ABD - Chapter 11

When Shen Xuan reached the entrance of Yunshui Village, the sun had set, but it was still bright, and a few people were still gathered at the village market, not yet having gone home.

Dressed in new clothes and riding a mule, Shen Xuan didn't stand out much in the city, but in the countryside, he immediately stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Who's that handsome young man? He looks quite spirited. Coming into the village at this hour, I wonder where he's visiting from?"

"This person looks familiar, but I don't remember anyone in the village buying a dappled mule?"

"Look closely! What handsome young man? Isn't that Shen Xuan? My heavens! Shen Ger has struck it rich! A mule and new clothes, he looks even grander than the gentry in the east of the village!"

The villagers at the entrance immediately gathered around, all wanting to see what Shen Xuan had transformed into after his trip to the city. 

They saw that the mule beneath him was plump and strong, carrying a basket on its back, brimming with good things like lamb, ham, cane sugar, and cooking oil – all clearly expensive. 

Shen Xuan's new fine cloth clothes were meticulously tailored, with rolled edges on the collar and belt, very different from the coarse cloth clothes they sewed themselves. 

On his feet were a pair of thousand-layered sole shoes, even the uppers were made of fine cloth, with dense hemp stitching along the edges, looking both comfortable and sturdy.

Shen Xuan already possessed an outstanding demeanor, which wasn't as noticeable when he wore ragged clothes. 

Now, dressed in new clothes and riding a mule, his entire presence was further accentuated. 

The villagers suddenly realized that if Shen Xuan weren't a Ger, he would look like a young master from the city, quite different from ordinary gentry or wealthy households.

"As expected of someone from a prominent family, just a little tidying up, and he looks magnificent."

"How can he afford so many things? This must be several taels of silver, right? Did his husband give it all to him?"

"Of course! If his husband didn't give it, did it fall from the sky?"

"Everyone has their own destiny. It seems Shen Xuan is destined for wealth. I thought his life was over, but unexpectedly he's cleared his head and found such a rich man."

"Most importantly, he knows how to care for his man. Other men might be rich, but they don't necessarily spend it on their husbands, do they? Look at how many good things Shen Xuan has gotten in just these few days!"

***

The villagers discussed animatedly, seeing the good things Shen Xuan bought, they naturally assumed it all came from his husband. 

Some villagers were a bit envious, while others crowded around Shen Xuan, asking him questions.

"Shen Xuan, how much did that mule cost?"

"Shen Xuan, you must have spent a lot of money on this trip to the city, huh? Tsk tsk, with so much silver, why didn't you buy two mu of land in the village first?"

"Shen Ger, what does your husband do? How does he have so much money?"

***

"The mule was only five taels of silver."

"I didn't spend much, just over ten taels in total. I'm not good at farming, so I won't buy land for now."

"My man doesn't tell me much about his affairs, so I don't know them."

Facing these questions from the villagers, Shen Xuan didn't pretend to be foolish this time. Instead, he gave a mix of truths and made-up answers, cajoling and fabricating.

Before he earned enough money to buy a house in the city, he would have to live in the village. In the future, he would inevitably do business in the city, buying many things back and forth, so he needed a plausible explanation. 

Since the villagers automatically attributed everything to Xue Fenglin, Shen Xuan was happy to let them, saving him the trouble of explaining.

"Quick, quick! Come out and see Shen Xuan!"

"Shen Xuan's gotten rich, he's back riding a mule, come and see!"

"Go quickly to Shen Xuan's house to see the mule! He bought it for five taels, and it looks so strong!"

***

Life in Yunshui Village was ordinarily dull. Shen Xuan's flamboyant return to the village startled the entire village. From house to house, those who loved gossip called people out to join the commotion.

Because the Wang family had a past conflict with Shen Xuan, naturally, some busybodies were the first to go to their doorstep to relay the news.

"Shen Xuan's gotten rich! Wang family, aren't you going to take a look?"

"Your Wang family really misjudged him! You drove Shen Xuan out, and he got rich!"

"That's right, it's also the Wang family's fault for treating Shen Xuan so harshly. If Shen Xuan were still living in the Shen residence, wouldn't they also benefit from that mule?"

***

The Wang family had just prepared dinner and hadn't even had a few bites when they heard the gloating discussions of the villagers outside their courtyard. They immediately lost their appetite.

"These dogs! Shen Xuan buys a mule, and they're all so happy about it, shouting as if they bought the mule themselves!" Wang Dalang slammed the table and cursed.

"They've been jealous of our family for a long time," Wang Xiaolian said, rolling his eyes. 

"Seeing that our family has a house and land, and I'm about to marry a scholar, aren't they just insanely jealous?"

As Wang Xiaolian was speaking, Elder Sister-in-Law Li and Second Sister-in-Law Luo both rolled their eyes in unison. 

To find Wang Xiaolian a scholar husband, Auntie Wang had given Wang Xiaolian three mu of irrigated land as dowry! 

With Wang Xiaolian getting a dowry, wouldn't the Wang family's property decrease? 

They had long been dissatisfied, but they couldn't directly refute their mother-in-law, so they didn't hesitate to stir up trouble in their husbands' ears.

Indeed, Wang Erlang snorted when he heard Wang Xiaolian's claim and said, "Being jealous of our Wang family's property is true, but being jealous of you isn't worth it. If you were as capable as Shen Xuan and could find a rich husband yourself, why would the family need to provide land for you to get married?" 

This immediately stung Wang Xiaolian, making his face flush. He slammed his bowl down, declared he wouldn't eat, and ran out of the kitchen.

"Oh! You, as an older brother, how can you talk to your own younger brother like that?" 

Auntie Wang glared at Wang Erlang, scolding him. 

"Mother! Which Ger marries off with three mu of land as dowry? You're too biased!" Wang Erlang said, putting down his bowl, and angrily got up and returned to his room.

The Wang family's dinner was a chaotic mess; no one ate well.

***

Meanwhile, Wang Xiaolian, having been lectured by his second older brother, grew angrier the more he thought about it. 

Unable to vent his accumulated frustration, he blamed it all on Shen Xuan again. He deliberately put on a silk flower hairpin, applied rouge, and changed into his best embroidered clothes before heading out. 

As he stepped out of the old Shen family residence, he saw Brother Zhong and Little Sister Zhong also emerge from the small courtyard next door, one after the other. 

Clearly, like him, they intended to go to Shen Xuan's courtyard to watch the excitement.

Wang Xiaolian and Brother Zhong were not on good terms. They exchanged glances but didn't greet each other, each walking towards Shen Xuan's house.

"It's almost dark, and he's still dressed like that. Who is he trying to impress?" 

Little Sister Zhong followed Wang Xiaolian for a short distance, watching Wang Xiaolian's seductive walking posture, and whispered to Brother Zhong, covering her mouth. 

"Isn't he intentionally dressing up for Shen Xuan?" Brother Zhong sneered. 

"Shen Xuan is rich enough to buy a mule now, so of course Wang Xiaolian feels resentful." 

"He already has a dowry of three mu of land, what's there to resent?" 

Little Sister Zhong asked, puzzled. "Who knows," Brother Zhong's eyes darkened. 

He thought Wang Xiaolian was truly ungrateful. He himself, let alone three mu of land, would be willing to eat coarse food and wear simple clothes if it meant not having to marry an old widower, even if he got a smaller bride price.

After walking for about an incense stick's time, the Zhong siblings arrived near Shen Xuan's house. 

They then realized that the courtyard where Shen Xuan lived was surrounded by many people, three layers deep, all villagers who had come to watch the commotion. 

Brother Zhong peered closely and saw Shen Xuan, dressed in new clothes, feeding fodder to a dappled mule in the courtyard. 

On a stone bench nearby sat a bamboo basket, fully packed with many good things.

"Brother, Shen Xuan has really changed completely now. He looks utterly different from his previously foolish and idiotic self," Little Sister Zhong said with much emotion. 

They lived next to the old Shen family residence and often went to the mountains with Shen Xuan to chop firewood and dig bamboo shoots, so they were most familiar with how Shen Xuan used to be. 

When they first heard that Shen Xuan had gotten rich, Brother Zhong felt a little sour, but the feeling wasn't too strong. 

But now, seeing his glorious appearance, he suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. As a Ger himself, Shen Xuan was clearly worse off than him before, but simply because he married a rich man, he was now incomparable!

Brother Zhong clenched his fists, trying to suppress the injustice in his heart. 

He thought that no matter how rich Shen Xuan's husband was, he was an ugly monster! 

If he had to face a face like that every day, he wouldn't be willing either. 

But just as he was thinking this, a tall young man slowly walked out of the house, carrying a bowl of cool boiled water, and handed it to Shen Xuan, saying, "The clothes fit well. Thank you. Drink some water first."

"They really do fit well." Shen Xuan's eyes lit up, impressed by Xue Fenglin in his new clothes. 

When he returned today, he found that the swelling in the other man's face had completely subsided, and his entire facial contour was exquisitely refined, so handsome that it was almost imposing.

"Is that the man Shen Xuan picked up? I remember he was covered in blood before. How is he so handsome?"

"What kind of luck does Shen Xuan have? Not only is his man rich, but he also looks like a celestial being descended from heaven. Why didn't I pick up such a good man?"

As soon as Xue Fenglin walked out, the surrounding villagers actually became a bit restless...

Looking at Xue Fenglin's face, Brother Zhong froze, his mind suddenly feeling like it was frozen solid. 

This was the first time he had ever seen such a handsome man. Although the young man's legs were still a bit uncomfortable, his appearance and demeanor clearly showed he wasn't an ordinary person. 

Not to mention that this man was rich; even if he weren't rich, with such looks, Brother Zhong would be willing to marry him, even if it meant eating coarse food!

Brother Zhong watched Xue Fenglin look at Shen Xuan with a smile, personally urge him to drink a whole bowl of water, and then help him carry the bamboo basket into the kitchen. 

He then turned around and saw the old widower he was betrothed to standing in the crowd, one foot on a stone, grinning widely, watching the commotion with his sons. 

In an instant, his heart felt like it had been suddenly split in half by a knife. They were both Ger, so why could Shen Xuan have such a good marriage, but he couldn't? Everyone said Shen Xuan was lucky, but he simply didn't believe it...