Before Lin Dalang married Li Cuimei, the Lin family’s financial situation, though not as prosperous as the Li family’s, was far better than it is now. Otherwise, an ordinary farming household wouldn’t have had such a large three-courtyard residence.
Lin Boshi began his education at the age of six but failed to even pass the lowest-level imperial examination by the time he turned forty. His parents concluded he wasn’t cut out for scholarly pursuits and advised him to give up. The family was relatively well-off, owning a hundred acres of fertile land, another hundred acres of medium-quality fields, and two hundred acres of sloping land. They not only had indentured servants but also employed long-term laborers. As long as he worked diligently, even without an official title, he wouldn’t lack for food or drink. However, Lin Boshi was determined to earn an official rank, insisting his parents favored his younger brother and treated him unfairly, and stubbornly demanded the family property be divided.
Though Lin Boshi was no scholar, he was quite prolific in fathering children, producing nine in quick succession. Considering the size of his branch, when the family property was divided, he received sixty percent of the land, categorized by quality, while his parents and younger brother Lin Zhongshi kept the remaining forty percent. As for the servants, apart from leaving Dalang a childhood companion—the man Dalang referred to as Guicheng—and assigning one personal attendant each to the elderly couple, all other servants were given to the eldest son. Lin Zhongshi worked as a constable outside the home and had his own attendant. His wife, Tongshi, felt their household was simple and saw no need for servants. She also disliked having unrelated people constantly around, so during the division, she didn’t keep a single servant, even granting freedom to those she had brought with her.
Lin Boshi was stingy with his laborers, drastically cutting wages and skimping on food. Over time, no one was willing to work for him. He tried leasing the land, but his demands for excessive shares deterred potential tenants, forcing him to farm it himself. Having studied since childhood, Lin Boshi had no experience in farming. Within a few years, he sold off or abandoned most of the land, reducing over two hundred acres to just over ten. He also sold off all the family servants. If not for Lin Dalang and Li Cuimei’s quick thinking in freeing Guicheng, Li Cuihong, and Li Cuilian (who had married into Lin Dalang’s aunt’s family), these three might have ended up who knows where.
Now, regarding Li Cuimei’s family. The Li family was a prominent clan in the village. Her father, Li Qingyun, was the clan leader, and her mother, Pan Shi, was shrewd and capable. Li Cuimei had two siblings: an elder sister, Li Cuilan, and an elder brother, Li Ziyi. Li Ziyang was not their biological child but the orphaned son of Li Qingyun’s friend, originally surnamed Li. Ziyang was eight years younger than Li Cuimei, initially the fourth child but later pushed to sixth after the additions of Li Cuihong and Li Cuilian. As the youngest, Ziyang was somewhat spoiled by his parents and siblings, growing up with a domineering but not malicious personality—just mischievous.
Strangely, Li Ziyi strongly resembled his father, Li Qingyun, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, a square face, a straight nose, a wide mouth, big ears, and a height of nearly six feet—the epitome of a hearty, robust man. Li Cuilan took after her mother, standing about five feet five with a round face, an upturned nose, a small mouth, and moderately sized eyes that complemented her other features, making her moderately attractive. Even Li Ziyang, who shared no blood relation with the Li family, bore some resemblance to his adoptive parents. Only Li Cuimei’s appearance was a mystery, as no one could pinpoint whom she resembled.
At fifteen, Li Cuilan chose to marry into an ordinary farming family. Li Ziyi had a passion for martial arts from a young age and later passed the military examinations, now holding a third-rank military position in the capital. Li Cuimei, intelligent and raised in an enlightened household, was tutored at home. Pan Shi, a capable woman herself, meticulously educated her daughter, ensuring she excelled in poetry, embroidery, and other feminine arts. Yet, due to her unconventional looks, Li Cuimei remained unmarried at twenty-two. Lin Dalang was equally peculiar—despite his looks and family background, which could have attracted many women willing to marry him, he nitpicked until twenty-three, insisting on marrying Li Cuimei.
Lin Dalang’s grandparents objected, and Li Cuimei’s family also opposed, warning that their starkly contrasting appearances—with gender roles seemingly reversed—would cause endless marital strife. But Lin Dalang persisted, pestering both families for over a year until the elders relented and arranged the marriage. Throughout, Li Cuimei remained passive. After marriage, Lin Dalang was invited by his late grandfather’s friend to manage a fabric shop, rarely returning home. When he did, his parents, never supportive of the marriage, seized every opportunity to sow discord, leading to frequent misunderstandings between the couple. Fortunately, his aunt mediated, and over time, their bond grew stronger.
Li Ziyang, closest in age to his third sister, was also her closest confidant. Whenever she suffered in her marital home, he would blame her husband. This time, upon hearing of Li Cuimei’s illness, Ziyang didn’t even wait to inform his parents before riding to Shengcheng to confront his brother-in-law. But Lin Dalang had been away inspecting goods for a month. Though Ziyang left a message with the shop assistant, he silently vowed to settle the score upon Dalang’s return.
Already itching to teach Lin Dalang a lesson, Ziyang’s anger flared when he saw his brother-in-law enter, carrying his frail niece. Before Dalang could step inside, Ziyang lashed out: “Third Brother-in-law, how heartless can you be? On such a scorching day, you’d expose Fang’er to the sun. Is it true, as the village rumors say, that you wish her dead to bring peace to your household?”
Unfazed, Lin Dalang strolled in, smiling. “My wife and aunt mentioned Fang’er cried last night, and today I saw her open her eyes. This is a joyous occasion, so I brought her to pay respects to her grandparents.”
“What? The little one’s awake? Let me see!”
“Quick, Dalang, hand me my granddaughter!”
Before Lin Dalang could turn around, a booming voice erupted behind him, followed by his mother-in-law’s urgent plea. Li Qingyun had already stepped forward, bending his large head to peer at Lin Fang, still fast asleep. Displeased, he grumbled, “Hmph, she’s still sleeping! Dalang, why deceive an old man?”
“Come, Dalang, give Fang’er to me.” Pan Shi, a step slower, nudged her husband aside and took Lin Fang from Dalang. Noticing the child’s flushed face and sweaty forehead, she wiped her granddaughter with a handkerchief, then glared at her husband. “Children sleep when they want. Should she keep her eyes open just to please you? Do you want to exhaust my granddaughter?”
“I—I was just happy,” Li Qingyun muttered, swallowing the rest of his thought: *I was worried too, you old woman, throwing accusations at me like this—so unfair!* But he dared not say it aloud, knowing better than to provoke his wife’s sharp tongue.
Pan Shi sat down, and Li Qingyun and Ziyang crowded around Lin Fang, trying to engage her. Oblivious, the child slept on. Bored, Li Qingyun took a seat opposite, finally noticing Lin Dalang still standing by the door. Frowning, he asked, “Dalang, why aren’t you sitting?”
Grateful to be acknowledged, Dalang hurried forward to bow. Li Qingyun waved dismissively. “As long as you treat my daughter well, these formalities are unnecessary.”
Dalang sat beside his father-in-law, while Ziyang dragged a stool next to his mother, reaching for Lin Fang. Pan Shi swatted his hand away. “Go hold your own daughters if you want to cuddle someone.”
Ziyang whined, “Mother, you’re being unfair! Daping took all three girls to her parents’ home. How am I supposed to hold them?”
Pan Shi was unmoved. “Serves you right for provoking your wife. If you don’t bring my daughter-in-law and granddaughters back today, don’t bother coming home either.”
“Cough, cough—” Lin Dalang, parched, had just taken a sip of tea when this exchange made him choke in amusement. *Little brother-in-law, you blame others, yet you’re the one who drove your wife away.*
Ziyang, seeing his brother-in-law’s red face and mirthful eyes, guessed the reason for his coughing fit and glared. Ignoring him, Dalang turned to Li Qingyun. “Father-in-law, I plan to start my own business upon returning. What do you think?”
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