The Luo River flowed from north to south, its clear current rushing swiftly over stones and through forests. When it reached Pan Gou Tan, the riverbed suddenly turned, and the water slowed considerably.
At this bend lay Baihe Town.
Though this northern town was small, it had two main streets, one north and one south. At the end of the south street was a small haberdashery that sold all sorts of silk threads, yarn, lace, and braids. Though it was a small business, it was enough to support the Shen family, young and old.
It was the height of summer, and the shade of the willow trees covered the ground.
Shen Qi returned from the front street, a basket of edamame, a block of tofu, and a bunch of scallions in her arms. She was about to prepare lunch when she realized they had a guest as soon as she entered the courtyard.
“The Xie family is a prominent household in Pingshan County. They own an apothecary with a five-room storefront on Yinshi Street and are quite well-off. Sister Shen, if your daughter lets this opportunity pass, she won’t find another like it…”
It was another matchmaker, here to propose a marriage for her.
Shen Qi didn’t go inside. Instead, she turned and went around to the back door, sat on the threshold, and quietly began to shell the vegetables while eavesdropping on the conversation between her mother and the matchmaker.
“Auntie Xue, you say the Xies are such a prominent family. Why would they take an interest in a minor household like ours from a small town? I’m afraid there must be something wrong with this Second Master Xie.”
“Aiya, listen to you! I’m an official matchmaker registered with the county yamen, not one of those unscrupulous hags who only cares about money and arranges marriages recklessly! This Second Master Xie is the only son of the main branch of his family. He’s handsome and stands at least eight chi tall…”
It was strange. The bunch of scallions in her hand was fresh and green, not particularly pungent, yet Shen Qi felt a stinging, swelling sensation in her eyes.
In the two years since her engagement had been broken, if fifty matchmakers hadn’t come to propose a match for her, then at least thirty-odd had. Young men from all the surrounding villages had come to the Shen house one after another for a viewing, but nothing ever came of it.
The reason, most likely, was the rumor that she was a “husband-jinx.”
Originally, when Shen Qi was thirteen, her father had arranged her engagement to the Xu family, who ran a medical hall in town. From then on, the two families had treated each other as relatives, just waiting for her to turn sixteen to hold the wedding.
Unexpectedly, two months before the wedding, the Xu family’s eldest son, Xu You, suddenly fell gravely ill and became unconscious. He showed no signs of improvement even after two or three months of treatment. Mr. Xu himself came to their door, saying he was afraid of delaying Shen Qi’s life and making her a widow at the gate. He had no choice but to ask for the betrothal gifts back and consider the engagement broken.
To everyone’s surprise, three days after the engagement was broken, Xu You woke up. Seven days later, he was out of bed, and within half a month, he had fully recovered.
But the Xu family never mentioned the engagement or marriage again.
Slowly, gossip began to spread among the neighbors that Shen Qi’s birth chart was unlucky and that she was born to be a husband-jinx.
Otherwise, how could the Xu family’s son have recovered as soon as the engagement was called off?
Naturally, no one said such rumors to the Shen family’s faces, but over time, they all found out. Though they didn’t believe it, it still left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Fortunately, a family with a daughter will have a hundred suitors.
After the broken engagement, a steady stream of potential suitors came to meet her. Almost none who saw Shen Qi’s looks were displeased, but as soon as they heard about her so-called “husband-jinx” reputation, they all backed out.
This delay lasted two years, and Shen Qi was now almost eighteen.
Her sister-in-law, Qiao-shi, came from the back and saw Shen Qi sitting on the threshold shelling vegetables.
“Yue’yatou, why aren’t you inside?”
Shen Qi placed a finger to her lips, then pointed inside, indicating there was someone in the room.
Seeing this, Qiao-shi twisted around and sat down next to Shen Qi, speaking in a hushed voice.
“Another matchmaker for you?”
Shen Qi nodded.
“Which family is it?”
“Pingshan County, I think.”
The two sisters-in-law spoke in low voices, slowly finishing the edamame together. Just as they were about to get up, their mother, Mrs. Zhang, walked over, a delighted look on her face.
It seemed she had already seen the matchmaker out.
Her sister-in-law asked, “Mother, which family was this matchmaker talking about?”
Mrs. Zhang said, “She said it’s a prominent family from Pingshan County, surnamed Xie. They own an apothecary and are very wealthy.”
Shen Qi asked, “The family’s wealth is secondary. What are the people like?”
“She said the Xie family has two branches. This is the main branch. The second branch has a male cousin, which is why he’s ranked second. His mother passed away early, his father is still living, and he has an older and a younger sister. Whoever marries him will be the mistress of the house.”
Shen Qi looked at her mother, wanting to speak but hesitating. Her sister-in-law understood her thoughts and asked for her.
“What about the young man himself? What’s he like?”
“Matchmaker Xue said she’s seen this Second Master Xie with her own eyes. He’s very handsome, and a bit taller than our eldest. He’s just a bit older, twenty-four, six years older than our little Yue’er.”
Hearing this, Shen Qi couldn’t help but shake her head.
“For the matchmaker to praise his family so highly, yet he’s still unmarried at this age, there must be a reason.”
“I asked about that too. The matchmaker said he started traveling far from home when he was seventeen or eighteen to procure medicinal herbs for the family. It seems he hasn’t been home for any length of time for several years, and that’s what caused the delay.”
Shen Qi laughed. “Which matchmaker isn’t full of nonsense? They could make a pile of cow dung sound like a flower!”
Her sister-in-law added, “Isn’t that the truth? The last matchmaker who came said there was a scholar’s family in the next town. The man was refined, fair-skinned, and never wandered about. When he came, your brother saw that he had a limp and white patches on his face. He was so angry he didn’t even pour tea before sending the man away.”
Mrs. Zhang, afraid her daughter would lose heart, quickly said, “This one is an official matchmaker, not one of those street-roaming gossips who spouts nonsense.”
Shen Qi knew what her mother was thinking, afraid that she would lose her lifelong support because of a baseless rumor.
“In that case, let’s have Second Master Xie and his family come for a viewing tomorrow. It won’t cost us anything.”
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhang’s heart filled with hope again. Smiling, she went out to catch up with Auntie Xue.
Her sister-in-law said to Shen Qi, “Since it’s settled, I’ll go to the street and buy some pastries to serve our guests.”
Shen Qi stopped her sister-in-law as she was about to get up, shaking her head.
“Why waste the money? It probably won’t work out anyway.”
“Don’t say that. True gold fears no fire, and dark clouds can’t hide the sun. A good girl like you is like a golden phoenix; you’ll only land in a family that is blessed. Any family that misses out on you, it’s their loss.”
Shen Qi smiled and nuzzled her head of glossy black hair into her sister-in-law’s embrace.
“No, I’d rather be an old maid forever and stay with you for the rest of my life.”
Her sister-in-law smiled and hugged her, nodding in agreement.
“That would be wonderful. Just like when we were little, we’ll eat and sleep together every day. How about that?”
Her sister-in-law, Qiao Yunhua, was from a family on the south street. She had grown up with her husband, Shen Shao, and her sister-in-law, Shen Qi, as childhood sweethearts. She had married into the Shen family two years ago, and the two of them were the closest of friends.
Just after lunch, a short, stout young woman with a sallow complexion fanning herself with a large cattail fan hurried into the Shen family’s gate.
“Auntie, you absolutely must not agree to a match with the Xie family of Pingshan County! Be careful you don’t fall into their trap!”
Seeing the visitor, Mrs. Zhang felt a wave of displeasure.
This was Matchmaker Liu from the east street, who had some renown in Baihe Town. She had been the intermediary when her daughter was engaged to the Xu family.
After the engagement was broken, Shen Qi’s father had thought that since Xu You had recovered, perhaps the two families could still be joined in marriage. He had sought out Matchmaker Liu again to act as a go-between.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Matchmaker Liu had laughed so hard she slapped her thigh, saying that the Xu family, in order to hold an auspicious wedding for their newly recovered son, had already arranged an engagement with the Zhuo family from the county seat!
The Zhuo family had run a medical hall in Pingshan County for over a decade. With only one daughter, they were eager to recruit a son-in-law with medical skills to inherit the family business.
Thanks to her matchmaking, the Zhuo family and the Xu family had hit it off immediately. The wedding was likely to happen after the new year!
Only then did Shen Qi’s father figure it out.
What son too sick to get out of bed, what fear of making Shen Qi a widow at the gate, what auspicious wedding! It was clear the Xu family had wanted to break the engagement all along but feared they wouldn’t have just cause to get their betrothal gifts back, so they had put on this grand play for half a year!
Seeing how quickly they had broken one engagement and arranged another, it was likely Matchmaker Liu’s efforts had played no small part.
At the time, Shen Qi’s father had turned and gone straight home, and from that day on, he never had any dealings with the Xu family again.
Matchmaker Liu, however, felt no shame. She continued to visit, trying to arrange matches for Shen Qi with widowers or boatmen, spouting all sorts of nonsense.
Only after the Shen family had clearly refused her several times did she finally stay away for half a year.
Now she was back at the Shen house, and who knew what she was plotting.
Mrs. Zhang gave her a cold look and continued with the work in her hands.
Matchmaker Liu shamelessly sidled up to her.
“I’m telling you, Auntie, don’t be fooled by that old hag Xue! The Xie family in Pingshan County, they say they’re a prominent family with a huge apothecary on the street, but actually, their fortunes have declined. They’re just an empty shell now. Their expenses are high and their income is low; business is nothing like it used to be!”
Mrs. Zhang didn’t even raise her head. Matchmaker Liu moved to her other side and continued.
“And that Second Master Xie, old hag Xue only said he’s the only son of the main branch, but she didn’t say he’s not the eldest grandson of the Xie family! His second uncle has a son who’s a year older than him! He’s the eldest grandson, he manages the shop, and he’s the one their old grandmother dotes on! If your girl marries into that family, even though she won’t have a mother-in-law to answer to, she’ll still have a grandmother, a second aunt, and a sister-in-law from a high-ranking family all pressing down on her! Forget being the mistress of the house, she probably won’t be able to hold her head up for twenty years!”
Mrs. Zhang hadn’t wanted to pay her any mind, but since this concerned her daughter’s entire life, she couldn’t help but take it to heart, and the movements of her hands slowed.
Seeing her slight hesitation, Matchmaker Liu quickly added a few more words.
“There’s more! That Second Master Xie has been away from home for five or six years straight. He’s barely home for a few days all year round. I heard he just got back from a trip. How could he know anything about the shop’s business? Isn’t it all managed by his cousin? They call him Second Master, but he’s no different from a shop clerk! Tomorrow, he’ll be off again. If your daughter marries him, she’ll have to wait a year and a half just to see him!”
Mrs. Zhang was, after all, concerned about her daughter’s future, and her voice trembled slightly.
“Niece-in-law, is what you’re saying true?”
“Oh, Auntie, think about it. I’m a relative from our own town, and that old hag Xue is an outsider from the next town over. Who’s closer and who’s more distant? How could I possibly lie to you!”
The unscrupulous matchmaker’s eyes darted, and she continued.
“If you ask me, that young man from Sancha Village I told you about is much more reliable. He’s only in his thirties, and he’s a master at butchering pigs and castrating oxen. At home, it’s just him and a little daughter his late wife left behind. She’s already seven or eight, so you can use her as a maid. In a few years, you can marry her off and get a nice sum of money for yourselves, right? Think about it carefully… Ah! Ah!”
Before she could finish, Matchmaker Liu suddenly jumped up with a series of shrieks.
This was because Shen Qi’s older brother, Shen Shao, had suddenly started sweeping the courtyard with a large broom, aiming every stroke at Matchmaker Liu. In a few swift moves, he swept her out the gate.
“You wretched hag, don’t you ever set foot in my house again! If you dare mention my sister’s affairs one more time, I’ll smash your wretched head into a pulp!”
Shen Shao was grinding his teeth with rage.
Shen Qi sat in her room, having heard all the commotion outside. She stared unblinkingly at the swaying shadows of the trees outside her window. Usually the most carefree of people, she let out a long, soft sigh.