It was the late Qing Dynasty, a time of war and unrest, but the small town remained relatively peaceful. There were several wealthy landowners in the town, one of whom was the Huang family. Master Huang was the most powerful landowner in the area, and his household employed many servants. When these servants reached a certain age, their masters arranged marriages for them, and their children would become servants as well, known as "native-born" servants.
In this household, there was a servant named Li. His wife had just given birth to a daughter. Although he had hoped for a son and was somewhat disappointed, he still liked the child because she was born in early summer, and he named her Xia Chu, which means "Early Summer."
As Xia Chu grew up, she developed into a beautiful girl with willow-like brows and delicate eyes. Her skin was fair, and despite working under the sun frequently, she never tanned. She had a poetic and picturesque quality, reminiscent of the Jiangnan water towns. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also very intelligent and had a lovely singing voice. Whenever she hummed a tune, many of the servants would stop and listen quietly. Many whispered that although Xia Chu was just a native-born servant, her looks surpassed those of some of the town's young ladies.
However, Li was deeply worried that his daughter's beauty might bring disaster to the family. He couldn't keep Xia Chu confined at home because she was often assigned tasks by the master.
When Xia Chu was seven, her parents had another daughter, whom Li named Yin Lan. Yin Lan was also very beautiful, even more so than Xia Chu. As the years passed, Xia Chu grew into a graceful young woman and became very fond of her younger sister, Yin Lan, often taking her along while working.
During the Qing Dynasty, there were fewer restrictions on women compared to the Ming Dynasty. Although Xia Chu, being a servant, couldn't stay indoors all the time like a wealthy young lady, she was frequently sent outside by her master to run errands.
One day, Xia Chu was sent to buy wine and took her sister Yin Lan with her. Because Yin Lan was small and short-legged, Xia Chu carried her on her back as they ran to the tavern. On the way, Yin Lan saw a stall with clay figurines and excitedly shouted. Xia Chu checked her pocket and saw that the money she had was only enough for the wine, but she thought she might have a few copper coins left to buy a clay figurine for her sister.
To fulfill her sister's wish as quickly as possible, Xia Chu ran faster. When Yin Lan saw the stall with the clay figurines getting farther away, she began to cry.
As Xia Chu ran quickly, she softly comforted Yin Lan and promised to buy her a clay figurine after getting the wine. Yin Lan stopped crying.
However, after buying the wine, there was not a single copper coin left.
When they passed by the clay figurine stall, Xia Chu paused for a moment. Yin Lan stretched out her little hands, looking at the figurines with longing eyes. Xia Chu gritted her teeth and was about to pull Yin Lan away when she saw someone holding out a small clay figurine to her.
Looking up, Xia Chu saw that the person offering the figurine was a plump, ordinary-looking man. What frightened her was the man's gaze; he looked at her several times and then greedily focused on Yin Lan, his eyes sharp and predatory, as if Yin Lan was his prey.
Yin Lan, terrified by the man's gaze, hid behind Xia Chu and didn't dare to lift her head.
Though the man's appearance was plain, his attire was quite luxurious. Xia Chu was scared but didn't dare to offend a person of higher status. She could only stiffly bow and, without taking the figurine, quickly pulled her sister away, running as if escaping.
That afternoon, Master Huang hosted a distinguished guest, and Xia Chu was called to serve. To her horror, she discovered that the distinguished guest was the same frightening man. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he looked at her, almost as if he was looking through her at someone else. Seeing the way he looked at Yin Lan and Master Huang's obsequious attitude, Xia Chu's fear grew stronger.
As it turned out, Xia Chu's fears were justified. The man shamelessly asked Master Huang for both sisters. Ironically, the man even asked her directly if she was willing.
At that moment, Xia Chu still held out some hope. She deeply bowed and tearfully said, "No, I don't want to!"
To her surprise, the man did not fly into a rage but merely waved her away.
However, Xia Chu soon understood why he let them go so easily.
That afternoon, Xia Chu's mother came running back in tears, saying that Li had been caught stealing and Master Huang intended to cut off one of his hands and gouge out his eyes.
At that time, punishing servants was entirely legal. Even if the punishment was excessive and resulted in death, it only required some money to be spent at the government office to avoid responsibility.
Her mother fainted, and Xia Chu, holding her crying sister, went to the front yard. Their father had been bound to a wooden post, and Master Huang's men were whipping him. His blood had soaked through his tattered clothes, and the ground was covered in red.
Xia Chu knelt with her sister and cried, "Please spare my father. I am willing to do anything you ask…"
Master Huang was satisfied and immediately had the near-death Li carried away, then sent Xia Chu and her sister to the man.
The man soon left the town, and Xia Chu and Yin Lan, trembling with fear, followed him.
They were treated like pets by the man, not required to work but unable to leave. During that time, Xia Chu lived in constant fear, though the man did not make any terrifying moves towards them until they entered his residence.
Soon after settling in, the man put them into a strange room surrounded by copper mirrors. Standing in the room, they saw countless reflections moving around. This terrified Xia Chu, and Yin Lan cried incessantly.
But things got even worse! The man, in front of Yin Lan, violently took Xia Chu's virginity!
Every day was like a nightmare for Xia Chu. She was tortured constantly, and Yin Lan gradually became delirious from her sister's cries. Xia Chu endured all the pain and tried to comfort Yin Lan as if they were still with their parents. Xia Chu feared that the man's ultimate target was not her but Yin Lan. She was terrified that her sister would suffer the same fate but couldn't protect her. The fear gnawed at her day and night, driving her to the brink of madness and destroying everything she had.
So, two years passed slowly. Despite the torment Xia Chu suffered, her beauty continued to stand out, while Yin Lan grew from a small child into a young lady.
Xia Chu and Yin Lan were usually confined to a small courtyard but could occasionally go outside. The courtyard had a small garden, and whenever Xia Chu had a chance, she would sit there all day.
One day, in the garden, Xia Chu encountered a young man for the first time. The young man was handsome and well-built. When their eyes met, they both froze as if something had glued their gazes together, making it hard to part.
From then on, every time Xia Chu was in the garden, she saw the young man, but she didn't dare to ask or approach him. They would gaze at each other from opposite ends of the garden, yet remained silent.
A year passed like this, then another year. Xia Chu turned fifteen, and Yin Lan was eight. The little girl was so thin she seemed like she could be blown away by the wind, yet she became increasingly refined and lovely, evoking sympathy.
The man's gaze toward Yin Lan grew increasingly frightening to Xia Chu. Initially, she resisted the man's advances, but later, in an effort to divert his attention and protect her sister, she used all her efforts to please him, which earned her some of his favor. The man also became less strict with them.
Xia Chu finally had a chance to leave the courtyard and discovered that the small courtyard she had been confined to for over two years was just a small part of the vast estate. The estate had many such small courtyards. She wondered what kind of people lived in those courtyards and whether they were vacant or occupied by girls like her.
The mansion was guarded by many men in black clothes, but the young man was nowhere to be seen. Xia Chu found it strange that she often saw the young man before, but now he had suddenly disappeared. It troubled her greatly, as she had secretly developed feelings for him during their encounters.
Not seeing the young man was a severe torment for Xia Chu.
One day, while the men in black were changing shifts, Xia Chu secretly took Yin Lan and sneaked out of the small courtyard where they had been held for two years. But they were soon discovered. In a panic, they ended up in a Buddhist temple and hid inside.
The men in black searched everywhere, and the mansion became noisy with torches lighting up the area as bright as day.
Yin Lan, who had been trembling and clinging to Xia Chu, suddenly screamed loudly. Xia Chu was so frightened by what she saw that she nearly fainted!
Inside the Buddhist temple where they were hiding, there were not any Buddha statues but rather many grotesque demon king sculptures. Each statue had a fierce face and was staring at them. Additionally, some of the statues had bloodied objects, apparently animal entrails, hanging from their arms or necks.
The demon king statue at the center held a delicate drum in its hands. The drum surface was green, and its right hand was gripping a carved stone heart.
Yin Lan's scream attracted the guards, and they were once again confined to the small courtyard. The man, upon learning of their escape attempt, did not rage but casually instructed the guards to break Xia Chu's legs.
Xia Chu's legs were brutally broken and then set again. Although she was in severe pain, she was even more worried about what punishment awaited Yin Lan.
Xia Chu and Yin Lan were under strict surveillance, feeling as if they had just been brought there. Their lives were unbearable, and Xia Chu considered suicide several times, but seeing her sister's innocent face softened her resolve. She could not deny Yin Lan the right to live, yet she foresaw a life of suffering for her.
As Xia Chu's legs gradually healed, the man began tormenting her again and took her to another house.
There, Xia Chu finally saw the young man again. He was likely one of the man's servants, kneeling on the ground, holding a green drum similar to the one seen in the temple. After presenting the drum, the young man respectfully withdrew, casting a furtive glance at Xia Chu as he left. Xia Chu felt a pang of sadness, and tears almost flowed.
The man was pleased as he beat the drum, the rhythmic "thump thump" quickening Xia Chu's heartbeat, with many shadowy figures swirling around her. Ultimately, she nearly fainted from the intense drumbeats.
After tormenting Xia Chu, she lost consciousness. In her daze, she heard the man speaking to someone, saying that the little girl was excellent material for making drums, but she was too young and needed to be kept for another two years. The older sister was also good, but her quality was much inferior to the younger sister's…
Xia Chu suddenly realized that the man's gaze at Yin Lan was not driven by lust but rather by viewing her as a rare commodity. The thought that Yin Lan might be made into a cold, lifeless drum held by a terrifying demon king horrified Xia Chu.
Determined, Xia Chu resolved that even if it meant death, she would find a way to get Yin Lan out of this hellish place.
Xia Chu desperately searched for an opportunity, but it never came. A few months later, she heard the man say he needed someone willing to offer their flesh and bones to make a drum. If someone were willing to give themselves wholly, he could grant that person one request.
Xia Chu knew the chance had finally arrived, but it required her life in exchange. She tearfully pleaded with the man, saying she could offer her life, but her only wish was to safely return Yin Lan to their parents.
After her earnest pleas, the man agreed.