Chapter Three: The Struggle for Freedom

 I reached for my collar and felt something rigid, likely installed by the laboratory personnel while I was unaware. I did not tear it off; it remained on me. The next day, a luxury car arrived in the village, a Mercedes worth millions casually parked on the roadside. A young girl in a white dress bounced out of the car, her patent leather shoes splashing mud as she landed. Frowning in disgust at the mud on her shoes, she quickly reverted to her lively, cheerful demeanor. Astonishingly, my sister had arrived, causing a stir along the way. But do not misunderstand; it was our mother who deceived her into participating in a rural reality show. She was unaware of the experiment, playing the role of a kidnapped college student. Curious to see how it unfolds, unsure of my sister's reaction. She smiled at the camera, her gaze shifting toward me. Our foster father, standing beside me, nervously rubbed his hands and hurried over to greet her warmly, while our foster mother forcefully pushed me aside to serve her. Inside the cool mud house, I handed my sister a bowl of water. As she took it, I noticed her hands, delicate and smooth from playing the piano, impeccably maintained. Taking a sip, she hesitated before speaking, "Can you help me?" The experiment had begun, and she felt embarrassed. "I'm actually a kidnapped college student," she confessed. "They plan to marry me off to one of the bachelors in the village." A hint of malice flickered in her eyes as she continued, "Would you, being close to my age, marry him instead? The 'bachelor' they're referring to is actually the widower who forced me in my past life. His house was empty, burdened with debts from gambling. How could he afford a bride, let alone a luxury car? Glancing at the well-groomed girl and the spectators eagerly watching, I replied without lifting my head, "If you were truly kidnapped, regardless of the reason, such a serious matter shouldn't be trivialized into entertainment, seen as inconsequential to the audience. I'll take you to see real victims of kidnapping." She released my hand, calling me insane. "Where are you taking me?" My sister, struggling in her high heels, clumsily walked along the muddy path. In the village's most secluded corner, a woman, frail and disheveled, lived in a pigsty-like shack. My sister instinctively covered her nose and mouth, retching at the foul odor. "Why is the experiment continuing?" she protested. "Sister, you're being cruel, where are you taking poor me? Isn't anyone going to stop you? Are you planning to exploit the footage of my sister's past for ratings?" Suddenly, a woman stood up, her filthy clothes dropping dirt onto my sister. Frantically removing her jacket, my sister rebuked, "You miser! Do you know how expensive this jacket is?" With practiced ease, I took the jacket and draped it over her exposed skin. "Auntie Qian, your chance to ingratiate yourself has arrived." Auntie Qian blinked, her cloudy eyes clearing. "Is it true?" she asked incredulously. I nodded. When I was three years old, a beautiful woman came to the village, rumored to be a college student, a rarity. At that time, I was treated like a wild dog by my foster parents, tethered to a stake, sleeping in a kennel. In the shanty, they'd say, "As long as you're alive, that's enough; who cares about food and drink, let alone living in a big house? We don't have enough to sleep." Back then, I thought of myself as nothing more than a stray dog, content with scraps. Until Auntie Qian couldn't bear it any longer. She took me in her arms and said, "You're a girl, you have a wide future ahead of you; you shouldn't be confined to this small village." She secretly taught me to read, imparted life wisdom, urged me to study hard, and encouraged me to break free from this mountainous region, to explore broader horizons. As a teacher in the mountains, he gathered several young children, establishing the first village elementary school. However, on the day of my graduation, he disappeared. He hid in a large truck bound for town, curled up in filthy excrement. When the villagers found him, he was barely alive, his hair matted, resembling a madman. His husband pointed at their infant son, scolding, "You heartless woman! How could you run away, leaving a child this young to look after me? If it weren't for the enraged crowd that day, I'd only hear his hoarse cries, filled with despair. Choking back tears, he said, "I studied for over ten years, finally got into Renmin University of China. I wanted to become a judge, to care for my parents. I didn't want to be trapped here, reduced to nothing but a woman who bears children. Since then, Auntie Qian lost her mind. Willingly, she lived in the pigsty, refusing to return to the home where she was bought. But I know Auntie Qian isn't insane; she taught me to finish junior high. To enable me to attend high school in town, Auntie Qian secretly sold her gold bracelet, using the money for my tuition.