Chapter 1
I was quite used to remarks like that from my husband, Shen Jibai.
He had been a marketing genius since he was a boy, after all.
His mother used to carry tofu on a shoulder pole to sell at the entrance to an alley in the next village. When business was slow, he came up with “mystery tofu parcels.”
One out of every ten lotus-leaf parcels of tofu contained a piece of pork instead.
For a chance to get meat for three copper coins, people bought tofu from them almost every day.
Later, his mother fell ill. I helped pay to save her, and he was so moved that he offered to marry me. Then he started marketing my pigs.
First came his “Adopt a Pig” scheme.
Next, he offered a personalized service carving names into cuts of pork.
At first, people couldn’t see the point of having a name carved into pork.
Once they realized they could use the name of an enemy or an irritating friend, they couldn’t get enough of it.
My pigs sold out before they even had time to grow to their full size.
Now that a new batch had finally grown, it was only natural that Shen Jibai’s mind should be racing again.
The comments disagreed:
[A gorgeous woman like her, playing music for pigs? Are you kidding?]
[Officially the most unhinged opening to a historical romance I’ve read all year.]
[Heroine, are you stupid? Maybe the male lead isn’t interested in the courtesan yet, but they’ll see each other every day. She’s so beautiful. One day she might just steal his heart.]
[Agreed. A man wouldn’t behave himself even as a portrait on the wall.]
The comments thought it was only a matter of time before Shen Jibai had an affair with the courtesan, Su Wanqing.
Su Wanqing herself seemed to think so too.
She had been standing too far away to hear what Shen Jibai said. When she saw us both looking at her, she dipped gracefully into a bow.
“I am Su Wanqing. My respects, Sister.”
“I have been adrift in the world, and Young Master Shen was kind enough to rescue me. I would willingly be a servant or concubine and help you attend to him, Sister. I will pour the tea, fetch the water, work myself to the bone. I would never dream of overstepping. I ask only that you let me stay and survive.”
As she bowed, her waist bent like a new willow shoot in spring. A few loose strands slipped down beside her cheeks. She looked so delicate that anyone would feel for her.
I frowned at the sight.
[Now our heroine sees what competition she’s up against!]
[Send her away before anything happens.]
The comments flew past gleefully, then soon fell silent again.
Because I stepped forward, took Su Wanqing by the arms, and helped her straighten. With a stern face, I asked:
“Why are you so thin?”
She clearly hadn’t expected me to care about that. Dazed, she answered:
“The madam wouldn’t let me eat my fill. She was afraid my waist would get too wide and spoil my looks.”
“That’s no way to treat a person!” I said indignantly.
Then I served her a big bowl of rice and pork.
“You’re not in the brothel anymore. Go ahead and eat as much as you need.”
Holding her bowl, Su Wanqing sat down at the table, looking as though this was the last turn she had expected events to take.
Shen Jibai and I sat down too.
Over dinner, Shen Jibai asked her excitedly:
“That bow you just did—can you teach it to someone else?”
“Or, more to the point, can you teach it to a pig?”