When I got up, Warren stomped on my shoulder. As her height was high enough, she managed to
climb up.
We smiled at each other and saw the hope.
When Warren was about to take the ladder standing beside the fence, the big black dog barked and
pounced on her madly.
Without any preparation, Warren screamed and ran quickly.
I jumped on the altar, but couldn't see anything outside, "Hey, Warren, are you okay?"
There was no answer.
"Warren?"
Dark was still shouting, but still, I didn't hear Warren's voice.
I thought that Warren was hurt by Dark, so I asked twice in a hurry, "Warren, Warren, are you okay?"
Still, there was no response from Warren.
The howl of Dark stopped at that time, and the hurried footsteps became clearer and clearer.
A person poked his head out of the cellar. It was Jack.
I was shocked. The eyes of Jack were bulged. He was wearing an apron with a car door and a
slaughterer in his hands.
He looked horrible.
Jack shouted at me, "Where's my wife?"
I didn't expect Jack would come so soon. At that time, I was shocked and looked at him in panic.
"Say something. Where is my wife?"
When I saw Jack's expression, I realized that Warren had left me alone and ran away.
Jack ran away with a slaughterer. I guess he must have gone to find Warren.
But I still couldn't go up alone. I tried to call for help, but I didn't see anyone even if my voice was
hoarse.
It was getting dark, and Jack appeared again.
When I saw him come back alone, I was somewhat relieved for Warren. It seemed that Jack hadn't
found Warren.
But why nobody came here to save me? Hasn't Warren found our men yet?
Jack didn't have a slaughtering knife in his hand then, but the leather apron on his body was still hung.
It was dirty, with dried blood stains on it.
Jack took a ladder and jumped down.
He stared at me with a fierce look, "Give my wife back to me!"
"Jack, she doesn't want to be your wife. Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. Why do you
have to do this?"
"I don't care about it. A woman follows her husband no matter what his lot is. As time goes by, she will
be glad."
"But she's already gone. I'll return the money you bought her to you. Don't think about her anymore
since I keep my word. Take the money and find another girl. "
Jack didn't listen to me. Instead, he was so furious that he shouted at me, "Look for another one! It's
easy for you to speak that. But if it's easy, will I remain single all the time? Did I have to buy a wife from
someone else? I'm old. If I have no wife, how do I have my own children? If I don't have a son, who will
take care of me when I grow old?"
Jack fell to the ground with his head in his hands.
I slowly crouched down, trying to comfort him, "Jack, there's always a way out. Maybe your fate hasn't
arrived yet, and in the future, there will be a chance. Now, Warren has gone, and she has her own
family, and her family are still waiting for her. Let her go, and find a person who is willing to live with
you, isn't it better?"
"Don't say that anymore. You are cheating me. I've told myself that I would get married but I'm a
cripple. Nobody would like to marry me. You only speak for her, but don't take my feelings into account.
Why should other people can live with their wives and children but only I must live alone?"
I knew it was hard for me to persuade him.
"Jack, now that Warren is gone, can you let me out?"
Jack shouted, jumping to his feet, "No! Other people in the village are helping me to find her and I do
not believe that I cannot find her. She is only a stranger here. If I fail to find her, you must stay and be
my wife. You owe me this!"
Jack said as he picked up the rope and tied me more tightly than before.
"Jack, please let me go. You are kidnapping me!"
"I don't care. I'm an illiteracy. I don't know what you're talking about, but I know that I've spent money.
You owe me one wife, so you have to bear it."
"Jack."
Jack didn't listen to me. He climbed up the ladder and pointed at me, "You'd better pray that I can find
my wife."
In this dark cellar, I was sleepy and hungry. It was already dark outside, but no one came to save me.
I couldn't hear the sound outside, and I even started to feel a little desperate. I was afraid that I would
be locked here like Warren, and no matter how many people tried to find me, they couldn't find me.
Suddenly, a flashlight lit up at the entrance of the cellar, which made me unable to open my eyes.
Someone climbed down the ladder. I was thinking whether Warren came to save me.
So I didn't say anything. I just waited quietly, waiting to see who came to save me.
Finally, my heart sank when I saw the face.
It was Jack again.
He no longer wore the clothes in the daytime, but changed into a cleaner thin shirt. It was obvious that
he would be cold at such a night.
His face looked weird with the flashlight.
"Jack. It's late. Why are you here?"
Jack waved his flashlight at me and I could clearly see the movement of his Adam's apple.
Jack was supposed to feel cold, but he wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"I can't find her."
Jack looked at me up and down. I was too scared to make a sound.
"I know who you are, and it's impossible for me, a farmer, to take a fancy to you."
Jack reached out his hand and touched my shoulder.
I trembled like feeling an electric shock.
"What's wrong with me?"
"You are good. You're a hard-working and diligent man."
"I don't have a wife. If I have one, I'll be nice to her. She don't need to work for me, just give me a child
or raise a child for me."
Jack touched my face again as he spoke, and I instinctively moved back.
"You beautiful city girls!"
I had a bad feeling. Sitting on the ground, I tried to move a little back.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I'm here to tell you, although Warren has left, I can't live without a
wife. Stay here and be my wife."
"No way!"
"Why? You said I'm diligent, and you owe me."
"That's two different things."
Jack threw away the flashlight in a sudden, "They told me today that women must be tamed
first."
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