Synopsis
Rumor has it that Su Guangyuan's third daughter, Su Bainning, is a wild troublemaker who fears nothing and no one. Anyone who tries to get close to her or cause trouble for her is in for a miserable time. One might think the Su family would punish her severely and that everyone would despise her for it, but Old Madam Su, who had raised her since childhood, treasured Su Bainning like her own heart. "My Ning'er is the sweetest, most well-behaved girl. She's nothing like the madwoman the rumors make her out to be!"
As it happened, Su Bainning was sitting cross-legged on the daybed in her room, a chess piece in hand, her head bowed as she studied the game.
Another rumor had it that the Su family's eldest daughter, Su Yuting, was an exceptionally gifted young woman, accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. But the poems scholars recited every day were written by Su Bainning, and even the bestselling novels in the bookshops on the streets were authored by her.
"These rumors are ridiculous. With all the stories going around about me, not one of them has anything nice to say!" Su Bainning complained, taking a leisurely sip of tea.
She never expected that the laid-back persona she'd worked so hard to establish would be seen through by another "wild troublemaker," Chen Zhongnian, the young master of the Chen family.
Chen Zhongnian: "The poem my friend just recited was written by you, wasn't it?"
Chen Zhongnian continued, "It seems you've told me before what was written in this book."
!!!
The Chen family's seemingly gentle and refined young master had a sharp eye. Su Bainning was impressed. What shocked her even more was that Chen Zhongnian wasn't as aloof and noble as he seemed, treating worldly possessions like dirt. In private, he was deeply calculating and wildly ambitious, with millions of taels of real silver in his hands. He was a hidden tycoon!
"How about this? You're unmarried, and so am I. Why don't we get married?" Su Bainning asked Chen Zhongnian sincerely, seeking an answer.
Chen Zhongnian was taken aback. He hadn't expected the young lady to be so blunt about asking for his hand in marriage. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "All right."
After they married, Su Bainning discovered that her husband was a devoted wife-doter. Other husbands took multiple wives and concubines, but Chen Zhongnian never brought up taking a concubine after marrying Su Bainning, nor did he secretly keep a maid as a mistress. Even when people who wanted him to take a concubine practically trampled the threshold of the Chen household, Chen Zhongnian refused.
"The finest wife in the world is already my legal wife. What more could I want?"
Those simple words moved Su Bainning to tears. "With a husband like you, what more could a wife ask for?"
"Just say the word, my dear. All my wealth is yours, and even my life belongs to you."
Theme: Farming and household intrigue: The road ahead will be long, but I will ride the wind and cleave the waves, setting my cloud-white sail to cross the vast sea