Chapter 57: My Mother’s Mouth Is Pretty Loose

Good heavens, at one look they fell in love at first sight. Cai Xiao’e stood slender and graceful, fair-skinned. Because she had just been crying, her face was like pear blossoms with tears, exceedingly enchanting. Women somehow look better when they cry, and she instantly stunned Hu Yiping.

At this moment Cai Xiao’e also found Hu Yiping especially pleasing to the eye. The young man looked sharp and spirited, with thick brows and big eyes, handsome in appearance. Standing there he gave off the aura of a frontier hero. Looking at him inspired heartfelt love, especially in comparison to Sun Dasha.

Sun Dasha was simply ugly. Cai Xiao’e immediately resolved that she would rather die than marry Sun Dasha. Someone like Hu Yiping was her dream lover.

Cai Xiao’e’s father, Mr. Cai, saw the scene and knew trouble would surely follow. He hurriedly shut the courtyard gate and slid the latch, then came in with a dark face and said, “Are you trying to force me to death?”

Saying that, Mr. Cai sat on the threshold with a face full of helplessness. His wife was very torn. The betrothed son-in-law looked sharp and pleasing. The one who was supposed to marry their daughter, however, though his brother-in-law had money so life after marriage would not be hard, was altogether too ugly.

Hu Yiping finally came to his senses, bowed deeply to Cai Xiao’e’s mother and to Cai Xiao’e, and said, “Mother-in-law, Cai Xiao’e, I am late. I am sorry.”

Cai Xiao’e blinked her tear-filled eyes and looked at Mr. Cai sitting on the steps. After a long pause Mr. Cai finally spoke, “Yiping, things have come to this and you have driven me to the end of his rope. You and Xiao’e were betrothed as children and we have waited for you for nearly ten years. Now Xiao’e has already had a formal betrothal with another. If you still take into account the feelings between me and your father, then, Xiao’e, do not marry him. I have the five hundred taels of silver notes that the other party gave as betrothal, plus several acres of land outside the city. I will sell all of it and give it to you. How about that?”

Five hundred taels of silver, and even selling land to give money to Hu Yiping. Such a father-in-law was truly beyond compare, full of loyalty.

This is how it was in ancient times: people prized their word, honor was above all. If this were today, one would not even dare to think of it.

However Hu Yiping shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, father-in-law. I must marry Cai Xiao’e.”

“Father, I will not marry anyone but Hu Yiping. If you insist on making me marry Sun Dasha, I’d rather die. Father, you wouldn’t really force your daughter to die, would you?” Cai Xiao’e said through gritted teeth.

Mr. Cai let out a long sigh and said, “Enough. You cannot keep a grown daughter and holding her back only breeds hatred. Since you insist on marrying Hu Yiping, your father has nothing more to say. You two must run now. The farther you go the better. Do not come back for the time being. As for the Sun family, we will return the betrothal gifts, then drum up some money to apologize and make amends. That will settle it.”

Cai Xiao’e’s mother said, “Yes, your father is right. You two hurry and run away to hide. Once you get past this it will be fine.”

Moved beyond words, Hu Yiping and Cai Xiao’e knelt and kowtowed loudly to Mr. Cai and her mother a few times, then turned and left.

Before leaving, Hu Yiping felt his pocket, took out two hundred taels of silver notes, and slapped them into Mr. Cai’s hand. Mr. Cai, seeing the money and not wanting it, hurriedly had the woman chase after the children.

Outside the gate Hu Yiping said he still had money and that this sum should be taken as a filial gift to the elders. Cai Xiao’e tearfully parted from her mother. The mother looked at Cai Xiao’e and said, “Xiao’e, if you can’t find a good place, go hide at your old aunt’s house outside the city. It is safe there and there are no riffraff.”

Cai Xiao’e’s old aunt had been frail and sickly since childhood. The elder family members were devout Buddhists and had her chant sutras from a young age. Over time the aunt stopped believing in romantic love, did not marry or leave the home. Instead she built a small Buddhist shrine at home and worshipped every day, dressing and keeping herself like a nun. She lived like a nun, eating vegetarian food and chanting, so basically practicing at home.

Her place was quiet and normally had few people. When her mother suggested it, both agreed at once and then ran out of the city together.

After leaving the city Hu Yiping prepared to head to her aunt’s, but Cai Xiao’e grabbed him and said, “No, absolutely do not go to my aunt’s. My mother can’t keep her mouth shut and won’t stand up to a scare. Once the Sun family realizes that I’ve made a run for it, they will certainly bring people to make a scene. Once they frighten my mother she will tell them everything. Do not stop. Go hire a carriage and we will head straight to Xuzhou.”

“All right.”

Hearing Cai Xiao’e, Hu Yiping agreed without hesitation. He went straight to the coach shop, hired a carriage, and set off for Xuzhou. No need to argue, just pay more.

And so the two ran away.

Meanwhile the next day the Sun family held a grand wedding feast. Relatives and anyone with ties from nearby came. Zhao Baili was in high spirits. Years ago he had slunk out of Yanggu County, but look at him now. Even the owner of Songhe Restaurant poured him wine and played the subordinate.

Congratulations came in a basketful. Sun Dasha was unusually spruced up today, all in red with a groom’s jacket, mounted on a tall horse. But before they could leave, news arrived.

The bride had run away in the night. The entire Cai household was left with just the old couple. Were they supposed to carry the mother-in-law back?

Hearing this, Sun Dasha was dumbfounded and burst into tears. Zhao Baili was furious. “My goodness, I, Zhao Baili, have made it so big, and you pull this on me? No, this cannot end like this.”

Angry, Zhao Baili clasped his fists and declared, “Everyone, relatives and friends, the Sun family has gone too far. We cannot let them go. Let’s demand an explanation from them!”

Zhao Baili was now a great wealthy man, a favorite under the vice-prefect. That carried weight. Plenty of people wanted to curry favor with him, whether to get benefits from him or to use him to gain access to the vice-prefect. So it didn’t take long for a whole crowd to start clamoring.

At Zhao Baili’s words, the crowd vied to show themselves. One by one they grabbed sticks and clubs and stormed straight to the Cai household, kicking the door in.

The crowd swarmed and surrounded Mr. Cai and his wife. Some foolishly moved to tie them up with rope, but Zhao Baili waved his hand and said, “Don’t be hasty in tying them up. If we catch the girl and bring her back we will still be in-laws.”

Then the crowd proceeded to frighten and intimidate them, making the old couple tremble. Mr. Cai was a man of pride. Though very afraid he stubbornly kept silent, saying only that the daughter had run away in the night and he did not know where.

But the one who simply couldn’t hold up was his wife. Cai Xiao’e had been right: her mother’s tongue was truly loose. Because of how frightened she was, she blurted out, “She ran to her aunt’s house outside the city!”

At that, Zhao Baili said, “Two people stay and watch them. Do not let them escape. The rest of you follow me to go out of the city and capture them!”

Who would not go at such an order? The crowd turned and charged out of the city, and by that time, the sun was about to set.