Xia Ruoxin touched her left arm, and it really did not have any strength; she could not even lift it up. When they all went back onshore, someone came specifically to keep the gold. Someone handed some gold over, but the majority of them did not. Obviously, the person who collected the gold was very satisfied and said something.
However, Xia Ruoxin could not understand him at all.
Two people brought a container of rice.
Xia Ruoxin gulped down her saliva. The pain in her stomach became even worse due to hunger.
She held her stomach with one hand and followed behind the others to take a bowl of rice. Everyone only had half a bowl of the yellowish rice with no side dishes, but Xia Ruoxin found out that the people who had found gold were able to get a big bowl of rice with meat and a big bowl of soup to drink. The rest could only eat the food dryly and drink raw water.
“Can you take it?” Shen Wei asked worriedly. She knew Xia Ruoxin’s body, and once her period came, it would hurt her like hell—not to mention that she still needed to go down to the water and drink cold water.
Women could not touch cold and raw things these few days, but now…
“It’s okay.” Xia Ruoxin touched Shen Wei’s arm. Her belly hurt again so she touched her with more force, but Shen Wei did not budge. Her expression did not change as if it was not Xia Ruoxin who grabbed her arm, and she was just like a wood.
“Sorry.” Xia Ruoxin hurriedly let go, but she did not even dare to move as a rush of hot blood flowed down her leg. The bloody smell became more obvious.
“It’s okay. You don’t have much strength anyway.” Shen Wei sat down beside her, and it seemed like they could take a rest. However, no one returned to the house; and they all went to the river to pick rocks instead.
Xia Ruoxin sighed and held her stomach tightly. She smiled bitterly. “I’m okay, at least I gave birth before. What about you? It might not be good for your body if you spend too long in the water.”
Actually, what she said was a farce. It was not a maybe, it was a definitely. Putting aside the fact it would harm one’s body, soaking in cold water all day long would not bring about benefits and might even affect a woman’s fertility.
Shen Wei leaned against the wall and let the warm sunlight land on her face.
What’s the difference if she could not give birth? She did not really want children anymore.
Bang! Bang! The sticks hit the floor, and the other women took their nets and went into the river.
Xia Ruoxin followed them down. This day, she endured the cramps from her lower abdomen and had almost fainted in the river a few times. A warm gush of liquid would flow down her pants from time to time, but the river was still as cold.
This day, she and Shen Wei did not find any piece of gold. At first, they thought this thing would be over; after all, not everyone could have such luck. However, when they walked over to the fat woman, she picked up the stick and started beating them up harshly; and a lot of people behind them had the same treatment.
Until later, she then found out that to these slaves from wherever, whether they could find gold would concern whether they would get beaten. They could not eat fully and not drink water, but they must find gold.
When one found gold, one would have good food and drinks; but if one did not, then one would be beaten up. If one found gold, one could exchange it for daily necessities like toilet papers, soap, toothbrushes, and stuff like that. Of course, there would also be food.
This night was the bitterest Xia Ruoxin had been for all these years. Even when she left the Chu family penniless back then, she was not like she was now: pain and tired and did not even dare cry.
She held her bedsheets up and slept on the bare bed so she would not dirty the sheets. However, it was hard on her as she could not sleep the whole night and kept tossing and turning and felt endless pain.
The next morning, she got a small bowl of yellow rice again with no dishes or soup or hot water, which made her stomach hurt even more, and she still had to endure the cold water.
However, Shen Wei was lucky this time and found some gold. Under the envy of everyone else, Shen Wei handed the gold over. After the people gestured to her for a long time—perhaps they asked her what she needed, Shen Wei gestured back; and they reached an agreement.
Not long later, Shen Wei took something and shoved it to Xia Ruoxin. “Take it while we still have a break.”
Xia Ruoxin lowered her head, and when she saw the thing, tears welled up in her eyes. “You can exchange for food and drinks; why did you take this for me?”
“Take this. I need to use it, too, next time. Women can’t do without this.”
Shen Wei pushed her, and Xia Ruoxin stood up and felt her stomach swelling. She was sticky and uncomfortable down there in addition to the blood that kept dripping.
She found a place where no one was and hid there. Of course, the people were not afraid that she would escape as there were high walls around the place. Even if she was a monkey, she had to know her limits and would know that she could not make it out of the place.
Shen Wei gave her a roll of toilet paper. These things, to them now, were a luxury so she only dared to use a little. It was not easy to find gold, and they needed to depend on a lot of luck like Shen Wei who had a decent fortune. Perhaps she could not even find gold in a month. Shen Wei had to use these toilet papers soon so she had to save it up.
When she came back, they had to get back to work. She held the toilet paper in her arms and could take them away when they entered the place.
When she went down to the water again, she prayed that her luck would be better; and she could find gold. However, her hopes were dashed; and reality was cruel.
She only found sand but no gold. Other than Shen Wei’s gold today, no one found a second one so when they went into the house, all of them had to suffer a beating on their shoulder. They did it with no mercy whatsoever.
Xia Ruoxin rubbed her shoulders and walked into the house. Once she reached her spot, she closed her eyes and slept. However, her stomach still felt uncomfortable so she huddled up; and tears started dropping from the corner of her eyes.
