Lu Liu felt sorry for He Fulang, who had been kept in the dark about everything. He thought his husband had changed and was willing to live peacefully with him, and for the past few days, he had been happy—never realizing it was all an illusion.
Chen Guizhi said, “Wait until your husband leaves. He’s truly pitiful then. You shouldn’t interfere now; it’ll only stir up trouble.”
Lu Liu nodded, listening to her advice, and didn’t go visiting.
That evening, while they were eating, He Fulang came knocking, looking anxious and embarrassed. Only after Lu Liu asked did he learn that Liu Youli had taken silver out that afternoon, saying he had errands to run, and hadn’t returned home yet.
He Fulang said, “He usually just skips dinner, but always comes home daily. I don’t know if something happened today…”
He hadn’t gone out that evening and wanted Lu Liu to accompany him.
Li Feng leaned close, listening to his mother quietly explain Liu Youli’s exam plans.
He put down his chopsticks and said to He Fulang, “Go home tonight. Your husband has prospects; nothing will go wrong. The prefecture is large—he may have wandered far and hasn’t returned yet. Tomorrow, if he still hasn’t come back, I’ll go with you to the yamen to inquire.”
He Fulang dared not go to the yamen; if he caused a scene, his husband would surely be angry.
Li Feng suggested, “Go to the academy instead.”
He Fulang had never been to the academy. His husband always said he dressed poorly, lacked manners, and would be embarrassed. If he went, his husband would never lift his head, and his studies would be ruined.
Lu Liu frowned. “Then where do you want to go find him?”
He Fulang looked flustered. He didn’t know either, but that evening, when he was collecting clothes, he noticed many of Liu Youli’s garments were missing from the cupboard.
Chen Guizhi advised him to go home first. “Just ask about him at the academy, don’t go inside—just see if he attended class. Tomorrow, go home and don’t overthink it.”
He Fulang nodded in agreement.
The incident left Lu Liu unsettled; he barely ate his dinner.
After the meal, before curfew, the streets were still lively. Li Feng took him for a walk while carrying the children, buying him some osmanthus cake along the way.
The new year’s fresh osmanthus was fragrant.
Lu Liu remembered his brother loved osmanthus tea and thought to find a tree and collect some flowers to make tea for him.
Sighing at the thought of his brother, he muttered, “All married to scholars… how could it turn out this way?”
Li Feng replied, “That’s normal. Your brother is the exception.”
As a man who had spent his life among men, Li Feng knew how they thought.
Most arranged marriages were compromises. A man needed a wife, so he married an obedient one. Household chores, care from parents, children to raise, warmth at night—these were expected. Outside, it was another story; men’s eyes wandered, chasing others’ wives, desiring this or that.
Now in the prefecture, having seen all kinds of people and heard countless stories, he understood that living a simple, ordinary life with your spouse was already difficult.
Daily necessities and money erode patience and passion, while external temptations are endless.
For Li Feng, their bond was a matter of fate. By both giving a little, everything was manageable.
Before he knew about the marriage switch, seeing Lu Liu’s soft, cheerful demeanor and how he cared for the household, he accepted the fake marriage for the sake of staying together.
When difficulties arose, they helped each other. The faster one waited, the slower one caught up, guiding each other. Together, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome.
Lu Liu came from another village and knew nothing about mountain life or hunting. Li Feng patiently taught him. Slowly, Lu Liu became part of the village and the lessons no longer felt foreign.
He didn’t understand scholars’ subtle tricks, but both he and Lu Liu had gone from illiterate to knowing hundreds of characters. They had discussed daily life, and now even some scholarship.
If they weren’t scholars, consider Xie Yan and Lu Yang. Lu Yang knew a lot but wasn’t truly learned. One wanted to learn, one wanted to teach. Mutual respect and gentle guidance made it possible to converse, even if not deeply.
Many people lack patience to teach or wait; over time, distance grows, and resentment follows.
Li Feng said, “I can’t stand the Liu family. Even if you dislike them, they are family. How can they be so harsh? Even animals aren’t treated like that. They speak no words, get angry when asked, and expect their spouse to care for them while despising them. Reading a few books doesn’t make one great. If he spent a day teaching his spouse a character, over a few years, his spouse could read the Thousand Character Classic—not illiterate. Wanting a perfect spouse without giving anything themselves… they should look at themselves first.”
Lu Liu agreed.
The couple walked down a street; seeing vendors closing their stalls, they headed back.
Xiao Mai wanted a colorful paper pinwheel, so Lu Liu bought him one. Seeing this, Zhuang Zhuang reached out for one too.
Li Feng said he lacked independence.
“You always copy your brother, so useless.”
Zhuang Zhuang cried loudly.
Feeling pity, Lu Liu bought one for him too.
The little hand reached out and knocked the pinwheel to the ground to grab Xiao Mai’s.
Lu Liu groaned—eight wen for a single pinwheel wasted!
The couple had no time for further chatter. They picked up the pinwheels, carried the children, and returned home.
At home, Li Feng scolded Zhuang Zhuang with reason, and Lu Liu listened. Chen Guizhi passed their room and knocked, telling Li Feng to save his breath.
“These little ones, they understand nothing. Just teach them like Er Huang does; nothing else works.”
Li Feng and Lu Liu looked at her.
Chen Guizhi said to Li Feng, “Your father taught you that way.”
Li Feng froze.
Lu Liu burst into laughter, a long, hearty sound. The children, hearing him, also laughed.
Li Feng, who had wasted half his energy, remained speechless.
After putting the children to bed, Lu Liu laid them on the kang. The couple washed up and returned to the kang, continuing their conversation.
Lu Liu said, “Seeing Liu Youli treat his spouse that way, I always feel scared. If my brother-in-law were a cruel man, how hard life would be for my brother. He wouldn’t be safe anywhere.”
When they agreed to their marriage switch, they accepted both good and bad as consequences.
Now life was indeed good; they had made the right choice. But He Fulang’s situation always reminded Lu Liu to be cautious.
No wonder they say the young calf fears no tiger. The older he grew, the more timid he became.
Li Feng laughed. “Little Liu, when you were timid, you never imagined how hard life could be.”
Lu Liu pondered several times before understanding. Indeed, he hadn’t considered how bitter life would have been if he had married someone like Liu Youli.
Yet he felt no relief, only fear.
Li Feng hugged him. “Keep a kind heart, and good fortune will follow. He Fulang met you, didn’t he? We’ll see tomorrow.”
Thinking of tomorrow, Lu Liu sighed again. He didn’t know how he could help He Fulang.
The next day, everything was as usual.
Li Feng went to the docks early, while Lu Liu and Shun set up the stall. On their way home, they stopped by the small eatery to check things.
The walls had been repainted. Initially, they had considered a simple setup like the dock stalls, hanging a few mats, but Lu Liu wanted a more refined look for scholarly customers. A fresh coat made the interior bright and clean, free of falling plaster.
Now they just awaited the carpenter to deliver the custom tables; then they could buy pots, bowls, and utensils.
