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

Chapter 16: Lessons in Patience

“This work is endless,” the older woman told Su Liyan with the grave authority of experience. “You must pace yourself. Do a little today, a little tomorrow—and make certain your husband sees you working.”

The gathered women nodded in solemn agreement. Household labor offered no conclusion, only constant renewal. Today’s washed clothes would become tomorrow’s dirty dishes, and the cycle would continue without respite. The impossibility of completing everything at once was matched only by the danger of appearing idle.

“If your husband sees you resting,” another woman cautioned, “he’ll consider you useless and create trouble. You must learn to time your efforts carefully—especially when he’s expected home.”

Su Liyan understood their meaning but couldn’t embrace such calculated management of her marriage. Instead, she offered a gentle smile and replied, “My husband is very kind to me.”

With that simple declaration, she returned to her laundry, disregarding their counsel. Her mother had taught her differently—that her life and home belonged to both herself and her husband. Each day deserved her best effort, not strategic displays of industry.

The women exchanged knowing glances and sighed at her naivety. They had all begun their marriages with similar diligence and optimism, believing in their husbands’ enduring appreciation. Experience had taught them otherwise. Men bullied at work frequently sought compensation at home, finding fault with even the most efficient housekeeping. Some women had attempted to assert themselves, only to face physical reprisal or financial punishment through withheld allowances.

If even decent husbands behaved this way, what might Su Liyan expect from someone like Lu Yuan, whom they had already judged harshly? Her beauty offered temporary protection, but beauty alone couldn’t sustain her through a lifetime of deprivation. They watched her scrubbing diligently and offered no further advice. Some lessons could only be learned through personal suffering.

Around four o’clock, Lu Yuan returned laden with purchases. He had spent the day investigating appropriate gifts for their visit to Su Liyan’s family—a complex situation involving her mother, her father’s mistress who functioned as a stepmother, and a younger half-sister.

Rather than the traditional cigarettes and alcohol—useless for the women in Su Liyan’s household—he had purchased two lengths of floral fabric they could fashion into clothing themselves. He carried pastries rich with oil and sugar, small gifts for the young girl, and planned to acquire rice, flour, and cooking oil before their departure the following day. The heavy staples could be loaded directly into their transportation rather than carried twice.

His lengthy absence hadn’t been devoted entirely to these purchases. Lu Yuan had wandered the markets seeking opportunities—perhaps another exceptional bargain like the one that had delivered him his wife. Such fortune proved elusive, however, and he eventually gathered his intended purchases and headed home.

He approached their courtyard carrying a large grass carp and a package of pickled cabbage in one hand, his other arm encumbered with shopping bags. Spotting Su Liyan collecting dried laundry in the fierce afternoon sun, he called cheerfully, “Wife, let’s have whole pickled fish for dinner!”

Su Liyan turned at the sound of his voice, her face transforming with a radiant smile. She hurried through the small courtyard gate to help with his burdens, taking the fish and cabbage as they walked toward their home, conversing animatedly.

The observing women exchanged contemptuous glances. His self-indulgence seemed boundless—fish and meat whenever he desired, while his wife apparently subsisted on sweet potatoes in his absence. They silently predicted his financial ruin within months if such extravagance continued.

Inside their compound, Su Liyan took a basin and scissors to the pond to clean the fish while Lu Yuan positioned a chair beneath the eaves of their small courtyard. The day’s walking through sun-baked streets had exhausted him, despite his exceptional physical constitution. Even the strongest body required rest after hours of carrying heavy packages through summer heat.

“Brother, rest yourself,” Su Liyan called sweetly upon returning with the cleaned fish. “Dinner won’t take long.”

Lu Yuan nodded appreciatively. “Don’t rush. Bring me some water first.”

From the shadows of nearby doorways, the neighbor women silently fumed at this request. After a day of constant labor in the heat, Su Liyan hadn’t requested a single sip of water for herself, yet he lounged imperiously demanding refreshment after a mere shopping expedition.

As the dinner hour approached, the women dispersed to their own homes, their indignation undiminished. Soon, the aroma of pickled fish permeated the courtyard, drawing Lu Yuan inside for the evening meal.

The quality of Su Liyan’s cooking clearly satisfied him, for shortly after they finished eating, he made advances that caused her to protest demurely, “Brother, it’s still daylight.”

Indeed, summer evenings lingered until nearly eight o’clock, and they had barely passed six.

“What of it?” Lu Yuan responded confidently. “When a man loves his wife, why should he concern himself with the hour?” With that, he embraced his blushing wife and guided her toward their bedroom.

Halfway there, he paused thoughtfully and redirected them to the bathroom. “We should both brush our teeth first,” he advised seriously. “The pickled fish contained chili peppers—I wouldn’t want the spiciness to interfere.”

Su Liyan’s initial confusion quickly transformed to comprehension and embarrassment. “Brother,” she scolded gently, “you’re terrible.”

Outside, the neighbor women glimpsed Lu Yuan closing the doors and drawing curtains against the still-bright day. Their judgment was swift and merciless. After exhausting his wife with household labor and demanding her immediate service upon his return, he couldn’t even allow her proper rest before initiating intimacy.

Their unspoken verdict echoed in shared glances: “If he begins his demands before nightfall, both he and she will be depleted before long!”