“Elder Brother and So-So. Tomorrow, I will leave to carry out a mission for more than two months. Elder Brother, you are a gentle and yielding man. I am afraid that while I am gone, others might trouble you. Do not let yourself get involved in disputes, wait until I return to settle them. And if I were you, Elder Brother, I wouldn't carry too many goods, nor sell for too long away from home. Also, when you leave, remember to lock the door. Don't drink with your friends. However, heed my words, Elder Brother.”
“Alright, I will remember your advice and obey it,” Elder Brother said, nodding.
“And you, So-So. You are incredibly sensitive so I don't need to say much. You yourself see how reliant my brother is on you. He is honest and simple, qualities far superior and valuable than appearing intelligent and dazzling. Therefore, So-So, make your home full of happiness. A home should have sturdy fences to not let dogs haphazardly enter.” Hearing this, Kim Lian's face turned red with anger and she pointed her finger at her husband, shouting furiously.
“You foolish man! What have you said about me that I have to face all these insults? Just because I am a woman, you see me as worthless? I am a faithful and honest wife! Try to deny my loyalty to you. Since I married you, not even an ant has ever entered our bed. So, what does all this nonsense and insult about dogs and fences mean? Bu Siong, it is inappropriate for you to make groundless accusations and allegations without proof!” Bu Siong looked at his sister-in-law with a glowing face. He was pleased to see So-So angry as it showed that So-So still had principles and pride not to do anything disgraceful as a wife.
“Eh, so you feel responsible for the peace of your home, So-So? That's wonderful, as long as it's not just empty words. Regardless, I will remember your words and it will reassure me.” The next day, Bu Siong left to fulfill his dangerous and heavy-duty task. And his brother, who he left behind, began to face his wife's constant fury. However, Bu Toa did not indulge her, holding onto his patience and obeying his younger brother's advice. He started leaving not too early and returning not too late, when he went to sell, he closed and locked the front door. Of course, this made Kim Lian very angry.
“You foolish man! What's the point of closing the door while the sun is still high? Our neighbors will surely laugh at us, as if we are scared in broad daylight, afraid to see ghosts. This is the result of you listening too much to your good-for-nothing but big-mouthed brother!”
“Let others laugh at me,” Bu Toa answered. “My younger brother is right. This way, we avoid bad things.” Kim Lian could only grumble in anger because she felt her steps were restricted, and she felt increasingly dissatisfied being Bu Toa's wife who did not satisfy her in every way.
Like all things in this world, both pleasant and unpleasant, considered good or bad, will surely pass without a trace, those traces will also pass and be erased. Everything in this world will be swallowed by time. Time flies incredibly fast if you don't pay attention, faster than an arrow released from its bow. Without realizing it, spring had sprung, reviving all plants, making the world vibrant with the blossoming of millions of flowers. On a very bright spring morning, Kim Lian had taken a bath early in the morning and put on her most beautiful and new clothes.
She waited until Bu Toa, her husband, left carrying his goods. Then she stood under the canopy in front of the door. It's said that all the things that are destined to happen by Fate are usually caused by small and trivial things. At that time, Kim Lian was adjusting the bamboo canopy in front of the door when suddenly the wind blew on the canopy causing the bamboo she was holding to whip to the side and without intending to, the bamboo hit the head of a man who was passing by. Fortunately, it was just a piece of bamboo, but since it hit someone's head, Kim Lian was shocked as well as regretful and embarrassed. Kim Lian noticed the stranger who got hit by her bamboo and she was amazed.
A man who was over thirty, he gave off the air of a city man. His sturdy body was covered in a costly green silk outfit. His head was adorned with a hat decorated with golden arrowheads that had earrings that made a faint jingling sound when he moved. Around his waist was a golden belt with gemstone decorations. His feet wore cotton socks that were very clean, along with expensive shoes. His hand held a fan made in Sichuan, whose handle was adorned with gold. In short, a handsome and attractive man like the fairy tale character Cang Song, or Pan An. A man who could captivate any woman's heart! When the man felt the canopy bamboo brushing his head, he stopped and prepared to get angry.
However, when he turned to the right and looked, his breath quickened and his heart pounded because he was facing an extraordinarily beautiful and alluring young woman. Her thick black hair was coiled on top of her head. The shiny black hair rings contrasted strikingly with her smooth white temples. Her small and long black eyebrows arched like a crescent moon, protecting a pair of slightly wide eyes that narrowed at the edges and had a sharp, clear gaze. A pair of red, damp lips shaped like archer's bows, easily moving in a way that was tantalizing, a small pointed nose, a pair of cheeks soft and rosy like ripe tomatoes, a slender and soft body like a fragrant beautiful flower stalk.
Her slender fingers were intricately carved like pearls. The body was extremely alluring, like a blooming flower stalk, her skin was smooth and white, full of perfect curves, a protruding chest, small and petite feet. Ah, a young woman without any flaws. The incredibly alluring sight in front of him instantly drove away the man's anger, turning his sullen face into a friendly smile, as if a thin cloud had been swept away by the wind and the full moon showed again. Kim Lian was flustered. The woman was also captivated by the handsomeness of the man in front of her. Nervously, she raised both hands in front of her chest, bowed with a soft grace while paying respects and said in a soft melodious voice, her voice was enticingly sultry.
“The wind caused me to lose my grip and the bamboo unintentionally hit Kongcu (young master). I hope Kongcu will kindly forgive me.” The man adjusted his hat and gave a deep bow to return the salute. “Ah, it's alright, Miss. Please calm down.” Mother Wang, the neighboring widow who owned a tea shop, happened to be outside and witnessed the whole event. She now stepped forward with a smirk.
“Kongcu received a hard hit while passing by, eh?”
“Ah, it's all my fault!” the man said with a friendly smile. “Just hope this young lady can forgive me.”
“Ah, Kongcu,” Kim Lian exclaimed. “It is not right for Kongcu to apologize!”
“Kind Lady, please forgive me!” the man said again, his voice sounded loud and melodious, his eyes full of burning desire. His gaze seemed to stick to the sweet beautiful face and the beautiful body. Then, he bowed and left, but as he walked away, he repeatedly glanced back while moving his fan, his steps full of style. The appearance of the handsome man with his beautiful and expensive clothes, his attractive attitude and his polite words, left a deep impression on Kim Lian.
“He must be attracted to me,” she thought with a pounding heart, “if not, why did he keep looking back at me while he was leaving? Ah... if only I knew who that man was and where his house was.” She kept watching the man until he disappeared around the corner. Only after the man was out of sight, did she close the door and enter her house. Can the reader guess who the handsome man who caught Kim Lian's attention was? He was none other than the leader of a group of men who liked to chase beautiful women. He was the owner of a large spice and medicine store, the young tycoon Shi Men!
Just recently, his third wife or second concubine, Coa Tiu, had died due to illness. While the concubine was seriously ill, Shi Men had watched over her in the room until she died. He felt mournful because he loved Co Tiu, and only today did he leave his house to soothe his grief-stricken heart. He intended to visit Ying Po Kui, his friend who could certainly comfort him, and on his way there, he had an experience that bewitched his heart. The recent event left him confused, and he didn't end up visiting Ying, instead he returned home and as soon as he arrived, he entered his room and brooded. How beautiful that woman was! Ah, how could he get her? Suddenly, he rose to his feet and his face was radiant.
“Ah, of course! Mother Wang, the widow who owns the tea shop next to the beautiful woman's house, could be the intermediary!” With this idea in mind, Shi Men did not wait for it to get later in the day, and quickly left his house, visiting the tea shop owned by Widow Wang. Of course, the old widow greeted him with a radiant face.
“Hey, Auntie Wang, come here. There's something I want to ask you. The pretty young lady next door, who is she?”
“Uh, doesn't Kongcu know? She is the sister of the Hell Prince, the daughter of the General of Five Streets!” “Hushh! Don't joke around! Tell the truth. Who is she?”
“Aha, does Kongcu really want to know? Well, she is the wife of the pastry merchant, Bu Toa.” “What? That short barker, that ugly dwarf?”
“True!” Shi Men burst into laughter. But then he exclaimed full of curiosity,
“It is truly annoying that soft, fresh lamb meat has fallen into the jaws of a filthy dog!”
Glossary
- Kongcu: a term of respect for a young master or gentleman.
- So-So: a familiar or informal way to address a woman or sister-in-law, sometimes used as a nickname.
- Bu Toa: the name of a character in the story, who is a humble pastry merchant.
- Shi Men: the name of another character, a rich and influential spice and medicine store owner known for chasing after beautiful women.
- Coa Tiu: the name of Shi Men's deceased second concubine.
- Ying Po Kui: a friend of Shi Men who is mentioned but not directly involved in the events of this chapter.