Being frightened, the rest of the girls stood meekly by the side as Ronald entered the house. Then, they continued helping their mother in the kitchen. I could already tell their fate; these poor little girls would eventually end up like Ann.
I’m not a saint. Even if I could save Ann, I couldn’t possibly save the rest of the girls.
The few families in the village had all come to the house. There were two dishes—Shepherd’s pie and Caesar salad. Since there were not enough seats, the guests took turns eating at the table. After that, the women gather around and shot the breeze while taking care of their children.
Brandon was back soon. One of the villagers came up to him and asked, “Mr. Dumphy, do you still have other clients? I have five children, and all of them are very healthy.”
Brandon frowned slightly while he replied, “Not for now. Don’t worry. I will inform you guys when there is a need.”
These people have no scruples about selling their children for money! I could barely contain myself when Boris whispered to me, “Don’t think too much. Everyone has their own way of living. They might be forced, or they do it as a matter of course. This is none of our business. Remember, you need to take care of your safety.”
Hearing that, I pursed my lips and lowered my head.
After the meal, the bridal car—a dusty white van arrived to fetch the bride. In fact, if it wasn’t for the flower garland that was dangling from the rear-view mirror, no one would know it was a wedding car.
Soon after, Ronald dragged Ann out of the cowshed. Everyone was shocked by the bride’s slovenly and disheveled appearance.
Ann looked at me when she was being dragged into the house. She didn’t call for help nor make any resentful remarks. Yet, I felt unsettled under the young lady’s innocent gaze. At that instant, I was eaten up by guilt.
Gazing at me, Boris advised, “Ms. Stovall, we’re only here for Amy. That’s none of our business. We shouldn’t interfere at all.”
Hearing that, I pursed my lips. If Ashton was here, perhaps I could do as I wished. Yet, even if I could save Ann, I couldn’t possibly save the other girls that might end up just like her. They could rely on no one but themselves to change their fate.
Soon, Ann came out of the house in a threadbare red suit and black pants. Her messy hair was now neatly combed, styled with a bunch of flowers.
Ronald and his wife helped her out of the house and handed her to the two men waiting to fetch the bride. Grabbing her arms, the two men brought her into the van.
The crowd all had bright smiles on their faces to express the joy of witnessing the wedding. No one seemed to have noticed Ann’s sorrow. Or rather, no one cared about it.
After the van drove off, only then did the woman let her other daughters have their food and instructed them to clean the house after the guests left. Then, she and Ronald started exchanging inexhaustible pleasantries with Brandon and me.
Before we left, Brandon handed Ronald an envelope with about twenty thousand cash inside. “Take this money first. If the operation is successful, Ms. Stovall will thank you again.”
Holding the envelope, the two of them were elated as they thanked me profusely.
I was at a loss when suddenly, I felt warmth in my hand. I lowered my head to see Amy stuck her hand in mine. The little girl asked, “Ms. Stovall, are we leaving now?”
My heart ached to hear that. How horrible this family must be when even a five-year-old kid would want to leave without any hesitation.
“We’re leaving immediately.” With that, I led Amy to where our car was being parked, leaving Brandon to communicate with Ronald and his wife.
The road was in poor condition, with the muddy and uneven road surface. When we reached the car, Boris opened the boot and took out the presents we bought on our way here. He handed one of them to Amy and the rest to the girls who followed us to the car.
Being a man of few words, he got into the car after distributing the gifts. Through the girls’ eyes, I could see their reluctance to part with Amy and their envy for her, for the latter could finally leave the family.
When Ronald saw the gifts in the girls’ hands, he cast his eyes at me and made a meaningful remark, “There is no use in giving those gifts. They can only count on themselves to change their own fate. Let’s go. We need to head back to A City.”
In the car, I sat with Amy in the rear seat. The little girl was excited as she kept casting her eyes outside the car window. It seemed to be her first time riding a car. From the smile on her face, I could tell that she was happy.
