The Guans in the crowd fell silent. It felt like the duck that was already in their hands was about to fly away.
In truth, what she said wasn’t entirely unreasonable. After all, they were still family. How could a young unmarried woman make decisions about something as big as building a house? And she had already been sent back home after being divorced.
But Guan Xiyue simply shook her head.
“Grandfather, you still don’t understand what I said. I already established my own household. Everything about me is decided by me alone. I can keep accounts clearly, and I can also choose diligent workers. As for Uncle and Aunt, you know very well what they’re like when they work.”
The crowd burst into laughter.
The eldest branch of the Guan family was famously lazy—though to be precise, the entire Guan family was lazy. Most of the work at home was done by the third branch, Xiyue’s parents. Because of that, they were also among the poorest families in the village. Without the twenty taels from selling Xiyue as a concubine, they barely saw meat all year.
Old Master Guan’s face turned red with embarrassment.
Old Madam Wang rolled up her sleeves and raised her hand to slap Xiyue—but Xiyue was too quick. She easily sidestepped.
What she didn’t expect was that Chunliu moved at the same time.
With lightning speed, Chunliu grabbed Old Madam Wang’s wrist and flung it aside. The old woman cried out in pain, furious but unable to speak.
Xiyue looked at Chunliu in surprise. She hadn’t expected this girl to know martial arts. What a windfall!
Old Master Guan shouted angrily, “Where did this wild girl come from?!”
Chunliu replied calmly, neither humble nor arrogant, “If you have something to say, say it properly. Anyone who dares lay a hand on my young lady will not get away with it.”
The villagers were stunned.
So Xiyue even had a maid who knew martial arts!
This was eye-opening for the entire village. In Dazhuang Village, even the wealthiest families who kept two servants usually looked down on villagers and never interacted with them. Yet Xiyue, whom they had watched grow up, now had a maid like this.
Somehow, her status suddenly felt different.
At first, everyone only thought she was a divorced woman trying to save face by building a house and paying higher wages. Then they assumed she was simply stubborn. But now—with a martial arts maid—they realized something else: she truly had money. She was no longer the same person.
Xiyue was very satisfied. This was an unexpected bonus.
She then turned to her parents.
“If Father and Mother are willing to help, you can come. The wages will be the same as everyone else.”
Third Uncle Guan and his wife quickly agreed.
Even though their daughter had been sent back home, it didn’t make them feel humiliated. Instead, they felt something unexpected—pride. They even sensed envious looks from others in the village.
They looked carefully at their plump daughter. She had changed—but they couldn’t quite tell how. She still looked round and soft, yet no longer clumsy or dull. Instead, she carried a relaxed, natural poise, with words that were both proper and slightly witty. There was something about her… confidence, perhaps.
Even though they couldn’t describe it, everyone could feel it: Guan Xiyue now had the aura of someone who could fully control her own life.
In the end, Old Master Guan and the others didn’t manage to cause any trouble.
Because Xiyue said calmly:
“I am the head of my own household. You and I are two separate families now. Treat me as a married daughter who occasionally visits. If you’re not satisfied, then we can sever ties completely. From then on, don’t expect even a single copper coin from me during holidays.”
That was her ultimate move.
What the Guan family wanted was money. If they truly broke things off, they would get nothing. Besides, she had land and a house being built—she wasn’t going anywhere. There would be time later to deal with her.
So they grumbled a few words and left.
Xiyue’s meeting ended as well, and she took Chunliu to stay at Aunt Liu’s house.
Construction of her house began under the villagers’ watchful, heated gazes.
Most villagers lived in mud-brick homes, but Xiyue was building a blue-brick house—sturdy and elegant. Most homes in the village were single-story, but she was building a two-story, three-room house.
The cooks and helpers were also amazed at how generous she was. Every meal included meat, eggs, tofu, white rice, and steamed white buns. Some villagers even brought vegetables from their fields, and she paid them market prices.
Third Uncle Guan and his wife were delighted. Their neighbors all expressed envy, saying they had a daughter who was both capable and generous. They also earned wages for working for their own daughter and ate better than during the New Year.
However, whatever wages they received were still taken by the old couple of the Guan family. Since the family hadn’t split, it was always like this.
The rest of the Guan family urged them to bring meat and food home from the kitchen. After all, it was their daughter—what was wrong with taking a little?
Even Guan Lao Si, who was studying in a private school, quoted Confucius:
“Among the three thousand punishments, none is greater than being unfilial…”
He argued that since Xiyue was their daughter, she could not possibly be allowed to be unfilial.
But Third Uncle Guan and his wife resisted the pressure and refused to take even a single grain of rice or bite of food from their daughter’s work.
Xiyue observed all of this carefully and understood them better. Though they were timid, obedient, and overly filial, at least they weren’t harming their daughter.
She also noticed her younger siblings.
Her younger brother Guan Ziruan (11) and younger sister Guan Xiaomei (9) kept their distance, showing both curiosity and fear. Their feelings toward her were complicated—part worry, part hesitation.
Only her eight-year-old cousin Guan Ziming was bold enough to sneak toward the kitchen whenever he had a chance, hoping to steal food. It was a pitiful sight.
Xiyue instructed the kitchen manager, Qian Dama, to prevent the children from sneaking in.
Qian Dama understood immediately and tightened control of the kitchen.
Xiyue then called Guan Ziming over, and had him bring Guan Ziruan and Guan Xiaomei as well.
The three children stood in front of her in tattered clothes, hesitant and avoiding eye contact, yet unable to resist sneaking glances at her.
Guan Xiaomei spoke first softly, “Sister… your clothes are so pretty.”
Xiyue was wearing a light blue cotton dress, already considered very fine in the countryside. Guan children rarely had new clothes; whatever good things there were always went to the favored ones—Guan Lao Si, Guan Hezhi, and the eldest grandson Guan Ziyan. The rest wore hand-me-downs.
Then Xiyue remembered something.
When she left the Zhou household, she still had a set of stone-red cotton clothing. It was good material with embroidery, though she didn’t like bright colors and had never worn it again.
She handed it to Guan Xiaomei.
“This is good fabric. I only wore it twice. In the future, I’ll buy you new clothes too. For now, ask your mother to alter this so you can wear it.”