The young girl t her mother but didn’t ntion what happened in the courtyard. She just gave the money pouch to her mother, telling her and her younger brother to find a place to settle down, live well, and wait in peace for their father to return from the battlefield.
Fifteen girls returned to the courtyard, only to find two brawny n wielding large knives standing behind a middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face. The brawny n stepped forward and, without a word, decapitated four of the girls.
In the blink of an eye, four corpses lay on the ground, bloodied and with their eyes wide open in death.
The remaining eleven girls trembled, not daring to make a sound, not even to cry.
The two brawny n used white cloths to wipe the blood clean from the blades, then returned to stand behind the middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face.
The middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face asked playfully, "Do you know why they died?"
The eleven girls kept their heads down, no one daring to answer.
"No one can answer?" The middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face chuckled lightly, "Whoever can answer correctly, I’ll have soone provide her with a house."
Upon hearing this, a few girls looked up.
The money in the pouch was only enough to rent a place to stay, certainly not enough to buy a house in the city.
This was a huge temptation.
So began to answer, but their responses were incoherent.
As the middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face gradually lost interest and did not want to listen further, Little Taotie raised her head weakly and said, "Because they were talkative and told their families everything they saw here. Now that they are dead, their families will also be killed by your n."
"Oh!" The middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face’s eyes lit up as he looked at the shortest girl standing at the back, as if seeing a rare treasure.
"You indeed have an Exquisite Heart."
"I do not." Little Taotie’s voice was muffled.
"That was a complint, but you don’t seem happy?"
"An Exquisite Heart will be dug out by Daji. I don’t want it. My father told the story of ’a jade in a white cloth invites trouble.’ I know you praised , but then these sisters will envy , and I will be isolated, turning into a pitiable little thing."
"Pfft!" The middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face burst into laughter, "Interesting, interesting, what an amusing little girl!"
Stopping his laughter, his eyes swept over the other ten girls, asking, "Will you isolate her?"
The ten girls pursed their lips, not saying a word.
Each harbored so resentnt in their hearts.
The youngest, shortest one, yet she received the reward, answered the question, and was praised. She could also bring honor to her family.
Each thought: I don’t know what others think, but I don’t want to talk to her.
They all thought this way, just as the young girl had predicted, that she would be ostracized.
The middle-aged man with a pale, beardless face took in their expressions fully, then suddenly his face darkened, his voice gloomy, "Originally, I ca out this ti to only take one girl back."
The ten girls showed terrified expressions.
"I had intended to look further, but there’s no need now." He signaled with his eyes to the two brawny n.
The two brawny n drew their knives once more.
In Little Taotie’s vision, there was only red, a blood-red; the screams ceased by her ears, leaving her a bit stunned.
A large hand patted her head, and she slowly lifted her head.
"Little girl, you’re very lucky."
Lucky?
She did not know.
All she knew was that being alive ant hope.
All she knew was that she had survived, her mother had survived, and her younger brother had survived.
In the dead of night, the carriage set off, leaving the city.
The young girl’s mother and brother also received a house and truly settled down in this city.
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