Chapter 6: Fate Decides Life and Death, and Uncertainty Rules All Things

Lu Jing had no idea how long he was dragged along before he was finally thrown into a spacious courtyard. In the center stood a large building, over whose entrance hung a plaque inscribed with the words: "Strict Family Law." Around the courtyard, other houses stood in all four directions.

The entire scene lay exposed; warriors with long cudgels stood guard around the edges. In the middle of the yard, two men lay prostrate, their bodies so bloodied their faces were unrecognizable—whether they were dead or alive, no one could tell. Blood mingled with rainwater slowly flowed and spread across the smooth stone tiles.

Just as Lu Jing struggled for breath and tried to get up, a burly man strode out from the side hall, standing about six feet tall, dressed in black. He was about fifty, with a square face darkened by age, and his half-white hair was tightly bound with a wooden crown. His eyes were deep, penetrating, and seemed to pierce straight through one’s soul. His nose was prominent, his lips purple as eggplants, and his cheeks covered in a dense beard.

The man cast a sharp glance at Lu Jing, who had been thrown to the ground—a glint of interest flashed in his eyes.

Wasn’t this the new son-in-law of the second branch?

He turned and looked expectantly at the steward from Plum Blossom Garden who had followed him, waiting for the man to speak.

“Uncle Eight, the family head has ordered that the live-in son-in-law, Lu Jing, for failing to know his place and speaking out of turn, is to be caned twenty times and made to kneel until midnight,” the steward hurried forward and reported.

Uncle Eight, Shen Zhengshan, raised an eyebrow—was the steward certain?

The steward’s gaze faltered; after all, he was just a servant.

Shen Zhengshan waved his hand, dismissing the steward, who quickly withdrew. Shen Zhengshan did not question the cause; his role was to enforce the family rules, nothing more.

“Proceed,” Uncle Eight said, his tone devoid of warmth, though he regarded Lu Jing with some curiosity.

Immediately, a robust guard stepped forward, cudgel in hand, preparing to deliver the punishment. Lu Jing quickly adjusted his position and lay flat on the ground.

Ah, one must be practical in life.

“Go easy—don’t beat the new son-in-law to death!” Shen Zhengshan turned and walked away.

Lying on the cold ground, Lu Jing felt a tinge of relief, hiding his inner resentment as he braced himself for the blows.

But as he turned his head, he caught a pair of lifeless eyes staring at him from the dark, muddy ground nearby—it sent a chill down his spine.

When the first cudgel landed, Lu Jing felt no pain, so startled was he by the eerie gaze. Sometimes, the living are more frightening than the dead.

Brother, are you alive or not? At least move a little!

Soon, though, Lu Jing had no mind to care; one blow followed another, each striking his backside. At first, he clenched his teeth, but soon his cries grew louder until he was hoarse and broken. Nearby, Uncle Eight ground his teeth in annoyance—was the lad putting on a performance?

Didn’t you hear the old man say to go easy? Did you even hold back? Lu Jing fumed with indignation.

So much for the Shen family!

…

The nightmare of the beating finally ended. Lu Jing was barely breathing; his lower body felt as if it no longer belonged to him. He stared across at the other battered man—the two of them simply looked at each other.

Damn, you’re alive? Then why are you lying there so still? Sweat poured off Lu Jing. If he hadn’t seen the man blink, he would have thought him dead.

After his turn with the cane, Lu Jing struggled to kneel on the stone, his backside burning so fiercely he dared not let it touch his legs. He could only arch his waist to keep going.

The rainy season had set in; by dusk, the sky was already darkening. Rain mingled with sweat until Lu Jing was soaked through. From behind, blood had dyed the backs of his thighs red, and his calves were a mess.

His condition deteriorated rapidly, and soon he was shivering in the rain.

What worried Lu Jing most was what would happen next. He recalled how, in old novels, a small illness in ancient times could be fatal. Given his current predicament, he imagined he’d soon be hauled away and tossed into the Lan River to feed the fish.

The two men beside him had already been dragged off; their fate was unknown.

Living was truly hard!

Inside the house, Shen Zhengshan withdrew his gaze, returned to his table, and sipped his tea.

A stubborn one, that.

“Send him back at the second watch,” he instructed.

Putting down his cup, Shen Zhengshan threw a cloak over his shoulders and went out. A servant hurried to follow him with an umbrella, and soon they vanished beyond the courtyard.

A mere son-in-law was not worth Shen Zhengshan’s concern.

Nor were there any benefactors waiting to rescue Lu Jing.

In the Shen estate, he was nothing—a dispensable son-in-law.

As for Lu Jing, his consciousness grew hazy. The raindrops above transformed into butterflies of iridescent hues, swirling away into the distance…

-----------------

Shen Estate, Brookside Garden.

Wet nurse Yuan Hui, having hurried about, finally finished attending to Shen Yanxi. At Yuan Hui’s gentle urging, Shen Yanxi changed into dry clothes, yet still she sat in a daze, gazing out the window, lost in thought. Shen Yanxi was a rare beauty; even seated in silence, she was the very embodiment of grace—the perfect living portrait, in harmony with her surroundings.

“Miss, don’t dwell on it. He’s just a live-in son-in-law. If you don’t like him, you can have him sent away in time. Why degrade yourself with such thoughts?” Yuan Hui spoke softly, her eyes full of concern.

“That son-in-law is truly shameless—there’s nothing he won’t say. All his learning has gone to the dogs.”

Though her mistress had not spoken a word, Yuan Hui had asked the maids and pieced things together—surely that son-in-law had said something outrageous to offend Shen Yanxi, or she, with her temperament, would not be so distressed.

“You must not let today’s indignity pass. I heard from the maids that the master has already summoned that scoundrel—he won’t get off easily.” Yuan Hui’s words were laced with anger; she wished she could take up a cudgel herself and thrash the wretch.

In truth, it was Yuan Hui who had orchestrated the affair. Otherwise, even if the Shen family head had all the power in the world, he could not possibly monitor every move in the estate.

Having served as Shen Yanxi’s wet nurse for over a decade, Yuan Hui could not bear to see her beloved mistress wronged. When Shen Yanxi had stormed back from Crescent Pavilion, Yuan Hui had questioned the maids, learned the truth, and promptly sent them to report to the family head. Lu Jing was soon taken away.

Lu Jing’s suffering was not without cause. Beaten half to death, not a soul knew the details. No one cared what he had actually said—only that he had spoken out of turn and angered Shen Yanxi.

So they beat him first and asked questions later. Did a son-in-law think he could overturn the heavens?

A son-in-law had no rights, all the less so in an aristocratic household!

Hearing Yuan Hui say that Lu Jing had been taken away by her father, Shen Yanxi finally came to herself and asked, “Father knows?”

Yuan Hui thought inwardly, would I dare not to tell the master? Who didn’t know that Miss was the apple of the Shen family’s eye? If I kept quiet after such an affront, my time as a wet nurse would be over.

“I sent Siqin to fetch the master. Miss, that scoundrel deserves to suffer a little—don’t go soft now,” Yuan Hui urged, taking Shen Yanxi’s hand.

Shen Yanxi sprang to her feet and headed for the door.

She was angry—she, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family of Jiangzhou, cherished and adored since birth, learned in history and virtue, always pure and proud. How could she bear being slandered, especially by Lu Jing, the man she had only just begun to try and accept as her husband?

Yet she did not want Lu Jing punished. For better or worse, he was now her husband in name.

Today, she had only wanted to clear the air, never expecting him to have lost his memory, nor to be forced to speak of those awkward matters again. Yet he had spoken so recklessly, leaving her so enraged she fled home.

In the end, she had been in the wrong first—how could she sit idly by while he was punished?

Since her father was now involved, things would not end well. If she waited too long, a tragedy might occur.

Shen Yanxi hurried toward the door, while Yuan Hui clung to her arm, trying to dissuade her, and a crowd of maids and matrons clustered around, adding to the commotion.

Just as Shen Yanxi stepped over the threshold, her mother’s voice came from afar:

“Xier, my dear daughter!”