drop spilled.

But this only made things slower, as there was still a bowl of porridge on the table, and it was obvious that she hadn't had time to eat yet.

He Ling immediately sped up and finished the porridge in just a few mouthfuls. He wiped his mouth and walked over: "Let me feed you."

Lin Mo didn't refuse. He handed her the bowl and spoon and went to the table to eat.

Holding a small spoon, He Ling scooped only a little bit and handed it to the girl's mouth. The small, red mouth opened and ate the porridge.

She eats slowly and politely, as well-behaved as a little rabbit.

He Ling felt as if a weight had fallen off her chest, and tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffed and whispered, "Eat slowly. There's still plenty left. We'll be full later."

Even if she can't be cured, she can always support her like this. She is not afraid of trouble, nor does she feel tired. If the young master can take on more people, what does it matter if she takes on one more?

After feeding the girl, the two men fetched some water, helped the silly girl wash up, took her to the toilet, and changed her into loose underwear.

When it was completely dark and time to go to bed, the two men slept on the left and right of the little girl, as if protecting her in the middle.

Gently touching the long black hair, He Ling whispered, "Don't worry, let's take it slowly. When you're better, if you don't want to go home, just stay here. No one will be able to bully you anymore."

The girl didn't answer, still staring straight ahead, as if looking at something far away. He Ling sighed and closed her eyes.

The moon rose slowly. Although it was not as round as before, it was still very bright and as white as silver satin.

The light shone into the house through the small window, and onto the little face as white as moonlight.

Her long eyelashes suddenly trembled, and tears flowed out. The woman, who had her eyes open like a puppet, suddenly closed her eyes and cried silently.

The breathing on both sides was so light and soft, which made people feel at ease. After an unknown amount of time, the crazy woman slowly sat up, raised her head and looked at the not-so-high roof.

She laughed.

He Ling did not sleep well that night.

She dreamed of a place she hadn't dreamed of for a long time, the small woodshed.

It was dark and cold, with only a little light leaking through the roof, the stench of rotting meat, and the squeaking of rats. There was always laughter from outside, both men and women, and every creak of the wood made her shiver.

She thought she had forgotten everything, or at least she shouldn't remember it so clearly.

But the smell, the sound, and the little bit of moonlight that came through were all so clear, just like the pain in her body.

She lay there alone, gasping for breath, unable to get up or even turn over.

She felt cold, and also hot, but the most tormenting thing was fear. She didn't want to die, she wanted to live...

At that moment, He Ling discovered that there was another person beside him.

It was small and white, a little taller than her, with long black hair and big eyes that were especially bright in the moonlight.

But those eyes were different from what she remembered. They were no longer dull and cloudy. Instead, they were lively, shy and timid, and there was a smile in them.

She was smiling at her.

That smile was so beautiful, but somehow, He Ling's heart tightened and felt pain.

She wanted to reach out and grab the girl, but her hand tightened and she tripped over the rope.

In the blink of an eye, the person in front of him disappeared. He Ling suddenly opened his eyes and woke up from his dream.

Everything in front of her was dark, her heart was beating wildly, and cold sweat broke out on her back. She unconsciously reached forward but didn't touch anything.

He Ling suddenly sat up. She and Lin Mo were the only ones left on the straw-covered bed. Where was the one sleeping in the middle?

Where's he? Did he go to the bathroom? Did he leave? He Ling jumped out of bed in a panic. It was still dark, and the moon had disappeared. For a moment, she couldn't even see clearly what was happening inside the room.

But the next moment, her sight froze. In the corner of the room, a wooden stool flipped over, revealing a pair of tiny white feet dangling in the air, swaying...

He Ling felt her heart stop. She rushed over in two steps, hugged the cold body tightly, lifted it up with all her strength, and screamed, "Amo! Amo, wake up!"

Lin Mo was also awakened, and when she turned around she saw this scene. She scrambled off the bed, jumped directly onto the table, hugged the crooked body, and pulled her down from the rope buckle on the beam.

Without the support of the rope, the weight in her arms suddenly became heavier. He Ling couldn't hold on any longer and fell heavily to the ground. She didn't care about the pain and grabbed the shoulders of the person in her arms: "Wake up! Wake up!"

The desperate shaking did not wake the girl up. Her little face was tilted, her body was cold and she was motionless.

Lin Mo stretched out his hand tremblingly and touched her nose. The next moment, she jumped up, opened the door, and ran out.

He Ling didn't know what she was going to do, and she didn't have time to care about it.

She was fine before she went to sleep! Why did she wake up and find herself hanging from the beam? Was she wrong? Shouldn't she have sent her to the young master sooner? Did she harm her?

The noise woke up everyone in the surrounding rooms. People came out of their rooms one after another and surrounded He Ling's door.

"What's going on?"

"Looks like he hanged himself? Oh, he was fine during the day..."

"Maybe his soul suddenly came back to life? Don't look at it, even death is peaceful."

"What happened to her?!" A sharp cry rang out, drowning out all the whispers. Then a woman with her hair loose rushed over, pushed through the crowd, and squeezed in front.

He Ling raised her head blankly and saw a pair of eyes filled with tears and hatred. Those eyes were like knives, stabbing her heart.

"What did you do to her?!" Seeing that He Ling didn't answer, Ah Hong suddenly pounced on her and grabbed her hair. "She was fine yesterday! What did you do to her?!"

"Stop it!" "Bitch!" "Get out of here!"

Everyone reacted immediately. The women from the main camp rushed over and pulled Ah Hong away. Someone couldn't help but slap her: "What are you crazy about? Can't you see? That girl committed suicide!"

"She survived! She survived for so many days! It was you who killed her!" Ah Hong's eyes were red, and she bit the person next to her, causing a scream in return.

The next moment, more people started fighting and the fight turned into a group.

In the distance, more people with dull expressions looked on coldly, looking at the figures of beating and scolding, and looking at the girl lying on the ground.

Just as chaos was about to break out, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Stop it!"

With a loud shout, the torch suddenly lit up, illuminating the figure of the person coming.

It was a man, an extremely handsome young man, with long eyebrows furrowed, and he ran towards me as fast as the wind.

He was carrying a knife, and behind him were several tall, murderous men.

Many women took a trembling step back, fearing that they would rush up and beat them up, blaming them for causing trouble.

However, the next moment, the young man rushed into the house and knelt on the ground beside the figure with closed eyes.

"Young Master!"

Seeing the person coming, He Ling burst into tears, "Master, please save her! I saw her when I woke up, she... please save her!"

Behind them, Lin Mo also ran over breathlessly, his legs softened and he knelt beside the two of them, his eyes flashing with unwillingness and expectation.

Cheng Xi didn't answer and started the inspection quickly.

However, it didn't take long before she stopped and shook her head at the two of them.

There was no heartbeat, no breathing, her body was stiff, even corpse spots appeared on her neck. This girl was dead, and no one could save her.

Seeing the look on Cheng Xi's face, He Ling collapsed and grabbed her sleeve: "But she was fine last night! She even ate and wiped herself. She was so good and so silly, why did she die?"

Why? Cheng Xi didn't know either.

She had never seen the girl before and didn't know what she looked like.

Maybe she wasn't crazy at all, but was just stimulated to shut down her five senses and live in a daze.

Until a little girl wiped her body, fed her, and called her out of the abyss. Then, she could not survive.

Or maybe at some point, her mind suddenly cleared, she remembered everything that had happened, and was driven to despair by the pain.

After a long silence, Cheng Xi whispered, "It's not your fault. Maybe she just wants to leave cleanly."

Of course this is not He Ling's fault;

After suffering torture for several months, he became crazy and lost his mind. This situation is extremely dangerous and requires psychological counseling.

However, she was unable to meet the girl and rashly left her with He Ling.

In fact, it's not just this "madman", everyone in the women's camp needs to be relieved and guided, but she has not learned these. All the psychology knowledge she knows is used on the battlefield, to control and resist, to defeat the opponent's psychological defenses.

She could only choose a stupid method, hoping to influence these victims subtly, silently, and use companionship to help them overcome their psychological barriers.

Does this work?

Wouldn't this lead to He Ling and the others getting trapped?

Maybe she should have come earlier, should have made more time to visit these women, even if they were afraid of her.

The four words "clean and tidy" were like a ray of light, illuminating He Ling's memory.

Was the smile she dreamed of also "clean"?

He Ling covered her face and started crying. A familiar woman next to her couldn't help but persuade her, "Miss He, this girl is just seeking relief. It would be better if she died..."

"She shouldn't have died! She survived! She was alive and well when that group of people were around!" The shouting rang out again. Even with her hair loose and being pressed to the ground, Ah Hong couldn't stop talking.

The carefree and frivolous look on her face had disappeared, and she roared like a she-wolf, "You! You all! Do you all think it would be better if she died?!"

The scream stung people's ears and made their teeth clench.

Why not? Is everyone as shameless as you? After being abused like that, it would be better to die!

However, before anyone could speak their mind, the young man who had been kneeling on one knee stood up and said in a deep voice, "It's better to be alive! Each of you has fought your hardest to get through this, so you deserve to be alive!"

This sound startled everyone.

Those who came from the shore stared blankly at their gang leader, while those on the island raised their heads blankly and looked at the person who was speaking.

Cheng Xi walked up to Ah Hong, waved away those who were holding her down, and said to her solemnly, "Someone hurt you, tortured you, and made you feel fear. That's not your fault, it's their fault! Those things locked in your heart..." She turned her head and looked at the group of women farther away, "...whatever is locked in your hearts is wrong! No one can take away your 'innocence'. They can only take away your courage."

Looking at those dazed, dumbfounded, and angry faces, she took a deep breath and raised her voice, "It was a fierce battle, brutal torture. You struggled to survive, so you should continue to live. Ignore the gossip, don't care about chastity and shame, live for yourself! Wounds will heal one day, courage will return one day, but you only have one life. What's shameful about living? Nothing is more precious than life!"

Her voice was high, so high and sharp that it sounded like a ray of thunder piercing the sky.

The thick, suffocating darkness faded away at some point, and a faint light appeared on the horizon, reflecting a hint of blood.

Ah Hong stared blankly at the man in front of her, seeing the irrefutable certainty in his eyes.

No one told her this. They all said she was cheap, shameless and shameless.

They thought she deserved to die, they thought they all deserved to die.

But that wasn't her choice! That wasn't it! She just wanted to survive, she wanted to survive at all costs!

There was a gurgling sound in his throat, as if something was blocking his chest, mixed with blood, and wanted to burst out.

The next moment, a shrill cry was heard, and a woman slowly bent down, kneeled on the ground, and began to howl.

The sound was so sharp, so piercing, full of resentment and venting, like a sharp needle piercing a bulging water ball, which exploded with a "bang".

The cries rang out, becoming more and more numerous and louder, without any cover or suppression, making people's ears hurt and their scalps numb, as if thousands of female ghosts were screaming and accusing.

The men who came with Cheng Xi all turned pale and couldn't help but retreat.

Cheng Xi stood still and looked at those crazy women.

A tear fell and landed in the soil.

They should cry, why not? If numbness is the only way to mask the pain, then waking them up should be this painful.

She didn't know if what she did was right, but she hoped that more people would open their eyes, even if it was just for a glance, to wake up for a moment.

…

In the distant village, Yan Yuan woke up from his dream, suddenly got out of bed, and listened attentively.

I wasn't dreaming. Someone was crying, coming from the women's camp! What happened? Didn't the young lady take precautions? This is a cardinal sin in military strategy. One mistake could lead to the destruction of the camp!

He hurried out of the tent and wanted to look for Cheng Xi, but the entire camp had already woken up.

People kept sticking their heads out, walking out of the tent, standing there stupidly, listening to the crying.

"What are those women doing?" A man rubbed his arms and couldn't help muttering.

"Shut up!" Angry curses came from somewhere, several times at the same time, and then stopped at the same time.

This should have led to an argument, but the man really shut his mouth and even raised his hands to cover his ears.

Some people were walking back and forth anxiously, some were rubbing their faces and shaking their heads, and some even squatted down and cried with sobs.

Doesn't this look like a riot? Yan Yuan stopped in his tracks, bewildered.

But the next moment, he looked up at the female camp.

Yes, that crying sound was wrong.

The crying of ordinary women is suppressed, low and deep, making people feel depressed.

Even if he raised his voice and threw a tantrum, he would still feel a little wronged. But that sound was unlike any cry he had ever heard before. It was truly heartbreaking, even more miserable than the cries of the wounded soldiers with broken limbs on the battlefield. It was unbearable and made him feel uneasy.

One can’t help but wonder what those women went through to cry like that?

What had they been through? Yan Yuan slowly clenched his fists, feeling his chest heave and swell, as if he were about to explode.

Did the young lady really not expect this? Or did she know that her crying would not evoke anything except the overwhelming guilt...

A group of grown men just stood there, not saying a word, looking at the camp shrouded in the morning light from afar.

…

The crying gradually subsided, leaving only the unsuppressible pain after the violent outburst.

Cheng Xi turned around, walked back into the house, bent down and picked up the girl's body.

She was so light and small that even Cheng Xi could hold her in his arms easily.

"Come on, let's bury her."

She said this to He Ling and Lin Mo, and also to everyone in the women's camp.

Ah Hong seemed to have just woken up from a dream. She crawled over with her hands and feet, crying and begging, "Don't throw her into the sea! Please!"

Too many women were thrown into the sea; some died, some went crazy, some bled to death after miscarriage, and some fought back desperately... They all sank to the bottom of the sea, where it was cold and dark, and they were bitten by fish.

She couldn't let this girl be like this!

Cheng Xi nodded: "I know a quiet place where we can bury her."

Then she said to the guards, "Take down a door panel and a white sheet."

A boy with tear marks on his face didn't even bother to wipe his face. He rushed to the side and ripped off the door panel. Lin Mo got up and rushed into the house. Not long after, he ran out holding a bed sheet and a new piece of clothing.

Cheng Xi nodded and walked out with the person in his arms without saying anything.

Ah Hong struggled to her feet and followed closely, while the women wiped their tears and slowly followed behind. A large group of people left the camp and walked silently towards the distant mountains.

The sky was getting brighter and brighter, and the red sun seemed to have bled out, gradually revealing its original color.

The golden, bright light slowly spreads out, just like the evergreen lush green on the island, full of vitality.

They walked very far, so far that they could no longer see the camp. Cheng Xi stopped only when they reached the foot of the towering mountain.

"How's it here?"

It was a flat grassland with unknown small flowers blooming on it. Behind it were mountains, and facing it was the sea, an endless expanse of blue.

He Ling choked and nodded vigorously.

Cheng Xi gently placed the girl on the door panel, drew his sword, turned around and started digging the soil.

This action made several guards react and they joined in.

In the past, many women would have trembled in fear when seeing a man draw a knife. However, today, after just a moment's watch, Ah Hong picked up a stone and knelt down to dig.

More hands reached out, some holding branches, some holding pieces of stone, and some with empty hands, digging into the soil with their fingernails.

Lin Moze gently pushed He Ling and handed her a piece of clothing.

That was the new dress they had prepared for the girl, which she had only worn once. He Ling shed tears again and squatted down. Together they helped the little girl take care of her appearance.

She put on new clothes, wiped off the dust, tied up her long hair, and placed her small, white hands in front of her.