Chapter 2 — Fisherman And Eighteen Billions

“Ngu Nuong, how old are you this year?” When I was about to leave, sister Van suddenly asked me. I hung the oil paper package of clothes around my neck: "Fifteen, what's wrong?" As soon as I finished speaking, the remaining seventeen billion sisters all came over. Their faces were extremely unsightly. "Ngu Nuong, you... don't come back anymore." Sister Thu Ngo pulled my hand and said. Sister Van sighed: "That's right, Ngu Nuong. Don't go anymore!" "Just stay with us, this place is a little miserable, but free." "No one oppresses us, just need to work hard and we can live well." "You guys wouldn't think that next year's sacrifice would be my turn, right?" Every year for the Ha God sacrifice, the people chosen are sixteen-year-old unmarried girls. I already decided to marry myself! 7When I was twelve years old, my father took charge and arranged to marry me with the butcher Truong's little son at the beginning of the village, Truong Tan Chi. To be more precise, it's a body change. My brother and I are twins, so are Truong Tan Chi and his sister. Therefore, the adults of both families immediately changed their lives. When I turn sixteen years old, I will marry Truong Tan Chi. Truong Tan Chi's sister will marry my brother. "Don't worry about me, sisters, I've settled down a long time ago." I smiled and walked towards the river bank. After hearing my words, everyone clearly breathed a sigh of relief. "Even though there is no danger anymore, you still have to be careful, understand?" Sister Van was still not reassured. I know that because she was hurt by her family members, now except for the sisters in the same tribulation in the mountains and me, everyone else she doesn't dare to believe anymore. In the past, Sister Van's parents also treated her very well. I just didn't expect... "Don't worry, I'm Ngu Nuong. There's no river in this world that can drown me!" I turned around and jumped into the river. When it's time to celebrate Tet, there's pork in the house to eat. "Ngu Nuong, eat it." Mom picked up the biggest piece of meat for me. Even my brother who always bullied me didn't fight with me. "Why do you treat me so well?" I asked while eating a big piece of meat in a bowl. Mom sniffed: "And why else? Next year you have to get married, I can't bear it." Oh... I suddenly realized. That's right, if you marry into someone else's family, you become a member of that person's family. If there's nothing to do, I rarely go back to my mother's house. After Tet, parents began to prepare for the wedding. My birthday, like my brother, is also scheduled to be on Doan Ngo day. This way, both families will have less trouble and only need to organize a drinking party once. "Ngu Nuong, you have to get married tomorrow. Have a drink with dad tonight!" The night before Doan Ngo, mother prepared a lot of wine and food. Father rarely smiled at me and even asked me to drink with him. I drank a lot of wine with my father, then passed out. When I woke up, my head hurt so much. "Mom, I want to drink water." I reached out to prop myself up from the bed and sat up, only to find that my arms and legs were tied tightly. At this moment, my mother walked into the room, holding water in her hand. "Drink." She said. I used my shoulder to knock over the bowl in her hand: "Why are you tying me up?" My mouth asked like that, but in my mind, the images of young women on bamboo rafts appeared. Each of them was tied up like this! 8 "Ngu Nuong, your brother is grown up, you have to marry my wife." "This year it's your turn to serve the God of Ha!" Mother looked at me, her voice cold. The rope was too tight, I struggled several times but couldn't stand up. "Why?" I looked at my mother and asked. It was clear that I had settled down, so how could I still be sacrificed to the God of Ha? “Because Hoa Nuong was drawn!” At this time, my father also entered the room. Hoa Nuong is Truong Tan Chi's sister, my future sister-in-law. My throat felt like it was filled with lead. It took a lot of effort to open my mouth. "So, for the sake of someone else's daughter, you let your daughter die?" I am their daughter, right? "How can Hoa Nuong be someone else's daughter?

She is our daughter-in-law, your sister-in-law." "Our family's fire will depend on her in the future!" Father said heavily. Mother picked up the broken bowl from the ground and poured water for me again. "Good fisherman, just think of it as for me, for brother, for our whole family." "Butcher Truong has promised our family, as long as we are willing to let you replace Hoa Nuong, he can give us half a pig." Mother said as she poured it over. water entered my mouth. I gritted my teeth, cold water flowed down my shirt and into my heart. Father stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth, and not long after, they covered my head with sackcloth and carried me away. "This girl is also pitiful, it's not her turn." Inside the room, there were two maids guarding the door. Through their conversation, we learned that this time the person who was drawn was the Lam family's lady. The Lam family loved their daughter dearly, forcing Butcher Truong to use his daughter instead, otherwise he would take back his shop and not let him do business in the district anymore.