Fated Deception: How I Accidentally Married a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 13: Are You, Lu Yuan, a Piece of Shit?!

Su Liyan carried her basin of water from the house toward the communal pool in the backyard. The cluster of elderly women who had been chattering animatedly fell silent the moment they spotted her. After a pause, they resumed their quiet conversation, deliberately excluding her.

Since they chose to ignore her, Su Liyan reciprocated by focusing entirely on her task—drawing water to wash clothes. Her efficient movements revealed years of domestic experience. The observant older women recognized immediately that this girl had been helping with household chores since childhood.

This very topic had fueled their morning gossip. They had speculated that Su Liyan, appearing so delicate and slight, might be incapable of proper housework. Now they witnessed firsthand her competence as she managed three large basins of laundry, sitting on a small stool to methodically scrub each item before carrying everything back to hang on the clotheslines in the yard.

By the time Su Liyan completed her chores, the backyard crowd had dispersed—it was time to return home and prepare lunch.

At noon, Su Liyan began cooking, despite her husband’s instructions to prepare white flour dishes. Surveying the leftover corn flour and partially spoiled sweet potatoes in the pantry, she made a practical decision. Her husband wouldn’t eat these humble ingredients, and they would simply rot and eventually be discarded.

Though she’d known her husband only one day, Su Liyan already understood his tendencies well enough to predict his wastefulness. The thought of throwing away perfectly usable food struck her as unconscionable.

She carefully trimmed away the spoiled portions of the sweet potatoes and set them to steam. The corn flour she mixed with shredded pickles and fried in a small amount of oil to create savory pancakes—simple but flavorful.

This wasn’t self-imposed hardship or some misguided attempt to prove her worth despite marrying a wealthy man. Su Liyan’s mother had raised her to value frugality and resourcefulness. Moreover, she recognized her husband’s spendthrift nature.

True, they had money now. But no fortune lasted forever when managed carelessly. Yesterday’s shopping expedition and restaurant meal represented significant expenditure. Her husband earned just over twenty yuan monthly, with five yuan allocated to her household allowance. The mathematics were unsustainable.

Though Lu Yuan had mentioned their savings exceeded ten thousand yuan, Su Liyan thought pragmatically about their future. Everyone eventually faced illness or disaster requiring financial reserves. More importantly, they would have children someday—Su Liyan had already resolved to give her husband as many sons as he desired. Children brought expenses, and eventually they would marry and establish their own households, requiring parental assistance.

Better to economize where possible. If her husband chose extravagance, she would balance with prudence. This was now her home, her life, her family—she bore responsibility for its preservation as the daughter-in-law of the Lu family.

Su Liyan had just begun eating her modest meal—two bites of food and a glass of boiled water—when a knock interrupted her. She turned toward the door in surprise as it opened without awaiting her response.

The visitor was unfamiliar—one of the backyard neighbors she hadn’t properly met before yesterday’s confrontation with Wang Xu disrupted introductions. The woman smiled broadly.

“You’re Su Liyan, correct? I’m your neighbor, Li Guifang.”

Su Liyan hastily set aside her bowl and chopsticks, rising respectfully. “Aunt Li…”

Though uncertain about this unexpected visit, Su Liyan recalled her husband’s warning about the compound residents’ calculating nature. She maintained polite caution.

Li Guifang’s true purpose was transparent to anyone familiar with neighborhood dynamics. She had come to scavenge food. The previous night’s cooking had filled the entire compound with the irresistible aroma of meat.

Despite the Ministry of Industry workers’ compound housing relatively well-paid craftsmen who could afford wheat flour several times monthly, meat remained a luxury. Even these privileged workers typically enjoyed it just once per month in modest portions.

Li Guifang had brought several garlic heads as a pretense for her visit. She calculated that a young bride would feel obligated to reciprocate—perhaps with a piece of leftover meat, or at minimum a biscuit or steamed bun. Either outcome represented profit. The newlyweds surely couldn’t have consumed all their wedding feast in one sitting, especially in this heat when food spoiled quickly.

But the words died on Li Guifang’s lips as she surveyed Su Liyan’s lunch: cut pieces of salvaged sweet potato, a cup of plain water, and a small plate of fried pickle pancakes.

“You… you’re eating this for lunch?” Li Guifang stammered incredulously. “Your husband doesn’t allow you meat?”

Her shock was genuine. This meal wouldn’t have been served even during famine years to workers’ families. Even city dogs enjoyed better fare. Why would a newlywed bride subsist on such meager provisions?

Li Guifang had witnessed Lu Yuan returning yesterday with a cart loaded with provisions—including pork belly and ribs hanging from the handlebar. There was no possibility they had consumed everything in a single meal.

There could be only one explanation: that bastard Lu Yuan was depriving his new wife, keeping all delicacies for himself while leaving Su Liyan to eat spoiled sweet potatoes and drink plain water.

The conclusion crystalized in her mind with sudden clarity:

Are you, Lu Yuan, a piece of shit?!

Meanwhile, across town, Lu Yuan—surrounded by his purchases and enjoying mutton soup in a restaurant—suddenly sneezed.

“The cook must have added too much pepper,” he muttered, rubbing his nose.

“Someone must be cursing me behind my back. It has to be Wang Xu!”

He shook his head. “That old woman still hasn’t given up, has she?”