WSMTATMC C2

Chapter 2

Seeing how easily the young man’s cheeks flushed, Wang Ying decided not to tease him further and instead took a slow turn about the room.

The bedchamber was furnished with sparse simplicity: a canopy bed, a few short wooden chests to one side, and by the window, a bookcase and desk with only a scattered handful of books upon them.

Books, in this age, were precious things — not something one would find in a village household. Wang Ying stepped forward, picked one up, and began leafing through it.

The manuscript was clearly transcribed by hand, blotted here and there with corrections in ink. The vertical columns of traditional characters¹ were slow-going for him, but with patience he made out the text: The Doctrine of the Mean — one of the Four Books² of Confucian learning.

From the bed, Chen Qingyan had heard no sound for some time. Presently, curiosity overcame him; he turned his head — and his gaze fell upon a certain someone rifling through his books. Anger flared, and he sat bolt upright.

“Do not touch my books! Cough, cough, cough…”

The coughing wracked his frame so violently it seemed likely to tear his lungs from his chest.

Startled, Wang Ying hastily set the book aside and hurried to offer a bowl of water.

“Don’t work yourself into a state; I won’t look any further, all right?”

Chen Qingyan brushed away the proffered bowl.

“To— take you as my spouse was never my will. I shall tell Mother shortly to send you back to your own home!”

That would never do!

Wang Ying had no wish to return to that place — there was no telling whether his black-hearted father and mother³ might sell him off a second time.

His eyes turned with calculation. This fellow’s body was frail; he mustn’t be provoked into a decline. Best to humour him for now.

“I am already married into your family. If you send me back in such a muddled, unjust fashion, how am I to marry again in future? If you truly mean to cast me out, then I might as well dash my brains out against the wall right now!”

So saying, he made a convincing show of heading for the wall.

Startled into action, Chen Qingyan hastily caught hold of his arm. The brief struggle left him bathed in sweat and whiter than paper.

“I… am not trying to drive you away.”

Wang Ying loosed a quiet breath — his gamble had paid off — and swiftly helped him lie back against the bedding.

“Since I am wed to you, that makes us one household. Do not treat me as an outsider; think of me as an elder brother, and let us live as brothers henceforth. I will attend to your daily needs — what say you?”

“Utter nonsense. You are a ge’er⁴… how can one speak of brotherhood?”

“You look down on ge’er?”

“That is not what I meant…”

“Then that settles it!” Wang Ying once more offered the bowl of water.

After a brief hesitation, thirst overcame pride. Chen Qingyan drank the contents in one long draught without pausing for breath.

Then, a faint flush rising to his cheeks, he murmured, “Call Chen Bo⁵ here.”

“You need to relieve yourself?”

“…”

“Going out for that is such a fuss — have you not got a chamber pot⁶ here? I can pour it for you after.”

“No need! Cough, cough…” Chen Qingyan’s ears reddened to the roots. What manner of ge’er spoke with such coarse frankness?

“All right, all right, I shall call someone.” Truly, this one’s skin was too thin.

Not long after, Chen Sanlang⁷ appeared with an older man, the latter lifting Chen Qingyan to his back and bearing him out to the privy.

By the time they returned, even that small exertion had left him sweating and wan. Such a simple thing as nature’s call seemed to steal half his strength. No wonder he chose thirst over risk.

Once Wang Ying had tucked the coverlets snug about him, he followed the two out.

“Sanlang — wait a moment.”

“Si—sister-in-law.” The boy blushed, head ducked, rubbing one shoe against the other.

The title struck Wang Ying like a bolt.

“Tell me — what illness is it your elder brother suffers from?”

At this, the boy found more words.

“Last year, when eldest brother failed the county examination⁸, he was caught in rain on his way home and soaked through. He fell ill as soon as he returned.

“At first, it was a fever and cough, but when the fever passed, he grew weaker instead of mending. Doctor after doctor prescribed medicines, but none availed. By this spring, he could not even stand, and so has been confined to bed.”

“Your elder brother sat the imperial examinations?”

The boy nodded. His brother was famed in town for his talent — he had passed the preliminary tongsheng⁹ qualification at fourteen. Many had believed he would surely become a xiucai¹⁰ last year, but he failed outright.

Understanding now, Wang Ying suspected that the true roots of the sickness lay in the heart¹¹. If left to fester, it would only worsen.

In his former life, Wang Ying had been raised by his grandparents, caring for his grandfather through long illness — he knew much of tending the sick.

A body as feeble as Chen Qingyan’s could not endure without proper food or drink; drinking so little would slow his bodily functions and invite further ailments.

Since his future sustenance hinged upon the Chen household, he might as well see Chen Qingyan nursed to health. Gratitude might yet be repaid in land.

With that decided, he returned to the bedchamber. The man upon the couch had his eyes closed — whether in sleep or deliberate disregard was unclear.

Wang Ying looked to the windows. Lack of fresh air boded ill for a patient.

Here, windows were not as in modern times; in his own home, they were but planks set in place at night, removed by day.

The Chens’ windows were of better make — latticed frames pasted with translucent paper¹², admitting light even when shut.

Hearing the faint rustle of movement, Chen Qingyan opened his eyes to see the ge’er prop open every window.

“What are you doing?”

“Letting the air in — this room smells musty.”

“The physician forbade me exposure to wind.”

“Rubbish. Did you not feel the wind just now, on the way to the privy? Did it do you any harm?”

Chen Qingyan held his tongue. His estimation of this rustic ge’er fell yet lower. A wild child from the countryside, untutored and ignorant of propriety — not worth contention.

Once open, the soft breeze sweetened the air at once. Through the panes, a lattice of green boughs swayed, and beyond them, guests clustered at the wedding feast.

The thought of them, there on account of his own wedding, struck Wang Ying as uncanny.

Days ago, he had been a lifelong bachelor, concerned chiefly with the growth of seedlings in an experimental plot. Who could have foreseen, in the blink of an eye, that he would be married — and moreover, carried back to ancient days to become the “bedside blessing”¹³ of a man?

He pinched himself sharply, hissing through his teeth. No dream could equal this strangeness.

Presently, the clamour outside swelled — it seemed voices were raised in quarrel.

One glance at the still form on the bed, and Wang Ying quietly drew the windows shut before slipping away on soft feet.

In the forecourt, he came upon a portly man, sodden with drink, seated upon the ground and making a great display.

“Father and Mother have ever been partial… when the family was divided, they gave big brother all the fields, hic, and me only a few decrepit shops. Now we’ve naught to put in the pot¹⁴… if sister-in-law will not take out coin to aid us, we’ll have no way to live!”

“Second Son, get up now. This is Yan’er’s wedding day — don’t cause a scene.” Madam Li was flushed with worry as she bade the servants haul him up, but his stout frame would not be moved. More and more wedding guests drifted nearer, curious, and her brow was beaded with anxious sweat.

This spectacle was none other than Chen Qingyan’s second uncle, Chen Biao.

In the previous generation there had been four siblings; aside from the married third daughter, the old master had divided the estate upon his death.

The eldest — Chen Qingyan’s father — took the farmland and the ancestral house. The second, Chen Biao, took several shops in town. The youngest son, Chen Zhan, received the most silver and, after passing the juren¹⁵ examination, had gone to serve as an official in a far province and had not returned in many years.

The second branch had once lived at ease on commerce; yet the son fell prey to gambling, and within months the family fortune had dissolved.

From five shops, they were left with but one, enough to keep from hunger, but only barely.

In lean times they would “borrow” from the eldest branch. While the old master lived, Chen Biao dared not go too far; at most he would weep on his elder brother’s doorstep until charity was offered.

Once the elder passed, however, the widow and orphans felt the full weight of his bullying. Should money be refused, he would sit in the courtyard bawling — and this had happened more than once.

Lady Li, timid by nature, could only motion for her daughter to fetch funds.

Chen Qingyun spat in anger and turned into the house, while young Sanlang stood before his mother, glaring at the culprit.

Chen Biao smiled shamelessly, awaiting his spoils.

Before long, Qingyun returned with two strings of coins, tossing them to the ground.

“Second Uncle, we truly have little; do not come begging again.”

Seeing so meagre a sum, Chen Biao relapsed into howling.

“Oh, my dear elder brother~~! You’ve gone, and now no one cares for your poor younger brother… The elder brother is as a father, the elder sister-in-law as a mother, and now you won’t even see me fed! Only two strings — what’s that worth?”

The guests’ murmurings grew; Lady Li, cheeks burning, turned to her daughter.

“Qingyun, fetch more for your second uncle.”

“Mother, we truly have no more. Last month you gave him three strings. Now, with elder brother’s wedding costing over twenty strings — if we give him more, how will we live?”

“But there’s still my dowry…”

At these words, Chen Biao’s tears dried; his eyes gleamed, awaiting the silver.

“Mother, you’re being foolish! That’s for elder brother’s examinations!”

“But… Qingyan is so ill now, how can he sit the exams…”

Qingyun’s eyes reddened with tears.

“Elder brother still needs treatment! If we give them everything, what will happen to us?”

Chen Biao snorted.

“What would a young girl know? Your elder brother is useless now, Sanlang’s but a child — in time this household will have to rely on me and my sons! Be quick and fetch the silver!”

Qingyun stamped her foot and turned away.

Just as Chen Biao was savouring the thought of a full purse, clear ringing laughter came from the rear courtyard.

“Ha! Ha ha ha ha!”

Heads turned; a figure in green appeared — a comely youth, his manner bright.

“Brother-in-law?” Sanlang cried in surprise.

Madam Li froze — what was he doing here? Would he witness the disgrace? Her fingers clutched at her robes in anxious confusion.

Yet the sight of her shrinking in such a way stoked Wang Ying’s ire. Bullies had pushed right to the threshold, and still she could not muster a retort — in time, these relatives would strip her to bare bones.

“Well, well,” he laughed softly, “I’ve learned something new today. Never before have I seen a man so shameless as to covet his elder sister-in-law’s dowry.”

Footnotes:

Vertical traditional characters – Classical Chinese texts were typically written in vertical columns using traditional (non-simplified) Chinese script.

Four Books – The Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, foundational Confucian classics in imperial examination education.

Sold again – In some rural historical contexts, impoverished families might sell children or ge’er into another household for marriage or servitude.

Ge’er (哥儿) – A term in many historical webnovels/worlds referring to a male who can bear children, a recognized third gender role in some fictionalized Chinese historical settings.

Chen Bo – “Bo” here is likely a respectful address for an elder male from the same household or clan.

Chamber pot – A portable container for urination/defecation, used indoors before plumbing.

Chen Sanlang – “Sanlang” means “Third Son” and was a common way to address a male child in birth order.

County-level imperial exam – The entry-level civil service examination held at the county level in imperial China.

Tongsheng (童生) – A licentiate; a student who had passed the initial entry exam and was qualified to attempt the next level.

Xiucai (秀才) – “Budding talent”; the lowest degree-holder in the imperial exam system, conferring certain privileges.

Heart illness – A term used to indicate that a person’s physical symptoms stem largely from emotional or psychological causes.

Paper-pasted windows – In pre-modern China, wooden window frames were covered with translucent paper to let in light while keeping wind out.

Bedside blessing / Chongxi – A traditional belief where marrying someone into a sick person’s household might bring good luck and recovery, often involving marriages to ge’er.

Pot boiling – An idiom meaning “to keep the family fed.”

Juren (举人) – A degree-holder who passed the provincial-level civil service exam, one level above xiucai.