money for you so that we could ensure at least one of our sons will marry and carry on our name. Girls are scarce around here, especially for the fishing families. If you follow the rules, your life here will be simple but fair.”
Chai stuck her lip out defiantly. She would never agree to live there, and she planned to find her way home as soon as she could figure out how.
“I can see the thoughts in your head, girl. Don’t you even think about running away. You won’t get far, and when Zhongfu finds you—and I promise he will—he’ll beat you worse than you’ve ever been beaten.”
“But why us? How did you even know about us? There are other girls out there; why can’t we just go home?”
The woman pointed her finger at Chai and smiled. “
You
were chosen because of your beauty and lighter skin. There are people who scout the villages for girls like you and bring them to families with many sons. Your family is as poor as ours, so we’re not really taking you away from anything. Actually, it may not look it, but we may be richer, because we’ll always be able to bring in fish. You need to get used to the fact that you can’t go home, and now your friend can’t either. If we sent her back, she might lead your family to find you, and we won’t take that chance. We’ll find her a home to go to after you two are settled a bit.”
Josi moaned and began to cry softly. Chai put her arm around her and pulled her closer.
“I will not let you take Josi from me. And you can’t keep us here. Our fathers will find us.” Chai remained defiant, though she was losing steam and becoming very tired now that she had food in her belly.
“No. They won’t. You are many, many miles from your home. If you try to escape, you might run into very bad people who will sell you for worse things than you can even imagine. Tell me, do you even know the name of your village?”
Chai looked at Josi, alarmed that she didn’t know the name—she had always just called it
the village
. But she did know it was close to Qinyu, for they had gone to that city when they saw the movie for their birthdays. She decided it was best to pretend to know nothing.
Josi shook her head from side to side, her eyes big with fear.
“That’s what I suspected. And it was the same for me when I came as a little girl.”
“You? What do you mean?” Chai narrowed her eyes at the woman. She had heard of girls being sold to families to raise as child brides, but this was her first time ever matching a rumored child bride to a real live person.
“I was also stolen from my village and brought to live in my husband’s home as a child bride. Lucky for you, I won’t beat you. My mother-in-law treated me very badly until I learned to obey her demands and do things the way she wanted them done. She dictated until I lost my will to refuse her whims. I soon forgot about my old life, and now this is who I am. I can’t remember my first family or even my birth name. And I’m sure they no longer think of me.”
Chai stuck her lip out again, and she crossed her arms.
“My family will never forget; they will remember me.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
C hai was awakened by the rattling of the metal door. She listened—not moving an inch, just keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Josi’s warm body. It was surprising how cold it was; they’d both guessed they had been taken farther north because the warm temperatures of the day gave way to a slight chill as soon as the sun went down. The woman had given them a blanket to share, and they had dressed in the clothes she’d left them, but still they were cold enough to want to huddle together for warmth.
“Psst.
Kai men.
”
Chai heard the voice of one of the brothers, the nice one, asking them to open the door.
“Josi! Wake up!” She shook Josi’s shoulder until she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“What, Chai? I’m tired. Go to sleep.”
“Someone’s at the door.” Chai stood up and went to the door,
Chai stuck her lip out defiantly. She would never agree to live there, and she planned to find her way home as soon as she could figure out how.
“I can see the thoughts in your head, girl. Don’t you even think about running away. You won’t get far, and when Zhongfu finds you—and I promise he will—he’ll beat you worse than you’ve ever been beaten.”
“But why us? How did you even know about us? There are other girls out there; why can’t we just go home?”
The woman pointed her finger at Chai and smiled. “
You
were chosen because of your beauty and lighter skin. There are people who scout the villages for girls like you and bring them to families with many sons. Your family is as poor as ours, so we’re not really taking you away from anything. Actually, it may not look it, but we may be richer, because we’ll always be able to bring in fish. You need to get used to the fact that you can’t go home, and now your friend can’t either. If we sent her back, she might lead your family to find you, and we won’t take that chance. We’ll find her a home to go to after you two are settled a bit.”
Josi moaned and began to cry softly. Chai put her arm around her and pulled her closer.
“I will not let you take Josi from me. And you can’t keep us here. Our fathers will find us.” Chai remained defiant, though she was losing steam and becoming very tired now that she had food in her belly.
“No. They won’t. You are many, many miles from your home. If you try to escape, you might run into very bad people who will sell you for worse things than you can even imagine. Tell me, do you even know the name of your village?”
Chai looked at Josi, alarmed that she didn’t know the name—she had always just called it
the village
. But she did know it was close to Qinyu, for they had gone to that city when they saw the movie for their birthdays. She decided it was best to pretend to know nothing.
Josi shook her head from side to side, her eyes big with fear.
“That’s what I suspected. And it was the same for me when I came as a little girl.”
“You? What do you mean?” Chai narrowed her eyes at the woman. She had heard of girls being sold to families to raise as child brides, but this was her first time ever matching a rumored child bride to a real live person.
“I was also stolen from my village and brought to live in my husband’s home as a child bride. Lucky for you, I won’t beat you. My mother-in-law treated me very badly until I learned to obey her demands and do things the way she wanted them done. She dictated until I lost my will to refuse her whims. I soon forgot about my old life, and now this is who I am. I can’t remember my first family or even my birth name. And I’m sure they no longer think of me.”
Chai stuck her lip out again, and she crossed her arms.
“My family will never forget; they will remember me.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
C hai was awakened by the rattling of the metal door. She listened—not moving an inch, just keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Josi’s warm body. It was surprising how cold it was; they’d both guessed they had been taken farther north because the warm temperatures of the day gave way to a slight chill as soon as the sun went down. The woman had given them a blanket to share, and they had dressed in the clothes she’d left them, but still they were cold enough to want to huddle together for warmth.
“Psst.
Kai men.
”
Chai heard the voice of one of the brothers, the nice one, asking them to open the door.
“Josi! Wake up!” She shook Josi’s shoulder until she sat up, rubbing her eyes.
“What, Chai? I’m tired. Go to sleep.”
“Someone’s at the door.” Chai stood up and went to the door,
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