The Red Mole Prophecy : A Concubine's Rise (BL)

chapter 1: The unwanted brother

"Fetch water, you worthless whelp!" Lady Wang, Su Ling's stepmother, shrieked. "All day, lounging like a lazy cur! Your mother bore a brother as useless as a broken rice bowl! Who do you think you are, eh? Some noble young lord? Expecting us to toil and feed you like a pampered magpie? Shameless, good-for-nothing brother! Still dawdling? Want a taste of my switch?"

Su Ling trembled, his voice barely audible. "Y-yes, Mother... I'm going. Please, don't beat me. I'll do it right now."

Lady Wang's expression twisted in disgust. "Hmph! Cowardly child. You should be grateful I don't cast you out. Now, go! Fetch water before I change my mind."

Su Ling scampered away, his heart racing. He grabbed the clay jug and hastened towards the river, the weight of his stepmother's wrath lingering.

As he walked through the dusty refugee camp, Su Ling's eyes remained downcast. His family, once proud villagers from Lixia Village in the southern province, had lost everything.

Nestled between towering mountains and deep forests, Lixia Village was a beauty to behold, surrounded by a majestic river. But that was a year ago. Heavy rains brought disaster, and floods swept away their home, cattle, and livelihood.

The province was left in ruins. Su Ling's family, among the fortunate survivors, embarked on a long, arduous journey to the capital city.

Now, they struggled to survive in a temporary refugee camp outside the capital, with the lowest status - no rights, no land, no home. The disaster had reduced them to beggars.

As a Brother, Su Ling was already an outcast among his own kin. His father, stepmother, sister, and younger brother treated him with contempt, viewing him as less than human. They saw him as a beast of burden, a mere animal to be used and discarded.

As Su Ling walked, he caught a glimpse of himself in a water ditch. The red mole between his eyebrows, a distinguishing feature of his Brother status, mocked him - a painful reminder of his rejection by those who should have loved and accepted him.

Born with a curse, Su Ling was despised by the world.

Every day, Su Ling made the arduous journey to a remote river, the only source of clean water for the refugee camp. He followed the winding path, his feet aching beneath the scorching sun.

As he reached the river, its calm surface reflected the vast sky, contrasting with Su Ling's inner turmoil. Rejection and hardship defined his reality.

As Su Ling filled the clay jug with water, his thoughts drifted to his life before the floods devastated his village. "He remembered lush green fields, where he'd collect ripe fruits hanging from forest trees, fish in small water ditches, and sleep in river grasses, mesmerized by dancing dragonflies." Now, all that remained was the bitter taste of rejection and hatred from his family, coupled with the endless drudgery of fetching water and doing household chores.

In his village, he had worked tirelessly, but at least he'd had enough food to fill his stomach. However, as a refugee, his stepmother refused to give him even half a meal. It seemed his fate was sealed simply because he was a brother - an innocent victim of circumstance.

the sun set, Su Ling's shadow stretched out, a dark silhouette against the fading light. His future uncertain, the weight of his past loomed.

Unbeknownst to him, this capital city would become his eternal prison. His fate would be sealed here. He would never return to Lixia Village, never revisit the life he once knew.