Melody woke up to pitch darkness.
She was lying on the ground, and her surroundings were swaying, as if on a boat or in a vehicle.
A terrible stench filled the air, accompanied by animal sounds of "gugugugu." The smell was clearly coming from the animals.
Where was she?
Recalling the moments before she fainted, though she didn't know where she was, she was certain she was in trouble.
Her hands were bound behind her back. She didn't know how long they had been tied, but they ached terribly. When she tried to move and stretch her body, she felt as limp as a rag doll.
Furthermore, any slight movement caused her head to bump against an animal cage, and her feet were in the same situation.
It seemed the people who bound her had created a custom space just large enough for her to be contained.
The surroundings were foul-smelling and hot. Her inability to move and the unknown darkness filled her with fear.
She wanted to cry out for help, but her throat felt like it was on fire, so dry that she couldn't make a sound.
Her mind raced. Realizing she couldn't move, she began to try and discern her location in the darkness.
As her eyes scanned around, she heard the sound of an engine turning off, and soon, the swaying stopped.
Was the vehicle parked? Had they reached their destination?
What awaited her?
Many terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind. Her heart tightened involuntarily, and she quickly closed her eyes again.
A commotion arose outside, followed by voices as people approached and opened the carriage door.
The animal cages at the very back of the carriage were moved aside, allowing a faint light and a trickle of air to enter.
The carriage, which had been stifling and almost suffocating, finally offered some relief. Melody, drenched in sweat with her hair plastered to her neck, closed her eyes and breathed greedily.
But she quickly stopped.
The cages were completely removed. In the dim light, she vaguely saw a short man hunched over as he approached her.
He first reached out and felt her nose to confirm she wasn't dead, then turned and shouted to someone outside, "Get me a cup of water."
The chickens in the carriage, startled by his words, clucked and flapped their wings, releasing another wave of unpleasant odor.
The man himself couldn't stand it and urged them to hurry. Soon, someone handed him water.
He grabbed Melody's mouth and poured the water into it little by little.
Melody dared not reveal that she had regained consciousness, fearing they might administer more drugs.
Feigning unconsciousness, she let some water flow down her throat and some spill onto her neck.
Seeing she wasn't going to die, the man drank some of it, patted his hands in relief, and soon jumped off the vehicle with the cup.
"Are we resting here, or are we leaving?"
"Resting? What rest? You know they told us to hurry. They're paying good money for this. You don't lack a few hours of sleep, so let's go."
The short man tutted.
"This woman is truly beautiful. I've never seen anyone so beautiful in my life. Is it a pity to send her off like this?"
"What do you mean? You want a taste? It's not impossible, but I heard she's sick. If you're not afraid of dying..."
"Forget it, I was just saying. These days, the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to be sick. I wouldn't touch someone like that."
"Just know that. Beautiful women attract attention. By the time it's your turn, I'll be old news. Let's find someone reliable. Come on. Once we deliver her, I'll take you to a good place."
After a few exchanges, just as Melody had managed to take a few breaths of fresh air, the rear of the vehicle was slammed shut with a clang.
She didn't know where she was, couldn't make any sound in her throat, and wanted to call for help, but had no way to do so.
She could only continue lying there, her body aching.
The vehicle soon began to shake again.
Melody knew she was being transported to an unknown place. Fear mixed with discomfort, and tears streamed silently down her cheeks.
In the final chapter of her life, she had her loving family and a man who cherished her, which would have allowed her to pass away comfortably.
It was all her fault for not cherishing it and for blocking Lu Qingxu.
Now, completely abandoned, no one cared if she lived or died.
Her mind was hazy. Although lying in such an awkward position was uncomfortable, the residual effects of the drug made her fall asleep again.
When she woke up, the vehicle was still moving, but the light was less dim.
She knew dawn had broken, and the time for the final judgment of her fate had truly arrived.
The initial pain was one of narrow confinement and stifling heat, which later turned into jolting and nausea.
The vehicle seemed to have entered a road with very poor conditions, shaking violently and swaying from side to side.
Her head bumped against the chicken cages around her, and occasionally, disgusting chicken droppings fell onto her face. Melody felt both pain and the urge to vomit.
Amidst the immense suffering, she gradually calmed down.
A strong will to survive drove her. She didn't want her fate to end like this and began to look forward to reaching their destination quickly.
Finally, after an unknown period of shaking and several naps, the vehicle stopped.
When the door was pulled open and a faint beam of light shone in, she felt an unprecedented sense of joy.
"This damn place is so hard to navigate. I wonder how the person is."
The short, stout man jumped back into the vehicle.
Soon, Melody was roughly dragged out of the carriage by him to the edge and then carried down.
As the two men walked, they conversed and, passing through a dirt road, entered a typical rural one-story house.
She
Everyone laughed.
"It's good that you're doing well. Your mother worked hard for you. Perform well tonight, and strive to give your mother a grandson soon."
The crowd continued with pleasantries. The woman invited them to stay for dinner, but the men who transported Melody said they had other matters to attend to and left.
Once everyone had dispersed and the door was bolted, the mother and son approached Melody.
Realizing no one else was present, Melody feigned just regaining consciousness and slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze fell upon a short, stout middle-aged woman, about five feet tall.
Her skin was dark. She was dressed plainly.
She wore an old-fashioned gray long-sleeved shirt, the kind seen only in period dramas, black cloth trousers, red sandals, and her face was full of wrinkles.
However, her teeth were surprisingly attractive, appearing white and stark when she smiled.
Beside her was likely her son, Zhuzi.