Ch 159: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

That very night, Shen Zhong was thrown into the county jail. Initially, Old Madam Li also wanted to dismiss Shen Yunlian, but Shen Yunlian knelt at Li Yaosheng’s feet and swore on her life, promising that she would have her family split apart upon her return. After some consideration, Old Madam Li decided to let her stay.

After all, when they first allowed members of the Shen family to serve in the Li household, it had been under the guise of repaying a favor. Now, if they were to throw out the only grandson while keeping the granddaughter, it would make for a terrible story. Instead, keeping Shen Yunlian around helped maintain appearances and prevented any damage to the Li family’s reputation.

Early the next morning, just as Shen Fu was getting up, he heard knocking at the back door. The Li family’s servant was waiting discreetly outside, carrying gifts and quickly stepping inside upon being let in.

The servant greeted Shen Yunxuan with respect and swiftly relayed the events that had unfolded. He made it clear that everything was Shen Zhong’s doing—he was disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and unrighteous. Not only had he caused trouble, but he had even stolen from his master, leading to his imprisonment.

The Li family, acknowledging their failure to discipline their servants properly, was offering these gifts as compensation and hoped that Shen Yunxuan would accept them.

Accepting them would signify that the matter was settled, while refusing would imply hostility. Shen Yunxuan understood this well and accepted the gifts without hesitation. She instructed the servant to relay her words to Master Li:

“It turns out there was indeed a villain stirring up trouble. I knew there had to be some misunderstanding. Now that everything is cleared up, all is well. With no more troublemakers in your household, I’m sure your family will prosper even more in the future.”

This was a clear message that she would not pursue the matter further. When the servant returned with the message, Master Li finally felt at ease. He then turned to Li Yaosheng and said, “One of your servants caused trouble, so you will be punished with confinement and copying scriptures. Focus on your studies. You missed your chance this time, but in a couple of months, I will find another way to connect with Magistrate Lin. You must not cause any more trouble, do you understand?”

Li Yaosheng responded reluctantly. It wasn’t even his fault, yet he was the one being punished. He was beginning to realize that Shen Zhong had likely resented Shen Yunxuan from the start. When he, Li Yaosheng, had taken an interest in Shen Yunxuan, Shen Zhong had deliberately leaked the information, forcing her to get married.

Later, when Shen Zhong noticed that Li Yaosheng was no longer bringing up Shen Yunxuan, he probably assumed he had free rein to act against her. That was when he devised such a despicable scheme. The only flaw in his plan was that a group of beggar children had tracked him back to the Li residence, leading to the truth being uncovered.

Had he known that Shen Zhong was this foolish, he would never have taken him in. Li Yaosheng couldn’t help but resent his grandmother—she was always meddling, always trying to control the inner household. The moment Grandfather started focusing on grooming him, she had immediately planted people by his side, treating him like a puppet to be manipulated.

Now that trouble had erupted, his grandmother remained unscathed while he was punished with confinement and scripture copying. What bad luck!

Fuming, he returned to his quarters and smashed a teacup in frustration. Shen Yunlian, pale-faced, quickly and efficiently cleaned up the mess. The more time she spent serving Li Yaosheng, the more she realized how volatile and difficult he was to please.

Annoyed by the sight of a Shen family member, Li Yaosheng snapped, “I don’t need you here. Weren’t you going to handle your family’s affairs? Go deal with it now. If there’s any more trouble, you’re out!”

“Yes!” Shen Yunlian took a deep breath and took the opportunity to show her loyalty. “Thank you, Master, for allowing me to stay. I will serve you diligently and never make a mistake.”

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan had returned to the village. Accompanied by the village head, she gathered the villagers and addressed them with a warm smile.

“Uncles, aunts, thanks to the good fortune of Qingshan Village, I’ve managed to establish myself in town. My shop is now officially up and running.

“When we lived in the village, we got along well with everyone. Now that I’m earning money, I naturally want to share opportunities with all of you. So today, I’ve come with a proposal—I’d like to start purchasing farm goods directly from our village.

“That means if you have chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, sheep, vegetables, eggs, grains, mushrooms, or black fungus to sell, you can sell them to me. This way, you don’t have to go through the hassle of traveling to town to set up stalls.”

The villagers were stunned by this unexpected good news and immediately started discussing it among themselves.

“This means we can sell as much as we have! We can farm and raise livestock freely without worrying about finding buyers.”

“But what about the price? Would it be lower than what we get in town?”

“How do we sell it? Do we need to bring it to your shop ourselves?”

Shen Yunxuan reassured them, “I want to help my fellow villagers, so the prices will be the same as what you’d get selling in town. I will buy as much as our village can produce, but it must be from our own people.

“If anyone tries to buy cheap goods from outside and resell them to me, that would be unfair. If I find out, I will refuse to buy from them again.

“As for logistics, just deliver the goods to Cui’er and the others in the morning. They will settle the payments with you on the spot and take the produce to the shop.”

The village head raised his voice to explain further, “That means everyone can now freely raise chickens, ducks, and geese! Shen girl will buy everything, helping our village prosper. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, and don’t forget to appreciate what she’s doing for us!”

With the village head backing her up, the villagers became even more excited. Those skilled at raising poultry were especially thrilled—now they could raise as many as they wanted, knowing they had a guaranteed buyer. They could sell not only the grown animals but also eggs, making it a far better prospect than relying solely on farming.

However, some were concerned about whether this arrangement would be sustainable. Could Shen Yunxuan’s shop handle such a large supply of farm goods? What if, after a few purchases, she stopped buying? Wouldn’t they be left with excess livestock?

Shen Yunxuan addressed their concerns, “I understand your worries, so we will sign contracts. I will sign with the village head to ensure that I will only purchase from our village.”

This eliminated all risk, and the villagers were overjoyed, praising Shen Yunxuan for her kindness and generosity, believing she was destined to become wealthy.

Shen Yunxuan was happy to chat with everyone about the county’s affairs. Then, in front of the gathered villagers, she signed a contract with the village head, explicitly stating that she would not accept any goods from the Shen family. The others had no objections—after all, the Shen family had driven her to seek adoption and had even tried to rob her. No one would simply let that go as if nothing had happened.

Afterward, with the village head’s assistance, Shen Yunxuan made her first round of farm purchases. Since the villagers didn’t have much stockpiled, all the goods fit into a single ox cart. Bidding farewell to the villagers, she took Cui’er and the cart back to town.

On the way, she spotted Shen Yunlian walking quickly toward the village. Their eyes met briefly, but neither said a word.

When Shen Yunlian arrived home, she saw that the villagers were in high spirits. After asking around and learning what had happened, she couldn’t help but sigh—Shen Yunxuan’s life had truly turned for the better. Not only had the county magistrate stepped in to defend her and given the Li family a hard time, but she had also managed to support the entire village through her own efforts.

At this point, she no longer felt any jealousy. The gap between them had grown too vast. Sometimes, she could hardly believe that they had once been cousins—it felt like a distant, almost surreal memory.

With a sigh, Shen Yunlian returned home and informed her family that Shen Zhong had been arrested for theft. Now that he had been expelled from the Li family, they could drop the servant’s name—he could go back to being Shen Jiayao. But unfortunately, the Shen family’s former pride had become its disgrace.

Upon hearing the news, Old Man Shen blacked out and fainted on the spot, while Shen Dong roared in anger, “Jiayao would never steal! He’s supposed to take the imperial exams—he wouldn’t ruin his future! He must have been framed!”

Shen Yunlian chose not to reveal the truth, instead insisting that the evidence was irrefutable. She then firmly demanded that the family split up. “It’s not that I’m being ungrateful, but if we don’t separate now, the Li family will throw me out as well. Then, we will have no hope left at all. As long as I remain in the Li household, there is still a chance I can support our family in the future.”

Shen Cai and Liu Shi had no objections and immediately started discussing how to divide the household between the first and second branches.

Zhou Shi, however, threw a fit, wailing as she rushed toward the door. “I won’t separate! I have to see Jiayao and find out the truth! He must have been wronged! My Jiayao, my poor son, how could fate be so cruel to you!”

Shen Yunlian snapped sharply, “The Li family gave him over ten lashes and only spared his life out of respect for Grandmother. If you continue causing trouble, the Li family merely needs to speak to the prison warden, and Jiayao will not survive!”

Having spent time in the Li family, where she commanded two personal maids, Shen Yunlian had developed an authoritative air. Her firm tone and imposing demeanor stunned the Shen family into silence.

Liu Shi immediately interjected, “You’d better not bring disaster upon this family! If you ruin your son, you’ll drag us all down with you. No, we must separate immediately. After that, you can do whatever you want.”

The second branch of the family tried to object, but Shen Cai asserted his authority as the eldest son. He grabbed Shen Dong and dragged him to the village head to formalize the division.

Liu Shi pulled the weeping Old Madam Shen along, knowing that an elder’s presence was necessary for the separation to be official. The old woman barely paid attention, crying the whole time. However, after considering the situation, she realized that since her grandson from the second branch was now in jail, and the second branch was unwilling to work, she and Old Man Shen would have to stay with the first branch. After all, Shen Yunlian still had a future in the Li family.

With this realization, she tearfully agreed to the separation. No matter how much the second branch protested, she remained firm. Shen Dong, who had always believed that his mother favored him, was suddenly disillusioned. He had thought she was weak and submissive, but in reality, she was the most opportunistic of them all, swaying with the wind like a blade of grass.

Shen Cai had another reason for insisting on the division—Shen Jiayao had made Old Man Shen faint from anger, which was considered highly unfilial. This alone gave him ample justification to drive the second branch out. Moreover, with Shen Jiayao now a criminal, the second branch carried disgrace, and he would not allow them to tarnish the entire family. No one could persuade him otherwise.

Their loud arguments over the separation soon drew a crowd, and the villagers quickly learned that Shen Jiayao had been caught stealing from the Li family and was now imprisoned!

This was a major scandal—there hadn’t been a single prisoner from their village in decades. Shen Jiayao, once considered a promising scholar destined to become a xiucai or even a juren, was now a convict!

As Shen Cai and the village head were about to sign the formal separation documents, Zhou Shi collapsed onto the ground, wailing. “Heavens! Is there no justice left in this world? Weren’t all of you hoping that Jiayao would rise in the Li family and bring you wealth and status? Now that something has happened to him, you’re all abandoning him! What kind of family is this?

“I regret it! Back then, it was supposed to be Erya who went to the Li family—I never should have let Jiayao take her place! The Li family is a pit of fire! My Jiayao is so unlucky—framed and thrown into jail! Meanwhile, that wretched Erya has flourished while we’ve been ruined!”

The village head sternly rebuked her, “Stop twisting the facts! It was Shen Jiayao who stole the position from Shen Yunxuan in the first place! Don’t try to turn things upside down! Separating your branch from the rest of the family is the right decision. If you cause any more trouble, we’ll throw you out of Qingshan Village!”

The gathered villagers chimed in their agreement. “That’s right! Get them out of here! A single rotten apple spoils the whole barrel!”

“And he calls himself a scholar? Pah! Why is it only Shen Jiayao who keeps getting ‘framed’? Why isn’t Daya in trouble? Face it—he stole, and he got caught. It runs in the family! Weren’t you all the same people who stormed into Wu’s house to steal before?”

Their words left the Shen family utterly humiliated. Shen Cai quickly signed the documents, pressed his fingerprint onto them, and had Old Madam Shen and Shen Dong do the same. Just like that, the family was officially split.

Shen Dong had no choice but to comply. Shen Jiayao was ruined, and since he had spent half his life without doing any real work, he would still have to rely on his eldest brother in the future. His eldest brother’s daughter had become a first-class maid in the Li household and seemed to have a promising future. He couldn’t afford to be foolish and fall out with his brother now.

At this point, the family had to split—whether they liked it or not.

The couple from the second branch of the family felt lost and panicked. They had once envisioned a scenario where the family would split, but in their vision, it was after Shen Jiayao had risen to prominence. They had planned to cast off the first and third branches as burdens, even pushing the elderly parents onto them.

They had never imagined that it would be them who were cast out. Worse still, they were completely ruined. Having a family member who had served time in prison meant they would never be able to lift their heads in Qingshan Village again.

On their way home, they overheard the villagers’ discussions behind them.

“Miss Shen really is a fine shoot from a rotten bamboo—nothing good ever came from that family.”

“I always said favoring sons over daughters wasn’t right. A girl is your own child too, so why treat her so poorly? They spoiled that boy so much, and now look—he’s worth nothing.”

“Exactly. Overindulging kids doesn’t work. Isn’t there a saying? ‘Spoiling a child is like killing them.’ Sometimes, they need discipline.”

“The Shen family is finished. What’s the big deal about Daya being a maid? Is she going to support them with her monthly wages? That’s barely enough to get by. Meanwhile, Miss Shen is buying up our farm goods, however much we have—who knows, we might end up making more than Daya!”

“Haha! The Shen family offended Miss Shen, so they won’t even get to benefit from this. They’re really doomed.”

“I’d like to see Old Man Shen act proud now! He always held his nose high, bragging about his grandson. Well, he finally made a name for himself—by getting thrown in jail!”

Hearing this, Shen Yunlian felt a deep sense of frustration. Her family was no longer a source of support; instead, they had become a burden. From now on, she would have to rely entirely on herself. Meanwhile, the status of the Shen family and Shen Yunxuan in the village had completely flipped. Even the village chief and the villagers now respectfully addressed Shen Yunxuan as “Miss Shen,” while she was still just “Daya” to them.

She recalled the moment she passed by Shen Yunxuan on the road, their eyes meeting briefly. From that moment on, they were on completely separate paths—never to cross again.

Looking at her father and mother’s grim expressions, she lowered her voice and warned them, “Father, Mother, if you want to live peacefully, remember—do not provoke Shen Yunxuan.”

Both of them were startled and looked at her in disbelief. “Do you mean to say…?”

Shen Yunlian didn’t answer directly. She only said, “Shen Yunxuan is now under the protection of the county magistrate. Even the Li family had to back down. She is someone we cannot afford to challenge, let alone associate with. Don’t ask questions—just remember this.

“She is buying farm goods from the village but refuses to take anything from the Shen family. You must not say a word against her about it. If our family struggles, I will find a way to send money back.”

They took a deep breath, realizing that they had just learned something monumental. It seemed that Shen Jiayao had truly offended Shen Yunxuan to the point of no return, leading to his downfall. Remembering the time Shen Yunxuan had thrown them all into jail, they shuddered, determined never to cross her again.

Thus, the turmoil came to an end.

---

At the county magistrate’s mother’s birthday banquet, Shen Yunxuan had personally prepared the feast. The magistrate even introduced her to his guests. Though he didn’t explicitly say anything, none of the influential guests were foolish. They all understood—this girl was under the county magistrate’s protection. No one could afford to touch her.

Soon after, prominent figures from the county all sent people to purchase food from Yunlai Eatery. When asked, their servants openly clarified that the rumors about food safety issues were false—Yunlai Eatery had been framed, but the matter had already been settled. In fact, the owner, Miss Shen, had even cooked for the county magistrate’s mother’s birthday banquet! Her culinary skills were unmatched in the entire county.

Such news spread quickly, drowning out all the previous slander. With the county magistrate’s endorsement and the backing of wealthy households, Yunlai Eatery became the talk of the town, drawing crowds of eager customers.

Rather than being harmed by the recent trouble, Yunlai Eatery’s reputation soared to new heights. It became a renowned establishment, known even in villages ten miles away!

As if luck was finally on Shen Yunxuan’s side, another great fortune arrived—her hired escort teams had returned!

The head of the escort team personally delivered the compiled information to Shen Yunxuan. Among their findings were purchased or traded recipes, details about unique regional ingredients, preserved pastries and dried fruits from different places, and various legendary tales about famous foods they had gathered along the way.

Shen Yunxuan meticulously recorded everything in her notebook and sincerely thanked the escort team, offering them another ten taels of silver as a reward. She had never expected them to be so thorough and dedicated, actually bringing back such an abundance of valuable information.

Most importantly, among the things they brought back were tomatoes and potatoes!

The escort leader explained that they had rescued a man along the way and had stayed in the mountains for a while. While there, they had come across these plants but had no idea what they were. They noticed that animals were eating them, so on the way back, they decided to dig some up for her. The potatoes had been hidden underground—if they hadn’t seen animals digging them up to eat, they would have thought the plants were just wild weeds. The escort team had gathered quite a few, filling an entire sack.

Suppressing her excitement, Shen Yunxuan immediately asked, “You really saved someone? What was he like? What happened to him?”

The escort leader sighed. “Now that was a true iron-willed warrior. Despite his severe injuries and high fever, he still managed to knock down several of our men. He was a soldier, fighting in the war for us. We couldn’t just leave him to die, so I used all the medicine I had on me and sent someone to the nearest city to fetch additional medicinal herbs to make him a remedy.”

At night, he would wake up at the slightest noise, and his body was strong. We had only taken care of him for one night, and he already seemed fine. If it weren’t for his slightly unsteady steps, I would have thought he had fully recovered.”

Shen Yunxuan was almost certain that the man was Wu Feng! But she still asked, “How can you be so sure he was a soldier and not a bandit?”

The escort leader chuckled. “We’ve traveled all over the place and seen all kinds of people. Sure, both live by the sword, but their auras are completely different. This man was clearly a warrior from the battlefield, and a formidable one at that!”

Shen Yunxuan let out a long breath. “Maybe because you saved a soldier and did such a good deed, you were able to come across all these treasures. I just wonder if my brother Wu will meet kind people as well. I hope he returns safely.”

The escort leader quickly reassured her. “He definitely will. No bad news after all this time is good news. Maybe he was injured but rescued, and by now, he’s already back at the military camp. Don’t worry too much, Boss Shen.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded and thanked him repeatedly before sending him off. When she turned around, she saw Grandma Wu with tears streaming down her face.

Seeing Shen Yunxuan turn, Grandma Wu hurriedly wiped her tears. Shen Yunxuan walked over and hugged her, comforting her. “Grandma, Brother Wu will surely be blessed by fate.”

Grandma Wu nodded continuously, choking on her words. “I believe it, I believe it. We did a good deed, saved someone, and we just hope the heavens will return the favor to our Xiao Feng. If the heavens have eyes, he will definitely return safely.”

Not wanting the elderly woman to dwell on her worries, Shen Yunxuan led her to examine the tomatoes and potatoes.

No one knew what these were yet, but luckily, there was a small vegetable plot in the backyard, so they planted them directly. Some of the potatoes had already sprouted. Shen Yunxuan feigned curiosity and said, “These have sprouts—do you think they grow from the sprouts?”

Grandma Wu had never seen such strange things. “Are you sure these are edible?”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head. “I’m not sure, but since animals eat them, they should be safe. However, we need to figure out how to eat them properly and test whether they are truly edible.”

Being an experienced farmer, Grandma Wu pondered for a moment and said, “Then let’s plant these along with the sprouts. One sprout per piece.”

Shen Yunxuan decisively cut several potatoes into pieces and buried them in the soil. This wasn’t the best planting method, but she could only serve as the discoverer and tester of these ingredients—she couldn’t be the one to research and promote them. That would naturally be handled by the imperial court in due time.

After planting the tomatoes and potatoes, Shen Yunxuan turned her attention to the recipes brought back by the escort team. This was a huge help to her. A few days later, she had small wooden boards made for the shop, adding six new dishes to the menu. She publicly announced that she had specially sought out these recipes and adapted them to suit local tastes.

Customers were immediately intrigued by the new dishes, as they had never seen them before. After trying them, they praised Shen Yunxuan endlessly, marveling at her culinary talent.

As word spread, people’s admiration for Yunlai Eatery grew even stronger. No other restaurant in town offered such a variety of famous dishes from different regions, all tailored to local tastes.

It soon became a mark of status to order food from Yunlai Eatery for hosting guests—bringing back a few dishes from there was considered highly prestigious. The shop was frequently packed, making its name, “Yunlai,” truly live up to its meaning: “Guests gather like clouds.”

Meanwhile, Li Yaosheng’s house arrest had been lifted. One evening, after dinner, Li Yuanwai casually mentioned Yunlai Eatery.

“I’ve had someone keeping an eye on Yunlai Eatery, and I must say, Boss Shen is truly gifted and clever. The restaurant’s rising fame and success are entirely due to her alone. Even I have to admit I’m impressed.”

Madam Li playfully remarked, “Hearing you say that, if she had really joined our household back then, she might have been stifled.”

She cast a glance at Li Yaosheng and added, “No wonder she wasn’t willing to enter our gates. Frankly, there isn’t much about our family that she would have found appealing. If the younger generation refuses to study and improve themselves, this family may very well decline in the future.”

Hearing this, Li Yaosheng, who had once taken a liking to Shen Yunxuan only to be rejected, looked extremely displeased. Afterward, Madam Li brought up his marriage arrangements and lectured him a bit before allowing him to leave.

Back in his room, Li Yaosheng fumed and threw a tantrum before finally sitting down in the study to read. But he had never enjoyed reading since childhood. If someone coaxed him into it, he might reluctantly comply, but now that they were using such a condescending tone, his rebellious nature kicked in, and he couldn’t focus on a single word.

He threw the book onto the floor. “Am I worthless just because I don’t study?”

Shen Yunlian, seeing his expression, cautiously spoke, “To me, Master is the best. You must never underestimate yourself.”

Li Yaosheng glanced up and, under the candlelight, for a fleeting moment, mistook her for Shen Yunxuan. He blinked, realizing it was actually Shen Yunlian.

Staring at her, he recalled how decisively Shen Yunxuan had rejected him. Did she truly think he wasn’t good enough for her?

Hah, she was just a peasant girl. How dare she look down on him, the third young master of the Li family? Did she really think running a small restaurant would bring her lasting prosperity? His family had generations of wealth and foundation—something a mere self-made shop owner could never compare to.

Since Shen Yunxuan had rejected him, since she was considered the most successful among the Shen family’s younger generation, he would elevate Shen Yunlian instead. He would make her the most envied woman in Qingshan Village, draped in gold and silver, living a life of luxury and prestige.

At that time, he would take Shen Yunlian to Yunlai Eatery, where the two sisters would stand side by side—one as a wealthy guest, the other as a kitchen-bound cook immersed in the smoke and fire of daily life. Then they would see who truly looked down on whom. He was determined to make Shen Yunxuan regret her choices!

Driven partly by spite, Li Yaosheng took Shen Yunlian to his chambers that very night, and by the next day, he formally accepted her as his concubine.

Shen Yunlian was both shocked and overjoyed. At last, she felt that fate had favored her. It had been so easy—so effortlessly—her wish had come true. Since Li Yaosheng had given her this status, she would not let it go to waste. From now on, she had to be the most important woman in his heart. No matter the cost, she would bear his son and ensure that child inherited everything he owned.

She had not forgotten that the reason Shen Jiayao had stolen Shen Yunxuan’s position as a servant in the first place was because the Li family planned to purchase an official rank for Li Yaosheng. If that plan remained unchanged, then her future would rise with the tide. She would become the honored concubine of an official, and her son might even take the imperial exams and continue the family’s official career, ultimately securing her a title of nobility.

Everything was perfect—so full of promise and anticipation. Shen Yunlian was ecstatic. She selected two close maidservants to attend to her, moved into a spacious room, received new clothes and jewelry, a chest full of fine cosmetics, and even one hundred taels of silver!

At this moment, she felt that choosing to stay in the Li family had been the best decision of her entire life.

The news of Shen Yunlian becoming a concubine brought great joy to the Shen family. After a long streak of misfortune, they finally had something to celebrate.

When Zhou Shi visited the prison to see Shen Jiayao, she excitedly shared the news with him. She hadn’t expected his extreme reaction—his entire body trembled with rage.

“Why? Why does she get to live well too? What is she compared to me? If it weren’t for her and Shen Yunxuan, how would I have ended up in prison?”

Zhou Shi’s expression changed. “What? Did they conspire against you?”

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