Ch 138: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

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Shen Jiayao hadn’t expected this sudden change and immediately turned hostile. “No way! I said I’m going, so I’m going. This has nothing to do with you. Go back inside and stay put!”

Shen Yunxuan’s expression also darkened. “You ran all the way back just to steal my chance to live a good life, and now you’re the one acting justified? Since it was Grandma who saved Madam Li, this opportunity should be shared by everyone.

“Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, you should also fight for Cousin Sister! If this opportunity goes to her and she becomes a seamstress in a wealthy family, the whole village will envy you. You’ll be able to hold your heads high for a lifetime. What’s wrong with having a daughter? If a daughter is stronger than other people’s sons, she can still walk tall in this world!

“Otherwise, just let me go. Who knows, maybe I’ll rise above everyone and become someone important! Why should it be Cousin Jiayao?

“Grandfather, aren’t you always saying that men should be ambitious, stand tall, and earn a good name? What does it say about Cousin Jiayao if he goes to the Li family? What kind of scholar does such a thing? No matter how nice you make it sound, being a study attendant is just another way of saying he’ll be running errands for a young master. I heard that if the young master makes a mistake, the attendant gets beaten instead.

In my opinion, this kind of tough work shouldn’t go to Cousin Jiayao—Second Aunt would feel bad for him. I still owe him for this favor, so just let me go. Cousin Sister could go too, that would work…”

As Shen Yunxuan spoke, Shen Jiayao became increasingly agitated and finally cut her off sharply. “Enough! What do you know? It has to be me!”

Shen Yunxuan put on a stern face, pretending to be angry. “First, Grandfather insisted that I go, and now Cousin Brother rushes back demanding to take the opportunity instead. And in the end, Second Aunt still wants me to thank him? I need to go out and tell people about this—does fairness even exist anymore?”

She turned to leave. Second Uncle Shen and Wang Xinghua panicked, grabbing her but unsure whether to hold her back or let her go. Meanwhile, Shen Jiayao snapped at Madam Zhou, “Mother, do you even know what you’re talking about? Look at the mess you’ve caused! Hurry up and calm Erya down! If I miss this opportunity because of you, don’t blame me if I don’t honor you in the future!”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the Shen family froze. Even Madam Zhou was stunned. Was this really their well-mannered, scholarly son? The one who usually spoke so eloquently and respectfully? Now, not only was he speaking so crudely, but he was yelling at his own mother and even threatening not to honor her?

Madam Zhou had never been treated like this by her son before and felt deeply wronged. But before she could say anything, Old Master Shen spoke up. “Enough noise! Erya, what kind of girl yells and makes a scene like this?”

Before he could finish, Shen Yunxuan interrupted him. “I nearly died and came back to life, so nothing in this world really matters anymore. Originally, I had no opinion on the matter—I was ready to listen to whatever Father and Mother decided. But then Second Aunt had to come at me with her snide remarks, mocking my parents and insisting that I should thank Cousin Jiayao. Turning black into white—how ridiculous! I won’t stand for this injustice! Let me make myself clear—if anyone dares to bully me from now on, I’ll fight them with everything I have. One person, one life—I’ve already walked through the gates of death, what do I have to be afraid of?”

Shen Jiayao became even more convinced that Shen Yunxuan’s attitude had changed because of Madam Zhou’s meddling. After all, wasn’t this supposed to be about selling a girl, which in reality meant sending her to a wealthy family to enjoy a better life? That was a far better future than staying in the village. Third Uncle and Aunt didn’t understand and kept refusing, but the moment someone else showed interest, they suddenly changed their minds.

And Madam Zhou’s loose tongue only made things worse, completely upsetting Shen Yunxuan. That girl had always been stubborn—she never backed down from a fight. Among her peers, she was always the best at everything. It was probably because she had reached her limit with Madam Zhou’s remarks that she was making such a scene now.

Shen Jiayao turned to Madam Zhou and snapped, “Apologize to Erya!”

The entire Shen family thought he had lost his mind. Was that how a son should speak to his own mother? But strangely enough, his attitude made them all the more certain that going to the Li family was an incredible opportunity.

Eldest Uncle and Aunt exchanged glances, feeling a bit of regret. If they had known earlier, they wouldn’t have sent their daughter away to hide. At least if she were here, they could have fought for her chance. Now that she wasn’t around, it was hard to say anything.

Second Uncle also didn’t want his son to miss out on the opportunity. He shoved Madam Zhou and scolded her, “You’re a grown woman, yet you don’t have the slightest sense! If you ruin our son’s future, can you take responsibility?”

Madam Zhou was in a daze. Had she really done something wrong? How had things suddenly turned against her? What had she even done? Hadn’t she always spoken this way?

But with the words “our son’s future” weighing on her, she instinctively forced a smile and said, “Erya, don’t be angry. Second Aunt misspoke—I apologize. Well… I have some things to do in my room, so I’ll be going now.”

She couldn’t bear to say another word. She had lost all face, and not long after she went inside, the sound of her crying could be heard.

This made Eldest Uncle and Aunt swallow whatever they were about to say. Something was definitely off today. The usually proud and boastful Second Aunt had been brought to tears, and she had even apologized to a younger family member. Something about today felt wrong—it was best to wait and see how things played out.

Second Uncle, hearing his wife crying, also felt humiliated. He turned to Third Uncle’s family with a sour expression and said, “That’s enough, Erya. Stop making a fuss. It’s a small matter, yet you’ve been shouting about it for ages. If the neighbors hear, it’ll be the whole family’s shame.”

Old Master Shen made his decision. “It’s settled then.”

Some were pleased, others disappointed, but everyone exhaled a breath of relief—the tension had been suffocating just moments ago. But just as things seemed to settle, Shen Yunxuan suddenly added, “Then Cousin Jiayao has to compensate me.”

Old Master Shen was about to explode with anger, but Shen Yunxuan quickly spoke up, “Back then, when my father and Second Uncle went to the dock for work, there was only one spot available. They chose Second Uncle, but he found the work too tiring and quit. So they let my father do it instead. From that day on, every time my father earned money, he had to give half to Second Uncle, and from the remainder, he had to hand over ninety percent to you, Grandfather. He was left with only one or two copper coins for himself.

Isn’t this situation the same? The Li family originally agreed to take me, so this opportunity was mine. Now that it’s been given to Cousin Jiayao, shouldn’t he also share half of his future wages with me? Isn’t that the rule in our family? Grandfather, didn’t you always say that without rules, there’s no order, and that a family without order is destined for ruin and will never become prosperous?”

Old Master Shen wanted to lash out several times, but each time, Shen Yunxuan’s words blocked him. After all, he had indeed said those things before to keep the family under control. Now that Shen Yunxuan was throwing his own words back at him, could he really claim that what he had said was wrong?

Shen Jiayao’s brow furrowed just as Shen Yunxuan continued, “I’m not heartless—I won’t demand Cousin Jiayao’s money forever. Just give me a one-time compensation of five taels of silver. The original selling price was also five taels, right? Oh, and we should give Cousin Sister one tael as well. If she had fought for this opportunity, she might have won it, but she didn’t. So, Second Uncle should at least make a gesture to Eldest Uncle—otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair. That way, all the branches of our family can remain harmonious and proper, and when the Li family hears about it, they’ll respect Cousin Jiayao even more. Don’t you agree, Grandfather?”

Just one sentence, and she was asking for six taels of silver—an amount that could sustain a regular farming family for four years!

Madam Zhou, the eldest daughter-in-law, gasped and grabbed onto Eldest Uncle’s arm. One tael of silver! If they could actually get it, their private savings would grow substantially. They could even set aside some money for their daughter’s dowry. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—they had to take it! A tangible benefit like this—only a fool would refuse!

Besides, Shen Yunxuan had mentioned the Li family. Though her tone wasn’t particularly sharp, the implication was clear—it was a threat. If they didn’t agree, she might ruin the deal entirely, and then no one would get to go.

Old Master Shen’s voice was filled with suppressed fury. “Erya, you’ve got some nerve! Third son, why are you just standing there? Do you also plan to ask your brother for money? Are you dissatisfied with him?”

“No, I didn’t…” Third Shen waved his hands repeatedly, but after hesitating for a moment, he added, “Father, don’t blame Erya. She’s just following the rules.”

Shen Yunxuan nearly laughed. Her father might not be the brightest, but sometimes, honest men had the most infuriating way of speaking. The rules were set by Old Master Shen himself—how could he now argue that following them was wrong?

The neighbors had started peeking over at the growing commotion, their curiosity piqued. Shen Jiayao noticed this, and his face darkened. Afraid that word might spread, he quickly said, “Fine! We’ll do as Erya said. It’s settled—no one else needs to say another word. Grandfather, please advance me the money for now. I’ll pay you back later. I have something to discuss with you—let’s talk inside.”

He was determined to follow Li family’s young master to success. That man had not only become a county magistrate himself but had also raised his son to pass the imperial exams and serve in the capital. If Shen Jiayao could work under him, he could later volunteer to serve his son as well. He would become one of his trusted attendants, and his future would be secured.

If he had to hand over half his wages to Shen Yunxuan every time, that would be unbearable. Spending a few taels of silver to buy her off was a small price to pay.

In his past life, he had never even passed the scholar exam. He had wasted his entire life in the village, and when the elders of the family died, his own children abandoned him. In the end, he starved to death, alone and destitute.

Now that he had been reborn at this exact turning point, he had only one goal—to seize this opportunity to go to the Li family. Nothing else mattered. As long as he could enter that household, he would never go hungry again.

His urgency only convinced Old Master Shen further that this was a rare opportunity. He couldn’t risk Erya making a fuss and ruining it. If she got desperate and started shouting, the whole thing could fall apart.

Suppressing his anger, Old Master Shen shot a cold glare at Shen Yunxuan before going inside and taking out five taels of silver. He turned to Eldest Uncle and asked, “Do you want your share too?”

Madam Liu tightly clutched Eldest Uncle’s arm. He hesitated for a moment, then met Old Master Shen’s gaze and said, “Father, I’m not a capable man. The villagers all mock me behind my back for not having a son. Since you’re sending Jiayao to the Li family, can’t we send Daya along as well? She can work as a seamstress, and while she’s there, she can also look after Jiayao.

“If this is such a great opportunity, why not take it a step further and send all three of our children?”

That was pushing it too far. Old Master Shen had personally visited the Li family and knew very well that they looked down on him and his entire household—even the servants had sneered at them. They had barely managed to secure one spot, and even that had taken careful pleading. If he suddenly tried to send three children, the Li family might reject all of them outright.

Besides, if the Li family truly was a golden opportunity, he needed to make sure that Jiayao, the family’s only grandson, was the priority. He had to leave a good impression on Madam Li—he couldn’t appear greedy. If he asked for too much, it would seem like he was extorting her for favors.

But he also understood that Shen Yunxuan’s words had stirred ambition in Eldest Uncle and his wife. Who wouldn’t want to hold their head high and be respected by the village? Even though Daya’s hands were rough from years of labor, making it unlikely for her to become a skilled seamstress, having the chance was better than having none at all.

Old Master Shen needed to shut them up before they made more demands. Otherwise, if they kept bringing this up, it would disturb the peace in the family.

Old Master Shen directly handed over one tael of silver with a stern face. “Stop dreaming. Do you really think everyone can be successful? Besides, Daya is as silent as a rock. She never speaks, so how could she go out and work? Her future husband’s family wouldn’t be happy either. Take the silver, but don’t bring this up again.” Then, raising his voice, he barked, “Everyone, go back inside! A bunch of troublemakers—get out of my sight!”

Shen Yunxuan quickly grabbed the silver and pulled her parents back into their room. The courtyard soon fell eerily silent, but after this commotion, each household had their own thoughts stirring.

She hadn’t made a fuss just to argue for money; she wanted to make her dissatisfaction known. Since Shen Jiayao was also reborn, she had to be careful not to expose anything unusual about herself. But at the same time, she couldn’t continue enduring this family’s treatment. This was the perfect opportunity to let them see her discontent, to make them think she was envious after losing what seemed like a good opportunity.

This was the foundation for her future break with the family. She needed the right moment to cut ties completely.

Having just been reborn, she hadn’t had time to sort through her memories and thoughts. For now, this was all she could do.

Back in their room, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua looked at the five taels of silver with troubled expressions, sighing heavily.

“Erya, how could you contradict your grandfather like that?” Shen Fu asked worriedly.

Shen Yunxuan remained calm. “Father, I wasn’t contradicting him. I was just expressing my thoughts and pointing out the rules of the family.”

That might be true, but the reality was that she had offended both Old Master Shen and the second household. Their anger was written all over their faces.

Wang Xinghua looked nervous. “Will they take the money back? Or blame Erya and find her an awful marriage? Maybe… maybe we should return the money?”

Their mindset was frustrating—too honest, too submissive. They had been bullied for so long that they didn’t even think of resisting. Even when Old Master Shen wanted to sell their daughter, their first instinct was to work harder and beg for mercy. It was infuriating.

But Shen Yunxuan didn’t care about that. What mattered was that her parents were alive. That was enough.

It didn’t matter if they were too honest—she could protect them. They might not be smart or capable, but they loved her dearly, and that was all that mattered.

Holding their hands, she smiled. “We’ve always done everything they asked, but has anyone in this family ever treated us well? They were still going to sell me. If they can sell me today, they can sell Mother tomorrow and Father the day after. Being obedient doesn’t help us; treating them well doesn’t change anything. The only way to live a good life is to fight for our own interests.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Shen Fu frowned. “If you hadn’t stepped out, your mother and I would’ve kept pleading with your grandfather. He would’ve eventually given in and not sold you.”

Shen Yunxuan sighed. “Then tell me, Father—why do we have to beg? Why do we have to live on our knees? Why does the second household get to stand tall just because Shen Jiayao is a boy? Will we spend our whole lives working ourselves to death so he can have everything?

When he needs money for the imperial exams, for marriage, for raising children, for building a house—are we supposed to exhaust ourselves for his sake?

Father, when you go hunting in the mountains, isn’t it dangerous? Aren’t you ever scared? What happens if something happens to you? What about us?

Mother, when you go to the river to wash clothes for the entire family, tired and hungry, isn’t that dangerous? Haven’t you ever slipped? If something happened to you, what would happen to Father and me?

When I fell down that hill today, I really thought I was going to die. And at that moment, I wasn’t scared for myself—I was scared for you. I knew how much it would hurt you both. So I refused to die. I had to come back and find you. That’s how I pulled myself back from the gates of hell.

Father, Mother, I’ve already died once. I refuse to live such a miserable life again. What can they do to us if we disobey? Beat us? Scold us? They won’t dare do much, because they need to protect Shen Jiayao’s reputation. They wouldn’t want to ruin the family’s name.

So why don’t we stand up straight and live with dignity? If not for yourselves, then at least for me—promise me you’ll stay safe and healthy. I want our family to stay together, always.”

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. She thought she had forgotten those painful memories after decades, but at this moment, she realized everything was still so vivid. She had to change their way of thinking. She had to make them understand that blindly working themselves to death was not the answer. They had to protect themselves, or she wouldn’t be able to save them.

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua had many things they wanted to say, but seeing their daughter sobbing so miserably, their hearts ached. They both hugged her, trying to comfort her.

They thought she was simply scared—after nearly dying, after almost being sold, how could she not be terrified? She had spoken so boldly in front of Old Master Shen, but inside, she must have been terrified.

For the first time, they also felt sorrow creeping into their hearts.

Yes, all these years, they had obeyed every order. They had worked harder than anyone in the family, but they had never received any benefits. And now, they were about to lose their child, only for the money to go toward Shen Jiayao’s education.

Everyone told them that having no son meant they would have to rely on their nephew in old age. But this nephew of theirs had never respected them, never even bothered to speak kindly to them.

Would they really be able to depend on him in the future?

Moreover, no matter how good their nephew was, he was not their child. Their only child was Shen Yunxuan, and they couldn’t bear to let her suffer.

At that moment, Shen Yunxuan said, “Just do it for me, Father, Mother. Do you want me to continue suffering?”

“No!” they replied in unison. They exchanged glances and both made a firm decision. Whether they obeyed or not, things couldn’t get any worse. If they had to endure beatings and scoldings, so be it—they would no longer let their daughter suffer. They would protect her at all costs.

Shen Yunxuan knew their mindset wouldn’t change overnight. It would take time. But the fact that they were listening to her was enough. She was already satisfied. As for everything else, wasn’t she here for that? As long as they were willing to follow her lead, it would be fine.

Worried about her health, they saw that she had stopped crying and hurriedly urged her to rest. The three of them shared a single room, with Shen Fu using wooden planks to create a small separate space for Shen Yunxuan. He pulled a curtain across to provide some privacy. Only when they saw her lying down and closing her eyes did they finally leave the room.

They were genuinely frightened by her words about “almost dying.” Of course, Shen Yunxuan had exaggerated. In reality, she had simply rolled down the hillside and hit her head. In her past life, the pain lasted two or three days before she recovered. But no one else knew that. No one had even called a doctor for her. Back then, Shen Jiayao had returned home after several days, so she was certain she could keep up the act without being exposed. She had deliberately made it sound more serious to justify the sudden change in her personality.

Lying in the cramped space, covered by a tattered but clean quilt, she finally felt a sense of reality. She had really been reborn.

Thinking about it, she had indeed died in her past life—of natural causes. But she had passed away peacefully, surrounded by children and grandchildren. She had lived a fulfilling life, eventually following her son to Jiangnan to retire, traveling and sightseeing along the way. She had seen so many places, experienced so many things, and had no regrets.

She never expected to be reborn. But no matter the reason, she was grateful for this second chance. It allowed her to see her parents again and to change their tragic fate.

As for the detestable members of the Shen family, she didn’t care about them. Having lived a full lifetime and emerged victorious from the intrigues of a wealthy household, she had more than enough ways to deal with them. They weren’t even worth worrying about. The real challenge was changing her parents’ mindset completely, getting them to resist Old Master Shen from the bottom of their hearts, and ultimately severing ties with the family. That would take time, but she wasn’t in a hurry—she was only fourteen years old, and she had plenty of time.

As for Shen Jiayao taking what should have been her opportunity, she didn’t mind at all. In fact, she was grateful. Thanks to him, she had gained her freedom so easily. It was like receiving a gift the moment she was reborn.

The wealth and status that the Li family had given her in her past life—she had earned every bit of it herself. It had started when her monthly wages were deducted. She had gone to complain, only to be beaten, her clothes and bedding soaked, leaving her freezing in the dead of winter. She had no food, no medicine, and nearly died. If not for a coarse old maid who rarely spoke to anyone giving her a few bites to eat, she wouldn’t have survived.

That experience made her realize she couldn’t live as a lowly servant forever. She refused to spend her whole life being trampled on. She had already lost everything—what else was there to fear? At worst, she would die. But before that happened, she would live as fully as possible.

She acknowledged the old maid as her godmother, worked hard, eagerly helped out everywhere, smiled often, and flattered everyone. She was warm and attentive to everyone, and over time, some of the servants started looking out for her. Not all the servants were cruel, and eventually, even the head chef was willing to teach her a few things. That was how she learned to cook and how she picked up the skills needed to survive in a large household.

Originally, her plan had been to become a chef. But fate took a turn when the young master of the Li family became fond of her cooking. When he met her in person, he also took a liking to her. Her indenture papers were in the Li family’s hands, so she had no power to resist. After much thought, she agreed. From then on, she only needed to please the young master to climb the ranks and live a better life.

She hadn’t expected that being a concubine in a wealthy household would come with so many challenges. She had to navigate fierce competition and endless schemes. But she held onto her principles and refused to do anything immoral. When the main wife was unable to bear children, she gave birth to the eldest son, and her status naturally rose.

At first, she resisted this path. In the end, wasn’t she still relying on having a son to secure her position? Wasn’t this the same as the Shen family’s belief in valuing sons over daughters? She had suffered injustice her whole life, only to fall into the same pattern.

But she truly woke up when she saw her son, barely a year or two old, already treating servants as if they were beneath him.

That was when she realized—while she hadn’t escaped this fate, she could still change things. She could raise her son properly, ensuring that his wife and daughters would never experience the same treatment.

After that, she studied diligently, learning how to educate her child. Through years of struggle, she eventually molded her son into a capable and outstanding individual. Among all his brothers, he stood out, inherited the family estate, and made a name for himself.

Most importantly, her son was a good person—he respected and cherished his wife, adored his children, and was righteous and filial. Because of him, she spent her later years in comfort and finally found peace with all the hardships she had endured.

But now, having been reborn, she had no desire to go through that again. She wanted no part in the Li family’s affairs. Shen Jiayao wanted the opportunity? He could have it. She hoped he would get everything he wanted and enjoy his time in the Li household.

As for herself, this time, she wanted to live a life of true freedom and happiness.

What should she do next?

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