My Neighbor Is a Scholar

Jiang Mi was a pretty young widow.

Her husband, whom her family had sold her to for a marriage meant to bring him good fortune, was dead, as were her in-laws, who had treated her harshly. She inherited the sweet-water shop and was doing well, with money and a home of her own.

The customs of the dynasty were open-minded, and widows were encouraged to remarry. After a year of widowhood, they had to marry again, unless they had a child.

Jiang Mi didn't want to marry again. She just wanted a child.

But she was picky, and none of the men with ordinary prospects caught her eye.

Before long, a poor scholar moved in next door. He was handsome, well-built, and clever.

Jiang Mi began to entertain an idea.

*

Some time later, Jiang Mi got what she wanted.

She touched her belly and decided to move her whole household elsewhere and start a new life.

But that night, she woke up in the grip of a suffocating embrace.

Jiang Mi opened her eyes and froze in terror.

Wasn't he supposed to be a poor scholar? Why did he turn into a man with a snake's tail at night?

Message: Keep your mindset in the right place and live in the present.