Sun Shusheng married Miss Xin of an official family. When the wife first moved in, she was tightly bound in sashes, her clothes wrapped so securely that she refused to sleep with her husband. The head of the bed was lined with sharp objects like awls and hairpins. Every time Shusheng tried to approach her, his wife would stab him with these implements, leaving him covered in wounds. Fearful, he had not consummated the marriage in over a month.

Even when they met during the day, his wife was cold-eyed and severe. His fellow students learned of the situation and privately asked Shusheng, "Does your wife drink wine?" Shusheng replied, "A little." His classmate then said, "I have a way for you to achieve your desire, to taste the delicate fragrance of beauty, and my method is simple and easy to master immediately."

Shusheng asked, "What method?" The classmate replied, "Mix a sleeping potion with the wine and give it to your wife to drink. Then you can do as you please." Shusheng smiled faintly, quite agreeing with the idea. He then procured a prescription from an old Chinese physician, mixed aconite root with wine, boiled it over a fire, and after cooling, placed it by his wife's bedside. (Aconite root is a Chinese medicinal herb.)

That evening, Shusheng went to bed early, feigning loud snoring while secretly observing his wife's movements. He watched as she picked up the medicated wine and drank a full cup. After finishing, she poured another half cup, then cleaned the bedding and settled down to rest. For a long, long time, the room was silent. Seeing that the lamp was still lit, and unsure if the medicine had taken effect, Shusheng called out, "The lampwick is melting down!" He called out several times, but his wife gave no response.

Shusheng approached the bedside to check and saw his wife lying utterly drunk. Overjoyed, he immediately stripped off his clothes and slipped under the quilt. He then extended his hands and slowly began to untie the layers of sashes binding his wife. Although the wife was aware of what was happening, her body felt numb and weak, making resistance impossible, so she had to submit to Shusheng's rough handling.

Afterward, Shusheng slept soundly. Later, when the drug wore off, his wife was filled with bitterness and shame, feeling utterly violated, and she proceeded to hang herself. Shusheng awoke to a strange noise, got up to check, and saw his wife with her tongue lolling out, barely breathing. Shocked, he rushed to sever the rope and helped her onto the bed. After a long time, his wife slowly regained consciousness.

From that point on, Shusheng developed a deep hatred for his wife. When the young couple were in the house together, they often gave each other a wide berth, and even when they accidentally met, they would both lower their heads, ignoring one another. This continued for four or five years, during which the couple never exchanged a single word. Sometimes, when the wife was happily chatting with others at home, her expression would instantly turn icy the moment Shusheng passed by.

Shusheng felt deeply unsettled and eventually moved into his study, rarely returning home. His parents, witnessing their irreconcilable estrangement, grew anxious in secret.

One day, an elderly nun passed by the Sun residence and immediately expressed admiration upon seeing the wife. The mother listened silently, unable to help but sigh repeatedly. The nun inquired about the situation and said, "This matter is easily managed." The mother rejoiced, saying, "If my daughter-in-law could change her mind, I would gladly pay any price."

Seeing that they were alone, the old nun said, "Please ask the Madam to go to the market and purchase a Chun Gong painting. In three days, I will perform the rites." The mother agreed. Three days later, the nun duly arrived and instructed, "This matter must be kept a strict secret; neither the husband nor the wife must know." As she spoke, she took a pair of scissors, cut out the images of the man and woman from the Chun Gong painting, and then brought three silver needles and a bundle of mugwort, placing them with the pictures. She wrapped the items in white paper, drew several earthworms on the paper, and told the mother, "Find a way to lead the daughter-in-law away." The mother followed her instructions.

The old nun quietly slipped into the wife's room, disassembled the pillow, tucked the white paper packet inside, and sewed it up again before taking her leave.

That night, the mother forced her son to share a room with his wife. Just as the second watch neared its end, the wife softly called out Shusheng's pet name, but Shusheng remained unmoved and paid no attention. A moment later, the wife called out again, her voice seductive and full of yearning. Shusheng grew furious and cursed her vehemently.

At dawn the next day, the mother entered the room to check and found the couple sitting back-to-back, ignoring each other. In private, the mother admonished her son, "Your wife has already made a gesture of goodwill; why are you so unappreciative?" The son angrily retorted, "That shrew! Just seeing her fills me with rage. She wants to pursue her desires; who cares!" The mother shook her head and sighed, saying no more.

A day later, the old nun returned. The mother complained, "Reverend Mother, why are your methods not effective?" The nun inquired carefully about what had transpired and then laughed, "Last time, you only told me that the wife despised her husband, but you never mentioned that the husband also detested his wife. Now that the wife's side is settled, we only need to apply the same method to the husband, and the couple will live in harmony." The mother agreed and secretly tucked a paper packet into her son's pillow.

That night, the couple slept in the same bed. They moaned and coughed, tossing and turning restlessly, but before they knew it, the barrier between them dissolved, and they began to converse and laugh together. From then on, the two lived in perfect harmony, having one son and two daughters. They lived together contentedly for over ten years without another quarrel. When asked the reason, Shusheng laughed and said, "Before, the sight of my wife would instantly ignite a fire in my chest, but now, hearing her voice inexplicably brings me a sense of ease. I truly don't understand why."