Pity for Marrying a Fool
Helen Parker went to the kitchen to wash her face, thinking about stewing some meat to nourish her son. But when she got there, she found the water jar empty.
Normally, she would send the honest Sam Evans or his son Arthur Evans to fetch water, but after just fighting with Sam and his wife, she was too embarrassed to ask them. Worried about delaying her son's stew, she called her own daughter, May Parker, instead.
May Parker was busy embroidering in her room, but her mother called her out, making her reluctantly carry a wooden bucket to fetch water.
Clearwater Village was poor—no one could afford to dig a well, so all the villagers fetched their drinking water from a river at the edge of the village.
May Parker was only thirteen, struggling to lift the heavy bucket. She complained bitterly, "Mom, this bucket is way too heavy for me. Why don't you ask my brother to fetch the water instead?"
Helen Parker shot May Parker a glare and said, "Your brother's hands are for studying, not for chores! Just behave yourself. When your brother becomes a top scholar, you'll be the scholar's sister and live the good life."
The mother and daughter walked to the riverside. Along the way, Helen Parker told May Parker about Lily Evans marrying a simpleton.
May Parker burst out laughing, delighted at Lily's misfortune. She'd always been overshadowed by Lily—looks, figure, and presence, Lily beat her on all fronts. Back when Lily's father was alive, the villagers said Lily would definitely marry better than May.
But now Lily Evans had actually married a fool, and May Parker couldn't be happier.
Everyone in Clearwater Village was surprised that Lily Evans had married a fool. The villagers were simple folk, and most felt sorry for her.
"Lily is such a good girl. Sigh, how could she end up with a fool?"
"Isn't that the truth? Marrying a fool, her life is basically over. There's nothing to hope for now."
"I heard that fool is a resident son-in-law. His family must be dirt poor to send their son to marry in. Lily's family is already poor, looks like she's doomed to be poor forever!"
May Parker, however, was gloating. Squatting by the river, she fetched water while sneering, "Lily, that little tramp, is just like her mother—always flirting with men. What decent man would dare marry her? If she did, who knows how many times he'd be cheated on. Lily can only end up with a fool. Fools are easy to trick, so she can sneak around with other men all she wants."
May Parker was animated as she spoke, but her crude words made the other women fetching water and washing clothes nearby frown in disapproval.
Just as May Parker was getting excited, she suddenly got a hard kick on her backside and tumbled face-first into the muddy riverbank.
Helen Parker shrieked and jumped into the river to pull May Parker out. May was covered in mud, her hair full of rotten grass, completely dazed. When she saw who kicked her, she screamed and rushed ashore, "Lily Evans, how dare you kick me! I'll beat you to death!"
"You’ve got a foul mouth and a stupid head. Talking trash about me right in front of my face—who else should I kick?" Lily Evans stood with her arms crossed, cool and collected. When May Parker charged at her, Lily stuck out her foot and tripped her, sending May sprawling in the dirt, looking utterly pathetic.
Helen Parker saw her daughter suffer and dropped the bucket, lunging at Lily Evans, claws out. "You little tramp, I'll scratch your face off!"
"Looks like you still haven’t learned your lesson. Lucky!" Lily Evans grinned and snapped her fingers. Instantly, Lucky stepped forward to shield her, glaring at Helen Parker with a fierce look.
Helen Parker knew that Lily’s simple-minded husband, Lucky, was incredibly strong. The moment Lucky stepped up, her bravado shrank. No matter how fierce she was, she was still just a woman—she couldn’t possibly match Lucky’s strength.
Lucky was a fool, but he only listened to Lily Evans. Helen figured that if Lily really told Lucky to hit her, one punch from him would have her bedridden for a month.
The villagers often saw Helen Parker and her daughter bullying Lily Evans in the past, pinning the weak orphan girl to the ground and beating her.
But today, seeing Helen Parker cowering before Lucky, the villagers couldn’t help but laugh. "Helen, you’re always so tough—why don’t you go fight her now?"