The Money-Grubbing Child Bride of the Ninth Gate’s Young Master Xiaohua

The Wu family of the Jiumen had a precious little darling named Wu Yuhe, Wu Erbai's only daughter. She was born with almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold honey, and dimples whenever she smiled. At her one-month celebration, she revealed her love of money: she ignored the writing brush and dagger, grabbed the silver, and laughed until she drooled. Then she reached out her chubby little hands and clung to five-year-old Xie Yuchen, asking to be held. Ninth Master Xie teased them on the spot, saying, “Let's arrange a child bride for him.” Later, Xie Yuchen really did win the little girl's heart with “money.”

After her mother, Qi Jin, died during an archaeological expedition in Xisha, Wu Erbai kept his daughter under close protection and refused to let her get involved in the Jiumen's affairs. But when she was sixteen, Wu Xie's claim that “there are treasures in the Lu Palace that can make us rich” led Wu Yuhe to secretly follow him. Xie Yuchen only realized what had happened afterward and was so furious that he beat Wu Xie up. Wu Erbai was even more upset and alarmed, tearing into Wu Xie and Wu Sansheng so badly they could barely stand. She was his only daughter, and he couldn't let anything happen to her!

It was also during that trip to the Lu Palace that Wu Yuhe teamed up with fellow money-lover Wang Pangzi to form a “golden partnership.” They worked together to raid Wu Xie's private stash and scheme about finding treasure, and they got along like a house on fire. Later, she often accompanied Xie Yuchen on tomb expeditions, always declaring that she was “in it to get rich.” Xie Yuchen could only scold her with an exasperated, amused “You little miser.” The “Lord Hua,” decisive and ruthless in front of outsiders, was helpless when it came to her. When she saw he was tired, she would hand him some of the candy she had saved and tell him he didn't have to force himself to be “the head of the Xie family.” He only had to be her “Hua Jieyu.”

It wasn't until her mother's older brother, Hei Xiazi, appeared, actually Qi Yu, as was revealed later, that everyone understood: she had inherited her cleverness and love of money from her uncle! From the instant they became attached at the celebration when she turned one month old to the years they spent side by side through life and death, their bond had long since become each other's warmest comfort.