When Wang He Di leaves the small village he grew up in, to find work in the streets of glamourous and dangerous Shanghai, the first thing that catches his eye is the beautiful Shen Yue, a young woman also trying to make her fortunes in the "Paris of...
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Chin Lu Wei regards her son's new bride to be, a tiny slip of a girl with large sad eyes. Apparently she was a singer in Shanghai before this new destiny of hers, her son saw one picture of her and decided he must have her. Chin Lu Wei is not pleased with his choice. The Shen father brought dishonor to his family and fell down the ladder of success. She thinks the Shen's are beneath them, but her son, dazzled by her singer past, insists he wants her as his wife. He even went ahead and paid off all their debts in order to seal the deal.
Chin Lu Wei is seventy years and Chin Biming is her only child. She wants grandchildren now, as she advances in age, so she has come to terms with his bride of choice. At forty-five he is rather late in the marriage game, preferring to bed many women instead of settling down, so she is happy that he has finally decided to do so. She decides to question this Shen Yue.
"Your mother tells me you come from a very fertile line of women. She had 3 children yes?"
"Yes."
"You managed to go to school for quite some time, correct?"
"Yes."
"Good, it's good to know how to read and write. I was worried... what with your background."
Yue says nothing, internally fuming at the nerve of this woman. Her father was once a scholar for goodness sake! Yue is sure she is more educated than her.
"You were a singer in Shanghai?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, those women don't have the best of reputations...too many gentlemen friends."
Yue turns red at the woman's insinuations. She continues,
"Still, my son wants what he wants. He has always been a stubborn one, especially when it comes to his choice of women."
Again Yue does not respond, just hating this woman, hating being here and hating this moment.
"You understand what is expected of you? You must bear our family strong sons."
"Yes."
"I expect you to get straight to it tomorrow, on your wedding night!"
Yue is silent, shuddering at the idea of a strange man touching her. Her heart squeezes in pain as her mind takes her to that forbidden place... the warm and lazy nights, lying in the loving arms of He Di.
A month has gone by without her seeing his beautiful face or hearing his wonderful voice and feeling his sublime touch. She has spent most of her time alone, locked in her room with nothing but her thoughts, all of them about He Di. She doesn't even have a picture of him as they never got around to having their photograph taken. She fears one day, too much time passing by and not being able to recall his face, because of an aged mind. She was moved to this place a few days ago, where she will be living with her husband to be and his mother. The house is large with servants everywhere, filled with many fine things and a big luscious courtyard. But Yue knows that it will never feel like her home... not like their cosy room by the harbor, in the shabby building in downtown Shanghai.
