Chapter 628

Chapter 628: Curing the Drooling

Shan Shan lay sprawled atop the ox cart, watching the city gates grow smaller and smaller in the distance. A smile crept onto his lips.

He was so pleased that he even laughed out loud.

The man driving the cart frowned deeply. “Finally got my hands on a decent batch, but this kid’s got a few screws loose.”

“Should we take him to a doctor?”

The woman beside him rolled her eyes. “And waste silver? If he doesn’t get better, we’ll be at a loss. No cure, no cure—what’s there to cure?”

“Just look at him, huh? Even if he gets better, he’s still going to be drooling all over the place.”

Under the dim moonlight, the man glanced back at Shan Shan.

A child no more than a year old, taken by strangers, yet he neither cried nor struggled. Instead, he lifted his little face and grinned at them, carefree as a fool.

“Seems like he’s quite happy, though…”

“Forget it. We’ll sell him cheap. A boy can carry on a family name, and he’s got good looks—someone will want him.”

“We need to sell off the rest of our stock too. The city’s been cracking down lately—might be time to quit for good.”

The man’s expression darkened. “One last deal, then we’re out.”

“That big spender from last time? We should milk him for all he’s worth.”

“That guy in black robes and a hat, covering up like he’s got something to hide? Yeah, he was generous. He bought so many—where do you think they all went…?” The man muttered, contemplating whether to raise the price for this last transaction.

That buyer didn’t seem to be short on money.

“He gives me the chills. Don’t provoke him. He’s not a good man…” The woman hesitated, unease settling in her heart. Something about the way that man looked at the children—it was as if he was staring at corpses. Cold, lifeless, devoid of warmth.

“What do you know, woman? Long hair, short wit. We aren’t exactly saints either.”

They bickered for a while, trudging along the dark road. It seemed the ox cart was rented, for they returned it along the way.

Then, carrying Shan Shan, they weaved through the darkness for what felt like an eternity before a village finally came into view.

Dawn was near.

They took the back route home, slipping in unnoticed.

The moment they stepped inside, the man tossed Shan Shan onto the ground without a care.

“I’m dying of thirst…” He grabbed a ladle from the corner and gulped down water, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

“Kid, stay quiet, or you might just lose your tongue.” He jerked his chin at the woman. “Toss him into the cellar.”

“So long as he doesn’t speak, he could fetch eighty taels. No words, no one will know he’s a fool.”

Shan Shan furrowed his brows. “Me, worth five hundred!” He jabbed a tiny finger at himself.

The man froze before bursting into laughter along with the woman.

“Ha! He’s raising his own price!”

They found it quite amusing.

“Forget it. The kid’s an idiot. No need to lock him in the cellar. Just hurry up and make some food—do you want me to starve?! Hurry it up!!” The man glared at the woman, who immediately turned toward the kitchen, lighting the stove.

Shan Shan didn’t run. Instead, he propped himself up against the wall, curiously inspecting his surroundings without the slightest hint of fear.

Before long, the woman returned with two bowls of meat and vegetables.

The man drank, hummed a tune, and stuffed himself with meat.

“You know,” he said, swaying slightly after two cups of wine, “this kid’s got guts. If that buyer doesn’t offer enough, we could just keep him…”

Drunk and reeking of alcohol, he stumbled toward his room, hiccupping. “Give those brats—hic—something to eat. Don’t… don’t let them starve. Gotta make big money…”

Soon, his snoring filled the house.

Muttering curses, the woman fetched a basin of water and dug out a few moldy buns from the cupboard before heading toward the firewood room.

Shan Shan had somehow wandered to the doorway of that very room. She paid him no mind.

Who would be wary of a one-year-old idiot?

Pushing aside the pile of firewood, a hidden door was revealed in the wall. The woman unlocked it, and behind it lay another iron gate, thick as a wrist.

A double-door lock.

The moment it swung open, the stench of urine and filth rushed out.

Her voice turned sharp. “You little beasts! Pissing and shitting all over! Think you’re here to live the good life?! You should all be dead!”

With a flick of her wrist, she dumped the moldy buns inside.

Immediately, the sound of frantic scrambling erupted.

Displeased, she grabbed a broom and stormed in. “Filthy brats! Pissing, shitting—wanna die?!”

“Crying?! Anyone who dares make a sound—I’ll tear their mouth open and sew it shut with a needle!”

The room fell into suffocating silence, punctuated only by muffled sobs.

This village sat at the foot of the mountain, their house standing alone.

The man’s snoring paused, perhaps disturbed by the earlier commotion.

“Crazy hag! What the hell are you screaming about?! If you ruin their faces and they can’t be sold, I’ll kill you!” he hissed, his voice low and menacing.

The woman’s expression turned frosty. She stepped out of the cellar, locking it behind her.

Noticing Shan Shan sitting right at the entrance, she sneered. “Scared? If you cry, I’ll throw you in there.”

Shan Shan could feel the malice surrounding him, along with the fear and hatred lingering in the air.

He liked it.

Yet… it also annoyed him.

Yawning, the woman grew tired. Worried Shan Shan might escape, she grabbed him and tossed him into the cellar.

With a heavy clang, both doors shut. The outside world disappeared.

The stench was overwhelming. Shan Shan wrinkled his nose in distaste.

The cellar was pitch black, not a sliver of light penetrating the darkness. Only after the woman left did the quiet sobbing return.

“Father, Mother… I want to go home…” A child’s voice whimpered.

“I don’t want to be here! I want to go home!”

“I’m so hungry…”

“It hurts… my body hurts so much… Someone, please save me…”

Their fear, their despair—it fed Shan Shan’s strength.

A calm, older boy’s voice broke through the crying. “Stop sobbing. Save your strength. Who got hurt just now? Any broken bones?”

Shan Shan’s eyes gleamed, unaffected by the darkness.

Six or seven children huddled in the cellar. They were all older than him.

A boy of eight or nine gently dragged an injured child to the corner to keep them from being trampled.

“That wicked woman… she brought in another little brother. Where are you, little one? Don’t be scared…”

He groped around cautiously, afraid to step on Shan Shan.

“Why is he so quiet? Did they cut out his tongue?” a girl sniffled.

“When I was taken, another boy resisted. They cut out his tongue… he didn’t make it. They tossed him in the river…” She shuddered at the memory.

Shan Shan remained silent. Fear? Panic?

He placed a tiny hand over his chest. His heart beat slow and steady, his blood whispering something… he was excited.

Fear? Panic? He had no such things.

Oh. No, he was wrong.

That night, when his older sister held the Sunshine Sword to his throat, he had felt fear.

But now, he had escaped!

By tomorrow, when he was sold, he would be free of that nightmare forever.