The mule cart jolted and swayed, trundling through streets and alleys, sometimes going straight, other times turning.
After a long, winding journey, it finally stopped. The curtain of the cart was lifted, and a sliver of bright light peeked through.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes snapped open.
She had been prepared. Before getting into the cart, she had used the opportunity of a sneeze to dab a motion sickness medicine under her nose.
Therefore, she had remained conscious the entire time.
She had even managed to perform a few small actions while the burly man in the cart was drowsing, dizzy from the jolting.
Now that the cart had stopped, they must have arrived.
Su Xiaoqi followed the light and looked out. Outside was a large courtyard with white walls and black tiles.
Hearing the commotion outside, a woman with a voluptuous figure emerged from the main hall, swaying her hips as she approached.
"Oh, my good men, you've all returned. How was the harvest?"
The two men with fawning expressions lifted the cart curtain, revealing the prey within.
"Hoo, so much! You are truly capable. It seems after this haul, we can rest for a long time."
The woman approached against the light, so Su Xiaoqi couldn't make out her features.
She saw a full chest, a narrow waist, and a swaying gait.
As the woman drew closer, Su Xiaoqi, fearing she would be discovered, quickly closed her eyes.
Soon after, she was pulled from the cart.
During this time, the alluring woman kept urging them to be careful, lest they ruin their appearance and thus their value.
"Sister Mei, you can be completely at ease. You care about us, and we care too.
Today, our luck was excellent. We actually found a top-quality specimen in that village by the embankment.
Take a look, will her complexion suit the taste of the master upstairs?"
Before Su Xiaoqi could figure out who they were talking about, her chin was pinched by fingers that felt soft and boneless.
"My goodness, she has quite a captivating aura. However, she's still a bit raw.
It's alright though. Your Sister Mei specializes in this. I'll take her to the capital and train her personally. She'll surely make a name for herself."
Hearing this, the two burly men's eyes began to gleam as they looked at Su Xiaoqi.
They kept saying how lucky they were today, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.
Su Xiaoqi's face grew cold. "To hell with your blind cat and dead mouse.
You think you're lucky now, but soon you'll doubt your own life."
With a creak, she was carried by the two men into a room.
After a few sounds of "bang bang" as people were thrown in, the two men left, their crude jokes echoing.
Su Xiaoqi opened her eyes and quickly surveyed the room.
It was a large dormitory. The four of them, newly brought in, were all locked inside.
Their breathing was deep, and they were still under the influence of the drug.
To avoid alerting them, Su Xiaoqi did not wake them. Instead, she got up and pressed herself against the door to listen for any movement outside.
Judging by the situation so far, this was their base of operations.
Perhaps the women captured in the previous instances were also held here.
Su Xiaoqi listened intently for a while and found that her suspicions were correct.
In every room of this courtyard, many people were confined.
Su Xiaoqi rubbed her hands together, devising a plan to rescue them.
She rushed over and patted Shen Xiaomei's face, but no matter how hard she tried, the other girl remained groggy and unresponsive.
It was the same for another person.
Su Xiaoqi's head ached. No wonder these people were so audacious and confident, unafraid of them escaping.
It turned out the drug they used was so potent.
Fortunately, she had been prepared and wasn't drugged, otherwise, she would also be a lamb to the slaughter now.
Just as she was racking her brain for a way to rescue them, she heard a commotion outside.
It turned out another group had returned.
Through a gap in the door, Su Xiaoqi saw a familiar figure – Zhao Xiaozhu.
Her clothes were tattered, revealing some white threads, her eyes were vacant, and she was dragged from the cart like a tool.
"Damn it, Niu Dabi, you're a real piece of shit. You just pluck such a tender flower whenever you want."
Niu Dabi mumbled, "I didn't want to either. Wasn't it because I ate a bull's penis at noon today, and the urge suddenly came?
Besides, it wasn't just me who did her. Wangba did too."
"I work hard all day, to the point of exhaustion, and I only get to do one.
What's more, I still need to find another one to do, damn it…"
Wangba, being hot-tempered, rushed into the room where Su Xiaoqi was, his eyes locking onto her, and he reached out to grab her.
Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat. Should she resist, or resist?
Before she could react, a slender hand grabbed Wangba's wrist.
"Enough, enough. Say less, everyone. It's not easy working out here."
Mei Niang had arrived. She didn't put much effort into stopping Wangba and waved to everyone, saying,
"Forget it, forget it. Anyway, this kind of merchandise is sold to brothels. At worst, they'll just lose the fee for the first time."
She scrutinized everyone's expressions, her face instantly darkening, "But I warn you, this girl is still a virgin.
I've taken a liking to her and want to take her to the capital to train her myself. She has a great purpose, so none of you are allowed to lay a hand on her."
Everyone quickly agreed, saying that even if they were given a hundred more lives, they wouldn't dare touch someone she fancied.
Mei Niang nodded with satisfaction, "You've been out for a while and have your desires.
I understand. Since that one has already been deflowered by Wangba, I'll reward you all with her."
Saying this, everyone turned their gaze to Zhao Xiaozhu, whose virginity had been taken.
One after another.
Listening to the commotion, Su Xiaoqi felt like breaking down the door several times.
But there were five of them in total, and they were all tall and strong. She had no certainty of victory against them.
Running out would only be seeking death.
Su Xiaoqi weighed the pros and cons, hesitating, when she heard the locked door open again.
She heard bursts of silver laughter and women's pained cries.
It turned out they had come to this room to conduct their business.
After they were done, they even kicked Zhao Xiaozhu, who had likely fainted several times from the ordeal.
After the other three had finished enjoying themselves, only the last one remained – Wangba.
"Fuck you, you son of a bitch. You only think with your lower half."
"Get lost, get lost, you damn bastard." Wangba retorted, then turned to continue his unfinished business.
Only he was left in the room, and the door was unlocked. A heaven-sent opportunity.
Su Xiaoqi no longer hesitated. She quietly climbed off the bed, grabbed a wooden stool beside her, and smashed it towards Wangba.
"Ah…" Su Xiaoqi was prepared. As soon as he let out his first cry, she stuffed a torn rag into his mouth.
"Slap, slap…" Su Xiaoqi raised her hand and slapped him twice across the face.
Instantly, his already unattractive face showed a hint of fatigue and age.
"Mmmph…" Wangba was completely suppressed by Su Xiaoqi, and beads of blood were forming on his forehead.
It was truly a case of calling to heaven and receiving no answer, calling to earth and receiving no response.
Despair and helplessness flashed through his mind like a movie.