Six Records of a Floating Life

Shen Fu wonders why he has been so beset by misfortune in his life, when both he and his father have led virtuous lives undeserving of divine punishment. Even while living at home, he and Chen Yun were often short on cash, and were judged harshly by their family and neighbors whenever they had to pawn their belongings to cover unexpected expenses. Chen Yun suffered significantly in her domestic life, often called “third wife” rather than “third lady” in the household of Shen Fu’s family, implying that she had a much lower status than she actually did.

She also repeatedly fell afoul of her parents in law, causing much strife within the family. In 1792, Shen Fu’s father banished Shen Fu and Chen Yun from the family home with accusations of unfilial behavior because Shen Fu stood by his wife in defiance of his parents. Their anger toward Chen Yun had a number of sources. For instance, Shen Fu’s father asked Chen Yun to write letters for his wife, but when his wife refused to use Chen Yun’s services, Chen Yun took the blame rather than risk sowing disharmony with her mother-in-law. Then, when Shen Fu tasked her with procuring his father a courtesan, she mishandled the situation by lying, infuriating Shen Fu’s mother.