" Mei! "
Mei jumps at the sound of her name and turns to see her two older brothers heading her way. They looked a mess with dirt all over their body and sweat pouring off them. They just came back from the farm. Despite the dry, hard ground, their people have no choice but to try to cultivate it. Fortunately, they have crops that can grow with minimal rainfall.
" Hey, where are you going with those? " one of her brothers asked, pointing at the small duffel bag clutched tightly in her hand.
" And what is with the tears? " the other asked, sounding worried.
After making his pronouncement, her father asked her to pack her things to leave with her new master. Meilin can't believe her father just sold her as if she were a piece of furniture.
Meilin looks at the two identical pairs of brown eyes peering down at her and breaks down, words heavy in her mouth to answer her brothers' questions.
Her twin brothers immediately pulled her to their bodies, trying to console her.
" What is it, sister?" Qianfan, the older twin, asked, pulling back a little to stare down into the tear-filled eyes of his sister.
Meilin could barely speak through the emotions clogging her throat. " Father...sold me, " she finally blurts out, sobbing hard against her brother's broad chest.
" WHAT! " Junfeng barks in shock and disbelief, pulling away from his sister. His eyes clash with Qianfan, who looks just as furious.
As if planned, they both turn toward the living room, their expression thunderous.
Qianfan! Wait! Junfeng! Meilin calls after her brothers as she hurries after them, trying to stop them from whatever it is they planned. Her brothers can be hot-headed, especially Junfeng, and the last thing Meilin wants is them challenging their father.
Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough as her brothers had already gone into the living room.
" Father, can we speak to you?" the boys demanded with a venomous look at the stranger. " Alone, " they added, turning to look at their father.
Their father tensed up at his sons' demanding tone. He knows why they want to speak to him, but nothing they say is going to change anything.
" You can talk to me here," he tells them flatly, not looking in their direction, with an impassive expression on his face.
The twins' furious eyes glare daggers at their father, their fists tightening, as their breathing becomes harsh. They don't want to wash their dirty linen in front of a stranger, but if their father is forcing their hand, then he leaves them with no choice.
" We will not allow you to sell our sister to some filthy old man," Junfeng snarls harshly, with a dirty look at Mater Chang. Who picks offence at the young man's insults and turns to his host, his fat features displeased. Are you going to allow your son to talk to me in such a rude manner? He demands, his nose flaring.
No, Master Chang, their father begs with his head bowed and his posture slouching. His submissive attitude to the stranger irritates his sons, and they glare at him for losing his dignity to a couple of gold coins.
As he turns to his sons, his demeanor changes, and he looks mean, his brown eyes filled with rage, like he wants to strangle his sons. Enough! Both of you! His voice thunders across the room, packing the authority of the man of the house.
Junfeng goes to challenge his father's words, his anger making him unreasonable, but his father stops his words with a wave of his hand. "Don't bother arguing, son, as it is already too late," he says flatly.
His two sons look at each other, while Meilin looks like a balloon that just got deflated.
The boys quickly return their attention to their father, while Meilin fights her tears, as despair threatens to swallow her whole.
" What is that supposed to mean? " Qianfan demanded coldly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at their father.
" It means, young man, that your father sold your sister to me for a hundred pieces of gold coins." Master Chang says smugly, knowing he has the family by the balls.
A soft gasp pierces the shocked silence that descended on the room following Master Chang's words, attracting everyone's attention.
Behind Meilin stood three of her younger brothers, all wearing confused expressions, except Yule, the thirteen-year-old. He alone had a clue as to what was happening in the room.
The thirteen-year-old boy could not believe his father had just sold their sister. A drunk, he knows, but he never knew his father was capable of such cruelty. He looks to his older ones for explanation, but none could hold the innocent eyes full of questions.
He looks towards his sister, worried, and when his eyes meet hers, his heart slumps at the fear and worry in her green eyes. Silently, he moves to her and takes her hand in his. He gives it a gentle squeeze, which gets the blonde to look at him.
Meilin blinks up at her young brother, standing protectively beside her like a man, and her heart overflows with gratefulness. She looks away from his young features back to the twins, her heart echoing with a little hope that they could get her out of his.
Death is a better fate than the fate of a doll in their kingdom.
The twins couldn't believe what they just heard. What is their father doing with a hundred pieces of gold coins unless...
Their eyes grew wide before they narrowed suspiciously at their father. Their father has always had a problem with gambling.
" Where is the money? " Junfeng demanded harshly.
The older man's whole frame tensed up.
" I don't have it, " he said defensively, not looking at his family, his face flushed with shame.
" WHAT! " Qianfan screeches in disbelief. " ALL OF THEM?! " he demands.
Their father looks away, his shoulders slouching.
Master Chang watches the family drama unfold before his eyes with a look of amusement in his eyes. Poor people are just toys for the rich, he thinks to himself, while stroking his non-existent beard.
The boys shake their heads in disappointment at how useless their father is. Now is not the time to scold their father. The important thing here is saving their sister. The life of a doll is deplorable, not something they would wish on their worst enemy, let alone their sweet, innocent sister who is just starting to bloom.
With a look of resignation, they turn to Master Chang, their earlier haughty expression gone, replaced by a subdued demeanor. "Please, Mister, give us time to pay you back," Qianfan pleads, his hands joined together before his face, and his head bowed.
Amused by the boy's words, Master Chang gives him a patronizing look as he says, " And where, pray boy, do you intend to get the money to pay me back? "
Qianfeng stiffens, while Junfeng growls at his mocking tone, his fist clenched tightly at his side. The lanky boy looks seconds from losing his temper.
"We will get the money, " he barks, his voice hard and determined. He doesn't care what he has to do, but he and his brother will find a way.
Master Chang's bushy brow hikes up at Junfeng's words.
" Do you have the money now?" he questions seriously, even though he knows that the boys don't have his money.
The twins growl, knowing that Mater Chang is intentionally taunting them. They look away in defeat without saying a word.
Master Chang smirks coldly at them.
" Well, since you don't have my money now, I will have to take what I was promised." he gets to his feet and takes a step in Meilin's direction.
Qianfan and Junfeng move to block his path.
" Take me instead, " Qianfan says, with a determined look. His sudden offer shocks his family.
" WHAT! " his father looks sharply at him. If his oldest son leaves with his creditor, then who would cultivate the farmland?
Qianfan ignores him and holds Master Chang's eyes.
" I am strong and I will do anything you want of me," he pushes, desperately trying to sway Master Chang's decision.
Master Chang pauses with a hand to his chin as he regards the young man. He was right. He looks tall and strong and will do amazingly well in his trading business, but he already has enough hands in that, and he will never be able to provide the services his sister will provide to him.
" I am sorry, young man, you might be good good-looking young man, but I prefer the softness of a woman in my bed. Your beautiful sister will do nicely, " he says with a hungry look in his eyes.
Before the words could leave his mouth entirely, he found himself flat on the ground.
Junfeng was so angry at the filthy words coming out of the stranger's mouth that his fist was moving before he could think about it.
" YOU WILL NEVER LAY A HAND ON MY SISTER! " he screams at the prone figure.
His action leaves everyone dumbfounded, and they gawk at the man passed out in their living room in shock. It took a lot of seconds before their brain could come to terms with what had happened.
" What have you done?! " their mother cries in alarm, thinking of the consequences that could befall their family for laying a hand on a wealthy man.
Meilin couldn't believe what her brother had done. Her brother has always been so hot-tempered and has always allowed his fist to speak for him.
" What are we going to do? " she asked in a small voice.
Everyone in the room looked at each other cluelessly.
" Let me check if he is still alive, " Qianfan suggests, leaning down to the man. He touches his neck for a few seconds before straightening up with a relieved look on his face.
"He is still alive," he said, glaring at his brother.
Everyone released a huge breath. Junfeng looks away from his twin eyes, but he doesn't regret what he did. He was defending his sister and will do it again.
" What do we do now? " their mother repeats Meilin's question, looking towards her husband.
" Maybe, we should pour him water," Yuze suggests, coming to look at the stranger. He poked his prone form with his toes, marveled that anyone could be this fat. "He is so fat," he comments into the tense room.
"STOP THAT!" his father growls, pulling him away from Master Chang.
"Hey, I am just trying to help," he defended, freeing his hand from his father.
" That is not helping, stupid," Yufei flings at him, rolling his eyes.
" At least I have something to say. What is your suggestion? " Yuze retorts, daring his brother with his eyes to offer a better solution.
" Not now, boys, " their mother scolds. Her two arguing sons are always at each other's throats and would always find a reason to fight.
" I think we should just let him be and wait until he wakes up," Qianfan suggests.
Everyone in the room cast a nervous glance at each other before nodding their heads in agreement.