This world is so vast, and there will always be a few people who deserve to die. Even at the ends of the earth, it is no exception.
The sun had already sunk early into the cold seabed. The moon bathed in the boiling seawater, pushing waves of hot wind toward the coconut trees on the shore. Beneath the overlapping, wild shadows, a girl continued to sharpen the edge of a clam shell. Sweat had long soaked her bangs.
The wind swept up sand from the beach, and she rubbed her eyes, lifting her hand. The clam shell, reflecting the golden-red shadow of the moon, gleamed with a sharp, cold light.
She sighed in satisfaction, her small body trembling with the sound of the tides. What a night, she thought.
Tonight, she would kill someone.
"Duan Wu? Duan Wu? It's about to start, where are you?" another girl called from a distance.
Duan Wu quickly put away the clam shell, a familiar obedient smile appearing on her face as she replied, "Coming!"
She grabbed her straw sandals, wrapped herself in a tattered cloak, and ran toward the wooden house by the sea where lanterns were lit.
Duan Wu, just Duan Wu. As a slave girl, she didn't need a surname.
This hellish place was Lianzhou, on the edge of the Guangxi Gulf during the Yuan Dynasty. Guangxi was thousands of miles away from the Central Plains, and Lianzhou was even more remote, known as the "End of the Earth." Years ago, Su Dongpo, pardoned on his way back from Leizhou Island, passed through this place and left a plaque reading "Gazing at Heaven from a Thousand Miles" at the famous "End of the Earth Pavilion," which became a celebrated story. However, Duan Wu, in her fifteen years of life, had never seen the End of the Earth Pavilion. As a slave, she wasn't allowed to step outside the confines of the "Pearl Harvesting Division," and could only "view the sky from the bottom of a well."
"Eastern pearls aren't as good as Western pearls, and Western pearls aren't as good as Southern pearls." The most precious Southern pearls were universally recognized to come from Hepu in Lianzhou. Since the time of the late Emperor Renzong, to satisfy the increasingly intense demand for pearls from the nobility, the Pearl Harvesting Division had gained the attention of the imperial court. Favored Mongol nobles were sent to this distant gulf to oversee the collection, tribute, and trade of Hepu pearls.
Pearl harvesters were all descendants of the "Xuhu" caste, who were deemed lowly in ancient times. Apart from harvesting pearls, the division required a large number of slaves for other tasks. The first slaves allocated to the Pearl Harvesting Division were hundreds of captives obtained during the Mongol conquest of the south. They were considered even lower than the Xuhu, worth less than a single clam shell in the sea.
Among the slaves, only those designated as "managers" held any semblance of status. Other adult female slaves were distributed nightly to different male slaves as they pleased. Consequently, the children born to them could never know their fathers. Infants were uniformly sent to "shanties" to be raised. Those who fell seriously ill were directly thrown into the sea. Once the children could walk, they had to learn to work. If they couldn’t learn, they would be beaten to death within a few strikes. The most important thing was that they were obedient and knew how to please; otherwise, no matter how smart they were, they wouldn't survive to adulthood.
Duan Wu had grown up like this. She was the model for all the young slaves. She almost never got sick, was sweet-tongued and obedient, learned everything quickly, and excelled at anything she tried. By the time she was ten, she was handling the abacus, and by nine, she was cutting onions and ginger. She had already risen to lead the "market performance" team before her fifteenth birthday, just one step away from becoming a "manager."
But tonight, she knew she would give up everything to kill someone.
Duan Wu stepped into the bustling wooden house, first washing her hands clean with jasmine-scented water, then drying them with a hemp cloth.
Though she was almost an adult, her hands, like her body, remained delicate and small. It was well known that the girls who performed in the market feared nothing more than their hands growing larger. The market was, as the name implied, a place where the Pearl Harvesting Division traded surplus pearls with merchants from various places. The smaller the hands of the girls displaying the pearls, the larger the pearls appeared. So, once their hands were no longer small, they were often cast out of the wooden house like rotten meat, thrown to unfamiliar male slaves.
Young slaves under the age of ten held wine bowls, fruit plates, feather fans, and fly swatters, constantly coming and going. A group of girls, just blooming into adolescence, dressed in bright dancing clothes, gathered behind the scenes, gossiping about the appearances of the merchants.
"If that man had less beard and was younger, he’d be quite handsome."
"This one is too fat. If you danced on his big belly, he probably wouldn't even feel it."
Duan Wu listened to their chatter. Her large, expressive eyes glowed like dark fire under the lamp.
A girl came over and patted her shoulder, and Duan Wu asked, "Lala, your hands are swollen again?"
Lala's eyelids were red, looking pitiful. She was about the same age as Duan Wu, and the two were best friends.
To prevent her hands from growing larger, Lala often had others tightly bind her fingers with cloth at night, causing her fingers to swell and hurt.
Duan Wu pulled her to a corner, fetched some cold water, and rubbed Lala's fingers, then grabbed her wrist and blew on her fingers.
Lala’s fingers twitched, and Duan Wu whispered, "Did I hurt you?"
"Duan Wu… you… tonight…" Lala's face was very pale.
Duan Wu smiled. Her teeth were not perfectly aligned, which might have been a slight flaw, but paired with her lively eyes, it sometimes made her look even more mischievous.
She touched Lala's chin and said, "I'm fine. Don’t worry. Remember, I was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, so I ward off evil spirits!"
Lala had always been indecisive and timid. She had relied on Duan Wu to shield her and navigate through dangers, allowing her to survive in the dance troupe until now.
Duan Wu felt a slight worry and regret. If she left, what would happen to Lala?
She felt sad inside, but she didn’t want Lala to notice.
After thinking for a moment, she took the beautiful shell necklace from her neck and placed it around Lala's. She gently stroked Lala's braid and said, "We've known each other for over ten years, and I've never given you anything decent. Everyone has been envious of this shell necklace, but in the end, it’s yours. From now on, cry less and learn to read people's expressions. If they ever try to kick you out of the trading house, beg Lady Ba to take you as her apprentice. I’ve secretly taught you everything she’s taught me, so don’t forget that."
Lady Ba was the manager of the trading house and warehouse. When Duan Wu was ten, she started sorting pearls in the pearl house. Because she was quick and didn’t talk much, she caught Lady Ba's eye and became her apprentice in "exclusive skills." Although this was a secret, Duan Wu had never hidden it from Lala.
Lala held the shell necklace and began to cry.
Duan Wu thought that her plans had probably been guessed. Everyone has their own fate, and she couldn’t protect Lala forever.
She patted Lala’s head and scolded, "Is this all you're good for? Your hands are still swollen, so go back and rest. I'll find someone to take your place. I'll cover for you in front of Lady Ba." In truth, watching Lala cry made her own nose tingle, so she decided to send her away quickly.
The sound of bells rang out, and Lady Ba, with her bullfrog face, wide mouth, and bulging eyes, appeared by the curtain. "Duan Wu?"
"Alright, alright!" Duan Wu shrugged off her cloak.
She was dressed like the other dancers. Her skirt reached her knees, and her spring blouse barely covered her waist. In the Central Plains, this would be considered scandalous, but in the hot climate of Lianzhou, it was normal attire for young girls.
Duan Wu, holding a tray of pearls, led the dance team to the center of the room. The merchants' gazes reminded her of a pack of wolves.
But she was already accustomed to those stares. They were just buyers, and she only had to sell the pearls.
She stood on her tiptoes, smiling sweetly, spinning the tray, and sang in a clear voice: "Brilliant by the golden carriage, exquisite by the jade palace. The bright moon fills Kunming Pond, Hepu pearls glow in the night."
Her face radiated youthful energy, reflecting the luster of the pearls, like a butterfly about to break out of its cocoon under the moonlight. The tiny, flickering shadows seemed to contain the heat of a volcano, leaving the onlookers in awe.
Whenever Duan Wu danced, she would forget everything. She didn't think of herself as a slave but imagined herself as a pearl in the vast sea and sky.
She hid within the shell, waiting for a hundred years, a thousand years, as long as someone could cherish her, however long it took. But...
After her song ended, Duan Wu’s gaze fixed on the seat at the head of the room. She had been with Lady Ba for five years, and that seat had always been empty.
A merchant pulled out a piece of green jade and said to Duan Wu, "Little girl, I’ll trade this piece of Dushan jade for a few of your pearls."
Duan Wu held the tray in one hand and examined the jade by the candlelight with the other.
Her eyes sparkled as she picked out ten small pearls from the tray.
The merchant's face turned purple with anger, feeling insulted, and he croaked, "Only ten 'Zheng Qian' small pearls? Are you deliberately mocking me?"
Duan Wu gave a mischievous smile and whispered, "Master, are you joking? Pearls weighing a thousand for one liang are called 'Zheng Qian.' What I gave you are genuine eight hundred for one liang 'Ba Bai Zi.' Is this really Dushan jade? I think you're the one playing a joke on me, aren't you? This is clearly Bashan jade. The jade skin isn't fine, and the luster is waxy. If you want, I can knock it against a real jade, and you'll hear how muffled it sounds compared to the genuine article."
She spoke with a smile the whole time, tilting her head as if it wasn't serious, so even though the merchant had been exposed, he didn't lose face in public.
He grudgingly took the pearls and said, "You’re sharp!"
"Thank you, Master, for your kindness! Quickly, note it in the ledger." Duan Wu then moved on to another girl, who was haggling with an older merchant.
The girl was still a novice, struggling to hold her ground against the old merchant's bargaining.
Worried that she might get beaten, Duan Wu cheerfully said, "Grandfather, let me have a look, will you?"
The old merchant recognized Duan Wu and refused, "If I let you see, will I still make a profit?"
Duan Wu said, "Oh, Grandfather, you're wrongly accusing me! You've traveled far and wide, commanding respect and winning wherever you go for so many years. How could a little girl like me cause you to lose profit? My sister here has barely seen any cat's eye gems, so she’s stubbornly holding onto the pearls. But I’ve seen plenty of the cat’s eye stones that only you, Grandfather, can bring."
The old merchant, knowing Duan Wu’s way with words, still handed the cat's eye stones over to her for inspection.
Duan Wu glanced at them and first clicked her tongue in admiration. After she had praised them enough, she revealed her slightly crooked teeth with a smile and said, "These cat’s eyes are splendid. The brown ones are more valuable than the pale yellow-green ones, and all of these are brown. The curved surfaces are bright and lively in the center, just like beautiful cats! Only someone as skilled as you, Grandfather, could bring these for us to admire."
"Heh heh, you know your stuff, little girl. I’d say trading them for five 'Qi Zhen' and three 'Ba Bao' pearls is fair, right?"
"Let me think. A 'Qi Zhen' weighs seven fen, so five of them are thirty-five fen. Three 'Ba Bao' are twenty-four fen. Grandfather, do you want fifty-nine fen?"
"Am I asking for too much?"
"No, it’s too little! I’ll give you seventy fen in exchange for these cat's eyes." As she spoke, she handed over all ten of the 'Qi Zhen' pearls from the girl's tray to the old merchant.
The old merchant finally understood and laughed, cursing, "You little rascal, you used five seven-fen pearls to replace the three 'Ba Bao.' Don’t you know that with each additional fen, a large pearl can be worth ten thousand liang of silver? You’ve made me lose nearly ten thousand liang!"
Duan Wu’s smile faded as she stared seriously at the old man. "I know. But, Grandpa, among those cat's eye stones, two of them have slightly thicker bases. Others might not notice, but how could you not? A thicker base adds weight, but it makes it difficult for the person setting the stone. Surely, you don’t think the Pearl Harvesting Division is breeding cats for fun, with no intention of selling them later, right?"
Without waiting for the old merchant to reply, Duan Wu playfully added, "Alright, alright, Grandpa, you're generous—let's just consider this a favor to help my sister with her first sale. Note it down! Note it down!"
She tugged at her short blouse, barely covering her navel, and continued to patrol the room.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist. It was a man in his thirties, with a mischievous grin on his face.
Before he could speak, Duan Wu let out a surprised "Ah!" that startled the man.
Duan Wu said, "You grabbed me just now, and I dropped a pearl. I have to find it."
She bent down, holding the tray, and quickly fumbled under the chair for a moment.
After a while, she got up with a sorrowful expression, "I can’t find it! Oh no, it was such a big pearl. I’ll go look elsewhere; please don’t say a word."
The man, half-believing her, crawled under the chair to search and suddenly cried out in pain.
Duan Wu felt a rush of satisfaction—wasn’t that spiky ball meant exactly for people like him?
She then smiled and said, "Sorry, I recounted, and not a single pearl is missing."
When the performance ended and everyone had left, Duan Wu collected the tray and watched the other slaves leave.
People greeted her, and she smiled even more brightly than usual. She even gave a few words of advice to the young slaves working in the trading house.
Once most of the people had gone, she patted the dust off her clothes and donned her cloak. The clam shell she would use to kill was hidden inside the cloak.
Suddenly, someone coldly said, "Duan Wu, you think this is over? It’s not."
Duan Wu turned around, and it was Lady Ba speaking. Lady Ba had originally been a slave of the Pearl Harvesting Division. It was said that she was so ugly that no male slave was willing to share a bed with her. The Mongol leader at the time eventually assigned her to guard the warehouse and even sent her out to conduct trade.
Over time, she became the most knowledgeable woman in Lianzhou. No matter what kind of treasure it was, she could clearly discern its value.
Because of this skill, and because she was obedient, every leader of the Pearl Harvesting Division, including the current Mongol, Halbara, trusted her.
Duan Wu had always been respectful in front of Lady Ba. When she first started learning to appraise jewels from her, she was often beaten. But Duan Wu never resented Lady Ba. Even if she was indignant at the time, she quickly realized that Lady Ba’s skills were genuine.
Lady Ba opened the warehouse and lit half a candle. The dazzling jewels and jade emitted a luxurious aura of death.
It wasn’t Duan Wu’s first time here, but today, she was harboring a guilty conscience, so she was extra cautious.
Lady Ba ordered her to sit down and handed her a piece of white jade. The jade was glossy, pure, and lustrous, with a mysterious sheen.
Duan Wu squinted her eyes and said, "I’ve seen some of the guests wearing this—it’s called Kunshan jade."
Lady Ba replied, "Kunshan jade comes from the Western Regions, and Hetian’s mutton fat jade is considered the best in the world. I’ve taught you for years, but I’ve never taught you about the peerless Hetian jade. Do you know why?"
Duan Wu obediently asked, "Why?"
"I’ve been waiting. Hetian belongs to the Chagatai Khanate, and years ago, they were at war with the Yuan Dynasty, completely cutting off the supply of Hetian jade. Although the Silk Road has reopened in recent years with the peace, the jade is still often intercepted by bandits in the Kunlun Mountains, making it difficult to transport out."
"This piece of Hetian jade is excellent—did you obtain it many years ago, Master?"
She had never called Lady Ba "Master" before, but now, facing death, she thought it wouldn't hurt.
Lady Ba didn’t seem to mind and was lost in thought for a moment. Whatever memories she recalled brought a faint glow to her otherwise unattractive face.
She told Duan Wu, "I’ve been waiting for the jade and for a person. About twelve years ago, a beautiful young boy, about thirteen or fourteen years old, begged his way from Hetian to Hepu. He was disabled, in tattered clothes, but his speech was naturally elegant, and he was extraordinarily handsome—just like Hetian jade. At the time, he only had a piece of stone, but he demanded to exchange it for a dou of large pearls. The leader naturally refused. The boy told him that inside the stone was a rare jade. He hadn’t revealed it because he didn’t want others to notice. But he was exhausted and could only ask the leader to bring a jade craftsman to cut it open. The leader didn’t believe him, so the boy wrote a blood oath, saying that if there wasn’t good jade inside, he would cut off his right hand as compensation…"
"And then?" Duan Wu asked, stroking the jade, a bit curious.
"Then, this jade appeared in the warehouse. The boy said his family had been destroyed, and he was counting on the Hepu pearls to turn his fortune around. I don’t know how he persuaded the old leader, but the old leader actually gave him two dou of large pearls. The boy said that one day, he would come back to see us. But after all these years, the leader has changed several times, and except for me, everyone has forgotten. His place is still empty. Duan Wu, I’ve spent these years teaching you how to appraise treasures, hoping that when he comes, you could leave with him. Your intelligence and character would be useful to him, but… he won’t come back. You’re fifteen now; you can’t wait any longer."
Duan Wu couldn’t help but ask loudly, "Why can’t I wait? Why won’t he come back?"
Lady Ba replied, "Because today, I received news from the Western Regions. That boy with the surname Yuchi became the lord of Hetian three years ago. He will not be coming back. So, you and I need to make new plans."
"Master, you know that tonight, the Mongol leader Halbara has summoned me to his quarters, right?"
Lady Ba looked at Duan Wu with indifference and said, "Yes, I know. I was the one who suggested to the leader that you serve him."
Duan Wu's eyes widened in shock.
Lady Ba continued, "I’ve taught you so that you could use your talents, not so you could be treated like an animal, at the mercy of others. Halbara quickly loses interest in any woman. If you can endure for a year or two, you can use his influence to replace me and become the manager. Then, no other man will be able to touch you at will. Once you fully replace me, even the leader will have to respect you."
"I don’t want to! I don’t want to!" Duan Wu didn’t cry; she just kept repeating those words.
Ever since that burly, ruthless Mongol ordered her to attend to him tonight, Duan Wu had resolved to kill him.
Killing him would mean she wouldn’t survive, but it was far better than letting the person inside her die slowly from being tortured alive.
Lady Ba said, "Whether you want to or not, you have to. You’re about to turn fifteen. According to the rules here, if you don’t go to him, you’ll be given to a group of men. Those men are vile and low, with no hope for anything better, and among them could be your father or brother!"
Duan Wu trembled. Suddenly, Lady Ba reached into her cloak and pulled out the clam shell.
She clapped her hands, and two guards from the Pearl Harvesting Division walked in. Duan Wu grabbed onto Lady Ba’s belt, her dark eyes filled with fear for the first time.
Lady Ba, her voice hoarse, pried the girl's hand away with force and whispered, "Don’t be foolish. Bear the pain; eventually, you’ll become numb to it."
Duan Wu’s hand turned blue from the pressure, but she didn’t resist anymore.
In the distance, faint thunder rumbled, and the flagpole was snapped by the wind, as if signaling an impending storm.
Halbara’s quarters were in the style of a Mongolian yurt, and the lights inside were still on.
Duan Wu thought she heard faint sobbing. When she entered the tent, Halbara was wrapped in a robe, drinking, with the felt mats on the floor in disarray.
On the table, there was a black gold candlestick, a tall white candle burning brightly, a pot of wine, and a few dishes.
Duan Wu bowed, and Halbara, with his coarse face and small eyes, stared at her intently. "I heard you're a clever girl, which is why I chose you. Don’t make me regret it. Come here..."
A guard entered and pulled back the felt. Duan Wu gasped and pinched her leg.
Inside the felt was a little girl, covered in blood and barely alive. Her hair was tangled, her eyes dull, and she couldn’t have been more than ten years old. The guard picked her up and carried her out without even covering her with a cloth.
Halbara watched Duan Wu closely.
Duan Wu licked her chapped lips and laughed, "Master, I’m not very smart. But we slaves belong entirely to our owners. You, the mighty Mongol eagle, are my master. I’ll make sure not to anger you."
Halbara laughed heartily. "Crawl over here so I can take a good look at you."
Duan Wu smiled and said, "If I crawl over, I’ll dirty my hands, and how could I then serve you properly? Let me pour you some wine, and I’ll have a taste as well."
"You can drink?"
Duan Wu nodded. She wasn’t lying. When she was seven, cutting onions and ginger in the kitchen, Duan Wu would often sneak a few sips of wine.
She turned her back to Halbara and said enthusiastically, "Master, a storm is coming! I’ve heard that in the sea near Lianzhou, there’s a water dragon that only likes to eat one thing… Can you guess what it is?"
Before Halbara could respond, Duan Wu answered, "A wicked dog’s heart!"
She then pulled out the burning candle and used the sharp tip of the candlestick to stab the Mongol noble.
The spike barely pierced his robe when Duan Wu realized something was wrong. Underneath Halbara's robe, he was wearing a protective vest.
Duan Wu quickly shifted her aim, using all her strength to stab his thigh. Halbara screamed in pain as the door burst open, revealing a group of guards waiting.
Duan Wu wasn’t surprised at being captured. What did surprise her was that standing behind the soldiers was Lala!
One of the soldiers said to Duan Wu, "Your friend reported to the master long ago that you were planning to assassinate him. The master didn’t believe her. If you hadn’t acted tonight, she would have been executed for false accusations!"
Duan Wu looked at Lala without saying a word. But Lala, as if she had gone mad, screamed at her, "Duan Wu, what right do you have to be so lucky? You got everything! Lady Ba taught you, the master chose you. What about me? I’ve had enough of living in constant fear!"
Duan Wu thought: Now you can take Lady Ba’s place and serve the Mongols.
Lala continued to vent, and Duan Wu finally spoke: "Lala, you betrayed me just to remain a good slave. Don’t worry, after I die, I won’t turn into an evil spirit to haunt you. Remember, Duan Wu never wronged you."
These were her final words. After saying them, Duan Wu closed her eyes and resigned herself to fate.
In his rage, Halbara wanted to execute Duan Wu immediately. However, the superstitious Mongols believed that killing someone on a day when the sea god was angry was bad luck.
Lady Ba suggested, "Master, there is a reef by the Pool of Despair where people often see sea monsters during storms. Tie this girl there—she’ll die one way or another. We can offer her as a sacrifice to the sea god, ensuring a bountiful pearl harvest next year."
Halbara agreed and ordered Duan Wu to be taken away at once. Lady Ba didn’t spare her another glance, and Duan Wu didn’t bother with any more words.
The Pool of Despair was the most prominent of the seven pearl ponds under the Pearl Harvesting Division. When Duan Wu was nine, she had visited once while running errands for the accounting office. She had remembered the beauty of the place and its despairing name. She never imagined it would become her final resting place.
She was tied tightly to the rock. After the soldiers left, she struggled for a while, but it was no use.
She couldn’t help but feel exhausted—the weariness of fifteen years of slavery all came crashing down at that moment.
The wind howled, and the tides surged. Duan Wu greedily took in the wild scenery—mountains bathed in light, clouds obscuring the moon, and endless green waves like countless silver pearls.
What a beautiful view, she thought. From now on, she wouldn’t be enslaved by anyone. Though she feared death, this thought was enough to comfort her.
The water began to rise, first covering her feet, then her knees, and finally her waist.
She guessed that when she died, her body would be eaten by fish. Thousands of years later, she would become a pearl in the Pool of Despair, waiting to be discovered.
Thunder rumbled, the sea churned like a thousand galloping horses, and a black dragon coiled in the sky. The booming thunder sounded like the cry of a legendary sea monster.
Duan Wu wasn’t afraid of death, but the slow process of dying was torturous. She silently prayed for the sea monster to appear and swallow her whole, granting her a quick end.
At that moment, she heard a strange sound. She opened her eyes again and saw a ship emerging at the crest of the waves.
The ship was entirely red, almost luxurious, and enormous. At the bow stood a man.
Despite the hot weather, the man was dressed neatly, with his robe and sash fluttering in the wind. From a distance, he looked like a red cloud in the sky, a white crane on earth.
In the sea breeze, his figure seemed both real and unreal, dreamlike and ethereal.
He moved with such grace, as if the dark clouds above him were not clouds at all, but a thousand blooming pear blossoms.
Duan Wu was mesmerized. Though she couldn’t see clearly, her heart filled with wild joy: It wasn’t a sea monster, but a sea god.
Such a handsome man could only be a sea god. Only a sea god wouldn’t fear the storm, nor would he worry about heat rash.
This death is truly worth it, she thought. The sea god knew her thoughts and would quickly turn her into a pearl at the bottom of the sea.
Those on the brink of death cannot withstand extreme joy and sorrow. Duan Wu, lost in her confusion, slipped into unconsciousness and was engulfed by darkness.
When she woke, she found herself lying in a dark, foul-smelling cabin.
She couldn’t help but feel disappointed—why did heaven still resemble a slave’s quarters?
An old woman approached her. "You’re awake? It’s been three days."
The woman’s eyes were swollen and infected, and her face was filthy. She handed Duan Wu a bowl of watery porridge with floating vegetable leaves. "Drink this."
Duan Wu, wary, asked, "Where am I? I didn’t die?"
"You’re alive. You were saved by the owner of this ship," the old woman said.
"Wasn’t he a sea god?" Duan Wu asked.
The old woman was startled, then after a moment, she replied, "What god? More like a plague god. You’ll find out soon enough, so I might as well tell you now. The owner of this ship is named Yan Zijin. He’s a merchant and also a human trafficker. You can wait to be sold off."
Duan Wu felt like she’d been struck, and it took her a while to recover.
She lay back down, refusing to drink the porridge.
The old woman tried to persuade her, "A bad life is better than a good death. You’re on board now, and the ship has already left Lianzhou."
Suddenly, Duan Wu sat up, grabbed the cracked bowl, and drank the porridge down to the last drop.
The old woman hurriedly said, "Be careful not to spill it."
Duan Wu thought: I can hold a tray of pearls without spilling them—how could I spill this porridge? She finished the bowl in one go, without spilling a drop.
That night, she didn’t sleep well.
Having escaped hell, she had boarded a pirate ship. There was no way she could sleep soundly.
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