Life After Becoming the Exiled Consort
Life After Becoming the Exiled Consort 60

Chapter 60

Most of the people present were women with children. Even if they had some biases, they loved their daughters and never thought of selling them, especially not to such a place. They felt the Luo family was too much, bullying Madam Lin excessively. Although divorced or separated women couldn’t take their children, they instinctively hoped Madam Lin could take her daughters. Even if life was hard, it wasn’t a time of famine, and with hard work, they could survive.

“Exactly, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution, getting sores all over your body? What a heartless old woman, truly devoid of conscience. And you, how can you call yourself a father? Those are your flesh and blood, you heartless man…”

The market women cursed harshly, making Luo Dagen’s face turn red.

“Isn’t this Luo Dagen a peddler? How can you buy from such a heartless person? If he’s willing to sell his own daughters to such a place, aren’t you afraid he’ll steal your children and sell them too? After all, if he can sell his daughters to Xiangman Brothel for money, what won’t he do?”

“Good point, we should avoid him in the future…”

Hearing this, Luo Dagen panicked. As a peddler, if the people of Yuanbao Town stopped buying from him, how would he earn money? It would cut off his livelihood.

Old Madam Luo wanted to argue with the women, but the county magistrate suddenly banged the gavel and said, “Silence!”

After banging the gavel, he asked Luo Dagen, “Luo Dagen, what do you think? Are you willing to let Madam Lin write an IOU for twenty taels of silver and let her take Da Niu and Er Niu?”

Luo Dagen nodded vigorously, “Yes, sir, I’m willing.”

Since he could get the money, he didn’t want to sell his daughters to such a place. Selling them there would only get a few more taels, and he feared the townspeople’s resentment if he refused. If no one bought from him, how would he survive?

He began to fear and thought it better to take the money and gain a good reputation.

“Dagen, no!” Old Madam Luo panicked. She had given money to have Madam Lin divorced to separate them. Now, what good was an IOU? Who knew if Madam Lin could earn twenty taels?

Wouldn’t her money be wasted?

Luo Dagen snapped, “Mother, stop talking!”

The county magistrate nodded, “Since you agree, I’ll have someone write the document. You’ll sign and seal it, and the matter will be settled.”

Luo Dagen agreed, and Madam Lin cried with joy.

The surrounding women couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Old Madam Luo wanted to say more, but Luo Dagen stopped her, preventing her from speaking further.

Madam Lin couldn’t write, so the county magistrate had someone write an IOU stating that she owed Luo Dagen twenty taels of silver, to be repaid monthly over ten years.

There was also a separation agreement, stating that Luo Dagen received twenty taels of silver from Madam Lin, and Da Niu and Er Niu would leave the Luo family with Madam Lin, who would raise them. From then on, Madam Lin and her daughters would have no further connection with the Luo family, and Madam Lin would establish her own household with her daughters.

Both parties signed and sealed the documents, and the county magistrate affixed the official seal. Three copies were made: one for Madam Lin, one for Luo Dagen, and one for the county office.

Finally, Madam Lin achieved her goal. Although she now owed twenty taels of silver, she was content.

After witnessing the scene, Madam Bai couldn’t help but feel emotional and worried for Madam Lin and her daughters. Madam Lin couldn’t return to her family, as they weren’t good people either. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have accepted the high bride price of twenty taels of silver from the Luo family and married Madam Lin to someone like Luo Dagen.

Moreover, Madam Lin’s mother hadn’t visited her in years, and her two sisters-in-law wouldn’t let her return with her daughters. The only way Madam Lin could return to her family was if they arranged another marriage for her.

After watching the commotion, Madam Bai naturally shared the news with Madam Gui when she visited her.

So, when Xu Qinyu and Madam Wen returned home that evening, Madam Gui told them about it.

After hearing the story, Xu Qinyu was silent for a while.

Madam Wen couldn’t help but ask, “Yuniang, are you worried about Madam Lin?”

Xu Qinyu shook her head, “It’s not a time of famine, so I’m not too worried. They won’t starve.”

She was more concerned about the status of women in this era, feeling distressed by the various constraints they faced. Madam Lin’s situation wasn’t unique, but other women weren’t as fortunate. Many divorced or separated women were forced into another marriage by their parents, with no say in the matter.

Madam Lin was lucky. She took the first step, went to the county office, and wasn’t turned away. The kind-hearted county magistrate helped her, allowing her to leave the Luo family with her daughters and establish her own household. This was significant. With the county magistrate’s document, Madam Lin and her daughters were now a separate household, free from anyone’s control. Even if her family came, they couldn’t take her away. Few women in this era could establish their own households, usually requiring a lot of money or luck.

In the end, Madam Lin could now raise her daughters without fear of being sold or having her daughters sold. She didn’t have to worry about high bride prices for her daughters in the future.

Madam Wen then asked Madam Gui, “Where is Madam Lin living with her daughters?” She couldn’t help but mutter, “The Luo family is so heartless. Aren’t they afraid of divine retribution?”

Madam Gui replied, “According to Madam Bai, they’re living in that broken wooden shed at the edge of town. Madam Lin has been doing odd jobs to earn some money for food.”

Some kind-hearted people were also willing to let her wash clothes for them.


The next day, Xu’s Food Mansion opened as usual. By noon, the breakfast customers had left, and Xu Qinyu had finished washing up.

As summer arrived, the weather became even hotter. After preparing breakfast, she was drenched in sweat and felt better after washing up.

At this moment, she was sitting in the front hall, resting. The children were still in the kitchen, helping to clean fish in preparation for making fish balls in the afternoon.

Xu Qinyu had also given the children new names. One-Eye was now called Xu Feng, Ugly Egg was Xu Diao, Limp was Xu Yu, and Six-Fingers was Xu Shun.

These names were derived from the phrase “feng tiao yu shun” (favorable weather for crops). They all took her surname, which was discussed with her family. Since they were all beggars, she didn’t intend to make them servants. Instead, she treated them as apprentices, considering herself their second parent. Taking her surname was a good idea, and Xu Qinyu thought of these names overnight.

The children were overjoyed with their new names and often called each other by them during their free time.

“Xu Feng.”

“Yes!”

“Xu Diao.”

“Yes!”

“Xu Yu.”

“Yes!”

“Xu Shun.”

“Yes.”

Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but laugh and let them play around.

As she sat in the hall, she thought about how she would have a break in two days. She couldn’t just stay at home; she planned to go to the mountains to gather some mushrooms and wild grapes. The wild grapes were very sour and not eaten by anyone, but they could be used to make wine or as an ingredient for sour plum soup, adding a hint of grape flavor. She planned to make some and see which flavor people liked.

Everyone was resting at this time, and Madam Lin happened to pass by. She had just finished washing clothes for a family and earned five wen.

Passing by Xu’s Food Mansion, she saw a notice posted outside. Although she couldn’t read well, she had heard about the incident between Xu’s Food Mansion’s Madam Sun and Ping An Eatery. She guessed that Xu’s Food Mansion might be short of waitstaff and that the notice might be for hiring. Madam Lin hesitated for a moment and then walked into Xu’s Food Mansion.

She guessed correctly.

Xu Qinyu had been looking to hire waitresses for the past few days. Many women had come, but Xu Qinyu didn’t know them and was wary of encountering someone like Madam Sun or someone lazy and deceitful. She only asked these women for their names, ages, and addresses, and told them she would inform them if they were selected.

Madam Lin entered Xu’s Food Mansion and saw Young Lady Xu sitting on a bench by the window, resting her chin in her hands, with elbows on the table. She seemed to have just finished working, her fair face slightly flushed, and her eyes bright but somewhat distant, as if lost in thought.

Madam Lin approached and softly called, “Owner Xu.”

Xu Qinyu snapped out of her daze. She had been daydreaming about recipes, thinking about ingredient proportions and seasonings for new dishes. Even for ordinary dishes, her recipes were different from others, focusing on unique flavors.

Seeing Madam Lin, Xu Qinyu smiled, “Sister Lin.”

Madam Lin stammered, “Owner Xu, is Xu’s Food Mansion hiring waitresses? Can I work here? I’m very diligent and can do any work.”

Previously, Young Lady Xu had refused to let her work as a waitress, but Madam Lin wanted to try again. If Young Lady Xu refused again, she would continue doing odd jobs and catching river shrimp to sell.

Xu Qinyu said directly, “Sure, you can start tomorrow.”

She knew Madam Lin well enough. Madam Lin had been weak, but that weakness was due to her environment and family. Madam Lin’s dedication to her daughters showed her good character, which Xu Qinyu valued most in employees. Previously, she had refused because of the Luo family. Now that Madam Lin had freed herself from them, there was no reason not to hire her.

“Start tomorrow?” Madam Lin was stunned, repeating the words in disbelief. She hadn’t expected Young Lady Xu to agree so readily.

Xu Qinyu nodded, “The other two waitresses have been doing all the work these past few days, and it’s been heavy. If you start soon, it will lighten their load. Just to be clear, the monthly wage is eight hundred wen, including breakfast and dinner. Any leftover food can be taken home. If you do well, there will be a bonus at the end of the year, and wages will increase over time. You need to be diligent, attentive, and loyal. Don’t share any information about the restaurant with others.”

Madam Lin’s face turned red with excitement, and she nodded repeatedly, “Okay, okay, don’t worry, Owner. I understand.”

Xu Qinyu thought for a moment, then went to Madam Wen to get eight hundred wen for Madam Lin. “I’ll pay you a month’s wages in advance. Use it to rent a place and settle Da Niu and Er Niu.”

Madam Lin was so moved she almost cried and wanted to kneel and kowtow to Xu Qinyu in gratitude.

“Oh, no, don’t kneel,” Xu Qinyu said, her voice changing as she stepped aside.

Madam Lin couldn’t kneel, feeling embarrassed, and thanked Xu Qinyu again.

After Madam Lin left, Xu Qinyu went outside and took down the notice to hire waitresses.

Holding the eight hundred wen, Madam Lin took Da Niu and Er Niu to find a place to rent. Da Niu and Er Niu were waiting outside. When Madam Lin told them that Xu’s Food Mansion’s Owner had agreed to let her work there, Da Niu looked back at Xu’s Food Mansion with determination in her eyes. She held her mother’s hand tightly and said, “Mother, the Owner is a good person. Er Niu and I are grown up now. I’ll bring Er Niu to help you every day when you go to work. We may be young, but we can do odd jobs, and we don’t need any wages.”

Madam Lin smiled, “Alright.” She didn’t feel safe leaving her daughters alone at home, fearing Old Madam Luo might take them away.

Madam Lin rented a house on North Street, where the rent was cheaper than on South Street. She spent one hundred and fifty wen on a small courtyard, enough for her and her daughters. She kept one hundred and fifty wen for herself and took the remaining five hundred wen to the Luo family in Osmanthus Alley.

To avoid any disputes, she had a neighbor witness the transaction and had a document written stating she would pay the Luo family five hundred wen each month, with a handprint from the Luo family to confirm receipt. This way, she could repay the debt in a little over three years.

When she handed over the money, Old Madam Luo angrily asked if she had secretly saved money while living with them.

Madam Lin coldly replied, “The kind-hearted Owner of Xu’s Food Mansion allowed me to work there and gave me a month’s wages in advance to settle down. From now on, I’ll give you five hundred wen each month.”

There was no point in hiding it, as the Luo family would find out eventually. If Old Madam Luo dared to cause trouble at Xu’s Food Mansion, Madam Lin would chase her away with a knife.

“What?” Old Madam Luo was furious. “Didn’t that little wretch refuse to let you work as a waitress before?”

Madam Lin’s expression grew colder. “Watch your mouth. If you insult Young Lady Xu again, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Old Madam Luo pursed her lips.

The nearby women also scolded Old Madam Luo, praising Young Lady Xu for her kindness and encouraging Madam Lin to work hard and raise her daughters well.

Old Madam Luo, annoyed, reached for the half-string of coins in Madam Lin’s hand.

Luo Dagen suddenly appeared, having heard the conversation outside. He took the money from Madam Lin and told her to give the money directly to him in the future.

Old Madam Luo wanted the money, but her son wouldn’t give it to her.

Luo Dagen knew Madam Lin was working at Xu’s Food Mansion and felt a bit regretful. However, thinking about Madam Lin’s inability to bear a son, he didn’t regret it much. He still wanted a son.

Madam Lin handed over the money and left.

The next day, Madam Lin brought her two daughters to work at Xu’s Food Mansion.

With the addition of the two girls, Xu Qinyu didn’t say much and let them help Xu Feng and the others in the kitchen. However, the kitchen became quite crowded with so many children. Even Cheng Ge’er was still considered a half-grown child in her eyes.

While helping, Da Niu saw Xu Qinyu making meat buns and said, “Owner, I can pleat the buns too.”

Xu Qinyu smiled, “Alright, give it a try.”

Da Niu washed and dried her hands, then started pleating the buns, imitating Xu Qinyu. She wasn’t very fast, but not too slow either, and seemed more skilled than many beginners. When she finished, Xu Qinyu noticed that the pleats weren’t perfectly round and were slightly crooked, but they looked better than most people’s attempts.

Xu Qinyu was surprised, “Is this your first time pleating buns, Da Niu?”

Da Niu nodded. Her family had never eaten buns. She just watched the Owner and thought it looked simple, so she wanted to help.

Xu Qinyu was pleased. This child seemed to have a natural talent for making dough-based foods. Even if she couldn’t make other types of dough foods, her first attempt at pleating buns looked better than most people’s. This was a sign of talent in making dough-based foods, and Xu Qinyu thought she could teach Da Niu more about it. She gave Da Niu a ball of coarse dough to practice pleating. In the future, Da Niu could help with pleating buns and gradually learn other skills.

Da Niu took a ball of coarse dough and went to practice pleating.

Madam Lin was a bit anxious, fearing the Owner might misunderstand and think Da Niu was trying to steal her skills. But Cheng Ge’er reassured her, saying that Fourth Sister-in-law was a skilled chef looking for apprentices to pass on her culinary knowledge.

Madam Lin felt relieved and even more grateful to Xu Qinyu.


Two days later, Xu’s Food Mansion was closed for a break. Xu Qinyu borrowed a donkey cart from Madam Wu and planned to gather mushrooms and wild grapes in the mountains outside town. She took Cheng Ge’er and Gong Ge’er with her, and eventually, Xu Feng and the other three children wanted to join as well. Even Madam Wen went along, worried about Yuniang and the children.

Although they had enough money to buy a donkey cart, they were usually too busy. Xu Qinyu planned to have Cheng Ge’er buy one after this trip, making it easier for him to buy vegetables in the future.

They left town and headed towards the mountains.

Once there, Xu Qinyu started gathering wild mushrooms.

Madam Wen was worried about Yuniang, as the mountains were full of snakes, insects, and other dangers. She feared for her safety and the possibility of encountering hunters or ill-intentioned people. So, she had Xu Feng accompany Yuniang while she led Cheng Ge’er and the others to pick wild grapes.

In summer, the mountains were full of delicious wild mushrooms, especially the brightly colored ones. Some were edible, while others were not. At least half of these colorful wild mushrooms were absolutely inedible.

But seeing the other brightly colored mushrooms, Xu Qinyu couldn’t help but salivate. Although some had mild toxins, they were true delicacies when properly prepared, with a flavor that lingered on the tongue and was unforgettable.

In later generations, many people knew these wild mushrooms had mild toxins, but they still ate them for their delicious taste.

While picking, Xu Qinyu told Xu Feng not to pick randomly, as even mushrooms of the same kind could have slight differences. One might be edible, while another could be dangerous.

Xu Qinyu gathered these mushrooms for her family, not intending to use them in the restaurant to avoid others imitating her and getting into trouble.

Xu Feng obediently followed her instructions, helping her find bamboo shoots instead.

The bamboo shoots of this season weren’t as fresh and had a bit of bitterness, known as summer bamboo shoots. But they were still edible and could be blanched to remove the bitterness, then stir-fried or made into sour bamboo shoots or stir-fried with meat.

Besides these mushrooms, Xu Qinyu also gathered other edible mushrooms to dry and grind into powder for seasoning. She also picked edible wild vegetables she came across.

By late afternoon, Xu Qinyu and Xu Feng descended the mountain. The donkey cart at the foot of the mountain was already filled with wild grapes picked by Cheng Ge’er and the others.

As they drove the cart back to town, they encountered a group of ragged, emaciated people carrying their belongings. With just one look, Xu Qinyu knew they were refugees from the north, fleeing last year’s snow disaster. It had been over six months, and they had made it to the southwest.

Most refugees had gone south or to the capital, but some had made their way here. They must have avoided the main roads; otherwise, they wouldn’t have ended up here. Seeing their vacant eyes, Xu Qinyu felt a pang of sorrow. She couldn’t give them the bitter bamboo shoots and wild vegetables on the cart, fearing they might cause a commotion and harm the children or eat the mushrooms and get sick.

The southwest had many mountains, full of wild game, vegetables, and fruits that could fill their stomachs. Even if they couldn’t find these, there were plenty of ponds and small lakes outside town where they could catch fish to eat.

In the southwest, food and drink were generally not lacking.

Xu Qinyu wasn’t worried about the refugees stealing the items on the cart. The wild mushrooms and vegetables were in baskets, and the cart was filled with wild grapes, which were too sour for even the refugees to eat, as they would only make them hungrier and cause stomach pain.

However, seeing the refugees, especially a man carrying a woman with a face full of rashes and sunken cheeks, who seemed unconscious, Xu Qinyu’s expression changed. She whispered to Cheng Ge’er, “Cheng Ge’er, take a different path. Don’t walk with these refugees. Stay away from them and drive the cart faster to get ahead of them.”

Cheng Ge’er didn’t ask questions and immediately took a different path, speeding up the cart.

Xu Qinyu also quickened her pace, and the others naturally followed suit.

After passing the refugees, Xu Qinyu whispered a few words to Madam Wen, whose expression changed slightly. “Alright, you and Cheng Ge’er hurry back to town with the cart and inform the county magistrate. Stop them outside the town first. I’ll bring Feng Ge’er and the others back to town as quickly as possible.”

Xu Qinyu nodded, got on the cart, and Cheng Ge’er drove the donkey faster.

In less than half an hour, they returned to town, which was guarded by soldiers. Townspeople could enter and exit freely, but outsiders had to pay two wen to enter.

Once in town, Xu Qinyu asked Cheng Ge’er to take her to the county office. She got off the cart and told Cheng Ge’er to take the items back to the restaurant.

Cheng Ge’er didn’t ask questions, nodded, and drove the cart away.

Xu Qinyu didn’t beat the drum at the county office but went to the back courtyard and knocked on the door. An old woman opened it, recognized Xu Qinyu as her daughter’s friend, and invited her in.

Yang Zhizhi was delighted to see Xu Qinyu. “Qinyu, what brings you here?”

Xu Qinyu didn’t have time for pleasantries and said seriously, “Zhizhi, I need to see the county magistrate.”

Catscats[Translator]

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