Xu Zifan and his family quickly established themselves in the city. With Lin Ruonan's dedication, their cloth shop was thriving. Xu's parents said they had married a golden child.
Almost no one in the prefectural city knew about their affairs in the town. Xu Zifan had never fallen ill since arriving in Anyang, so the Xu family no longer heard any gossip, and life became much more comfortable.
The Lin family in town was different. They owned a restaurant, and Lin Ruoshan's wine was indeed a major selling point, but the restaurant's dishes were not appealing, and business was so-so.
Many people compared their family to the Xu family. One day, Lin Ruoshan, who rarely went out, happened to overhear people discussing this.
"The Xu family and the Lin family are a perfect example of 'good deeds beget good rewards, and evil deeds beget evil consequences.' The Xu family, with no relatives or connections, went to the prefectural city and still managed to make their business thrive. How long has the Lin family been preparing to open their restaurant in our town? My nephew ate there and said the food was about the same as in a small restaurant, yet they still have the nerve to charge such high prices."
"Who says otherwise? One should always be honest and upright. I wouldn't dare go to the restaurant owned by the Lin family. Who knows if Lin Ruoshan might go crazy one day and poison the food!"
"This... can't be, right?"
"Why not? Lin Ruonan is her own sister, and she can still hurt people to death. What are we outsiders? Anyway, just be careful. It's not like we're starving."
"That's true. If Lin Ruoshan can't get married, who knows if she'll go crazy one day."
Lin Ruoshan hid in the alley and bit her lip until it bled from anger.
How long has it been? Why are they still bringing this up? Is she going to carry this stain for the rest of her life? They criticize her when the Xu family is doing well, and they criticize her when the Lin family's business is struggling. What right do they have to talk about her? What business is it of theirs?
Lin Ruoshan ran home to find Lin Fu, whose temper was becoming increasingly volatile. The business investment had increased, but the returns were about the same as when he ran the tavern, and he often heard gossip. This put immense pressure on Lin Fu, which he found unbearable, and he took his anger out on his wife and children every day.
Lin Ruoshan ran right into the line of fire. Lin Fu scolded her, "Where have you been again? Instead of brewing wine properly, where have you been making a fool of yourself?"
Lin Ruoshan lowered her head and said, "Father, I'm trying to find a quiet place to think of a solution to help you."
"Help? Hmph, if you really want to help me, you should hand over your brewing recipe so I can sell it to Master Li. A thousand taels of silver is enough for me to live on for a lifetime!"
Lin Ruoshan patiently changed the subject, "Dad, I have a talent for mixing seasonings. Why don't you let me work in a restaurant and mix some seasonings while I'm at it? Let's see if the food can taste better."
Lin Fu squinted at her suspiciously, "You can mix seasonings? How come I've never heard you mention it before?"
"I've never done this before, I only got it done these past two days. Dad, it's just a trial anyway, if it works, we can earn more money."
"Then try it at home first, and if it works, then go." Lin Fu didn't take it seriously and impatiently waved her to the kitchen.
Lin Ruoshan added some spiritual spring water to the water and seasonings before drying them. She then had Wang cook for her that evening, and the food tasted delicious. It was so good that she wanted to eat more, almost like an addiction.
Lin Fu hadn't been able to eat for several days, but he managed to eat a large bowl of rice, and a smile appeared on his face. "You'll come with me to the restaurant tomorrow. If you do well, you'll be in charge of the kitchen from now on."
"Father, I won't let you down." Lin Ruoshan smiled obediently, finally managing to enter the restaurant. However, she had matured a lot during this time and was no longer happy about this. Because she understood that this was only the first step, and she still had a long way to go to get the restaurant or escape the Lin family and find a backer.
With the future uncertain, Lin Ruoshan had no idea what the future held. She was simply unwilling to accept that she was worse off than the Xu family, and even less willing to be worse off than Lin Ruonan in her previous life. Otherwise, what would be the point of her rebirth? The spiritual spring water was her only source of confidence. She began to ponder how to use the spiritual spring water to gain the greatest benefit. She had to make herself indispensable.
The allure of the spiritual spring water was undeniable. The food at Lin Family Restaurant began to improve, and diners often felt energized after eating there. People attributed this to the deliciousness of the food, and the restaurant's business improved day by day. Lin Ruoshan also gained a certain degree of influence in the restaurant and began to quietly build her own network of contacts.
However, Lin Ruoshan's life became very difficult. During the day, she had to get up early to add spiritual spring water to all the water at the restaurant, while also being vigilant to avoid being seen. After returning home at night, she would start brewing wine as soon as she finished dinner and "mix" a large amount of seasonings. She was busy from morning till night almost every day, relying entirely on the spiritual spring water to relieve her fatigue. But while her body was no longer tired, she inevitably became more and more mentally exhausted, and even began to resent this kind of life.
Even so, she didn't get any good results. Wang said she was idle at home and wanted Lin Ruoshan to teach her how to make seasonings so that she could prepare them at home while Lin Ruoshan went to the restaurant during the day. But Lin Ruoshan refused no matter what, and couldn't give a reason. Naturally, the Lin family thought she was selfish and didn't treat them as family. So, of course, they didn't treat her as family either. The rift between them grew wider and wider, and their wariness of her grew stronger.
After months of hard work, Lin Family Restaurant finally made a name for itself and became one of the top restaurants in town. Business was booming, and Lin Ruoshan got to know several bosses and rich young men. She secretly sold some of her brewed wine and saved up over a hundred taels of her own money.
Just as she was beginning to experience some joy, she suddenly heard that Xu Zifan had passed the imperial examination!
In August, Xu Zifan entered the examination hall again and, amidst the expectations of his parents and wife, once again topped the list, becoming the top scholar. Some scholars who had been resentful of him because of the prefect's favor now accepted him, and seeing at the banquet hosted by the prefect that the prefect clearly preferred Xu Zifan, they had nothing more to say.
Over the past few months, whether at poetry gatherings or small get-togethers to write articles, Xu Zifan's literary talent has been astonishing and has never disappointed. Moreover, he has insightful thoughts on current affairs and is not the kind of bookworm who only studies by rote. Even if other students are unconvinced or envious, they have to admit that he has genuine talent.
Every holiday, Xu Zifan would bring gifts to visit Lord Liang, where they would play chess, chat, or have a drink together. Lord Liang was nearly fifty years old, and the two quickly became close friends despite their age difference. This secured the Xu family's backing in Anyang Prefecture, and for the past few months, nothing had gone wrong that displeased the Xu family.
Xu Family Fabric Shop developed rapidly, and Lin Ruonan had become a well-known boss lady of the Xu family. She was efficient, quick-witted, and spoke in a pleasing manner. She never shortchanged customers on the fabric and clothing, and her reputation was well-established, attracting many repeat customers.
When Xu Zifan passed the imperial examination with top honors, Lin Ruonan happily announced a 20% discount on all fabrics in the store. This attracted a huge influx of customers, keeping her extremely busy and exhausted. However, she was genuinely happy and sincerely wanted to share this joy with everyone and celebrate Xu Zifan's success.
A scholar from the town came to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination. He witnessed firsthand the booming business of the Xu family's cloth shop and heard that Xu's mother distributed porridge and prayed to Buddha every month, making the Xu family extremely well-known in the prefectural city. Although he did not pass the examination this time, he learned from conversations with other scholars how talented Xu Zifan was and how much the prefect valued him.
When the scholar returned to the town, he unexpectedly encountered Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan outside the prefectural city. He hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Brother Tai'an, it's been a long time."
Xu Zifan returned the greeting with a cupped hand, "Brother Jinwen, how have you been?"
"Yes, I am well. I have heard a lot about Brother Tai'an's deeds these past few days. It seems that Brother Tai'an has been living a very good life since he came to the prefectural city. It is truly enviable."
"Not at all, it's all thanks to everyone's help. Fortunately, my family is safe and sound here, and that's enough." Xu Zifan glanced at him, who was carrying a bundle and hadn't taken a ride, and said, "Brother Jinwen, are you going home? Why don't you come with us? My wife and I are just about to go back to Linxi Village to visit Grandpa."
"That would be wonderful, thank you very much, Brother Tai'an. I did not pass the exam this time, and I would like to take this opportunity to learn from you. I hope you can help me."
"Of course, it would be a pleasure for us to ride together and discuss things along the way." Xu Zifan had the carriages tidied up, so that Lin Ruonan could ride in one by herself with gifts, while he and Jinwen would ride in the other carriage.
"Tai'an" was a name chosen for Xu by his father, meaning peace and health. This was the most important thing for Xu's father, mother, and Lin Ruonan, so he used this name.
Xu Zifan and Jinwen had taken several exams together and were considered acquaintances. Along the way, Xu Zifan genuinely and generously offered Jinwen a lot of guidance, which greatly benefited Jinwen. When they got off the bus in town, Jinwen was still reluctant to leave, lamenting that the journey was too short and he hadn't had a chance to ask for more advice.
Because Xu Zifan first escorted Jinwen home and even got out of the car to say goodbye, the news of their return spread quickly, and many people who heard about it rushed to the streets to see what was going on. He was different now; he was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, something some people never saw in their entire lives, let alone one who had come from their region.
The streets were bustling with activity. Xu Zifan entered Lin Ruonan's carriage, discussed it with her for a moment, then lifted the carriage curtain and nodded and smiled at everyone inside. He instructed someone to distribute some of the things they had brought back to the children on the roadside.
In ancient times, people valued returning home in glory. Xu Zifan and his entourage's carriage led the way, and soon a whole street of people followed behind. The sheer scale of the procession reached even the county magistrate, and Lin Ruoshan naturally found out as well.
She couldn't resist putting on her veil and running into the street to look. Through the carriage window, she saw Xu Zifan, a man of imposing stature. His moon-white brocade robe accentuated his handsome features, and he sat upright in the carriage, exuding the dignity of an official. Beside him, Lin Ruonan had a rosy complexion and a gentle smile. She wore a silk dress, ruby earrings, and two gold hairpins in her hair. She looked even more noble than Lin Ruoshan had seen her in her previous life. It seemed that she was living a better life after marrying Xu Zifan than she had in her previous life.
Why?
Lin Ruoshan couldn't understand it.
After marrying Xu Zifan, she suffered a complete downfall and was incredibly unlucky. Why is it that Lin Ruonan is so happy after marrying Xu Zifan? Is Lin Ruonan really a lucky charm for her husband? Or is she a jinx?
Lin Ruoshan instinctively stepped back. The smug satisfaction of saving her secret stash of money and building connections vanished the moment she saw the two men. Her hundred taels of silver weren't even worth as much as Lin Ruonan's clothes—what was there to be happy about? She realized she was always living in their shadow, seemingly unable to escape…