Dandy Escapes From Marriage - Chapter 1

The night was deep, but the bustling city of Jinling showed no signs of quieting down. People gathered in groups, strolling through the streets and alleys, all heading towards the largest tavern in the city to join the excitement.

Word had it that Young Master Liu had organized another gambling event. He was known for his love of gambling, wagering on everything from precious gemstones and treasures to everyday items like crickets and parrots. He even compared the length and thickness of strands of hair.

This time, they were betting on which family had the highest martial skills among their guards.

Inside the tavern, Young Master Liu slammed a valuable piece of jewelry worth a thousand gold coins onto the table. It was the bet for the gambling event.

The crowd was in an uproar, filled with admiration. While people might mock this dandy behind his back, saying that he would eventually squander his family fortune, the infectious enthusiasm couldn’t be denied. Everyone kept cheering for Young Master Liu and his audacity.

Young Master Liu felt content as he stood on the balcony, watching the competition below. Surrounded by beautiful women, he basked in the praises from the crowd, feeling on top of the world—

“Honk!”

“Honk honk honk!”

… Who was making such an annoying noise?

Liu Shu opened his drowsy eyes, rubbed them, and heard the honking noise again. It was the rooster crowing.

The rooster crowed!

His beautiful dream was shattered.

No, it wasn’t a beautiful dream; it was just a dream of the past.

Squandering a fortune and indulging in pleasures.

But now—

He was trapped in a shabby little house, yawning as he sat up. He glanced around the room, bare and empty. He reluctantly got up from the cold, hard bed, which was made slightly more comfortable with some straw and a piece of cloth. Despite the additions, the bed remained hard and noisy. If he tossed and turned too much at night, the rustling of the straw might wake him up.

The roosters outside kept crowing incessantly, competing to prove they were hungry.

Liu Shu put on a worn-out linen robe, walked to the door, grabbed a basket filled with dried corn, and spilled the golden grains onto the muddy ground. The flock of chickens rushed over, waddling and shaking their backsides, clucking incessantly.

One rooster didn’t notice him at first. Liu Shu called out “Honk honk” twice before it lazily walked over.

“Look at you, getting used to this. This isn’t ordinary corn; this is corn personally fed by Young Master Liu. Do you know what it means to ‘rise like a chicken, soar like a phoenix’? If you say that among the chickens in Jinling, they’d all consider you a phoenix. Believe it or not?” He grumbled while grabbing corn and throwing it around.

Suddenly, a rooster approached him with an attitude that seemed like it wanted to peck him. It startled him, and in his surprise, he dropped the basket, scattering corn everywhere.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t eat too much! We don’t have enough food!” Liu Shu scolded as he tried to push away the chickens and pick up the corn.

But how could he collect all the scattered grains? He became irritated. “Eat, eat, eat! Stuff yourselves! But don’t overdo it; we don’t have enough food!”

After a while, he changed his tone. “Never mind, never mind. I was just mad at you guys. Can’t let you eat too much; we need to save some food! If you’re not busy, go for a walk outside. Walking will make you leaner, you know?… Ah Ke went out to handle some business. Do you miss him?”

He turned back to the room and lay back down on the noisy bed, reminiscing about the beautiful dream he had last night. He couldn’t help but sigh in loneliness.

It was all his parents’ fault. Why did they mention that childhood arranged marriage? If he hadn’t suddenly learned about his annoying engagement, he would still be living a life of debauchery and idleness. He would sleep until late in the morning, bathed in the sun, and wouldn’t have fallen to the point of feeding corn to mother hens!

Three months ago, he had celebrated his birthday in the family compound, enjoying the lively festivities. His parents doted on him greatly. Despite having four elder brothers and two younger sisters, he was the favored one. It wasn’t reasonable, but he was cherished.

His father was a merchant, and the family business was lukewarm until a fortune teller proclaimed that the Li family would be blessed with a prosperous husband after his mother entered the household. He was only three years old at the time, and his mother became the third wife.

Unexpectedly, his mother’s entry into the family brought unprecedented prosperity. His father, being the wealthiest man in Jiangnan, began to thrive. Furthermore, his mother was articulate and clever, managing the shop with ease. As a result, she became the most favored person in the household, and by extension, so did he. He was even more adored after inheriting his mother’s looks and eloquence, his sweet mouth always oozing with honey. From a young age, he would cling to his father and sweet-talk him, endearing himself to guests and neighbors alike.

He was the eldest son of his father, pampered and indulged, gradually developing the habits of an idle and dissolute young man. He had no interest in literature, couldn’t read or write properly, and spent his days living a life of leisure, filled with tea, alcohol, and extravagant indulgences alongside his brothers.

However, all of this came to an end on his seventeenth birthday.

That night, under the cover of a dark moon and gusty winds, his father wore a solemn expression as he told him, “Little Wu, I have something to tell you. Don’t get angry, but you might not live past eighteen.”

Liu Shu replied, “Dad, this is more than just anger. Are you cursing me or something?”

His father said, “No, when you were a child, a fortune teller predicted that you’d face a crisis at the age of eighteen.”

Liu Shu asked, “What? Have my four brothers finally realized that the power of one person is limited, so they’ve decided to join forces and strangle me to death?”

His father continued, “Let me finish. Your mother and I have found a solution.”

Liu Shu questioned, “What solution?”

His father explained, “An arranged marriage.”

Liu Shu protested, “But I’m perfectly healthy! Why arrange a marriage for me? Don’t harm someone else!”

His father clarified, “They are willing, and their family has a scholarly background. They hold high-ranking government positions in the capital. Their child was born on the same day as you. You were born prematurely because your mother couldn’t stand injustice and assisted in delivering the child of that lady who almost faced complications during childbirth. As a result, both were born on the same day. The fortune teller predicted you wouldn’t live past eighteen unless you marry someone born with the same horoscope. So, that lady agreed to this marriage as a way of repaying the favor. However, there is a slight issue with their child…”

Liu Shu inquired curiously, “What issue?”

His father confessed, “It’s a boy.”

Liu Shu simply replied, “Oh.”

His father glanced at him and asked, “Little Wu, what are you thinking?”

Liu Shu said, “Maybe I should let my brothers strangle me after all. I won’t blame them. Seriously, even if I become a ghost, I won’t forget their great kindness.”

His father reassured him, “It’s not about your brothers; it’s a unanimous decision among all of us. You’re seventeen now, and in the blink of an eye, you’ll be seventy. It’s time for you to settle down.”

Liu Shu exploded with frustration, “What kind of settling down is that? Just bury me alive!”

His father tried to reason, “We don’t need you to carry on the family line; we just want you to live well. Besides, I’ve heard that their son is a remarkable talent, incredibly gifted, and highly educated—oh no, I meant extraordinarily educated!”

But what did he care about their talents?

At that time, he left the scene. By the evening, he felt more and more uneasy.

The status of a merchant was always lowly, even though the Liu family had become the wealthiest in Jiangnan. They still had to bow down to officials. The poor shouldn’t challenge the rich, and the rich shouldn’t challenge the authorities. His father, who frequently dealt with government officials, had experienced his share of humiliation. Therefore, he always hoped that his sons would pursue official careers, obtaining positions within the imperial government.

However, he happened to be the one who despised studying the most, feeling dizzy when he saw words in books. He also disliked pretentious scholars. Once, in a private school, he was bullied by a group of spoiled young lords who threw his book bag into the water, and he stayed in bed for several days before waking up. He cried and shouted that he would never go back to school. Added to that, his mother’s pleas convinced his father to let go of his education.

While he could be indulged as a child, now that he was seventeen and lacked both scholarly and martial talents, his father seemed to intend to use him to curry favor with officials. It was similar to what had happened with his two younger sisters, who had been betrothed to others as soon as they reached the marriageable age.

Marriages between men had become more common in recent years in the Xuan Dynasty. After the wedding of the Regent and the Grand Marshal, both men, it had inspired others to follow suit. Several prominent families in the capital had arranged same-sex marriages.

He had only considered these stories as amusing anecdotes until it landed on him.

As for the prophecy that he wouldn’t live past eighteen… well, he didn’t believe in such nonsense! If, by some strange chance, he didn’t live past eighteen, he planned to enjoy himself until that day, not marry a stranger.

After a few too many drinks at his birthday celebration, he decided to pack his belongings quietly, filling one bag with gold, silver, jewels, and banknotes, and another with clothing. While everyone was busy entertaining guests in the front hall, he slipped out through the back door.

He thought he could travel to remote areas, but he forgot that the more remote places were often havens for bandits. It turned out that he had walked right into their territory.

The bandits took his valuables and stripped him of his luxurious attire, leaving him with just a pair of inner clothes to cover himself before sending him on his way.

He walked down a country road, unsure of where he was. He had no money, no sense of direction, and no means of survival. It was only a matter of time before he started feeling dizzy from exhaustion.

Desperate and starving, he stumbled upon a small house with smoke rising from the chimney. He hoped to ask for some food or water, even if it meant begging. The small thatched-roof house had a locked gate, but he knocked on the door.

“Is anyone home?”

After a moment, someone came to open the door. Their eyes met, but neither spoke immediately. They instinctively assessed each other.

The stranger gave him a cautious look and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

He stared at the stranger for a moment and then glanced around at the desolate surroundings. How did such an elegant person end up in this wilderness?

He was thirsty and tired, and all he wanted was a sip of water, even if he had to beg for it. So, he mustered up his politest expression and asked, “Could you spare some water, please?”

The stranger looked at his disheveled appearance and nodded, “Come in.”

“Thank you, you’re a lifesaver!” he exclaimed with relief.

The stranger led him inside, and as soon as he saw the water jar, he rushed to scoop out a large bowl of water, which he guzzled down.

“Don’t drink so quickly; you might choke,” the stranger warned.

But he didn’t heed the advice and ended up coughing a bit. He wiped his mouth with a smile, “You were right.”

The stranger smiled too.

After drinking the water, he turned his eyes toward the stranger.

The stranger looked puzzled and asked, “Is there something else?”

He turned his gaze toward the kitchen for a moment, then looked back at the stranger, asking innocently, “What’s your name? I want to repay you for saving my life.”

“What kind of life-saving is this? It’s just a small favor,” the stranger replied modestly.

“Well, then, what’s your name?”

The stranger hesitated for a moment but decided to share his surname, “I’m surnamed Ke, and my single character name is Shen.”

“Nice name,” he complimented. He could hardly make any mistakes with flattery, so he continued, “Can I call you Ah Ke?”

Shen Ke was briefly taken aback, as he had not yet chosen a courtesy name and had always been called Ah Ke by his family. He didn’t expect to hear that name from a stranger, which made him feel strangely comfortable. He smiled slightly, “Sure. What about you? What’s your name?”

He hesitated for a moment, then changed his tone, “I’m called Xiaowu. My family calls me Xiaowu.”

Shen Ke appreciated his discretion. When in an unfamiliar place, it was often best to keep some information private.

With that said, both of them fell into silence. Later, Shen Ke noticed that Xiaowu’s gaze occasionally drifted toward the kitchen. He suddenly realized what was on Xiaowu’s mind.

“I’ve prepared some food. Are you hungry? Would you like to eat with me?” Shen Ke felt a bit embarrassed as he presented the food. “I’m not a great cook, though.”

Xiaowu’s eyes lit up, and he quickly accepted, “That would be great! I won’t be picky.”

Shen Ke couldn’t help but chuckle, “You don’t have to flatter me.”

Xiaowu laughed, “It’s mainly because I’m starving. If I can taste a bit of food, that’s already wonderful!”

Shen Ke noticed that Xiaowu was eating heartily, so he asked, “How long have you gone without food?”

“Over a day and night,” Xiaowu replied. After finishing the meal, exhaustion hit him, and he hesitantly asked, “Could I rest here for a while before continuing my journey?”

“Of course, you can sleep here. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go,” Shen Ke offered.

“Thank you,” Xiaowu said gratefully. Shen Ke led him to the bedroom, which, despite being modest, was neat and orderly. Xiaowu lay down and said, “Just wake me up in an hour, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Alright.”

An hour later, Shen Ke went to the bedside, looking at the peacefully sleeping Xiaowu. He called out, “Xiaowu, it’s getting dark. Are you still planning to continue your journey?”

Xiaowu mumbled in his sleep, then turned over and continued sleeping.

“Xiaowu, the day is turning dark. Do you still want to go?” Shen Ke tried again.

Having not eaten or slept properly in days, Xiaowu mumbled in his sleep, not willing to wake up.

Shen Ke sighed and decided to let him rest. He wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere himself.

As Xiaowu slept soundly, Shen Ke thought to himself, “What an interesting encounter.” He couldn’t help but smile as he watched over the sleeping young man.