Chapter 1

The full moon hung in the sky, its bright and gentle light casting down, as if laying a layer of white mist over the earth, adding a hazy beauty to the scene.

A cool night breeze of late summer swept through, rustling the leaves and breaking the tranquility brought by the moonlight.

On the outskirts of the southern part of Yangzhou, there was a small village called Meicun, located in a remote area with only about a hundred households.

It was now the second watch of the night, and the surroundings were very quiet, with only the occasional croaking of frogs in the fields breaking the silence.

However, at the end of the village, one household was still brightly lit. Two large red lanterns hung from the eaves, and the old wooden door, though closed, was slightly ajar, with red wedding couplets pasted on both sides.

The front room was very simple, with a broken low table, a rusty hoe, and an old wooden bed. However, the inner room was much better, with a brand new large bed, a newly made red wardrobe, and all the bedding, including pillows, quilts, and curtains, was brand new. If one didn't see the front room, one might think it was a well-off family.

At this moment, a woman in a red long dress sat by the bed. Her face was hidden under a red veil, but her figure was graceful and well-proportioned.

The red candles on the windowsill crackled, sounding particularly jarring.

It was clear that this household was celebrating a great joy today.

As the ancient poem says, "After a long drought, the sweet rain comes; meeting an old friend in a foreign land; the wedding night with the bride; and the day of passing the imperial examination."

But on this one of the four great joys of life, the wedding night, the bride sat alone by the bed, hearing only the sound of the candles, without the joy of the bridal chamber.

It was truly curious!

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, dark clouds gathered, and lightning and thunder rumbled, as if tearing through the night sky.

Drip!

Drip, drip, drip!

In an instant, a heavy rain fell, accompanied by flying sand and rolling stones.

The two lanterns at the door were instantly extinguished, swaying violently, and the candlelight inside flickered, as if on the verge of dying.

After a while, there was a sudden urgent knocking at the door.

Then, a voice from outside shouted, "Miss Han, open the door quickly, something big has happened."

The bride, who had been sitting for a long time, quickly got up and lifted the red veil. Under the veil was a woman of extraordinary beauty, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a delicate face, almond-shaped eyebrows, bright eyes, smooth skin, and rosy cheeks. A hint of charm was hidden between her brows, making her even more alluring and captivating. Her waist was slender, and her figure was tall and well-proportioned, truly a great beauty.

Click!

The bride opened the door and saw a man dressed as a farmer standing outside. Upon seeing the bride, he was momentarily stunned, though he had seen her before, he still marveled at her beauty.

"Uncle Yang, why are you here? Where is Xiaoyi? Wasn't he with you?"

The bride, not noticing the man's dazed expression, looked around outside, her voice filled with worry.

The middle-aged man, Uncle Yang, was taken aback, then regained his composure, his face showing guilt and anxiety. "Miss, something bad has happened. Xiaoyi—"

The bride sensed something was wrong and asked urgently, "What happened to Xiaoyi?"

"Xiaoyi and Brother Han were struck by lightning."

"What?"

"We were celebrating Xiaoyi at a tavern, and suddenly we heard thunder and lightning. Xiaoyi and Brother Han were worried about you, so we left early. On the way back, a bolt of lightning struck them—"

Before he could finish, several lightning bolts struck, followed by a deafening thunder, as if foretelling that something terrible had already happened.

...

...

In just one night, this household underwent a dramatic change. The red lanterns were taken down and replaced with white cloth, the wedding couplets with funeral couplets. The bride took off her wedding dress and put on mourning clothes. The joyful atmosphere turned into one of sorrow, and the happy laughter turned into mournful cries.

Great joy turned to great sorrow, truly a testament to the unpredictability of life!

Soon, the news spread throughout the village.

The villagers began to discuss it.

"Alas, Brother Han was truly a man of misfortune. His first wife left after giving birth to Xiaoyi, leaving them to rely on each other. He had to be both father and mother, and after all the hard work of raising Xiaoyi, just when Xiaoyi was about to start a family, this happened—"

"Who could say otherwise? The heavens are truly blind. Brother Han was such a good person, yet his fate was so cruel. Meanwhile, the bad people live on, how unfair is that?"

"At least Xiaoyi survived, which is a stroke of luck in this misfortune, at least leaving a descendant for the Han family."

"Xiaoyi is still unconscious, and his fate is uncertain."

"This is truly bizarre. In our village, which has existed for over a hundred years, no one has ever been struck by lightning. And I heard from my husband that Xiaoyi was quite drunk, and Brother Han was supporting him. The lightning struck both of them, but Xiaoyi, apart from being unconscious, was unharmed, while Brother Han—"

"I think it's all because of the bride."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at that bride, she looks like a fox spirit. You can tell she's not a good woman."

"I think she's a harbinger of disaster. As soon as she arrived, this strange thing happened."

Rumors spread, becoming more and more exaggerated, from initial sorrow and sympathy to schadenfreude, jealousy, and supernatural speculation. This kind of ignorant talk seems to have persisted until the 21st century, essentially repeating the cycle of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

How tragic!

...

...

As the saying goes, "The tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop."

The heavy rain continued for three days and three nights without a break.

On the fourth day, the clouds dispersed, and the sky gradually cleared. The entire village seemed to have been washed clean, with the sunlight reflecting off the water, creating a beautiful scene.

As noon approached, three or four villagers walked toward the Han household, carrying some food.

"Brother Han was always good to us. Now that he's gone, we can't just ignore Xiaoyi and his new wife."

"Of course not."

"Let's not talk too much. We should first take care of Brother Han's funeral arrangements."

"Right, is the coffin ready?"

"It's ready, and it can be placed in the coffin this afternoon."

"That's good. Alas, but Xiaoyi is still—"

Just as they reached the house, they heard a loud voice from inside, "Don't touch me, don't touch me, OK—"

"It's Xiaoyi's voice."

"Xiaoyi is awake."

The villagers all looked pleased and hurried to the door. Inside, a teenager of about sixteen or seventeen was holding his hands up, looking bewildered. Across from him stood a woman in white, the bride, who looked at him helplessly and said, "Xiaoyi, what's wrong with you?"

"Who is Xiaoyi? I've already told you, I'm not Xiaoyi."

The teenager pointed at the woman and then laughed, "Ah, I get it, this must be a scam. Come on, lady, can you be more professional? You're dressed so conservatively, how are you going to trick anyone? Let me teach you. First, get a V-neck, show some cleavage. You've got the assets, so why not? Oh, and cut off four-fifths of your skirt. That should at least distract the men. Of course, for me, I'll look, but it won't do anything. You should go back and practice more."

The villagers and the woman were all confused, blinking in bewilderment at the teenager.

"Ah—!"

Suddenly, the teenager clutched his head, which was wrapped in white cloth, and let out a painful cry. Countless images flooded his mind, as if his personality had split. Things that didn't belong to him were forcibly entering his mind. His eyes filled with fear, and he shook his head violently, "No, no, this can't be, this is impossible."

He clutched his head and stumbled toward the door.

"Husband."

The woman hurried forward, perhaps noticing the villagers standing outside, she was more mindful of her address.

But the word "husband" made the teenager furious, "Damn it! Lady, you're getting more and more bizarre. What husband? I'm an unmarried man, where did I get a wife? You're all crazy."

The teenager's anger grew, and he began to curse, his face contorted, his eyes bloodshot. He suddenly pushed the two villagers standing at the door, who stumbled backward in surprise.

"Ah—!"

The teenager suddenly let out a hysterical cry and ran out like a madman.

"Husband—"

"Miss, don't worry, I'll help you chase him."

PS: A seedling needs everyone's careful care. Clicks, recommendations, collections, and rewards are all welcome. I hope everyone will support enthusiastically.

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