My stepmother was a hopeless romantic with an unusually clear head.
Over nine years, she invested in a hundred men.
Every last investment failed—my father included.
After placing third in the imperial examination, he was snatched up as a son-in-law right beneath the honors board.
When the news reached Gaoyou, my grandmother was beside herself with joy.
She promptly threw both my stepmother and me out of the house.
“It’s all right,” my stepmother said.
“I’ll find you another father.”
“Haven’t men cheated you badly enough?” I asked.
She took my hand and strode on.
“What is there to fear?”
“Whoever I love, I love with everything I have!”
And she meant it.
On the day she finally avenged her family, her passion kept the Duke of Zheng from leaving his bed for three days.
