“Hush, don’t speak so loudly, others might hear. Be frank, this is the first time this has happened,
“Lies! Beware, I’ll investigate this.” Shi Men just laughed and admitted his guilt. After investigating and finding out that indeed it was the first time her husband had slept with Lian Cu, Kim Lian felt relieved. Cleverly, she used this opportunity to pressure Shi Men, forcing him to treat her kindly and sweetly, yielding to her desires because Kim Lian was willing to help him continue his relationship with Lai Wang's wife. Thanks to Kim Lian's help, the secret meetings could continue.
Several months had passed since Shi Men began his clandestine relationship with Lian Cu, his trusted employee's wife. Almost every day, he held warm meetings with Lian Cu, no longer hiding like their first meeting at Spring Cottage, but now in Kim Lian's cottage! One day, while Shi Men's wives were enjoying themselves in the garden, the guard reported the return of Lai Wang, the employee sent to the city of Hang-Chouw. As Lai Wang headed to the back of the residence, looking for his wife, he encountered Sun Siu Oh, Shi Men's fourth wife, who as usual was in the kitchen due to her culinary skills. Seeing this trusted employee, Siu Oh greeted him and offered tea.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet. I want to pay my respects and see Goat Toanio, but he is in the garden with the other mistresses. Where is my wife? Why isn’t she in the kitchen helping you as usual?” Siu Oh smirked.
“Helping in the kitchen? Huh, your wife has become a big lady since you left. Her only duty is to accompany…” The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Goat Toanio. The mistress greeted him and asked about his duties, then gave him two jars of liquor. Then Lian Cu also appeared and, accompanied by his wife, Lai Wang returned to his own room to change clothes and eat.
“Wow, you seem to have had fun on your journey, you've gotten fatter," said Lian Cu. That afternoon, Shi Men returned and received a full report from Lai Wang about his journey. Shi Men expressed his satisfaction and awarded him several ounces of silver. The next day, Lai Wang was able to meet Sun Siu Oh privately and he demanded more details about his wife. To pry open his fourth wife's mouth, Lai Wang gave her souvenirs of fine silk handkerchiefs, four boxes of famous Hang-Chouw powder, several boxes of rouge and beauty tools. Sun Siu Oh, feeling envious and displeased with Lian Cu who was sleeping with her husband, then recounted everything that had happened since Lai Wang left.
“For these four months, your wife has been fooling around with Shi Men. The maid Siau Giok was their intermediary, and Kim Lian even gave her room to them to fool around. Almost every day, from morning to night or from night to morning, your wife serves Shi Men there. She receives many clothes, jewelry, and a lot of money.” Lai Wang was shocked, angry and saddened. He liked to drink liquor, so to soothe his heart, he drank until he was drunk. That night, in his drunken state, he rummaged through his wife's clothes and found a beautiful blue silk cloth.
“Where did you get this cloth?” he asked his wife. Lian Cu laughed, masking her discomfort.
“What a stupid question! Of course, I got it from the First Mistress. Then where else do you think? She gave it to me to make a dress, but I haven't had time to do it.” Lai Wang slapped his wife's face.
“Shameless woman! You’re still trying to deny and cover up the scandal with lies? I have witnesses that all this time you have given yourself to a beast without humanity!” Lian Cu started crying.
“Wicked man! What wrong have I done to you that you dare to hit and scold me? Evil mouths have persuaded you to turn against your own wife. I come from a good family, and if I ever stray even a step, let me be damned and my honorable name be tarnished!” Lai Wang was hesitant and went to sleep because his head was spinning from the drunkenness. However, his lingering doubts made Lai Wang prone to talking nonsense while he was drunk. In the following days, in his drunken state, in the room of the employees and servants, in front of the other employees, he cursed Shi Men. Another employee named Lai Seng, hearing all this, quickly went to report to Kim Lian and Yu Lok.
“He cursed Master Shi Men as a wild boar, even called the Fifth Mistress as a wicked poison, and he talked about a knife that will go in white and come out red.” Hearing this, of course, Kim Lian and Yu Lok were terrified. Quickly, Kim Lian went to her husband and with a pale and frightened face, she told about Lai Wang's threat to them.
“Ah, who did he learn it from?” Shi Men asked angrily, and from the servants, he finally learned that Lai Wang heard about his wife's affair from Sun Siu Oh, his fourth wife. Angry, Shi Men then punished Siu Oh with a whip, then ordered his fourth wife to take off her top so she couldn't go anywhere except in the kitchen with the other female servants. Then Shi Men sought an opportunity to meet with Lian Cu and discuss the matter.
“Ah, someone like him doesn't need to be paid attention to. When he's drunk, he says anything. He's like a dog that barks a lot but doesn't bite. His life depends on you, he's not so stupid to cut off the branch where he sits. Please don't mind his words. I guarantee he won't do anything evil!” said Lian Cu.
“Who reported it like that?”
“It was Lai Seng who told it to my fifth wife.”
“Ah, Lai Seng! Of course, and I understand why he spread that rumor. He's half-dead with jealousy because you seem to trust my husband more than him. But it would be better if you could give my husband a little capital so he can work on his own outside this house. That way, we can meet anytime without feeling disturbed.”
“You seem to be right,” said Shi Men, and a few days later, Shi Men called Lai Wang and gave him six packages of silver.
“Take these six packages of silver that contain three hundred ounces of silver. Open a liquor shop at the end of the street so you can work on your own and earn a good income.” Of course, Lai Wang was overjoyed, repeatedly expressing his gratitude, then took the packages and met his wife who greeted him jubilantly.
“Ah, it turns out that Master Shi Men is very good to us. Look, he gives three hundred ounces of silver and with this capital, I can build a house and trade on my own.”
“Well, see how wrong your initial assumption was. But from now on, don't gamble and don't like to get drunk.” Lai Wang promised and started looking for a place and a capable manager. However, it turned out he came home drunk as well. Once Lai Wang was sound asleep, a maid signaled to Lian Cu who immediately slipped away quietly to meet Shi Men's call. She didn't suspect at all that Shi Men deliberately arranged for her to leave her husband that night. Around nine o'clock at night, the voice of Sun Siu Oh, Shi Men's fourth wife, woke up Lai Wang.
“Wake up, Brother Lai Wang. Wake up and see your wife fooling around again with that man in the garden. How can you sleep soundly?” Lai Wang woke up and didn't see Lian Cu by his side. Instantly, he became furious and filled with jealousy. He jumped down and ran into the garden. But in the darkness, his feet tripped over something that caused him to fall and at that moment a falling object sounded like a fallen knife. Then, suddenly, five male servants appeared and immediately surrounded and hit him while shouting “Thief!” repeatedly.
“But I am Lai Wang, a servant here” Lai Wang struggled to free himself from their grip.
“I was just looking for my wife. What do you mean attacking me like this?” But the five servants dragged him to the brightly lit front porch where Shi Men was already sitting, awaiting his arrival with a look of anger.
“Bring him here!” he yelled. Lai Wang knelt before his master, convinced of his innocence, and gave an explanation.
“I woke up from sleep, since I didn't see my wife next to me, I went out to find her. What crime have I committed? Why am I accused of being a thief?” Hearing this, his enemy and rival, Lai Seng, Shi Men's trusted second man, stepped forward and handed a machete to his master while smirking mockingly.
Glossary
- Goat Toanio: a term of Chinese origin used to address a respected elder or master.
- Hang-Chouw: a city in China, known as Hangzhou in Mandarin.
- Siau Giok: a servant's name.
- Lai Seng: a servant's name.
- Kongcu Shi Men: Master Shi Men, the title 'Kongcu' is a form of address for a young master in traditional Chinese society.