Not waiting for Magistrate Cheng to reply to Madam Nian, Nian Jiaojiao quickly interjected, “Replying to the magistrate, we have four husbands in our household.”
Upon hearing that Nian Jiaojiao already had four husbands, Magistrate Cheng’s expression became uncertain. He said, “I didn’t expect you, at such a young age, to have married so many husbands. I thought Nian Tongshou was someone dedicated to his studies.”
At this point, Nian Jiaojiao was referred to as “Nian Tongshou” again, shifting away from “Jiaojiao.”
Seeing Magistrate Cheng’s displeasure, Madam Nian opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. What could she say? It was a fact that Jiaojiao had four husbands, and the magistrate could easily verify it. If she harbored any ill intentions, it would truly be a foolish act, turning a joyous occasion of winning first place into a "funeral."
Nian Jiaojiao felt a sense of accomplishment from Magistrate Cheng’s reaction. She suppressed the urge to grin and said, “Alas… it was due to my youthful ignorance. I originally married the second husband, but he brought his two younger brothers along to marry me as well.”
Nian Jiaojiao shook her head, continuing with a wry smile, “You wouldn’t know, but those two younger brothers, one was blind and the other lame. Alas…”
She expected Magistrate Cheng to become enraged at this point, but instead, she found him appearing thoughtful. Thus, Nian Jiaojiao decided to add fuel to the fire, “It was precisely because of this that I treated my husbands very poorly in the past, often beating and scolding them, causing them much suffering…”
As Nian Jiaojiao spoke, she observed Magistrate Cheng’s expression, but he merely asked her calmly, “Do you still hit them now?”
Nian Jiaojiao was bewildered, “Huh???”
Magistrate Cheng repeated, “So, do you still hit your husbands now?”
Nian Jiaojiao replied blankly, “No…” What else could she say? Did she want to admit to domestic abuse in front of the magistrate? If she angered him and got arrested, she would truly become the first person in history to be jailed immediately after achieving Tongshou.
Magistrate Cheng nodded slightly but made no further comments. The banquet concluded in silence among the few present.
…
As soon as Madam Nian and her daughter left, Cheng Xu couldn't help but ask Magistrate Cheng, “Mother, you’re not thinking of marrying me off to this Nian Tongshou, are you?”
Magistrate Cheng didn't answer directly but retorted, “What do you think of her?”
Cheng Xu’s eyes widened, “Absolutely not! Mother, I don’t like her at all! Look at their clothing; they clearly come from a humble background. And her appearance is ordinary. No looks, no status. It’s just not a suitable match!”
Magistrate Cheng heard Cheng Xu’s reply without any reaction and then turned to her daughter, asking, “Do you feel the same way?”
Cheng Shanshui hesitated before saying, “Mother, I know that the other party is the head of the Tongshou at such a young age, and indeed has some potential. But we only have Xu Xu as our son. Even if he doesn’t marry into a very wealthy family, he should at least marry into a scholarly one.”
“Furthermore, this Nian Tongshou is already married, and to four husbands at that, two of whom have disabilities. If Xu Xu marries her, won’t he be equated with men who have physical ailments?”
Magistrate Cheng rubbed her temples. Her daughter’s last point was also her only reservation.
Seeing that Magistrate Cheng was indeed considering Nian Jiaojiao, Cheng Xu stood up and cried, “Fine, you say you love me the most, yet Mother wants to marry me off to a woman who beats men! Woohoo~ I’m going to tell Father!” With that, he turned and ran out.
“This child…” Magistrate Cheng was also helpless. She believed that one shouldn’t judge everything by its surface. The fact that the other party dared to admit her mistakes was already better than most women in this world. She herself was a woman and naturally knew that once a man married, his life was no longer his own. Even though she held an official position, if someone truly wanted to abuse him, she couldn’t control it. Therefore, potential and character were the most important factors. However, since neither of her children approved, she couldn’t force the matter.
Cheng Shanshui, thinking that Magistrate Cheng hadn’t given up on marrying Cheng Xu to Nian Jiaojiao, continued to persuade her, “We’ve only just begun looking for a match for Xu Xu, Mother. There’s no need to rush. Let’s look around more.” Magistrate Cheng nodded in agreement, and Cheng Shanshui breathed a sigh of relief.
…
On the other side.
After Cheng Xu ran out to complain to his father and received his promise that he would never be married to that Nian lady, he stopped crying and returned to his own room. Inside, Cheng Xu sat before the vanity, tidying his tear-smudged makeup. His delicate face showed no trace of his previous fragility. A male attendant served him, asking, “Young Master, you met the Nian Tongshou today. How was she? I heard that Tongshou is even the same age as you!”
Cheng Xu sneered, “Heh, a coarse and unsophisticated country person. Not worth mentioning.”
Seeing his young master’s expression, the attendant cautiously said, “I heard that Your Excellency intended to assess this Tongshou today.”
Cheng Xu heavily placed down the makeup brush in his hand, his face showing considerable anger, “Mother, why is she so foolish? That woman is already married to four husbands, two of whom are disabled, and even more terrifyingly, she beats men!”
The attendant looked incredulous, “How could Your Excellency! How can such a person be worthy of you!?”
“Hmph, no matter what Mother says, I’m just not marrying her. And with Father helping me, let’s see what she does!” Cheng Xu was confident, as his mother always respected his father’s opinion. The woman he would marry in the future must at least treat him as his mother treated his father.
The attendant appeared somewhat hesitant, “Our Shan Shui Town is a bit small. Looking throughout the entire town, where can we find a lady worthy of you?”
Cheng Xu was quite pleased with the attendant’s words. He raised his slender neck like a proud swan, as if to say: It’s all because I’m too outstanding! He then seemed to remember something and quickly took out a book from the second red sandalwood carved drawer on his right, murmuring, “I wonder who the Qing Lian Jushi is? How old is she? How many husbands does she have?”
Seeing his young master’s lovestruck expression, the attendant immediately said, “Young Master, you’ve already read this book three times.”
Cheng Xu gave him a sideways glance, “What, you’ve heard me tell the stories in it. Do you think they’re not good?”
“No, no, no, I find it quite interesting. It’s just that I’m uneducated and don’t understand the beauty of the poetry within.”
The story of Liang Zhu had not yet reached its formal plot development. Therefore, the most striking aspects of this book, apart from Zhu Yingtai’s disguise as a man, were the introductory poem.
“Indeed, what would you understand? The woman who wrote this book must be full of talent, otherwise, she couldn’t write such beautiful poetry. Moreover, from this poem, I feel the author’s understanding of love. She must be gentle and romantic…”
After hearing Cheng Xu’s words, the attendant couldn’t understand. His young master was clearly reading a book, yet it was as if he had investigated the author’s entire background…