Ji He lost both parents at a young age and lived with his uncle and aunt, working like an ox until he was nineteen. When his cousin ran off with another man just before her wedding, his uncle and aunt were too afraid to cancel the engagement. Instead, they sent Ji He in her place, since he looked somewhat like her. In a bridal sedan, he was carried thirty li away to Shen Family Village.
Shen Changbai was a famous hunter throughout the area, an upright man who spent so much time hunting deep in the mountains that a scar on his face made him look intimidating. On their wedding night, he took the nuptial cup Ji He offered him, but noticed the hands holding it: the palms were covered in calluses, and the knuckles were cracked from frostbite.
"The Ji family's daughter was pampered from childhood. In summer, she wouldn't even touch well water. How many years of hard labor have your hands seen?"
The deception could no longer be concealed. Ji He dared not hide anything. He told him everything, from his cousin running away to his uncle and aunt forcing him into the marriage.
Shen Changbai didn't make things difficult for him. Early the next morning, he took the marriage contract to the Ji family and returned every coin of the betrothal gifts he'd received. In front of everyone, he declared, "The Ji family deceived me. Ji He had nothing to do with it. From this moment on, this marriage has nothing more to do with the Ji family."
He said to Ji He, "You were the one who was deceived. You're not the one I should blame. If you're willing to stay, this home has a place for you."
Ji He's eyes reddened as he nodded. He had never imagined that what awaited him would be a home.
After that, he learned to raise chickens and pickle vegetables, filling their days with warmth and bustle. Once, when Shen Changbai was injured while hunting and ran a high fever for two days and two nights, Ji He stayed by his bedside without leaving.
On the day they planted fruit saplings in the spring, Shen Changbai squatted down beside him and, after a long silence, said in a low voice, "Ji He, from now on, you take charge of the household money box."
