Lovely Blossoms

Fei Ling turned towards Fen Hua after she fell asleep. She had spent several hours trying to figure things out. Trying to understand and piece together everything that had happened. After that was a reluctant acceptance that slowly dimmed her eyes. Now she was leaning against the bars of the cage and slept a fitful sleep. He knew that they would stop soon to eat and use the restroom.

There was something about her that kept nudging him to look at her. Something so familiar to him. He thought of that woman from his childhood. She had been the most beautiful person he had ever seen. At the time he was just a young boy of five. His life hadn't taken all the turns that it had. He was still innocent and hopeful.

He sighed and shook the thoughts away. In the end it didn't matter. She was a slave now, and he had business to handle.

Fen Hua woke up when the cart stopped. The sad realization that it hadn't all been a dream washed over her. She really was going to be sold as a slave. Her eyes scanned their surroundings. They had stopped in a small clearing nestled within the woods. The smaller driver was starting a fire and grumbling profanities as he did it.

The others in the cart seemed apathetic towards the change of situation.

"We are going to eat and relieve ourselves," Mei Xiu said answering Fen Hua's unanswered question.

"Yes, please take the option of pissing outside the cart this time," Gui Ren teased. Fen Hua blushed feeling humiliated all over again. Gui Ren seeing this let out a loud guffaw leaving Fen Hua to wonder how he was able to laugh under the circ.u.mstance.

Fie Ling's eyes flashed with anger before he caught himself and turned away. She was none of his business.

"Alright you pack of dog crap," the bigger slaver said hopping of the cart. When he did it caused the whole cart to rock. He threw a mess of shackles into the cart. "Put em on."

After saying that he took out a thick metal rod and began hammering it into the ground. Fen Hua noticed that it had multiple rings around it.

"Put them on," Mei Xiu said pushing a set of the shackles toward Fen Hua. She had already put hers on. They made her already delicate frame seem small and fragile.

"Hurry up," Li Xiang snapped. "Don't waste our time." Fen Hua glanced at her. She was an average looking female, her eyes however brought some allure to her face.

"Put em on," Jun Jie prompted with a greasy smile. He watched Fen Hua as she put on her shackles.

'Stop staring at me you old pervert,' Fen Hua thought to herself. His eyes were making her feel dirty and uncomfortable. The weight of the shackles was momentarily overwhelming. Like trying on a pair of lead shoes.

The sound of pounding stopped. Fen Hua glanced towards the buried pole about a foot of it was left above ground. He came back to the cart and pulled out a large bundle of heavy chains, he repeated this several times. Each one was connected to one of the rings on the pole. When he finished he grabbed a big knife from the front of the cart where he had been sitting and headed towards the back of the cage.

"You first," He said pointing to Gui Ren, who also happened to be the biggest of the group. Gui Ren Stood up, ducking as he walked to avoid the roof of the cage. The sound of his chains as they dragged against the cart were unsettling, somehow cementing the finality of the situation in Fen Hua's mind.

At that moment she made a decision. She did not want to be a slave, and if she could control it she wouldn't be one. But she was. She had lived her entire life as Li Shen struggling and working. Her nights had been short and sleep barley existent. How much worse could being a slave really be? She would have a bed, and food. She would work for it, just like she had in her past. With this feeling flowing throughout her a weight was seemingly lifted off of her.

She took in a heavy breath and watched as Gui Ren was attached to one of the chains. The chain was long enough to step a short distance into the forested area. The driver tied a thick rope around Gui Ren's wrists and gave him a hard and threatening look.

"I ain't stupid," Gui Ren said somehow sounding like this wasn't the most horrible situation a person could be in.

The driver pointed his chin towards the forest and Gui Ren began making his way there. The driver continued calling out the others, picking out the strongest first, followed by the weakest. Only Gui Ren and Fei Ling were tied at the writs, appearing to be the only threats in the group to the two slavers. When it was Fen Hua's turn she hobbled out and stretched. She did as the others did and headed into the woods to use the restroom. There was little privacy, but it was better then the alternative. One by one each of them headed back towards the fire and sat down. A pot of soup was being cooked making each of their stomachs growl with hunger.

Before Fen Hua could join them the smaller driver stepped forward. He had grabbed a bundle from the cart and threw it at her.

"Wash yourself then put this on," he said. She looked at the bundle in her hands. A simple and worn hanfu bled of most of it's color. He brought her a small basin of water and left her to herself.

She felt oddly thankful towards this person who was robbing her of her freedom. This revelation saddened and surprised her.

'How the hell did my life come to this,' she thought as she washed herself in the barley hidden area.