Chapter 382: Betrothal Gift

I swallowed slightly, realizing I hadn’t eaten all day—hadn’t even had a sip of water.

But could I really drink this glass of milk?

I picked up the cup and sniffed it cautiously. It didn’t smell off, so I took a tiny sip.

The moment it touched my tongue, I spat it out. It was bitter—probably spoiled. Thank goodness I hadn’t swallowed it.

If I had, I’d likely be suffering from diarrhea tonight. I could endure bad conditions, but a terrible bathroom? Absolutely not.

I poured the milk out the window, then grabbed my phone and texted Xiao Sun: *”Can you pick me up early tomorrow? I’ll be at my location pin. Call me when you arrive.”*

*”No problem, sis,”* Xiao Sun replied instantly. *”I’ll be there around seven.”*

*”Please be careful.”*

*”Don’t worry, sis. Get some rest—I’ll bring you breakfast.”*

His words eased my mind. As the night breeze drifted through the window, drowsiness quickly overtook me.

In my half-asleep state, I heard voices murmuring in my room.

But for some reason, I couldn’t open my eyes.

A woman’s voice: *”How much did you put in, you idiot? Don’t kill her—that’s illegal!”*

A man’s voice: *”Relax, it’s just enough to knock out a few pigs. Won’t kill her.”*

The woman: *”You sure? Since when are you this clever? Call Chengcai later to help move her. We already took the money—100,000 isn’t bad.”*

The man: *”Quit nagging. Whoever wants her can come move her. Just call him.”*

My heart pounded. Something was terribly wrong. I could hear them clearly, but my body refused to respond.

It was like falling into a pitch-black pit, the last shreds of light fading away.

*What’s happening to me?*

When I finally managed to open my eyes again, I felt weak.

Dizzy. The world was a blur. I seemed to be in a tiny room, my feet resting on dry hay.

It took me several seconds to realize—I was somewhere completely unfamiliar. I frantically reached for my phone, but it was gone.

Barefoot, lying on scratchy hay, I slowly frowned. *What the hell is this?*

Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine my own parents could be this deranged.

They *locked me up*?

How laughable.

*”Hey!”* I slapped the old wooden door. *”What are you doing?! Open this door! This is illegal—you hear me?!”*

To my surprise, silence. No response.

Wait… were they at the *wedding* already?

Then… *where the hell am I?*

I’d never seen this room before. Built while I was away?

Or—

A darker thought crept in, fueled by the conversation I’d overheard in my daze.

*Was I… sold?*

Absurd. *Unthinkable.*

These were my *parents.*

I came back with no car, no money—what was the point of locking me up?

I forced myself to calm down and scanned the room for anything useful. The good news? No guards. I had a chance to escape.

The bad news? The room was empty except for hay.

The walls were rough clay, the structure ancient. A tiny window sat high on one wall—even if I could climb up, I’d never fit through it.

My only hope was the wooden door.

If I could break it down, I might still escape.

I took a few steps back, then rammed into it with all my strength—only to hear the rattling of chains.

The door was *heavily* secured. Even if I shattered the wood, the chains would hold.

Battering it was pointless.

The smarter move? Conserve energy. Wait for them to open the door, then make my move.

Wasting strength now would only exhaust me and draw unwanted attention.

Gritting my teeth, I slumped into a corner. *Stay calm.*

No matter what, the only person I could rely on was myself. *Stay. Calm.*

But I didn’t expect to wait an entire day.

The sweltering heat sapped my strength. No food, no water—dehydration clawed at me.

Survival meant preserving every drop of energy. Otherwise, escape would be impossible.

This was beyond absurd.

Even if they were family, I’d make sure they *paid* for this.

Only when night fell, shadows swallowing the room, did the chains outside finally rattle.

My heart leaped into my throat. Fear prickled my skin.

The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.

But I steadied myself. Whoever opened that door had crossed a line. Unlawful detention carried a sentence—up to three years in prison.

They’d earned their jail time.

The lock clicked. The door swung open violently, revealing a hulking man.

Bad news: He wasn’t my father or Chengcai. A stranger.

*Snap.*

A flashlight beam seared my vision, forcing me to shut my eyes.

*”Oh, awake, are ya?”*

The light was too harsh—I couldn’t make out his face.

*”You—”* My voice trembled.

After a long pause, he spoke again. *”Don’t recognize me? Need an introduction?”*

His voice was rough, grating, like gravel in his throat.

*”N-no need,”* I managed, swallowing hard. *”But you should stop this now. You’ve held me for over 24 hours—that’s unlawful confinement. Every word you say can be used against you.”*

God, I sounded ridiculous. Fear had stripped me of sense.

*”Hah?”*

The man paused, then stepped closer.

I scrambled to my feet, desperate to stay mobile. If I got an opening, I could bolt past him.

But before I could react, his foot slammed into my stomach.

I’d never been hit like this before. Pain exploded through my gut, bending me double.

He shoved me down, kicking relentlessly. Acid rose in my throat, consciousness flickering.

*”Stupid bitch! Stupid bitch!”*

Each kick punctuated his screams. *”I paid your mom 100,000! The bride price is settled—how *dare* you talk to me like that?!”*

*”Wha—?”*

Even through the agony, those words froze my blood.

*”Bride price?”*

He stopped, slowly raising the flashlight to illuminate his own face.

The light from below carved his features into something monstrous.

A face pockmarked with acne, weathered by fifty hard years.

I knew him. The village butcher—Old Ma.

Wealthy. Ugly. Violent. A drunk and a gambler, feared by everyone.

But… *why?*

Why had my family… *sold me to him?*