Ch 140: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

This meal left everyone with round, full stomachs. Zhou Shi couldn’t help but sigh, “We didn’t even eat this well during the New Year.”

Old Master Shen, on the other hand, said, “Today was a celebration, so I’ll let this wastefulness slide. Erya, you are not to act on your own again, do you hear me?”

Shen Yunxuan casually nodded. “Who’s doing the dishes? I’ve been busy all morning, and I’m so tired I might drop the bowls.”

“You—”

“Grandfather, let Erya rest.” Shen Jiayao put on the demeanor of an elder brother, stopping Old Master Shen before quietly thinking they start looking for a husband for Shen Yunxuan.

After the meal, Shen Fu and Bai Xinghua went back to Madam Wu’s house to continue working. The chores—washing dishes, feeding the chickens, doing laundry—fell to Shen Daya. Normally, she didn’t speak much, but as she passed by Shen Yunxuan’s door, she made plenty of loud noises, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction.

Shen Yunxuan, lying on the heated brick bed, turned over, closed her eyes, and acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing. Dissatisfaction was good. It was better if the whole third branch of the Shen family started making noise. Once again, she marveled at how free people were in those other worlds she had glimpsed—able to go wherever they pleased. Here, in this place, commoners could hardly dream of moving to another town. No matter how much experience she had from her past life, even a clever woman couldn’t cook without rice. She had no choice but to use the most traditional and deeply ingrained methods to get what she wanted.

The next day, they told Shen Yunxuan to cook again. This time, she made thirty flatbreads, using a generous amount of oil, salt, and scallions. Even before they were brought to the table, the aroma drifted over to the neighbors’ homes.

A nosy neighbor poked her head over and asked, “Madam Shen, what are you making over there? It smells amazing!”

Grandmother Shen, remembering the two chickens that had been slaughtered, forced a smile, feeling uneasy. “I don’t know. Erya is the one cooking.”

“That Erya’s got talent! She’ll probably be a great cook in the future. Maybe one day, when people need a chef for a banquet, they’ll come looking for her.” The neighbor refused to leave, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was being made.

Just as she was speaking, the kitchen door swung open. The neighbor’s eyes lit up as she eagerly peered inside. However, all she saw was Shen Yunxuan bringing out a large stack of flatbreads and setting them on the table. She didn’t take anything else out, which made the neighbor suspicious. “Erya, what delicious food do you have in there?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Just these flatbreads. I added some scallions for flavor. And I made a bit of egg soup to go with them, so we don’t choke while eating. Nothing special.”

The neighbor was in disbelief. “Just flatbreads?”

“Really! Auntie, would you like to try a piece?” Shen Yunxuan broke off a small piece and handed it over, also offering a piece to Grandmother Shen.

Both women absentmindedly put the bread in their mouths, expecting it to taste ordinary. But after chewing for a moment, they both froze. The neighbor smacked her lips, savoring the flavor. “Wow, why is this so delicious? You only added scallions?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded. “And some oil and salt, nothing more.”

The neighbor suddenly understood. “Ah, of course! So much oil and salt—how could it not taste good? But your family is really generous. Even during New Year, I wouldn’t dare to use so much oil. Did something good happen? Yesterday you had chicken, and today you’re making such fragrant flatbreads. Did you strike it rich?”

Her face was full of gossip. Grandmother Shen forced another stiff smile, her heart growing uneasy. “What good fortune? It’s just that Jiayao came back. We wanted to make him something nice to eat since studying at the academy is tough.” Then, eager to escape the conversation, she added, “Anyway, we need to eat now. Let’s talk another time.”

“Alright,” the neighbor said with a grin. “Madam Shen, you’re really blessed! Your grandson is successful, and your granddaughter is hardworking. You sure know how to raise good children.”

Grandmother Shen barely managed to force out a laugh, unsure of what to say. After all, her grandson’s opportunity had come at the cost of her kneeling and begging. And as for her granddaughter? She was just wasting the family’s resources. Neither of these things brought her any comfort. But she couldn’t explain this to an outsider, nor could she scold the children outright. So she hurriedly went inside to report to Old Master Shen.

When Shen Fu and Bai Xinghua returned for lunch, their hearts grew uneasy as soon as they saw the flatbreads. Sure enough, even the usually quiet eldest sister-in-law, Liu Shi, was stunned when she picked up a piece. “Did you use up all the oil in the house? Erya, are you crazy?”

Shen Yunxuan put on an innocent face. “I was just trying to nourish everyone. We work so hard every day—shouldn’t we eat something decent?”

Just then, Old Master Shen walked out and caught the conversation. He roared, “Shen Erya, are you trying to turn the house upside down? Haven’t you had enough? First, you didn’t want to go to the Li family, then you got jealous when we sent your cousin instead. We even gave you silver, and you’re still making trouble? Do you need a beating?”

Shen Yunxuan blinked in confusion. “But aren’t you all saying that my cousin is about to reach great heights? As his family, why are we acting so miserly? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for him if people found out? Grandpa, you’re just being too cautious! Cousin is the personal attendant of the Li family’s young master—he might even become an official one day! If our family is too stingy to use oil in flatbreads, what would that say about him?

Besides, who knows what tomorrow holds? If we can’t even eat well, what’s the point of living? I’ve figured it out now—every day I’m alive, I’ll eat and drink my fill and be happy. Dad, Mom, sit down and eat. If they don’t want to eat, we’ll just have extra.”

She placed bowls of egg soup in front of her parents, along with three flatbreads each, and then started eating herself. Shen Fu and Bai Xinghua hesitated, glancing at the others. But Shen Yunxuan’s presence was overwhelming, and before they knew it, they had sat down and started eating.

The moment they took a bite, their eyes widened in astonishment.

“Erya, did you make this? Why is it so delicious?”

“Erya! This is the best flatbread I’ve ever eaten in my life! And the soup—it’s amazing! What did you put in it to make it taste this good?”

The two were utterly amazed and couldn’t stop eating, taking big bites. Shen Jiayao had originally planned to use this as an excuse to give Shen Yunxuan a beating, but at this moment, he couldn’t be bothered. He grabbed a flatbread, took a bite, paused for a moment, and then quickly took several more bites. He even pulled five more flatbreads in front of himself.

The others quickly sat down to eat as well. Their expressions shifted from suspicion to astonishment as they ate bite after bite, swallowing their words along with the food.

Only then did Shen Yunxuan speak. “I’ve always liked experimenting with food. Before, I never dared to use much oil, salt, or seasonings, so the food tasted plain. But now that I’ve died once, I’ve decided I want to live life to the fullest—starting with eating well every day.”

Old Master Shen roared, “Enough! Always talking about death—don’t you find it unlucky? Who are you saying this for? Do I owe you something?”

Grandmother Shen also couldn’t hold back. “That’s right, Erya, not to scold you, but you’ve been acting out these past two days. Wasting so much food—this much grain should last a whole month! No household can sustain this kind of eating. If you’re angry, take it out on me, but don’t waste the family’s food.”

Zhou Shi seized the opportunity to sneer. “Erya is just throwing a tantrum. She got five taels of silver, and now she’s still not satisfied—wants more, huh?”

Shen Dong criticized, “Erya, you really are something. You’re the youngest in the family, yet you make the biggest fuss. A girl being so competitive and headstrong—be careful, or you won’t be able to get married.”

Shen Yunxuan slammed her bowl down on the table. “You all ate everything clean, and now you’re saying I did something wrong? Fine, then I won’t cook anymore! Whoever wants to cook can do it! Or better yet, let’s split the family. Our third branch will live on our own, and then I can eat whatever I want, and no one can say anything about it!”

“Erya!” Shen Fu gasped in shock. This was the first time the word “split” had ever been mentioned in the Shen family, and it was coming from their branch? He quickly pulled his daughter behind him and turned to look at Old Master Shen. “…Father.”

Sure enough, Old Master Shen exploded in fury. “Ungrateful brat! I’m not dead yet, and you dare talk about splitting the family?”

The commotion snapped Shen Jiayao out of his thoughts. He frowned, recalling something—he vaguely remembered hearing in his past life that Shen Yunxuan became a concubine to the young master of the Li family because she was good at cooking. Could that really be true? If Shen Yunxuan could make such delicious food, what if one day the Li family’s young master found out? Would he take her as a concubine again?

Shen Yunxuan glanced at him and immediately saw through his thoughts. She said coolly, “Grandfather, why are you getting so angry? Wasn’t I just joking? My cousin is going to become an official—do you think I’d be stupid enough to split the family? You always say he’s the only male heir and that we all depend on him. I’m just waiting for him to get to know some powerful people in the Li family so he can find me a rich husband.”

Liu Shi frowned. “Third sister-in-law, you should teach Erya better. A young girl shouldn’t be talking about finding a husband. If word gets out, it could affect Daya’s reputation.”

Wang Xinghua was a bit embarrassed but still defended her daughter. “What are you saying, sister-in-law? We’re only talking among ourselves—who’s going to spread rumors? Erya has a good reputation in the village.”

That was true. Shen Yunxuan had always been hardworking—washing clothes, picking vegetables, collecting pig feed, working in the fields—everyone in the village had seen her diligence. It was well-known that she was the one who did all the cooking at home. In terms of being hardworking, her reputation was definitely better than Shen Daya’s.

Liu Shi’s face darkened and she was about to argue further, but Shen Jiayao grew impatient. “I’m only home for two days, and you all can’t stop arguing. Even eating doesn’t shut you up. Shen Yunxuan wasn’t wrong about one thing—since I will soon have status, you all should stop being so stingy and petty. Don’t embarrass me outside.”

The entire table turned silent. What kind of talk was this? Was he lecturing them?

But Shen Yunxuan suddenly asked, “What did you just call me? Shen Yunxuan?”

Shen Jiayao’s expression stiffened, and he quickly explained, “You misheard me. I said ‘Shen Yunxuan’—no, I mean, I was thinking of a friend from the county named Shen Yunxuan. I just called the wrong name in a hurry.”

Shen Yunxuan smirked. “What a coincidence. I once overheard someone at the market saying that clouds in the sky are pure and unblemished, and that the xuan herb is called the ‘carefree herb.’ Back then, I thought to myself, if I ever had the chance to change my name, I’d choose Yunxuan. What do you think—coincidence?”

“Huh?” Shen Jiayao was stunned. “You came up with that name yourself? No, you mean you heard it in the market?”

Shen Yunxuan corrected, “I just overheard someone chatting and picked out two characters for myself.”

“How is that possible?”

“Why not?”

Shen Jiayao was at a loss. He distinctly remembered that in his past life, it was the Li family’s young master who gave Shen Yunxuan her name when he took her as a concubine. But now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure—had the young master really named her, or had Shen Yunxuan picked it herself? Could it be that this name was something she had already decided on before she even went to the Li family?

His mind spiraled into confusion. The fact that Shen Yunxuan could cook well and that she had chosen her own name—both of these things had existed in this life before she ever set foot in the Li family. But in his memories, they were entirely different. Were all his past-life recollections wrong? Was it all just a dream? If so, could the young master of the Li family still become an official? Would he still be able to rise to power by following him?

Shen Jiayao suddenly lost his appetite, his entire demeanor turning dazed. The Shen family members hurried to comfort him, allowing Shen Yunxuan to take the opportunity to serve her parents more soup and grab a few extra flatbreads. Casually, she said, “Since we’re talking about names, we should go ahead and change mine tomorrow. I’ve grown up now, and I need a more elegant name. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll meet some of the important people my cousin is connected with. ‘Erya’ is just too rustic!”

Originally, the family didn’t think a girl’s name mattered since she would eventually take her husband’s surname. But when Shen Yunxuan mentioned high-ranking officials and noblemen, their thoughts shifted.

That’s right! Their family was no longer just an ordinary farming household. Shen Jiayao was so confident in his future prospects—he was bound to meet many influential people like Young Master Li. Even the house servants, stewards, and shopkeepers working for the Li family were decent marriage candidates. Having a refined name would give a girl more dignity, so changing it seemed like a good idea.

Liu Shi quickly chimed in, “Jiayao, why don’t you help Daya pick a new name too? Something elegant.”

Shen Jiayao had no mind for this at the moment. His thoughts were entirely fixated on the mention of noblemen. What was Shen Yunxuan planning? Was she trying to use his connections to meet Young Master Li and become his concubine again? Would he once more have to watch her climb to power right before his eyes?

No way! Shen Yunxuan had no affection for him. In his past life, once she gained status, she cut ties with the family completely. She would surely do the same in this life. What if she managed to sway Young Master Li’s favor and caused him to lose the position he had fought so hard to secure?

Suddenly, splitting the family seemed like the best option. If the third branch separated, they wouldn’t be able to cling to him in the future. Distracted by his thoughts, he absentmindedly replied to Liu Shi, “The name Shen Yunxuan just mentioned sounds fine. Since Daya is her sister, let’s call her Shen Yunlian. ‘Lian’—lotus—symbolizes feminine beauty. It’s a good name.”

Liu Shi was delighted upon hearing it. “Yunlian—it sounds so elegant!”

Shen Daya blushed and lowered her head. She was thrilled to finally have a beautiful name.

The meal soon ended. After seeing her parents off, Shen Yunxuan went straight to her room to sleep. Seeing this, Shen Yunlian felt stifled and resentful. She glanced toward Old Master Shen and Old Madam Shen, only to see Shen Jiayao pulling them into a room for a private conversation. Frustrated, she had no choice but to start washing the dishes. As she passed by Shen Yunxuan’s door, she deliberately banged and clattered the dishes, clearly expressing her discontent.

Shen Yunxuan smirked. When they finally split the family, she would find a place far away from the Shen household. When the time was right, she’d move to the county town so she wouldn’t have to deal with these people ever again. In her past life, she had lost her parents not long after this, was sold into the Li family, and had barely bothered to check on her family afterward. She only had vague knowledge that they lived in hardship.

But that had nothing to do with her. She and her family had always been like oil and water. There was no reason to be close now. Shen Daya used to hide in her room all day, claiming she was embroidering handkerchiefs for money while dumping all the housework on Yunxuan. Now that things were finally fairer, if the eldest branch wasn’t happy, they could go argue with Old Master Shen.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Shen Jiayao was bringing up the idea of splitting the family. But before he could explain his reasoning, Old Master Shen slammed his hand on the table. “No way! You think you can call the shots in my house? Shen Jiayao, let me tell you something—even if you become a top scholar and the highest-ranking official in the land, you are still my grandson. Don’t even think about ordering me around. As long as I’m alive, this family will not be split!”

Shen Jiayao panicked. “Grandfather, why are you so set on keeping the third branch? The three of them are completely useless! Shen Yunxuan holds a grudge against me. If she uses my name to climb her way into high society, she’ll definitely trample me into the ground. How am I supposed to bring glory to the family then? Our future will be ruined!”

Old Madam Shen gently patted Old Master Shen’s back to calm him down and disapproved, “Jiayao, you’re overthinking this. If Erya marries well, wouldn’t she need your support? Why would she undermine you? A woman without her maternal family’s backing can’t hold her head up in her husband’s household. You don’t need to worry about that.

“Besides, your third uncle’s family is actually very useful. Most of the housework falls on them. More than half of your tuition money was earned by them. This family cannot be split.

“Jiayao, stop concerning yourself with household matters. Focus on preparing for your time at the Li family’s house. Study hard, and let’s just live together as a happy family.”

Shen Jiayao found it impossible to reason with them. He stormed out, slamming the door. His face was twisted in anger. Before he had even gotten the chance to enjoy the benefits of success, he was already being driven mad by his family. Why was his grandfather so stubborn? Shen Jiayao had changed so much in this life—his grandfather should be proud of him. Instead, he just wanted to send him away to the Li family as soon as possible.

Seething, Shen Jiayao wandered through the village, aimlessly kicking stones. His heart burned with resentment. In his past life, no one in the family had truly cared about him. He had always been just a stepping stone for them. The moment they saw that he was of no further use, they discarded him without hesitation.

Didn’t Grandfather say the family would never split? Yet in his past life, they did. The old man and the eldest uncle’s family lived together while Jiayao was left with his father, mother, and young son. They were effectively cast out.

At the end of the day, Old Master Shen never truly cared about Shen Jiayao’s opinions. Even now, when Shen Jiayao had secured a position in the Li family, the old man still wanted to control him. Shen Jiayao knew he had no real power in the family. As long as Old Master Shen refused to split them, there was nothing he could do.

Lost in his thoughts, Shen Jiayao unknowingly walked to the foot of the mountain. In the distance, he spotted Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua working on repairing Madam Wu’s house.

That house—that nearly finished home—had been his in his past life.

Shen Jiayao stood frozen in place for a moment before snapping back to reality. His lips curled into a cold smile.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity?

He had tried to persuade Old Master Shen to split the family, but the old man refused. He had suggested marrying off Shen Yunxuan, but the old man was still waiting for a suitor who could offer a hefty bride price.

Well, Madam Wu’s family could afford a good bride price.

He clearly remembered that Madam Wu had only her grandson. A few years ago, that grandson had rescued an injured general, who had then recruited him into the army. That had been the last anyone saw of him. Just recently, news had come from the general himself—Madam Wu’s grandson had been badly injured in battle and had gone missing in the mountains. His chances of survival were slim.

What better time to strike than now?

Old Madam Wu firmly believed that her grandson had great fortune and would surely escape any misfortune. However, she was still anxious, so she decided to renovate the house and find him a wife as a way to ward off bad luck. In the past life, not long after the house was renovated, Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua passed away. Then, confirmed news came that Madam Wu’s grandson had died. Struck by grief, Madam Wu fell ill with a fever and, after a month of sickness, also passed away.

Four deaths in a row were all linked to this house, and from then on, the Wu family’s home was abandoned. No one wanted to live there. It wasn’t until Shen Jiayao returned to the village and was split off from the family that the village chief let him move into this courtyard.

At this moment, watching Madam Wu chatting familiarly with Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua, Shen Jiayao thought—this was the perfect opportunity! A marriage between the two families would not only bring prosperity to the Wu family, but it would also provide Old Master Shen with a substantial bride price. More importantly, it would prevent Shen Yunxuan from having any opportunity to get close to Young Master Li!

With this plan in mind, Shen Jiayao immediately turned and rushed back home to finalize the matter with Old Master Shen. As for Shen Yunxuan’s opinion? No one cared. The decision of marriage rested with the elders, and Old Master Shen was the head of the family. Once he decided, the matter was settled.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan had been taking a nap but woke up needing to use the latrine. As she walked past the back window, she overheard Shen Jiayao talking to Old Master Shen. When she heard that they were planning to marry her off as a “fortune-bringing bride,” she didn’t get angry. Instead, she smirked. Without hesitation, she climbed over the back fence and ran toward Wu’s house to find Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua.

Wang Xinghua was startled, “What’s wrong? Did something happen at home?”

Shen Yunxuan grabbed them by the hands. “Hurry! If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late!” She pulled them along as they ran and turned back to say, “Grandma Wu, I’ll come help you with work later!”

Madam Wu waved her off, “No rush. If you have something urgent, don’t worry about it.”

She watched them disappear down the road before sighing and turning back to her eerily quiet courtyard. Sitting down, she started working on some repairs herself. She had to finish the house quickly so that she could find a girl to marry into the family. She planned to choose someone with a difficult life and treat her well as a form of compensation. She truly had no other options—if marrying a bride to ward off misfortune was the only way to help her grandson, she would do it. She just hoped her grandson would return safely. If not, she didn’t have much of a reason to live anymore.

Shen Yunxuan led her parents back home, but instead of entering through the front door, they sneaked in through the back and quietly crept toward the main house’s back window to eavesdrop. Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua’s expressions darkened. They wanted to stop her, but in the end, they were pushed toward the window, straining their ears to listen.

Just in time, they heard Shen Jiayao nearly convincing Old Master Shen. However, the old man hesitated, “A fortune-bringing marriage doesn’t sound good. You’re going to take the imperial exams and become an official. If people find out that I sent your cousin to be a fortune-bringing bride, won’t it damage your reputation?”

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua paled. No decent family would marry their daughter off for such a purpose. A girl sent for this kind of marriage was practically doomed to widowhood. If the groom died, she would bear the stigma of bringing misfortune to her husband, and few would have good futures afterward. Did the old man have no love at all for their family?

They pressed closer to the window, holding their breath, praying that the old man would care about his grandson’s reputation enough to refuse.

But then they heard Old Master Shen say, “Let’s just marry Erya off into the mountains. I’ve already asked around. Men in the mountains struggle to find wives, but they can trade ginseng. If we exchange her for a premium ginseng root, we might be able to sell it for a good sum. We can dress Erya up nicely, prepare a couple of trunks of dowry, and tell everyone that, thanks to you, she is being married off in grandeur. Wouldn’t that be even better?”

Shen Jiayao frowned. “Do you think Erya will agree to that? If she’s sent to the Wu family, at least she’ll be close to home and can still see her parents. She might be willing. But if you send her to the mountains, she’ll probably fight her way back.”

Old Madam Shen chimed in softly, “She won’t be able to. I heard when I was younger that men in the mountains are fierce. Once a girl enters, she won’t be able to escape. If she tries to act tough, she’ll be beaten. In a few days, she’ll become obedient and settle down. Erya has been acting out too much lately. If she stays around, it will hurt your reputation. Marrying her off to the mountains would be the best choice. We’ll just find a good family for her.”

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua were overwhelmed with grief. Old Madam Shen’s words were the final straw that crushed them. They had always thought of her as pitiful, always bullied by her husband. But now, they realized—she was just as cruel as the rest of them. What did they see their branch as? Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua had worked themselves to the bone for this family, and yet, the moment Erya showed a little strength, they wanted to throw her into the mountains, never to return?

With furious expressions, they were about to storm into the house and confront them when Shen Yunxuan pulled them back. She gestured for them to follow and quietly led them up the back hill. Once they were out of sight, she turned and asked, “Father, Mother, do you finally want to leave the Shen family now?”

“Of course!” Shen Fu clenched his fists. “But your grandfather will never agree to splitting the family.”

Shen Fu grabbed his head in frustration, crouching down. “If worst comes to worst, I’ll fight them to the death!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Father, Mother, as long as you have the determination, I have a plan.”

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