Part 1 - The Double / Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 001 Xue Fang Fei

In May, just after dusk, the weather became extremely hot.

The sun was shining hotly on the land of Yanjing, and street vendors were hiding in the shade of the trees. In such hot weather, the young masters and ladies from wealthy families were impatient to go out to bask in the sun. Only the poor long-term labourers, who were doing hard labour, were carrying the sun in the well. The cold rice wine soaked in the water travels tirelessly through major gambling houses and tea gardens, hoping that thirsty and tired people will spend five copper coins to buy a bowl, and then they can buy an extra bag of rice, cook two more pots of porridge, and make more rice wine. To survive for three days.

At the east corner of the city, there is such a brand-new house. The plaque is hung very high, and in the middle is written the four words ‘The First Rank Scholar ‘. It’s written in gold - this is the residence and imperial plaque given by Emperor Hong Xiao to the new No. 1 Scholar. Represents the highest honour. If a scholar gets such a piece, he should weep with his family to comfort his ancestors.

A brand-new house, a plaque given by the emperor, servants rushing back and forth in the courtyard, even though it's hot summer outside, but it's cold inside the house. Perhaps ice cubes were brought into the house to cool down the heat, but the further they walked toward the wall of the yard, the colder they became.

In the last room against the wall, three people were sitting outside the door. Two young maids in thin pink shirts and skirts, and a chubby middle-aged woman. On the stool in front of the three of them were a pile of red melon seeds and a pot of sour plum soup. The master still needs to be at ease.

The maid on the far left looked back at the window and said, "It's hot, and the smell of medicine can't escape from this room. It's so uncomfortable. I don't know when it will end."

"Little maid, talk about the master behind his back," the older woman warned: "Be careful of the master taking off your skin."

The maid in pink clothes disagreed: "How could it be? The master has not come to the madam's yard for three months." She lowered her voice again and said, "The matter was such a big deal, our master has a righteous relationship, if it were changed others..." She curled her lips again, "If you ask me, just treat me as your own, and you will gain your reputation anyway. If you live like this, you won't be a drag on others. "

The mother-in-law still wanted to speak, and another maid also said: "Actually, my young madam is quite pitiful. She is so beautiful, talented and well-educated, and has a gentle nature. Who knew that such a thing would happen to her..."

Although the voices of the three of them were lowered, the summer afternoon was too quiet, and they were not far apart, so every word was clearly transmitted to the ears of the people in the room.

On the floor, Xue Fang Fei was lying on her back, with tears halfway down her eyes. Although she did loss weight recently, her face not only didn’t look haggard, but became more and more sickly, with a shocking beauty.

Her face has always been beautiful, otherwise she would not be worthy of the title of the most beautiful woman in Yanjing. On the day of her wedding, a bored young master in Yanjing ordered a beggar to rush into the sedan chair. Her veil was left behind, and her face was as beautiful as a flower, which made people on both sides of the street look at her. At that time, her father, Xue Huaiyuan, the county magistrate of Tongxiang, Xiangyang, said worriedly before she married in the capital: "Ali is so good-looking, Shen Yurong may not be able to protect you."

Shen Yurong is her husband.

Before Shen Yurong won the first prize, he was just a poor scholar. Shen Yurong lives in Yanjing, and his maternal grandmother, Old Madam Cao, lives in Xiangyang. Four years ago, Old Madam Cao died of illness. Shen Yurong and her mother returned to Xiangyang for the funeral, and they met Xue Fang Fei.
 
Tongxiang is just a small county in Xiangyang City. Xue Huaiyuan is a petty official. Xue Fang Fei's mother died in childbirth when giving birth to Xue Fang Fei's younger brother, Xue Zhao. After the death of Madam Xue, Xue Huaiyuan did not remarry. The family population was simple, with only Xue Fang Fei, her brother and her father depending on each other.