Chapter Seventy: The Dowry

To die and then return to life—surely, this must be the greatest rise and fall one can experience in a lifetime.

Murong Zizhu, whose heart had just been shattered and sunk to its lowest depths, now watched Wang Hong slowly sit up. Her delicate lips parted, but she could not utter a single word; only two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks.

They were no longer tears of sorrow, but tears of overwhelming joy.

“Zizhu…” Wang Hong slowly got up and, seeing the weeping girl before him, felt a wrench in his heart and could not help but shed tears himself. These past days, he had done so many foolish things—too many to count—and broken this girl's heart time and again. Yet, despite it all, she was still willing to do anything for him, even suffer humiliation without complaint. Such profound affection could move even a heart of stone.

Zizhu threw herself, still sobbing, into Wang Hong’s arms. His expression was complicated as he gently stroked her back, offering silent comfort. Then he turned to Wang Bin and Wang Quan, saying, “Brother, Father, I have been foolish. I am truly sorry.”

He turned then to Liu Ping and said, “Brother Liu, words cannot express my gratitude.”

Liu Ping shook his head. “No need to thank me. If not for Murong Zizhu, you would not have survived.” He could not help but feel a touch of envy—such a remarkable young woman, willing to do anything for the one she loves. Sensing Liu Ping’s mood, Bai Zhi, nestled in his arms, shifted slightly. He smiled silently and patted her gently—he, too, had his own treasures; why envy another?

Wang Hong responded softly and held Zizhu even tighter, then turned to Wang Bin. “Father, I want to marry Zizhu.”

Wang Bin was momentarily taken aback, but did not refuse. He nodded. “Very well, but first, you must recover your health.”

Wang Hong nodded, grasped the hand of the girl in his arms, and gazed at her blushing face, asking tenderly, “Will you marry me?”

“I will,” Zizhu whispered, her voice barely audible.

The atmosphere was beautiful, though for outsiders, it was perhaps a little awkward. Liu Ping coughed lightly. “In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

Wang Bin tried to persuade him to stay, but Liu Ping shook his head. “No need. You still have things to attend to.”

Wang Bin was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Liu Ping explained, “That malevolent spirit came here and drained a great deal of fortune. Even though she is dead, the luck she drew away is gone and will not return. Do you understand?”

Fortune is never rootless. Qi is the vitality of all things. The Wang family is wealthy, and their fortune lies in their wealth. Now that their luck has been siphoned away, people’s hearts will become unsettled, greed will arise, and losses are bound to follow.

Wang Bin was shocked and quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. He bowed respectfully. “Thank you for your guidance, young friend!”

“No need for such formality,” Liu Ping replied, then turned to Wang Hong. “Focus on your recovery. Your body is so weak that it may take a year or two before you’re well again. As much as I’d like to congratulate you, I must advise you: do not marry this year. It’s for your own good, understand?”

Wang Hong gave a wry smile. “Is it really that bad?”

Liu Ping replied mercilessly, “You brought this upon yourself.”

With that, he swept his sleeve and left. Wang Bin wanted to thank him with money, but Liu Ping refused with a shake of his head. Though he loved wealth, he would not accept money for this.

Stepping into a corner of the street, Bai Zhi immediately leapt from his arms, transforming into the form of a young girl and grabbing Liu Ping’s hand. Without preamble, she asked a most startling question.

“Darling, when will we have our wedding?”

Liu Ping nearly stumbled and fell, staring at Bai Zhi. “What did you say?”

“I said, when are we going to have our wedding!” Bai Zhi huffed and asked, “You’re not planning to cast me aside and become a heartless scoundrel, are you?”

Liu Ping broke out in a cold sweat. “How could I? Do I look like that kind of person?”

Bai Zhi eyed him suspiciously. “A little bit.”

Pretending to be angry, Liu Ping scolded, “You dare say such a thing?”

Bai Zhi looked pitiful. “I’m sorry, darling.”

Liu Ping sighed helplessly. “You’re still young. We’ll wait until you grow up.”

Hearing this promise, Bai Zhi’s heart overflowed with sweetness. She jumped up and kissed Liu Ping on the cheek, laughing gleefully. “I knew you were the best!”

Liu Ping touched his cheek and gave a resigned smile. “You little rascal.”

Many passersby on the street were drawn by Bai Zhi’s exceptional cuteness and beauty. When they overheard this conversation and saw what followed, they were utterly stunned, staring at Liu Ping with thinly veiled hostility. This guy is truly shameless—how could he lay hands on such a young girl? What a beast—yet still enviable!

Feeling embarrassed by these looks, Liu Ping thought to himself, Is my fondness for little girls already so obvious? If this keeps up, I’ll become a public enemy. After a quick mental complaint, he lowered his head and whispered, “Let’s go home.”

“Home? You mean your house?” Bai Zhi’s eyes shone with excitement.

Liu Ping replied, “Whose else could it be? Come to think of it, you’ve never been there, have you?”

Bai Zhi nodded. “That’s right, I’ve been wanting to see it.”

Liu Ping teased, “Every bride has to meet the parents, after all!”

Though pleased, Bai Zhi protested, “But I’m not ugly!”

Liu Ping raised a finger. “It’s just a saying. Besides, if I take you home and say you’re my future wife, my mother will scold me to death.”

Bai Zhi understood and pouted. “Fine.”

They hired an ox cart and soon returned home.

By then, night was falling. Liu Ping’s little sister, seeing him come in, complained, “You said you’d be out for just a bit, but it’s nearly dark.”

Her small face was full of grievance. Liu Ping patted her head, about to say something, when Father Liu emerged from the back. “You disappear the moment you get home? Dinner’s already finished.”

Liu Ping answered, “Wang Hong is gravely ill. I went to visit and stayed a bit longer.”

“Is that so? Have you eaten?” Father Liu continued.

“Not yet,” replied Liu Ping.

His sister looked up and said, “I’ll go make something for you, brother,” and darted off to the kitchen.

Father Liu looked at Liu Ping. “Come here. I have a few things to say.”

Liu Ping braced himself, expecting something serious, but in the study he found it was just a few words of ordinary parental concern. His usually stern father rarely spoke this way, and Liu Ping was surprised.

Soon after, he returned to his room, lit a candle, and Bai Zhi immediately slipped out from inside his robe, jumped onto the bed, returned to her young girl form, and curiously looked around. After a moment, she concluded, “Darling, your family is really poor!”

For a farming household, this home was decent enough, but compared to Wang Hong’s wealthy family, the difference was stark. Still, her words were rather blunt. Liu Ping feigned annoyance and pinched her cheek. “Is that any way to talk?”

Bai Zhi grinned. “Darling, do you want me to get you some money? A few thousand taels wouldn’t be hard.”

He was tempted but shook his head. “No need.”

“Really?” Bai Zhi pressed.

Liu Ping glared at her. “Really.”

Bai Zhi pouted. “You must think the money is ill-gotten, right? But it isn’t! It’s my dowry from Granny Hu San—precious jewels that could easily fetch a few thousand taels.”

Liu Ping couldn’t help but laugh. “Taking out your dowry so soon?” His hand, which had been pinching her cheek, turned gentle and began to caress her.

Feeling his hand on her cheek, Bai Zhi’s face flushed a delicate red. By the candlelight, she looked both enchanting and innocently shy—the combination especially captivating. Her small, soft hands grasped his, and she giggled softly, “After all, I’ll belong to you sooner or later, darling.”