Chapter 50 Danger
He noticed that his two nieces, who usually looked dusty and dusty, looked like completely different people today. Although they were wearing only coarse cloth, their clothes were brand new and clean, making them look much more energetic. Daya, in particular, perhaps because she had eaten well these past few days, had a rosy complexion, her eyebrows and eyes had opened up, and she had even taken on the delicate appearance of a young girl.
The eyes of Qian and Li, who were beside him, lit up. Their gazes swept back and forth over Daya unscrupulously, as if they were sizing up a commodity that could be bought and sold at any time, filled with greed and desire.
"Hey, Brother Kangnian, is this a relative of yours?" The young man surnamed Qian nudged Chen Kangnian with his elbow, lowered his voice, and smiled maliciously, "This big one is good-looking. She looks grown up too. Is she promised to someone?"
"Yes, yes," the fat man surnamed Li also came over, staring at Daya with a pair of lustful eyes, "Brother Kangnian, we are brothers too, name your price. I just need a girl to warm my feet recently, this one is good."
They spoke quietly, but Daya and the others were close enough to hear everything. Daya's face paled, and she instinctively took a step back, shielding her sisters behind her. Erya, meanwhile, glared at them, like a beast ready to fight.
Chen Kangnian listened to what his two "friends" said and thought quickly in his mind.
He was short of money right now. These two scoundrels had some money at home, and he'd taken advantage of them quite a bit, but they'd also racked up a lot of gambling debts. If he could get Daya...
A vicious idea quickly formed in his mind. Since the eldest wife had already severed ties with the family, this niece, in his eyes, was no different from a weed by the roadside. Moreover, she had almost been sold to Zhang the Lame before, and her reputation had long been ruined. Using her for some silver would not only pay off the debt, but also curry favor with these two wealthy men. It was simply killing two birds with one stone.
His eyes rolled, and a false smile appeared on his face. He winked at Qian and Li, then turned around, put on a friendly face, and said to Daya, "It's Daya. Why are you here? It's dangerous in the mountains. Go home quickly."
His appearance made Daya feel a little uneasy.
At this moment, the young man surnamed Qian pulled out a small piece of silver from his pocket, quietly put it into Chen Kangnian's hand, and mouthed two words to him: "Ten taels."
Chen Kangnian calmly squeezed the piece of silver, estimating it was at least one or two taels, and this was just the deposit. His heart warmed, and the last trace of hesitation disappeared.
He cleared his throat, pointed to a dense forest to the west, and said softly to Daya, "Look, Daya, your Sixth Uncle cares about you too. I know there are a lot of wild mushrooms growing in the woods over there, big and tender. You little ones, wait here while your eldest sister goes and pick them by herself. When she comes back, your Sixth Uncle will give you a rabbit leg to eat."
He deliberately sent the others away, and his purpose was obvious.
Arya immediately became alert: "No need! Our backpacks are full, we need to go home!"
"Girl, how can you be so ignorant!" Chen Kangnian's face darkened. "Sixth Uncle, I'm giving you some advice out of kindness, but you still don't know what's good for you? Go now! Otherwise, if you anger me, you won't be able to stay in this mountain anymore!"
Daya looked at his ferocious face, then at the two men with ill intentions beside him, and felt something was amiss. But she didn't dare openly disobey this nominal "Sixth Uncle," fearing he might cause trouble. Besides, if she could really pick a lot of mushrooms, it would also bring in extra income for the family.
She hesitated for a moment and said to Erya, "Wait here for me. Don't run around. I'll be back soon."
After saying that, she picked up her backpack and walked towards the dense forest that Chen Kangnian pointed to.
As he watched Daya disappear into the trees, the smile on Chen Kangnian's face turned cold and complacent. He turned around and stood in front of Erya and the others, his eyes filled with threats and warnings.
Erya's heart sank little by little. She knew that her sixth uncle had tricked her eldest sister into a den of wolves.
In the dense forest to the west, sunlight is filtered through layers of branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows, making it appear particularly deep and quiet.
Daya, carrying her backpack, trudged forward, taking one foot deep and one foot shallow. The further she walked, the more uneasy she felt. The woods here were dense, and the understory was dark and damp; it didn't look like a place for mushrooms. Besides a thick mat of fallen leaves, not even a single weed was visible.
She walked for about an incense stick's time, but didn't see any mushrooms, not even the shadow of one.
A terrible thought arose from the bottom of her heart. She stopped abruptly, turned around and wanted to run back.
But as soon as she turned around, two figures flashed out from behind the tree, blocking her escape route. They were Chen Kangnian's two slicked-back "friends."
"Little beauty, why are you running?" The young man surnamed Qian rubbed his hands together and approached with a lewd smile on his face. "Your sixth uncle gave you to us. From now on, follow your brothers and we will ensure that you will have the best food and the best drinks."
"That's right, don't be afraid." The fat man surnamed Li also blocked the other side, "Brother will take good care of you."
Daya's blood instantly ran cold. She finally understood that this was a complete trap! She wanted to scream, but extreme fear, like an invisible hand, tightly gripped her throat, preventing her from making a sound.
She backed away repeatedly, her back hitting a rough tree trunk, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. Despair washed over her like a tide.
At this moment, Erya's crisp and anxious voice came from outside the forest: "Sister! Sister! Did you pick any mushrooms?"
This cry, like a flash of lightning, split the fear in Daya's mind. She took a deep breath and, with all her strength, screamed shrilly: "Help!"
"You little bitch! How dare you scream!" The young man surnamed Qian's face changed and he rushed over to cover her mouth.
Outside the woods, Erya's heart twisted into a ball when she heard her elder sister's screams. She wanted to rush in, but was stopped by Chen Kangnian.
"Stop right there!" Chen Kangnian's face was grim as he grabbed Erya's arm. "Don't go over there! If you dare ruin my good deed, I'll go back and tell your parents that you stole my rabbit and beat me up! Then I'll have the county magistrate throw your whole family in jail!"
He thought that by bringing up the "government office" and the "prison", he could scare these little girls.
San Ya, Siya and the others were so frightened that their faces turned pale and tears welled up in their eyes.
But there was no fear in Erya's eyes, only raging rage. She looked at her "Sixth Uncle," a man worse than pigs and dogs, at his face twisted with greed and viciousness, and a surge of courage, coming from nowhere, instantly overwhelmed all her fear.
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