Chapter 1

"What should we do, Chengcheng? Are we really going to be sold to these villagers..."

In the dim woodshed, the four of us women were tied up along with two male classmates who were still unconscious.

Initially, they were also supposed to be killed, but they had other uses.

What those uses are, I have no idea.

I stared blankly at the door, and with a creak, it opened.

An old woman walked in.

She wasn't benevolent or pitiful, and she roughly fed us water. When she left, she spat twice on Ming Cai, the most beautiful among us, making Ming Cai feel utterly disgusted.

I could vaguely see a trace of jealousy in her face.

The time for distributing the spoils of war arrived quickly.

We were each taken home by the villagers, one hand passing money, the other taking us as goods.

A thin stack of red notes, a female university student, sold for just eighteen thousand yuan.

"Bang!"

I was pushed onto the bed, with a not-so-bright ceiling light casting over my somewhat lovely yet not stunning face.

The man who bought me and his mother—incidentally the same old woman from earlier—sat next to me chatting.

"They're really getting more and more expensive. The neighboring village only spent twelve thousand!"

"They're all making dirty money!"

Feng Cuihua is the name of my future mother-in-law.

Wang Dazhuang, that's the man's name.

"Mom, she's a college student, and look how pretty she is. Look at these breasts and hips, definitely made for good breeding."

While Wang Dazhuang spoke, he didn't forget to roam his hands all over me, from my chest to my hips, pinching me a couple of times.

I bit my lip hard and stared wide-eyed at the mother and son who treated me like an object.

Feng Cuihua glanced at me, her eyelids flickering.

"Now you know to talk like this? Didn't you used to fancy that little vixen? You should have trusted your mother's judgment; I knew right away she wasn't someone good."

"Alright, stop touching her in front of me. I'm going to bed."

Wang Dazhuang grinned somewhat foolishly in response.

"Okay, mom."

But having seen how he beat my boyfriend to death, how could I possibly associate this man with the word 'foolish' in my eyes?

"What's... your name?"

The light extinguished, and the sound of clothes rustling reached me. I softly uttered my first words here.

Wang Dazhuang was silent for a moment.

"... I'm Wang Dazhuang, and from now on, I'm your man. If you behave yourself, you won't suffer, understand? Don't think about escaping."

I let out a soft sob, and before he could get angry, I quickly spoke to please him.

"Brother Dazhuang, can I call you that?"

"I'm Chengcheng. Brother Dazhuang, could you untie the ropes on me? They really hurt."

He instantly became cautious.

But I spoke in a gentle tone.

"I haven't eaten in days, and I'm too weak. I'm just an ordinary woman and definitely can't run away."

"Besides, with me tied up, Brother Dazhuang, you can't do things easily, right?"

My attitude and gentle words swayed him a bit.

What really swayed him, though, was the fact that what I said was the truth.

He hesitated only briefly before untying me, though his words carried a hint of threat.

His tall body loomed over me, and I wrapped my slender arms around his neck. Soon, the room was filled with sounds of passion.

Early the next morning, I woke up aching all over.

Wang Dazhuang looked somewhat pleased, probably because I put on quite an act last night.

Can men really not tell when a woman is faking it in bed?

Seems like they can't.

I played along agreeably, pandering to him.

"Brother Dazhuang, should I make breakfast?"

Wang Dazhuang declined and told me honestly that his mother owned the kitchen.

As I followed Wang Dazhuang out of the house, Feng Cuihua and Wang Dazhuang's brother were in the yard. They jumped upon seeing me.

"Why did you untie her?"

Wang Dazhuang murmured, "She can't run away anyway. She's still in the yard, so what's there to fear?"

I lowered my head submissively and moved closer, "Mom, Uncle..."

Feng Cuihua glanced at me with a warning, "Don't try any tricks on me. I'm not buying it."

I clutched my clothes, biting my lip lightly.

The sound made Wang Dazhuang recall last night's passion, softening his resolve.

But he didn't say anything.

They don't trust me, I know.

But that's okay, there's still time ahead.