After laying out the ways she’d been deprived of food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities in the Zhai household, Xie Yushu moved on to her education.
Growing up under such harsh conditions, the original owner never gave up learning. She would sneak out while her aunt was at work and her uncle was doing odd jobs in town, then go to a private school to audit classes. At night, she’d read by the bright moonlight.
She got her books by copying them at a bookshop. The shop allowed free copying, and because of her beautiful handwriting, the owner took notice and hired her to copy books in her spare time. She was paid for each copy she completed.
The original owner used this income to continue her education, and she grew up this way until she was sixteen.
Though she never had the chance to take the imperial exams, she was spotted by the director of Mapu Ferry, who recognized her arithmetic skills and offered her a position as a steward.
The director valued talent. Though the original owner was timid, her skills were undeniable—she was efficient and capable, and her pay and treatment were good.
Even after earning money, she didn’t spend recklessly. Her personal expenses were minimal. For the first few months, she did hand over part of her wages to the Zhai family. But once she decided to buy her own house and move out, she started saving.
After two years of saving, she bought a modest house in Songwan Town, the neighboring town to Bailian.
Her independent life was infinitely better than living with the Zhai family. The rough hands that had done menial labor gradually recovered their fairness and softness with the help of ointments she applied regularly.
When she found that job, the Zhai family looked at her as if she were a monster.
They all thought the same: why should such good fortune fall on her?
Li Yu was especially frustrated. Zhai Yi, despite her mother’s connections, only managed to get a menial job at the same household where Zhai Yan worked.
Why should Xie Yushu have such luck, being chosen by the ferry director?
In those days, his gaze toward Xie Yushu grew even more hateful.
After Xie Yushu finished speaking, another wave of hushed exclamations rippled through the crowd.
Some of the older neighbors still remembered Xie Yushu. They knew her as the daughter of the Zhai family’s deceased younger brother, who’d been raised by the family for years.
They’d always thought the Zhai family was kind, even sending her to work at the ferry in Songwan Town. It was said that Zhai Yan had used her connections to get that job—even her own daughter didn’t get it. Everyone had praised the family for being so generous to their niece.
Now, after this dramatic revelation, they finally understood—it had all been an act. They’d been fooled too.
What connections? It was Xie Yushu’s own talent that had gotten her that job. Zhai Yan’s daughter was nothing more than a laborer under her. And they’d had the nerve to claim credit for it.
Not only did they fail to care for their only niece, but they also treated her cruelly. The neighbors’ gazes toward the Zhai house grew more contemptuous.
Several people spat on the ground in disgust.
Inside, Zhai Yi’s face turned green.
She’d always been inferior to Xie Yushu in every way, despite being older. The only thing she had was her parents. Now, being compared so unfavorably by the neighbors, her insecurity and resentment swelled.
Unable to swallow her anger, she blamed everything on Xie Yushu.
Her father was right—she was a jinx. First, she’d killed her parents; now she was ruining their family.
Her mother should never have brought her home!
Some tender-hearted men, moved by Xie Yushu’s plight, couldn’t bear to see the soot stain on her fair face. One brave young man handed her a clean handkerchief embroidered with orchids, offering it to her.
Surprised by the sudden gesture, Xie Yushu took it and nodded politely: “Thank you.”
Flustered by her thanks, the young man blushed and disappeared back into the crowd.
After wiping her face clean, Xie Yushu held the handkerchief in her palm and turned to look at Zhai Yan, waiting to see what she had to say.
Xie Yushu had spoken without reserve, airing all the family’s dirty laundry. Zhai Yan’s face was ashen. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words of rebuttal came out.
She didn’t dare lift her head. She couldn’t bear to meet her niece’s piercing gaze, which jabbed relentlessly at their weak spots like needles.
At this moment, she was panicked, lacking even the courage to look at the neighbors spitting in disgust at her gate.
When had her niece become so sharp-tongued? It was as if she’d become a completely different person.
The Xie Yushu she remembered—the one who always obeyed, who never dared to defy them—how had she turned into this woman standing before her, speaking with such force, demanding her due?
And how did she remember all of this so clearly?
Who had told her?
It was all over. The Zhai family’s carefully cultivated reputation for kindness had been destroyed in a single day by Xie Yushu. From now on, they’d be branded with a reputation for cruelty. How would they ever hold their heads up in Bailian Town again?
Li Yu hated her with a burning passion. Xie Yushu had trampled their family’s dignity underfoot, flogging it repeatedly. How would others see them now?
Zhai Er hated her just as much as her father did. If word of today’s events spread, her marriage prospects would surely fall through—then how would she ever marry a husband?
Wang Xu, resting in bed to protect his pregnancy, had overheard most of it from inside. He felt deeply unsettled.
He’d married into the Zhai family precisely because of their good reputation, only to find that they were nothing like he’d imagined. Aside from his wife Zhai Yi, who treated him decently, the rest of the family was worse than the next.
In the midst of his emotional turmoil, his stomach began to ache. Alarmed, he quickly called Zhai Yi over.
Zhai Yi rushed in, picked him up, and ignoring the stares, came out to tell Zhai Yan: “Mother, Xu’er is in pain. I’m taking him to the clinic.”
Li Yu, anxious about the first granddaughter of the Zhai family, urged, “Go! Hurry!”
After she left, one of the onlookers—a husband munching on melon seeds—snorted, “See? Karma’s come knocking. That’s the Zhai family’s first granddaughter. I’d say they deserve it. They’ve done too many bad things, and now it’s hitting their unborn child. What a sin—even Heaven can’t stand it.”
Li Yu, enraged, shouted, “What filth are you spewing? Watch your mouth!” He lunged to slap the man. “You and your loose tongue!”
But the husband was no pushover—sharp-tongued and argumentative. He wasn’t about to let Li Yu take his anger out on him. The two immediately started grappling, and melon seed shells flew everywhere.
The crowd grew larger, but no one stepped in to stop them. Some even cheered and egged them on.
Zhai Yan closed her eyes, unable to bear the humiliating sight.
“Aunt, now do you agree to my two conditions?” Xie Yushu’s eyes fell on Li Yu’s disheveled, battered state, and she felt immensely satisfied.
It takes a villain to deal with a villain.
The original owner had given their family too much face, and they’d taken advantage of it.
Seeing Zhai Yan still silent, Xie Yushu lowered her voice—half warning, half consolation: “If you don’t agree, I’ll come every day until you do.”
“I’m sure the neighbors would enjoy having me around.”
Zhai Yan’s vision went dark at the threat. She could already see Xie Yushu standing at their gate every day, drawing a crowd of onlookers pointing and whispering.
She no longer cared why her niece had changed so drastically. She just wanted to get rid of her and never see her again.
Her face fell. She grabbed Xie Yushu’s arm desperately and pleaded, “Yushu, we’ve wronged you all these years. I admit everything you said today.”
“And then?” Xie Yushu pulled free, crossing her arms and looking down at her.
“Can you—”
“No.”
No matter what Zhai Yan said, Xie Yushu refused. She knew exactly what her aunt was after.
She just wanted to sweep it all under the rug.
No money, no deal.
Xie Yushu had come today for one thing—to collect what was owed.
Zhai Yan crumbled. She closed her eyes and sighed, taking a long moment before finally saying, “We won’t sell the old Zhai house. You can live there in peace.”
Xie Yushu nodded, satisfied with her concession. “And the second condition?”
Zhai Yan mentally tallied the silver they could scrape together. Gritting her teeth, she gave a specific number: “Ten guan. The family has almost nothing left. This ten guan is being pried from your uncle’s and my burial funds.”
Ten guan wasn’t what Xie Yushu had expected. She’d been aiming for at least twenty.
But Zhai Yan’s words were likely true. Her pained expression suggested that if they weren’t desperate for money, they wouldn’t have tried to sell the old house.
Xie Yushu had originally thought the Zhai family was still living comfortably. It seemed they’d reached the end of their rope—down to their burial savings.
But that made sense. Between skimming off the rich household’s purchases and spending her mother’s money, they’d lived well for years. It was time they tasted hardship.
“Ten guan is acceptable. But I also want the deed to the old house.” Xie Yushu proposed a compromise. She already had the keys. With the deed, the Zhai house would be hers alone. Without twenty guan, ten guan plus the deed wasn’t too bad a deal.
Zhai Yan’s heart bled at the demand. After a moment’s deliberation, she gritted her teeth and agreed.
She consoled herself: since they weren’t selling the house, the deed was just a worthless scrap of paper. Better to give it to Xie Yushu for peace and keep her from coming back to ruin their reputation further.
Seeing Xie Yushu’s expression relax, Zhai Yan grew bold enough to try bargaining. Ten guan was still painful to part with. She ventured, “Good niece, could you take a little less? If you take all ten guan, your cousin won’t be able to marry her husband.”
Xie Yushu found her aunt laughable. What good would playing the family card do? It only made her more sick.
She replied flatly, “What do I care if that failure gets married? Better she doesn’t—spare some innocent man from being dragged into your den of wolves.”
Zhai Yan couldn’t even get angry at the insult to her second daughter. She could only force a smile, nodding nervously, afraid that Xie Yushu would raise the price at any moment.
Defeated, Zhai Yan retreated into the house and returned shortly, placing a money pouch and the deed to the old Zhai house heavily into Xie Yushu’s hands.
Xie Yushu carefully examined the deed, then opened the pouch and counted the silver. Seeing the amount was correct, she didn’t waste a single word on the Zhai family—nor did she want to linger. She turned and left.
Seeing the spectacle had come to an end, the crowd dispersed and returned home—but now they’d have plenty to gossip about over their meals.
The Zhai family members were all deflated, their faces drained of color, frozen in place.
They hadn’t expected Xie Yushu to go all out today, airing everything that shouldn’t have been said.
Zhai Yan called her husband and daughters inside: “What are you standing around for! Get inside—are you not embarrassed enough by all these people watching?”
Having achieved her goal, Xie Yushu left the alley in high spirits, clutching the heavy ten guan of silver and the deed to the Zhai house.
She mentally gave herself a thumbs-up for her immersive performance today. The Zhai family knew how to put on an act—so she’d out-act them. The more pitiful she seemed, the more sympathy she’d win, and the more thoroughly the Zhai family’s precious reputation would be trampled.
To quell the uproar, they’d had no choice but to comply with her demands.
It wasn’t entirely an act, though. Xie Yushu had felt the original owner’s suffering almost as if it were her own—that’s why she’d played the part so well.
Back on the busy street, Xie Yushu took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, her heart light.
What a beautiful day—clear skies, gentle breeze, and brilliant sunlight that made her squint.
In the narrow field of her vision, she seemed to see a familiar figure against the sky.
It was the original owner.
Her face no longer held fear or gloom—only release. Her brows were clear, her eyes free of shadows, carrying a childlike, pure smile as she quietly gazed at Xie Yushu.
Then Xie Yushu seemed to hear a faint voice:
Thank you.
Two words, like ripples spreading across a lake, then settling back into stillness.
Xie Yushu stared blankly at the vast blue sky. She seemed to see the original owner transform into the ten-year-old child from her memories—delicate and lovely—holding her mother Xie Lan’s hand in one and her father Zhai Jin’s in the other. The three walked hand in hand toward the brightest place.
The wind was gentle, the light was soft, and a warm halo wrapped around the family of three. Their figures grew brighter and brighter, until their outlines merged with the light and faded away.
In the blink of an eye, the sky was empty. The scene just now felt like a figment of her imagination.
With it came an unusual clarity in her mind—the lingering melancholy and obsessions faded along with the original owner’s departure.
The child who had wept for her parents in the dead of night in the Zhai family’s woodshed had finally found her way home. In her mother’s and father’s arms, she had become that carefree child once more, with no regrets left.
Xie Yushu smiled knowingly and softly replied with two words:
Go well.
Now that the original owner’s unfinished business was settled and all burdens shed, Xie Yushu could truly be herself. From now on, she was Xie Yushu—and she would begin a brand new life.
There was still time. Xie Yushu wandered through the streets, her mood growing lighter with each step.
She thought her performance today had been flawless—exposing the Zhai family’s nauseating hypocrisy, voicing the original owner’s years of grievances, and walking away with a tidy sum and the deed.
As she walked, something occurred to her. She looked down at the handkerchief in her hand—the one the strange young man had given her.
She startled, nearly tossing it away.
Why had she accepted it?!
She mentally scolded herself—how could she have taken a handkerchief from a respectable unmarried man?
She blamed it on being too deep in character at the Zhai house, forgetting herself.
Looking ahead, she spotted a fabric shop and headed in.
The shop was small, selling fabrics and ready-made clothes. Beside the counter was a pile of handkerchiefs. Xie Yushu browsed for a while.
She ended up buying one embroidered with orchids and another with green bamboo.
The orchid embroidery was passable—she didn’t care much about that one anyway; she’d use it to replace the one she owed. The bamboo one, however, was well-made, with neat stitches and vibrant green lines. It caught her eye, so she bought it on a whim.
Following her memory of where the young man had been standing, she found him again.
“Here—a new one. Thanks for earlier.” Without wasting words, Xie Yushu pressed the handkerchief into his hands.
Startled by the woman he’d pitied seeking him out, the young man first froze, then blushed as he accepted the item.
He kept his head down, not daring to meet her striking face. After a moment, he mustered the courage to look up and say something—but in his hesitation, Xie Yushu had already disappeared.
“Where’d she go?”
The alley was empty, save for the usual neighbors he saw every day. There was no trace of the young, beautiful woman.
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