In Pingyuan County, there is a scholar named Qiao who has a daughter with dull skin, an ordinary appearance, even a slightly collapsed nose bridge, and a slight disability in one leg. Despite being over the age of twenty-five or sixteen, I still haven’t gotten married. In the city, there was a scholar surnamed Mu who was nearly fifty years old. Due to the death of his wife, his family was poor and it was difficult for him to remarry. Therefore, he decided to marry the daughter of the Qiao family.
After entering the market, Qiao spent three years with Mu Sheng and gave birth to a son. However, the good times did not last long. Unfortunately, Mu Sheng passed away, and his family’s financial situation became even more difficult. Helpless, Qiao Nv had to turn to her mother for help, but her mother’s attitude was very cold, which made Qiao Nv feel angry. Therefore, she decided not to go back to her mother’s house and instead relied on spinning and weaving to make a living.
At this time, there was a man surnamed Meng whose wife passed away early, leaving behind a son named Wu Tou who had just turned one year old. Due to the young age of the child, there is an urgent need to find a stephome. Although the matchmaker recommended several women to him, Meng Sheng was not satisfied with them. Until he accidentally met Qiao Nv, a sense of joy surged in his heart, and he privately sent someone to express his wishes to Qiao Nv.
However, Qiao Nv politely declined, saying, “Although I am living in poverty now, if I marry an official, I can at least get enough to eat and wear. But I am ugly and disabled, how can I be compared to others? What I am confident in is only my own character. If I marry another person, wouldn’t I lose even this character? Why should you be interested in me, an official?” After hearing this, Meng Sheng respected Qiao Nv even more and his admiration for her deepened. So he asked the matchmaker to bring gifts and money and go to the Qiao family again, trying to persuade Qiao’s mother.
Qiao’s mother was delighted to see these treasures and personally went to her daughter’s house to persuade her to agree to this marriage. But Qiao Nv firmly refused to comply. Qiao’s mother felt very ashamed, so she proposed to marry her youngest daughter to Meng Sheng. The entire Meng family is satisfied with this, but Meng Sheng himself disagrees.
Not long after, Meng Sheng suddenly fell seriously ill and passed away. After learning the news, Qiao immediately went to the Meng family to offer her condolences, showing deep grief.
Meng Sheng originally had no relatives or clan members, but after his death, he faced the dilemma of his family’s property being seized by the ruffians in the village. These scoundrels took advantage of the situation to loot the property of the Meng family, and even discussed dividing their land. The servants of the Meng family also took advantage of the chaos to steal and flee, leaving only an old nanny holding Meng’s child and crying.
Upon learning of this matter, Qiao felt deeply aggrieved. She heard that Lin Sheng and Meng Sheng had a good relationship before their death, so she approached Lin Sheng and said, “Marriage and friendship are the highest ethical standards. I am often looked down upon because of my ugly appearance, but only Meng Sheng values me. Although I once rejected him, my heart belongs to him. Now that Meng Sheng has passed away and the child is young, I am willing to do something for him to repay the kindness of his confidant. However, raising an orphan is easy and preventing bullying from outsiders is difficult. If there are no siblings or parents, we can only sit by and watch their family break down, and there is no need for friends among the five relationships. I only ask you to write a lawsuit to the county, and I will bear the rest.” Lin Sheng agreed to her.
However, when Lin Sheng was about to act according to Qiao Nv’s words, he was threatened by those scoundrels who threatened to pay with blood. Lin Sheng was too scared to go out. Qiao waited for several days, but did not receive any news from Lin Sheng. When she learned that the property of the Meng family had been divided, she was furious and decided to personally go to the government office to file a complaint.
The county magistrate asked about the relationship between Qiao Nu and Meng Sheng, and Qiao Nu said, “You govern a county based on justice. If what you say is true, your relatives cannot escape responsibility; if it is false, strangers can also tell the truth.” The county magistrate was dissatisfied with her outspokenness and expelled her from the government.
Qiao had nowhere to seek justice, so she had to cry to the local wealthy households. A gentleman was moved by her loyalty and explained the situation to the county magistrate on her behalf. After investigation by the county magistrate, it was found that what Qiao Nv said was true, so they investigated the crimes of those scoundrels and recovered the stolen property.
Someone suggested that Qiao Nv stay at the Meng family and take care of the orphans, but she firmly disagreed. She locked the door of the Meng family’s house, returned with her mother and Aconitum, and rented a house to settle in. She prepared everything necessary for their daily life, but Qiao insisted on not receiving any reward and led a simple life with her child, no different from the past.
A few years later, Wu Tou grew up and Qiao Nv invited a teacher for him to teach him how to read. Her biological son was taught to study agriculture. My mother suggested that the two children study together, but Qiao Nv said, “The tuition fee for Aconitum is his own. I raised my own son with someone else’s money, how can my heart repay me
In a few years, Qiao accumulated hundreds of stones of grain for Aconitum, married a daughter from a prestigious family, renovated the courtyard, and handed over the property to him, allowing him to return home alone. Wu Tou is heartbroken and requests to live with Qiao Nv. Qiao agreed, but still spun as usual.
The Aconitum couple took away her weaving tools, and Qiao said, ‘We mother and son enjoyed it for nothing, how can we be peaceful in our hearts?’ So she began to fully manage Aconitum’s family business, letting her son supervise the farmland like a hired worker.
If the Aconitum couple has any minor faults, she will harshly criticize and not forgive them. Once the mistake is not corrected, Qiao Nv becomes angry and wants to leave. They will never forgive unless they kneel down and apologize.
Soon, Wu Tou passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, and Qiao Nv had to leave them and go home again. Wu Tou firmly opposed it and took out money to marry Mu Sheng’s son. Qiao let her son go home to live. Wu Tou couldn’t hold him back, so he secretly bought a hundred acres of land for Mu Zi in a nearby village before letting him go back.
Later, Qiao Nv returned home due to illness, and Wu Tou initially disagreed. As the condition worsened, Qiao Nv specifically reminded, ‘I must be able to return to the Mu family for burial!’ Wu Tou finally agreed.
After Qiao Nu passed away, Wu Tou secretly gave Mu Zi some money, intending to bury Qiao Nu and Meng Sheng together. However, on the day of the funeral, the coffin was unusually heavy, and thirty people were unable to lift it.
Muzi suddenly fell to the ground, bleeding from his seven orifices and muttering to himself, “How can you sell your mother, unfilial son!” Wutou was so scared that he quickly knelt down and prayed, and Muzi finally recovered. Subsequently, the coffin was left to rest for several days until the Mu Sheng Cemetery was repaired, and the two were buried together.
Yi Shi said: Willingly dedicating one’s body to someone who appreciates and knows oneself is what a resolute man does. What intelligence does this woman possess to be so extraordinary? If you encounter Jiufanggao, who is good at distinguishing good horses, you would surely consider her a man.
