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墨書 Inktalez
"You know your mother won't agree, so the Chen Family can't do anything to you," Sang Qingxiao comforted.
That's why they were making such a fuss, vowing not to back down!
Sang Qingxiao hurriedly added, "This is not a good place. If you enter, it will ruin your life. Don't just nod along because of their few words."
Zhang Linglong stared blankly at the Chastity Arch. "I know this isn't a good place. A sister I knew was sent here. Within three days, she was rolled out on a straw mat and hastily buried. Both her family and her husband's family claimed she died of illness and even collected the funeral money specifically for the Widow's Tower from the Yamen. I heard it was quite a sum, and after splitting it between the two families, they stopped all contact."
After learning about this, I felt very sad and couldn't let it go, so I had someone investigate. My sister indeed died of illness.
Ha! A mere Cold Wind, a few doses of medicine—messages were sent to both families, but the husband’s family ignored them completely. The maternal family did send a few ordinary Cold Wind Herbal Medicines.
There are several causes for Cold Wind; how could one take medicine without being diagnosed? After taking a few doses of Herbal Medicine that were ultimately ineffective, a life was dragged to its end.
My sister had even borne children for her husband’s family. I saw them not long ago; they weren't doing well at all. Clearly, my sister's sacrifice brought glory to her husband’s family, yet none of that glory reached her own son.
If my sister had any spirit left in her, she would surely regret her compromise that day.
Sang Qingxiao shared in her sorrow. "Many people have died here in the building, right?"
"Yes, many have died."
"Why are there only over twenty Chastity Arches here?"
Only prominent families receive a Chastity Arch from the Yamen. Many ordinary Common People's Homes have severed ties among relatives and forcibly bound women inside; the Yamen often turns a blind eye to such cases. The number of these women is far greater, yet they have no Chastity Arch.
Can such a small place accommodate so many people?
"People?" Zhang Linglong scoffed. "Can the women inside even be considered human? Their hearts are dead; they have no freedom or hope for life. Amidst piles of rags, no matter how they are stacked up, with the wind and sun beating down on them, aging and suffering from illness—who would care?"
The Chastity Tower appeared to be a square courtyard; its outer wall was no more than thirty meters wide, built thick and high—perhaps the tallest wall in Meizhou. Surrounding it was only a small door.
No, it shouldn't even be called a door; it was just slightly larger than a dog hole. For women wanting to enter or exit, they had to bend low and bow their heads. This small door was made of expensive iron, welded shut tightly and secured with thick iron chains to prevent anyone from escaping.
It was worse than the prisons of The Office of Censors.
Yet one could not see what lay inside; it likely wasn't any better.
As I got closer, I could faintly hear intermittent mournful songs. Though I couldn't make out the lyrics, just that broken melody conveyed the sorrow of the women inside.
Suddenly, an impulse surged within me—I wanted to smash down that wall.
But even if I did break it down now—setting aside what would happen to those inside—within days, that high wall would be rebuilt again.
"We feel bitter, but perhaps some find it sweet. At least some no longer have to endure the beatings from their husbands and in-laws."
Zhang Linglong sighed upon hearing this, "Indeed, there are so many unfortunate women."
Sang Qingxiao, concerned for the child in her womb, asked, "Are you still planning to search tonight?"
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