The Substitute Bride and the Cripple

“No, that gentleman is just a friend of mine. This is my husband,” Tang Qiu explained.

“I’m sorry. Earlier, I thought your husband was very handsome. I didn’t expect him to be… uh… such a fine man.” Duan Qingman saw Jiang Shaocheng in his wheelchair and wanted to offer him some polite praise, but when she noticed his scarred face, her eyes darted away, unable to lie outright. To relieve the awkwardness, she invited them to tea.

Tang Qiu looked at her husband with a silent question, and he nodded. “In that case, sorry for the trouble.”

He Lei followed her in and did a rough survey of Duan Qingman’s house. His gaze landed on a family photo. There was a man in the photo who happened to be the business partner his young master was looking for!

Excitement stirred in He Lei. He had called his young master out in the middle of the night because there were some complications regarding a business collaboration. They had tried to resolve the problem for an entire day, to no avail. Who would have thought they would stumble upon this golden opportunity? Tang Qiu was really a lucky star, to be able to help her husband in such extraordinary circumstances.

Duan Qingman and Yang Da were kind and enthusiastic. They invited Tang Qiu to admire the garden they had nurtured. With a smile, He Lei approached the couple and asked if they would be willing to take some photos, seeing as how it had been a rare providence for them to meet. They agreed and posed for some photos with Tang Qiu, which He Lei sorted out and posted on social media.

Over tea, Jiang Shaocheng expressed his gratitude for how they had helped his wife. He offered them several tickets to visit an art exhibition, as well as an invitation to dinner afterwards.

Tang Qiu looked at Jiang Shaocheng in surprise. An art exhibition?

The couple were both artists; an art exhibition was, naturally, right up their alley. Over the afternoon, they grew to realize that Jiang Shaocheng was knowledgeable and eloquent, despite being a cripple, and their attitudes towards him shifted.

***

After leaving Duan Qingman’s house, Tang Qiu asked curiously, “Dear, why do you suddenly want to visit an art exhibition?”

Jiang Shaocheng couldn’t tell her that it was due to business reasons, so he lied. “They helped you, so we should express our gratitude. And it doesn’t hurt to make a few more friends.”

Her husband’s crippled legs impeded his mobility, but that didn’t stop him from being warm and friendly. How could Tang Qiu object? “By the way, dear, how much are we spending today? Let me see.”

......

He Lei felt his scalp tingle when he noticed the young master’s gaze on him; today’s expenses hadn’t been inconsiderable. They quickly changed the topic. Jiang Shaocheng said that he was feeling unwell, and Tang Qiu’s financial worries evaporated instantly.

***

The next day, Jiang Shaocheng and Tang Qiu went with Duan Qingman and her husband to the art exhibition. Tang Qiu was astounded by the magnificent collection of works–and even more so by their prices. There was no way she could afford them.

“Do you like this painting, Qiu?” Jiang Shaocheng noted that she had stopped to study a particular artwork.

Tang Qiu waved her hand. “I was trying to analyze the artistic value of the painting, but I couldn’t come up with anything. Maybe I just lack sensitivity to art. I’m so unrefined!”

Jiang Shaocheng wanted to laugh, but he contained himself and explained, “The artistry of a painting isn’t found in surface visuals, but its cultural and historical value. If you like it, let’s buy it.”

“No, I don’t!” Tang Qiu halted him, alarmed. “Dear, we should save our money. You have to treat your illness, and I’m still a student. We don’t have any other sources of income. If we run out of savings, our future together is going to be full of hardship.”

He Lei secretly checked the stock market on his phone. The value of the company that the young master had invested in had increased again–causing his income to rise significantly by the hour.

Jiang Shaocheng listened to her lecture and coughed lightly. “Alright. We’ll be thrifty and not buy things on a whim.”

At this moment, a few people in charge of the art exhibition came over, recognizing Jiang Shaocheng and wanting to greet him. Jiang Shaocheng sent them a silent warning with his gaze not to approach him. They were a little confused, but when they saw He Lei behind his young master, waving them off, they understood and walked away. 𝒇r𝙚𝙚𝓌𝙚𝑏𝗻𝑜𝘷𝗲𝘭.c૦𝑚

He Lei watched them leave, and sighed in relief after ensuring that Tang Qiu had remained oblivious. In truth, the art exhibition had long ended, but when Jiang Shaocheng was chatting with Duan Qingman and her husband, he heard them mention that they hadn’t been able to purchase tickets. In his regret, he had specially requested that the exhibition be extended.

While walking around, Tang Qiu stopped in front of another artwork. For once, it wasn’t the price that caught her attention. “Why does this painting make me feel an indescribable sense of grief? Whoever painted this seems to have been struggling inside. Was he full of sorrow over something?”