The Live-In Son-in-Law’s Legendary Rise in Republican-Era China

The Legendary Rise of a Live-in Son-in-Law in Republican-Era China

During the Republican era, in a small town in Jiangnan, stood a sprawling old mansion that had fallen into slight disrepair. This was the Su family residence, where sixty-year-old Lin Bo had served as a live-in son-in-law for decades.

Lin Bo was thin, with graying hair and a face marked by the ravages of time. He always wore a long gown washed until it had turned gray, its cuffs and collar visibly worn. His standing in the Su household was low, and even the servants looked down on him.

The matriarch of the Su family, Madam Su, was Lin Bo’s wife and a strong-willed woman. Chronically ill, she spent most of her time lying in bed, her spirits always low and gloomy. They had a daughter, Su Yao, who worked as a teacher at the town school to help support the family, though her meager salary was barely enough to make a difference.

Lin Bo’s daily duties were to handle the household’s heavy chores, while enduring Madam Su’s frequent scoldings. The kitchen always gave him the leftovers, and he often had to hide in a corner and swallow them in silence.

One day, Lin Bo was sent to the market to buy some household necessities. The crowded marketplace rang with vendors’ cries. Lin Bo stopped in front of a stall selling old books. He had a particular fondness for them.

As he leafed through the books, a young woman in an elegant qipao, with lovely features, approached. Seeing how absorbed Lin Bo was, she asked softly, “Sir, do you like old books too?”

Lin Bo looked up and answered awkwardly, “Yes, I’m just looking. I can’t afford to buy any.”

The woman smiled faintly