Wan Qian flung open the wardrobe door, intending to check if it was still intact. Unsure how many years the wardrobe had remained unused, a burst of dust immediately hit her as she opened it.
"Cough, cough—" Wan Qian coughed as she brushed away the dust. Finally, once the dust had mostly settled, she could clearly see what was inside the wardrobe.
A desiccated corpse, its entire body contorted in spasms, lay face up in the wardrobe. Its limbs were all nailed down with pins, firmly fixed to the wardrobe's panels, making escape impossible. The face of the desiccated corpse was blurred and unrecognizable.
"Damn!" Wan Qian, filled with disgust, yanked the corpse out of the wardrobe and tossed it aside.
Why do they stuff all kinds of random junk into the wardrobe, and even nail it in there? What if the wardrobe gets damaged and can't be used anymore? Wan Qian leaned over the wardrobe panel, carefully inspecting the nails on it.
When the corpse was pulled out, its brittle bones scattered with just a touch, and a half-arm was left hanging from the nails. Wan Qian grabbed the half-arm and tried to pull it off the nail.
"Didn't expect it to be nailed so tightly." Wan Qian muttered as she tightened her grip and yanked harder. There was a sharp crack. The arm and the nail were torn off the wardrobe together.
Standing aside, Wen Xirou was already numb. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, seeing Wan Qian like this still gave her a small shock.
Suddenly, her gaze sharpened. She noticed half a notebook falling out of the corpse's arms. Wen Xirou quickly walked over and bent down to pick up the notebook.
Though the notebook had been there for an unknown amount of time, the pages had yellowed and the paper had become brittle, the writing inside was still clear and intact.
[The salary offered by the employer is unexpectedly high. I hope to save up more money to send back for my mother's treatment.]
[This is a scam job! Only four hours of rest every day, but we can't get any money! I need to figure out how to escape and report this to the police!]
[The wound is hurting again. Last time I tried to escape, I was caught and severely beaten. The thugs here are too strong, I can't escape. But what about my mother? Without money, her illness can't wait.]
[I've had some education and can read. I'm more useful than them. I can curry favor with the steward.]
[I reported the workers who were late, and the steward rewarded me with two cents. They probably know it was me, but it's okay, as long as I can get money.]
[I heard their plan... They probably don't know I'm hiding in the wardrobe, right?]
[They want to escape through a hole in the northwest corner of the yard wall. The housekeeper and the thugs blocked them there and caught them red-handed. I got ten dollars. It's great, now my mother's illness can be treated.]
[Five girls were missing from the ones caught, the steward said they were beaten to death. I had a nightmare, saw a bloody person staring at me. Who was it? It was A Xiu! Where is her skin?]
[...Someone like me is bound to go to hell. The steward is dead, and the young master won't live long. My punishment will probably come soon.]
[What a pity, the bondage contract is still in the steward's room. I probably won't have the chance to get it back.]
Wen Xirou read through the passages, one after another. Under the dim light, the lines of text pieced together a story from the past.
This was likely a diary left behind by someone who once worked at the farm.
She was a literate female worker who, along with others, was tricked into coming to work at the farm.
The high-intensity work every day, yet not a single penny of pay. When she tried to escape, the farm thugs caught her and gave her a harsh beating.
In desperation, she finally submitted and chose to curry favor with the powerful steward at the farm. By betraying her coworkers, she earned a fair reward.
But later, it seemed that the housekeeper had some kind of accident and died, and no one was left to maintain the operation of the farm. The workers, unable to endure such working conditions, revolted.
As a lackey of the steward, The owner of the diary was captured by the rebellious workers and punished. Her hands and feet were nailed down, and she was locked in a cupboard, left to starve to death.
It was likely because the owner of the diary used to secretly hide in the wardrobe to observe her coworkers. That's why the wardrobes in the dormitory gave off a feeling of being watched.
At the same time, Wen Xirou suddenly had a realization. According to the diary, there was a revolt by the workers. '
Could this mean the original farm owner and steward were overthrown?
If so, the black-clad man who insisted he was the steward might not have been lying after all. He really was the steward—of the previous, now-overthrown farm owner.
Then, the woman in the red dress who claimed to be the farm owner...
Wen Xirou had a bold guess. But she needed more information to confirm it.
As Wen Xirou was lost in thought, Wan Qian had already hoisted the wardrobe from the storage room onto her shoulder.
"Wan... Wan Qian?"
"Is there anything else you're looking for?" With the wardrobe slung over her shoulder, Wan Qian casually turned around and looked at Wen Xirou, saying with a good-natured smile, "If you need anything, I can grab it for you too."
"N-No, nothing more." Wen Xirou tightly hugged the notebook in her arms, looking like a small chick, obediently following Wan Qian out of the storage room.
As they passed the last row of compartments, Wen Xirou glanced inside. She didn't see Molly anywhere.
The wardrobe that was moved out of the storage room had been unused for so long that it smelled of mold and dust.
Wan Qian dropped the wardrobe with a thud in the hallway. She opened all the drawers and doors to let it air out.
Several other interns from the dormitory were drawn out by the noise, and when they saw the scene, their faces showed shock.
"What... What's going on here?"
Wan Qian noticed their confused gazes and felt a little embarrassed. She scratched her head, and answered, "Just an old wardrobe, it's a bit moldy. I'm leaving it here to air out."