Simón Qing always had a group of rough men under him who did all sorts of harm to ordinary people, especially to well-bred women. Yet Wu Dalang had not fulfilled his promise—that even if he didn’t sell bread, he could work as a warehouse laborer at the rice mill, earning exactly 100 strings of coins each day. Yet Wu Dalang had no such intention. Besides being weak, he was merely passive, resigned to fate, and weak, passive again. The next day, he went out to his stall as usual, and Simón Qing’s rough men once again overturned his stall and took all his bread. This pattern repeated itself on the third day, and again on the fourth. During these days, Pan Jinlian did not come, and Simón Qing, through Wu Dalang, conveyed to her: “As long as you yield, I will make you live in luxury, wear gold and silver, and enjoy great prestige!” Yet Pan Jinlian remained unyielding; she intended to leave this place. That evening, while Wu Dalang was sound asleep and preparing to leave home, he found Wu Song had returned. Wu Song was a straightforward, spirited man. Among the men in Pan Jinlian’s life, few were as appealing as Wu Song—someone any ordinary woman would naturally find attractive. Pan Jinlian was a woman who dared to love and to be passionate; she had bravely stepped beyond traditional social expectations, confiding her hardships to Wu Song, and had lived a miserable life under her brother’s care, yearning for someone to protect and cherish her. Yet Wu Song was cold and unfeeling—he simply rejected her outright. Pan Jinlian felt deeply discouraged. Staying in Wu Dajiang’s household seemed utterly meaningless. Life there felt worse than death. Without love, without encountering a man who truly loved her, or without being with someone who had no love at all—how much more unbearable was it than death? Pan Jinlian longed to leave the house, but Wu Song responded with fierce words: “Brother-in-law! You were always my brother’s person, even after death—you’ll be my brother’s ghost! Should you ever betray my brother, I will take your life. Do you understand?” Pan Jin-lian smiled bitterly. She never expected that behind Wu Song's handsome exterior lay such coldness and unyielding rigidity. Among the one hundred and eight heroes of Liangshan, Wu Song—the celebrated tiger-hunter, so admired and respected—was, in fact, merely a guardian of tradition! A killer of tradition! How pitiful! How lamentable! Not only for herself, but for the great hero Wu Song as well. If Wu Song could change himself, if he could break through the rigid conventions of feudal ethics for love and follow her, and live a happy life with her, then even death would be worthwhile for Pan Jin-lian. Yet, Pan Jin-lian felt profoundly hopeless. Wu Song directly addressed her: "I am a man of principle and virtue. No matter how beautiful you are, you will always remain my sister-in-law. I will never be won over by you. And I will absolutely ensure that you never have any improper thoughts or ambitions toward anyone else!" Behind Wu Song's dignified facade lies actually a conservative traditionalist, a man stuck in his ways. Pan Jin-lin feels deeply disappointed—on this dim, loveless day, with neither love nor being loved—her beautiful exterior concealing a wounded heart. Wu Song has gone, and in his place comes Xī Mén Qìng. Though not perfect, this man understands women well. He has become a regular guest at Wu Dàláng's household, often generous in his spending, yet Pan Jin-lin refuses to accept his gifts. Wu Dàláng, however, receives them gladly, smiling warmly and often telling Xī Mén Qìng, "Mr. Xī Mén, please come often!" Xī Mén Qingen naturally beams with delight and replies, "Yes, yes, absolutely!" As he speaks, his eyes linger appreciatively on Pan Jin-lin's graceful breasts. She keeps her head bowed, yet finds herself powerless—since Wu Dàláng has accepted gifts from others, she cannot afford to complain. Ah! At first, Pan Jinlian had no feelings for Ximen Qing. But once, Ximen Qing secretly added a potion to her tea, which made her dizzy. When she returned home and accidentally drank it, she immediately fainted. At that moment, Wu Dalang was summoned by Ximen Qing to deliver steamed buns to Wang Er's house—a journey that took at least two hours each way—and so, only Pan Jinlian remained at home. This marked the beginning of Ximen Qing's relentless assault, like a starving wolf fiercely devouring the resilient Pan Jinlian. Afterward, Pan Jinlian wept, took a bath ten times, yet when she looked at her beautiful body in the mirror, she still felt as though her body had not been cleansed. She intended to hang herself, but was saved by Ximen Qing's hired thugs. How could Ximen Qing allow such a graceful and alluring woman to die? Thinking back to that night of passionate revelry with Pan Jinlian, it rained heavily, and Wu Dalang was drenched in the rain all the way along the road. When he finally arrived at Wang Er’s house, the pancake had been ruined by the rain, and he himself had fallen ill. That same stormy night, Ximen Qing was wildly eager to have Pan Jinlian, playing with her, and she several times wished to die, yet Ximen Qing would never let her go. He immediately sent for Pan Jinlian and took her to a place completely unknown to her own wife and family—H海棠 Flower Lane, No. 36, the Flower Moon Pavilion! Haha! What a cad! Ximen Qing laughed lustily, despite Pan Jinlian’s strong objections. What could he do? Besides, his weak and helpless husband, Wu Dalang, had already privately negotiated a contract with Ximen Qing: Pan Jinlian would rent out her household, at an annual rent of 100 taels of silver. Wu Dalang immediately accepted the 100 taels, his eyes shining with joy: "I’ve got money now! I’ve finally got money!" He felt absolutely no shame about selling his wife Si Men Qing comes to Huayue Building once a week, but each time he arrives, it's always awkward. First, Pan Jinlian carries a pair of scissors with her—whenever Si Men Qing tries to get close, she cuts herself in front of him, refusing to yield even at the cost of her life. Good heavens! I never thought Pan Jinlian was such a resolute woman. Si Men Qing is furious. For a long time now, he hasn't been able to consummate his intimacy with her; he feels as restless and anxious as a chicken on a hot griddle, or sees her as an irksome, difficult task. Recently, Si Men Qing has also had his share of misfortunes. He has suffered heavy losses in gambling, despite his large household and prosperous business. Every time he returns home, his chief wife scolds him relentlessly and refuses to let him sleep with her, and the other wives follow suit. Si Men Qing is unable to approach Pan Jinlilian physically and is thus forced to seek out brothels in the streets and alleys. However, due to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, he has inadvertently contracted syphilis. His health has weakened significantly. Meanwhile, Pan Jinlilian cannot Simón Qìng thought this time, his luck had truly been terrible—after finally encountering a beauty like a fairy, namely Ying'er, just when he was about to succeed, Gao Liang suddenly stepped in to save the day.