TSWRLM -Chapter 10 Who Said I’d Throw You Out?

Madam Wang had never been literate.

When Chun Xi was four, her father started holding her hand to teach her how to write, even leaving her homework. Often, when he went on escort missions, he would be gone for months at a time, leaving only Madam Wang to care for Chun Xi.

Madam Wang believed girls didn’t need to study, but she dared not go against her husband’s wishes. She also hoped her daughter’s intelligence would bring her husband a bit of joy when he returned. So she sought someone to teach her to read and write, learned herself, and then passed that knowledge on to Chun Xi.

With brush, ink, paper, and inkstone ready, Madam Wang quickly wrote out the agreement and bit her finger to leave a blood-red thumbprint.

Chun Xi, recalling the times her mother had taught her to write as a child, felt a dull ache in her heart when she saw the crimson mark.

Once Madam Wang finished, Chun Xi immediately took the brush and wrote her own statement.

She refused the dowry, and after marriage, she would not ask her family for a single coin.

After pressing her thumbprint, they exchanged documents. Madam Wang felt a pang of unease but remained stern: “Tomorrow I’ll find the matchmaker. If you’re so capable, don’t eat another grain at home, and remember to pay for your room.”

A young girl, unmarried and with nowhere to stay at her own home—where else could she go?

Madam Qian carefully tugged at Chun Xi’s arm: “Good sister, what Mother said was in anger. Don’t take it seriously. Just soften a little, and everything will be fine.”

Cao Wen clung to Chun Xi’s leg, whining: “Sister, you just came home! I don’t want you to marry off so soon. Can you stay at home and spend more time with me?”

Even the neighbors urged Chun Xi to admit fault.

After all, Madam Wang was her mother. Though she spoke harshly, managing a household alone for so many years was not easy. What else could a daughter do but be patient?

But Chun Xi did not feel she had done anything wrong.

She placed a silver coin or two on the table: “The cheapest inn charges three wen per night. If it costs more than that, I’ll stay elsewhere.”

Madam Wang hadn’t expected Chun Xi to resist so thoroughly.

She snatched the silver, trembling with anger: “Fine, fine! You’ve learned some skills in the Wei household and grown wings. From now on, I’ll act as if you aren’t my daughter at all!”

After speaking, Madam Wang broke into tears. This time, it was genuine sorrow. The others rushed to comfort her. Chun Xi returned to her room, bolted the door, and let Madam Wang and the others scold her for being disobedient.

Madam Wang ranted well into the night, and early the next morning, she went out to find Matchmaker Zhang.

Matchmaker Zhang was well-informed and already knew about Chun Xi’s situation. When Madam Wang mentioned it, she smiled: “Your Chun Xi is beautiful and hardworking. Though a bit older, she’s still very presentable. Leave this matter to me.”

Madam Wang was surprised: “Chun Xi has been serving the Young Master at the Wei household all these years—you might not know…”

“I know. Young Master Wei was bedridden with paralysis before. His recovery is all thanks to Chun Xi. That shows she’s lucky and blessed—something many people could never attain, no matter how much they begged.”

Matchmaker Zhang praised Chun Xi endlessly and flattered Madam Wang for raising her well. Madam Wang couldn’t help but feel proud.

If she hadn’t reluctantly let Chun Xi enter the Wei household, how could her daughter have such fortune now, being sought after by many?

Feeling pleased, Madam Wang planned to scold Chun Xi properly once she returned home. But when she got back, the kitchen was cold, nothing was prepared to eat, and Chun Xi and Madam Qian were nowhere to be found.

Madam Wang angrily cooked a bowl of plain noodles for herself. Just as she finished, the two girls returned.

Madam Qian’s face had been smiling, but upon seeing Madam Wang, her expression turned serious: “Mother, you’re back.”

She then couldn’t help but burp.

Immediately, Madam Wang smelled the aroma of roasted lamb.

So while she had eaten plain noodles at home, they had been out enjoying delicious food.

Outrage boiled within her.

Before she could explode, she saw Madam Qian tug down her sleeve to cover the silver bracelet on her wrist.

Madam Wang glared at Chun Xi. But before she could speak, Chun Xi went into the kitchen carrying the food she had bought.

Madam Wang followed and saw Chun Xi pull out a wild rabbit, a large chunk of pork, and various spices—chili, bay leaves, star anise.

Some of the ingredients were more expensive than the pork!

Madam Wang’s eyelids twitched violently.

She controlled all the money in the house and had checked it upon returning. None of the cloth stored in her room had been touched. Chun Xi, spending so freely, must have hidden some money!

No wonder this girl was so determined to refuse a dowry—she had gained an even bigger benefit!

Indeed, Madam Wei would never send Chun Xi off with just a cartload of cloth, as she doted on her son.

How much silver had Madam Wei given Chun Xi? Thousands? Tens of thousands?

Madam Wang’s heart ached with envy as she scolded: “You heartless girl! All your cleverness is used against your own family. How much silver did Madam Wei give you to make you so ruthless as to sever ties with us?”

Madam Wang regretted her earlier anger.

She shouldn’t have made such a scene with Chun Xi without knowing exactly how much she had received.

The thought of Chun Xi going to marry with a fortune in hand felt like someone cutting flesh from her body.

Seeing Madam Wang’s pained expression, Chun Xi smirked and teased: “If I hadn’t looked out for myself, you would have thrown me out last night already.”

When she had been assigned to care for Wei Lingze in Lingfeng Courtyard, Chun Xi realized that to survive, she could only rely on herself.

Worried about the “fortune” Chun Xi carried, Madam Wang’s tone softened: “Who’s throwing you out? You’re the one I gave my life to bear. If you hadn’t embarrassed me in front of so many people, could I have been so upset?”

Chun Xi ignored the comment, washed the rabbit, and placed it on the chopping board. Then she asked: “I’ll convert the firewood and oil into money for you. Do I need to pay extra for using the stove?”

Chun Xi treated Madam Wang like a stranger negotiating prices. Madam Wang, speechless, muttered: “Do as you wish,” and stormed back to her room.

Unbothered, Chun Xi chopped the rabbit into thumb-sized pieces.

To make jerky, the meat needed repeated steaming and sun-drying. She planned to prepare some rabbit meat to give Shen Qingyuan a taste.

The Wei household valued culinary skills, employing several chefs trained in different cuisines. Chun Xi had learned some during her time there, and now it came in handy.

She heated oil over high fire, stir-fried the marinated rabbit until golden, added salt, chili, green and red peppers, and spices, tossing everything to color. Before removing from the pan, she sprinkled in white sesame, creating fragrant, spicy, and numbing rabbit meat.

It would taste even better after cooling and soaking in its own juices.

Chun Xi packed the meat into a food container and cleaned the kitchen thoroughly before heading out.

She had just left when Madam Wang entered the kitchen.

The smell had made her mouth water, but she saw that Chun Xi had left not a scrap behind and had even cleaned the pan spotless.

Who was this stubborn girl taking the rabbit meat to?