Chapter 5

Madam Qian was willing to support her sister-in-law and her daughter, but she absolutely did not want to bring home a troublesome person who would disrupt the household! At this moment, seeing Wang Si obediently following Madam Zhao, Madam Qian couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved, though she wasn't completely reassured. Wang Si was indeed more obedient than Wang Jiao and closer to Madam Zhao. But that was under normal circumstances. The Wang family had just experienced a devastating upheaval. Even mature adults would have difficulty handling such a major change, let alone a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl. Madam Qian was worried that after experiencing such a huge change, Wang Si might develop a twisted personality and then Madam Qian comforted Madam Zhao while deliberately not mentioning Wang Si, as though she didn't consider her part of the family. She simply wanted to see how Wang Si would react. Wang Si: ... The Duke Weiguo's household was, after all, her mother's maternal family. As a daughter of the Wang family, she was essentially only a guest in the Zhao household. Since she was staying in someone else's home, she needed to understand her position as someone living under another family's roof. If the women of the Zhao family treated her well, that was their kindness. If they didn't, she had no right to demand anything from them. She maintained a sweet and obedient expression and showed no dissatisfaction or resentment toward Madam Qian's “test.” Madam Qian noticed Wang Si's expression and was somewhat satisfied. She seemed like a sensible child. She only hoped that she would continue to be this understanding in the future. “You must be hungry. I've already had some food prepared.” “And I've prepared a courtyard as well. Wan Niang, I had Begonia Courtyard in the southwest corner cleaned up. It's the most elegant place, so you and Sister Si can stay there for now.” Madam Qian truly was a dependable and considerate sister-in-law, and an excellent wife who supported Zhao Chang. After Madam Zhao and Wang Si entered Begonia Courtyard, their gratitude toward Madam Qian reached an entirely new level. The courtyard had been thoroughly cleaned. The servants were respectful, and hot water, fresh clothes, and everything else they needed had already been prepared. “Sister Si, go take a bath and wash away all the bad luck. Then we'll have dinner!” “Yes, Mother!” Wang Si answered and followed a young maid into the bathing room. Inside was a large imperial bathing tub. Steam rose gently from the hot water, with a few flower petals floating on the surface. After being reborn, Wang Si was no longer the same person she had been when she first transmigrated in her previous life. She had already grown accustomed to being served by maids. The clothes she was wearing were still the same ones she had worn three days earlier when the Wuchang Marquis's household had been confiscated. Her jewelry had been taken, and her hair had become disheveled. Her exquisite pink brocade high-waisted ruqun had become filthy and tattered while she was being escorted away and thrown into prison. Her accessories, purse, scented sachets, and other belongings had also been taken by the soldiers and prison guards. When Wang Si took a careful sniff, she realized that there was still a foul, rotten smell clinging to her body. After spending three days in the cold and damp prison, surrounded by stale air, rancid food, and filthy chamber pots, Wang Si had been left in a miserable state despite Madam Zhao protecting her. “Luckily, I still have my portable kitchen. At least I didn't suffer too much when it came to food!” Yes. Wang Si possessed a cheat. Before transmigrating, while she was still a university student, she had accidentally awakened a portable space. However, her space was different from the ones in novels. More accurately, it was a kitchen. It had a stove, a wood-burning stove, a gas stove, and everything else a kitchen needed. There were rows of shelves and cabinets for storing ingredients and seasonings. There were also various pots, cooking utensils, and tableware. The only drawback was that this kitchen could only store items related to food. It could not function as a true storage space. Wang Si had this cheat and was also passionate about food, so she became a food blogger. Once, while visiting a restaurant, she went into the kitchen and tried to get close to the head chef so she could secretly learn some cooking techniques. Unexpectedly, there was a gas explosion. With a loud boom, Wang Si opened her eyes again and discovered that she had transmigrated into the daughter of a Marquis in a fictional ancient dynasty. Before she could even enjoy the luxurious life of an ancient noblewoman, she received terrible news. The Wuchang Marquis, Wang Yongher biological father in this lifehad become involved in the major Jiangnan salt-tax case. His title was stripped away, his property was confiscated, and the entire family was thrown into prison. More than a hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards surrounded the Marquis's residence, while fierce-looking soldiers stormed through the estate. Wang Si had no time to lament her “hellish start.” She hurriedly took advantage of the chaos and ran to the kitchen. The Wuchang Marquis's household had colluded with the salt merchants and was extraordinarily wealthy. The kitchen was packed with all kinds of precious ingredients. Sea cucumbers, abalone, bird's nest, white fungus, dried fruits, fresh fruits, seafood from the sea and rivers, mountain delicacies and dried goods, fresh beef, mutton, pork, venison, as well as chicken eggs, duck eggs, cow's milk, goat's milk, and all kinds of fresh vegetables. There were also various seasonings. In ancient times, supplies were scarce, and some seasonings were medicinal materials in their own right. Not to mention medicinal cuisine. Wang Si took advantage of a loophole in her portable kitchen and classified some precious medicinal herbs as food ingredients, allowing her to store them all. She completely emptied the main kitchen and the two smaller kitchens. By then, the soldiers had also found Wang Si and gathered her together with the other women of the Wang family before sending them to prison. During the three days she spent in prison, Wang Si relied on the pastries, steamed buns, and cooked porridge she had taken from the main kitchen. That way, she didn't have to force herself to eat the filthy gruel, nor did she go hungry. Just like in her previous life, her maternal uncle Zhao Chang came to the prison on the third day and arranged for Madam Zhao to divorce Wang Yong. He also promised that she could take one daughter with her. In her previous life, Wang Jiao had fought to go with Madam Zhao. The Dowager Madam had then used her authority as an elder to pressure Madam Zhao and Wang Si into accepting the arrangement. Although Wang Si had been somewhat unwilling, she knew she still had her cheat. Even if she went into exile, she might not necessarily suffer. Perhaps there might even be an opportunity waiting for her along the road to exile. Wang Si had always been an optimistic person and believed that “everything happens for the best.” Well... To put it bluntly, even if Wang Si hadn't been optimistic, there wasn't much she could do. This was ancient times. Even in this fictional feudal dynasty, strict social rules existed. Filial piety was considered more important than anything else. A single word from the Dowager Madam could determine the fate of younger members of the family like Wang Jiao and Wang Si. Rather than causing a huge conflict, it was better to go with the flow and earn herself a reputation for filial piety and sharing hardships with her family. “...Everything from my previous life is already in the past.” Sitting in the bathing tub with her entire body immersed in the warm water, Wang Si thought calmly. As far as she was concerned, the grudges of her previous life had already been settled. She wouldn't dwell on them too much. After being reborn, she had returned to the very day the Wang family's estate was confiscated. Just like in her previous life, Wang Si had once again rushed to empty several kitchens. Because of what had happened in her previous life, Wang Si had also thought of another loophole in her portable kitchen. Golden bowls and silver chopsticks were also tableware. Jade bowls and dishes were tableware too. As a powerful noble family that had colluded with the salt merchants, the Wang family's treasury contained complete sets of golden and silver ritual vessels. She took them all. Even if she still had to go into exile in this life, having these valuable items would allow her to live even better than she had in her previous life! “What I didn't expect was that Wang Jiao was reborn too.” Wang Si thought to herself. She guessed that Wang Jiao had returned three days later than she had. This should have something to do with her “obsession”