Chapter 1: Wealthy Husband? Cuckold?
Play on words. 金龟婿 means wealthy husband while 乌龟(婿) means cuckold. Only the first character in both is different.
I personally think it’s not regrettable to not have a husband. What’s disgraceful is that I’m don’t even have an adulterer by my side, yet all the chaste women in Yangzhou avoid me.
This situation was somewhat troublesome.
Thinking back to the time when I just came of age, daddy still hasn’t considered marrying me off but the young men in Yangzhou and the neighboring Suzhou-Hangzhou area all flocked to my house. The line of people coming to propose was endless. The carriages and horses passed by like running water all day long. It was so noisy that even the two stone lions guarding my front door wished they could become real lions and let out a few roars.
However, three years have passed yet things remained the same but people have changed. I believed that daddy would have married me off with great fanfare. Now I’m afraid there won’t be any mosquitoes coming around, let alone a talented young man or a noble, to be a wealthy husband.
In fact, I can’t blame them. It’s not that I had suddenly become an old woman in three years. I didn’t know how to become a beauty that can topple a city, but I did monopolize the mirror every day. I think I actually look better than I did three years ago. Of course, it’s also not because we have lost our family business in the past three years and the merchandise shops were all closed down. On the contrary, daddy’s business became bigger and bigger. The stores were expanding and the safe was full.
Then how were the young men scared away? Naturally, there was a profound reason.
I touched my slightly protruding belly, wondering…
No one wants to change from a “wealthy husband” to a “cuckolded husband,” right? Everyone likes readily available things, but if this readily available thing is a baby crawling on the floor, I’m afraid everyone will avoid it like a plague.
I was always an optimistic achiever, so resigning to my fate wasn’t my style. I was no longer a maiden who has to stay hidden in my room so naturally, I didn’t have many restrictions. Rather than staying at home waiting for marriage proposals, I might as well make friends with matchmakers and go on blind dates. Firstly, I can pass the time. Secondly, I can sooner find a merciful and forgiving husband.
But because of my bad reputation, Yangzhou’s young masters will run away in fear after hearing just my surname “Shen,” let alone go on blind dates with me. The matchmakers in Ice Hall have heaven-defying methods. They didn’t persuade the local young masters, but instead took another route and decided to go for the men who came to Yangzhou.
An example was today’s Young Master Ma. He was a merchant from Shanxi who admires Jiangnan women’s sweet tempers. He wanted to take advantage of his month here doing business to find a caring wife to marry.
Ice Hall’s matchmakers asked for my inclination yesterday. I did not want a court official nor a millionaire. He was just a small businessman so I agreed. Today,
Young Master Ma invited me to a private room in the largest restaurant in the city, Opulent Spring.
Now, we were sitting across from each other in an in the private room called Elegant Ode Pavillon with Matchmaker Liu sitting on my right.
I secretly glanced at Young Master Ma out of the corner of my eye. I thought my eyes were momentarily filled up, with no space to see where Matchmaker Liu was sitting.
Uhh, this Young Master Ma looked portly. Round face, round waist, round belly. In short, completely round.
I lowered my head to recuperate my eyes. In my heart, I thought, “Round is also good if his heart is as big and round as his belly.”
Today I wore a cross stitch embroidered gown with a simple elegant design. Although there were no obvious signs on pregnancy in the fourth month, I still loosened the embroidered sash at my waist by three inches. To cover up my lower face before daddy warns me again, I wore a triangle scarf.
天宝 (TianBao) 天 = sky/heaven 宝 = treasure
I slightly nodded my head, “Greetings to Young Master Ma.” On the side, I lightly stepped on Matchmaker Liu’s foot under my skirt.
Matchmaker Liu obviously understood what I meant. She promptly lifted the teapot to pour tea for him and inquired, “What does Young Master Ma think of Miss Shen?”
That round Young Master Ma hurriedly said, “Very good, couldn’t be better. She is simply a fairy descended from the heavens. Not saying anything else, this Ma has the fortune of three lifetimes to meet once today.”
Matchmaker Liu hid a pleased smile then sighed, “There is also a better matter. I heard Young Master Ma’s lineage only has one frail heir for the past three generations. Coincidentally, Miss Shen had a dream four months ago where Guanyin passed by and left a son. The next day, she was diagnosed with the pregnancy pulse.”
“Miao’r?”
妙儿 (Miao’r) MC’s name is Shen Miao. 儿 (er) is a term of endearment. 妙 = clever/wonderful
I was astonished that Matchmaker Liu can concoct such a beautiful story from the ugly truth. I enthusiastically concentrated on the conversation when I suddenly heard a familiar voice call my name, abruptly cutting off Matchmaker Liu’s brilliant improvisation. Young Master Ma also has yet to hear the crux of the story.
Looking up, I saw a man in a moonlight wind green shirt being led into the room by a servant. He looked at me as if he didn’t expect to see me. Who else could it be but Pei Yanzhen?
衍祯 (YanZhen) 衍 = to spread 祯 = lucky
When the little servant who boldly opened the door looked up and saw us, he panicked, “Sorry for disturbing the guests.” He turned around to speak to Pei Yanzhen, “Master Pei, it was my mistake just now. This Elegant Ode Pavillion was booked by Young Master Ma earlier. The empty room is the next door Divine Wind Pavillion. Troubling you to follow me over.”
Pei Yanzhen looked at me, then glanced at the other two people. He warmly smiled, “No bother. Just disturbed the guests’ mood.” To his servant, he said, “Stay here so I can greet them before we go.”
On this side, Matchmaker Liu stood up in fright. She bowed toward Pei Yanzhen and said with revere, “This woman Liu Chenshi greets Master Pei.”
Another endearment by repeating the name
Half my face turned dark. I obviously clearly saw Song Xiyuan push the door open himself. I bluntly said, “Young Master Song is joking. There isn’t even a sliver of wind.”
席远 (XiYuan) 席 = mat/seat 远 = far
“No wind?” Song Xiyuan earnestly stretched out a hand to test the air, mumbling to himself while walking into the room, “Then it must be that the door is too weak. It opened up even without any wind. Don’t you think so, Old Chen?”
The middle-aged man who stood behind him with a wooden face shook the door expressionlessly, “Third Young Master is right. The door is indeed weak.” The words barely left his mouth when the peach blossom engraved door in his hand crashed on the floor to die of old age.
Song Xiyuan raised his brows innocently with a “you see I was right” expression. Suddenly, he closed his fan and laughed, “Oh! Isn’t this Matchmaker Liu?”
“I greet Third Young Master. I am fortunate to have Third Young Master remember this old body. It’s indeed terrifying.” Matchmaker Liu gave him a bow with a smile barely on her face.
“Who in Yangzhou doesn’t know of Matchmaker Liu? Moreover, Matchmaker Liu has been arranging dates for Miaomiao all day with such enthusiasm. It’s so touching that’s it’s engraved into my heart. I don’t know how to repay you.” Song Xiyuan smiled even more brilliantly.
Matchmaker Liu twisted uncomfortably, unable to speak.
Pei Yanzhen sipped his tea indifferently like he was detached from the world.
I felt a burst of grief in my heart…The meeting today was interrupted in this way. I’m afraid it’s not a positive sign.
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