Manager Shen of the Treasure Gathering Pawnshop in the capital's West Market was famous for being a miser and a money-grubber.
One night, she meant to fish a few taels of loose silver out of the frozen river, but instead hauled out a half-dead man.
The man wore an expensive brocade robe, but when he woke up, he said he had lost his memory and only remembered his name: Xie Yan.
Shen Ci: "Lost your memory? Then this jade pendant can cover the cost of saving your life."
Xie Yan: "This jade is fake."
Shen Ci: ???
So she'd nearly frozen to death in the middle of the night just to pull out a penniless man?!
Shen Ci immediately changed her tune and wanted to throw him back into the ice hole.
But Xie Yan looked delicate and scholarly, while inside he was a shameless freeloader. Not only did he eat and drink for free, he complained that her cooking was awful and even secretly sabotaged her "cheating and swindling" business.
Then one day, soldiers kicked in the pawnshop doors and dropped to their knees before Xie Yan in unison. "Chief Councilor, your subordinates were too late to protect you!"
Shen Ci's legs gave way, and her abacus fell to the floor and shattered.
She was finished. She'd made the Chief Councilor sleep in the woodshed, eat leftovers, chop wood, and do her bookkeeping every day...
She packed her things and tried to flee in the middle of the night, but Xie Yan intercepted her at the city gate.
Shen Ci forced a smile more painful than a sob. "Lord Xie, about the debt I owe you for saving my life... How about a thousand taels of gold?"
Xie Yan calmly produced a stack of account books. "Manager Shen, all the evidence of your tax evasion over the years is right here. I can never repay you for saving my life, so why don't we..."
"Why don't you give me money?"
"Why don't I marry you? I'll take on your debts, and you'll be mine to manage."
Shen Ci: ???
I saved your life, and now you not only want to dodge the bill, you want to confiscate my whole household?!
