The Upright Widow of the Top Scorer's Household [100,000 Words Drafted]

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*Transmigration / farming and imperial examinations / building wealth / a slow-paced life

*Gentle, dignified widowed sister-in-law x gloomy, ghostly younger brother-in-law x honest hunter elder brother

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Shen Mingyan has always been the sort of person who takes things as they come. When he transmigrated into the body of a man waiting to be married, he didn't fuss about it. He simply put on the red bridal veil and walked through the Xu family's door.

Xu Jiayou was an honest, sturdy hunter, and he had a younger brother at home who was preparing for the imperial examinations. Shen Mingyan thought life would be hard, but Xu Jiayou gave him everything he could. At mealtimes, there were two chicken legs, usually one for Shen Mingyan and one for his younger brother, Xu Changsheng.

Gradually, Shen Mingyan came to see how good Xu Jiayou was to him. When the night was quiet, he would take the initiative to put his arms around Xu Jiayou's neck and softly call him "husband."

He didn't know that Xu Changsheng had gotten up during the night and heard them. Now he stood by the window, watching through bloodshot eyes. He heard Shen Mingyan call his brother "husband" and saw how his usually dignified, gentle sister-in-law was completely different now...

The days passed.

Xu Changsheng's dark feelings for Shen Mingyan spread without his noticing, growing wildly until they were impossible to restrain.

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Soon the court began conscripting soldiers, and Xu Jiayou was forced onto the battlefield. The next time news came, he was dead. Xu Changsheng was only seventeen then and had just passed the provincial examination. Everyone in the village thought Shen Mingyan would leave Xu Changsheng and remarry.

But after calmly taking care of Xu Jiayou's funeral, Shen Mingyan took Xu Changsheng's hand and solemnly promised at the grave that he would take good care of him on Xu Jiayou's behalf.

As long as Shen Mingyan drew breath, he would never let anything happen to Xu Changsheng.

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Shen Mingyan kept his promise. He sold tofu by the roadside and ran a small business so Xu Changsheng could sit the metropolitan and palace examinations. When Xu Changsheng failed for the first time, Shen Mingyan held his hand and gently said, "We can always start over."

Xu Changsheng truly lived up to his promise, growing more determined with each setback. In the fourth year, he finally came first and passed the highest examination to become the top scholar.

Shen Mingyan was proud of him. That very day, he brought fine wine and dishes to share the good news with Xu Jiayou.

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After Xu Changsheng became the top scholar, he was suddenly famous and prosperous. People also began eyeing the dignified, gentle widowed sister-in-law at home. At a banquet, the drunken Marquis of Yongan had someone secretly drug Shen Mingyan and bring him to his bed.

When Xu Changsheng heard the news, he went mad with rage. After beating the Marquis of Yongan senseless, he rushed into the room...

He saw his dignified, gentle sister-in-law lying weakly on the bed, his shoulders trembling as if he were doing everything he could to endure. Xu Changsheng's eyes instantly reddened. He went forward, held the struggling Shen Mingyan tightly, and awkwardly kissed his eyes and cheeks. "Just think of me as your brother! Think of me as him!..."

[Extra Scene]

After a wild night with Xu Changsheng, Shen Mingyan was so ashamed he wanted to die. Afraid he might do something foolish, Xu Changsheng tied him to the bed with red silk and told him he wasn't allowed to go anywhere. Xu Changsheng began preparing for their wedding, but a great fire suddenly broke out, and the sister-in-law who had been by his side for so many years left his life forever.

Three years later, Shen Mingyan's turbulent life had finally returned to normal. One day, while shopping on the street, he unexpectedly saw a man whose build was almost exactly like Xu Jiayou's. His heart pounding, Shen Mingyan hurried after him.

"Husband..."

The man turned around and calmly, darkly removed his mask. "Sister-in-law, do I look like him? I've practiced for a long time, his posture, his voice..."

"Sister-in-law, let me be your husband."

P.S.:

The relationship is 1v1 in distinct stages. Shen Mingyan lives in the present. After transmigrating to ancient times, he doesn't pine for anything about the modern world. Likewise, when he is with the elder brother, he loves only the elder brother; when he is with the younger brother, he loves only the younger brother. There is no question of a living person being unable to compare with the dead. The romance with the younger brother begins after the elder brother is gone. Before that, their relationship is an ordinary one between a man and his brother's wife.

Theme: Live in the present and be content with what you have.