Wang Sheng, being the only son in his family, was spoiled by his parents from a young age. After growing up, he engaged in all sorts of vices: eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, smoking, cheating, deceiving, and stealing. He even went so far as to steal from the graves of widows and childless families, making him deeply loathed in the village. Nobody would ever consider introducing a bride to him, particularly after his actions hastened the deaths of his own parents, leaving him even more isolated, a perpetual bachelor.
In fact, he had thought about finding a woman, but the women in the brothels all required payment, and he had no money. Therefore, he never even had the chance to indulge his cravings there.
It wasn’t a big deal, really, until he turned twenty-five. One day, as he listened to the sounds of men and women, demons, fighting in someone else’s house, he suddenly felt the urge to have his own woman to quarrel with night after night. Hence, he decided it was time to find a wife. After all, couldn’t let the Wang Family line end, could he?
Those few days must have been when the heavens took pity on him, for his luck suddenly turned. In two days of gambling, he won several dozen taels of Silver and, generous in his victory, he sought out a matchmaker to find him a bride. The matchmaker, with eyes only for money, eagerly listed all the unmarried girls she knew once Silver was involved. The rest would be up to her as soon as Wang Sheng made his choice.
After weighing his options, Wang Sheng set his sights on Lin Xiaoling from Lin Village because she was the daughter of the village chief and was said to be beautiful.
The matchmaker thought the young man had good taste, and didn’t find this to be a difficult task. With Silver in hand, she could spin gold from dung.
The Lin Family cherished their daughter Lin Xiaoling very much and would only agree to a marriage proposal after thorough investigation. As for the matchmaker’s pitch, it was only considered as a temporary proposal, so the Lin Family neither agreed nor declined, but consented to a preliminary meeting.
That day, Lin Yue’e happened to be visiting Lin Xiaoling when she overheard the matchmaker’s words, and thus she believed them.
Wang Sheng was tall and strong, with a decent appearance that was quite imposing at first glance. Although Lin Yue’e wasn’t as beautiful as Lin Xiaoling, she didn’t hold back in her efforts to attract men. She made herself up specially to be fatal to men, particularly to someone like Wang Sheng.
One day, as Lin Yue’e passed by Wang Sheng on the road, she slipped, and Wang Sheng hastily reached out to catch her...
Blushing and timid, Lin Yue’e cast Wang Sheng a flirtatious glance... Smelling her fragrance, how could Wang Sheng restrain himself? The two of them tussled in the cornfield for a while; although they were interrupted by a passerby before going further, they still managed to grope and kiss each other thoroughly...
Instantly hooked, Wang Sheng was fascinated. So this was what a woman’s body was like, he thought, so exhilarating that it could make a man wish to die on the spot. He was captivated, thinking that if he could go further, how heavenly that must be?
Afterward, Lin Yue’e cried so pitifully that Wang Sheng couldn’t even bring himself to consider another woman. He went back on his appointments and, when the matchmaker came calling again, he went straight to Lin Yue’e’s family to propose...
Others may have been unaware of the full story, but Lin Xiaoling’s family knew something was off. How could there be a new engagement so quickly, and with Lin Xiaoling’s friend, Lin Yue’e, of all people? They knew this wasn’t how things were done; certainly, something was fishy. They made inquiries and uncovered the gist of the matter.
Although the Lin Family found out that Wang Sheng was not a good man and were relieved their daughter had not married him, they still disapproved of Lin Yue’e’s actions. Following that incident, Lin Xiaoling cut off all contact with Lin Yue’e.