Foster Son, Don’t Be So Crazy (4)

A teenager that was about the same age as Song Jia's current body came forward. He had tanned skin, and looked healthier compared to the rest of the slaves.

His hair was cut close to his scalp and he had gray eyes that didn't seem to hold any interest for his surroundings. His glance lingered on Song Jia for a few seconds, making her heartbeat stop for a moment.

"Yes, sir." His voice was filled with respect as he bowed his head towards the foot soldier.

"Don't let them put one toe out of line, you hear me? Punish those needed to be punished, and report those who needed fixing. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Yes, sir."

After a heavy pat on the teenager's back, the foot soldier and the rest of them left.

The teenager surveyed them, and then his voice went cold.

"Children younger than ten carry wooden planks from the storage shed to the main building from four in the morning to six in the afternoon. Women are tasked to wash the soldiers' uniform, and clean their bathrooms. Washing dishes, needlework, collecting firewood, serving guards in bed, anything goes. Boys who are older than ten do absolutely everything else. We get rations of hard bread twice a day, thrice if there are any leftovers from the soldiers. Stop working, and you get killed. Disobey, and you get killed. Look the soldiers wrongly in the eyes, you get killed. Become sick, and you get killed."

He looked dispassionately at the man whose nose was still bleeding. In one swift move, he pulled out a dagger and slit his throat. The slaves uttered a frightened gasp and scurried away like mice. The blood poured down and splattered on the floor, appearing black in the dim light.

"This dagger's a special privilege given to me. If you work hard enough, they'll reward you. In each barrack, they'll appoint three slaves to supervise the rest. They'll be given a better meal than anybody else. They'll work less than anybody else. If you want that kind of position, follow each and every one of my orders and I'll recommend you to them. Likewise, disobey me and I can kill you without blinking. Understand?"

The slaves became restless, and a glint of greed shone from their eyes. They took it as an opportunity to raise their status and live better than they used to. Some of them immediately gave fawning looks to the teenager.

Song Jia's lips quirked. It was really a good play. Scare them, then give them hope, dangling a juicy bait of a future reward to make them effortlessly obey him. No wonder those soldiers had put their trust in him.

"Your work starts tomorrow."

After saying this, the teenager ordered his new obedient minions to take away the corpse of the man he killed. While they were busy, Song Jia glanced around the room to look for Xiang Feng. The sooner she found him, the sooner that they could leave.

This was not the best place for a child to grow up in. Especially since he had the future of becoming a ruthless killer.

"What's your name?"

Song Jia jumped in surprise. She didn't know when the teenager had walked over and stood next to her. His eyes held a look of interest but Song Jia shifted away. He smiled, then closed the distance between them as he leaned towards her. A faint scent of something sweet and flowery drifted towards his nose.

His eyes narrowed in contemplation.

She pursed her lips. "I'll tell you if you tell me yours first."

He didn't hesitate. "I'm called Nian Shou."

Song Jia's eyebrows rose up, but she still didn't say anything.

"I'm called Jia."

He smiled at her. She could see that his teeth were white. It seemed he was telling them the truth when he said that he was living well.

"You have a nice name."

Song Jia was still uncomfortable being stared at by him, so she lay down on the mattress and ignored him. She heard Nian Shou chuckle, and listened to the sound of his fading footsteps. Song Jia clutched the cloak tightly beneath her chin, the wide hood covering her hair.

Shoulders bumped into hers, while sharp elbows jabbed against her back. Song Jia sighed, suddenly missing her luxurious bedchamber in the zhengfang. She wondered if Xiang Feng was also lying on his mattress like her, unable to sleep.

"Just endure a little more, and I'll take you away," she murmured. "Just endure a little more..."

Song Jia daydreamed of smiling servants who served her delicious food, and red lotuses that bloomed in a beautiful koi pond. Of exquisitely embroidered dresses that swayed with her every movement, and the high walls of the imperial palace...

Eventually, without meaning to, Song Jia fell deeply asleep.