Fang Shubai took her shopping, bought her new clothes, and even treated her to snacks from the street vendors.
“A’Li, you’ve been angry with me for days now. How about I kneel down and apologize to you?”
As he spoke, he actually started to kneel.
Startled, Ruan Qingli quickly stopped him.
“What are you doing? We’re out in the street. Everyone’s watching!”
Leaning closer, Fang Shubai whispered,
“My wife is still upset with me. As long as I see you unhappy, I can’t think about anything else. A’Li, I was wrong. Truly wrong. Please forgive me this once, alright?”
Seeing so many people looking their way, Ruan Qingli didn’t want to embarrass him.
“Don’t do this… I’m… I’m not angry with you anymore.”
Hearing those words, Fang Shubai immediately beamed with delight.
“A’Li, there’s a jewelry shop up ahead. Shall we go take a look?”
She glanced toward it.
“Let’s not. You’ve already bought me so many things today. Mother will be unhappy if she sees them.”
But Fang Shubai insisted on leading her inside.
Han Sheng happened to be drinking tea there with several of his men.
When he saw Fang Shubai holding Ruan Qingli’s hand as they entered, his gaze briefly fell upon their intertwined fingers.
One of the constables quietly remarked,
“Chief, isn’t that the lady you rescued a few days ago?”
Han Sheng nodded faintly.
“We’ve finished asking what we needed. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Chief.”
Seeing them leave, the jewelry shop owner hurried over, bowing repeatedly.
“Constable Han, I’ll be counting on you to recover the shop’s losses!”
As he spoke, he tried to slip Han Sheng some silver.
Han Sheng refused.
“It’s my duty. There’s no need.”
After Han Sheng left, Fang Shubai asked the shopkeeper,
“Shopkeeper, what happened here? Why did Constable Han come personally?”
The shopkeeper sighed.
“We were robbed yesterday. Several pieces of jewelry were stolen.”
Fang Shubai shook his head.
“Another robbery? These thieves are becoming more and more brazen.”
“They are. It’s probably because of this year’s terrible drought. So many fields produced no grain at all. Who knows how many people will starve this winter? What a tragedy… Oh, Young Master Fang, are you buying jewelry for your wife?”
Fang Shubai nodded.
“We’d like to look at hairpins.”
“Certainly. This way, please.”
They remained inside for about fifteen minutes.
In the end, they didn’t buy a hairpin.
Fang Shubai claimed that none of the current designs suited her and said he would buy one after new styles arrived.
Because Fang Shubai was home again, Madam Zhou’s attitude toward Ruan Qingli improved considerably.
She accused Ruan Qingli of behaving one way in front of people and another behind their backs.
Ironically, she herself was the one who did exactly that.
Whenever her son was home, she treated her daughter-in-law kindly.
The moment he was away, she became someone else entirely.
“Qingli, I spoke too harshly to you a few days ago. Don’t take it to heart.”
Right in front of Fang Shubai, she smiled warmly and held Ruan Qingli’s hands as though she were her own daughter.
Ruan Qingli had no interest in playing along.
She quietly withdrew her hand.
“Mother, is there something special you’d like to eat today? I’ll go prepare it now.”
Madam Zhou smiled.
“No need. You’ve been getting up before dawn and working yourself to exhaustion these past few days. It pains me to see it. Xiuxiu has already prepared today’s meal, so just go back to your room and rest.”
Ruan Qingli looked toward Fang Shubai.
He smiled gently and nodded.
“Mother told you to rest, so go rest.”
“Then… I’ll head back?”
“Go ahead.”
Just as Ruan Qingli was about to leave, a man in his twenties entered the courtyard.
Dressed like a scholar, he looked unfamiliar, though he seemed quite close to Fang Shubai.
After respectfully greeting Madam Zhou, he turned toward Fang Shubai.
“Brother Fang, I’m here.”
Fang Shubai hurried over.
“Brother Zhao.”
The scholar smiled.
“The matter you asked me to arrange has been taken care of. The woman in our town who specializes in treating infertility is available today. Brother Fang, you and your wife should come with me now.”
Fang Shubai looked conflicted.
“But I’ve already arranged to study with my teacher over the next few days. Could we go later?”
The scholar surnamed Zhao replied,
“Why not let your wife come with me first? She’s the one receiving treatment, not you. Everything has already been arranged, and they’re expecting her. It wouldn’t be good to cancel.”
Fang Shubai nodded.
“That makes sense.”
Turning to Ruan Qingli, he said,
“A’Li, this is Brother Zhao—the one I mentioned to you before. In his town there’s a woman renowned for treating infertility. People say she’s very skilled. Why don’t you go with Brother Zhao first? Once I’m finished with my work, I’ll come find you.”
Madam Zhou chimed in immediately.
“That’s right, Qingli. Hurry and go with Young Master Zhao. Your treatment is what matters. Once you’re cured, you can give our Fang family heirs.”
Fang Shubai had indeed mentioned this before.
Hearing that she could finally seek treatment filled Ruan Qingli with hope.
“Alright. I’ll go with Brother Zhao first. If you’re busy, Husband, you don’t have to come fetch me. I’ll manage on my own.”
“Then pack several changes of clothes. You may have to stay there for a few days. I’ve heard seven days make up one course of treatment, and you’ll need acupuncture every day.”
“Alright.”
Little did Ruan Qingli know…
The very next day after she left, the Fang family began searching all over town for her, claiming she had run away from home without explanation.
Five days later, the entire town was buzzing with rumors that she had eloped with another man.
The stories became more detailed with every retelling.
“You don’t know? I saw Madam Fang leave with a man myself that day. She was carrying a bundle, and the two of them chatted and laughed the whole way. They looked awfully close.”
“I saw them too. That man even bought two flatbreads from my stall. I thought he was some relative of the Fang family. Who would’ve guessed he was the man she was eloping with?”
One woman spat out a sunflower seed shell before saying,
“I heard Young Master Fang wrote her a letter of divorce today and had it officially registered at the yamen.”
“Really?”
“Of course it’s true!”
“If you ask me, he should’ve divorced her long ago. Young Master Fang is simply too sentimental. Otherwise, he would’ve divorced her the very next day after she ran off. There was no need to wait this long.”
Seven days later, Ruan Qingli finally returned.
She arrived home full of hope.
Instead, the moment she stepped through the gate, Madam Zhou threw a letter of divorce into her hands.
“You shameless woman! You ran away with another man, and you still have the nerve to come back?”
Staring at the divorce letter in disbelief, Ruan Qingli asked,
“Mother… what are you talking about? When did I ever elope? Weren’t you and Shubai the ones who sent me away for treatment?”
Madam Zhou rolled her eyes and snorted.
“When did Shubai and I ever send you anywhere?”
Ruan Qingli replied,
“A few days ago! You had me accompany a man named Zhao to the neighboring town. I’ve spent the past seven days receiving treatment from Madam Bai. If you’re trying to frame me, then let’s report this to the authorities. They’ll investigate and uncover the truth.”
Madam Zhou looked at her as though she were a fool.
“What Brother Zhao? We don’t know anyone by that name. And what Madam Bai who treats illnesses in the neighboring town? You can’t even lie properly.”
“Where’s Shubai? I want to confront him face to face.”
“My son left for the county yesterday to continue his examinations. He doesn’t have time to argue with someone like you. By now, everyone in town knows you ran away with another man. How could Shubai possibly still want you? He personally wrote that letter of divorce. Take it and get out. Don’t ever step into the Fang family’s home again.”
At that moment…
No matter how naïve Ruan Qingli had been, she finally understood.
She had been set up by the Fang mother and son.
Brother Zhao and Madam Bai had undoubtedly been part of their plan all along.
Even if she reported the matter to the authorities now, those people would probably have vanished without a trace.
No wonder everyone had been pointing at her ever since she entered town.
This was the reason.
Fang Shubai despised her for being unable to bear children.
He wanted to divorce her, yet still preserve his reputation as the devoted husband.
He had even spent all this time pretending to treat her with tenderness, ensuring everyone would believe she had willingly eloped with another man.
It was a scheme meant to destroy her completely, leaving her no path to clear her name.
Ruan Qingli slowly closed her eyes.
The devotion she had given Fang Shubai over the past three years now felt as though it had all been wasted on a heartless beast.
Carefully folding the letter of divorce, she looked at Madam Zhou and said,
“I’ll leave. But when I married into this family, Fang Shubai sold my adoptive father’s house. You will return the money from that sale to me.”