“Madman! Can't you let a person relax? Even in sleep, one can't be left undisturbed!” Shi Men grumbled, but when he opened his eyes and saw her beauty, he was defeated and Kim Lian obtained what she wanted. Before their love game ended, Shi Men felt thirsty and quickly called for Cun Bwe, Kim Lian’s attendant, to fetch wine and bring it to the bed.
“Eh, what are you doing? Don't be crazy! What do you want by calling for her here?” Kim Lian reprimanded. Shi Men laughed.
“I learned it at Madam Hua’s house. Ciu Hwa, her maid, also brought me wine, an energy booster.”
“Ha, don't mention Madam Hua again! Because she is a woman who cannot withstand tests, who married again without waiting for you, you became depressed and who became the victim of your anger? Me! Not only did I become the target of your frustration, but I was also scolded by your first wife.”
“Ah, you foolish women who don't understand matters. Actually, I am not angry with you, but with that woman. She chose Doctor Kiang as her husband, even gave him capital to open a pharmacy, aiming to compete with me. Who wouldn't be frustrated?”
“You’re the fool! Why didn't you bring her to this house a long time ago? I already agreed to it. But you only listened to Goat Toanio who always slanders others.” Kim Lian began to vent her curiosity and resentment towards her first co-wife. This poison she began to spread, and gradually Shi Men's face turned redder.
“Starting tomorrow, I refuse to see or talk to her.” This statement pleased Kim Lian who showered affection on her husband. How evil and dangerous are poisonous words against good relations between two people or parties who should be very close. Husband and wife, king and his minister, father and child, between siblings, can be shattered by rumors and slanderous, enticing words.
Shi Men's first wife, Goat Toanio, was his most loyal wife, but still the poisonous words could strain the relationship between this husband and wife. From that day on, sure enough, Shi Men acted displeased towards Goat Toanio, never greeted or acknowledged her, never approached her, as if the woman did not exist in that house. On the other hand, Goat Toanio also acted indifferently, even when Shi Men happened to enter her room, she pretended to be busy. The relationship between them became cold and no longer like a husband and wife. However, as a loyal wife and first wife, Goat Toanio never complained in front of her fellow wives, and her attitude towards her co-wives remained friendly and good.
A few months later, an extension of Shi Men's house was completed on the land he bought from the late Hua Ce Shu. With joy, Goat Toanio, accompanied by her stepdaughter, Shi Men's only child from a previous wife, and by her co-wives, toured the newly completed building and garden. The building and its plants were very beautiful because Shi Men spent a lot of money making them. In the vast garden, there were hills, a fish pond, a small lotus-filled lake, and various fruit and flower trees.
Each gazebo and garden were given splendid names. There was the "Swallow Birds' Migration Room," "Forest River Valley," "Green Hill Tower," and "Hidden Water Source Room." Each section was planted with beautiful flowers that matched the respective place's name. It was indeed a beautiful garden, not inferior to the gardens owned by the princes in the capital city. With joy, Goat Toanio, along with her stepdaughter and four co-wives, strolled around, and finally, she rested in the gazebo called "Cloud Rest," inviting her third and fourth wives, Mong Yu Lok and Sun Siu Oh, to play chess. The other women went up to the tower to enjoy the beauty of the garden from above. The servants were busy serving their masters with fine wine and sweets.
“Ah, I forgot to invite your husband” Goat Toanio said to her stepdaughter. However, at that moment, Chen Ceng Ki, Shi Men's son-in-law, entered the garden because he also wanted to see the newly built garden by his father-in-law. Seeing her stepson-in-law, Goat Toanio immediately had a servant call him and invite him into the gazebo where she and her two co-wives were playing chess. Chen Ceng Ki entered the gazebo. Seeing the young man arrive, Yu Lok and Siu Oh quickly stood up and intended to withdraw, but Goat Toanio said to them.
“He is not an outsider. He is still close family so you don't need to be reserved.” Then she introduced her two co-wives, the third and fourth wives, to Chen who quickly paid his respects to them. The young man was then invited to sit down. “I see you working hard every day, waking up very early and sleeping late into the night. If you work too hard helping your father-in-law, you might fall ill. So come and accompany us to drink wine and relax here.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, the little work I do is not worth mentioning,” Chen humbly replied. After drinking a few cups of wine, Chen accompanied them to play cards, but he felt a loss because since earlier he didn't see Kim Lian, his father-in-law's fifth wife, who had once stirred his heart with her beauty.
He then excused himself to stroll in the garden admiring its beauty. His wife stayed with her co-wives to continue the card game. Chen was a handsome young man, in a fine silk outfit, with a blue headband, and black silk sandals. As he strolled, he suddenly spotted something that excited him, Kim Lian, his father-in-law's fifth wife, was playing alone at the foot of the hill near a small lotus-filled lake, and she was using her fan trying to catch butterflies fluttering around her. Suddenly Kim Lian, who was engrossed by herself, heard Chen's voice behind her.
“Ah, Fifth Mother, you don't know how to catch butterflies. Let me help you.” Kim Lian turned around with a start and seeing Chen, she smiled but pretended to scold him,
“Hmm, impudent child. You startled me!” But while smiling, Chen Ceng Ki stepped forward, embraced Kim Lian and without much ado, kissed her cheeks and lips. Kim Lian tried to push the young man's chest in a weak resistance. But at that moment, Yu Lok's voice was heard calling and looking for her. Of course, the two quickly separated. Chen Ceng Ki quickly slipped away, leaving Kim Lian busy fixing her hair and wiping her lips and cheeks with her handkerchief so the traces of the event were not visible. After the construction of the new gardens and gazebos was completed, Shi Men started to go out again.
One day, he met two notorious figures, nicknamed the Grass Snake and the Street Rat. These two were hired henchmen or assassins who were feared by people for their cruelty, and for a few silver tails, they were ready to kill without batting an eye. Shi Men was not only famous among the upper class, being on good terms with officials and dignitaries, but he was also well known by the criminals in Ceng-Ho city and its surroundings because he often gave them financial aid, of course with the intention of strengthening his position. When he saw these two criminals, Shi Men got an idea and he halted his horse.
“I have a job for you.” Of course, the two criminals were glad and quickly approached, because a job ordered by Shi Men meant a lot of money as a reward for their service,
“Ah, honorable Kongcu, we have often received honor and gifts from you. Kongcu knows that for you, we are ready to enter a sea of fire, we are ready to fight to the death for you.” Shi Men bent over and whispered about the marriage of Madam Hua to Doctor Kiang. “Brothers, I would be very grateful if you could beat that shameless Doctor Kiang.” He took out five ounces of silver.
“Well, this is the first gift for now. If you do the job well, I will give more.”
Two months after getting married, regrets began to appear in Madam Hua's heart. She felt dissatisfied having the doctor as her husband, because deep down she had fallen in love with Shi Men. Often, she kicked Doctor Kiang out of her bedroom and her husband slept in his pharmacy.
Day and night she regretted her fate, why didn't Shi Men bring her into his house. She deeply regretted choosing the tiny, skinny doctor as her husband. Doctor Kiang was also unhappy. Just a month after marrying the beautiful young widow, his wife no longer wanted to serve him, often insulted and drove him away. Yet he had tried his best to win her love. That morning, after a sleepless night being rejected from entering his wife's room, Doctor Kiang opened his pharmacy grumbling. When the two men, the Grass Snake and the Street Rat, entered his shop, he greeted them with a gloomy face, then asked harshly what they wanted.
Glossary
- Shi Men: A character in the story, who has multiple wives.
- Kim Lian: Shi Men's fifth wife in the story.
- Cun Bwe: Kim Lian's attendant.
- Madam Hua: A woman both Shi Men and Doctor Kiang have feelings for.
- Doctor Kiang: Madam Hua's husband.
- Goat Toanio: Shi Men's first wife.
- Mong Yu Lok and Sun Siu Oh: Shi Men's third and fourth wives respectively.
- Chen Ceng Ki: Shi Men's son-in-law.
- Grass Snake and Street Rat: Nicknames of two criminals hired by Shi Men.