Synopsis of Cuimei's Suspenseful Romance
Lu Cuimei, from Waniwu Village in Wafang Township, Yangbi, is a capable, sharp-witted widow struggling to make ends meet while raising her three-year-old son, Xiaoshitou. After her husband died young and her second marriage ended badly, she has given up on marriage altogether. Yet she has become the object of pursuit for more than thirty bachelors in the village. Every day, piles of grain and eggs appear outside her door, each accompanied by an ardent love note, much to her distress.
Then strange things begin to happen. A bloodstained Yi silver hairpin appears among the gifts. Her son cries that a shadowy figure has been peering through the window at night. The bachelors who leave her gifts start disappearing or going mad, and every night the sound of fingernails scratching comes from beneath the wall. Rumors spread that she has incurred a widow's curse. Only Liu Dafā, the most honest and guileless of the bachelors, quietly stands by her, helping repair her house and look after her son, and shielding her from the men's harassment. Little by little, he finds his way into her guarded heart.
As the two grow closer amid suspicion and mutual support, they discover that every strange occurrence points to the bizarre death of another widow ten years earlier. Their investigation uncovers a shocking truth: a hidden silver mine lies beneath the village. The widow was killed by Zhao Laohei, ringleader of the bachelors, when she tried to report the illegal mining. Now afraid that Lu Cuimei will discover the secret of the vein, Zhao Laohei is deliberately staging bizarre incidents to drive her away. The missing and deranged bachelors are all people who knew the truth or resisted him.
Relying on Lu Cuimei's sharp mind to piece together clues from the account books and Liu Dafā's tenacious stakeouts, the pair withstand threats and false accusations and gather crucial evidence, including the murder weapon and ledgers documenting the division of the loot. On Torch Festival night, they expose Zhao Laohei's crimes in front of everyone, clearing a ten-year-old injustice.
