Volume One, Chapter Four: Collecting the Debt!

But Zhao showed no change in expression, smiling as she greeted Shen Yuan. “Yuan girl, you’ve just returned and rushed straight to my home—are you eager to deliver something to your aunt? Come inside quickly! Chunhua and Qiuyue have heard you’re going to the city to see Brother Yu and have been looking forward to your return. They didn’t even eat breakfast this morning, waiting anxiously for you!”

“Aunt, I really did bring something good for you all this time,” Shen Yuan replied, ignoring the greed flashing in Zhao’s eyes, her smile gentle and obedient.

“Open it quickly, let me see!” Zhao said, reaching for the wooden box in Shen Yuan’s arms, but Shen Yuan deftly dodged.

“Don’t be impatient, Aunt. Let’s go inside first.”

“Right, right, you must be tired from the journey back from the city. Come rest at your aunt’s house!” Zhao warmly ushered Shen Yuan into the courtyard, her eyes never leaving the wooden box.

The box wasn’t large—what could be inside that was so valuable?

Was it the silver bracelet she had been hinting about recently, or the red rouge she wanted to buy in the city?

Zhao could hardly wait to open it, but Shen Yuan, deliberately keeping the secret, said nothing, and out of decorum, Zhao did not press her directly.

Chunhua and Qiuyue, who had been playing house by the courtyard wall, immediately put down their bowls and dishes and ran to Shen Yuan. “Sister Yuan! Sister Yuan!”

Both called her “Sister Yuan” in sweet tones, one more endearing than the other.

But Shen Yuan remained unmoved.

In her previous life, she had been demoted to a servant in the princess’s mansion, while the Chu sisters had been taken to the capital by Zhao to live in the residence granted by the emperor to Chu Yuning.

On Xiao Yunyan’s birthday, Zhao had brought Chunhua and Qiuyue to offer congratulations. Upon entering the princess’s mansion and seeing Shen Yuan, the sisters immediately put on airs and bossed her around, even making her kneel and serve as a human cushion for their sedan chair.

She still remembered Qiuyue’s scornful words vividly:

“Your Highness, this wretched woman is so vulgar—how could she be my brother’s childhood sweetheart? She isn’t even from the same village! My brother doesn’t know her at all!”

“She’s just a refugee from our village, origin unknown. Somehow she learned a bit of medicine and pretends to be a doctor. Her hands have touched countless men’s wrists—just looking at her makes me feel dirty. Please don’t believe her nonsense, Your Highness!”

“Sister Yuan, what are you thinking? Why aren’t you speaking? Are you too tired? Sit down and rest! This box looks heavy—I’ll help you carry it!”

Two voices overlapped in Shen Yuan’s mind; suddenly she opened her eyes and looked at Qiuyue reaching for her wooden box, pushing her away sharply.

Qiuyue staggered and fell to the ground, surprised by Shen Yuan’s reaction.

“Yueyue, are you alright?” Zhao hurried to help her youngest daughter up, shooting a resentful glance at Shen Yuan. “Why did you push Yueyue?”

“Mother, don’t blame Sister Yuan. She surely didn’t mean it,” Qiuyue smiled at Shen Yuan without any offense. She wore twin coil buns tied with pink ribbons, and when she smiled her chubby cheeks revealed dimples, making her look especially lovable.

Back then, Shen Yuan had been completely charmed by Qiuyue’s innocent sweetness, treating her like a beloved younger sister.

Yet the one who ultimately stabbed her in the heart was this very sister she had cared for all those years.

Shen Yuan ignored Qiuyue and sat down on a rattan chair. “Someone go next door and invite Uncle Lizheng over. When he arrives, I’ll open this box.”

Why invite Uncle Lizheng?

Zhao found it odd but didn’t stop Chunhua from fetching him.

Soon, Chunhua returned with Uncle Lizheng.

He entered the courtyard, glanced briefly at Zhao, who immediately lowered her head and brushed her stray hair aside. Lizheng then approached Shen Yuan and asked, “Yuan girl, why did you call me here?”

Since he usually got his medicine from Shen Yuan’s family at half the town’s price, Lizheng treated her kindly.

Before Shen Yuan could speak, Zhao cut in, “Yuan girl went to the city yesterday to see Yu’er. She must have bought something nice there to honor you, Uncle Lizheng!”

Turning to Shen Yuan, she demanded, “What exactly did you bring back? Open it so everyone can see!”

“Alright,” Shen Yuan smiled and opened the wooden box. Zhao craned her neck to look in, while Chunhua and Qiuyue pressed forward, their eyes growing wider with each passing moment. When they saw the box contained only a few pieces of paper, Zhao frowned.

“What is this? Where are the silver bracelets and rouge?”

Shen Yuan chuckled coldly. “These are the marriage certificate and IOU your son wrote to me with his own hand.”

Zhao’s expression shifted. “What do you mean by showing this now? Are you trying to force a marriage? Didn’t I tell you—after my son passes the provincial exam, he will marry you. There’s still a year before the autumn exam—why the rush?”

“And the IOU? What IOU? Our family never owed you money! All that money was voluntarily given to my son by you—it can’t be considered a loan!”

Shen Yuan had long anticipated Zhao’s denial of the IOUs, which was why she had invited Uncle Lizheng to bear witness.

“I came today for two reasons: to annul the engagement with Chu Yuning, and to collect the debt from your Chu family!”

“Annul the engagement? You mean… you want to break off the engagement?” Zhao stood frozen, never expecting Shen Yuan to initiate ending the betrothal.

Though she looked down on Shen Yuan, she had to admit the girl was capable—she always brought back valuable medicinal herbs from the mountains and knew medicine, making money. At least their Yu’er still depended on Shen Yuan. They needed the money she earned! They could not let the engagement be broken!

With that thought, Zhao gave Qiuyue a meaningful glance. Qiuyue immediately stepped forward, clutching Shen Yuan’s arm.

“Sister Yuan, did my brother upset you this time in the city? I apologize on his behalf—please don’t be angry with him, okay? I just want you to be my sister-in-law!”

“You don’t want me as your sister-in-law; you want me as your family’s purse!” Shen Yuan pulled her arm free and looked down at her. “Qiuyue, you’re only nine years old, yet you’re already full of scheming and deceit. Has your family been feeding on cunning since childhood?”

Qiuyue’s innocence and charm vanished instantly, her face darkening as she struggled to control her emotions.

Shen Yuan paid no mind and approached Uncle Lizheng, first spreading out the marriage certificate. “Uncle Lizheng, this is the betrothal letter Chu Yuning wrote three years ago in your presence, with your seal as witness. The engagement was witnessed by you then, and today I ask you to witness its annulment as well.”

Lizheng didn’t answer immediately but glanced at Zhao before carefully saying, “Yuan girl, this marriage was arranged by the elders of both families. You’re just a girl—you can’t decide your own marriage. You should have your grandmother come for this.”

Would she really want to bring the Chu family’s contemptuous tongues down on her grandmother?

Village households had fewer formalities. Announcing the engagement or its annulment to the village elder like Uncle Lizheng was sufficient. Shen Yuan knew Lizheng was siding with Zhao.

After all, his surname was Chu, and he was Chu Yuning’s second uncle.

Shen Yuan also understood that she couldn’t succeed in both matters today, but at least one must be achieved.

She took out the IOUs from the box. “Uncle Chu says I can’t decide my own marriage, but as the creditor, I can decide my own debt, right? Over ten years, Chu Yuning borrowed one hundred taels of silver from me. I want you to repay it today, or I will take this to the magistrate’s office and go with the officers to the Ziyun Academy to collect my debt!”