Chapter 1: Poor Xiaoxi Forced to Marry in Another’s Place

Chapter 1: The Poor Little Stream Forced to Marry in Another's Place

The sun slanted low in the west, red clouds filling the sky. Four burly men with red cloth tied around their waists carried a bridal sedan chair through the village, heading straight for Carpenter Yan's home at the western edge.

The festive music of flutes and drums echoed through the entire village, drawing many neighbors out to watch the commotion.

The groom's party was remarkably generous, scattering large handfuls of copper coins to children who came begging for lucky money along the way, prompting onlookers to scramble for the coins.

Chen Furlang clutched his three copper coins and nudged the person beside him, asking, "Who is the eldest Yan son helping to marry?"

"Aren't you asking what you already know? Who else but their third son?"

Just as Chen Furlang was about to speak, Auntie Liu chimed in: "He's marrying Wen Liu, the Wen family's son, isn't he? That child is fresh and pretty, and has had a few years of schooling—he and the third Yan son make a fine match with plenty to talk about."

A woman covered her mouth and laughed: "Auntie Liu, have you gone senile or are you saying the opposite? That third Yan son has fallen and turned into a fool—what could the two of them possibly have to talk about?"

"Ah, he's gone mad?"

"Mad indeed. And poor Wen Liu, truly pitiful—just when he was about to become a scholar's wife, the third Yan son went and damaged his brain. At least the Wen family is honorable, still willing to send their child over even after all this."

"Honorable, my foot!" Wang Furlang, who had been silent until now, sneered: "That couple treats their eldest son like the apple of their eye—how could they bear to part with him? The one being married off is their youngest son!"

"What! And the Yan family agreed to this?"

"Pah! At a time like this, they're lucky to get anyone to ward off bad luck—they can't afford to be picky."

"If you ask me, that Wen couple shouldn't take people for fools. They just can't bear to part with the thirty taels of betrothal money, and can't bear to part with their eldest son, so they're throwing their youngest into the fire pit. Bah! Damn wicked, the both of them!"

A fire pit... wasn't it exactly that?

Ever since stepping into the bridal sedan, Wen Xi's tears had not stopped. Even now, he could hardly believe he had truly replaced Wen Liu in marrying Yan Fengan.

Both the Wen and Yan families lived in the same village, so no matter how much Wen Xi tried to shut out the world outside, he knew something about Yan Fengan. He was the only one in Daoxiang Village to pass the scholar examination, and with his talent and handsome looks, he was admired by all the unmarried girls and young men. Not just in the village—even many wealthy families in town wanted to seek a marriage connection with him.

Compared to him, Wen Xi was like mud on the ground beneath a moon in the clouds. By all rights, they should never have crossed paths. But last year, his elder brother Wen Liu had somehow become acquainted with Yan Fengan, and their relationship had progressed to the point of discussing marriage.

Wen Liu was the best-looking young man in their village. With his bright pregnancy mark on his forehead, his stylish dress, and his years of schooling, many men in the village drooled at the mention of him.

Both were prized catches in the village, and when news of their engagement spread, it broke the hearts of countless men and young men alike.

When Wen Xi heard the news, an indescribable feeling rose in his chest—whether envy or something else, he couldn't tell. Wen Liu had been doted on by their parents since childhood, never knowing hardship, and now he'd found such an ideal husband. His fate was truly blessed.

If only he could marry someone too.

Wen Xi's standards weren't as high as Wen Liu's. He never dreamed of scholars or degree holders. As long as he could stop being beaten and stop going hungry, whether it was a pig butcher or a cowherd, he would marry anyone.

But even such a simple wish was a luxury for him. He was the family's old workhorse, and his parents still had great use for him—why would they ever arrange a marriage for him on their own?

Wen Xi dared not reveal his feelings and continued to bury himself in work as always, hoping only that this happy occasion might earn him a moment's peace at home.

While his parents and Wen Liu joyfully prepared the wedding trousseau, trouble struck the Yan family.

That frail scholar Yan Fengan, as if possessed by some evil spirit, had taken it into his head to imitate others and go hunting in the mountains. In the end, he caught no game but managed to fall and turn himself into a raving madman.

From scholar to fool—the drop was staggering. Not just the Yan family, but Wen Xi's parents and Wen Liu couldn't bear such a blow either. The atmosphere at home was suffocatingly tense during that time. Wen Liu spent his days weeping, locking himself in his room and refusing to see anyone. His parents wore worried frowns, sighing and cursing their bad luck. On ordinary days, his parents would scold him for no reason; with such a major disaster, they were even more likely to use him as their punching bag. Wen Xi kept his head down and worked in silence, barely daring to breathe.

The wedding was fast approaching, but Yan Fengan showed no signs of recovery. Wen Liu could no longer contain himself, crying and screaming that he wouldn't marry.

His parents' voices drifted intermittently from the room, and Wen Xi heard his mother say she would think of a way.

With everything written in black and white, Wen Xi didn't know what solution she could possibly devise. Besides, the Yan family had paid thirty taels of betrothal money—if Wen Liu refused to marry, wouldn't the money have to be returned? Would his parents be willing to part with it?

After soothing Wen Liu, his parents took the initiative to visit the Yan family. Wen Xi guessed they were going to discuss calling off the engagement.

Yes, Wen Liu was the family's gilded treasure. Compared to his happiness, thirty taels seemed unimportant.

Whatever the two families discussed, by the time his parents returned that afternoon, their earlier gloom had transformed into beaming smiles.

Wen Xi was hanging clothes to dry when Li Qiaozhen entered the courtyard and eagerly came over to grab his hand, saying, "Little Stream, your father and I just arranged a wonderful marriage for you..."

Wen Xi had once overheard his parents saying that the family needed someone to work and serve them, and that after Wen Liu married, they would keep Wen Xi for a few more years. When he reached his twenties and was too old to marry well, they'd find a widower whose wife had died, collect some betrothal money, and marry him off.

Wen Xi knew their character well and understood that what they called a "wonderful marriage" was nothing but a lie to deceive him.

Connecting it to where they had just been, a terrible foreboding rose in Wen Xi's heart. As he trembled with dread, he heard Li Qiaozhen continue: "You know the Yan family—they're the best-off in the village. If you marry into that household, you'll never worry about food or drink."

There was only one Yan family in the village, and only one unmarried man in that family.

This was too absurd. Forgetting his fear, Wen Xi pulled his hand free from Li Qiaozhen's grip and said in a trembling voice, "Yan Fengan is brother's fiancé—how can I marry him?"

His reaction displeased Li Qiaozhen, but remembering that Wen Xi still had an important role to play, she didn't lose her temper immediately.

"You're both unmarried—what's the problem? Yan Fengan is a scholar. Marrying him is a tremendous stroke of luck for you."

Wen Xi screamed inwardly in despair: What luck is there in marrying a man out of his mind!

Though he'd never seen Yan Fengan's condition with his own eyes, he'd heard plenty of gleeful gossip from others.

The villagers all said that after his fall, Yan Fengan seemed to have lost his soul. All day he'd smash things randomly or shout incoherently for his parents, unable to recognize anyone. If not for the calming medicine the Yan family forced down his throat every day, he might have killed them all by now.

At home, Wen Xi was often beaten and went hungry, but Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen still needed him to work—they wouldn't go so far as to take his life.

If he married into the Yan family and became that madman's spouse, would his little life survive?

Wen Xi reached out with trembling hands to grab the hem of Li Qiaozhen's clothes. Knowing he couldn't change her decision, he still pleaded softly: "Mother, can I not marry?"

Li Qiaozhen impatiently brushed his hand away: "If you won't marry him, then who will you marry? Wang Fugui from the village, or Zhang Mazi from the neighboring village? They've both come around asking about you several times. If I weren't so protective of you, your father would have already promised you to one of them."

Wen Xi had heard of both Wang Fugui and Zhang Mazi. Wang Fugui was the village's notorious drunkard and troublemaker—once he got a bit of liquor in him, he liked to beat people. He'd married three wives in succession, and all three had been beaten away. Zhang Mazi was no better—an old bachelor older than Wen Xi's own father, with who knew what twisted habits in private.

In his current state, Yan Fengan was no different from them.

Wen Xi knew he wasn't particularly handsome or remarkable, and he'd never dreamed of marrying above his station. But he didn't think himself so low that he'd marry just anyone.

Marrying any of those three would be like jumping into a fire pit.

He was at a loss, panicking, when he remembered that Yan Fengan had been betrothed to Wen Liu. A spark of hope flickered: "The Yan family chose brother. If I marry over, how could they agree?"

Li Qiaozhen was confident: "Your father and I have already discussed it all with them."

Her eyes swept over Wen Xi like she was appraising goods for sale: "Yan Fengan needs care after this disaster. No matter how carefully his parents and siblings look after him, it's not as convenient as having a spouse. You've been used to hard work since childhood and know best how to serve people. Marrying over, you can help care for him and leave a seed for the Yan family—why wouldn't they be pleased?"

Not only care for him, but bear children for such a man. Wen Xi felt a chill of terror. His spine tightening, he asked in despair: "Must I really marry?"

Having patiently explained for so long, only to see him still reluctant, Li Qiaozhen lost all patience. She reached out and twisted his ear, scolding: "Such a fine match that others would beg for, and you dare to be ungrateful! You're not to go anywhere these next few days—stay home and wait for the Yan family to come fetch you. If you get any improper ideas, don't blame me and your father for turning cold."

The twist was vicious, and the tears Wen Xi had been holding back finally spilled from the pain.

Since both families had already agreed, his marriage to Yan Fengan was set in stone.

Was he really going to accept his fate like this? To really go be some fool's husband and have his kids?

That night, Wen Xi lay on the straw in the woodshed, tossing and turning, couldn't sleep a wink. Every time he closed his eyes, Yan Fengan's face popped into his head.

He was handsome, sure, but also a total jerk.

After Yan Fengan got engaged to Wen Liu, he was always joining in with Wen Liu to humiliate him—saying he was too ugly for anyone to like, or too frail to have kids so nobody'd want him. They'd go on and on about how he'd end up an old spinster nobody'd ever marry. With a man that mean-tongued and full of contempt for him, what kind of future could Wen Xi possibly have married to him? Not to mention the guy had now gone and become a fool who went around hitting people.

The two sides of Yan Fengan—the hateful one and the scary one—kept tangling up in Wen Xi's head, making him shake all over and break out in a cold sweat.

No way. He couldn't marry him.

Thinking about all the crap he'd put up with over the years, Wen Xi found a courage he didn't know he had, and a real bold idea took root in his heart.

Run.

Run far, far away.

Somewhere with no Wen family, somewhere nobody could push him around anymore.

In the dead of night, while everyone in the house was asleep, Wen Xi opened the courtyard gate, his heart pounding.

He'd lived on scraps and hand-me-downs in this house, owning almost nothing of his own. When he left, all he took was two changes of clothes and the ten coppers he'd saved up over the years.

At this hour, the whole village was dead quiet—no roosters crowing, no dogs barking, just the night breeze rustling through, carrying little sounds.

Wen Xi hugged his bundle tight and, feeling his way in the dark, made a run for the village entrance.

In all his life, he'd left the village maybe a handful of times. Past the village were tall mountains and long rivers. Once he got over those, he had no clue what was waiting for him.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared, but he was even more scared of marrying Yan Fengan.

Whether the guy had his wits about him or not, he didn't want to marry him.

Too bad Wen Xi never made it out. Before he even got to the village entrance, Wen Shishan and Li Qiaozhen caught him and dragged him back.

The two of them held their anger in check outside, but the second the courtyard gate shut, Wen Shishan slapped him hard across the face.

"I've fed you and clothed you all these years, and this is how you pay me back?"

"You ungrateful little bastard! Why waste words on him? I'll break his legs right now and see if he still dares to run!"

Li Qiaozhen grabbed a broom and started whaling on Wen Xi. She was a farm woman who worked year-round, so she had some real strength behind her, and every heavy blow landed on Wen Xi, hurting like hell.

The courtyard was only so big, and Wen Xi had nowhere to run. All he could do was keep kowtowing and begging for mercy: "Mother, I'm sorry, please stop hitting me, stop..."

That cheap broom wasn't up to the job and snapped in two before Li Qiaozhen had worked out her anger. She put one hand on her hip and spat out hatefully, "I could beat you to death!"

Sharp-eyed Wen Shishan spotted the bundle in Wen Xi's arms and barked, "What's in that bundle? You steal something from the house?"

Wen Xi shook his head, hurting all over: "No, I didn't take anything."

Wen Shishan didn't believe him and snatched the little bundle out of his arms. Thinking of the private savings tucked inside, Wen Xi instinctively tried to hold onto it. In the tug-of-war, the ten coppers hidden in the bundle spilled all over the ground.

Money was Wen Shishan's lifeline—every cent in the family was in his hands. Ten coppers might not be much, but it hit a raw nerve. Whether Wen Xi had stolen it or saved it himself, Wen Shishan found it unforgivable.

"You filthy dog! You dare take the family's money? You must be sick of living!"

Wen Shishan, furious, kicked Wen Xi square in the chest and sent him flying half a meter.

That kick nearly knocked the wind out of Wen Xi. It took him a long moment to catch his breath, his body curling up in pain, not even able to let out a sound of begging.

Wen Shishan looked at his half-dead state and found it bad luck. He raised his hand and gave him two more hard slaps across the face.

A taste of blood spread through his mouth. Looking at Wen Shishan's furious face, Wen Xi figured this might be where he died tonight.

Just as he closed his eyes in despair, Wen Liu, who'd been quiet the whole time, came out of the house and said to Wen Shishan in a soft, coaxing voice: "Father, you wouldn't really beat him to death over a few coppers, would you?"

"I think my little brother's learned his lesson. Please let him off this time. There's important business ahead—we can't afford any delays."

Li Qiaozhen spat at Wen Xi and said, "Look how good your brother is to you, and you can't even do him this one little favor. A wretch is a wretch—no matter how obedient and well-behaved they act, they turn into an ungrateful wolf the second it matters."

Wen Shishan pocketed the ten coppers, grabbed Wen Xi by the hair, and hauled him like a dead dog from the courtyard into the woodshed.

"When the day comes, the Yan family will send someone to pick up the bride. You stay in here with me for the next few days."

To keep Wen Xi from running off again, Wen Shishan locked the woodshed door from the outside.

Not only had he been beaten for nothing, but the ten coppers he'd painstakingly saved were taken away too. The last shred of hope in Wen Xi's heart was gone.

A lonely moon hung in the sky, and Wen Xi in the woodshed was just as alone.

Staring at the locked door, two streams of hot tears rolled down his cheeks. In his despair, the thought of ending his life crept into Wen Xi's mind.

Hanging was out—he was scared of choking. Drowning was out—he was scared of the cold. Slitting his wrists was out—he was scared of the pain.

...

And so he kept putting it off, right up until the wedding day.

Inside the bridal sedan, Wen Xi buried his face in his hands and cried. Only now did he admit that his fears of cold and pain were all lies—he was afraid of dying.

Even though he hadn't had a single good day in all sixteen years of his life, he still wanted to live.

The sedan stopping brought Wen Xi back to his senses. A big hand—pale, slender, and a little gaunt—reached into the sedan.

Wen Xi knew right away it was Yan Fengan's hand. The guy had thrown himself into his studies and never done a day of work around the house, so his hands were clean and fair, totally different from the other villagers.

At this point, there was no going back.

Wen Xi sniffled, bit his lip, and put his own calloused hand into it.

The Yan family was one of the richest in the village. When their two older sons got married, they'd invited the whole village of Daoxiang, with a fancy banquet that ran from morning till night.

This wedding, though, was pretty low-key. Apart from a few households close to the Yan family, nobody else had been told.

A groggy Yan Fengan was helped through the wedding ceremony by his two brothers.

With his damaged mind, he went back and forth between being dazed and being wild. Afraid he might cause a scene on such a special day, the Yan family gave him another bowl of calming medicine after the ceremony, then sent him and Wen Xi off to the bridal chamber together.

The wedding clothes had been made to Wen Liu's measurements. On Wen Xi's skinny frame, the sleeves were too long and the waist hung loose and empty.

Seeing the clothes that clearly didn't fit him, the Yan family's eldest daughter-in-law, Li Wan, and the second son's husband, He Jin, both sighed quietly to themselves.

As the new husband, Wen Xi wasn't supposed to show his face outside on the wedding day. Li Wan spoke to him gently: "Are you hungry? Let me get you something to eat."

Aside from two barely stifled sobs, Wen Xi gave no response.

Li Wan turned and headed to the kitchen, leaving He Jin at a loss for what to say to Wen Xi. After hesitating a moment, he followed her out.

Wen Xi didn't dare move, and even when Li Wan came back with the food, he stayed frozen in place, still clutching the oversized wedding robe.

Li Wan noticed his unease but didn't call him out on it, just saying, "Mother said everyone's tired today. After you eat, you can rest. We already gave the third brother his medicine; he probably won't wake up tonight, so sleep easy."

The room slowly went quiet, and Wen Xi let go of his bitten lip as the tears fell again.

After the ceremony, he and Yan Fengan were officially married. If he was lucky, he might last a few more days; if not, he could be dead by tomorrow. The feeling of a sword hanging over his neck was absolutely hopeless.

Back home, his parents saw him as bad luck, and Wen Xi didn't even dare cry too loud.

But today, with all the wedding commotion, he could finally cut loose and cry his heart out.

Just as Wen Xi was sobbing so hard his body trembled and he nearly choked, the red bridal veil over his head was suddenly lifted.

Startled, Wen Xi immediately stopped crying and saw that Yan Fengan, who had been lying on the bed, had somehow sat up. Rubbing his head with one hand and holding the veil with the other, he said in a hoarse voice, "Stop crying."

The Yan family had just said they'd given Yan Fengan medicine and that he wouldn't wake tonight—so what was happening now?

Scared and confused, Wen Xi sat frozen by the bed, not knowing what to do.