The daily struggles of divorced women in ancient times

The little maidservant in Cen Erlang's yard was still in a state of confusion when she was called in. She knelt down trembling and said, "Madam, my indenture is still in the Cen family."

"Is there anyone else in your family?" Xia Mianwan asked.

The little maid shook her head tremblingly, "No, there is no one else in my family, only me."

Xia Mianwan said gently: "That's fine. I will give you a new identity then, don't worry."

Perhaps it was because Xia Mianwan's tone was so gentle, or perhaps it was because Xia Mianwan promised to give the little maid a new identity, which made the little maid feel relieved, and the little maid's body stopped shaking.

"Madam, please ask whatever you want to ask." said the little maid.

"What's your name?" Xia Mianwan asked.

"To answer Madam, my name is Manxiu."

Xia Mianwan nodded and asked Ruzhu to get a chair for Manxiu to sit on. After Manxiu sat down, she waited for Xia Mianwan to ask questions.

"Manxiu, what's going on with the people in your young master's yard?"

Manxiu hesitated for a while, but finally gritted her teeth and said that staying in Cen Erlang's yard would lead to death sooner or later, but there was a chance of survival if she followed Xia Mianwan, so Manxiu told him everything she knew like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube.

"I have not been in the Cen family for long, less than three years, and I have been in the second young master's courtyard for less than two years. Because I was young, I have been working in the small kitchen. It was also in this year that the nanny said that the young master was short of talent and asked me to go to his side to be a little maid serving tea and water. Since I started working for the second young master, I have always been very scared. Although I worked in the small kitchen before, we little maids lived together. Sometimes there were often women's shrill screams in the courtyard. At first I was... just a little scared. I asked the nanny, and the nanny just said that I heard it wrong.

Until later, one day when I woke up in the middle of the night, I found that Manlian had not come back yet. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but then I suddenly heard a shrill cry in the yard. This cry... I was too familiar with it. It was Manlian’s voice. I was very scared, but I still planned to go and take a look secretly.

Then I followed the sound and hid behind a pillar in the dark. I looked over secretly and found...it was the Second Young Master who was stabbing Manlian with a knife. There was so much blood...There was so much blood on the Second Young Master's face, but he was very happy. He became more and more excited as he stabbed. Later, Manlian's voice became smaller and smaller. The Second Young Master threw away the knife and strangled Manlian's neck. I...was so scared that I covered my mouth desperately. Later, Manlian fell silent. I didn't dare to watch any more and secretly returned to the room. "When she said this, Manxiu shed tears, tears of fear and despair.

"I didn't dare to fall asleep that night. When I woke up the next day, Manlian's bedding had been taken away... The nanny said that Manlian had escaped and was a fugitive slave. Manlian was also an orphan. Later, I heard screams several times in the middle of the night. Manyun and I were the only maids left in our room..."

"What about recently? Has Cen Erlang tortured and killed women in the yard recently?" Xia Mianwan's face did not show any joy or sadness at this moment, but Ruzhu, who had followed Xia Mianwan for a long time, could see that Xia Mianwan's anger had reached its peak at this moment.

"There has been no movement recently, only the tragic deaths of cats and dogs." Manxiu said.

Xia Mianwan went over the idea in her mind several times and was sure that Cen Erlang was a madman. He was probably a little perverted mentally, and he would go crazy at regular intervals and would get excited when he saw blood.

"Manxiu, do you know where Cen Erlang buried the human body?" Xia Mianwan asked.

Manxiu seemed to recall something horrifying, and said tremblingly, "She was buried in the most remote and deserted yard of the Cen family. I went there to pick up Manlian's...bones."

Since Manxiu said they were bones, that means the meat had been...eaten.

Xia Mianwan felt nauseous again. She covered her mouth and asked, "Why did they pick it up? Didn't they bury it?"

Manxiu said: "I saw where they were buried. They were stumps that fell to the side. The old men were annoyed and kicked them to the side of the sycamore tree and covered them with some soil."

Xia Mianwan understood, so she said, "Manxiu, I know about these things, but you are so scared, don't you also realize that it will be your turn next."

Manxiu's eyes were full of panic. "Yes, Madam, the Second Young Master is simply not a human being. Those are all living lives! Since I realized what the Second Young Master was doing, I noticed that not only the maids, but also the girls from good families outside were all the souls killed by him. If you don't have the ability, you can only be bullied. I accept it..."

Xia Mianwan asked, "If I find evidence, would you be willing to come out and testify? For your sisters, for yourself, and for the souls of those who died at the hands of Cen Erlang in Xiyang."

Manxiu was a little scared at this time. She looked at Xia Mianwan timidly, "Madam, didn't you say you would help me solve the problem of my indenture?"

Xia Mianwan nodded and said, "Yes, I will help you solve the body contract problem."

"If I change my indenture, I can start a new life, but if I come out to testify... the Cen family is so powerful, will I be in danger?" Man Xiu wanted to help people, but who would want to die when there is a way to survive?

Xia Mianwan looked at Manxiu calmly and said, "Manxiu, no one will save you for nothing. If you have no value... no one else will save you. You must learn to save yourself and find your own value. Only then will others not easily break their promises to you or even abandon you."

Manxiu looked at Xia Mianwan in a daze, as if she didn't understand Xia Mianwan's sudden change.

Xia Mianwan looked at Manxiu and said, "Don't you understand yet? Manxiu? I can save you, so I can naturally protect you. Now, I want Cen Erlang to die. No matter whether you can testify against Cen Erlang or not, he must die, but I want the world to know the truth of all this. This is called standing up for those dead women. Therefore, if you can testify and let Cen Erlang's beastly behavior be exposed to the world, you will be valuable to me and to the people of Xiyang. Otherwise..."

Otherwise, Xia Mianwan did not say it clearly, she did deliberately scare Manxiu, Manxiu's testimony is very important, the Cen family will soon have to choose between the red book and the life of Cen Erlang. So... Manxiu's confession is very important.

Manxiu was stunned for a long time after hearing this. "Madam, do you mean that you will only help me if I testify?"

Summer hibernation late no comment.

After a moment, Manxiu seemed to have finally made up his mind, "Madam, I will testify. As long as Madam can save my life, I am willing to take the lead."

Xia Mianwan smiled and said, "Ruzhu, take Manxiu to rest. We will talk about it after we have prepared the evidence."

"Yes!"