Chapter 3
Chapter 3
The physical inspection was over.
They made us stand in two rows.
One group for “Yellow Goods,” and another for “White Goods.”
The man paced between the two lines, his mouth spewing filth.
He grabbed a girl by the chin. “You look so fresh and pretty, I didn’t expect you to be so used up. I was counting on you being Yellow Goods so I could make more money.”
His insults were vile and crude.
Finally, his wife reminded him, “Stop cursing, dear. It’s time.”
The man paused, finally shutting his mouth.
“Alright, everyone look sharp.”
He scanned the group and commanded, “Take off your clothes.”
My heart tightened.
Some girls desperately clutched their garments, gritting their teeth in resistance.
They picked up whips.
“Are you going to strip or not?”
A whip cracked down, sending a girl stumbling back several steps.
Cries, screams, and the sound of the whip stung my eardrums.
Amidst the chaos, I slowly unbuttoned my clothes and was the first to shed my outer layer.
“Oh, look, we have a compliant one here.”
Perhaps because I didn’t cry or make a scene and silently complied, he seemed quite surprised.
Immediately, he turned to the other girls who were still screaming. “If you were all as sensible as her, would you even need to taste my whip?”
Ultimately, under the threat of violence, all the girls stripped down, leaving only their underwear to cover them.
The man nodded with satisfaction and beckoned his wife over. “You can take them away now.”
We were led to a large open space.
A crowd had already gathered there.
Looking up, I saw nothing but men.
To be precise, they were all older men.
Those men were clearly impatient. From a distance, they craned their necks, peering incessantly.
Someone spotted us first and pointed. The crowd instantly erupted, and every gaze shot toward us simultaneously.
For the first time, I understood that gazes really could kill.
Greedy, curious, lewd, despicable, and eager.
Those looks clung to our bodies like sickening pus.
They scrutinized our bodies with ill intent.
I felt like I was going to vomit.
My chest throbbed with waves of pain.
Looking at the faces before me, I knew that, barring any miracles, I was about to be bought by one of them.
Then, with no hope of escape, I would be beaten, kept like livestock, and forced to give birth over and over again, reduced entirely to a breeding tool.
A visible hell lay right before my eyes.
I closed my eyes in despair.
“Yushuan, you’re finally here.”
“Exactly! I didn’t get a turn in the last batch, and I’ve been waiting another half-year.”
“Me too, me too. Dazhuang’s wife is already pregnant, and I haven’t even touched a woman’s hand yet.”
“Li Yushuan, you have to let me pick first this time.”
…
The crowd was in an uproar.
The man called Yushuan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Folks, don’t be in a hurry.
“I brought back a lot of people this time.
“Same old rules as before.
“Buy whichever one catches your eye. If two people want the same one, the highest bidder wins.
“White Goods start at five thousand; Yellow Goods start at ten thousand.
“Our Li Village is keeping up with the trends-the big cities call this an auction.
“Alright, folks, start picking!” Li Yushuan gave a broad wave of his hand. “You can touch these Pizi as much as you want. Weigh your options before you choose.”
The crowd moved upon his command.
Screams erupted from the girls.
I instinctively dodged the groping hands reaching for me.
But there were people everywhere. I dodged one, only for another to press in.
Despair and suffocation swept over me once again.
No!
I can’t just let myself be slaughtered like this!
I have to find a way out!
I warily scanned the surrounding faces.
Without exception, they were all middle-aged bachelors with weathered faces.
No good!
Just as I was about to give up, I turned around and my gaze caught a circle of onlookers on the periphery.
There were children, old people, and a few young men who had just returned from the fields.
They were chatting and laughing as they watched the scene.
They looked as if they were used to it, as if they were watching a perfectly normal sight.
My heart stirred.
Young people.
Between two evils, choose the lesser.
In this situation, compared to those old bachelors with one foot in the grave, these young men were clearly the best choice.
Though they were already indoctrinated, they weren’t yet as deeply rooted in their ways; they could still be communicated with.
I might still have a chance if I took a gamble.
Perhaps in that moment, my gaze-born of a desperate will to survive-was too intense.
One of the talking youths looked up.
Our eyes met.
In that single instant, I decided: It’s you!
I dodged frantically, broke free from the crowd, and ran toward him.
He looked startled.
I stepped forward and took his hand. With tears in my eyes and a soft, aggrieved voice, I looked up at him. “Big brother, please buy me.”