"Everyone, as you've said, twenty taels of silver is a lifetime's savings for some families. How could I possibly part with it so easily? Children's words are not to be heeded; how old are they, to know such things?" Liu Yixuan said as calmly as he could.
"Cousin, please, have mercy and lend us some silver. My husband's illness cannot be left untreated. If anything were to happen to him, how would our family survive?" One woman, clad in patched clothes and with a face etched with hardship, cried out tearfully.
"Uncle-in-law, please take pity on us too. I have elders above and children below, and our grain is almost gone. It's not yet harvest season, and if this continues, lives will be lost. If you don't lend us the money, we won't leave your home." The speaker was a middle-aged man notorious in the village for being lazy and often resorting to unscrupulous tactics.
...
They each recounted their difficulties in turn. No matter how Liu's mother explained, they were convinced their family was wealthy. Liu Yixuan wasn't so much sympathetic to their plight as he was simply annoyed, yet he found it easy to part with money now.
So, with ease, he produced another ten taels of silver. With a "slap," he placed it on the table. "Stop your clamor. Here are ten taels of silver. Take it and divide it among yourselves."
Upon seeing the silver, the scene fell silent for a moment. Then, as if on cue, someone reacted first, lunging for the silver. Their hand was intercepted mid-reach, and pushing and shoving ensued as they fought over it.
Some even went directly to Liu Yixuan, intending to seize his purse in the ensuing chaos. The scene descended into pandemonium, with people falling occasionally. Liu Yixuan was not spared; someone even tried to snatch the pouch from his waist. But he was unwilling to part with the little money he had left.
In the chaos, someone shoved him, and he fell most unluckily, landing on his right hand. The pain was so intense that he lost consciousness.
Seeing that something had happened, and fearing Liu's mother's recriminations, the villagers seized the moment before the Liu family could react and fled.
With no other recourse, he found himself at the town's medical clinic again. It was the same doctor, who, upon seeing his condition, shook his head and urged them to go to the county or prefectural city immediately.
Upon reaching the county medical clinic, Liu Yixuan had regained consciousness. However, when the doctor told him his hand was crippled, he refused to accept it and became extremely agitated.
"Mother, let's go to the prefectural city's medical clinic. The doctors there have more advanced skills. My hand cannot be crippled; if it is, my life is over," he pleaded, looking at Liu's mother with tearful eyes.
"Alright, we'll go to the prefectural city. We will definitely have your son's hand healed," Liu's mother said, tears streaming down her face as she saw her son's distress. She too did not wish for her son's hand to be crippled. For a scholar, a crippled hand would mean all his years of effort were in vain.
They journeyed arduously to the prefectural city. The doctors all shook their heads, declaring their inability to help. Liu Yixuan continued to beg Liu's mother to find him more skilled physicians, but she was out of silver. She could only find a random doctor to re-bandage his hand, and then they returned home dejectedly.
Contemplating the future, his hand no longer capable of writing or studying, let alone progressing to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial imperial examination), Liu Yixuan became sullen. He spent his days in a foul mood, and soon his two sisters-in-law were unwilling to continue serving him.
Sisters-in-law might be able to ignore their brother-in-law, but as a mother, Liu's mother could not watch her son wallow in such despair. "My son, I know you are hurting, and so am I. But you must pull yourself together. The most urgent matter is to win over Miss Li. As long as you marry Miss Li, you can still live a life of prosperity."
Liu Yixuan knew that when his mother said this, she had already given up on him. He was unwilling to accept this, yet he also did not wish to die. Weighing his options, he calmed himself. As his mother suggested, he would first win over Miss Li. He also intended to find the person who first injured him, and everyone who had snatched the silver that day. He would not let any of them off.
With a goal in mind, Liu Yixuan cooperated with his recovery. Seeing his state, Liu's mother breathed a sigh of relief.
Perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps out of fear of repercussions from the Liu family, the situation remained peaceful thereafter.
The Liu family assumed that everyone in the village was unaware of Liu Yixuan's injury. In reality, Wu Caiwei knew. After all, she liked to keep an eye on the Liu family's every move. When they went to the prefectural city seeking medical treatment, Dongzhi had accompanied them and gathered all the details of their situation.
Wu Caiwei was quite surprised to hear about his actual condition. She had only instructed Qiushuang to break his right hand, so that he would be temporarily unable to pursue his studies, thus preventing him from passing the Juren exam the following year. She never expected him to cripple his own hand. Now, there was no need to worry. She wondered if Miss Li would remain devoted to him after learning his hand was crippled.
As soon as Liu Yixuan's condition improved slightly, Liu's mother urged him to go to town to cultivate their relationship with Miss Li and to discuss when she could formally join their family, the sooner the better.
Liu Yixuan also feared that any delay might lead to complications, and he was eager to grasp this last straw.
"Qingrou, we are finally together. I dream of you becoming my wife. If only that day could arrive sooner," Liu Yixuan said to Li Qingrou, his eyes filled with a tenderness that seemed to drip like water.
"I wish to be your wife too. Please send a matchmaker to the Li residence in the county town to discuss the wedding date," Li Qingrou replied, her face blushing with a hint of shyness. Thinking of marrying this talented and refined man soon, her heart was as sweet as honey.
"Since you've said so, I will have my mother go to the Li residence as soon as we return home to arrange the marriage. The sooner the wedding, the better. I can't wait to marry you," Liu Yixuan said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Li Qingrou's eyes curved into smiles, and she nodded resolutely.
With his objective achieved, Liu Yixuan's mood improved significantly. Even his suspended hand seemed less bothersome. Humming a tune along the way, he returned home and happily instructed the delighted Liu's mother.
Early the next morning, Liu's mother rented an ox cart and, with a matchmaker, headed to the Li residence in the county town. Perhaps due to prior arrangements, upon announcing their names, the gatekeeper immediately ushered them to Madam Li's courtyard.
According to Li Qingrou, the current Madam Li was a second wife, while her own mother was the first wife. Their relationship was strained. Liu's mother had been prepared for difficulties before their arrival, but to her surprise, she was greeted with a warm smile.
As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling person. The two women chatted very congenially and quickly set the wedding date for two months later.
After being politely escorted out by Madam Li, Liu's mother still felt a bit dazed. Goodness, the scenery at the Li residence was truly beautiful, with its small river and rock gardens. She couldn't find words to describe it, only that it was captivating and she couldn't take her eyes off it.
Returning to her own chambers, Madam Li dropped her feigned smile and sneered disdainfully, "I thought her precious daughter, whom he doted on so much, would find a much better marriage. It seems she's no different. The tears will come later."
The old woman following her was her wet nurse, who no longer served her directly. She had come specifically to assess Liu's mother's character. "I observed this woman. She is materialistic. Did you not see how her eyes were fixed on the gold hairpin on your head, unable to look away?"
"This makes for better entertainment. I wonder if she will regret it when she marries and discovers Liu Yixuan's hand is crippled, and he will be a mere village woman for the rest of his life," Madam Li said with growing excitement, eager to witness the unfolding drama.