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

chapter 10 : The Arrangement

In a cramped tent within the refugee camp, Su Ling lay motionless on his bed, his mind consumed by the haunting words of his stepmother from the previous night: "They want to sell me." The phrase echoed in his thoughts like a dark prophecy, filling him with a sense of hopelessness and despair.

Su Ling's eyes stared blankly into the darkness, his body numb and his spirit crushed. He felt like a pawn in a game he didn't understand, a mere commodity to be bought and sold. The thought of being sold like a slave was unbearable, and Su Ling wondered if he would ever be able to escape the fate that seemed to be closing in around him.

As he lay there, the sounds of the refugee camp filtered into the tent - the murmur of hushed conversations, the occasional cry of a child, and the distant clang of pots being scrubbed. But Su Ling's mind was elsewhere, trapped in a world of fear and uncertainty.

With a sudden crash, Su Ling's father slammed his fist onto the table, sending a clay pot shattering to the ground. "What are you talking about, Wang?" he thundered, his face red with rage. "You want to sell Su Ling?"

The sound of the breaking clay pot was followed by an uncomfortable silence, as if the very air had been sucked out of the room. Su Ling's stepmother, Wang, took a step back, her eyes darting nervously between Su Ling and his father.

"How could you even suggest such a thing?" Su Ling's father demanded, his voice with anger. "Su Ling is our su family's brother , i will never sell him like a slave.

"But that worthless brother of yours brings shame to our family," Wang spat, her voice venomous. "We can't keep him. We have to sell him, so our other children aren't tainted by his reputation. He's a wretch, a stain on our family's honor."

Su Ling's father's face twisted in a mixture of anger and shame, but Wang's words struck a chord. He had always been concerned about the family's reputation, and Su Ling's actions had indeed brought them shame. The thought of selling his own son was repugnant, but Wang's words made him question whether it was the only way to protect their other children from the fallout.

Su Ling, however, felt like he had been punched in the gut. His own family wanted to sell him, like a piece of property, to be rid of him. He felt a deep sense of betrayal and worthlessness, like he was nothing more than a burden to be discarded.

His father took a deep breath, a calculating glint in his eye. "Wang, I have another plan. I will marry him off to Widower Jiang, who lives in the tent next to us. he's been looking for a new husband, and Su Ling will do."

Wang's face twisted in distaste. "That old hag? he's older than us, and his son is almost Su Ling's age! What kind of match is that?"

Su Ling's father shrugged. "It's better than selling him, and it will get him out of our hair. Besides, Widower Jiang has connections with the refugee camp leaders. This marriage could benefit us in the long run."

Su Ling felt a chill run down his spine. Married off to a widower old enough to be his father ? It was a fate worse than being sold. He knew he had to escape, but where could he go?

Wang's face broke into a cruel smile, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Ah, that's perfect! The bastard deserves no better than to be tied to that old hag. He's brought nothing but shame to our family, and now he'll be saddled with a husband who's almost as old as his father ."

She gloated, clearly pleased with the idea of Su Ling's misery. "And think of it, he'll be stuck in a loveless marriage with a men who's only interested in using him for his own gain. Ha! He deserves every bit of it."

"So, how much of a bridal gift will we receive?" Wang asked, her eyes gleaming with greed. "I want at least three taels of silver. That's the minimum we should accept for sacrificing our precious  brother Su Ling to that old hag."