The Sickly Shoufu’s Thrice-Married Feisty Little Wife

Su Wanwan is a woman burdened by a devastating reputation, having lost two husbands to mysterious deaths shortly after their weddings. Labeled a jinx with a hard fate, she is deemed unmarriageable by the local community, yet her stepmother, Widow Liu, desperate to remove her from the household, accepts a meager dowry offer to marry her off to Pei Changfeng. Pei Changfeng is a Xiucai, a scholarly man who recently fell from a mountain and has been bedridden for months. His condition is dire, and his family, specifically his Eldest Uncle and Aunt, view him as a burden while simultaneously coveting the government stipends and grain subsidies allocated to his status. They have neglected his care, allowing his living quarters to become filthy and his food supplies to dwindle, hoping he will die soon so they can seize his remaining assets.

The marriage is arranged as a Chongxi union, a superstitious practice intended to use a woman with a hard fate to combat bad luck. The Pei family expects Su Wanwan to perish alongside her new husband, thereby clearing the way for them to inherit his property without guilt. However, Su Wanwan is not the fragile, submissive woman they anticipated. Upon entering the Pei household, she is immediately appalled by the squalid conditions and the neglect her husband has endured. Rather than succumbing to despair or fear of her curse, she takes decisive action. She cleans the rotting room, washes Pei Changfeng’s filthy clothes, and prepares nutritious meals for him. Her first act of defiance comes when she confronts her in-laws, demanding the return of Pei Changfeng’s belongings that they had secretly appropriated. Using her sharp wit and the leverage of public opinion, she forces the Eldest Aunt to return basic household items and provides for her husband’s immediate needs.

As Su Wanwan continues to care for Pei Changfeng, she faces escalating hostility from his relatives. The Eldest Uncle and Aunt, realizing their plan for him to die quietly has failed, attempt to poison him. Su Wanwan detects their intrusion and raises the alarm, causing the Eldest Uncle to fall and injure his arm. She then publicly humiliates the Eldest Aunt by beating her when she attempts to confront Su Wanwan about the missing medicine. Her reputation for violence precedes her, striking fear into those who might have opposed her. Simultaneously, a rival suitor emerges in the form of Zhou Chanyue, Pei Changfeng’s childhood sweetheart, who arrives to claim him. Zhou Chanyue and her mother, Wu Sanniang, attempt to disrupt the marriage and expose Su Wanwan’s past, but Su Wanwan outmaneuvers them by turning the villagers’ sympathy against the intruders.

The narrative shifts when Pei Changfeng regains consciousness. Having heard Su Wanwan’s devotion and witnessed her fierce protection of their home, he is initially distant, feeling that he is a cripple unworthy of her. He attempts to push her away, citing his poor health and lack of future prospects. Su Wanwan, however, refuses to be deterred. She declares her commitment to him, insisting that their marriage is binding and that she will support him regardless of his condition. She discovers a hidden jade pendant, an heirloom from his mother, and insists on keeping it safe rather than pawning it, a gesture that begins to soften Pei Changfeng’s cold exterior. The story establishes a dynamic where Su Wanwan’s resilience and practicality challenge the fatalistic views of those around her, while Pei Changfeng begins to reconsider his own worth and future under her care.