Midsummer had passed, but in the countryside where mountains met the eye in every direction, the cicadas’ drone could still be heard. Alongside the rising morning sun, the thick white mist was gradually dispersed, and patches of sunlight splashed across the yellow earth. Diligent farmers had already rolled up their trouser legs and plowed a vast stretch of land.
Those still left at home were mostly the slow-footed, or the half-grown children planning to head up the mountain later to pick wild vegetables and gather firewood.
Chen Yuanniang was one of them.
She was twelve or thirteen years old, with a charming face. Her dark hair was split into two sides and tied up with peach-pink ribbons.
She wore a green short-sleeved beizi. The narrow-sleeved thin shirt underneath was rolled up for the convenience of work, and her grey lower skirt was on the shorter side, revealing wide trouser legs. This was also for the sake of labor; village girls did not follow the rules of great families where skirts must cover the tips of one’s shoes.
Yet, perhaps due to a young girl’s clever touch, the hem of the faded grey skirt was embroidered with two green flowers, which seemed to flutter quite movingly when she walked.
Everyone in the house had already gone to the fields, and even her younger brother had gone up the mountain to collect firewood. Yuanniang was only lagging behind because she was waiting to go up the mountain with the other young ladies of the village.
Enjoying a rare moment of quiet leisure, Yuanniang used a bamboo pole to prop open the window, intending to air out the room, when the sound of an argument reached her ears.
“You vile old woman, you shameless, filthy hag! To think you’d crawl into my home to steal! I wondered why things kept disappearing every day; it turns out it was you, you old wretch deserving of a thousand cuts! Do you reckon my family of a widow and her orphans is easy to bully?
“If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I, this old woman, will have lived all these years in vain! Take that for stealing! And that! …Tui!”
The speaker sounded like an old woman, but her voice was full of vigor. Her shrewish tone made one shiver, not to mention the series of slapping sounds that followed her words. Those familiar with the old woman would know that this was the sound of her striking someone else’s flesh.
Unfortunately, Chen Yuanniang was more than familiar with her. She instinctively shuddered and immediately shut the window like a thief with a guilty conscience.
The person outside, currently dealing out blows with great enthusiasm, was Yuanniang’s own paternal grandmother.
She was a shrewish old woman famous for miles around. Once, an idle loafer had tried to bully her family of widows and weak children, creeping around outside their house at night; she had picked up a hog-slaughtering knife and hacked off half the man’s ear. She had also once hired someone to splash manure on the house of a family who had gossiped about her for several days straight. When that family came to demand justice, she simply grabbed them and threatened to die together, sitting on the ground wailing as if she were the victim. These were but a small fraction of her glorious achievements; the formidable things she had done were too numerous to count.
With her fierceness, no one in the surrounding villages dared to gossip about her.
It wasn’t that no one could beat her, but who would want to get covered in lice for no reason? It wasn’t worth the trouble!
The neighbor outside had clearly had a lapse in judgment, taking advantage of the empty house to steal the dried cabbage Granny Wang had just put out to dry before leaving that morning. As it happened, she was caught red-handed by Granny Wang upon her return.
Tsk, tsk. With her grandmother’s strength, after such a beating, the thief would be lucky to escape with their skin intact.
Listening to the endless slaps and curses, Chen Yuanniang felt a sense of guilty panic even though she knew she had done nothing wrong. Realizing she was still idling, she left her room and searched around, eventually spotting a neglected teapot. Granny Wang had likely returned specifically for this.
For some reason, she gripped the teapot tightly, half-carrying and half-hugging it, as if having something in her hands would prevent her from being scolded.
When Granny Wang returned from her display of prowess, she carried a basket filled with dried cabbage in one hand—obviously, the neighbor had been forced to hand it over after losing the fight. Her other withered, rough hand was picking strands of grey hair from under her fingernails; naturally, that hair belonged to the neighboring woman, torn out during the scuffle.
Her face was still clouded with rage, and seeing her smiling, silly granddaughter as she pushed open the door only made her expression more displeased.
“Granny, here!” Chen Yuanniang smiled with gentle innocence, handing the teapot to Granny Wang in a diligent and considerate manner.
She was, after all, her biological granddaughter. Granny Wang suppressed her temper, took the teapot, and poured a bowl of water to moisten her throat. She only pursed her lips and muttered, “How did you end up with such a blockhead for a brain? You didn’t even know a thief was at our front door.”
But at least she let Yuanniang off and didn’t vent her anger on her.
This pleasant scene lasted for less than a quarter of an hour. Because the neighbor had stolen the dried cabbage, the highly suspicious Granny Wang took the opportunity to inspect the house thoroughly. Consequently, she saw the empty rice jar, and her mood soured once more.
Stepping outside and seeing Yuanniang still standing idly in the courtyard, her irritation spiked. She put her hands on her hips and began to scold, “You lazy girl! The sun is high in the sky and you still haven’t gone out to work. What are you dawdling for? You don’t even care that the rice jar is empty! I suppose you’re just waiting to marry into another family and wash your hands of everything. I’ve raised you this big for nothing but to benefit others. You truly have no heart, no pity for your old grandmother. I’ll be sixty after the New Year and I still have to worry about your food and drink. The day I die, every one of you can just wait to eat the bitter wind…”
Seeing her getting more worked up, Chen Yuanniang, who was long accustomed to this, didn’t panic. Instead, she methodically shouldered her basket, picked up a small sickle still caked with soil, and fled out the door. Only her voice remained, echoing in the wind: “Granny, Sanniang and the others are here! I’m going to dig for wild vegetables!”
Once out of the courtyard and away from her grandmother’s face, the voice gradually faded. Chen Yuanniang let out a long sigh of relief.
Her grandmother was actually good to the family; it was just that when she started scolding, she spared no one.
Mentioning Sanniang and the others had been an excuse, but as Chen Yuanniang walked along the dirt path scattered with small pebbles, she happened to run right into them. Calculating the time, it was just about right, so she joined the group.
Although it was daytime and the hillside was near her home, it was still improper for a young lady to go up the mountain alone. Who knew if there were ill-intentioned idlers or rakes about? Thus, they always traveled in a group.
Almost all the girls of similar age in the village were there, about six or seven of them. Most were in their early teens—a bright and beautiful age where their skin was smooth even without any makeup.
But among them, Yuanniang was the most outstanding.
Among the farm girls who all endured sun and rain, the others were more or less tanned unevenly with sallow complexions. Only Yuanniang was different; her skin was delicate, like white jade.
Moreover, her features were beautiful. Her eyes were dark and bright like grapes, and her face was a size smaller than the others—the quintessential delicate beauty of a southern woman. Especially when she laughed and chatted under the sunlight, she was the very image of a blossoming smile. She was still young, possessing only the foundation of a beauty without being overly alluring yet; one could only imagine how stunning she would be once she reached womanhood.
When someone stands out, it easily invites trouble. Looking at Yuanniang’s beautiful face and then thinking of themselves, the others naturally felt a bit of imbalance in their hearts.
Thus, they had to compensate in other areas.
For instance, family background.
Wu Taoniang was one of the few girls in the surrounding villages with decent features, and she took some pride in her looks. However, standing next to Chen Yuanniang, even though she was the best-dressed among the group, she was still made to look like a common village hen—one with a few bright feathers, but common nonetheless.
Today, she had even secretly tucked her mother’s old plain silver hairpin into her hair, drawing gasps of admiration from the other girls. Yet, she still couldn’t match the charm of Yuanniang, whose hair was bare save for two simple ribbons.
How could she not be angry?!
She had spent the whole night imagining how she would outshine Yuanniang.
Both angry and aggrieved, Wu Taoniang couldn’t help but snap.
“My, Yuanniang, it was quite lively in front of your house just now. Your grandmother is so old; how can she still be brawling with people? My grandmother fell ill a while ago, and my father called for a physician. The physician gave many instructions; he said that at that age, one must absolutely avoid getting angry. Sigh, Granny Wang really shouldn’t have been so narrow-minded. Fighting like that over a bit of dried cabbage… others…”
Wu Taoniang covered her mouth, feigning concern, while her darting eyes were full of mockery. “Others will laugh. Don’t let it ruin your future marriage prospects. Once people hear your grandmother’s name, they’ll likely just shake their heads.”
The physician, the marriage—the former was just to show off that her family was wealthy enough to afford a doctor, and the latter was using marriage to take a jab out of jealousy for Yuanniang’s looks.
Unlike her cowering behavior toward her grandmother at home, Chen Yuanniang directly rolled her eyes. However, even when a beautiful young girl rolls her eyes, she looks vivid and lovely.
“What physician? Just an itinerant quack putting on airs,” Yuanniang seemed to mutter, but since they were all so close, everyone heard her clearly.
Wu Taoniang had been bragging about the physician for days to belittle the others. Hearing this, several other girls covered their mouths and giggled. This shamed Wu Taoniang so much she didn’t know what to do with her hands or feet.
Yuanniang didn’t stop there. She said loudly, “Others? Which ‘others’ are going to gossip about my grandmother? Taoniang, give me their names, and I’ll have my granny take me to their houses to ask about it. Is catching a thief wrong now? Oh, perhaps your family has so much wealth that you feel an itch if you aren’t being robbed!”
Yuanniang pointedly glared at Wu Taoniang as she said the last sentence, nearly cursing her to her face.
But Wu Taoniang didn’t dare to argue, because she was afraid Chen Yuanniang would insist on knowing exactly who those “others” were. She didn’t dare make up names to settle the matter; Yuanniang’s grandmother really would go to their doors to make a scene. If the stories didn’t match up then, she would be the one losing face.
Alas, she could never win an argument with Yuanniang. Whenever Yuanniang got fierce and glared, she would shrink back, yet she could never resist the urge to provoke her.
Wu Taoniang pursed her lips for a long time before finally whispering, “That… that’s not something easy to say.”
Seeing the two of them arguing so heatedly, the oldest and most composed, Sanniang, spoke up to interrupt. “If you have time to bicker, you should think about what congratulatory gift you’re going to give me.”
“What gift? Is there happy news for Sanniang?” Chen Yuanniang asked smoothly.
“Exactly, it’s not Sanniang’s birthday yet,” another girl added curiously.
Sanniang smiled, a faint blush rising on her dignified face. “I’m getting married.”
“Heavens!”
The girls broke out in a chorus of “wow,” utterly astonished. Forgetting everything else, they crowded around Sanniang to ask for details.
Sanniang, who had a gentle temperament, explained one by one, “It’s the second son of Liu the Carpenter from the east village.”
“Yes, a load of engagement wine has already been sent to my home.”
“The betrothal gifts… are said to be five strings of coins.”
Another round of “wows” followed, filled with envy.
This joyful and lively atmosphere lasted until they reached the mountain and dispersed to dig for wild vegetables. However, they were all likely lost in thought, reflecting on their own futures.
Yuanniang couldn’t help but think too. Sanniang had many brothers, and several of her uncles still lived under one roof without dividing the family property. They farmed the best land in the village, and their life was considered one of the most prosperous. Furthermore, Sanniang was dignified, had a good personality, and was famous for being hardworking. Matchmakers had been coming to her door even before she reached her fifteenth year. Thus, she was able to marry into a carpenter’s family; someone with a trade would never go hungry. This was already a top-tier match.
What about herself?
Her looks were decent enough, but her grandfather and father had died young, and her only brother was not yet grown. Every harvest season, they had to hire help for the field work. By the end of the year, they had very little money left. Her family’s wealth was at the bottom of the village.
Just like the girls digging for wild vegetables today—even if they didn’t wear silver like Wu Taoniang, almost all of them wore a velvet flower. Only she had nothing on her head.
In short, her future husband would only be worse than Sanniang’s.
And while Liu the Carpenter’s family was well-off, his second son was a literal “short winter melon,” barely over five feet tall. Just thinking about it made her shudder. If it was going to be worse than that…
Then there were only a few families left to choose from.
Wang Wu the farmer? No, he had a mole the size of a thumb on his face; she couldn’t stand the sight of it. Li Si, who worked in a city tavern? No way, his family had a history of beating their wives; his older brother had already beaten one to death, and she wanted to live. What about Old Man Sun’s youngest son? He was decent-looking and tall, but he was a lazy loafer whose family had no land. She didn’t want to face a famine after marriage, or have to show her face in public working as a wine server, changing soups and pouring wine for others.
She vaguely remembered having a childhood betrothal, but after so many years without a word, she figured it was a lost cause.
Sigh, when it came to marriage, even the annoying Wu Taoniang would probably have an easier time than her. After all, Wu Taoniang had an uncle with connections; she heard he was a merchant elsewhere.
As she was thinking, she looked up and saw Wu Taoniang holding a large handful of freshly dug wild vegetables, roots still caked in dirt, triumphantly raising an eyebrow at her.
At this, Yuanniang put aside all other thoughts. Her competitive spirit was fully ignited. When it came to digging for wild vegetables, she had always been the best among her peers. She couldn’t let Wu Taoniang outdo her!
Thus, she took out a small elbow-length hoe from her basket, switched tools, and put all her effort into digging. She made sure to find every patch before Wu Taoniang could. After working for over an hour, her basket was half full, the most bountiful harvest among all the girls.
Seeing that she couldn’t even beat Chen Yuanniang at digging for vegetables, Wu Taoniang stomped her feet in frustration.
Luckily, her family was much richer than Chen Yuanniang’s, Wu Taoniang consoled herself.
Meanwhile, Yuanniang was quietly digging up the roots of two plants with upright green flowers. Unlike her flamboyant display while digging vegetables, she didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until the roots were in her basket and covered with greenery. She recognized these; she had seen someone bragging while selling medicine on the street before. It seemed to be called pseudoginseng and was worth quite a bit. She didn’t know if she remembered correctly, but it wouldn’t hurt to dig them up and ask.
Her eyes searched the surroundings, hoping to find more; this was far more valuable than wild vegetables. Suddenly, however, she caught sight of a crowd gathered in front of her house at the foot of the mountain. Behind them, people formed a long, thin line, and was that an ox cart?
What was going on?!
Had something happened at home?
She had never seen such a commotion. Forgetting everything else, she called out to the girls nearby and raced toward her home.
Only when she reached the gate did she realize something was wrong. Why were these people moving things into her courtyard?
To call it a courtyard was a compliment. In truth, it was just some wooden stakes driven into the ground with vines woven around them to form a fence. Vegetables were planted on both sides, while the earth in the middle had been leveled and embedded with a few stones so that shoes wouldn’t sink into the mud on rainy days.
This humble courtyard was now piled high with trunks, baskets, and crates.
Yuanniang’s family couldn’t afford tiles for their roof; it was made of bundled thatch. Whenever the wind blew, a few stalks would fall. One happened to land right on a polished hardwood chest, creating a somewhat comical sight. Seeing this, Yuanniang’s palms instinctively sweat, and her face felt as if it were burning.
Fortunately, she saw her grandmother. As if finding her anchor, she hurried over, shrinking back slightly as she whispered, “Granny, what’s happening?”
Granny Wang, who could normally fly into a rage over nothing, was terrifyingly calm at this moment. Only the loose flesh on her face was pulled taut, and her cloudy, yellowish eyes stared at the servants before her. Her voice was steady, yet laced with a certain coldness.
“The Wei family has come to break off the engagement.”