Guan Xiyue seized the moment to set a condition: “You can have the recipe, but return my deed—I am done being a concubine.”
Madam Wan turned pale: “Absolutely not! You are our lucky star. We haven’t treated you unfairly. Besides, Zhengye is fond of you, isn’t he? I hope you’ll bear heirs for the Zhou family in the future.”
At that moment, Madam Yu came to pay her respects. Pretending not to know that Guan Xiyue had come upstairs, she wanted to gauge the in-laws’ attitude.
She wanted to know what, besides being the “lucky star” who revived Zhengye, made the concubine so valued by the family.
Guan Xiyue smirked and applied eye drops in front of Madam Yu: “Lucky star? In your Zhou family, I barely have enough to eat. This is how you treat your lucky star, yet you don’t fear losing your fortune.”
Madam Yu immediately acknowledged her “mistake,” saying only that Guan Xiyue had offended the in-laws yesterday, so a minor punishment was appropriate.
Madam Wan put on a show of reason: “You are all daughters-in-law of the Zhou family, one wife, one concubine. We are both arms of the household. There should be no internal strife.” Madam Yu lowered her head obediently and nodded.
Guan Xiyue, uninterested in further talk, said: “Let me eat first.”
Madam Wan hurried to order dishes—over a dozen. Guan Xiyue, after traveling through time, finally had a truly satisfying meal.
Once she had eaten, Madam Wan, thinking the recipe negotiation was possible, continued: “Xiyue, a woman must rely on her man; the man supports the household, and a woman should not hold him back.”
Guan Xiyue, noticing Madam Yu’s probing gaze, teased: “Indeed, Madam! So why not have the Grand Madam give her dowry to the Zhou family?”
Madam Yu reflexively exclaimed: “Impossible!”
Seeing Madam Wan’s displeased look, she hurried to clarify: “The family would never need my meager dowry. It’s just to cover my cosmetics and small expenses.”
Guan Xiyue leisurely replied: “Exactly. How could the family want my small dowry?”
Madam Yu, disdain clearly on her face, snapped: “What dowry? You were bought for twenty taels as a concubine. What dowry could you possibly have? And your family is so poor, they all wear one pair of pants. How could they provide a dowry?”
Guan Xiyue shrugged: “Then why do Master and Madam care so much about my little belongings?”
Seeing Madam Wan about to lose her temper, Guan Xiyue smoothed things over: “No need to worry, Madam. Although selling the recipe was an oversight, the braised pork won’t stay popular for long—they’ll run out of ingredients soon.”
Madam Yu gasped. Braised pork!
She had heard the news: Dongkang Restaurant had launched a new dish, and she even had a maid buy some—it was delicious, unlike anything she’d tasted before.
Unexpectedly, the recipe came from the unremarkable Concubine Guan.
Thinking of the potential long-term profits from braised pork, her eyebrows furrowed: “You little concubine! Betraying your own household, giving your property to others.”
The words hit Madam Wan’s heart, revealing the double standard. For her own dowry, she would defend it vigorously; for Guan Xiyue’s private property, it was seen as the family’s entitlement.
The unfortunate truth: this lowly concubine indeed belonged to the “master household” while inside.
Before leaving the Zhou household, Guan Xiyue still had to be tied to them. She softened her tone: “I’ve already taught Chef Lao Wang the method, but they lack ingredients, so he can’t make the dish. Madam can ask him if she doubts. Also, Dongkang’s ingredients will soon run out. No need for worry, Madam and Master.”
Guan Xiyue left the main courtyard with Madam Yu, who, thinking of the recipe, felt a slight sense of crisis.
This concubine was truly troublesome. Entering as a “lucky star,” she had plain looks, yet had a recipe that couldn’t be ignored.
Like tofu in ashes: neither to praise nor punish.
This uncontrollable feeling irritated Madam Yu. Luckily, the concubine dressed gaudy, was fat, with a round face.
Though fair-skinned, everyone’s eyes landed first on her double chin—no allure at all.
Guan Xiyue naturally read her thoughts from Madam Yu’s disdain and remained indifferent. All were passersby, all stepping stones. She silently reminded herself.
“Grand Madam, what about my monthly silver? Where do I collect it?”
Guan Xiyue suddenly spoke. Madam Yu was surprised and even more disdainful: “You sent your recipe to others, yet now you want monthly pay? Originally, there were 800 large coins, now gone. You’ve repeatedly angered Master and Madam. All three months’ pay is confiscated.”
Guan Xiyue hadn’t intended to claim any money—just idly asked about a concubine’s wage.
Eight hundred coins—barely enough for two or three servings of Dongkang’s braised pork. Capitalists, indeed!
As Guan Xiyue predicted, Dongkang’s braised pork was popular—but only for three days.
After three days, the star anise was gone.
The Zhou family felt some balance restored. Even with only three days’ profit, they earned handsomely. The four Zhou family members unanimously regarded Guan Xiyue as an “ungrateful wolf.”
Guan Xiyue collapsed on the bed, disregarding appearances, her only thought on how to leave the Zhou household.
She had a deed and could technically be sold. The household registration system of this era was strict—escaping meant committing a crime.
Even if lucky enough to escape, she couldn’t go far without documents proving her status. Everywhere required proof of legitimate household registration.
To Xiao Yun, Guan Xiyue had flown from a mountain nest to a golden one. She couldn’t understand why Guan Xiyue wouldn’t curry favor with the Master and Madam to rise in status.
Seeing Guan Xiyue’s lack of ambition, Xiao Yun became lazier.
Fortunately, gossipers were everywhere, in any household.
Guan Xiyue overheard from maids that Madam Wan planned to donate to a Taoist temple in a few days, praying for household peace and fulfilling vows.
She immediately realized this was a perfect opportunity.