Zhou Song is this year's top military graduate. He dreams of making a name for himself on the frontier, but when he learns that the land is at peace and there are no battles to fight, he resigns.
As soon as he does, his fiancée comes to break off their engagement.
The next day, she steals someone else's fiancé and gets engaged to him.
On the third day, the father of the little shuang'er whose fiancé was stolen gets drunk and comes to Zhou Song's house. He asks how Zhou Song could be so useless, unable to keep an eye on his own fiancée, letting her seduce away his son's intended and leave his son weeping day after day. Already furious, Zhou Song joins his own father in beating the man up, then mocks him: "Why not blame your son for being so ugly he can't keep a man?"
On the fourth day, the "ugly one" shows up to avenge his father. Zhou Song can't take his eyes off him. The so-called ugly one isn't ugly at all. He's actually quite handsome. He's just got a bad temper, charging in and shouting about killing people. A brainless little fool, really. Zhou Song can't bring himself to hit him.
As luck would have it, some foolhardy assassin suddenly tries to kill Zhou Song. Somehow, he and the little fool tumble off a cliff together and stumble into Peach Blossom Spring.
Already disheartened and with no desire to serve as an official for now, Zhou Song decides to stay. He even manages to make the little fool his wife.
Waking from dreams in the middle of the night, Zhou Song countless times gives thanks that there's no way back. Otherwise, after beating up his father-in-law, he'd likely have spent the rest of his life alone.
Day after day passes. Then one day, a fellow villager tells them, "I've been watching you for a long time. You seem like decent people, so I'll show you the way out."
Zhou Song: A bolt from the blue!
The little fool clutches the tiny little fool in his belly and frets, "Once we're out, you'll have no salary. How will you support the family? Why not take the imperial examinations again? If you don't want to be a general, give up the martial arts and study literature instead."
After just a couple of quick words, his future is decided.
Zhou Song, who spent three years just memorizing the Three Character Classic: I'm dead!
PS: The gong loses his memory for a while, but gets it back soon.
A pretty fool who sometimes turns into a brilliant black lotus, the tempting shou, X a sometimes simple-minded and domineering, sometimes sweet-on-the-outside-and-dark-on-the-inside gong who dotes on his wife.
Theme: There's always a way out, even in the direst straits.
