Chapter Twenty: Now That You're Sold, In a Few Years They Can Sell Me Too

Xiang Yu and her sister left their belongings with a shopkeeper they knew and hurried toward the school.

Ye Nanxin, watching from a distance, followed them stealthily.

Seeing how beautiful and well-behaved Xiang Di was, Zhang Xiaoyan’s mother felt a deep sense of pity. Beyond what she had already shared with Xiang Yu, she revealed more. She spoke of how Liu Gang’s mother was incredibly shrewd, protective of her own, and adept at putting on a false front. She described Liu Gang’s father as arrogant, petty, and unreasonable when dealing with the villagers. Both parents doted on their son, and in such a household, any daughter-in-law who wasn’t sharp and formidable would be crushed, destined to spend her life as a servant and a workhorse. She warned that Liu Gang was not worth any woman’s struggle or sacrifice.

The dowry for a bride in Liu Gang’s family had climbed from fifty thousand to two hundred thousand. To put it mildly, it wasn’t because they were wealthy; it was because no parent who truly loved their daughter would send her into such a den. They only offered such a high price because they couldn’t secure a bride otherwise, forcing them to look in more distant villages.

The words of Zhang Xiaoyan’s mother struck Xiang Di like a descent into an abyss. Even covering her face with her hands could not hide her sorrowful tears. Xiang Yu, heartbroken by the sound, instinctively embraced her grieving sister. The mother and daughter from the Zhang family looked on with deep empathy.

Once Xiang Di had calmed down somewhat, Zhang Xiaoyan’s mother gently advised, "Listen to your parents when you should, but don't when you shouldn't. You must have your own convictions. After all, this is your life; no one can bear its bitterness or sweetness for you. You are the only one responsible for it. Don’t choose this way to show filial piety. Your parents are confused now, but one day, if they see you living in misery, they will regret it. No parents who truly love their children would push them into a fire pit for their own gain."

Xiang Di nodded through her tears and rasped, "Thank you." Xiang Yu also bowed to express her gratitude. She would keep this kindness etched in her heart.

Ye Nanxin was too far away to hear the specifics, catching only fragments like "arrogant" and "fire pit." Though she didn’t understand the context, she caught sight of Zhang Xiaoyan. She frowned, wondering why Zhang Xiaoyan was speaking with a stranger and these two sisters, and why Xiang Di was crying so bitterly. Seeing the Xiang sisters heading back while Zhang Xiaoyan and the middle-aged woman walked the other way, Ye Nanxin hurried off. After suffering a major setback, she had developed an instinctive wariness toward Xiang Yu.

The sound of her running caught Xiang Yu’s attention. Xiang Yu’s heart sank as she took a few steps in pursuit, recognizing the figure as Ye Nanxin, wearing the exact same clothes as she had that morning. A storm gathered in Xiang Yu’s eyes. This bane was like a lingering ghost; one day, she would catch her and crush her so thoroughly she could never rise again.

Xiang Yu calmed down to analyze the situation. She figured Ye Nanxin couldn’t have heard much, as she had been keeping a close watch on their surroundings; the scattered trees made it difficult for anyone to get too close without being noticed. As long as her sister’s engagement didn’t go through, she wasn’t afraid of what Ye Nanxin might say to their parents—at worst, she would just endure a few scoldings. The crucial thing was to ensure Ye Nanxin didn’t realize that Liu Gang and Zhang Xiaoyan lived in the same village, and to prevent her from harming the Zhang family. She would make sure to warn Zhang Xiaoyan on Monday not to reveal her home address.

Xiang Di remained deeply dejected. With time running short, Xiang Yu had no heart to offer empty comfort; she only wanted to help her sister see the reality clearly so they could plan their next move. She pulled Xiang Di to a stop at the edge of the woods. "Sister, what are you thinking now?"

Xiang Di felt helpless and panicked, so she did not hide her fragility in front of her strong and composed younger sister. She wept silently, "I don’t want to marry into a family like that. I don’t want that kind of disgust."

Xiang Yu nodded, her gaze filled with relief.

"But if Mom and Dad insist, I have no choice."

Xiang Yu knew this would be her sister’s conclusion. She gripped her sister’s shoulders and looked intently into her mournful eyes. "That is why you must resist. You have to take responsibility for the next sixty or seventy years of your life."

Xiang Di was terrified. "But what about Mom and Dad? What about the new house? And what about Xiang Hao?"

Such questions would have defeated the Xiang Yu of her previous life, as she, too, had once viewed her parents' will as the primary purpose of her existence. But having returned after experiencing such torment and death, she now clearly understood the boundary between filial piety and self-responsibility.

She asked her sister sharply, "Are you certain that with the two hundred thousand from selling yourself, our parents, who are only in their forties, will live out the rest of their lives well, or that Xiang Hao will successfully navigate his entire life?"

Xiang Di shook her head. Of course not. A house was not enough; they still needed to live. Xiang Hao was only twelve. Schooling, food, clothing, and eventually a bride—everything cost money. That two hundred thousand would likely be gone long before their parents grew old or Xiang Hao reached adulthood.

Xiang Di was in agony, feeling suffocated and exhausted. Xiang Yu’s voice softened, drifting like a light breeze. "If they sell you now, they’ll sell me in a few years. I’ll go for two hundred thousand too, and maybe then Xiang Hao will be able to settle down."

Xiang Di’s heart trembled violently. She clutched her chest, the dull ache spreading within her.