The Merchant Lady of the Liu Family

Daqing, Jinghe Year 22, the evening of the first day of the third month.

The sound of hooves echoed along the road through Lijia Village. A discreetly luxurious carriage approached slowly from afar, drawing the attention of many villagers returning from the fields. The handsome young man driving the carriage stopped and asked a passerby for directions to Li Cai's home. As it happened, the passerby was Li Cai's neighbor, a meddlesome man who cared about appearances. He was more than happy to show the way, both to satisfy his curiosity and to have something to brag about over tea later: that he'd guided a distinguished guest. He also hoped to curry favor with Li Cai and his wife and get a little something out of them. Seeing how approachable the handsome young driver was, he was quite willing to