To further mask their work, they scattered buckets and other miscellaneous items around the area, disguising any human interference.
With the body dealt with, the mother and daughter divided their tasks and meticulously cleaned the rest of the house, ensuring no trace remained.
Daylight had already broken.
The kick Chen Jiao received last night had left a deep bruise on her abdomen, still throbbing with pain.
Exhausted beyond measure, she curled up on the simple wooden bed, drifting in and out of sleep.
Meanwhile, Madam Xu had changed into clean clothes.
After all the physical labor last night, hunger gnawed at her stomach.
She sat by the stove, lighting a fire to cook taro cakes.
Early in the morning, noise could be heard outside—it was their next-door neighbor, Old Madam Zhang, coming over.
The commotion from last night had clearly disturbed the neighbors, prompting her to check in.
Hearing the voice outside, Madam Xu wiped her dirty hands on her apron and composed herself before stepping out.
Old Madam Zhang was tall and thin, her figure resembling a reed stalk.
She had a sharp, mean-looking face, with gaunt cheeks, high protruding cheekbones, and droopy eyelids.
Her shifty three-whites eyes swept over the courtyard suspiciously.
Being refugees from the Central Plains, her family spoke in the formal northern dialect.
Testing the waters, she said:
“Last night, I vaguely heard quite the ruckus from your side. I wanted to come over and check, but it was pitch dark, and my legs aren’t as nimble anymore…”
Before she could finish, Madam Xu let out an exaggerated “Aiyo!” and deliberately raised her voice in a sharp tone:
“Ah! When bad luck strikes, even drinking cold water can choke you!
“Last night, our Ah Ying was half-asleep when she got bitten by a rat!
“The two of us were up all night trying to catch the blasted thing, running around until we were exhausted!”
Old Madam Zhang didn’t believe a word of it.
She figured there had probably been a man sneaking in for some flesh trade but chose not to expose her directly.
Instead, she asked:
“Did she get bitten badly?”
Madam Xu waved her hand dismissively.
“Just a small scratch, nothing serious.”
Still unconvinced, Old Madam Zhang continued scanning the shabby rental house with her murky, prying eyes, making Madam Xu grow uneasy.
Fearing she might notice something amiss, Madam Xu deliberately brought up the recent death of Zhu Dalang, a man Old Madam Zhang had been involved with.
As expected, the mention of him made Old Madam Zhang’s expression change instantly—like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She scurried away in a flash.
Madam Xu rolled her eyes and spat on the ground.
“Nosy old hag!”
From inside the house, Chen Jiao’s drowsy voice called out, “Mother?”
Madam Xu responded, “Yes?” and went inside.
Chen Jiao was propped up slightly on the bed, dark circles under her eyes.
Her voice carried a wary edge: “Who was outside just now?”
Madam Xu lowered her voice.
“Old Madam Zhang. She said she heard noises last night and came to check.”
Chen Jiao didn’t reply.
Madam Xu, still uneasy, sat down on the bedside, glancing anxiously toward the kitchen before asking, “My child, when are we leaving?”
Chen Jiao answered calmly, “Tomorrow morning.”
Then she added, “This afternoon, I’ll go to Baitang to collect my wages.”
Madam Xu nodded anxiously, her heart still restless.
While the mother and daughter were discussing their escape, Old Madam Zhang returned to her courtyard, looking displeased.
The Zhu family was originally from another province.
In the past, they owned land and property in the north, living a prosperous life.
However, the chaos caused by the Hu people forced them to flee as refugees.
Not long ago, her daughter-in-law had died of illness, leaving Zhu Dalang a widower.
At the moment, he was out working as a laborer.
Old Zhu, the family patriarch, was a carpenter.
As he sorted his tools, preparing for a day’s work, Old Madam Zhang called her grandson to wake up and wash up.
Meanwhile, she grumbled to her husband with a scornful tone:
“A dog can’t stop itself from eating shit. Once a harlot, always a harlot—how could she possibly live without men?”
Old Zhu glanced at her, puzzled.
“What are you talking about?”
She shot a glance in the direction of Madam Xu’s house and lowered her voice.
“The racket from last night—I’d bet anything that some wild man came over, and those two were entertaining him.”
Old Zhu remained silent.
Many people knew that Madam Xu had once been a prostitute.
It wasn’t surprising if mother and daughter worked at Baitang for their livelihood, whether washing clothes or selling their bodies.
What truly unsettled Old Madam Zhang was that Madam Xu had mentioned her widowed son, Zhu Dalang, earlier.
The thought of that shameless woman setting her sights on her son made her blood run cold.
That afternoon, Chen Jiao left for Baitang, dressed in patched, ragged brown clothes, her head wrapped in a gray cloth.
She hunched her shoulders, walking with a slouched posture, completely lacking any grace.
Due to the bruise on her abdomen, she pressed a hand against it as she walked, her brows furrowed in pain.
The buildings lining the narrow alley were mostly made of earth and tiles, low and stacked haphazardly.
The alley was cold and shadowed, but sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting a faint warmth onto her frail body.
After weaving through several alleys, she reached the main street, where the buildings were significantly grander than those in the slums.
Most were wooden structures, some adorned with blue tiles.
Once, she and her mother had lived in such a house—but that was before she turned ten.
The farther east she walked, the more prosperous the surroundings became.
Baitang was located in Shipai Alley—the brothel district where she worked.
The so-called Baitang was, in reality, a brothel.
A mother who had been a prostitute could only give birth to a daughter who would be looked down upon just the same.
Chen Jiao had no way of securing an ordinary job.
To survive, she worked at Baitang washing clothes for the courtesans.
The only other option was selling her own body.
Her wages were pitiful.
The brothel madam had long had her eye on her, hoping to groom her into the business.
As a result, she treated her with relative kindness.
After much effort, Chen Jiao managed to collect eighty-six copper coins from the accounts office.
The remaining hundred or so were withheld.
Despite her best attempts to argue, the accountant simply told her to wait until next month for the full payment.
Left with no choice, she accepted it.
She carefully hid the coins and left immediately, not lingering a moment longer.
When she returned home, Madam Xu was already packing their belongings.
By dawn, they would have to leave.
Chen Jiao handed over the money.
Madam Xu’s face clouded with worry.
With only a little over one hundred copper coins between them, leaving even Tongzhou would be difficult.
Chen Jiao remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “We’ll take things one step at a time.”
Madam Xu straightened her back and echoed, “You’re right, my child. The heavens will not forsake us.”
Then, with a hopeful look, she added, “Once we leave Shenyang, we’ll go find your father.”
Hearing this, Chen Jiao was speechless.
Madam Xu’s life had been full of hardships.
As a child, she had been sold multiple times before ending up in a brothel.
She had once been beautiful in her youth, which led to a wealthy patron, a man with the surname Chen, redeeming her and settling her in Shenyang as his concubine.
Later, when she became pregnant and gave birth to Chen Jiao, the man even named their daughter himself.
He seldom visited but was generous with money.
For a time, he provided them with a house and servants, supporting them until Chen Jiao turned ten—then, he suddenly cut them off.
Madam Xu, accustomed to spending lavishly and lacking any skills, soon found herself destitute.
At thirteen, the original Chen Jiao had succumbed to a fever and passed away.
The modern Chen Jiao, however, had drowned in a car accident and woke up in this body, reincarnated into this world.
She had no memory of the man who had fathered her.
She only knew what little Madam Xu had told her—that he was an important man.
How important, she had no clue.
Finding that patron had become an obsession for Madam Xu.
But for Chen Jiao, it didn’t matter where they went—as long as they could escape this cursed place.
And so, at the break of dawn, mother and daughter quietly left.
The morning fog in the south was thick and heavy, with a lingering chill.
Chen Jiao pulled her thin garments tighter around her body.
She held a warm flatbread in her hands, taking small bites as she walked.
The warmth of the food soothed the emptiness in her stomach.
With that, Chen Jiao embarked on a journey to find her so-called father.
At first, she thought it was just her mother’s foolish fantasy.
But as fate would have it—
She actually found a father.
And not just any father.
He turned out to be a powerful warlord, ruling over an entire province!
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.