During the Ming Dynasty, there was Yujia Village in the south of Ningguo Prefecture. At the east end of the village, there were three shabby thatched houses inhabited by two brothers. The eldest son's name was Feng Dachang. When he was ten years old, a plague broke out in the local area. The parents could not escape the disaster, so they both traveled westward.
At this time, brother Feng Erxi had just turned six years old. They had lost their parents and were left alone. Even three meals a day had become a problem. The patriarch, Fourth Master Feng, couldn't bear to see the two children starve to death, so he discussed with the clan members to raise the two brothers together.
When it was time to eat every day, Feng Dachang took his younger brother out to find food, and they would eat at whatever house they went to. People in the village are very poor, and those who have enough to eat are considered rich. Even so, they are still happy to help the two brothers.
It turns out that Feng Dachang's father, Feng Guiquan, was a carpenter. Anyone who had carpentry work would ask him for help. Every time, Feng Guiquan would not take any money. In his words, he was a fellow villager in his hometown. Asking for money hurts the harmony.
, the home of good deeds, there must be Yuqing. The people in the village are grateful for Feng Guiquan's kindness and are willing to take care of his children from the bottom of their hearts. As the brothers grew up, they became more grateful and helped their neighbors with whatever they could.
In the blink of an eye, Feng Dachang is sixteen years old, tall and tall. Neighbor Uncle Chen taught him how to farm and cultivate the land step by step. The children of poor people have long been in charge of their own families. The Feng brothers were willing to endure hardships and were diligent. Gradually, there was enough food growing in the fields, and finally they were able to solve the problem of food and clothing.
It is said that an elder brother is like a father. Feng Dachang did not say it with his mouth, but he had already planned it in his heart. He wanted to take advantage of the past few years to save more money so that he could marry Er Xi a daughter-in-law and the family would not be cut off.
In ancient times, it was important to respect the elder and the younger. It stands to reason that when you want to get married, you have to start from the oldest to the youngest. It's not that Feng Dachang doesn't want to start a family, it's just that he has a disability. Unfortunately, half of his nose was bitten off by a mouse when he was just one month old. The appearance was really scary. Besides, your family is poor, how easy is it to get married?
Feng Dachang pinned all his hopes on Er Xi. From now on, the Feng family's prosperity will all depend on him. In order to make more money, the brothers specially opened a piece of wasteland. They usually grow fruits and vegetables and sell them at the market, so that they can get some money.
Seeing that his peers in the village were getting married one after another, Feng Dachang felt mixed emotions. Every time he goes out, he lowers his head, like a child who has done something wrong. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that he had low self-esteem, but they wanted to help but were unable to do anything.
Time flies, the years rush by, and in the blink of an eye, another three years have passed. On this day, Feng Dachang had breakfast and went to work in the fields. Less than half an hour after he left, he brought back a handsome young woman. Aunt Tian was surprised and happy when she saw it, and couldn't help asking about her origins.
The woman's name is Ying Niang, a native of Dawan Town. She came here begging for food because of a drought in her hometown. Unfortunately, her father died on the way, and now she is the only one left in the family.
When Aunt Tian learned about her life experience, she was secretly happy and deliberately arranged a marriage between the two. She also deliberately praised Feng Dachang in front of Ying Niang. Ying Niang didn't refuse, she just said that she would be satisfied if she could find a place to stay.
In less than a stick of incense, the news spread throughout the village. Everyone said that Feng Dachang was lucky to have found a beautiful wife as beautiful as a flower. Erxi was happy for her eldest brother and immediately placed incense and candles for the two of them to come to the church to get married.
Ying Niang looked troubled and said in a sob: "My father has just passed away. It is not advisable to rush this matter. It will not be too late to wait until the filial piety period is over before we go to the church to get married." Filial piety comes first. Feng Dachang naturally understands this truth and has to postpone the wedding according to Ying Niang's wishes.
The two brothers moved to live on the same kang, and specially made a room for Ying Niang. There was an extra woman in the house, sewing, doing laundry and cooking, and it seemed like there was a spark of fireworks in an instant.
On this day, Feng Dachang came back from outside and saw Erxi and Yingniang spinning thread in the house. They talked and laughed and had a great time. Seeing this scene, I can't help but feel jealous.
Speaking of which, Erxi is also a young boy of sixteen or seventeen years old, handsome and well-spoken. Compared with his brothers, Feng Dachang is completely different. It seems that his worries are not unreasonable.
One morning, when the two brothers were drying grain in the yard, Ying Niang deliberately called Feng Dachang into the house in front of Er Xi and said, "Brother, he is too old to be young. You can't support him for the rest of his life." After getting married, the Nu family didn't want to live with him. A good man has ambitions in all directions, and it's a good thing to go out and get acquainted with him!"
Feng Dachang bit his lips and didn't speak for a long time. The two brothers grew up together and have never been apart for a day. Although Erxi has grown up, the eldest brother has not yet fulfilled his responsibilities. If a brother has a family, it would be okay for him to voluntarily go out and work hard, but it is a bit inappropriate to bring it up now.
He thought for a long time and replied: "We can't mention this matter for now. Let's wait until two years to talk about it!" The house was ventilated from all sides, and the key was that the windows were open. Erxi could hear everything clearly in the yard and began to make plans in his mind.
There is a man named Ge Zhuang in the same village, who works as a clerk in a jewelry shop in the city. I heard that he is smart and capable, and is highly appreciated by the shopkeeper. He goes home every two months and can bring back a lot of money.
Er Xi had never traveled far, so she wanted to ask Ge Zhuang for help and go to the city with him to find a job. Taking advantage of Ge Zhuang's return home to visit relatives, Er Xi paid a visit and expressed his thoughts. Ge Zhuang was a warm-hearted person and agreed without hesitation.
After returning home, he told his eldest brother about this matter. Feng Dachang looked surprised and asked: "Did you hear any gossip? We are brothers and sisters. We must not have any dissatisfaction because of trivial matters."
"Brother, don't worry too much. You can raise me up. It's too late for me to be grateful to you, so why are you saying this? I just want to go out and make more money. I have no other purpose." Er Xi said sincerely and only waited for his brother to nod.
Men and women are not close to each other. Thinking that his brother and Ying Niang are usually too close, Feng Dachang is somewhat selfish. If Er Xi leaves, he will be completely relieved. Thinking of this, he reluctantly agreed.
After Er Xi left, there were only two people left in the family. A man and a woman lived together in the same room. Feng Dachang began to have a small idea and deliberately approached Ying Niang for his own good. Unexpectedly, Ying Niang was adamant and refused to say anything, insisting on waiting until the filial piety period was over before performing the ceremony of husband and wife.
Feng Dachang was daydreaming happily, but he didn't know that the danger was coming step by step. Two days later, Ying Niang was ill in bed, and Feng Dachang took care of her food and drink. After lying in bed for several days, her condition did not improve, so she had to hire a doctor for Ying Niang.
Speaking of medical clinics in the town, Ji'an Hall on Fumin Street is the most famous. Zhao Langzhong's ancestors practiced medicine for three generations, with superb medical skills and saving countless lives. The fees in medical clinics have been rising. Every time Dr. Zhao visits, the consultation fee is much higher than others.
Feng Dachang only hoped that Ying Niang's illness would get better soon, so he spent a lot of money to hire Doctor Zhao to treat his fiancée. Doctor Zhao took Ying Niang's pulse and said that her body was fine, but he still prescribed a prescription for her to take good care of her body.
Mr. Zhao has good medical skills, but poor medical ethics. In order to make more money, he secretly colluded with the shopkeeper Tong of the medicine shop for personal gain. Every time Dr. Zhao writes a prescription, he deliberately adds two more tonics. Anyway, if the prescription is not bad, people can get a share of it, making money over time.
Feng Dachang took the medicine according to the prescription and stayed in front of Ying Niang's bed, asking for help. He took the medicine a lot, but his condition never improved. Ying Niang said that Dr. Zhao might have made a mistake in diagnosis, and sent Feng Dachang to invite him again. This was repeated several times, but in the end, Ying Niang's illness was not cured.
The family spent all their money, and Feng Dachang was very angry and called Dr. Zhao a liar. Ying Niang encouraged him to go to Ji'antang to ask for an explanation, saying that he must get the money back, and if Mr. Zhao didn't give it, he would behave in front of the store.
Ying Niang offered her advice, and at her instigation, Feng Dachang walked out of the house angrily. When he arrived at Ji'antang Medical Center, he went directly to Doctor Zhao to refund the money without saying anything. Mr. Zhao was originally a man who regarded money as his life. When he heard the word "refund the money", he became very angry.
The boy pushed and pushed Feng Dachang out of the door, and the two started arguing at the door of the store.Zhao Futong, the son of Mr. Zhao, was young and vigorous. He waved his fists and stepped forward to chase him away. The two started fighting at the door.
Everyone didn’t know what was going on, so they all came over to watch. More and more people gathered, and soon the Ji'antang Medical Center was completely surrounded. After much thought, Mr. Zhao felt that this was a bit inappropriate, fearing that it would affect his reputation.
He walked out of the hospital and deliberately yelled at his son in front of everyone: "You rebellious son, stop it! What's the matter that you don't want to talk about? How did your father usually teach you?" After that, he stepped forward to help Feng Dachang and pulled him into the hospital. Everyone broke up and left each other.
The two of them went into the house to negotiate and settle the matter. Finally, Mr. Zhao took out thirty copper plates, and the matter was finally settled. Feng Dachang walked back with a bruised nose and a swollen face. As soon as he entered the village, he happened to meet the patriarch Feng Siye. For some reason, he couldn't help but stepped forward to ask the reason.
After learning the ins and outs of the incident, Fourth Master Feng was very angry and scolded Zhao Futong for bullying others and being too cruel. Feng Dachang was afraid that the fourth master would be worried, so he explained: "It's okay, it's just a skin injury and it will be fine in two days." That's what he said, but he died of anger the next day. The people of the
clan were filled with indignation and took Ying Niang to the hospital to seek justice for Feng Dachang. Hearing that someone had died, Mr. Zhao panicked. If this matter came to the Yamen, his son's life would be in danger.
He discussed with everyone and decided to spend the money privately. As long as his son could live, it would be better than anything else. Fourth Master Feng didn't want to make the decision without authorization, so he took Ying Niang aside and wanted to ask for her opinion.
"My father-in-law passed away, and the slave family is very heartbroken. But there is no resurrection, the family is impoverished, and my brother-in-law has not yet married. As long as the Zhao family can afford the money, this solution is not a bad idea." After Ying Niang finished speaking, she started to cry again.
Fourth Master Feng thought for a moment and felt that what Ying Niang said was reasonable. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately came forward to negotiate with Mr. Zhao. Several people talked for two hours, and the Zhao family finally came up with one hundred taels of silver, and then the Feng family gave up.
Fourth Master Feng took out five taels of silver and sent someone to buy a coffin for Feng Dachang, and the rest was handed over to Ying Niang. Such a big event happened at home, so of course I had to notify Erxi to come back, but it was a long way to get to Fucheng, and it would take about three or four days for a round trip.
The two brothers have a deep love for each other, and no matter what they say, they must be happy to see their eldest brother one last time. Fourth Master Feng arranged for his son Feng Dongsheng to go to Fucheng in person and told him to find Er Xi.
That night, several tribesmen of the same generation took turns to keep vigil for Feng Dachang. Ying Niang cried sadly in the room and did not show up for the whole night.
The next morning, Fourth Master Feng came over to help with the funeral arrangements. He wanted to discuss the details of the funeral with Lady Ying, but he shouted several times into the house but no one answered. When he went in, he found that she had disappeared without a trace.
Mr. Feng’s head buzzed and he shouted that something was wrong. Everyone rummaged through the boxes and cabinets but in vain. No one could have imagined that they would lose their lives and money in one night.
Erxi was heartbroken when he learned that his elder brother had passed away. He traveled day and night and rushed home three days later. Fourth Master Feng told the whole story, and Er Xi regretted it, saying, "It's all my fault for being careless, and I fell into that bitch's plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain!" After discussion, the
clan members accompanied Er Xi to the Yamen to report the crime. The government posted notices everywhere, offering huge rewards to catch the suspects, but Ying Niang had already absconded overnight, and the case was eventually shelved.
After handling his brother’s funeral, Erxi left the village and disappeared. Five years later, he came to his deceased brother's grave again and said with a sob: "Brother, the great revenge has been avenged. If you knew better, you should rest in peace!"
It turned out that in the past five years, Erxi had never given up the idea of avenging his brother. He carried a load and walked through the streets and alleys, asking around for Ying Niang's whereabouts. His hard work paid off, and he finally discovered Ying Niang's whereabouts in Shangyuan Town, two hundred miles away.
According to the favorable clues provided by Erxi, the government successfully arrested Yingniang and brought her to justice, and the mastermind of the case, Liao Changqing, was also arrested. No one expected that the two were actually husband and wife, and they confessed to the murder they committed five years ago.
Feng Dachang did not die at the hands of Zhao Futong, but was killed by Liao Changqing and Ying Niang. The two deliberately set up a scam to make money. Feng Dachang was unprepared and fell into the trap of the two step by step.
I think back then, Ying Niang pretended to be sick and deliberately asked Feng Dachang to go to the hospital to ask Doctor Zhao, just to use him to blackmail a sum of money. People's hearts are so weak that they swallow elephants like snakes. Zhao Langzhong knew that Ying Niang was fine, but he prescribed medicine to her again and again, and he was not willing to give up until Feng Dachang was drained of his last copper.
At Ying Niang's instigation, Feng Dachang went to Ji'antang Medical Center to ask for an explanation. The money was coming back, but he never expected that he would die that night when he returned home.
The case came to light, and Liao Changqing and Ying Niang were sentenced to death. Although poor Erxi avenged his elder brother, he had no relatives in this world from now on.
Conclusion:
Marriage fraud not only happened in ancient times, it is also common in today's society. Some people do not hesitate to spend high betrothal gifts in order to marry a wife, but unfortunately they fall into a scam.
People in ancient times paid attention to being well-matched when getting married. It makes sense if you think about it carefully. It is not easy to marry the beautiful Ying Niang under Feng Dachang's conditions. If he had been on guard at the beginning, he would not have fallen into someone else's trap.
I wish there were no diseases in the world, I would rather put medicine on the shelf to make people dust. This couplet was written by an old Chinese medicine doctor in Xiangxiang, Hunan Province during the late Qing Dynasty. It fully reflects the benevolence of doctors advocated by ancient Chinese medicine. No matter where you are, there are people like Mr. Zhao who will do whatever it takes to get money, and it is completely reasonable to end up being cheated.
With the progress of society, people have become chasing fame and fortune, and many doctors have forgotten their original intentions. It's obvious that a few dollars of medicine can cure a disease, but you prescribe a lot of it and throw it away when you can't finish it. It doesn't matter whether you waste it or not.
As soon as you enter the hospital, you can't cure your illness without taking a bunch of films. Ordinary minor illnesses and minor pains will cost hundreds of dollars. If you encounter a serious illness, you won't be able to get out without staying in the hospital for ten and a half months. Is it difficult for today's patients to pay more?
