Songs of Old Beijing

"Wu Nong, dear Wu Nong, how did you end up with such a fate?" Grandma had said this to her ever since she was little. In the Liu household of Beiping, there was a young lady named Wu Nong. When she was a child, a revered monk had read her fortune and said she had been born to suffer through love's trials. Her life was destined to be full of tangled romances, but in the end, she would grow old alone. Some people believed him, others did not. In the end, the outcome was not decided by fate, but by people's choices. Xu Yan was Wu Nong's childhood sweetheart, and he never believed in fate. He had received a modern education, so from childhood he would say, "When we grow up, I'll marry you." Wu Nong would simply reply, "You're only after my family's fortune." But when they were young, he truly cherished her. Whenever he heard someone speak ill of Wu Nong, he would immediately argue with them and get into a fight. Later, with the nation on the brink of ruin, Xu Yan went abroad to study. As he left, he told Wu Nong, "When I come back, I'll marry you." He did return intending to marry her, but by then, Xu Yan had changed. He really was marrying Wu Nong for her family's fortune. Once Wu Nong joined the Xu household, Xu Yan realized they truly were not suited to each other. He went to school while Wu Nong ran the family business, and at home they could never find anything to talk about. Their childhood friendship gave way to nothing but arguments. After their marriage, Xu Yan met a confidante.