Consort of a Thousand Faces

Su Xi-er silently listened to the gossiping of the crowd, learning that the man’s name was Zhang Zhuang. He had gotten into an affair with a rich widow, Widow Liu, and was thus trying to abandon his wife, even hitting her when she tried to stop him.

 

“Damn you, you actually want to abandon your wife and son for a widow. Are you serious? Huh?" Zhang Zhuang’s wife cried as she held onto her husband's sleeve tightly, unwilling to let him go.

 

But all that happened was an even harsher scolding and beating from Zhang Zhuang. “Let go of me, let go! This proud one doesn’t want you anymore. Damn woman, stinky woman. How are you going to feed me without money? This proud one saw that your family had some money then, but didn’t expect your wretched brother to spend it on all his medical fees. Now that you don’t have a single cent, are you going to let this proud one live on air?”

 

“You heartless man, how heartless. How can you do this to Xiaobao and me?” Née Li cried; it seemed that she only recognised her husband’s true colours today.

 

The child at the side bawled loudly. As soon as his hand came into contact with his father’s sleeves, the latter ruthlessly flung it away, “You useless thing, get out of my way.”

 

That action had flung the child directly onto the ground. With such a young child crying so sadly, no human would have the heart to do such a thing, much less his father.

 

The surrounding crowd was cursing and pointing at the heartless and unscrupulous man. He actually hooked up with a widow for wealth, easily abandoning his wife and child.

 

But no matter how horrible this man was, in the eyes of Née Li, he was still her husband. She couldn’t live without her husband, and her child couldn’t live without a complete family.

 

So even when she was beaten black and blue, she didn't let go. She knew once she let go, she would really lose her husband and become a laughingstock. Her maiden family would not take her in, nor would she be able to survive in her current home. Only death would await her.

 

“Hubby, don’t leave. Can you not leave?”

 

Née Li tugged at the hem of his pants with the minute strength she had. She looked like a complete mess, but no one on the streets came forward to help.

 

Seeing that this was someone else’s family matter, they were afraid that speaking out would come back to bite them.

 

Seeing his wife tugging on the hem of his pants, Zhang Zhuang stomped his feet, flinging her hand away in a single move.

 

He looked at his wife lying on the ground with contempt and snorted coldly, “I would still have been your husband if you hadn’t brought this out into the open, but now you are just courting death. From today onwards, don’t ever dream that I will return to this home. I will never want you anymore, you ugly woman!”

 

Tears streamed down Née Li’s face as she heard her husband’s words. Her mouth opened, but no words would come out.

 

She had been sixteen when she had met him, being known as a beauty in the village that they were from. Added on to the fact that her family had a bit of extra wealth, there were many young men who had come forward to ask for her hand in marriage.

 

However. she had only had eyes for Zhang Zhuang, and had spent considerable effort in begging her parents before they had let her marry him.

 

But her husband came from a poor family, not to mention his ill mother passed away within two years of the marriage.

 

Despite having been pampered since she was young, after marrying her current husband, Née Li had been forced to learn how to take care of their impoverished family. The hard work had left her tanned, and her figure was no longer what it had been after giving birth. Tall and buff, she no longer looked the part of a young bride.

 

Now, her husband actually said that he was disgusted by her ugliness, and that he disdained that her maiden family had become poor!

 

“Oh, what’s the commotion about?” A shrill voice suddenly sounded out as an alluringly-dressed woman appeared in the crowd.