The Complete Book of One Hundred Women - 18

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With a whoosh, the teacup was pushed aside. At that moment, Cai Shi and Dou E each carried a plate of dishes into the room. Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Lü quietly slipped into the kitchen, quickly took out poison, and splashed it into the boiling mutton offal soup.
"What are you doing?" Just as Zhang Lü dropped the poison into the hot soup, Dou E walked into the kitchen with a suspicious look on her face, picked up the soup bowl with both hands, and saw Zhang Lü's flustered appearance. She asked sternly,
"Why aren't you waiting in the room for dinner? What are you doing in the kitchen?"
"I, I," Zhang Lü stammered,
"I wanted to find the vinegar bottle. I like vinegar, and I like to add lots of vinegar to any dish!"
"Look," Dou Shi pointed with her chin to the spice box next to the cutting board,
"The vinegar jar is over there. I still need to get the soup. Go find it yourself!"
After Dou E took the soup bowl, to cover up his crime, Zhang Lü used the excuse of urinating to run into the latrine, crumpled the paper that wrapped the poison into a ball, and threw it into the latrine. When he returned to the house, carrying the vinegar jar, and stepped into Cai's bedroom, he saw the old man holding the bowl of poisoned mutton soup, gulping it down with gusto. Zhang Lu's head buzzed:
"Father, you, you—"
"Ah," in the blink of an eye, the old man had downed more than half the bowl of hot soup. The old man wiped the grease from his mouth:
"So fragrant! I love mutton soup the most, but I've been short of money lately and can't afford it. Today I finally indulged my craving!"
"Father," Zhang Lu stared at the old man, not knowing what to say, and was filled with regret: Alas, why didn't I go back into the house with Dou E at the same time, and have a chance to stop my greedy, foolish father! Now that it has happened, Zhang Lu hoped that the poison Lu had prepared wasn't too strong, and secretly prayed, "May Buddha protect me, may my father have superhuman resistance and escape the calamity I have created!"
"Ouch—oh!" Zhang Lu's prayers were in vain. Lu had never accomplished anything ideal in his life, but today, under Zhang Lu's coercion, he finally concocted a highly potent poison with no antidote. Old Man Zhang was smacking his thick lips, savoring the lingering aroma of the mutton soup, when suddenly, inexplicably, his stomach began to churn. He clutched his stomach, rolling around on the bed in agony:
"Ouch—oh, ouch—oh, what's happening? Is the soup poisonous? This pain is killing me!"
"Quickly," Zhang Lu urged Dou E,
"What are you still standing there for? Go get a doctor for my father!" Old Man Zhang,
who had been unjustly forced to drink a highly poisonous soup to save his mother-in-law Dou E in the sixth chapter
, couldn't wait for Dou E to bring a doctor. After only half a minute of this ordeal, he foamed at the mouth, kicked his legs, and died. Seeing this, Zhang Lu, like a thief crying "stop thief!", grabbed Dou E's front of her dress:
"You wretched woman, to escape your arranged marriage, you've repaid kindness with enmity, poisoning my father to death!"
"No, I didn't do it," Dou E denied vehemently, while Cai Shi was already terrified:
"My God, another lawsuit!"
Hearing this, Zhang Lu revealed a smug, wicked smile:
"Hmph, you wretched woman, regardless of whether you poisoned him or not, my father died under mysterious circumstances. Do you want to settle this privately or go to court?"
"Hmph," Dou E impatiently shook off Zhang Lu:
"I didn't poison him. Your father's death has nothing to do with me!"
"My little benefactor!" Seeing that Dou E wouldn't listen to Zhang Lu, Cai Shi, who preferred to avoid trouble, asked Zhang Lu tremblingly:
"What does 'settling this privately' mean?"
"If you want to settle this privately," Zhang Lu pointed at Dou E,
"you must call me husband right now, and then, from now on, be my wife!"
"I can't do that!" Dou E replied decisively:
"Even if I die, I will never agree to it!"
"Oh, my dear wife!" Ever since that experience, Cai Shi had been most afraid of lawsuits and dared not even step into the county government office:
"You're so stubborn! It's better to live a wretched life than to die. What's the point of clinging to that empty reputation of chastity? My dear wife, for your mother's sake, you must agree to it! I'm not asking you to go to a brothel, I'm just asking you to find a son-in-law. What's shameful about that? In the future, we can tell the neighbors that we two widows can't manage this household, so we had no choice but to let our daughter-in-law find a son-in-law! My dear wife, do you see what I'm saying makes sense?"
"No, it doesn't make sense," Dou E shook her head:
"Mother-in-law, no matter what you say, I will never remarry, and I don't want to find any son-in-law. I've said it a hundred times. I not only care about my own chastity, but also the reputation of my family!"
"Sigh," Cai Shi sighed helplessly. To avoid this lawsuit, she had no choice but to step forward and say:
“My benefactor, if my wife really doesn’t agree to you, I’m planning to have you marry into my family. What do you think, my benefactor?”
“Hehe,” Zhang Lu turned to Cai Shi, his lecherous eyes sweeping over the old widow with utterly depraved lust. Although he had already thoroughly humiliated Cai Shi, his expression now was as if he had just met her. Looking at Cai Shi’s increasingly fading face, the beast thought to himself: Hehe, you old slut, do you know what Zhang Lu is thinking? I want to take both the old and the young!
But on the surface, the beast let out a disdainful sneer:
“You, an old hag, who wants you? An old horse eating young grass, you wish! Get out of here! Come on,” after scolding Cai Shi, Zhang Lu grabbed Dou E and started shouting that he was going to see the magistrate. Zhang Lu harbored his own malicious intentions:
"Once we get to the government office, whether you're a mother-in-law or a daughter-in-law, one of you has to pay for my father's life. Then, hehe, as for the other one, I'll take her as my wife, and this huge family fortune will fall into my name, Zhang Lu!"
Thinking of this, Zhang Lu became even more determined to file a lawsuit. No matter how much Cai Shi pleaded, Zhang Lu refused to listen and dragged Cai Shi and her daughter-in-law to the county government office while cursing and swearing. Zhang Lu swung his clapper and pounded away, quickly rousing the county magistrate. The magistrate, adjusting his official robes, bowed to the three litigants, saying,
"Thank you, thank you. Ah, it's been so long since I've had any business; I'm dying of loneliness! May I ask," he suddenly remembered something and asked the three litigants,
"which of you is the plaintiff?"
"I'm the plaintiff," Zhang Lu blurted out. The magistrate nodded.
"Oh, I see, I see. Whether plaintiff or defendant, you are all my benefactors. Since you are the plaintiff, please speak first. What brings you to court?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Zhang Lu cleared his throat,
"It's like this!"
"Oh, I see!" After listening to Zhang Lu's explanation, the magistrate pondered for a moment, then asked the three litigants,
"You did it, didn't you?"
"No," Zhang Lu shook his head vigorously.
"My lord, how could it be me? How could I poison my own father! The crime of patricide is punishable not only by a thousand cuts while alive, but also by hell after death!"
"Then it must be you?" the magistrate asked Cai Shi. Cai Shi cried and begged, proclaiming,
"It wasn't me, it really wasn't me! If I did it, may I be struck by lightning!"
"Then it must be you?" the magistrate finally asked Dou E. Dou E calmly and succinctly replied,
"It wasn't me!"
"Heh," the magistrate chuckled coldly,
"Since none of you three did it, then it must be me who did it?"
“My lord,” Zhang Lu pointed at Dou E, shifting the blame for his heinous crimes onto the innocent young widow:
“It was she who did it! My son and I saved her mother-in-law’s life. Her mother-in-law promised us that we would marry into her family, but this woman used the excuse of chastity to refuse. Not only that, but to escape the marriage, she secretly poisoned us, trying to kill us both. Luckily, I didn’t drink that bowl of mutton soup, otherwise, we would both have been killed by her!”
“You’re talking nonsense,” Dou E retorted:
“Why do you say I poisoned you? I’m a widow, and to avoid unnecessary gossip, I’m too lazy to even leave my house. Where would I get the poison?”
“Oh,” Zhang Lu adopted a rogue’s air:
“Only you know best where the poison came from!”
“Hmph,” after listening to Zhang Lu and Dou E’s argument, the muddle-headed magistrate thought Zhang Lu’s words had some merit. Only the suspect himself knew best where the poison came from. So the magistrate ordered his men,
"People are worthless creatures; they won't confess unless they're beaten. Men, pick the thickest and heaviest sticks and beat her hard. Let's see if she confesses!"
"It wasn't me! I didn't do it!" Two constables stepped forward and ruthlessly pinned down the young widow's hands and feet. Dou E, still lying on the ground, protested,
"My lord, I didn't do it! Why are you hitting me?" *
Slap!* Just as Dou E was about to continue her explanation, the wooden cane struck the young widow's buttocks heavily with a dull thud. Dou E screamed in pain, squeezing out several tears of injustice:
"Injustice! Injustice! Your Honor, without any evidence, why are you beating a poor widow like this!"
"No beating," the magistrate's reasoning was sound, even though the beating was unprovoked:
"If I don't beat you severely, how will you confess? Beat her, beat her hard!"
"Ouch!" The cane struck again, and Dou E screamed once more:
"I didn't poison her! Even if you beat me to death, I won't confess!"
"Heh, you're so stubborn! You're something else. I admire you. Alright," the magistrate pointed at Cai Shi:
"Let this stubborn woman go for now, we'll deal with her severely later. Drag this old woman over, we'll beat her too."
"Your Honor, spare me!" Hearing that she too would be beaten, Cai Shi suddenly urinated profusely.
"My lord, I didn't do it! Why are you hitting me?"
"Hmph," the magistrate repeated,
"If I don't hit you, how will you confess?"
"Ouch, it hurts so much!" The first blow had just landed on Cai's buttocks when she let out a pig-like scream, then habitually fainted.
"Get up, get up!" A basin of cold water jolted Cai awake. When she slowly opened her eyes, she found two bailiffs standing on either side of her, coldly saying,
"Stop pretending. You've only been hit once, and you've already wet yourself!"
"Mother-in-law, you're awake?" Dou E's tearful voice suddenly came from behind. Cai turned around and found that her daughter-in-law's neck had been bound with heavy shackles by the bailiffs. Cai was utterly bewildered:
"What, daughter-in-law? Have you confessed?"
"Mother-in-law," Dou E, with a heavy yoke around her neck, crawled laboriously a few steps toward Cai's side:
"I couldn't bear to see you being beaten so brutally. When I saw you faint, I was worried something might happen to you, so I confessed!"
"Oh—oh," upon hearing Dou E's words, Cai completely forgot her pain and fear, sat up abruptly, and slapped her thighs in frustration:
"A life is at stake, and this life has nothing to do with you. How could you confess like that?"
In the courtroom, Cai was filled with remorse; Dou E remained unusually calm; Zhang Lu gloated; while the magistrate, believing he had solved a major case, wrote a sentence for Dou E to be executed by chopping, to be taken to the marketplace three days later.
After the verdict was written, Dou E was thrown into the death row by the yamen runners, while Cai returned home weeping. Unexpectedly, the despicable Zhang Lu followed her with a smirk. Cai's eyes widened in anger:
"You bastard, how dare you set foot in my house again? Get out!"
"Hmph," Zhang Lu said shamelessly,
"Even the upright magistrate doesn't doubt me, so why do you think I, Zhang Lu, was responsible for this poisoning? That slut has confessed and will be executed soon. Mother, you'll be all alone from now on. How will you survive? What if some evil person takes advantage of you? Mother, why don't you go along with me and take me as your son-in-law? Hehe." Seeing that Cai didn't reply, Zhang Lu leered at her:
"Zhang Lu is in his prime; he'll definitely satisfy you! Mother, how did you feel last time? Hehe."
"Get out of my way," Cai pushed Zhang Lu away, her face flushed.
“You beast! My wife is on death row, her life hanging by a thread. Who has the time to discuss that with you? I need more silver to bribe the jailer so I can see her one last time. I still want to ask her why she confessed so hastily. She's truly innocent!”
“Innocent my foot!” The vicious Zhang Lu tried to sow discord between Cai and her mother-in-law:
“Mother-in-law, you're too kind-hearted and too simple-minded. That little wench plotted to kill the three of us, then she'd take all the family business, and years later find a suitable husband, marry him, and live a happy life!”
“Nonsense,” Cai denied,
“Only a ghost would believe your judgment!”
Money talks. After spending the silver, Cai indeed saw her battered and bruised daughter-in-law in the death row. Cai, puzzled, asked her daughter-in-law why she had confessed so hastily. Dou E's answer was calm yet shocking:
“Mother-in-law, if Dou E doesn’t confess, you’ll definitely be beaten severely, and you might even be forced to confess under torture. Rather than let you die unjustly, let Dou E take the blow in your place. Although Dou E will die unjustly, she will gain three good reputations: first, she never disgraced the family by remarrying; second, she was loyal to her husband; and third, she was filial to her mother-in-law. It’s worth it to exchange her lowly status for these three good reputations!”
“Alas,” the mother-in-law shook her head and sighed,
“Daughter-in-law, what are you thinking! In my humble opinion, life is the most important thing, and preserving your life is the most worthwhile!”
“No, it’s worth it, absolutely worth it!” Dou E stubbornly explained:
"Dou E came from a humble background. Although she had lofty ambitions, as a lowly woman, she had no ability to achieve them. Since meeting her mother-in-law, she had placed her hopes on her husband, but he died so young, leaving without even a child. With her husband dead, Dou E's future was bleak, and her mundane life held no hope. Rather than live a miserable life, she should emulate the filial daughter-in-law of the East Sea and fulfill her filial duties to her mother-in-law. Even in death, she would be honored and her name would be remembered for eternity!"
"Alas, how foolish! It's all because my daughter-in-law has read too many books and has been too deeply poisoned by them!" Leaving her daughter-in-law, who was prepared to die, and walking out of the death row, the mother-in-law, clinging to her last hope, pulled strings and found the county magistrate, attempting to buy her daughter-in-law's life with silver. The county magistrate refused:
"Dou's daughter has committed one of the ten heinous crimes, which cannot be pardoned according to the law. Save your money and go home to live a peaceful life!"
"So, my daughter-in-law is doomed!" In desperation, Cai had no choice but to bribe the executioner again, hoping he would be as quick as possible during the execution to minimize her daughter-in-law's suffering. The executioner accepted the money and readily agreed.
"Don't worry, Mother-in-law, I will definitely deliver the young lady well!"
On the day of the execution, Mother-in-law Cai kept her door tightly shut, while the marketplace was in an uproar. People flocked to the square in the center of the county town early in the morning, eager to witness the killing scene. Zhang Lu was among them, of course. As Dou E, bound and gagged, was led to the marketplace, the crowd cast strange glances:
"Oh, so she's a female murderer!"
"So young, so beautiful! Judging by her features, she seems like a kind person. How could she commit murder?"
"Hmph, appearances can be deceiving. She may seem kind and gentle on the surface, but she harbors the most vicious murderous thoughts!"
"Young lady," having received Cai's money and removed Dou E's shackles, the usually ruthless executioner showed her special care during the execution:
"Dou E, after the three rounds of the soul-chasing drum, you will embark on your journey to the Yellow Springs. Before you depart, if you have any requests, just tell me. I will fulfill them if I can. Young lady, don't be shy, just tell me what you want!"
"Since that's the case," since death was imminent, Dou E didn't hold back and didn't refuse:
"Dou E is truly wronged, and the county magistrate is utterly foolish. Before my execution, I have only one request!"
"What is it? Speak freely!"
"Dou E desires a clean reed mat. I do not wish to fall onto the filthy ground of the execution ground after my execution!"
"That's easy, I grant your request."
"My lord, I haven't finished yet!"
"What else do you wish for? Please continue!"
"Dou E's grievances are as deep as the sea. I wish to emulate the filial widow of the Eastern Sea. I hope that before your beheading, you will buy a twelve-foot-long white cloth and hang it on the flagpole behind me. I wish to pour out all my blood of injustice onto this white cloth, ensuring not a single drop falls on the execution ground!"
"Hmm, this…" The executioner hesitated:
"Young lady, this is clearly a protest against the county government!"
In the end, the executioner granted Dou E's request, bought a large white cloth, and hung it on the flagpole behind Dou E. Looking at the dark mass of onlookers and the magnificent sunset, Dou E sighed deeply:
"Sun, your light is everywhere, why can't it illuminate Dou E's injustice? The sunlight feels incredibly warm on my body, yet it is so cold and heartless inside. Hypocritical sun, remove your cloak of benevolence and reveal your true cruelty!"
Dou E's curse made the rising sun feel ashamed, and its radiant light suddenly dimmed. Everyone was shocked, even the executioner standing behind Dou E, preparing to carry out the execution, quietly sighed:
"Ah, it seems this young lady is indeed innocent."
As soon as he finished speaking, the gloomy sky suddenly began to scatter snowflakes like goose feathers, and the execution ground immediately erupted in chaos:
"My God, what is happening? It's June, yet it's snowing heavily!"
"Heavens above! Open your eyes and behold this wicked world!" Dou E continued her curses. The executioner, unable to contain himself any longer, immediately ordered the executioner to act swiftly:
"We cannot tolerate her any longer! She is cursing heaven and earth, intending to criticize the current dynasty. This is intolerable! Quickly, behead her!"
"Even if Dou E becomes a wronged ghost," seeing the executioner already raising his steel blade, Dou E continued her curses:
"I will not be at peace! I vow to wreak havoc on the world until my injustice is redressed!"
"My dear lady, I'm sorry!" The executioner had already raised his gleaming blade. Facing the blade about to fall, Dou E uttered her final curse:
"If Heaven has eyes, Dou E will not send a drop of rain for three years after she dies!"
"Ah!" The executioner was startled:
"That won't do! If you die, fine, but if not a drop of rain falls for three years, won't we starve and die of thirst? Young lady, stop cursing! Take this!"
*Crack! Swoosh!* The blade flashed, a head fell to the ground, blood splattered, and a wronged soul drifted into the sky with the wind and snow.
"Oh dear, my goodness! That was terrifying!" The splattering blood startled Zhang Lu, who fled in terror, grumbling as he slipped back to Cai's house. The four gates were tightly shut, but this couldn't stop a thief like Zhang Lu. He scaled the wall, crept into Cai's inner chamber, and silently embraced the stunned Cai:
"Grandma, Lu'er is here!"
"Get out of the way!" Cai was startled. Just as Zhang Lu was about to throw a tantrum, the courtyard gate suddenly slammed shut.
Knock knock knock, knock knock knock, knock knock knock—
"Open the door, quickly open the door!"
"Oh, coming!" Cai hurriedly pushed Zhang Lu aside, straightened her clothes which Zhang Lu had rumpled, and rushed out to open the door. When she pushed open the heavy door, Cai looked closely and was greatly surprised:
"Ah, in-law, where have you come from?"
The poor scholar of the past seemed to have descended from the sky, suddenly appearing in front of Cai. His tattered clothes of the past had been transformed into luxurious and solemn official robes, with attendants and servants standing behind him. After hearing Cai's question, Dou Tianzhang smiled calmly:
"Mother-in-law, I, Dou, have finally passed the imperial examination and have now been granted an official position by the emperor. I have come to your esteemed place to serve as an official! Mother-in-law, are you well? How is my daughter?"
"She, she," Cai did not know how to answer for a moment. In her anxiety and excitement, her body slumped, and she fainted again as usual.
"The Wife's Manual says":
Two widows, one old and one young, shared the same background and fate, yet had different pursuits.
Cai was pragmatic, while Dou was idealistic and loved a romantic life. Ultimately, they both achieved their life's goals; Cai gained financial satisfaction, while Dou found spiritual solace.
Who was superior and who was foolish? Different people have different opinions and understandings!

Young Wife 1 " The Wife

's Manual of One Hundred Women" (Chapter Twenty) Chapter One: A Sichuan girl's oral skills are superb; a philandering man decides to indulge in oral sex . Traveling to Hainan Island, the hotel girls are beautiful and charming. With a small mouth, she skillfully plays the flute, making the client laugh heartily. In the last few years of the last century, I remember it was a hot summer day. I finally escaped from my busy schedule and immediately boarded a plane, excitedly flying to Hainan Island. A few hours later, the plane rapidly descended, passing through the pale gray clouds, and landed with a whoosh at Sanya Airport. I hurriedly stepped out of the cabin, and suddenly, a wave of oppressive heat hit me. The suffocating heat felt like being in a sauna; my previously dry body instantly became damp with sweat. I frowned, sighed helplessly, and then took a deep breath. Instantly, a torrent of heat rushed down my throat and into my stomach—ah, my entire body seemed to evaporate from the inside out. Gazing at the unfamiliar, scorching, humid, and rolling hills of Hainan, I loved my hometown in Northeast China even more. How wonderful it was there! Although it was also summer there, the sun wasn't as scorching as in Hainan; instead, it bathed you in a gentle, tender warmth, making you feel cozy without breaking a sweat. Occasionally, a gentle breeze will blow by unexpectedly, like a girl's soft little hand playfully brushing past you, making you feel refreshed. So, you close your eyes slightly, ready to enjoy the caress of this cool breeze, but the mischievous girl seems to be teasing you. After a few light strokes, she disappears without a trace.

Only by getting into a taxi could you temporarily escape the relentless torment of the scorching sun. When the taxi finally entered the small town of Sanya, looking at the subtropical plants along the roadside, and at the Hainan locals everywhere—wearing sun hats, short and thin, with high cheekbones and protruding front teeth—I felt as if I had arrived in Guagua. Listening to their gibberish-sounding local language, my feeling of being in a foreign country became even stronger.
After getting out of the taxi, in order to continue escaping the scorching sun, I hurriedly went into a tourist hotel. Looking at the smiling face of the receptionist and listening to her friendly but not-so-fluent Mandarin, I felt as if I had returned to southern China in the blink of an eye. So, I put down my travel bag, took out my ID card, and was about to hand it to the receptionist when suddenly, a beautifully dressed young woman appeared out of nowhere. She wore a thin, short floral skirt, and her two slender, fair legs were delicate and white.
A young woman in a short skirt smiled and took my ID card: "Sir, please sit down and rest for a while. I'll help you with the check-in procedures!"
Before I could reply, the young woman had already slipped into the bar and immediately switched to Cantonese to talk to the waitress. I didn't sit down in the lobby chair, but instead wiped my sweat and looked around the lobby. I noticed more than a dozen pretty women who didn't look like tourists, some sitting, some standing, and some pacing around expressionlessly. Their sharp eyes scanned every corner of the lobby, as if searching for some target.

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