Watching Guan Xiyue walk away without a second glance, Tang Yan still felt a bit dazed. This plump, fair-skinned young lady had both surprised and startled him.
The bystanders who had witnessed the earlier scene were still whispering among themselves—words like “worthless fool,” “all show, no substance,” and “silver spoon but useless” flew about. Their faces carried the mischievous “you know what I mean” expression, occasionally bursting into laughter.
The Zhou family had once again become the talk of the county: their former concubine, rejected and sold, had not only beaten Young Master Zhou in public but also publicly criticized him as “all show, no substance.”
In a life so monotonous, such explosive gossip spread like oil on water. Street vendors, shop clerks, everyone passed it along. Even tea stalls saw double the usual patrons.
The He family watched from the sidelines. Though they hadn’t gotten involved, they secretly felt pleased. Knowing the young lady’s prowess, they resolved to keep their distance.
Meanwhile, the “second-tier” Tayen Tower in the county suddenly became bustling.
The secret was the two new dishes—pickled fish and salted egg yolk eggplant—which were wildly popular. Those who tried them raved.
Quqing County had no shortage of wealthy people, and these dishes became so hot that reservations, queues, and limited servings were necessary.
Tayen Tower’s business skyrocketed, while the Zhou and He family restaurants grew quiet. People who couldn’t get a table at Tayen Tower reluctantly turned to the other two establishments.
Zhou Zhengye recalled seeing Guan Xiyue leave Tayen Tower and later discovered that the refined young master accompanying her was the tower’s owner. Could it be… this vixen!
He naturally assumed the only reason they were together was because Guan Xiyue had sold her recipes—those now-famous pickled fish and salted egg yolk eggplant.
They even had servants purchase the dishes in advance, waiting a day to finally taste them. They were exceptional—tender, sour, and smooth, entirely free of fishy odor. The eggplant dish was innovative, completely unheard of.
Old Master Zhou scolded Madam Wan and Zhou Zhengye: “Such a money tree, a treasure trove, sold cheaply for a few taels of silver by you two!”
Zhou Zhengye, too scared to argue with his parents, grew more resentful toward Madam Wan. Even sipping tea seemed annoying: too hot or too cold. “Can’t even make tea properly, only worried about your own two dowry shops. Not enough silver? You can’t even cook!”
Madam Wan, feeling aggrieved, shouted back: “Then why did you drive away the one who can cook? Now you complain! Do you know how everyone mocks the Zhou family outside? They even call you ‘silver spoon but useless,’ ‘all show, no substance,’ and ‘worthless fool’!”
Her words provoked Zhou Zhengye’s anger further, resulting in a slap across the face. Madam Wan hastily packed her valuables, calling for servants to return to her family home. Chaos erupted throughout the Zhou residence.
Meanwhile, the instigator, Guan Xiyue, had earned a pile of silver and vented her frustration—her mood was ecstatic. She stored the coins in her space and, curious about the jade pendant, took it to a pawnshop.
The pawnshop attendant handled the black jade carefully: “Miss, is this a live pawn or a dead pawn? Live: 20 taels; Dead: 30 taels.”
Guan Xiyue snatched the jade back, exaggerating: “Pawnshops are indeed shadier than crows. If I didn’t know its value, I wouldn’t even bring it out.”
The attendant chuckled, unembarrassed: “Business is business. Since you know its worth, you wouldn’t bring it unless desperate. 200 taels—but it must be dead pawn.”
Guan Xiyue sneered: “You’re all talk and no skill. Quqing County is too small; I’ll go to the prefectural city instead.” She turned to leave.
The attendant called after her, but the shop’s master came out, inspecting it carefully: “Miss, this jade is rare. I appraise it at 1,000 taels.”
Guan Xiyue was shocked—it was worth far more than she imagined. She made an excuse but ultimately refused to pawn it.
Returning the jade to her space, she thought: if she sold it now, her life could reach the peak instantly. But the jade was a gift from Ling Jingran, imbued with his name and obtained from a high monk—clearly meaningful. She wondered if she should return it someday.
Regardless, it was the most valuable thing she had in this era, giving her life and security a sense of guarantee.
As she walked through the streets, she saw a crowd and went to see what was happening. A young girl, about fifteen or sixteen, was selling herself to bury her father. Red eyes, heavy mourning attire, a straw on her back.
Buying a girl at this time cost a few taels of silver. She asked for ten taels to serve as a maid for her deceased father.
Though pitiful, few wealthy families were kind-hearted, and the poor couldn’t afford it, so the crowd mostly watched for amusement. Ten taels—the same as the price of Guan Xiyue’s eggplant dish. She sympathized.
Guan Xiyue needed a loyal maid. Ten taels was acceptable. Without hesitation, she bought the girl, registered it with the local authorities, signed the deed, and sealed it.
The girl kowtowed: “Thank you, Miss.”
Guan Xiyue told her to handle the funeral arrangements and wait for her at the inn.
She then hired a cart back to Datong Village, met Yang Lizheng, and decided to buy the old Sun family house along with the two acres of land in front and behind it, paying six taels of silver.
The old house was uninhabitable and would need to be torn down and rebuilt. The two acres were for her vegetable garden—to grow a variety of fresh produce.
It was still early, so after coordinating with Yang Lizheng, they rode together in the ox cart to the county office. Villagers gossiped loudly about the scene.
Word spread: Guan Xiyue had truly been divorced!
She had bought land and planned to build her own house!