TSMDH 4
Chapter 4: A Beating — Is It Convenient to Meet?
Geng Yao’s suspended heart finally gave up.
Didn’t his mother say it was a wife? Isn’t a wife a woman? She never said it was a ge’er!
But Geng Yao couldn’t be sure if he was just being oversensitive. The way that ge’er spoke—soft, yet like a dagger wrapped in silk—it just didn’t match how his mother had described.
He pushed down his confusion and said, “Got it. I’ll deliver the meat to the Sun family restaurant first thing tomorrow. But I wonder, since Young Master Sun looks down on this and that, can he actually make decisions in his own household?”
“It’s just a small meat deal. If Young Master Sun doesn’t have authority, and I deliver the meat and the shopkeeper refuses it, wouldn’t that be slapping Young Master Sun’s face?”
“After all, with so many nobles watching, how’s Young Master Sun going to save face in the future?”
Yan Yao was briefly startled, then deliberately gave a faint smile. “Why does Geng Langjun see people in such a way? Young Master Sun gave his word personally. If the shopkeeper refuses, what face would the Sun family have left?”
“If you’re really worried, then go beating gongs and drums to deliver it. I assure you the shopkeeper will take the meat and pay for it.”
Young Master Sun’s face turned pale. Born of a concubine, he was already not favored. He had no coal in winter and no ice in summer. If someone really came beating drums to deliver meat, his father would whip him for sure.
“You...” His face turned from red to white to green, and in the end, he threw shame to the wind and said, “I was just speaking casually. Our Sun family orders only from the best butchers. We wouldn’t look twice at your meat.”
Geng Yao replied, “If you don’t make decisions, just admit it. Why pretend? You’re only fooling yourself.”
“You...” Young Master Sun couldn’t retort.
Things like rice, flour, meat, and vegetables were all decided by the matriarch of the household—there was profit to be made in those dealings.
Only Ji Zhaonian, son of the magistrate, stood lofty and proud. He agreed outright and asked Geng Yao to deliver the meat tomorrow.
Geng Yao had wanted to refuse with words, but Yan Yao beat him to it and even flattered Ji Zhaonian a little, making him feel smug and satisfied as he left with his entourage.
Yan Yao said, “Sorry for disturbing Geng Langjun. I’ve been out a while now, so I’ll take my leave first.”
Then he lowered the face veil and turned to leave, as if something monstrous were at his back.
Geng Yao wanted to call after him, but the words caught in his throat.
He was dazed—no, very dazed.
“Second... Second Auntie!” Geng Hou stood on the bench, pointing at Yan Yao’s departing figure and calling out.
That day Qiu Yu had given him sweets and he’d heard her called Second Auntie, so he mistook her for his second aunt.
Geng Yao didn’t know he meant Qiu Yu and panicked, afraid that he’d really call Yan Yao back. He quickly covered Geng Hou’s mouth. “Don’t shout randomly!”
He was a little flustered—no, very flustered.
Impossible. He admitted he had certain... base preferences. Nothing grand—he just liked fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged soft girls.
That ge’er just now did fit all those... but still, a ge’er was a male with a certain part, and Geng Yao really couldn’t accept a situation where, once the pants came off, it’s “brother meeting brother.” He was truly a straight man—nothing would rise for that.
In his previous life, Geng Yao looked just like this. Soft girls found him intimidating and avoided him, while a few men were downright thirsty. Some would strip down and sway their hips at him. For a while, he’d bolt at the sight of any man, practically needing a sign that read: Not gay, don’t bother.
Qiu Yu said, “Young Master, why did you help that Geng Langjun?”
Yan Yao replied, “If I didn’t, then what?”
Now that the marriage had been arranged, in everyone’s eyes, he and the butcher were already one. He was simply helping himself.
Ji Zhaonian mocking him mocked Geng Yao as well. Mocking Geng Yao was the same as slapping his own face.
What Geng Yao had said was unexpected. Yan Yao thought to himself, people raised in the borderlands really did have a bold and unruly temperament.
Moreover, although Ji Zhaonian was loved by his parents, switching the butcher for the government supplier over a moment of anger would not end well for him.
Sure enough, by evening Yan Yao heard that Ji Zhaonian had been locked up by his little father and wouldn’t be allowed out for a month.
Since Great Uncle Yan passed, Yan Yao had no one to speak for him in this world. Under the candlelight, he stared at the red cloth on the bed, lost in thought.
Qiu Yu lifted the curtain and entered. Following his gaze, she quickly snatched up the red fabric and hugged it away.
It was fabric sent by the main residence to make a wedding robe. A kind gesture on the surface, but clearly meant to mock her young master for being married off to a butcher.
As Qiu Yu hid the fabric, her young master’s voice floated out, soft as mist. “Qiu Yu, if that butcher hits someone, how many of our attendants could stop him?”
Qiu Yu hesitated for a while before cautiously replying, “Five?”
The porcelain-white young master chuckled. But under the hazy night, that laugh carried bitterness. Qiu Yu’s heart ached with pity.
Though he didn’t say it, he must feel conflicted about this marriage. Who wouldn’t worry about their future husband?
That butcher... Qiu Yu didn’t even know how to describe him, but he certainly wasn’t worthy of her young master.
Everyone wanted to live freely. Ji Zhaonian mocked Yan Yao for acting weak, but without family protection, with no ice in summer and no coal in winter, how else could he survive?
Thankfully, Master Yan cared about appearances. Whenever something was lacking, Yan Yao would walk out weakly, and the stepmother would get scolded. After that, things would be replenished.
Over time, Yan Yao simply became accustomed to this mask.
He stood under the eaves for a long time in silence.
Yan Father had a kind-looking face, but was emotionally distant. He barely paid attention to Yan Yao as a child, only taking interest once he grew up and developed a striking beauty—clearly wanting to use him to curry favor with the powerful.
Yan Yao’s mother bore only him. With no full siblings, no one would support him in the future.
The stepmother had both son and daughter. They looked promising, but she hated Yan Yao deeply. There was no way she’d let her son become part of his maternal family.
Yan Yao had planned to marry into a small, easy-to-handle household. Once he had his mother’s and great uncle’s dowry, plus the Yan family’s own contribution, he could live comfortably for life.
But after meeting Geng Yao today, he realized—he couldn’t control that man.
Yan Father was his real father, yet childhood had already been so hard. If Geng Yao had bad intentions, death might be better. Living would be meaningless.
Worse still, if he lost his dowry and was tormented every day, life would be worse than it had been with the Yan family.
The moonlight was cold on his skin.
Yan Yao said, “Qiu Yu, it’s a bit chilly.”
Qiu Yu’s eyes reddened. She quickly brought over a cloak and placed it on his shoulders. Though it was summer and others were sweating, her young master felt cold.
Yan Yao pulled the cloak tighter. His lowered eyelashes trembled faintly.
He never wanted to endure those bone-chilling, tearless days again.
—
That evening, Geng Wu was returning from duty when he saw Hui Niang running to meet him.
“What’s happened?”
Hui Niang dragged him back home, anxious. “Second Brother wants to break off the marriage. Father won’t allow it and is beating him with a rod. He’s stubborn too—won’t run, just says, ‘Beat me. Once you’re done, agree to annul it.’”
“What about Mother?”
“Second Brother’s too stubborn this time. Mother’s furious too and is helping Father beat him. Third Brother is a scholar and doesn’t have the strength, he can only try to hold Mother back.”
It wouldn’t have been this bad, except Geng Yao refused to yield, putting their parents in an impossible position.
Geng Wu rushed home. Father Geng had a rod raised in hand. Seeing his eldest son return, he sighed in relief.
Geng Yao was yelling, “Father, hurry up and beat me! After that, go cancel the marriage!”
For a moment, Father Geng was so furious he couldn’t speak.
“I’ll beat you to death, you ungrateful brat! They don’t even mind you looking like this, and you’re the one who’s not satisfied?”
“I’m not dissatisfied, it’s the gender!”
Another rod came down on Geng Yao’s back, making him suck in a breath. Geng Wu didn’t bother changing and dragged him into the room.
“You’ll marry him no matter what! If you dare break this promise, I’ll kill you myself!”
Inside the room, Geng Yao collapsed on the bed, groaning. “This can’t be my real dad. That really hurt.”
Geng Wu said to Geng Wen, “Bring the liniment for bruises.”
Geng Wen handed over the medicine and shut the door. Geng Yao peeled off his clothes. “I really have to reevaluate our mom. She hits just as hard as dad!”
Geng Wu poured some medicine into his palm. “Dad’s hot-tempered. Why do you keep provoking him?”
Geng Wen added, “Second Brother, you’re at fault today. If you’d just yielded, he wouldn’t have hit you.”
Geng Yao said, “I did it on purpose. Let Dad vent his anger. He’ll feel guilty afterward and might agree to the annulment.”
“He won’t,” Geng Wu replied. “Dad values reputation above all. The Yan family’s treated us well. He’d rather beat you to death than break the engagement.”
Geng Yao turned and saw Geng Wen nodding in sympathy. “Yeah, he might kill you and pay with his life, but he won’t call it off. The only way is if the Yan family does.”
Geng Yao winced in pain. “So I got beaten for nothing.”
Geng Wen was curious. “Second Brother, why don’t you want to marry the Yan ge’er? I’ve heard at school that he’s very good-looking.”
Some of the gossip was mean, but Geng Wen never repeated it at home.
“I don’t like men,” said Geng Yao.
Geng Wu knocked him on the head like when they were kids. “A ge’er isn’t a man.”
“I know,” Geng Yao muttered irritably. “But I really feel nothing for ge’er.”
They weren’t as strong as men, usually looked delicate, had soft bodies like women, and could even bear children.
But Geng Yao had memories from a past life. Leaving appearance aside, just the Adam’s apple and the fact that ge’er had something down there made it impossible for him.
He argued for three days, was beaten for three days. On the last day, Mother Geng took his bowl away and refused to let him eat.
His reasoning simply didn’t stand in front of the Geng family.
Ge’er and women were basically the same—why couldn’t he marry one? Even Hui Niang had tried to talk to him gently several times.
On the fourth night, Geng Yao took little Geng Hou and left the house. Soon after, a letter arrived at Qingting Courtyard.
The moon was bright and the stars sparse. Yan Yao had his hair down, trimming the candlewick. His flowing sleeves swayed lightly.
On the table was an unfolded piece of paper with just one sentence:
Is it convenient to meet? You can choose the time and place.
Signed: Geng Yao
Yan Yao had opened many letters before—some professing love directly, some full of carefully phrased affection. All had been thoughtful, crafted so as not to offend a delicate heart.
But Geng Yao’s letter?
It fit him perfectly. Just like a pig butcher.
