Yang Lizheng and Madam Li comforted Guan Xiyue all the way back. Neither of them exposed the fact that she had already been divorced. They wanted to see the Guan family’s attitude first.
Since the Guan family had chosen to be heartless, Guan Xiyue establishing her own household was hardly excessive.
Besides, even if Old Master Guan’s family tried to make trouble later, plenty of villagers had witnessed the entire scene. Their words had been spoken clearly and publicly.
Seeing Guan Xiyue regain her composure so quickly, Yang Lizheng couldn’t help but admire her.
Most young women who were divorced and then rejected by their own families would feel as if the sky had fallen. Yet Guan Xiyue seemed remarkably relaxed.
The remaining procedures went smoothly. Yang Lizheng completed her household registration documents, and the following day he would report the matter to the county office.
Guan Xiyue was extremely satisfied.
Being transported into another world wasn’t easy. At last, she had a legitimate identity.
She was now officially a citizen of Datong Village, Quqing County, Great Ning.
Still, Yang Lizheng looked somewhat concerned.
“You know there won’t be any farmland attached to the household. If you want to buy land in the future, come find me. As for housing, I’m not sure whether you have a place to live. If not, there’s a small rundown house near the village entrance. It used to belong to Old Sun’s family.
“His son became successful and bought a house in the prefectural city, so they’ve abandoned the old place.
“It’s fallen into disrepair. You can stay there temporarily if you like. If you want to buy it, it’ll cost two taels of silver for the plot.”
Guan Xiyue didn’t refuse.
“Thank you, Uncle Yang. Please keep that house for me.”
With the matter settled, she happily took her leave.
Her steps were light as she headed toward the village entrance.
Later, villagers said they had witnessed Guan Xiyue boldly hiring Old Zhu’s ox cart exclusively for herself and heading into the county town.
Ordinary villagers usually traveled on foot. Only when the distance was particularly long or when they had heavy loads would they spend one or two copper coins to ride an ox cart.
It wasn’t even market day, and nobody was hiring carts.
Yet Guan Xiyue casually spent ten copper coins to reserve the entire cart.
She really had money now.
She really was impressive.
When her grandmother, Madam Wang, heard about it, she felt somewhat displeased.
“That girl wastes money the moment she gets some. Doesn’t she know how to show filial respect to her grandparents?”
Guan Maidong was also unhappy.
Back in the day, when they went to market, Guan Xiyue had been willing to walk over ten li there and back on her own two stout legs, even when there was no ox cart available and no money to buy anything.
She truly had become wealthy.
As Guan Xiyue admired the scenery of this era, she felt refreshed.
Everything was natural and unpolluted.
The breeze was gentle.
The air was crisp and clean.
It was incredibly pleasant.
Upon reaching the county town, she first bought two sets of ready-made cotton clothing.
Then she rented a room at an inn, enjoyed a long hot bath, and slept soundly.
Fortunately, money went a long way in this era.
A set of cotton clothes cost only three or four qian of silver.
A room at the inn cost one qian per night.
Even after paying for transportation and three meals, she still had a full three taels of silver left.
Though her funds were limited, Guan Xiyue wasn’t worried.
She knew countless recipes.
In her previous life, she had been a food blogger.
She filmed cooking videos and posted them online, gaining a large following.
Beautiful and highly skilled in the kitchen, she could prepare both Chinese and Western cuisine. Baking and pastries were no challenge either.
Her work as a content creator had provided a comfortable life.
Because she enjoyed experimenting with things, she had even learned how to make homemade cosmetics.
Once she became wealthy, her sense of aesthetics improved dramatically. She tried luxury brands and could confidently carry herself at high-end social events.
Then came the car accident.
At twenty-six years old—the prime of her youth—she had wealth, beauty, and a promising future.
She had just purchased a luxury river-view apartment in a major city.
That day, she was driving to meet her mother and younger sister for dinner when she discovered that her brakes had failed.
Panicked, she collided with several vehicles in succession.
In the final moment before losing consciousness, she thought:
Well, I suppose Mom and my sister will inherit everything now.
In truth, her mother was her adoptive mother.
Naturally, her younger sister wasn’t biologically related to her either.
Growing up had not been easy.
She endured endless cold treatment.
Within the family, she occupied a position little different from that of a servant.
She did all the housework.
Her sister, meanwhile, was treated like a princess.
As long as she acted cute after eating and drinking her fill, she received all of their mother’s affection.
Her adoptive father had treated her fairly well, but he had passed away early.
Afterward, her mother constantly called her a jinx, claiming she had brought about his death.
Starting in high school, she worked part-time jobs after classes.
Most often she was a waitress.
She washed dishes, served food, and cleaned.
The money she earned paid not only for her own tuition but also for her sister’s living expenses.
When she entered university, she took out student loans and worked even harder.
She had to support herself, her mother, and her sister.
All her grievances remained buried inside.
At least she had a family, she always told herself.
Compared to children with no home at all, she considered herself fortunate.
University broadened her horizons and gradually changed her outlook.
She began creating online content and running an online store.
Perhaps she had a good eye for opportunities.
Perhaps she was simply hardworking and attractive.
Either way, her life improved dramatically.
Countless men pursued her—handsome ones, wealthy ones, kind ones.
Yet she never dated any of them.
Partly because she never felt her heart stirred.
Partly because she had known poverty and hardship too well.
She only wanted to make money, enjoy life, see the world, and experience everything interesting it had to offer.
After graduating from university, she had already achieved a degree of fame.
Her career flourished more and more each year.
Her mother and sister’s attitude toward her was complicated.
Whenever she fulfilled their demands, they treated her warmly and the whole family seemed harmonious.
Whenever she refused, her mother would assume the posture of a benefactor, listing every penny spent raising her and every hardship endured because of her.
Most importantly, her mother always emphasized one point:
Picking her up and raising her had saved her life.
Just like this time.
After Guan Xiyue bought her luxury apartment, her mother demanded that she buy her sister a large house as well—preferably a villa.
Yet her sister had already graduated from university and had no intention of finding work.
She simply wanted to live the life of a wealthy heiress.
Since she couldn’t become rich through her mother, she planned to enjoy luxury through her older sister instead.
She wanted nothing more than to dress beautifully every day, meet wealthy young men, marry one of them, and live comfortably without effort.
As Guan Xiyue thought about these things, she felt surprisingly calm.
She knew perfectly well that if she died in the accident, her mother would not grieve very deeply.
On the contrary, her mother and sister would likely enjoy a prosperous life supported by the inheritance she left behind.
As for her disappearance from that world, she considered it the repayment of every debt she owed her adoptive mother.
She had originally been an abandoned infant left by the roadside.
The grudges and bonds of her previous life were now over.
In this new life, she intended to live much more freely.
Lost in thought, she began tidying herself up.
Standing before a mirror, she arranged her hair into a simple coiled bun and secured it with a wooden hairpin.
Suddenly, she noticed that she seemed slightly slimmer.
The discovery filled her with hope for future weight loss.
She changed into a newly purchased light-green dress.
The style was simple, but it looked fresh and elegant.
The bright reds and greens she had worn before were merely the original owner’s preference.
At the time, she hadn’t had the mood or money to buy new clothes.
Now, however, a new life was beginning.
Naturally, she would spend money on the things she liked.
And that journey would start with wearing the clothes she truly wanted to wear.