The Pei Family's Husband
Cha Zha Zha
Changxia arrived at the Pei family as a child bride, where he had enough to eat and wear, but the most important task was learning to care for his five-year-old "husband." Five-year-old Pei Yao no longer wore open-crotch pants. Tipping his chubby chin up, he scrutinized Changxia, who stood slightly taller than him, and puckered his lips in displeasure. Terms like "husband" and "child bride" meant nothing to him—all he wanted was to play. Changxia couldn't control Pei Yao. Despite being three years younger, the boy was as wild as a boar, running and jumping everywhere, impossible to restrain. Frustrated to tears, he could only run home to his father, who then beat Pei Yao. From then on, Pei Yao held a grudge against him. Clumsy with words and slow-witted, Changxia knew Pei Yao disliked him. But the Pei family had bought him, so this was now his home. Besides tending to Pei Yao as his child bride, he worked hard in the fields and gardens, praying for good weather and bountiful harvests every year. Pei Yao, small but shrewd, had always loved beautiful things and people. With a sweet tongue, he charmed brothers, sisters, and cousins. By his teens, he'd grown tall and lanky, turning into a strikingly handsome youth. Changxia, on the other hand, kept his head down and focused solely on labor. Over the years, his hands grew rough, his looks plain, and he remained unliked by Pei Yao. Seeing this, Pei Yao’s father knew forcing fate was futile. Now that the family had saved money, he figured it best to arrange separate marriages for them—lest they grow to hate each other. But before any matchmaking could take root, the father accidentally overheard Pei Yao coaxing Changxia into kissing him and nearly fainted on the spot.