Chapter 4.3

“Why?”

“Because he was broke.” Shu Lianhong’s tone was tinged with vague resentment. She looked at Yuhu, who didn’t dare delve further into her private matters, and smiled. “There was this foolish man, born to wander, who was so sentimental that he’d shed tears for a dying dog on the roadside. A big bear of a man who would make you laugh if you saw him cry. This man was so foolish that even when robbed, he would find excuses for the robbers. His money never stayed with him for more than three days. Four years ago, my father’s business failed, and he was driven to hang himself by creditors. My mother fell ill and died, and I was sold to a brothel. I refused to go quietly, and they almost beat me to death in the struggle. Then that foolish man happened to wander by. He had just earned some money the night before and had enough to live comfortably for a year. When he saw my situation, he gave up all his money, his newly bought horse, and sword. It still wasn’t enough, so he knocked out all the thugs, and the madam of the brothel released me. I became his. We squeezed into a leaky house outside the county, and he asked if I wanted to marry him. Such a foolish man, looking so down and out, I didn’t want to marry him—not because he was ugly or poor, but because I knew a man like him would never settle down. He was a good-hearted but useless wanderer. Luckily, he didn’t take advantage of me. He went out to find work, intending to arrange my marriage before leaving. I didn’t know how people of the Jianghu earned money, but I knew they wouldn’t do hard labor. Yet, he did everything—chopping wood, hauling goods, even capturing thieves for the county government. Within a month, he bought a house in the north of the county. Then he asked what kind of husband I wanted, so he could find one for me. I changed my mind and decided to marry him. I thought things would go smoothly. I started learning about business to build a better life and restore my family’s honor. But then two unexpected things happened. First, Brother Qi sent Brother Liu to redeem me, thinking I was still in the brothel or married off as a concubine. Second, that foolish man got robbed again! This time, the robbers were a group of desperate farmers who had fled from a landslide. They had no choice but to rob. When they encountered him, he subdued them, cried for their plight, and promised to buy land and help them rebuild their homes! When Brother Liu found him, offering a huge sum to buy my freedom, he sold me because he believed no man would mistreat a pregnant woman. He planned to buy me back in two months,” Shu Dama sighed deeply.

Yuhu, indignant, exclaimed, “Didn’t he know he was selling the wrong person? You are his wife! That’s outrageous! Madam Shu, how could you just go with Brother Liu?”

“That’s another story. I knew the Qi family wasn’t bad. Brother Liu brought a proposal that gave me hope of restoring my family’s business. Whether I was sold or not, I would have partnered with them. But that foolish man sold me! That very day, I took his big knife and chased him out!”

“He deserved it!” But something still didn’t make sense. “You didn’t know martial arts, but he did. How did you manage to chase him out?”

Shu Lianhong laughed softly, resting her chin on her hand. “I always hit him, and he never fought back. He’d just call me a shrew. And back then, I was heavily pregnant. He wouldn’t fight me because he feared I’d harm the baby.”

This couple had their unique love story, albeit a rather violent one.

“Madam Shu, you must not be a widow then? Why don’t you call yourself a wife and instead call yourself Madam?”

“Because I consider him dead!”

It sounded like she was being stubborn. Yuhu couldn’t help but smile and decided to ask Tianlei about it later. There must be more to the story. She was very curious about what kind of man Madam Shu’s “fool” was.

Although she was curious, she ended up being pulled into studying and practicing calligraphy by Qi Tianlei when they returned to the inn. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, and she never found out more. However, she didn’t miss the most exciting part.

The next day, they planned to visit Lotus Lake and decided not to go to Shu’s residence. But Liu Ruoqian suddenly remembered an issue with an account book and wanted to discuss it with Madam Shu, so the three headed there first. They arrived just in time to catch a great scene.

As soon as they heard the sound of things being smashed inside the main gate, they stopped. Yuhu was confused, but Liu Ruoqian and Qi Tianlei exchanged knowing looks, suppressing their laughter. They quietly led Yuhu to the main gate. All the servants were sitting in the front yard, drinking tea and ignoring the commotion in the back. Yuhu whispered to her husband, “What’s going on?”

“Shh! Don’t speak. We’re here to watch the show!”

The three of them carefully made their way to the backyard.

There, they saw Shu Lianhong, in full shrew mode, throwing flower pots at a burly man. The beautiful backyard was in ruins, shattered pieces everywhere. She was shouting at the top of her lungs, “Do you think this place is for you to come and go as you please? Remembering you have a daughter now! Remembering those sick dogs now! Only coming back because you need money! Tell me! Why did you come back?” With nothing else to throw, she picked up a large knife and began to approach the man, who had his back to the crowd.

A woman with a knife is a frightening sight, even if she’s a beautiful woman!

“I didn’t come back because I needed money… I brought money this time. The fields in the village had a good harvest, and we sold the crops. I…” the man said in a deep, honest voice. “Don’t take my knife again! You’ll hurt yourself!”

“This is not a bank! I don’t want your money! Tell me! Did you come back to see me?” She held the knife to his neck, squinting her eyes dangerously yet seductively.

“You—You—What a shameless woman! Why ask that? And my money is for buying clothes and dolls for my daughter,” the man stammered initially but then spoke confidently.

“If you don’t admit it, I’ll chop off your head and feed it to those sick dogs you picked up!”

“You shrew! How dare you!” The man shouted angrily, waving his hand and sending Shu Lianhong and the knife flying ten paces away. She landed on a stone bench, and the knife fell to the ground. Before she could scream, the massive man hoisted her onto his shoulder. He growled, “I’m here because you’re already twenty-three! If you don’t give me a son soon, you won’t be able to! So I came back to see you! Don’t think I miss you!”

“Shu Dahong! You bastard! Put me down! Keep dreaming! I won’t bear your son! Aren’t there enough village girls throwing themselves at you? Why do you need me?” she kicked, bit, and hit him furiously.

He spanked her twice.

“You keep on throwing a tantrum! You’re making a fool of yourself! Come on out, everyone! The show’s over!” Shu Dahong called out to the trio hiding.