After being reborn, I stole the female lead's cheat ability and raised the empress.

Chapter 241 Breaking Free (Part 2)

The three looked in the direction of the sound and saw a heavily pregnant woman waving at them with an anxious expression on her face.

Without a second thought, Zhao Jihua and the others quickly hid behind the woman.

The woman gently pushed open a hidden door in the corner.

They were pulled into a small room.

"Thank you for saving me, young lady," Xia Li said gratefully, her eyes full of sincerity.

The woman shook her head with a wry smile: "I was tricked into coming here just like you. I've long been disgusted by their behavior, so I'll help them as much as I can."

Tao Yao: "Huh? You were also scammed?"

The woman lowered her head: "Well... actually, the sea of ​​flowers you saw at the village entrance at the beginning was meant to numb your senses. That's why you were able to be easily drugged later on when your reactions were slow."

Xia Li and Zhao Jihua exchanged a glance: !!

Zhao Jihua: "I told you you'd have to clean up her mess."

Tao Yao silently lowered her head.

Xia Li patted Tao Yao's shoulder reassuringly: "It's okay, you were just admiring the beautiful flowers. It's just that the world is too treacherous, it's not your fault."

Zhao Jihua rolled her eyes: "Just keep spoiling her."

Xia Li turned to the woman and asked, "How many years have you been tricked into coming here?"

A single tear slid down the woman's cheek: "...eleven years."

Zhao Jihua, Xia Li, and Tao Yao: !!!

In the dim light, the woman slowly recounted her ordeal.

She has had seven or eight children, each time forced into pregnancy.

Her husband was an idle gambler, and the family's livelihood depended entirely on her surrogacy.

Zhao Jihua asked, "Why did you run away?"

“I tried every means to escape back then, but this village is full of evil people! They are unusually united and every year they trick people from other villages into getting pregnant so they can make money... Now my child is so big, what good would it do to escape?” The woman said, stroking her belly, her eyes full of helplessness and sorrow.

Xia Li and the others were both angry and saddened upon hearing this, and they urged the woman to escape with them.

The woman simply shook her head, her eyes filled with despair.

"What will happen to the children if I leave?"

"Children?"

“The boys were immediately given to the employer, and the girls were drowned. I risked my life to save my two daughters.”

"..."

“The children still need to live, I can’t abandon them. My husband will sell them.” The woman’s voice was choked with sobs, a heart-wrenching sound.

"Then let's take them with us and escape!"

“It’s no use, they outnumber us. If I hadn’t been pregnant so many times, my eldest daughter probably would have already gone down this path.”

Xia Li and the others fell silent. They knew the woman's helplessness, yet they were heartbroken by her plight.

The sounds of the search outside gradually subsided, and the woman quietly opened the door.

After confirming their safety, they were shown the direction to escape.

“Over the years, I’ve been preparing for my two daughters’ future. You two come this way…”

Xia Li and the others held the woman's hand tightly and solemnly promised, "We will definitely come back to save you, and all the people suffering in this village."

Zhao Jihua said, "Thank you."

The woman said, "No need to thank me. I haven't tested this route before. You're just paving the way for my daughter."

Xia Li: "But it also saved our lives, didn't it?"

The group exchanged smiles.

Under the cover of night, the three carefully escaped the village.

They did not dare to slack off at all along the way, and rushed to the nearest government office.

"I want to report this to the police!"

The gatekeeper immediately went to report.

"Sir, there are three beautiful young women outside who want to report a crime."

The official was practicing calligraphy when he heard this. He put down his pen and said, "Quickly! Quickly, invite him in."

……

Lobby.

The official looked at the girls; though their clothes were tattered, their beauty was undeniable.

He smiled and said, "What grievances do you ladies have? Tell me, and I will help you."

Zhao Jihua took a deep breath, his expression solemn yet resolute, and said, "Gentlemen, please listen to me recount to you the heinous crimes that have occurred in this village."

Then, she recounted in detail the darkness and ugliness hidden behind this seemingly peaceful and serene village.

The official looked at them, a slight tremor in his brow, and said, "Young ladies, I'm not trying to criticize you. The practice of wife-selling has existed since ancient times. Wasn't this a matter of mutual consent?"

Zhao Jihua was taken aback: "But..."

Guan Ye continued, "Poor families pawn their wives to bear sons for other families. This way, they can maintain their livelihood and ensure that the employer's family line continues. Isn't this a win-win situation?"

Tao Yao retorted angrily, "But those women didn't do it willingly!"

“If it weren’t voluntary, they would have reported it to the authorities. But so far, no one has reported it. You are all young and from well-off families…” He looked at the group.

Zhao Jihua and the others did not reveal their identities.

The official's gaze swept over them without restraint, and he said, "You have never suffered hardship and do not know the difficulties of poor people."

Tao Yao said, "No matter how poor or miserable you are, you should never sell your wife!"

"Sigh!" The official shook his head. "Once you are pregnant and have a child to hold you back, you will be reluctant to let your child suffer and will be willing to make sacrifices for your child!"

Zhao Jihua: "..."

She was pregnant, but she aborted the child for the sake of the country's safety.

This is also why she strolled around to observe the people's lives, and partly to relax.

She touched her flat stomach, her eyes flashing with helplessness and guilt.

But she doesn't regret it; the nation and the individual are never on the same page.

With this in mind, Zhao Jihua's eyes gradually hardened.

It was only at this moment that she realized that Xia Li had already started arguing with the official.

Xia Li said indignantly, "What kind of wife-selling system is this! These men can clearly have three wives and four concubines, why would they need to sell their wives? It's clearly just an excuse for them to solicit prostitutes!"

The official slammed his hand on the table: "What prostitution! What nonsense are you spouting?"

Xia Li: "It's about openly wanting to sleep with someone else's wife and not wanting to be tormented by your conscience!"

"You!" The official choked, then finally sighed, "Alas, it's getting late. Ladies, please rest here. Tomorrow I will send someone to investigate the village. If any of them did not do so voluntarily, I will have them punished."

After saying that, he sent someone to invite the girls to the backyard.

Upon entering the room, Tao Yao quickly closed the door and said, "Something's not right with this official."

Zhao Jihua and Xia Li: "???"

One was busy reminiscing, and the other was busy being angry; neither of them paid close attention.

Tao Yao said, "When we reported this to the authorities, the official wasn't surprised at all. He even kept using the system of wife-selling to excuse them..."

Tao Yao pointed out all the suspicious points in detail, and finally concluded: "I'm afraid they are protecting each other between officials and merchants."