The woman, resigned to her fate, seemed to embrace her new life, especially with the growing life within her. The villagers, their vigilance dulled by her apparent compliance and pregnancy, relaxed their guard. Then, one day, a peculiar craving escaped her lips: pheasant. She urged his nephew to take her hunting, a seemingly innocent request for a breath of fresh air. The nephew, confident in his ability to supervise her, agreed. He never anticipated the desperate act that followed. On the mountain, a chilling chase ensued, culminating in both the woman and the nephew plunging over a cliff.
Liu Dashan, now bereft of his own son, fixated on his brother’s child. He had no desire to involve himself further, but his elder brother, consumed by grief and fear, turned on him. Everyone in the village, he argued, bought their wives; he was not the sole purveyor of such practices. He threatened to expose Liu Dashan to the police, implicating him in their illicit trade. When the traffickers caught wind of this, they found Liu Dashan a new, kidnapped woman. When he refused her, they seized his son. In a desperate act, his wife, Xu Ruhua, secretly fled with the child to visit relatives, leaving Liu Dashan trapped.
The traffickers, now furious, demanded he bring his wife back. When he refused, they resorted to brutal beatings. Finally, under the dire threat of harm to his aging parents, Liu Dashan caved. He would return, reclaim the child, and ensure his parents, who now had only this grandson, would care for him to escape from the traffickers. The more Liu Dashan considered this grim plan, the more feasible it seemed. Thus, he arrived at Xujia Village, driven by a desperate hope to secure his son’s future. To shield his wife from further entanglement, Liu Dashan had even filed for divorce.
“I’ve told you everything, Yingying, you must save us!” Liu Dashan cried, collapsing onto the ground in a heap of despair.
“I’ll try ,” Xu Ying replied, her voice cold, as she exited the room.
Huo Chen met her outside, his expression grave. “Those two men are the contact points for Liushangou,” he informed Xu Ying, his voice low. “Most of the women in Liushangou were bought. Their leader has been in the village these past few days, planning to take your aunt and your cousin to sell them.”
Xu Ying’s heart burned with a fiery rage. Her suspicions were confirmed. These traffickers deserved nothing less than death. Huo Chen looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. “Don’t worry about this,” he said gently. “Leave it to me.”
But Xu Ying shook her head. “I’m coming with you. I want to find the leaders of those traffickers.” The unspoken words hung in the air; Huo Chen knew exactly what she intended.
Before meeting Xu Ying, Huo Chen had believed that only his own kin were worthy of sacrifice. The suffering of strangers meant nothing to him. But Xu Ying had changed his perspective, showing him that kindness, even from a few, could illuminate the world.
“I’ll accompany you,” Huo Chen declared, a newfound resolve shining in his eyes.
Xu Ying, however, shook her head again. In the end, it was she who returned to Liu Dashan’s house with Xu Ruhua and the two children, while Huo Chen set off for the county to report to the police. Only Xu Ying, risking her own life, could lull these criminals into a false sense of security. A man as tall and imposing as Huo Chen would only heighten their vigilance.
Xu Ying followed Liu Dashan back to his house, and just as anticipated, several men were waiting there. When the leader saw Liu Dashan returning with his wife and children, a greedy smile spread across his face. He clapped Liu Dashan on the shoulder. “Not bad, not bad,” he chuckled, “don’t worry, we’ll definitely protect your wife and children.”
Xu Ruhua stared at the men in the yard, her face etched with confusion. “Dashan, who are these people?”
Liu Dashan closed his eyes, guilt radiating from him. “I told you not to come back. They’re the ones who bought my eldest brother’s daughter-in-law.”
Xu Ruhua’s face drained of color as the horrifying truth dawned on her. Her eyes darted to Xu Ying, standing at the edge of the yard, and she screamed, “Yingying, run!”
The leader’s head snapped up at the shout, his eyes widening as he took in Xu Ying’s appearance. “This is…” he began.
Before Liu Dashan could speak, Xu Ying, trembling ever so slightly, raised her head. Her demeanor was fragile, delicate. Biting her lower lip, she asked with feigned curiosity, “My uncle said you could help me marry a high-ranking official?” Her voice was laced with a desperate innocence. Then, as if bracing herself for a terrible sacrifice, she continued, “As long as you help me find a high-ranking official for a husband, I’ll reward you handsomely in the future.”
The leader scrutinized Xu Ying, his eyes calculating. He was a trafficker, yes, but he knew the immense power of a beautiful woman. They commanded high prices and were easy to sell. Yet, a flicker of doubt remained. “You look so tender,” he mused, “you must be cherished at home. Why would you want to marry a rich man through us? I’m telling you, those officials are often quite old, and might even have children from a second marriage.”
Xu Ying’s face crumpled slightly, a perfect portrayal of a young girl’s anxieties. “Then, are there any who are handsome and still unmarried?”
The leader observed her reaction, his lingering suspicions melting away. She was just a silly, naive girl. A look of profound satisfaction settled on his face as he turned to Liu Dashan.
Liu Dashan, playing his part, looked at Xu Ying with feigned disapproval. “You know there’s no such good thing in the world, Yingying! You can’t be both beautiful and capable, and expect someone like that to love you unconditionally. If you want to be an official’s wife, just listen to this elder brother. I guarantee you’ll have endless glory and wealth in the future.”
As Liu Dashan spoke these words, Xu Ruhua’s face twisted in disbelief, her eyes fixed on him as if she wished him dead. When Liu Dashan had threatened her at her mother’s house, Xu Ruhua had clung to the belief that her husband could never be so cruel. But now, seeing him actively deceive her niece, leading her into the hands of a trafficker, a spark of conscience ignited within her.
“Liu Dashan, that’s my niece! You can’t do this!”
Liu Dashan glared at Xu Ruhua, a sneer twisting his features. “Xu Ruhua, what are you talking about? Your niece wants to marry an official! It’s none of our business. Besides, your niece is so beautiful, she’s destined to marry an official. Perhaps you just don’t want to see her live a good life?”
Xu Ruhua stared at her husband, feeling for the first time as if she had been utterly blind. “Liu Dashan, you bastard!” she spat. Turning to her niece, she pleaded, “Yingying, don’t be fooled! They’re just lying to you. You’re so strong—”
“Aunty ” Xu Ying suddenly raised her voice, cutting her off. “Even if you don’t want our family to live better than yours, you shouldn’t be like this! Brother, she’s being very annoying, please shut her up quickly!” Xu Ying, fearing Xu Ruhua would expose their plan, feigned unreasonable anger. “Otherwise, I’ll leave!”
The leader instantly grew anxious. This girl was a valuable commodity; he couldn’t let her slip away. He gestured to the younger man behind him. “Tie her up. She’s too noisy.”
Just like that, Xu Ruhua was dragged into the house tied up . The moment the door opened, Xu Ying’s gaze fell upon several women locked inside, their expressions bearing the obvious signs of torment. Xu Ying clenched her teeth, her heart boiling with hatred for the traffickers. How could such beasts exist in this world?