065 Abandoning Me

The Third Aunt suddenly felt a mix of laughter and tears. This little rascal dared to accuse her of partiality out of nowhere! If she were truly partial, she should give him a sound thrashing for his lack of sense. Wen-feng running off with him was ten to one orchestrated by this very brat!

"I'll do the thrashing. I am your father, so I surely won't be partial, right?" Xie Cheng-yu finally lost his patience. If he didn't beat this child, he would literally be angered to death.

The Third Aunt hurriedly shoved the slender bamboo switch into the eldest brother's hands; this was a thoroughly ungrateful job!

Xie Wen-jing saw that her father's expression remained steady and breathed a sigh of relief. Her father's emotional control was far better than she had imagined.

Xie Cheng-yu took the thin bamboo switch and rained heavy blows down upon his son's calves.

"Ouch! Father, it hurts to death! Third Aunt, Third Aunt, you do it! Please, you hit me instead! My father is even more unfairly partial! Father has a little brother now and doesn't want me anymore! Waaah!"

Wen-bao scampered around to dodge his father's merciless blows while wailing at the top of his lungs.

Xie Cheng-yu was so exasperated by his son's words that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What did having a little brother have to do with not wanting him anymore? If he didn't want him, why would he bother punishing him?

"Who told you that having a little brother means I don't want you?" Xie Cheng-yu asked, determined to correct such a warped notion in his son's mind.

"Elder Sister said so. Last time, Elder Sister told me viciously that if I ever ran off to Yangzhou privately again, she wouldn't care about me anymore. Elder Sister even said, 'Isn't it just a little brother? Without me, Father and Mother can just give birth to another little brother.' Now the little brother has really come, and you're beating me! Waaah! You don't want me anymore! Waaah!"

As Wen-bao spoke, he burst into bitter tears of profound grievance.

Xie Wen-jing felt her temples throbbing persistently.

Just how much of a debt did she owe this younger brother that it would require two lifetimes to repay?

"Nonsense. A little brother is a little brother, and you are you. If you weren't my son, why would I waste my energy beating you? Wouldn't I rather be keeping your mother company instead?"

Xie Cheng-yu gave a sideways, disgruntled pacification to his son. He certainly still wanted this boy as his son!

However, Xie Cheng-yu now understood why his daughter had felt the need to frighten her brother. It turned out the boy had previously sneaked off in secret, a misdeed caught by his daughter, who chose not to tell him so as to spare him worry.

He simply hadn't expected that he and Juan-er would actually have the chance to conceive another child. Just days prior, a sudden burst of passion—just that single time—had nearly triggered his illness, scaring both him and his wife into keeping it a secret from everyone. Those days had been spent lying in bed recovering, never imagining that a single instance would actually result in a pregnancy.

Xie Cheng-yu felt rather sheepish. Everyone at home was worried about his health, yet he hadn't exercised proper restraint. Now that his wife was pregnant, he had to discipline himself strictly and avoid adding to the household's troubles.

"Then... then you still want me?" Xie Wen-bao asked tearfully.

"I want you, but this beating cannot be waived!" Xie Cheng-yu answered with strained patience.

"Father, I've already taken ten strokes, and Third Brother took fifteen altogether, leaving five more. Father, can you let Third Aunt do it?"

Wen-bao now knew just how gentle the Third Aunt's strokes were by comparison.

Xie Cheng-yu grumpily handed the thin bamboo switch back to the Third Aunt. The boy had received his lesson for the day and learned a fair bit besides, so they could more or less call it a day!

The Third Aunt's mouth twitched. You little rascal, didn't you just accuse the Third Aunt of being partial? Why are you begging the Third Aunt to hit you now?

Oh well, both children had grown up quite a bit today. With this thought, the Third Aunt lightly struck Xie Wen-bao five times, marking the conclusion of the punishment for both boys.

Xie Wen-jing cast a grateful look toward the Third Aunt. She had devised the punishment herself, yet couldn't bear to carry it out with her own hands, leaving the Third Aunt to do the dirty work—she felt rather apologetic.

With the punishment of the two children over, the entire family went to check on Du Juan. Du Juan had already awakened by then; upon learning of her pregnancy, her face flushed with shame, and she felt as though she had nowhere to hide.

How would the rest of the family view her? The child's father was still in poor health!

"Juan-er, you're awake? The Third Sister-in-law has come to see you!"

Though Xie Cheng-yu also felt a bit bashful, now that a child was on the way, he naturally had to stand tall and save face for his wife, demonstrating that his health was currently fine and that having a child was perfectly normal.

Du Juan looked at the family with a blushing face, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, this is a joyous occasion for our family. When the baby is born, we'll carry the child over to show that stepmother, just to let her see that our family is living splendidly! We'll infuriate her to death!"

The Third Aunt sensitively perceived the Eldest Sister-in-law's embarrassment and promptly changed the subject, sparing her any further discomfort.

"Exactly, exactly! Mother must definitely give birth to an obedient little brother for me this time, oh! Hehe!"

Xie Wen-jing chimed in to liven the atmosphere, incidentally needling her troublesome younger brother.

"Mother, if the little brother you give birth to turns out disobedient, can I give him a beating too?"

Seeing his elder sister glare at him, Xie Wen-bao braved her wrath to provoke his eldest sister. She only ever knew how to beat him! Once the little brother arrived, he would finally have someone he could beat in turn!

With Xie Wen-bao stirring the pot, Du Juan genuinely felt much better, looking at her family with eyes full of happiness.

Meanwhile, Xie Cheng-ju led his family to Jinling, forked over one hundred thousand silver notes, and finally won the beauty's hand.

However, several days had already passed by the time Xie Cheng-in finished handling his official appointment as Assistant Magistrate in Jinling.

Some officials within the Six Ministries at Jinling held a deep fondness for the famous Jinling courtesan Man'er, and out of regard for her, they had relinquished a rare Southern Assistant Magistrate post to Xie Cheng-ju. Jianyang County in Fujian was far better than Ningxia or Gansu, where other provincial graduates were sent.

At this juncture, the Japanese pirates had not yet made their incursions. Aside from Jianyang suffering severe natural disasters that year, there were truly no other drawbacks.

"In that case, you must treat our Jinling Man'er well and not let her suffer any hardships!" A junior imperial censor, who was an ardent fan of Man'er, had already grieved for a while over her departure. A prime Chinese cabbage had truly been uprooted by a pig.

Upon meeting Xie Cheng-ju, this junior censor had a strong urge to beat him up, but thinking of his beloved Man'er, he decided to look out for him—as if doing a final good deed for Man'er's sake.

Xie Cheng-ju immediately plastered a flattering smile on his face: "Certainly, certainly!"

Inwardly, however, he was furious to the point of exploding. Man'er was already his woman; what on earth was the meaning of such instructions?

At that moment, Man'er was being subjected to a severe lecture regarding family rules by Xie Cheng-ju's legal wife! Man'er possessed a proud spirit and, unable to contain herself, talked back, resulting in a punishment of copying the family rules one hundred times!

Xie Cheng-ju's family was still staying at an inn, with Man'er and Cui'er sharing a single room. Xie Cheng-ju had not yet found the time to consummate his relationship with Man'er, needing to maintain appearances for the time being. In any case, this woman was already his, and her redemption papers remained securely in his hands; he wasn't worried about missing his chance to taste her.

Besides, his wife had been giving him the cold shoulder these past few days, and he couldn't afford to ignore her, lest a scene erupt and severely damage his official career. Fortunately, over the past few days, his wife had merely focused on properly instructing Man'er without making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Young Miss, this is simply too outrageous! That Xie Cheng-ju pays you no heed whatsoever and watches unblinkingly as his wife torments you. It infuriates me to death!"

Man'er's personal maid had also been released along with her, and seeing her young mistress's husband treat her in such a manner made her hopping mad.

"Hush, they're right next door! I will patiently copy these. From now on, you must never speak so recklessly again!

Since we have chosen to submit to him, we must mentally prepare ourselves; no wife in the world would ever welcome women like us.

As long as they don't cross the line, I will resign myself to fate. If they go too far, however, we shall have to fight back.

As for Xie Cheng-ju, he is a provincial graduate after all and will soon assume office as a local Assistant Magistrate. If he treats us well in the future, we shall plan carefully for his sake.

If he treats us poorly, we will simply have to plan for ourselves. The silver notes I told you to hide away in secret must never be given to anyone—not even our man. That is our ultimate fallback, understand?"

Man'er hadn't been idle these past few days; she had instructed Cui'er to keep just two sets of her jewelry and convert all the rest into silver notes.

Over the years, the wealthy young masters of Jinling had bestowed countless silver rewards upon her. She had saved a total of eighty thousand taels, which, combined with the jewelry converted into cash, amounted to ninety thousand taels.

She had divided the stash for safekeeping: Cui'er held twenty thousand taels, while she kept seventy thousand taels. Splitting it up like this was purely a precautionary measure against any eventualities.

"Understood, Young Miss. The silver notes are wrapped in oiled paper and sewn into our inner bodices; no one would ever suspect it. Aside from you, Young Miss, I will never tell a single soul—even if beaten to death, I won't utter a word!"

Cui'er imitated her mistress's hushed tone so as not to be overheard by the neighbors.

"Young Miss, Old Servant Li, who returned earlier, said that Xie Cheng-ju liquidated his ancestral estate in Yangzhou just to scrape together the one hundred thousand taels for your redemption, and even managed to anger his mother to the point of fainting.

You say, since he has no money left in his hands, will he come looking to us for silver to spend later on?"

Cui'er asked in a low voice.

"He certainly will. However, for the time being, we cannot give him a single copper. We must observe closely whether he treats the two of us well. If he treats us well, the silver can be spent on him; if he treats us poorly, hmph, I'd rather throw the silver into the water than give him a single cash!"

Man'er had to plan extensively for her future—something she had never needed to worry about before. But now that the arrow was already notched on the bow, she had no choice but to consider every angle.

"Yes, we have no money!" Cui'er responded firmly to her mistress's words, drawing a low laugh from Man'er that somewhat dispelled her vague apprehension of the unknown.

Once Xie Cheng-ju finished his business, he lost not a single day before setting off with his entire family.

After hiring a boat bound for Fujian, the silver he had on hand was truly completely exhausted.

"Wife, tonight I must take that woman and first coax her into handing over her private savings. The silver we had has already been completely spent along the journey!"

Once aboard the boat, Xie Cheng-ju quietly confided his intentions to his wife. If his wife didn't cooperate in this matter, a fierce row would likely ensue, tarnishing his reputation. He needed to coax his wife into nodding assent first, and then sweet-talk the concubine out of her money.

The face of Xie Cheng-ju's wife turned ashen with anger. That courtesan was nothing more than a vixen; if she bewitched her husband, she would end up running the entire household. To make matters worse, that woman still possessed silver, while she herself was short of funds!

No way. Not until she had broken the concubine's spirit through discipline could this happen.

"No. We are still on the boat; wait until we reach Jianyang, Fujian, before you deal with her. During this time, I still need to properly discipline her and ensure she strictly abides by the Xie family rules."

Xie Cheng-ju's wife put on the airs of a legitimate primary wife, standing firm in her resolve to deny the vixen any opportunity. Unless she broke the girl's spirit and made her submissive, she wouldn't let her serve her husband.

Helpless, Xie Cheng-ju had no choice but to drop the matter.

As night approached midnight that evening, the transport vessel was about to enter the Hangzhou Grand Canal. Irritated by his lack of funds, Xie Cheng-ju kept turning over in his mind how to pry the silver out of Man'er's hands.

Then, thinking of his woman whom he still hadn't been able to taste, his palms itched and his heart burned with unbearable desire.

Looking at his wife sleeping soundly beside him, Xie Cheng-ju felt immensely agitated and desperately needed a vent. Naturally, the person he most wanted to use as an outlet was the tantalizing Man'er.

Driven by an irresistible impulse, he knocked softly on the door of the room shared by Man'er and Cui'er. The two of them were still burning the midnight oil, busy copying the family rules by lamplight!

"Man'er!" Xie Cheng-ju's eyes blazed with fervent heat. How could he have listened to his wife and left such a breathtaking beauty untouched? Was he an idiot?

As soon as Xie Cheng-ju stepped inside, he closed the door behind him with a flick of his hand and pulled the startled Man'er straight into his embrace.

"Husband, the Madam said we can only consummate our marriage after we reach Jianyang in Fujian. Please show some consideration for Man'er and wait patiently for a few more days, won't you?"

How could Man'er fail to see the burning desire in the man's eyes? Yet Man'er had her own pride.

Though she was to be a concubine, she still yearned for a proper bridal chamber with wedding candles. Even without formal nuptials, if her husband respected her enough to prepare a peach-blossom bridal gown, arrange a bridal chamber, and light a pair of red candles, she would be utterly content.

Naturally, she was unwilling to casually surrender her body and make herself appear cheap. High-end courtesans like Man'er cared deeply about such things; deep down in their hearts, knowing their low social standing, they craved a man's genuine respect all the more.

"Cui'er, get out! Tonight is the night your master dotes on Man'er!" Misinterpreting Man'er's polite refusal as playful coyness, the fire burning in his heart blazed even hotter.

"Master, Young Miss is currently indisposed and cannot serve you!" Cui'er suddenly had a flash of inspiration and stepped in to bail her mistress out.

"Is that so? Then Master must dote on Man'er even more. Let me take a look!" Xie Cheng-ju's eyes burned with heat as he instinctively reached out to tug at Man'er's upper dress.

Panicking, Man'er pushed him away: "Husband, please don't do this, I beg of you!" A sudden surge of profound disappointment washed over Man'er. Upon hearing that she was indisposed, this man still insisted on demanding her service? What kind of man was this?

Man'er's resistance abruptly ignited the agitated Xie Cheng-ju's temper.

*Slap!*

"You stinking whore! I give you face, and you start climbing over my head? I spent a full one hundred thousand taels to redeem you. For the rest of your life, you are my concubine. When Master is happy, you'll serve me well; when Master is unhappy, you'll serve me even better! Don't blame Master for lacking tenderness and pity!

I'll lay it flat right here today: if you really are indisposed and can't serve Master, then let your Cui'er serve Master instead!"

Xie Cheng-ju's expression suddenly twisted as he lashed out with a vicious slap, sending stars spinning before Man'er's eyes.

Stunned by the sudden blow, Man'er trembled all over. Cui'er hurriedly rushed forward to embrace her young mistress, both of them badly frightened.

Seeing this, Xie Cheng-ju abruptly snapped to his senses. What on earth was he losing his temper for? If he terrified them and they refused to hand over their money, wouldn't he lose more than he gained?

"Man'er? Husband was just too impatient. Did I hurt you? Let me blow on it for you."

In an instant, Xie Cheng-ju's expression morphed right back, throwing the still-terrified Man'er into even greater panic. A man whose mood was so erratic—striking people one second and coaxing them the next—was truly terrifying!

Frightened, Man'er scrambled to her feet and backed away repeatedly, dodging Xie Cheng-ju's affectionate advances.

"Don't be afraid. I was just too eager for you earlier, and you are simply too beautiful, too captivating.

I understand your thoughts; which woman doesn't yearn for a proper bridal chamber? Since you're my concubine, I ought to cherish you.

However, to be completely honest with you, Husband had to liquidate his ancestral estate in Yangzhou just to redeem you. As things stand, Husband is financially strapped and completely penniless.

Even if I wanted to set up a bridal chamber for you, I don't have the silver. If Man'er is willing, you can first take out your private savings.

Whatever amount of silver Man'er brings out, Husband will use it to set up a bridal chamber of that exact scale, alright?

Once Husband has money in the future, I'll return it to you tenfold!"

Xie Cheng-ju figured this approach would both dispel Man'er's fear of him and reveal how much silver she actually possessed—as well as where she kept it hidden.

"None! We don't have a single copper!"

Cui'er abruptly and resolutely refused. This man was no good at all; first he tried to force her mistress, then he struck her, and now he was trying to swindle her mistress out of her silver. Not a single cent would they give him!

*Slap!* Unable to restrain himself, Xie Cheng-ju landed another infuriated slap—though this time, it was Cui'er who took the blow.

"Cui'er? How are you? Xie Cheng-ju, don't you dare bully us any further! If you dare hit us again, I swear I'll jump straight out of this window and leave you with neither person nor money! Get out! Get out of here!"

Having already endured the humiliation of being struck herself, Man'er had swallowed her anger. But seeing Cui'er—who had accompanied her since childhood—take a blow, she reached her breaking point, standing up to point at Xie Cheng-ju while threatening to jump from the boat.

Xie Cheng-ju grew furious as well! You stinking whore! How dare you yell at me like this? He refused to believe anyone was truly fearless in the face of death!

With a single heavy stride, he cornered Man'er against the window: "Jump then! Go ahead and jump!"

Man'er looked back at the pitch-black window frame and the biting chill drifting up from the canal, shivering involuntarily and instinctively edging slightly away from the opening.

Meanwhile, Xie Cheng-ju had suddenly stumbled upon a shortcut to obtaining Man'er's silver; there was no need to coddle this woman at all!

"Hand over your silver, or else this place will be your burial ground. Once you're dead, your silver will belong to me all the same! Are you going to hand it out or not?"

Xie Cheng-ju had racked his brains these past few days over how to extract money from Man'er. Now that he had discovered her fatal weakness, he naturally intended to exploit it. He refused to believe she wasn't afraid to die!

Besides, if she really did die, her silver was bound to be hidden somewhere in this room; he could simply search for it slowly and was sure to find it.

A profound, bone-chilling coldness settled over Man'er. This man was vicious to such an extreme degree—even if she died, she wouldn't let him benefit!

No, she had to drag him down to hell with her!

If not for his public humiliation which robbed her of any face to remain on the Qinhuai River, forcing her to follow him into an honest life, she wouldn't be in this plight.

She had thought him a provincial graduate at least, an Assistant Magistrate to boot. Never had she imagined that this man was no human at all! For the sake of her silver, he actually dared to harbor murderous intent against her!

Man'er's eyes gradually turned bloodshot. Her innate pride refused to bow to this man. Then let them die together!

Abruptly, Man'er lunged at Xie Cheng-ju, intending to drag him overboard into the canal with her.

Realizing her intent just in time, Xie Cheng-ju delivered a swift kick that sent Man'er plunging straight into the canal. Before Cui'er could stop him, seeing her mistress kicked into the water, her immediate reaction was to dive in after her. Finding her mistress was Cui'er's singular, overriding thought.

Two heavy splashes broke the silence, jolting the two boatmen from their slumber at the oars.

The pair circled their transport vessel once, heard no cries for help, and then resumed rowing with a mixture of doubt and lingering apprehension.

After a long while, one of the boatmen in his twenties finally couldn't hold it back any longer and spoke softly to his older brother.

"Big Brother, this time we're carrying three households to Fujian, and they all seem to be scholarly folk. Could something have happened?" The younger boatman asked his older brother with an unsettled mind.

"We already checked around, heard no cries for help, and so much time has passed. Even if someone fell overboard, I'm afraid it wasn't just a simple slip.

Hush, we pull this boat for a living to feed our families; some matters are beyond our reach. Let's just pretend we heard nothing at all!

If we accidentally provoke people we shouldn't, it could bring disaster upon our whole household!" The older brother, in his forties, helplessly instructed his younger sibling on the art of self-preservation.

"B-but what if they ask us when we reach Fujian? What should we say?" The younger brother asked, still worried.

"Stick firmly to one story: we didn't hear anyone fall into the water! So much time has passed, and all three households have been dead quiet—looks like they've all fallen soundly asleep.

If come tomorrow morning none of those three families report anyone missing, we'll just act completely oblivious. Besides, it was probably just a big fish jumping with a splash, and the two of us were just making a mountain out of a molehill!

If someone really does report a missing person and the officials come to question us, we'll stick to our story: we didn't hear a thing, say we were exhausted at night and dozed off for a spell. Understood?"

The younger boatman nodded, feeling his heart settle considerably. True enough, it was probably just his own overactive imagination; what they heard earlier was likely just a big fish breaking the surface.

Back inside, Xie Cheng-ju stood in a daze, staring blankly at the canal below the window.

For the span of a full incense stick, Xie Cheng-ju saw neither hide nor hair of Man'er or Cui'er, nor did he hear a single cry for help. A hunch suddenly formed in his mind: since they hadn't surfaced after so long, ten to one they were dead.

If they were dead, the silver they left behind would belong entirely to him. They had fallen into the canal empty-handed, which meant their private savings must still be hidden right here in this room.

Driven by this thought, Xie Cheng-ju impatiently tore Man'er's room apart, turning it upside down.

He spared not a single spot—not the corners, not the bedding, not even the pillows. After scrambling about for half a day, the only things he recovered from Man'er's bundle were two sets of jewelry.

Xie Cheng-ju grew frantic and frustrated. Those two sets of jewelry were worth at most two thousand taels of silver—a far cry from his expectations of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or perhaps even millions of taels.

He sat blankly for another spell, after which a sudden wave of terror washed over him. Man'er's death was essentially murder; would the local authorities investigate him?

If the corpses of Man'er and Cui'er washed ashore and were exposed, would the trail lead back to him?

No, he had to strike first and stick firmly to a single narrative: they had escaped.

Come daylight, he would feign ignorance, come looking for them, and then "discover" that the two had fled. Conveniently, they still had the half-copied family rules left behind; they must have been terrified of his wife and slipped away in the dead of night. Yes, that was what he would say.

*Tap, tap, tap.* Three light knocks sounded at the door, causing Xie Cheng-ju to leap up and ask in a hoarse, hushed tone, "Who is it?"

"Husband? It's me."

Xie Cheng-ju let out a weak, sagging sigh of relief. It was his wife's voice.

Lacking all strength in his limbs, he staggered over, unlocked the door, and let his wife step inside.

"Husband, was that those two falling into the river just now?"

Xie Cheng-ju's wife had been jerked awake from her slumber by the sound of Cui'er's plunge. Upon waking, she discovered her husband missing from her side.

Right then, she had guessed that her man had ignored her warnings and sneaked off to steal a taste behind her back.

Thus, she dressed herself, crept over to the neighboring door, and pressed her ear against it.

Not a single sound could she hear. Eventually, however, she heard the footsteps of only one person inside—her husband's footsteps, unmistakable.

Then came the sound of rustling and rummaging. A sharp suspicion flashed through the wife's mind: could that splash have been that vixen falling into the river?

Hence, she had knocked on the door to come and check.

"Where are they?" Xie Cheng-ju's wife swept her gaze around the room, failing to locate the vixen, which only deepened her suspicions.

Trembling, Xie Cheng-ju shut the door behind her.

"Both of them drowned!" Xie Cheng-ju answered powerlessly.

"Then what about their silver?" The wife's immediate reaction was to ask about the silver they left behind.

"Look, I only found these two sets of jewelry, worth at most two thousand taels. I couldn't find a single thing else. When they jumped into the river, they clearly went in empty-handed, yet I searched the whole room and found nothing."

"Let me look around. How could a courtesan have only two thousand taels to her name? Could she have kept it hidden on her person, or did she perhaps not bring it with her at all?"

Muttering incredulously to herself, Xie Cheng-ju's wife scanned the room with sharp eyes, rummaging here and there with her hands, conducting an even more thorough search.

"Listen to me, pack these two sets of jewelry away safely and claim she gave them to you as a greeting gift. When morning comes, I will pretend to come looking for them and 'discover' that they've run away.

Remember, they fled on their own accord—they couldn't bear the discipline, having only copied half the family rules before bolting in terror under the cover of night. That's our story.

If the authorities come to question us, you must swear up and down that we slept together all night without waking up, and that we only discovered their flight come morning. Understood?"

Xie Cheng-ju knew full well that reporting the incident this way was the only method to shield himself from suspicion. Yet he couldn't afford *not* to report it, since those people in Jinling had watched them board the boat with their own eyes.

Moreover, numerous passengers on the vessel had witnessed the two boarding. Proactively reporting their disappearance meant that even if their bodies were eventually discovered later on, it would have nothing to do with him.

Alternatively, if by some stroke of luck they hadn't died, their redemption contracts still remained in his hands; even if they miraculously survived, they could never escape his palm.

***

Man'er had been kicked straight into the canal by Xie Cheng-ju. Caught completely off guard, she hadn't even managed a single cry for help before the freezing river water swallowed her whole.

Meanwhile, Cui'er, having grown up on the banks of the Qinhuai River, had a particular fondness for playing in the water during her childhood, meaning her swimming skills were far from poor. However, Cui'er could not afford to save only herself; her young mistress couldn't swim—if she didn't save her, her young mistress was finished.

Underwater, Cui'er frantically groped about in the murky depths in search of her mistress's body.

Yet despair gripped her heart: after searching anxiously for nearly an entire hour, she still failed to locate her young mistress's body.

Soaking wet and utterly exhausted, Cui'er dragged herself ashore. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she bit down on her lip so hard it bled, refusing to believe her young mistress was truly gone.

*Xie Cheng-ju, starting today, I, Cui'er, swear to make you pay for this with blood! You inhuman dog of a man, I swear upon my young mistress's departed soul:*

*I will ruin you completely, I will ensure you die a dog's death without a burial place, and I will have your entire family pay with their lives for my young mistress alone!*

Driven mad with grief, a monstrous hatred surged within Cui'er's heart.

***

Old Servant Li had traveled to Yangzhou to track down the Third Uncle. On their return journey to the Li Clan Settlement, they happened to stumble upon a young woman of about twenty lying unconscious on a footpath near the village entrance.

"Young lady?" The Third Uncle stood nearby, calling out to the woman sprawled across the dirt path.

"Madam?" Old Servant Li likewise called out from the side.

It was currently the third watch, and while the night remained dark, the moonlight still illuminated the surroundings. Finding a lone woman collapsed here was highly unusual. Even Old Servant Li, who typically disliked interacting with women, found himself compelled to wake her.

The Third Uncle reached out to test her breathing; she was still alive.

"Forget it, carry her on your back. We'll take her home and find a physician!" The Third Uncle instructed without hesitation. In any case, there was no way *he* was going to carry her.

Old Servant Li desperately wanted to refuse, but before the words could leave his mouth, he saw the Third Uncle already turning around.

"You carry her back first; I'll go fetch a physician! We'll split up to save time—her breathing is very weak."

With those words, the Third Uncle hurried off toward another nearby village to find the closest healer.

Left standing there with his mouth agape as the Third Master walked off, Old Servant Li was speechless.

Gazing down at the unconscious young woman, an intense internal struggle raged within him.

Should he head back first and fetch people? Everyone at home was fast asleep at this hour; by the time he woke them up and brought them back, would this girl have already died? The weather remained quite chilly at this time of night!

Yet if he hoisted her onto his back, her chastity would effectively be ruined by his actions. If she demanded he take responsibility later on, how could he possibly compensate her?

Screw it. Saving a life comes first; deal with the consequences later.

With a sense of awkward reluctance, Old Servant Li finally heaved the fallen woman onto his back and broke into a fast jog back toward the Xie residence in the Li Clan Settlement. He ran with a guilty conscience, terrified of being spotted—though it wasn't yet time for farmers to head out to the fields, the lingering anxiety remained nonetheless.

Panting heavily after a fifteen-minute jog, Old Servant Li finally deposited his burden back at the Xie household within the Li Clan Settlement.

Hearing the knocking at the gate and discovering it was Old Servant Li, the household members were immensely excited. The maid who opened the gate didn't even notice the woman strapped to Old Servant Li's back before she scurried off to wake the Third Aunt.

Left speechless, Old Servant Li made to put the woman down, only to find the person on his back wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, refusing to let go.

Covered in sweat, Old Servant Li panicked. Fortunately, Mother Du emerged at that moment.

"Mother Du, help me out!" Old Servant Li cried out as if seeing a savior.

Mother Du cast a steady glance over, only to find the Third Master missing.

"The Young Miss sent you to Yangzhou to find the Third Master. Where is he? Didn't you find him?"

Mother Du cared little about the entanglement between the woman and Old Servant Li; her primary concern was the absence of the person they had sent for.

"Did you find the Third Master or not?"

The Third Aunt, having hastily thrown on an outer garment, rushed over in a flurry, only to find her own husband conspicuously absent. The anxious tone of her question betrayed her agitation.

"The Third Master is on his way back; he went to fetch a physician for her!" Old Servant Li answered helplessly.

"What?" A wave of dizziness washed over the Third Aunt. By the glow of the lantern, she could see that the woman on Old Servant Li's back possessed exceptionally delicate and pretty features. Could her husband have taken a fancy to her?

"Third Aunt, don't panic yet. Let's wait until Third Uncle returns. Old Servant Li, put her down. Mother Du, help settle her inside."

Hearing the commotion, Xie Wen-jing had emerged as well, arriving just in time to catch their exchange and witness the Third Aunt's shock and anger.

However, the situation remained unclear for now. Moreover, if her Third Uncle truly cared for this woman, he would have carried her himself rather than leaving the task to Old Servant Li.

At that exact moment, the frail young woman threw her arms tightly around Old Servant Li's neck once more, refusing to loosen her grip. Despite her unconscious state, she clung desperately as if a drowning person grasping a final straw of life.

After a joint tug-of-war by the household, they finally managed to pry the woman's hands loose and settle her down. Mother Du even yielded her own room to accommodate the visitor.

Before long, the Third Uncle arrived with the physician in tow. After taking her pulse, the healer prescribed a round of herbal remedies.

By then, the rest of the household members had woken up one after another, including Xie Wen-feng and the others. Seeing their father return safely allowed the heavy stones in their chests to finally settle.

Only then did Xie Wen-bao feel a twinge of guilt; if not for his actions, his Third Uncle wouldn't have chased all the way to Yangzhou. Was it possible he was in the wrong after all?

Through explanations, the family finally learned that the Third Uncle and Old Servant Li had stumbled upon this young woman by the roadside during their return trip.

Only then did the Third Aunt finally let out a true sigh of relief, particularly upon learning that her husband hadn't laid a single finger on the woman out of propriety, which gladdened her heart immensely.

Glancing back and forth between Old Servant Li and the unconscious woman who still instinctively clutched at him, a sudden thought struck the Third Aunt: if the girl had no betrothal, perhaps she could arrange a match with Old Servant Li.

Old Servant Li had lived as a bachelor all these years, and having carried the girl for so long, marrying her off to him would be for the best. That way, he wouldn't spend the remainder of his life in solitude.

She only wondered where the girl hailed from and what family members she still possessed.

This young woman was none other than Cui'er. While still in Jinling, Cui'er had overheard Xie Cheng-ju's relatives mentioning that they had family in Hangzhou—specifically Xie Cheng-ju's mother.

Intent on revenge, Cui'er was temporarily unable to follow them to Jianyang, Fujian, and since Xie Cheng-ju's family recognized her face, she could never get close to them there.

Thus, Cui'er devised a plan: she would first make Xie Cheng-ju's family pay with their lives for her young mistress, making Xie Cheng-ju taste the agony of losing a loved one.

Having managed to track down the location of Xie Cheng-ju's family to the Li Clan Settlement, Cui'er had engineered a scheme to infiltrate the village.

As fate would have it, the trap she laid accidentally ensnared Old Servant Li and the Third Uncle, who unknowingly carried her back to safety.

Once settled inside the household, Cui'er took care not to reveal the slightest hint of her hatred, projecting an image of extreme frailty and an intense attachment to Old Servant Li.

Xie Wen-jing noted that the rescued "Cui'er" behaved with utmost politeness in all her manners and speech; her fondness for Old Servant Li was of little consequence, since finding a companion for him was a joyous development anyway.

Yet, this woman's past was suspiciously immaculate!

What kind of orphaned waif, bereft of parents and wandering the roads in destitution, would collapse from hunger right on a village path without a single acquaintance, relative, or clansman to her name?

"Mother Du, Zhihua, Meilan, the three of you take turns keeping watch over that woman. Pitiful though she may be, there are too many inconsistencies in her story.

Vigilance is a necessity, especially regarding her food—do not let her touch anything unmonitored. Furthermore, keep the younger brothers and sisters away from her.

Once I confer with Old Servant Li, if he wishes to marry her, we will expedite their wedding and have them move out, preferably into a newly constructed cottage of their own outside our immediate courtyard. I would rather build them a separate small dwelling than keep a person of unknown background residing in our midst.

If Old Servant Li has no wish to marry her, we must arrange for her departure as soon as possible. Even if we must give her a sum of silver, we cannot harbor someone of such murky origins."

In the end, Old Servant Li steadfastly refused to take her as a bride. Yet the young woman had already resided in the Xie household for nearly half a month, and her health had long since fully recovered.

"Cui'er, you have fully recovered now and can take your leave. Mother Du!"

Since Old Servant Li declined the match, the household had no choice but to dismiss her. Xie Wen-jing politely asked her to depart, signaling Mother Du to produce the twenty taels of silver prepared for her send-off. The family had more than fulfilled any moral debt they owed her.

With a heavy thud, Cui'er dropped heavily to her knees, slamming her head against the floor until blood immediately welled up.

"I beg the Eldest Miss to take pity on me, do not cast me out! My life was saved by the Xie family, and I am willing to serve as a beast of burden to repay this grace."

*When the time is ripe, I will make your entire Xie family perish together!* Cui'er thought maliciously as she continued to bash her forehead against the ground.

Watching from the side, Mother Du felt a soft pang of sympathy and averted her gaze.

Xie Wen-jing's gaze grew increasingly frosty. For a person to act with such ruthless cruelty toward themselves, could they truly be a helpless, innocent orphan?

"Be on your way! The Xie family saved your life, restored your health, and gave you enough silver for the journey—you should leave content! To continue begging like this only serves to put me in a difficult spot. Is this how you repay your saviors?"

Xie Wen-jing's voice carried a chilling edge. The more extreme such a person was, the less they could be kept around.

"I beg the Eldest Miss, I truly have nowhere left to go! I... I was carried on the back of Old Li, meaning I can only belong to Old Li now. If I leave, I have no choice but to die!

I beg the Eldest Miss to have mercy and grant me a path to survival! I will serve you as a beast of burden to repay your kindness! Waaah!"

Finding the Eldest Miss's tone so unyielding, Cui'er suddenly burst into hysterics, wailing loudly and repeating over and over that having been carried by Old Li, her fate was sealed to him, and death was her only alternative if cast out.

Before long, the clamor drew the attention of the family members, who hurried over to investigate, while curious villagers peered in from outside the perimeter.

Xie Wen-jing's expression grew even colder. Either this girl was genuinely infatuated with Old Servant Li, or she was a woman of formidable cunning.

Old Servant Li stood with a dark, gloomy expression; he truly regretted carrying that woman back on his back. Now he had a mess on his hands.

"Wen-jing, Cui'er is in such a miserable state—why don't we just let her stay?"

Wan-jing's mother walked over, supported by Xie Cheng-yu, her complexion less than optimal.

Du Juan had been suffering severely from morning sickness lately, vomiting frequently, and the sudden wailing outside only exacerbated her frayed nerves.

Besides, accumulating merits for her unborn child was a virtuous deed; driven by this thought, Du Juan spoke up to plead for Cui'er's retention.

"Mother, whether she stays or goes is not something we can decide unilaterally. She just declared with her own mouth that because Old Li carried and saved her, she can only marry him, and failing that, she must die.

Old Li, you make your own decision! If you are willing, take her as your wife, and we will arrange a separate dwelling outside with a proper bridal chamber for you.

If you refuse to wrong yourself by marrying a woman of unknown identity and background, none of us will blame you. As for Cui'er choosing to self-terminate out of despair, that is beyond our control—we saved her once, but are we obligated to save her for a lifetime?"