Blossom

Dou Ming sat in the jolting carriage, unable to suppress a pang of regret.

She hadn’t expected the carriage to be so crude. Had she known, she would have brought Ji Hong along.

Unable to bear it any longer, she lifted the carriage curtain and called out, “Yu Er, how much longer until we reach Dingzhou?”

“Soon, soon!” The driver, Yu Er, turned his head and flashed her an ingratiating smile. “We’re taking the back roads. If we took the main road, they’d catch up to us in no time with their fast horses.”

“Oh.” Dou Ming’s mood darkened, and she withdrew into the carriage.

That night, they sought lodging at a peasant’s home.

The filthy, dilapidated furniture, the stiff and musty bedding, the tea with floating ash—it all made Dou Ming feel as though she couldn’t even set foot inside.

Lying on the kang, she closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about where she was. Gradually, her thoughts turned to her maternal grandmother’s household.

Her maternal aunt would surely scold her when she saw her, while her second aunt would defend her. As for her grandmother… she had once doted on her wholeheartedly. But ever since her grandfather had been impeached, her grandmother hadn’t treated her as warmly as before. Was it because the Dou family hadn’t helped? Would her grandmother still cherish her the way she used to when she arrived this time?

Dou Ming’s heart was in turmoil. She tossed and turned, not knowing when she finally drifted into a fitful sleep.

Perhaps because she was in an unfamiliar place, her sleep was uneasy. She woke abruptly for no reason.

The window was tightly shut, but cold moonlight streamed in through the skylight, casting a square of silvery light.

Outside, it sounded like someone was talking.

Dou Ming pricked up her ears to listen.

“...No, at least fifty taels of silver... Just that rose-red passionflower-patterned brocade coat she’s wearing alone could fetch five taels... And those cat’s eye stone earrings on her ears...”

Dou Ming’s blood ran cold.

She was wearing a rose-red passionflower-patterned brocade coat today, and she had on a pair of cat’s eye stone earrings!

Instinctively, she sensed that her situation was dire.

Moving as quietly as she could, she got up, her limbs weak. Not bothering with shoes, she slipped on a pair of socks and tiptoed to the door.

The door was rickety and didn’t close properly. Standing in front of it, she could easily peer through the gap.

The main room was unlit. The door was open, and moonlight spilled in, clearly illuminating Yu Er’s shadow.

He was standing in the room with two strangers—a man and a woman. In the dim light, their faces were indistinct, but she could make out that the man was exceptionally burly, standing like an iron tower, while the woman was plump, her gold earrings glinting ominously in the dark like the eyes of a predator.

“If you’re so keen on those things,” the woman said, her voice hoarse yet laced with an inexplicable menace, “I’ll take the girl. Fifteen taels—not a penny more!”

“Mo Ergu,” Yu Er protested in a low voice, “that’s far too little. That girl’s a young lady from a wealthy family. I went to great lengths to trick her into coming. Look at all the trouble I went through—hiring the carriage, making arrangements. At least let me recoup some of my costs. Your offer is too low... Can’t you add a little more...?”Mo Ergu sneered, "She's already eleven this year. Old enough to remember things. Giving you fifteen taels of silver is only because of the friendship between our man and you. For anyone else, I wouldn't even pay three taels..."

Hearing this, Dou Ming finally understood.

All of it was lies—the story about her second cousin ruining her eldest cousin's recommendation letter, about asking her to plead with her grandmother.

This Yu Er, for some inexplicable reason, was actually trying to sell her into bondage.

A raging fire ignited in her heart, and she pushed open the door, ready to curse Yu Er out. But as her hand touched the rough door latch, the sharp pain from the splinters piercing her fingers quickly brought her back to her senses.

She had to escape!

Before Yu Er noticed, she had to get away!

Once free, whether it was the Dou family or the Wang family, they could crush him with a finger.

Gritting her teeth, Dou Ming scanned the room.

There was only one window, leading to the main courtyard outside.

She immediately decided to escape through the window.

Climbing weakly onto the kang, she took a deep breath, carefully unlatched the window, and pushed it open—only to find the outer lattice firmly nailed shut. No matter how hard she pushed or pulled, it wouldn't budge.

It's over, it's over!

Dou Ming sat there, her mind blank.

She didn't know how much time passed before she snapped out of it.

That Mo Ergu just wanted money, didn't she? She could just promise her money!

With this thought, hope returned, and her strength came back.

She jumped off the kang and flung the door open with a loud bang.

The three people outside, who had been chatting amiably and laughing, turned in surprise at the noise.

Dou Ming was terrified, but the fury boiling inside her overpowered her fear: "Yu Er, you traitorous scum! How dare you trick me and sell me off? When my grandfather finds out, he'll have you torn apart by horses or sliced into a thousand pieces! You'll rot in a government prison!" She then shouted, "Mo Ergu, you're just after money, aren't you? I'll give you five hundred taels—no, a thousand taels! Take me back, and my grandfather will reward you handsomely. Do you even know who my grandfather is? He's Wang Yousheng, the Governor of Yunnan! My uncle is Dou Yuanji, Grand Academician of the Wenhua Hall and Minister of Justice. My father is a scholar of the Imperial Academy and Vice Minister of the Household of the Heir Apparent..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Mo Ergu cut her off with a laugh, waddling over on her plump legs. Under the moonlight, her beady eyes gleamed coldly, devoid of any warmth. "Little girl, I never expected someone of such noble birth to be so dim-witted." She turned to Yu Er, her thickly rouged lips twisting into a mocking smile. "Yu Er, you've really done me dirty. You said she was a young lady from a good family, but you didn't mention she was someone we know. You've put me in a tough spot!"

Yu Er, who had been all smiles earlier, now looked cowed and defensive. "Ergu, I didn't mean to hide it from you—we were just so focused on settling the price, I didn't get a chance to explain everything yet...""You damned Yu Er, you won't die a good death!" Dou Ming couldn't help but curse. "Where's Shang Er? Is he in on this too? After all the kindness my second cousin showed him, and the trust my second Aunt placed in you—how could you commit such an unforgivable act? Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"Cousin, I had no choice," Yu Er replied with a careless smirk. "Blame your bad luck. When gods fight, it's the little devils who suffer!"

As the two argued, Mo Ergu took a few steps back and shot a meaningful glance at the silent man beside her.

The man, as if oblivious, suddenly stepped forward and approached Yu Er. Without a word, he pulled out a dagger and plunged it into Yu Er's chest.

Yu Er didn't even have time to groan.

He stared at the man in disbelief, then slowly turned his gaze to Mo Ergu.

Only then did Dou Ming realize what was happening.

She let out a piercing scream.

But before the sound could escape her throat, Mo Ergu clamped a hand over her mouth.

Dou Ming struggled desperately.

Yet Mo Ergu's grip was like iron, impossible to break free from no matter how hard she fought.

"Yu Er, blame your bad luck," Mo Ergu said darkly, throwing his own words back at him. "We're here for money, not trouble. This young lady's background is too big for us to handle. So we'll have to make do with you two as a pair of eloping lovebirds who met a tragic end."

Yu Er glared at Mo Ergu with eyes full of resentment, fury, and despair... But even that fierce gaze couldn't withstand the dagger in the burly man's hand, and soon his eyes dimmed...

Mo Ergu instructed the man, "There's another one named Shang Er—he should be nearby. Tell the boys to find him quickly. No loose ends." With that, she stuffed a handkerchief into Dou Ming's mouth, now too weak to struggle, and tossed her to the ground. "Move Yu Er onto the kang. Find someone to rape this girl and leave her beside Yu Er. Make it look like a case of forced rape and murder."

"No!" Dou Ming wailed, her voice barely louder than a kitten's whimper. For the first time, she felt true terror. Seeing the burly man calmly respond with a "Yes," his expression unchanging as he strode out, she could no longer hold back. She spat out the handkerchief and crawled on her knees, clutching at Mo Ergu's skirt. "Kill me, please just kill me..."

She couldn't bear the thought of suffering such humiliation before death!

Mo Ergu stepped back, pulling her skirt free from Dou Ming's grasp.

"Miss Dou, this is your fate," she sighed, her tone dripping with pity yet chilling to the bone. "Why did you have to announce your family name? If you'd just been an ordinary rich girl, would we have had to resort to this? Honestly, this is a huge loss for me. After dealing with you, we'll have to lay low for three to five years, our business ruined, living off savings..."

She rambled on like a gossipy market woman until the burly man returned. "Ergu, the boy was hiding in the haystack. Said Yu Er told him to keep watch. I've already thrown him into the well out back.""Idiot!" Mo Ergu scolded furiously. "What if someone finds out? Have you ever heard of eloping with pages, only for the master to die in the house and the pages to end up in the well? Hurry up and fish the body out!" She added, "Dawn is coming. Quickly call someone in to handle this."

The burly man was reprimanded like a child but showed no defiance, obediently replying, "Yes! I'll get it done right away!"

Mo Ergu's expression softened slightly.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses echoed outside.

Both of them froze.

A loud, rough male voice called from outside: "Mo Ergu, is the person still in your hands? If they're alive, we can talk. If not, you and your lover Wang Laoqi can prepare for the execution ground together!"

It was Duan Gongyi!

It was Duan Gongyi's voice!

Dou Ming burst into tears, sobbing and crying out.

Never before had she longed so desperately to hear Duan Gongyi's voice.

Never before had she been so grateful for Duan Gongyi's arrival.

But Mo Ergu and the burly man paled, their faces filled with terror and unease.