Chapter 68
Chapter 68
For a moment, Shen Lang was stunned.
*My lady, what is this tactic? You're not hitting me, and you're even giving me nourishing medicine? But these Six-Flavor Rehmannia Pills are for a yin deficiency. I need a different kind of remedy.*
Shen Lang had always prided himself on understanding the hearts of women, yet he couldn't read the mind of the woman before him at all.
*This woman is impossible. I can't figure her out. I'm losing confidence that I can win this battle of affections. I feel like I'm the one who's going to be conquered and defeated.*
***
The time for the autumn silkworms to spin their cocoons was approaching. This was when they ate the most. The income from raising silkworms was far better than that from farming, so the Count's estate used much of its fiefdom to plant mulberry trees.
The revenue from selling raw silk was a significant portion of the estate's income. As the proud eldest daughter of the Count's estate, she naturally didn't have to do such strenuous work, but participating in picking mulberry leaves was a way to show solidarity with the people of the fief.
Shen Lang had thought it was all for show, but to his surprise, she worked for days on end. The Countess had made a symbolic appearance and returned within two hours, having picked fewer than ten mulberry leaves. But Jin Mulan picked several thousand catties of leaves a day. So foolishly, why work so hard?
With his wife away from home, Shen Lang had no one to unleash his heart full of love and mouth full of vulgarities upon, so his days were incredibly dull.
Big Dummy's body was recovering steadily, and at a much faster rate than expected. Not only his internal injuries, but even his broken bones were mending far quicker than a normal person's, much to Physician An's amazement. For some reason, however, Big Dummy didn't wake up, and not even Shen Lang could figure out why. Thanks to this, Shen Lang spent his days doing nothing at all.
One day, he cautiously asked his father-in-law if the ban on him leaving the estate was lifted. The Count of Xuanwu wondered what he was planning to do.
"It's so dull in the estate. May I go out and have some fun in Xuanwu City?"
"And how does Young Master Shen intend to have fun?"
"If I see someone in trouble on the street, I'll help them. And if I see a young lady from a good family being harassed, I'll rescue her."
After he finished speaking, for reasons unknown, the ban was reinstated. From the look on his father-in-law's face, he seemed to want to pull out a whip and flog him. But it was no fun to just sit around the house. For the son-in-law of a grand Count's estate to be unable to go out, bully men, and win the hearts of women... how could such an aristocrat ever reach the pinnacle of society?
Wasn't the reason the Jin Clan's ancestors toiled for generations to build their great enterprise so their descendants could flaunt their power? Yet the heirs of the Jin Clan were all so dutiful. Look at Jin Mucong. The heir to a grand Count's estate, yet he had none of the flair of a rich young master. It was disappointing!
***
Those days of extreme idleness and boredom came to a sudden end. One day, an invitation arrived for Mulan. When he opened it in her absence, he found it was an invitation from the Xu Clan to the engagement ceremony of Zhang Jin and Xu Qianqian. Shen Lang instantly went into combat mode and stood silently before the wall where he'd written the names of his enemies.
"Hah!"
Shen Lang sighed. After getting rid of Tian Heng, he had become so lazy that he'd almost forgotten his blood-soaked grudges. That invitation reminded Shen Lang of the humiliation he had suffered. He stared at the names of Xu Guangyun and Xu Qianqian.
*Xu Qianqian, my next revenge is reserved for you and your dog of a father. You're getting engaged? Mulan and I only had a hasty wedding, yet you dare to hold an engagement ceremony? How should I take revenge on Xu Qianqian and her father?*
Shen Lang wracked his brain, pacing back and forth in his room.
*For a woman like Xu Qianqian, what would be the most vicious revenge? Barge in and sleep with her? Don't be ridiculous. I'm so handsome, sleeping with Xu Qianqian would be a reward, not revenge. I must destroy what she cherishes most.*
First was her reputation. As the daughter of a wealthy merchant, her origins were not noble, which made her value her reputation all the more. She went everywhere, befriending the daughters of aristocrats, writing poetry daily, and circulating novel-like stories among her close friends. Though merely a merchant's daughter, she packaged herself as a woman of letters. After years of this, she succeeded in branding herself as one of the top three beauties and women of talent in Nujiang Commandery.
The first-ranked was Zhang Chunhua, the daughter of Zhang Chong. And what about his lovely wife, Mulan? Apologies. She was a celestial fairy, beyond any ranking. The reason Xu Qianqian had caught Zhang Jin's eye was also due to her reputation as a top-three talent.
Of course, some might say that since Xu Qianqian had once taken in a useless matrilocal husband like Shen Lang, she couldn't have any reputation left. But those who knew the truth would disagree. The Xu Clan had brought Shen Lang in as a son-in-law to hold a wedding ceremony to ward off misfortune for her while she was gravely ill.
Even in India, there was a custom where the children of certain powerful families had to marry a tree or a donkey before taking a bride. Was it because they were lowly? No. It was because they were born with such noble fates that they had to ward off evil to open up their fortunes. Shen Lang was that tree, or that donkey.
Besides her reputation, Xu Qianqian also valued the Xu Clan's business—the silk and textile trade. To take revenge on her, he first had to tarnish her reputation, then destroy her business. Only then would she feel that death was better than living. So, how could he destroy the reputation Xu Qianqian had built over several years?
Shen Lang quickly came up with a few ideas. First, he needed to start a vicious, far-reaching, and irreversible rumor.
*Ding!*
An idea flashed in Shen Lang's mind. Just then, footsteps sounded from outside. From the heavy yet swaggering gait, he knew it was the fatty Jin Mucong without even looking.
"Brother-in-law, I've got something good to show you..."
Having just acquired an erotic book, Jin Mucong came to find Shen Lang with a silly grin. He reminded Shen Lang of his fat college roommate who had dragged him to watch his first pornographic film. After entering the room, Jin Mucong flinched when Shen Lang glared at him with a glint in his eye.
"Brother-in-law, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Brother-in-law, is there any woman who likes you?"
Hearing this, Jin Mucong's eyes turned red.
*You cruel bastard. I thought of you as a friend and rushed over to share this treasure with you as soon as I got it. And you stab me in the heart with your vicious words. You can hit a man, but don't shame him; you can stab a man, but not in the heart.*
"I'm leaving. From now on, I, Jin Mucong, will pretend I don't know you."
Filled with indignation, the fatty turned to leave.
"Brother-in-law, do you know why no woman likes you?"
Jin Mucong didn't answer.
"First, it's because you're ugly. Someone like me can walk down the street and charm seven or eight young ladies from good families until they're smitten. And it's because I'm handsome enough to topple nations that your sister chose me. And I believe I had a reputation for being an idiot back then, didn't I?"
Jin Mucong wanted to cry. Shen Lang's words were not just a knife to the heart; it was like he was hacking up the corpse of an already dead man.
"But there are women who like ordinarily ugly men like you. In fact, in the future, countless beauties will rush to you, crying and begging to be with you."
Hearing this, all of Jin Mucong's resentment washed away, and his eyes instantly lit up.
"Is that true?"
Shen Lang nodded.
"Of course it is. I know a man named Su Dongpo. He was over fifty, yet thousands of beauties adored him. Even his daughter-in-law was fond of him."
"He was that amazing? Why?"
"Because of his fame and talent. A woman without beauty has no charm—"
Shen Lang stopped himself there. If he spoke carelessly, he could be condemned by countless women, so it was better to keep that thought to himself if he wanted to live.
"Even if a man is ugly, if he is overflowing with talent and his fame resounds throughout the world, a woman will completely forget his looks and that he's... short down there."
Jin Mucong took a step back, clasping his hands together tightly.
"I-I'm definitely not short. Don't slander me."
Then, he said dejectedly.
"I know that many women like talented men. But... it's harder for me to become talented than it is to become handsome."
"Brother-in-law, you have many flaws, but you have the finest quality of being sincere."
Jin Mucong said, filled with indignation.
"I'm really leaving this time..."
Shen Lang quickly grabbed him and said.
"Brother-in-law, I can't make you handsome. But I can give you brilliant talent."
"Really? How?"
"Let's collaborate on a book. It will be a huge hit, and we'll print ten thousand, no, tens of thousands of copies. It will fly off the shelves in Xuanwu City, then spread to Nujiang Commandery, and eventually become a sensation throughout Tiannan Province and the entire State of Yue. You'll be one of the authors of that incredible book. What do you think?"
"Th-then I'll be incredibly popular, famous throughout the world."
"Exactly. Your brother-in-law is working very hard for your future marriage."
"Brother-in-law, when do we write the book?"
"I'll dictate, and you write it down. I'll tell you the story slowly, so listen carefully."
Jin Mucong brought over a chair and assumed a posture of serious concentration.
"Once upon a time, there was a great merchant who dealt in silk and textiles. His name was Ximen Qing, courtesy name Guangyun, and everyone called him Master Ximen. He had a daughter named Ximen Qianqian. Master Ximen was not only base and shameless but also debauched, and he brought harm to countless young ladies from good families. As they say, dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes, so the daughter of a scoundrel is..."
"Ah..."
Jin Mucong was dumbfounded.
"Jin Mucong, what's with that expression? I'm giving you the chance to become a god of literature, and you're not going to take it?"
"Brother-in-law, you're just using me to slander Xu Qianqian's reputation, aren't you?"
Shen Lang answered confidently.
"That's right. Is there a problem?"
"Ugh..."
"Brother-in-law, being used by someone is no big deal. What's important is that you have value to be used. If no one even wants to use you, you're not just a fatty anymore, you're completely useless."
Jin Mucong continued to groan.
"Ah..."
*I know what my brother-in-law is saying is nonsense, but if I keep listening, it starts to sound quite reasonable.*
"Are you going to throw this chance away? Fine, I'll find someone else. Jin Zhong seems like a decent fellow. I'll write the book with him."
"N-no, don't... Brother-in-law, I'll do it, I'll do it! I think the introduction is quite compelling, but the writing style is lacking."
"You mean it's too direct and not refined enough?"
"Exactly. I won't be able to spread my fame as a man of letters that way."
"Alright. Then I'll adjust the style a bit. I'll read, you write. Let's begin."
Jin Mucong quickly sat up straight, picked up his brush, and prepared to write.
"A poem once said: 'A beauty's youthful body, fair and smooth as wine, bears a blade between her hips to slay the foolish man. Though his head may fall, he knows it not; in darkness, calling for his love, his bones and marrow dry, yet still he knows it not.'"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Jin Mucong grew excited.
"Brother-in-law, that's good writing, really good writing."
"You know anything about writing style?"
"It's because I don't understand it that I feel it's so good. If even I could understand it, would it really have any style?"
This was the first time Shen Lang had ever witnessed someone call themselves an idiot so euphemistically.
"The people of this world chase after power and profit, bustling about, never escaping the gates of the seven emotions and six desires. Unable to break free from the shackles of wine, women, wealth, and wrath, they are ultimately ruined together—what importance do these things hold! Though I say this, of these four temptations, 'wealth and women' are two that are especially both beneficial and harmful."
Shen Lang continued to recite, and Jin Mucong transcribed his words onto paper. He had to re-evaluate this fatty. His writing speed was so fast he could nearly keep up with Shen Lang's speaking pace.
"Brother-in-law, how can you write so fast? It's an extraordinary, god-given talent. You have the potential to become a god of shorthand."
"If you'd been punished by copying books ten times every day since you were eight, your writing speed would be very fast too, brother-in-law."
*Wow, what a sad backstory.*
"Brother-in-law, what should we call this book?"
"Let's call it *Boundless Wind and Moon*."