Ch 143: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Wang Xinghua curiously lifted some noodles with her chopsticks. “Why are these noodles so thin? How did you make them?”

Shen Yunxuan spread her hands apart and gestured, “I pulled them—stretching and folding the dough dozens of times. That makes the noodles thin. They’re different from the hand-rolled noodles we usually eat. Try them.”

Wang Xinghua carefully picked up a bite, worried the thin noodles would break easily. But as soon as she put them in her mouth, she was surprised by their firm and chewy texture. “They’re so springy! They look delicate, but they’re actually so chewy? Grandma Wu, Erya’s father, you two try them too!”

Shen Yunxuan reminded, “Mother, you need to start calling her ‘Aunt.'”

Grandma Wu waved her hand as she sat down. “No rush, no rush. Later, I’ll take you all to the ancestral graves to burn some paper money and tell my parents and my older brother and sister-in-law about this. You can pay your respects, and after that, we can start using the new family titles.”

She lowered her head, sniffing the fragrant noodle soup, and smiled. “Yunxuan, you really have a gift for cooking. This smells wonderful. I’ve never had noodles this thin before. What do you call this?” She took a sip of the broth, raising her brows in surprise. “The soup is delicious! If you want to sell something, just this broth alone would sell well. Autumn is here, and soon everyone will be bundling up in winter clothes. This is the perfect time for hot soup.”

Shen Fu also picked up his bowl and started eating in big mouthfuls. He wasn’t good at giving compliments, but he kept repeating, “So good! This is amazing! I’ve never had noodles this delicious!”

Wang Xinghua carefully observed the broth. “It looks so clear, but it’s full of flavor. It seems like there’s oil in it, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel greasy. How did you make this? And why haven’t you made it before?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled when she saw how much they liked it. “I made it using pork fat, scallions, soy sauce, and some spices like white pepper. Before, we didn’t have many seasonings, so I couldn’t make it. Besides, if I had tried anything fancy back then, they would’ve scolded me for wasting ingredients. But now, with Grandma Wu’s kindness and a full stock of seasonings, I finally had the chance to experiment.”

Grandma Wu quickly said, “From now on, you can use anything in this house as you like. But you don’t have to cook all the time. I’m still capable—I can do the cooking. You said you want to teach the village kids how to read, right? Just focus on that.”

“Grandma, I actually enjoy cooking. I want to try making different dishes for you all,” Shen Yunxuan said as she sneakily slipped a pouch of twenty taels of silver into Grandma Wu’s hands, proudly adding, “Look, I got the silver back! And I even got ten extra taels. From now on, let’s make sure to eat well and take care of ourselves.”

Grandma Wu was startled. “You got it back? Are you sure they won’t come looking for trouble over this?”

“Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ve taken care of everything,” Shen Yunxuan assured her confidently.

Seeing her so self-assured put their minds at ease. She continued, “I think I must have gone hungry a lot as a kid because I’ve always been fascinated by food. Later, when I learned to read, I started paying more attention to it. I’ve read about different cuisines in travel journals at the bookstore and overheard traders talking about it. This is a kind of noodle from Jiangnan called Yangchun Mian—the broth is clear but flavorful. It tastes completely different from our usual hand-rolled noodles.”

The three of them were surprised. “Jiangnan?”

Their village was far north—even farther than the capital. No one in the village had ever traveled beyond the county, let alone to Jiangnan. They had never even heard of Jiangnan-style noodles before. Everything about Jiangnan felt fresh and exotic to them. As they slurped their noodles, they couldn’t help but marvel at Shen Yunxuan’s knowledge. She suddenly seemed even more remarkable in their eyes.

However, Shen Fu, who often went to town to do manual labor, raised a concern. “Yangchun noodles are delicious, but they have pork fat in them, so they’ll probably be expensive, right? If we try selling them on the street, would people actually buy them?”

Shen Yunxuan had already considered this. “At first, we’ll sell simple and affordable street foods—like pancakes, steamed buns, candied hawthorns, and tofu. Once we’ve built up a customer base, then we can start selling slightly more expensive dishes with better ingredients. We’ll take it one step at a time.”

Shen Fu hesitated. “You’re really set on selling food in town?” He didn’t want to discourage her, but he had doubts. There were already many vendors in the county, but only a few made good money. Their county was small, and people weren’t wealthy. They might buy a snack occasionally, but they wouldn’t be regular customers.

Going to town also meant traveling a long distance. Walking back and forth was exhausting, there weren’t always ox carts available, and even when there were, they cost money. Plus, the roads weren’t entirely safe. In his mind, it seemed riskier than him continuing to do hard labor.

Shen Yunxuan said firmly, “We’re going as a family! I’ve thought it through, Father. Carrying heavy loads is too exhausting for you, and hunting in the mountains is too dangerous. Mother washing clothes and making quilts for others is also backbreaking work that could leave her with long-term health issues. Let’s put our efforts together. No matter what we do, we’ll do it as a family. Besides, we have silver in hand—why not at least try?”

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua exchanged looks. They had spent their entire lives doing hard labor. The idea of switching to selling food was unfamiliar, and they weren’t sure if it was the right choice.

Grandma Wu, however, clapped her hands. “Why are you two so afraid? If the kid isn’t scared, why should you be? Yunxuan is right—dangerous and exhausting work won’t do. We need to work together as a family. If this doesn’t work out, we’ll try something else. You two have been suffering for years—take it easy now. Let’s work half a day and rest half a day. First, let’s fatten up a little before we think about anything else.”

Then, Grandma Wu shoved the twenty taels of silver back into Shen Yunxuan’s hands. “This is my gift to you. You’re a smart girl, Yunxuan—you keep it. Spend it on meat and good food to nourish yourselves. And if you need money for the business, use it. If it’s not enough, just tell me.”

Shen Yunxuan didn’t put on any airs.

She accepted the money with a bright smile and said, “Grandma, don’t worry! I’ll make sure we live a good life—eating well, drinking well, and being happy every day.”

“Good, good! Grandma will follow you and enjoy good days ahead,” Grandma Wu grinned widely, her joy unmistakable. It had been years since she felt this happy. With the addition of three new family members, all so filial and considerate, how could she not be overjoyed?

After the meal, Grandma Wu brought out a basket of incense and paper money she had prepared the night before. Shen Fu quickly took it and carried it on his back, while Wang Xinghua fetched an extra coat and helped Grandma Wu put it on before supporting her on the way to the ancestral graves.

Grandma Wu was deeply moved. She had been alone for so many years, and now, she could finally feel the warmth and care of family again. She couldn’t understand how Old Man Shen and Old Lady Shen could treat such good children so poorly while favoring those who only played mind games. They would surely suffer the consequences one day.

After paying their respects to the ancestors, the adoption was now truly complete. Grandma Wu took out three red envelopes and handed them to them with a loving expression. “From now on, you must all be safe and live long, healthy lives.”

Shen Fu hesitated for a moment before calling out loudly, “Aunt!”

Wang Xinghua quickly followed suit, also calling her “Aunt.” Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan took Grandma Wu’s hand and said with a smile, “Grandma must also be healthy and happy, and live a long life. Come on, let’s go home and finish fixing up the house. I need to figure out what else we can sell.”

“Yes! Let’s go home!”

The word home stirred emotions in all of them. The house was the same, and the people were the same, yet when they stepped back into the small courtyard of the Wu family, everything felt completely different—they were truly a family now!

Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua worked even harder on fixing up the house, while Grandma Wu, bringing them food and water, was smiling more than ever. Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan busied herself in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes.

Before long, some villagers hesitantly brought their children over, and Shen Yunxuan welcomed them all with a warm smile, telling their parents to come back at noon to pick them up.

In reality, the village was small, and the children ran around freely all day without anyone escorting them. But Shen Yunxuan insisted on the parents coming to pick them up so she could have more opportunities to interact with them.

In the countryside, the most respected and admired people were scholars. The fact that Shen Jiayao was studying in the county alone was enough to earn the Shen family a sense of reverence. Meanwhile, although Grandma Wu was well-liked, some villagers still secretly whispered about her fate—after all, she had outlived her parents, her in-laws, her husband, and her son. Some thought her life was cursed.

Shen Yunxuan knew she would be staying in the village for a while. If she wanted to live comfortably, she had to change the narrative surrounding their family. Only then could her parents, who had summoned the greatest courage to break away from the Shen family, truly hold their heads high and stand tall.

Besides, forming good relationships with the villagers meant mutual support. In a village, having good connections brought countless benefits. In her previous life, she had been too young to understand these things. It wasn’t until she suffered in the Li family that she learned the importance of social ties and how to gain the greatest benefits with the simplest methods. In time, these villagers would become their greatest protection in the countryside.

Wang Xinghua had no idea her daughter was thinking so far ahead. She only felt immense pride and relief seeing Yunxuan, at just fourteen years old, easily chatting and laughing with the elders and villagers. It was fortunate they had left the Shen family—otherwise, who knew how much longer her daughter’s talents would have been stifled?

Shen Yunxuan gathered the seven or eight children outside in the courtyard. One child asked, “Sister Erya, how are you going to teach us without a book?”

Shen Yunxuan picked up a stick and wrote her name on the ground. “I’ve memorized everything in my head. For simple words, I don’t need a book. Look, this is the name I gave myself—Shen Yunxuan. Remember it! From now on, call me Sister Yunxuan.”

“Sister Yunxuan!” The children shouted loudly, then leaned over, wide-eyed, studying the three characters on the ground. They began tracing the shapes with their fingers.

One of them quickly memorized it and excitedly said, “Sister Yunxuan, can you write my name too? No—wait! Gousheng sounds awful. Can you give me a new name instead?”

“Yeah! Give me a name too! I want a new one!”

“Me too! I don’t want to be called Niudan anymore. I want a name that sounds mighty and fierce!”

The children tugged on Shen Yunxuan’s hands, their eyes full of expectation as they surrounded her. She chuckled and had them sit on the ground. “I don’t know what kind of names you all like, so how about this—I’ll teach you to recite a book. Whether you can remember it or not doesn’t matter, but you have to listen carefully and understand its meaning. Then, you can pick characters from the text that you like to use as your new name. That’s how I chose mine!”

“Yes! Let’s learn to recite a book!”

The children cheered and eagerly sat beside her. Shen Yunxuan then started reciting The Three-Character Classic in a slow and clear voice. She said one line, and the children repeated after her. Soon, the Wu family’s courtyard echoed with the bright, innocent voices of the children chanting together.

A villager passing by heard the voices and was astonished by the pleasant sound. They couldn’t believe that Shen Yunxuan could really read and teach. Suddenly, a seed of hope sprouted in their hearts—perhaps, just maybe, their village could finally have children who could read! This was a wonderful thing!

Someone excitedly ran to tell the village head, and soon, word spread throughout the village. More families sent their children over.

If there was an opportunity to learn right at home, why wouldn’t they take advantage of it? Even if their children weren’t particularly bright, it was still worth letting them try!

At first, some villagers were skeptical about whether Shen Yunxuan was just fooling everyone. But when they came to pick up their children at noon, the cleverest of them, Gousheng, clung to his mother excitedly and said, “Mom! Mom! I can already write both our names! And I gave myself a new, nice-sounding name—Zhang Lishan. I hope to become a person who understands propriety and is as steadfast as a mountain. Does it sound good? Do you like it?”

Gousheng’s mother, Qin Shi, had no one else in the family and lived a tough life alone with her son. Now, seeing that after just one day of learning, her son could write both their names and had even given himself a new name, she was overjoyed. “It sounds wonderful! Did Yunxuan help you pick it?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled and said, “No, he chose it himself. I taught them The Three-Character Classic and let them pick characters they liked. Gousheng was the quickest to decide, while the others are still thinking.”

Gousheng puffed up his chest proudly and said, “Mom, listen to me recite it! At birth, people are inherently good…“

Qin Shi was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears. “Good! Good, good! We’ll change your name to what you like. From now on, you’ll be called Zhang Lishan. I’ll take you to the village head to make it official.” Then, she turned and bowed deeply to Shen Yunxuan. “Thank you, Yunxuan! Thank you for teaching Lishan how to read! Thank you for letting me see that my child has a talent for learning! I… I…”

Shen Yunxuan quickly supported the overwhelmed Qin Shi, and soon, other villagers started chiming in.

“Er—no, Yunxuan, how is my child doing? Can they learn?”

“What name should my child take? He can’t come up with one himself.”

“Yunxuan, my granddaughter wants to be called Zhao Chunyi. Do you think that sounds good?”

“Yunxuan, my daughter wants to be called Xia Yinyin. What do you think?”

A group of children chirped about their name preferences, while the villagers anxiously asked for opinions. Shen Yunxuan patiently explained the meanings of different characters and helped them make choices. In the end, all the children had names they were happy with, and their parents joyfully took them to the village head to make the changes official.

When the village head saw a group of villagers arriving with their children, his heart sank. He thought something had gone wrong with Shen Yunxuan’s teaching. But when he stepped outside and saw everyone smiling and carrying name-change requests, he was astonished.

This was a great thing! Without hesitation, the village head recorded the new names and asked how the children were doing in their studies. The villagers proudly pushed their children forward to recite what they had learned. Although some stumbled over the words, they were all serious and had memorized at least seven or eight lines.

This was enough to excite everyone. Even the village head laughed heartily and praised, “Excellent!”

Following Qin Shi’s lead, several families went home and brought food to the Wu household as a gesture of gratitude. Some brought eggs, some coarse rice, and others sugar. Before long, Shen Yunxuan had received a whole table full of “tuition gifts,” which made Shen Fu and Wang Xinghua beam with joy, while Grandma Wu felt immense pride.

That afternoon, they cooked a meal using the food gifted by the villagers, and it somehow tasted even more delicious than usual. Everyone ate heartily and felt completely satisfied.

Meanwhile, news about Shen Yunxuan teaching children to read spread throughout the village.

Over at the Shen household, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense when they returned home from work. Shen Yunlian quietly set the table, not daring to make a sound for fear of provoking Old Man Shen.

Old Man Shen, his face dark, listened to Zhou Shi recount what had happened with Shen Yunxuan. He snorted coldly, “That ugly brat is just causing trouble. How did I not know she could read? She’s just tricking those ignorant fools. Just wait—when they realize she doesn’t know what she’s talking about, she’ll be in big trouble. I’ll be watching to see when she gets what’s coming to her!”

Shen Dong muttered, “She probably just overheard what Jiayao was studying. That girl has quite a lot of nerve.”

Hearing Shen Jiayao’s name, Old Man Shen finally felt a little appeased. “Forget about that disgrace. Since the third branch has been adopted out, they have nothing to do with us anymore. You all remember to keep your distance. If anything happens to them, don’t let them drag us down with them. Today, Jiayao officially entered the Li family as a study companion. We must be careful with our words and actions. We cannot afford to bring any trouble to him. Do you understand?”

Shen Dong nodded. “Don’t worry, Dad. We’ll definitely distance ourselves from Shen Fu’s family. Honestly, they’re the biggest fools. To separate from the family at this time, losing out on all the future benefits, and acting all smug about it—have they even considered how much they’re missing out on once Jiayao makes it big?”

Zhou Shi scoffed, “They don’t have the fortune for a good life. They’re destined to suffer for the rest of their days.”

Old Lady Shen shot her a glare, making Zhou Shi immediately shut her mouth. She then realized that in cursing Shen Yunxuan, she had also inadvertently insulted her own family. Wasn’t she essentially admitting that the third branch had indeed been suffering all these years?

Quickly, Zhou Shi lowered her head and focused on eating. But after just one bite, she frowned in disgust. “Yunlian, why does this food taste so terrible? It’s bland like pig slop!”

Shen Yunlian’s face flushed red with embarrassment. “Second Aunt, I haven’t cooked much before… I’ll practice and improve. Also, I—I’ve changed my name to Yunlian.”

Zhou Shi dismissed it indifferently. “What’s the point of changing your name? ‘Daya’ was fine. Those kids got fooled by that Shen Yunxuan and all started changing their names. But they’re still just a bunch of mud-legged villagers. Do they think a new name makes them someone important?”

Shen Yunlian’s face turned even uglier, but she had no way to refute her. Liu Shi, wanting to defend her daughter, hesitated when she thought of Shen Jiayao’s connection with the Li family. Their branch still needed to rely on him in the future, so she ultimately said nothing.

Zhou Shi curled her lips into a triumphant smile, as if she had finally won against everyone. In this household, she could finally stand tall—she was the one who had given birth to the most capable child! She was the greatest contributor to the Shen family! The grievances she had suffered when being forced to apologize to Shen Yunxuan had completely dissipated. Now, she just had to wait for her son to earn an imperial title for her so she could become a noble lady!

However, the one they pinned all their hopes on, Shen Jiayao, was not having a good time at all.

Early in the morning, he arrived at the Li residence and knocked on the door. But as soon as the gatekeeper heard his name, he lazily glanced at him and told him to wait outside. He stood there for a full hour before being let in. After knocking his head to the ground in greeting outside the door of Old Madam Li, he wasn’t even granted an audience with her—he was simply led straight to the courtyard of Young Master Li.

Shen Jiayao was extremely nervous. In his past life, when he had met Young Master Li, the latter had already become the county magistrate, exuding an imposing presence that made Shen Jiayao too afraid to even look him in the eye. This time, having managed to secure an opportunity to follow Young Master Li, he only wanted to make a good impression. In his mind, he had rehearsed his self-introduction countless times.

But when he stepped into the courtyard, he was utterly stunned—Young Master Li was on the ground, playing with crickets!

Shen Jiayao froze on the spot, unable to process what he was seeing. Before he could react, a servant kicked the back of his knees, making him fall to the ground with a thud. His knees slammed onto the stone pavement, sending sharp pain through his body. He bared his teeth in agony and glared at the servant.

The servant frowned. “What are you staring at? No manners at all! Truly a peasant-born fool. Why haven’t you bowed to the young master yet?”

Gritting his teeth, Shen Jiayao swallowed his anger and kowtowed.

Young Master Li cast him a sidelong glance and asked lazily, “How old are you? Have you taken the imperial exams? What’s your name?”

Shen Jiayao answered truthfully, “Sixteen years old, I haven’t taken the exams yet. My name is Shen Jiayao.”

Another kick landed on him. “No manners! Before speaking, you must first say, ‘Replying to the young master.’ You must also refer to yourself as ‘this humble one.’ Also, your name conflicts with the young master’s—you can’t use it.”

Shen Jiayao was taken aback. Then, he suddenly remembered—Young Master Li was also sixteen this year, and his name was Li Yaosheng. Indeed, they shared a character. What was he supposed to do?

Li Yaosheng clapped his hands, got up from the ground, and took the cloth towel handed to him by a servant. As he wiped his hands, he approached Shen Jiayao and said, “Having the same name as me… I suppose that means we’re fated.”

Shen Jiayao’s heart leaped with joy. Just as he was about to speak, Li Yaosheng continued, “Since you’re following me, you should have a name that’s easy to remember. From now on, you’ll be called Shen Zhong—because as long as you’re loyal, I won’t mistreat you.”

“Change… my name?” Shen Jiayao was dumbfounded. He had come to be a study companion, not a servant—he hadn’t signed a contract of servitude, so why should he change his name? His original name had been chosen by Old Man Shen, who had spent half a tael of silver to have it specially picked, all in the hopes that he would bring honor to the family. It was a name meant to set him apart from the common peasants in the village. He had always been proud of it. But now, he was being renamed Shen Zhong—zhong as in “loyalty,” the kind of loyalty expected from a servant to his master. Wasn’t this outright humiliation?!

“What? You’re unwilling?” Li Yaosheng said nonchalantly. “Then you can leave. Go tell my grandmother that I don’t want a study companion—I don’t feel like studying. If they insist on sending someone, they might as well send that Erya girl from before to be my maid.”

Shen Jiayao’s entire body stiffened. Send Shen Yunxuan here? No! Absolutely not!

He immediately shouted, “I’m willing! This humble one is willing! Shen Zhong will not watch over the young master—Shen Zhong is here to serve the young master! From now on, I will be utterly loyal and devoted!”

Only then did Li Yaosheng smile in satisfaction and instruct his servants to take him away for his accommodations.

It was only after Shen Jiayao had left that he fully realized what had just happened. The name “Shen Zhong” was a warning—Li Yaosheng had made it clear that he saw him as a watchdog sent by Old Madam Li. To express his displeasure, he had deliberately bestowed the name “Zhong” upon him, reminding him that if he ever stepped out of line, he could be dismissed at any moment.

A sense of crisis overwhelmed Shen Jiayao. The excitement from earlier vanished without a trace, replaced by deep unease. He hurriedly changed into his study companion’s attire, only to glance at the new clothes he had carefully selected for the day—now torn from kneeling on the stone pavement. The sight made his heart ache.

But there was no other way. His previous life had been too miserable, and he knew he had no real abilities. His only path to success was to cling tightly to Li Yaosheng, to become his most trusted aide. Only then could he rise alongside him.

Self-respect? That was worthless. As long as he could get ahead, he would do whatever was asked of him!

From that moment on, Shen Jiayao fully accepted his new identity as Shen Zhong. He quickly rushed back to Li Yaosheng’s side to serve him. But all he did was menial tasks—pouring tea, fetching water, catching crickets, and playing leaf cards with him.

One day, as he retrieved some items, he happened to glance into Li Yaosheng’s study. It was meticulously tidy—so spotless it looked as if it hadn’t been used in a long time.

A bizarre thought popped into his head.

Could it be… Li Yaosheng doesn’t like studying?

Then how did he become an official in his past life? How did he even serve as a county magistrate? Even if he had purchased a position, most people who did that ended up in idle, ceremonial roles. Not everyone had the ability to truly hold office.

Why is everything different from what I expected?

Shen Jiayao gritted his teeth in frustration. If only Shen Yunxuan had stayed in contact with them after entering the Li family in their past life, he might have known more!

What the hell is going on?!

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆