How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Niu Da couldn't accept this. He had been so loyal to his second brother and sister-in-law, yet they still wanted his wife and son.

"Second brother, what do you mean?"

The second brother said impatiently, "It's pointless. If we delay any longer, none of us will be able to leave; we'll all just be watching a show at your house. Besides, if you're worried, you can come along. Do you think you'll suffer a loss?"

Years of accumulated power had made Niu Da dare not speak out against his anger. He had accompanied his second brother and sister-in-law on "delivery" many times, but this was the first time he had brought his whole family along. Seeing the faint knife mark on his second brother's neck, Niu Da softened his temper.

That was when my second brother killed a disobedient child with his own hands, the child had scratched him raw. That child was tortured to death that very day. In front of the other kidnapped children, the methods of "mutilation and torture" were used on that child to the extreme, causing him excruciating pain until he died.

This move shocked the other children and left a deep impression on Niu Da's mind. From then on, he obeyed his second brother and sister-in-law without question.

So this whole thing happened in the morning. When they left, they took a large group of people with them. The second brother led the way with a lantern, the second sister-in-law followed behind and kept an eye on the people, and Niu Da and Niu Da's wife maintained order in the middle.

When she heard that her second sister-in-law was going to take her out, Niu Da's sister-in-law was shocked. Don't think she didn't know how ruthless her second sister-in-law was. She claimed to treat Niu Da as a brother, but in private she treated him the same as a lamb that had been raised for a long time.

But Niu Da didn't dare to fall out with his second brother and sister-in-law, let alone her. So he was very unhappy and walked in the middle of the group, grumbling and cursing.

The mountain road was difficult to travel, rugged and uneven, and there were many people, so even though we were walking in a hurry, we still didn't get very far.

After walking the mountain path herself, Qingru realized that the road she had taken to Jiuhuangzhuang before was not a mountain path at all; it was so flat, it just wasn't paved with bluestone.

Her script was not yet finished, so she fell further and further behind the others. Although Xiao Erlang had grown up in the mountains since childhood, he was still a child under eight years old. The two of them slowly moved from the middle of the group to the back.

Guiying, out of kindness, helped Qingru and also helped carry the luggage on Xiao Erlang's back.

She wasn't particularly robust, even rather thin, but fortunately, she was used to farm work, so this short distance was no problem for her at all.

This was also part of Qingru's plan. With her leg injury making it difficult to walk, it was reasonable for her to fall behind the group. There was only her thin and frail second sister-in-law at the back of the group, so dealing with her shouldn't be too difficult.

Moreover, the two had been preparing ever since they decided to escape. Xiao Erlang had a deep affection for his family's old ox and dog; he spent far more time with them than the ox and dog did with Niu Da. In his heart, the ox and dog were probably far more important than Niu Da himself—otherwise, why would he secretly call the dog "Er Niu" (Second Ox)? He was finding a brother for his father!

Old Niu and Gouzi were released into the deep mountains by Xiao Erlang early on, for he was afraid that they would be eaten by Niu Da and his wife while he was away.

Qingru held Xiao Erlang's hand tightly, while constantly looking for an opportunity to shake off the others.

Second Sister-in-law was used to walking these roads. When she saw that Ru and Xiao Erlang were getting increasingly tired, she stepped forward and asked with a forced smile, "What's wrong? Do you need someone to carry you?"

Seeing her murderous gaze, Qingru felt uneasy. "That's right, my legs are hurting. Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law, I can keep up."

What's most terrifying about my second sister-in-law is her sinister eyes, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and bite you when you're not paying attention, spitting out its venom to kill you.

Qingru didn't want to confront her directly, so she hadn't found a good opportunity. Guiying, unaware of what was going on, continued to carefully watch over the two of them.

The mountain path became increasingly steep, and Qingru suspected that they were not on the main road at all. Sure enough, Niu Da's voice rang out from ahead, "Everyone is slow, but Second Brother Dong is more knowledgeable and specially chose a shortcut. Everyone keep up and watch your step so you don't fall behind."

With a sigh, Qingru couldn't help but feel a little dejected. Xiao Erlang gently shook her hand, indicating that she shouldn't worry, there was still a long road ahead.

The path up the mountain was finished, and they were now heading down, the path becoming increasingly narrow. Just as dawn was breaking, Qingru accidentally slipped and kicked a pebble beside her. The palm-sized stone rolled away instantly, and only after a long while did a "thud" be heard.

Qingru was utterly astonished. Could it be that there was a cliff right next to her?

Seeing Qingru standing there in a daze, her second sister-in-law stepped forward and pushed her, "Do you see that? There's a cliff right next to us. If you fall, you'll be dead without a trace. Be careful and stay to the left."

Xiao Erlang was clearly startled as well, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on their tightly clasped palms.

Seeing that the two were scared, Guiying comforted them, "Don't be afraid, I'm used to walking on this road, it's not that scary. As long as you stay close to the stone wall, you won't fall. Actually, this is why our village is so poor, it's all because the roads are bad. People inside don't easily go out, and people outside can't easily come in."

Qingru frowned, sensing that something was wrong. She had seen her second brother and sister-in-law come here often. If the road was inconvenient, why could they come and go as they pleased?

The road down the mountain was difficult to travel, and the group didn't reach the market town until dawn. The girls rarely went out, and seeing the bustling town, they felt overwhelmed by the sights.

"Stop looking. The city is much more lively than this. Don't let people think you're country bumpkins who've never seen the world. Keep your eyes on the city gates."

The second brother herded everyone like ducks, gathering the girls together and counting their numbers.

Qingru was still among them. She sighed deeply. It was too difficult. One was injured and the other was young. How could they possibly fight against these vicious bandits? Although there were more girls than bandits, none of them knew the true nature of her second brother and sister-in-law. How could they believe her words? Instead of causing trouble, they had only given them more men.

The group went unnoticed in town; I wonder how my second brother and his friends managed to do it.

People were gathered in a large house with only three rooms, a large yard, and a high wall.

They told people to stand and rest in the yard, and the second brother and sister-in-law called Niu Da and his wife into the house.

"Second Brother, what's going on?" Niu Da asked, puzzled. Didn't they usually hide people in the cellar?

His second brother glared at him. "Didn't you see the red banner at the door? That means there's no one down there again. Damn it, that's a loss of dozens of dollars."

The couple exchanged a glance and both saw the wariness and fear in each other's eyes.

"What bad luck! What bad luck! Why did he have to die today of all days? Isn't this just bringing me bad luck?" The second brother was still angry, while the second sister-in-law remained silent and went to the backyard.

The Niu couple were too frightened to speak again. After muttering a few curses, the second sister-in-law returned, her face pale and carrying a faint smell of blood.

The second brother looked over, and the second sister-in-law shook her head with a sullen face, "They're all dead. It was the prettiest one. Those guys were so reckless. It's not like they've never seen a woman before."

The second brother slammed his fist on the table. "What a pity! I heard she was a young lady from a respectable family, such a fine commodity, with both beauty and talent. She only needed some training to be able to entertain guests. These barbarians!"

Niu Da didn't know who they were cursing, and didn't dare to say anything, so he stood silently to the side.

After venting his anger, he called Niu Da over and gave him a series of instructions.

As a result, Qingru was placed under even tighter surveillance. From morning till night, only she was "qualified" to rest and eat in the room with her second brother and sister-in-law. Of course, Xiao Erlang followed her. Everyone else ate the same bowl of cornmeal porridge as the night before.

When Sister-in-law Niu returned after delivering the food, she looked rather pale. Niu Daqi asked, "What's wrong with you? Don't let Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law see you like this, or they might misunderstand."

Sister-in-law Niu suppressed her temper and said, "It's all because of those people who are nitpicking. They say that since we're all from the same group, only Qingru can eat well and can come inside to rest, while they have to stand in the yard. Bah, don't they even look at their own faces? Do they think they can sell for such a high price? They even complain that the corn porridge isn't good enough. Humph, they won't even be able to eat steamed buns or porridge anymore."

Seeing that she was speaking louder and louder, Niu Da felt a tug at her clothes, "Keep your voice down, don't let them hear."

“I’m afraid of her…” Sister-in-law Niu became stubborn, and Niu Da quickly gestured with his chin towards her. She also remembered that her second brother and sister-in-law were in the main house, so she lowered her voice and pulled Niu Da to the kitchen, whispering, “What are you thinking?”

Niu Da hadn't reacted yet, "What do you mean, what were you thinking?"

"Tsk," Sister-in-law Niu said anxiously, "I don't believe you haven't noticed that Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are not as nice to you as before. And it's almost been five years. What do you think we'll do if we can't deliver the first batch of girls by then?"

Niu Da pondered for a moment, "Do you have an idea? Tell me quickly."

Sister-in-law Niu didn't dare to keep her in suspense at this moment, for fear that her second brother and sister-in-law might come in at any time. "If you ask me, we should send the people in and then leave. We won't go back to the village. With the money we've saved over the years, it's enough for us to live a good life in another place. We can buy a few more acres of land and experience what it's like to be a landlord. We'll never do this kind of work for others again."

Niu Da was also somewhat tempted by her words, "Is it really as good as you say? Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law know a wide range of people, not to mention Aunt Mei..."

Seeing his hesitation, Sister-in-law Niu became unhappy. "No matter how powerful he is, he can't control everything. Once we get out, we'll buy a house next to the police station. What can he do to us then?"

Niu Da hesitated, "What about the land and houses in the village? They're brick houses with tiled roofs and big courtyards. Can we just throw them away like that?"

Sister-in-law Niu couldn't stand his indecisiveness and said directly, "Do whatever you want. Anyway, I'm not going back. You have to be alive to spend the money you earn."

"Niu Da, Niu Da, isn't the food ready yet?" Second Brother's voice came, startling Niu Da. "Okay, coming right away."

Niu Da quickly took the bowl and went out, saying, "I'll talk to you when I get back."

Sister-in-law Niu was exasperated. "You good-for-nothing! Why can't you make a decision?" She then felt relieved after glancing at the banknotes in her arms. "I forgot to mention when I left that all my wealth is with me. What's the point of going back?" With the money clutched in her hand, she wasn't worried that Niu Da wouldn't go with her.

As night fell and all was quiet, the second brother and sister-in-law led them on their journey again. One of the girls asked, "Second brother, why don't we travel during the day, but instead rush through the night?"

The second brother smiled kindly, "Isn't this all for your own good? There are so many young girls like you. In these chaotic times, it wouldn't be good if someone saw you and had impure thoughts. You earn money in the city, but you have to go back and get married with a clean reputation."

When the topic of marriage came up, the girl who had asked the question blushed, and the others were too embarrassed to ask any more questions.

Qingru was extremely unwilling. She hadn't found a chance to escape yet. Niu Da and his wife kept a close watch on her and, ignoring Xiao Erlang's struggles, carried him away. Qingru became even more hesitant to make any rash moves.

Besides, yesterday, Xiao Erlang told her about the conversation she overheard between her second brother and sister-in-law, and she didn't know which family's girl had been insulted.

Qing was sitting on the sedan chair, bouncing up and down, but because she was sitting high up, she could see far. In her hazy vision, she saw her second sister-in-law at the back of the procession carrying a large cloth bag shaped like a human, tied with stones, and throwing it into a big pit.

It was dark and she couldn't see clearly. Qingru could only make out the outline of the girl in front of her, which seemed to be the girl her second sister-in-law had lost.

Qingru felt a wave of fear. She looked at her second sister-in-law, who was so thin and small, yet had such strength. She carried a person with ease. Fortunately, they did not face each other head-on, otherwise, the outcome would have been very dangerous.

Just as Qingru was about to throw up from the jostling, the group finally stopped. Guiying helped Qingru to her feet, and she heard her second brother's loud voice, "We're here. We're about to enter the factory. Be alert, everyone."

The girls jumped for joy, excitedly chattering away, while their second brother had gone off somewhere to negotiate.

After resting for a while, Qingru finally recovered. She looked around and saw rows of houses with clothes hanging on bamboo poles under the eaves, all huddled together and smelling rather unpleasant.

This place didn't look like a factory, and Qingru became alert. She quickly pulled Xiao Erlang to her side, and she could barely recognize where she was.

This is the outskirts of the city, only three or four miles from the inner city. The factories run by foreigners are very noisy, so they are not allowed to operate in the city. Therefore, they are all located in one place.

Qingru was overjoyed. Now that she was in a familiar place, it was only a matter of time before she escaped. Not to mention anything else, as long as she went to the city gate, saw the guards, and mentioned Guo Zixing's name, someone would surely come to rescue her.

Qingru suppressed her excitement and repeatedly told Xiao Erlang the route and method in a low voice. Xiao Erlang listened very attentively.

Before long, the second brother came over, flattering a portly man.

The man was dressed in a padded cotton coat and silk trousers, the cotton filling making his already bulky frame appear even larger. He approached with a stern face, his eyes sweeping over the twenty girls' faces before finally settling on Qingru's, a lecherous smile spreading across his face. "You want to sign this girl too?"

Second Sister-in-law stepped forward to block Qingru's path, "Boss Hu is joking. My sister is educated, can read and do accounting, and is determined to find an accounting job."

Mr. Hu understood and gave a meaningful look. "Just let me know where you'll be working when the time comes. It's a pity you can't work in my factory."