Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The chains clanked as the only door that let in daylight opened. The jailer stormed in, his face flushed with anger, swinging his stick at the prisoners. Sui Yu, fearing a beating, immediately released her hold on the old woman and darted to the corner. She huddled in the dark corner, watching people come and go outside the cell. A woman with a bleeding forehead was dragged out, then brought back in moments later with a smear of black ash over her wound. She was thrown onto the ground, unconscious.

"Want to die?" The jailer sneered sinisterly. Seeing a guard bring in ropes, he spat angrily, "Even if you want to die, it should be on the road. Tie them all up."

The woman who had been shouting about suicide fell silent, sobbing quietly as she was bound like a piglet and tossed to the ground.

A guard approached, and Sui Yu obediently extended her hands and feet for him to bind. She then leaned against the wall, waiting quietly until the sobs and curses in the cell faded away, and she drifted off to sleep.

The cell was perpetually dark and damp, often visited by rats scurrying through the crevices. When an overturned bowl of porridge clattered, several screams woke Sui Yu. As she opened her eyes, something ran quickly across her foot. Instinctively, she lifted her leg, and the rat squeaked before disappearing under a pile of straw.

"What's the fuss? Just some rats," someone muttered.

"Is Aunt Qing awake?" Sui Hui asked cautiously, knowing she was despised by everyone. Receiving no response, she whispered, "Aunt Qing? Aunt Yu? Sister Qi? Are you awake?"

No one answered.

"Sister Yu? Are you awake?" another voice called.

"I'm awake," the girl lying at the cell door replied weakly.

"Are Aunt Qi and Aunt Qing awake?"

Silence. They were not awake.

The cell fell quiet again.

Sui Yu listened silently, waiting until no one spoke before closing her eyes to sleep. She woke up when her limbs went numb, realizing her bound hands and feet had lost sensation. She hurriedly lay down on the straw and shifted positions, gently rubbing her hands and feet.

Someone whispered in the cell, and Sui Yu listened without responding, trying to gather information from their conversation.

Someone's stomach growled, and a voice asked, "What time is it?"

"It seems to be nightfall."

Sui Yu looked up; the few rays of light seeping through the cracks had vanished.

After the commotion in the morning, no one entered the cell again. But from inside, they could faintly hear noises outside. Now, there were no footsteps above or voices outside the walls. Sui Yu deduced it was late at night, which also meant there would be no dinner.

"Yu, my dear," Sui Hui called, making small talk, "Does your neck still hurt?"

Sui Yu pretended to be asleep, not wanting to engage. Being new, it was best to avoid familiar faces to prevent revealing her identity. She also wanted to stay out of the current situation, where too many people had conflicting thoughts. It was safer to keep a low profile and avoid being used as a pawn.

Sui Hui called again but understood Sui Yu's silence and stopped talking.

"Where is your mother?" an elderly voice asked.

"She died two days ago after being tortured," Sui Hui sobbed softly. "Our two concubines couldn't bear the shock and also took their own lives."

"Hmph, they enjoyed wealth and glory, yet now they deserve to die. The guilty ones didn't die, but we innocent people suffer with them. My poor child hasn't even grown up..." a woman cried, her child joining in.

The atmosphere in the cell tightened once more.

Sui Yu was grateful they were all tied up, otherwise, there might have been a fight. She sighed heavily, thinking how the ancient law of collective punishment truly harmed countless innocent people.

Rats returned, but this time no one screamed. In the long night, listening to the rats gnawing wood and licking leftover food passed the time.

She woke up cold, then fell back asleep, half-asleep and half-awake. Suddenly, Sui Yu heard heavy breathing. Recalling the three who had taken their lives, she sat up abruptly, noticing someone moving slowly.

"Sister Yu? Wake up, you're running a fever. Sister Qi..." A hand touched her, and a relative cried, "Sister Qi has passed, her body is already cold."

"What about Aunt Qing?" Sui Hui asked urgently.

"Gone too."

Chills ran down Sui Yu's spine as she stared at the direction of the crying. In just two days, she faced death again, two lives quietly slipping away beside her.

The cell seemed even colder. After the initial sorrow, the fear of sharing a room with the dead overwhelmed her. Sui Yu dared not sleep anymore and crawled towards the others, using her elbows and knees for support.

"Scared? Come sit next to me," a voice whispered in the darkness.

Sui Yu responded with a soft "Mm."

"Is that you, Yu? I'm Aunt Chun," said Aunt Chun, Sui Jiushan's sister-in-law. She lived in the same alley as Sui Yu's family and recognized her as she drew closer.

"Don't do anything foolish. It's better to live than die. Maybe life in the Northwest won't be as bad as we think," Aunt Chun advised.

"I... I agree," Sui Yu replied, her voice hoarse and raspy.

These words sparked a conversation among the prisoners. Given their situation, those who wanted to live started to focus on the positives, consoling each other and gradually believing things might improve.

When footsteps sounded overhead again, voices appeared outside the cell door, followed by the jailer bringing breakfast and untying the prisoners.

Sui Yu seized the chance to stretch her stiff limbs and hurriedly grabbed a bowl of porridge, drinking it eagerly. Her last meal was the previous morning, and her hunger made her hands tremble.

Others also drank their porridge silently, ignoring what was in the bowls. If they remained hungry any longer, they might even crave the rats.

The jailer laughed ambiguously, deliberately rattling the bars as he collected the bowls, almost mimicking a call to pigs.

"Head, they're dead, all three," a guard reported.

"Drag them out and throw them to the dogs at the mass grave," the jailer said loudly, ensuring everyone heard.

Indeed, no one dared attempt suicide again, nor could they, as they were bound after eating, like chickens and ducks in a cage.

"Mother, I need... I need to go to the bathroom," a timid voice said.

"Go to the corner, come here."

Sui Yu looked over in horror. With the light seeping through the cracks, she vaguely saw a small figure crawling to the wall, followed by a stench.

She pressed her stomach and closed her eyes in despair.

The rats were back. There was no leftover food in the cell, so the rats scurried around, squeaking as they gnawed on wood, sounding like they were chewing on bones.

Sui Yu kicked away a rat that had run to her feet. There was a thud. As she wondered how big the rat was, she heard rustling sounds approaching, and then felt a pain on her foot.

"Scram." Sui Yu kicked again, stood up, and listened intently for any movement.

These fearless rats didn't fear humans; after receiving two kicks, they returned with vengeance, staring at her and biting.

"Don't touch those pests; just chase them away," Aunt Chun told the others.

Sui Yu hopped around the cell. The others worried she would attract more rats and called out for her not to get too close. Feeling rejected and with the urge to urinate, she found a spot to sit, pulling handfuls of straw to throw on the ground to keep the rats at bay.

After an unknown amount of time, the rats left. Sui Yu sat with her legs curled, watching the other prisoners sigh as they shuffled to the corner to relieve themselves.

The poorly ventilated cell reeked even more.

She endured until evening, when food was served. Hungry but cautious, Sui Yu only drank half a bowl of gruel. As the ropes were untied, she approached the bars and asked, "Officer, how do I go to the toilet? Can you give me a piece of linen?"

"Do you still think you're a noble lady?" the guard sneered.

The other guards laughed.

Sui Yu fell silent.

Her hands and feet were bound again. When the cell door closed, Sui Yu huddled in a corner, using her teeth to loosen the ropes. Once everyone else was asleep, she untied the saliva-soaked ropes and quietly walked to the corner to relieve herself.

"Pah, ugh—" The prison clothes, worn by countless others, were filthy and nauseating. Sui Yu suppressed the rising nausea, gritted her teeth, and tore at the prison clothes, sweat beading on her forehead.

With a ripping sound, the linen broke. Sui Yu gagged, wiped her eyes, silently cleaned herself, and pulled up her pants.

Sitting back on the straw pile, Sui Yu quietly wept. She wanted to go home, to see her parents, even if they didn't love her, at least they hadn't made her suffer like this.

The rats returned, crawling up her back, their nails scratching against the rough linen, making a grating noise. Tensing up, she waited until one climbed onto her shoulder, then swiftly grabbed it and slammed it to the ground.

The rat let out a piercing shriek before Sui Yu repeatedly smashed it against the floor until it died. She sat down, her face twisted in rage.

The commotion woke most of the others, but no one spoke.

When Sui Yu lay down with her bindings, she heard someone crying.

...

Five days passed, and Sui Yu could no longer endure it. Bound day after day in the damp, dark underground cell, eating, sleeping, and relieving herself all within its confines, she lost track of day and night. If not for the company and conversation, she would have broken long ago.

"When will we be exiled to the Northwest?" she asked eagerly during mealtime.

"It's still early," the guard said lazily.

"How much longer? When it gets cold and snowy, won't the journey be even harder?" Sui Yu persisted.

"That's not your concern."

"Yu girl, come here." Aunt Chun, seeing the guard's whip move, quickly called out.

After the meal, Aunt Chun said, "Behave yourself. Don't talk to the guards. They're quick to punish. You might end up whipped."

"If he has the guts to kill me." Sui Yu's pent-up anger exploded. She shouted, "I can't take this anymore. I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I suffer like this? Let me out, let me out, let me out—"

She thrashed on the ground, kicking and struggling with the ropes, her already messy hair now caked with dirt and grass. Her straw shoes and socks were kicked off.

"What's all the noise? Shut up." The cell door opened.

"Let me out, I haven't committed any crime." Sui Yu got up and screamed.

"Save your words for the governor in the underworld." The guard approached with his whip, pointing at her. "Quiet down, or I'll send you to meet your ancestors sooner."

"Go ahead, kill me." Sui Yu defiantly challenged him, lacking the courage to end her own life.

Thinking that death might return her to her own time, she took a step forward, taunting, "Come on, kill me."

"She's talking nonsense, officer, don't take it seriously." Aunt Chun couldn't bear it and spoke up.

But it was too late. The guard unlocked the door, entered, and lashed out with his whip. The fiery pain made Sui Yu instinctively dodge, tripping and falling. She curled up, covering her head. When the whipping stopped, she lay still, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Anyone who causes trouble will face the same fate." The guard locked the door and left.

Once the footsteps faded, the others dared to approach. The straw stirred by the whip slowly settled, and the air filled with the fresh scent of blood. Aunt Chun stroked Sui Yu's hair, saying, "Why did you cause such a scene? I thought you were smart. At this point, you should behave."

Sui Yu didn't respond, crying louder. She had thought she could endure it, accepting the rats running over her body, but the endless darkness, lack of water, and the smell of filth were unbearable. Staring at the sliver of light, she felt a growing desperation. She needed to scream to stay sane.

After the beating and crying, she felt a bit better.

As the swelling on her neck subsided, Sui Yu began tending to her whip wounds. This gave her something to focus on, and she looked forward to the wounds scarring and healing. With this hope, she became more compliant.

The guards watched coldly. Seeing these once-noble ladies reduced to a sorry state, they loosened the bindings and stopped entering the cell except to deliver meals.

Days passed, and Sui Yu lost count. Just when she thought she would die in the cell, a young man was brought in by the guard.

"Yu girl."

Sui Yu sat up from her straw bed, her voice hoarse. "Me?"

"Aren't you going to greet your fiancé?" Aunt Chun recognized him.

"Our engagement is annulled." The young man hastily explained, fearing she might cling to him.

Sui Yu remembered this person. She walked over and looked through the bars. The person outside raised the lantern and waved it, startled by her appearance and quickly stepped back.

Sui Yu didn't mind; she could imagine how she looked now—definitely more terrifying than a ghost.

"How long have I been in here?" she asked.

"Twenty-three days. What happened to your voice? Where is that accent from?"

"My voice? I tried hanging myself but failed, and my throat was strangled." Sui Yu was relieved to have this excuse to cover up; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to explain the change in her accent.

"You're being exiled to the Northwest tomorrow from Yu County. I brought you a meal." The young man slipped some silver to the jailer, who unlocked the chains binding the prison door. He handed in the basket he was carrying and said, "Our engagement is annulled. We don't want the token you gave us back. Your father's token is at the bottom of the basket."

Sui Yu glanced into the basket. There was a bowl of yellowish rice, steamed meat patties, and poached white meat. She thanked him first; anyone willing to visit her in prison must truly care.

"You said we're being exiled to the Northwest tomorrow?" she asked, concerned about this news.

"Yes, all the displaced people and those who volunteered for the Western Regions have arrived." The young man looked at Sui Yu a few more times, unable to bear it and turned away, saying softly, "I begged my father, but he couldn't do anything. Take care of yourself."

With that, he hurriedly left.

Being able to leave this dark and gloomy prison made Sui Yu extremely happy. She sat down, picked up the bowl, and started eating the poached white meat heartily. She had been hungry for as many days as she had been in prison. After finishing the poached white meat, she began to eat the rice.

"Big Sister Yu, I'm hungry," a little girl around ten years old approached.

Sui Yu sighed; she had feared this would happen. She broke off a piece of the meat patty and gave it to her, saying, "I was going to save it for breakfast tomorrow."

"The children have been hungry for days, Big Sister Yu. Please help them." Another person pushed a little girl forward.

She divided the two meat patties into eight portions, quickly eating the rice before anyone else asked for more. After a few bites, she noticed something odd in the bowl. She used her finger to dig out a corner of silver. Looking around, she discreetly removed all the broken silver pieces from the bottom of the bowl and hid them in her socks.

At the bottom of the basket was a silver lock, the longevity lock Sui Yu had worn since childhood, which had been given to the Wang family when the two families were engaged. In the evening, the jailers distributed thick hemp clothes for the journey. Sui Yu gave the silver lock to one of them and pleaded for a hemp raincoat and an old clay pot.

The next morning, Sui Yu and the twenty or so others had a slightly thicker hot porridge and each carried their straw mats out of the prison. The moment they stepped out, the bright sunlight blinded them, causing their eyes to water uncontrollably.

The male prisoners had already come out earlier. Sui Hu stood with his son at the back of the crowd. When he saw Sui Yu, he frowned tightly.

"Where is your aunt?" he asked his son again, who remained silent and dazed.

There was no response.

When the two groups met, Sui Hu found an opportunity to walk beside Sui Yu and whispered, "Where is your aunt?"

"Don't you know?" Sui Yu countered.

Sui Hu stared at her seriously and shook his head. "You really don't listen."

Sui Yu rolled her eyes. She hadn't guessed wrong; the original owner's aunt had indeed been persuaded to hang herself on his suggestion.