Not long after, I heard my mom cursing in the room again: "I've been fiddling for so long, didn't puncture that membrane, no blood, you worthless girl, you're really not clean!"

After scolding my sister, she was still not satisfied, and kicked her several times before leaving: "Pah! Worthless girl, such a waste of my nourishment and care over so many years!"

When my mom came out, she bumped into me. Through the crack in the door, I saw my sister lying on the bed like a discarded rag, her eyes hollowly staring at the ceiling, tears incessantly rolling down her cheeks.

"What are you looking at! Staring at that rubbish, aren't you afraid of getting a stye?"

Seeing me peeking inside, my mom scolded me and then locked the door.

My dad sat motionlessly at the entrance to the hall, staring in the direction of my sister's room. If it weren't for the cigarette butts at his feet, I would've suspected he was nailed to the spot.

"Indeed, this worthless girl isn't clean! Honey, stop dawdling and think of something. What do we do next? We can't just raise her in vain for so many years!"

My mom pushed my dad, who was still smoking.

Squinting, my dad took a deep drag and said expressionlessly: "We've raised her for so many years, can't take a loss, right? With that body, who knows how many men in the village are eyeing her."

Upon hearing that, the frown on my mom's face suddenly smoothed out, and her eyes lit up: "Ah! Why didn't I think of that? This girl we've spoiled for years, grown so fair and tender, surely she can fetch a good price!"

Just as she finished speaking, Limping Lee happened to pass by our door. My mom rushed up and stopped him.

Limping Lee was so startled he nearly lost his balance: "You… why are you stopping me? I haven't been peeking at your eldest daughter lately!"

When Limping Lee was young, he got caught peeping at someone else's wife bathing, resulting in her husband breaking his leg. Now in his forties or fifties, he still hadn't married.

He often peeped at my sister, and my mom had caught him several times. Being stopped now, he thought my mom was here to trouble him again, trembling as he stuttered.

"Look at you, coward! I'm not here to make trouble for you today. I know you're craving my eldest daughter, so I'm giving you a chance, five hundred bucks, and you can 'spend a night' with her. How about it?"

Listening to my mom, Limping Lee looked incredulous: "I don't believe it. The whole village knows how you two spoil your daughter!"

He wanted to leave after saying that, but my mom clung to him, not letting go, and with much effort, dragged him into my sister's room.

Seeing my sister tied to the bed, Lee was so shocked he couldn't even speak clearly: "You… you guys... are serious!"

My mom smiled: "Do you think I'd lie to you? You're the first customer. You can pay after."

Without giving Lee a chance to refuse, my mom locked him in my sister's room.

Soon after, sounds of my sister's struggle and Lee's malicious laughter echoed from the room.

In less than half an hour, Lee emerged from my sister's room.

His face glowed red with excitement as he handed five hundred bucks to my mom: "I was saving this money, but didn't expect such a great opportunity. Your eldest daughter was still a virgin; this was money well spent."

After paying, Lee joyfully left. My mom stared at the money for a long while in disbelief: "Honey, did you hear what Lee just said? He said the eldest girl is still a virgin... How is that possible? I clearly checked!"

Unwilling to believe Lee, my mom quickly rushed into my sister's room to check.

It wasn't until she saw the bloodstain on the bedsheet that she believed him.

Standing by the bed, she muttered to herself, staring at the glaring red mark: "Impossible, impossible, I clearly checked, how could this be?"

My sister cowered in the corner holding the blanket, shivering, her exposed skin bruised and battered. I couldn't imagine how Lee had tortured her.

"You wretched girl, why didn't you tell me you were clean? You've cost me a fortune. Today, I'm going to beat you to death!"

My mom, furious, scratched and clawed at my sister.

"Enough! Stop going crazy. She did say she was clean; it was you who didn't believe it. It's done now. If you beat her to death, we won't make a single cent. We should treat her well; with so many men in the village, there's no way we can't recoup."

After hearing my dad, my mom reluctantly stopped.