Having a father who loved you too much could also be quite stressful.

Though this world generally favored sons over daughters, it wasn’t entirely universal. There were also families that cherished their daughters more, and Shi Fa Ke’s father Lu Changhuai was outstanding among them.

From the moment Madam Tao became pregnant with their first child, Lu Changhuai had been hoping for a well-behaved and adorable daughter. At that time, the gossiping neighbors all said that Madam Tao’s round belly was probably carrying a daughter. Though everyone spoke with regretful expressions when they said this, Lu Changhuai was full of anticipation and seriously chose a name: Shi Qianqian, taking the meaning of delicate and graceful beauty.

The result was a son.

Lu Changhuai was unwilling to give up and pestered Madam Tao to have another daughter. Looking at her eldest son Shi Qianqian, Madam Tao couldn’t help but feel mixed emotions. Using this name for the eldest son was quite distressing. This time, she absolutely wouldn’t let that foolish Lu Changhuai choose a name in advance.

Indeed, Madam Tao was very prescient.

The second child was another son. This time Madam Tao made the decision and named him Shi Chongshan.

Lu Changhuai looked at his two stinky boys, feeling very frustrated.

Then they had another son, Shi Chonghai.

Looking at his three stinky boys, Lu Changhuai was almost in despair. When he saw other families holding sweet and soft little daughters on the street, his eyes would turn green, frightening neighbors with daughters to avoid him. Just when Lu Changhuai had given up hope, Madam Tao became pregnant again.

Madam Tao was a matchmaker who had just been promoted to official matchmaker. Being pregnant at the same time was double joy, so she named the child in her womb Fake.

Thus, after having three sons in a row, Lu Changhuai finally got his wish for a delicate little daughter. As you can imagine, he would be afraid she’d melt if held in his mouth and afraid she’d break if held in his hands – he completely became a daughter-slave.

But perhaps because of this name, Shi Fa Ke was very fascinated with the matchmaking profession. Her greatest dream was to become the greatest matchmaker in Tongluo Town, and then like her grandmother and mother, become an official matchmaker.

Yes, Shi Fa Ke’s grandmother and mother were both official matchmakers. In a sense, she came from a matchmaking family…

Looking at her daughter’s ingratiating expression, Madam Tao sighed deeply in her heart and said with a stern face, “Remember my words – this won’t happen again.”

“Yes, Mother.” Shi Fa Ke hurriedly and obediently agreed.

But her heart felt somewhat dejected. Childhood sweethearts who grew up together… in the future, they couldn’t see each other anymore.

That was right though – they should avoid suspicion.

Shi Fa Ke’s dejection lasted for half an hour. Soon she cast aside this melancholy feeling. Even with her limp, she couldn’t stay still and hopped to the kitchen wanting to help prepare dinner, but was shooed away by Madam Tao. She could only listlessly play in the courtyard with vegetable leaves, teasing a big rooster in a cage.

The big rooster looked rather ugly, with sparse and short feathers, but its claws were large and sharp, with metal spurs attached. At this moment it stood on a grass stump, holding up its small head and staring intently at the vegetable leaves waving back and forth, its round little eyes gleaming with fierceness.

Despite its ugly appearance, it was Father’s precious treasure. Well… its status in the family was probably second only to Mother and herself. It wasn’t some nameless creature – Father had given it a name: Gou Sheng. Gou Sheng was a fighting cock that had never tasted defeat, truly unbeatable throughout Tongluo Town.

As for the profound question of why a rooster should be called Gou Sheng, Shi Fa Ke very much wanted to know what her father was thinking.

“Gou Sheng, tell me, when people grow up, do they become different from when they were children…” Shi Fa Ke muttered quietly.

Gou Sheng stared fiercely at the vegetable leaves in her hand, motionless.

“That’s right, men and women shouldn’t sit together after age seven. Mother was right – we should avoid suspicion.” Shi Fa Ke waved the cabbage in her hand, and Gou Sheng’s head swayed along with it.

“You think so too, right?”

Shi Fa Ke nodded seriously.

“Oh my, playing with Gou Sheng again? Be careful it doesn’t peck you,” a cheerful voice suddenly rang out at the gate.

“It wouldn’t dare! If it dares peck our little A’Ke, I’ll stew it for soup!” a booming voice followed immediately after.

Shi Fa Ke guiltily shrank her neck and turned around to sweetly call out, “Father, Second Brother, you’re back!”

Shi Fa Ke had three older brothers above her. The eldest, Shi Qianqian, was a constable. The second, Shi Chongshan, worked at their family’s pawn shop. The third, Shi Chonghai, had left to travel for his studies.

These past few days, Father and Second Brother had been busy taking inventory at the shop and had just finished work together.

“Father is too biased. Back then I only plucked a few tail feathers from Gou Sheng, and he chased me for two streets shouting murder, but now he’s willing to stew it for soup.” Shi Chongshan winked at his little sister and said sourly.

Gou Sheng on the grass stump shuddered and buried its head under its wings, playing dead.

“A’Ke, come, come, see what good thing Father brought you.” Shi Changhuai ignored his foolish son and pulled out a bracelet from his chest with a smile. “We received this at the shop today. As soon as I saw how beautiful it was, I thought of our little A’Ke.”

It was a lustrous jade bracelet, warm and translucent, truly beautiful enough that one couldn’t look away. Shi Changhuai usually liked to bring small trinkets home from the shop for his daughter to play with, but this was the first time seeing such a beautiful jade bracelet that was obviously quite valuable.

“This must be very expensive…” Shi Fa Ke touched it, and whether it was the warmth from Father’s chest or the bracelet’s own warmth, it felt warm to the touch, making her exclaim in wonder.

“Wear it without worry.” Shi Changhuai waved his hand grandly. “Of course such good things should be kept for my daughter to wear. Besides, when has your father ever made a losing deal? This was quite cheap.”

Mm… someone else probably got swindled quite badly.

Shi Fa Ke chuckled twice and, under her father’s eager gaze, slipped the jade bracelet onto her wrist to try it on… it was neither too big nor too small, just perfect.

“See? This bracelet was meant for our little A’Ke.” Shi Changhuai said proudly.

Shi Fa Ke had only planned to try it on briefly to satisfy Father’s good intentions, and after wearing it planned to take it off.

“What’s wrong, don’t you like it?” Seeing this, Shi Changhuai asked.

Shi Fa Ke shook her head. “This bracelet is too precious. Wearing it on my hand, it’s bound to get bumped around. If the original owner comes to redeem it, the shop won’t be able to explain.”

Though it was their family’s shop, such valuable items shouldn’t be used so casually.

“It’s fine, this bracelet is a dead pawn – it has nothing to do with the original owner anymore.” Shi Changhuai waved his hand dismissively. “Bracelets are meant to be worn. Just wear it without worry.”

“It’s actually a dead pawn?” Shi Fa Ke was somewhat surprised.

Actually, “dead pawns” were extremely rare at pawn shops. Usually people would pawn items at the shop and set a pawn period. The monthly interest rate naturally wouldn’t be low, and if they couldn’t redeem it by the deadline, it would be considered a “dead pawn” and belong to the pawn shop. This was also the general profit method of most pawn shops… But to set it as a “dead pawn” from the start – how desperate was the original owner?

Or perhaps this person had never dealt with pawn shops before and got swindled?

“Yes, it was lucky too. Today’s last transaction – Father and I had already closed the shop and were preparing to leave when a foolish scholar came looking for us, saying he urgently needed money and wanted to pawn this bracelet.” Shi Chongshan said with a smile from the side. “This jade bracelet was of excellent quality, and seeing he urgently needed money, I suggested he make it a dead pawn. I thought it would take some persuasion, but who knew that foolish scholar agreed immediately.”

“A foolish scholar? Not from Tongluo Town?”

“Mm, from outside.”

Shi Fa Ke felt a bit guilty. “He urgently needed money – did something happen to him?”

“It was a good thing.” Shi Chongshan blinked mysteriously. “Today Miss He threw an embroidered ball to choose a husband, and that foolish scholar happened to be there and was hit by the ball. Such luck… So he needed money to go propose marriage. Naturally he was short of funds.” Shi Chongshan continued, “Tsk tsk,” then added, “Speaking of which, this foolish scholar isn’t actually foolish. You can’t catch wolves without sacrificing sheep – once he becomes the He family’s son-in-law, what won’t he have?”

The He family was the wealthiest in Tongluo Town, with their chain of wedding cake shops even reaching the capital. They lacked everything except money.

“Ke Tian threw an embroidered ball to choose a husband?” Shi Fa Ke looked completely surprised.

The He family only had one unmarried daughter of age – He Ketian.

Suddenly remembering the lively commotion she heard coming from the direction of the He family’s wedding cake shop on her way back… so it was He Ketian throwing an embroidered ball to choose a husband?

A scholar from outside… Shi Fa Ke suddenly thought of someone. Could the foolish scholar Father mentioned be Lu Chi?!

Just as she was thinking this, Madam Tao banged her ladle from inside and called out loudly, “What are you all doing standing around in the courtyard? Time to eat!”

Her voice sounded quite unfriendly.

Everyone shivered in unison.

“A’Ke, is your mother in a bad mood?” Shi Changhuai pulled Shi Fa Ke aside and asked slyly.

Knowing why Mother was in a bad mood, the instigator Shi Fa Ke felt somewhat guilty and mumbled, “You go eat first. Big Brother is chopping wood in the back courtyard – I’ll go call him.”

But as she moved, the two men noticed something amiss.

“A’Ke, what happened to your foot?” The usually smiling Shi Chongshan’s face darkened slightly.

“Ah… I accidentally sprained it.” Shi Fa Ke said hurriedly.

Probably because she answered too quickly and her expression was too suspicious, both Shi Changhuai and Shi Chongshan narrowed their eyes.

Shi Fa Ke silently cursed her luck.

“Just a sprained ankle – we’ve already applied medicinal oil. What’s there to ask about? Do you think I would abuse her?” Madam Tao approached with her ladle, saying sternly.

Shi Changhuai quickly put on a smile. “Of course not. I was just asking, caring about my own daughter.” He then jerked his chin at Shi Chongshan. “What are you standing here for? Can’t you see your sister’s leg is inconvenient? Go call your big brother for dinner.”

Shi Chongshan understood perfectly and efficiently responded, heading to the back courtyard to have a heart-to-heart with his big brother.

Seeing the crisis averted, Shi Fa Ke let out a long breath. Meeting Madam Tao’s eyes, she smiled ingratiatingly, but Madam Tao kept a stern face and didn’t want to acknowledge her, making her feel rather awkward.

At this moment, Madam Tao didn’t want to look at this troublesome little daughter at all. After having three sons who were all clever, each with more schemes than a sieve has holes, how was it that only this little daughter had such a soft temperament, both spiritless and foolish? Did she think her little schemes could fool that little fox Shi Chongshan, or that old fox Shi Changhuai?

Self-deception – it was simply unbearable to watch.