"Father, even if you beat me to death, I'll still choose Sister-in-law Chun Yan."
"I don't want any other woman, only her."
Shen Ermeng looked at his father, feeling a defiance he'd never known.
This time, he faced his heart head-on.
He couldn't pinpoint when his feelings for Sister-in-law Chun Yan had begun, perhaps it was long ago.
She was resilient, kind, and even when exhausted from toiling alone, she never asked for help.
A woman raising three children, especially in an era where many struggled for food, was truly remarkable.
Perhaps it was in the daily proximity, the accumulated moments, that he fell in love with this diligent, strong, and beautiful woman.
"You little bastard, I think you're deliberately trying to anger me to death."
Shen Laifu grabbed the bamboo pole by the courtyard wall and, without a word, rushed into Zhao Chun Yan's yard.
He swung it down on Shen Ermeng's head.
The foolish boy didn't dodge, instead shielding Zhao Chun Yan behind him.
Shen Laifu was truly furious, each stroke of the bamboo pole landing on Shen Ermeng's back. The thudding sound made Zhao Chun Yan's heart tremble.
This fool, still protecting her!
At that moment, Zhao Chun Yan suddenly recalled how Shen Ermeng used to help her with chores, secretly placing good food from his bowl onto the plates of her three children.
How he would sometimes steal glances at her, then casually look away when caught.
The events between them, one by one, seemed to swirl in her mind.
"Uncle, if you're going to hit someone, hit me."
"It was my loose morals that led me to Ermeng, it's not his fault. Hit me."
Zhao Chun Yan, with a strength she didn't know she possessed, broke free from Shen Ermeng's embrace, moved behind him, and threw her arms around him, shielding him with her own slender body.
"Don't think I won't hit a woman."
"You vixen, bearing three children and still daring to entice my son."
"I'll beat you to death!"
Shen Laifu was almost blinded by rage. The more Shen Ermeng and Zhao Chun Yan displayed their deep affection, the angrier he became.
Anyone would be upset if their unmarried son suddenly fell for a widow with three children.
"Crack."
The blow landed squarely. Zhao Chun Yan felt half her shoulder go numb, her back burning with pain.
Now she understood how much Shen Ermeng must have hurt from all those previous blows, yet he hadn't uttered a sound.
"Father, if you're going to hit, hit me. Don't hit Chun Yan."
Seeing Zhao Chun Yan struck, Shen Ermeng couldn't bear it any longer.
Shen Laifu, close to apoplexy, didn't hold back. The next blow, aimed at Shen Ermeng who had turned around, landed directly on his head.
"Thump."
Struck squarely on the head, Shen Ermeng stumbled and fell.
"Blood, he's bleeding! Uncle, please, stop! Ermeng's head is covered in blood!"
Zhao Chun Yan, seeing Shen Ermeng on the ground, touched his head. Blood was gushing out.
"Ermeng, Ermeng, don't scare me, don't scare your sister-in-law. You must be alright."
Zhao Chun Yan quickly tore off her jacket, wrapped it around Shen Ermeng's head, and pressed down firmly on the wound.
"Ermeng, Ermeng?"
Shen Laifu panicked too. He dropped the bamboo pole and rushed over. Seeing Shen Ermeng's bloodied face, he was both anxious and angry.
He stomped his foot in frustration, then slapped himself hard.
His son liked a widow, how could he not be angry!
But now, seeing his son bleeding profusely, the anger gave way to pain and self-recrimination.
As a father, how could he not love his son? He had simply been overcome with anger.
"Uncle, let's not dwell on anything else today. I beg you, Uncle, let's quickly take Ermeng to Old Man Wang Gui for bandaging. You've almost beaten him to death."
"Uncle, I'm begging you. As long as you stop and take Ermeng to see a doctor, I promise you, if Ermeng recovers, I will never pester him again."
"I will never tell anyone about tonight. I will never ruin Ermeng's reputation. I will not hinder his chances of finding a wife."
Zhao Chun Yan knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Shen Laifu.
Unexpectedly, just as she kowtowed, Shen Ermeng struggled to get up. His face was covered in blood, but he defiantly glared at his father.
"Father, unless you beat me to death, I will marry Chun Yan as my wife."
The old saying was true, one’s surname might be mistaken, but not one’s given name. Shen Ermeng certainly lived up to his.
He was incredibly, fiercely determined.
"You little bastard, do you really think I won't beat you to death, you scoundrel!"
"If I kill you today, I'll pretend I never had such a son."
Shen Laifu almost couldn't catch his breath. But looking at his son's resolute eyes, Shen Laifu's hand holding the bamboo pole seemed to lose its strength.
His son had made up his mind, iron-willed, and was determined to marry this young widow.
Could he really beat his son to death?
The air suddenly became frighteningly silent, broken only by Zhao Chun Yan's faint sobs.
This was why she hadn't dared to agree to Shen Ermeng. People in this era held too many prejudices against widows.
If it were a bachelor in his late thirties or early forties, it might be different. But Shen Ermeng was a young man who had never married, wanting to marry her, a widow with three children. Anyone would gossip.
"Father, even if you beat me to death, I will marry her."
"I am eighteen now. I can make my own decisions."
"I believe that Chun Yan and I can have a good life together. I don't care for any other unmarried girl; I only love Sister-in-law Chun Yan."
"She can support three children alone; surely the two of us won't fare worse. Didn't you and Mother raise eight siblings?"
"Chun Yan and I can also have and raise eight children. I'm no worse than you."
Though Shen Ermeng's face was covered in blood, his spirit was as strong as Shen Laifu's.
Looking at him, Shen Laifu fell silent.
A father knows his son best. He was Shen Ermeng's father and understood his son's stubborn nature.
Once he set his mind on something, not even eight oxen could pull him back.
Looking at the pair kneeling together, Shen Laifu dropped the bamboo pole.
He said nothing, but his silence and the absence of further opposition indicated his stance.
Shen Laifu was beginning to compromise, no longer as resolutely opposed as before.
However, if this matter got out, his family would lose all face. His son marrying a widow was not a matter of pride for any family.
Shen Laifu couldn't make a final decision. He dropped the bamboo stick and left, out of sight, out of mind.
Shen Ermeng watched his father leave, gritted his teeth, and pulled Zhao Chun Yan, who was kneeling beside him, into his embrace.
This pair of ill-fated lovers didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but at this moment, their hearts were bound together more tightly than ever by Shen Ermeng's unwavering resolve.