Chapter 1: Boarding the Boat Northward

Chapter 1: Boarding the Boat Northward

"You vile, ulcer-mouthed scoundrel! You used to feign illness, and now you bite back!"

"My son has already passed the civil service exams and has divorced you, this down-and-out merchant's daughter. He even returned the dowry money, showing he’s done his part! Yet you take advantage of my old age, wreaking havoc in revenge! You've smashed my house to pieces! Return the money, you barren, cursed hen! Disgraceful! Pah!"

"Those meager dowry chests of yours, a few rotten wooden boxes, I wouldn’t even glance at them! Take it all away now, so I don’t have to deal with this worthless junk!"

The gentle spring sunlight filtered through the swaying willow branches, and the wild crabapples along the Qinhuai River were blooming in the spring breeze. It was a delightful season of fragrant blossoms, but no one around had the heart to appreciate the beauty. The narrow alley was packed with neighbors eager to witness the commotion. Amid the shrill, furious curses of an old woman, a heavily loaded donkey cart struggled to make its way through the crowd.

Shen Miao, with a small blue bundle tucked under her arm, sat astride the donkey cart. She heard the relentless curses chasing after her and noticed the growing crowd. She quickly pulled out a handkerchief, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with tears.

The original owner had a fragile, pitiful appearance, and having just recovered from a serious illness, she looked even more delicate, like a willow swaying in the wind.

Many bystanders, clueless about the drama, watched intently. Seeing her in a faded, plain floral jacket, her head wrapped in a coarse blue cloth with only a wooden hairpin for adornment, a few strands of hair falling beside her thin, pale cheeks, tears streaming down her face as she was chased and cursed by the old woman without daring to retort, they couldn’t help but feel pity. Some curious ones even went out of their way to ask the neighbors who lived there, "This lady seems kind-hearted. What’s going on here?"

The neighbor, who had been munching on sunflower seeds hidden in his sleeve, perked up at the question and eagerly explained:

"Let me tell you, sir, this Auntie Rong is an old widow with only a scholarly son. He just passed the civil service exams and now looks down on his early-married wife, Shen, who lost both her parents and is frail and sickly, not a promising bearer of many children. She’s been mistreated daily. Now, while Rong Dalang is away studying, Auntie Rong has decided to divorce her! Shen, who used to endure everything, cried and pleaded all day when she learned she was to be divorced. She fell seriously ill a few days ago, but Auntie Rong didn’t even call a doctor, hoping she would die. But Shen is tough and managed to pull through! You won’t believe what happened next!"

The neighbor, spittle flying, didn’t wait for a reply and eagerly continued:

"After this brush with death, Shen’s dull mind cleared up. She stopped crying and begging. She lay low for a few days until she was strong enough to get up, then sneaked away from Auntie Rong and went to the government office to find a lawyer to witness the inventory and retrieval of her dowry. Auntie Rong, ever the miser, refused and was ready to throw a fit, but Shen beat her to it, crying and rolling on the ground, smashing Rong’s pots and pans to pieces!"

Auntie Rong, known for her shrewishness and habit of taking advantage of her neighbors, had long lost her good reputation in the alley. Now, everyone was eager to chime in about the Rong family’s affairs. Someone chuckled, covering their mouth, "Auntie Rong keeps saying Shen hasn’t borne any children in three years, so she’s divorcing her. What a joke! Rong Dalang spends all his time studying at the Mingzhou Academy, hardly ever coming home. Even during the New Year, he only stays for a day or two, and Auntie Rong keeps a close watch, making sure they sleep in separate rooms! We all suspect Shen might still be a virgin!"

Another shook his head, "That’s not all. Most of the money Rong Dalang used for his studies came from Shen’s dowry. Now that he’s passed the exams, he wants to divorce his wife and keep the dowry. It’s already unfair. Luckily, the old lawyer Shen hired was sharp-tongued and well-versed in the law, helping her retrieve the remaining dowry. Otherwise, this wicked mother-in-law wouldn’t be so furious."

So that’s how it is. Truly pitiful. The gentleman nodded repeatedly as he watched the donkey cart gradually move away, then glanced at the fat old woman still standing at the alley entrance, cursing with her hands on her hips, and couldn’t help but feel disdain.

Shen Miao had already left all the vulgar commotion behind. After leaving the alley, she reclined on the donkey cart, her dark eyes now dry and calm. She turned her slightly sickly face to silently gaze at the Qinhuai River, where the sound of music drifted from the flower boats, and the countless willow branches hung over the water. The riverside teemed with lively taverns and teahouses, a picture of prosperity and charm.

One last look, for this was the place where the original owner had spent her entire life.

"Madam Shen, the South Ferry is just ahead. Please stay seated while I find a porter for your luggage," the cart driver said as he reined in the donkey.

Evil mother-in-laws like Auntie Rong, who schemed to seize dowries, were rare even in the Song Dynasty, where Confucian ethics hadn’t yet fully taken root. The driver, hired just that morning, had clearly heard her sad tale and seemed to pity her, even offering to help her out. Shen Miao’s eyes curved slightly as she thanked him softly, "I’m so grateful for your help."

"Ah, no need to thank me. You’re a pitiful soul."

Shen Miao had no intention of lingering in Jinling for long. Since her transmigration, she had resolved to quickly extricate herself from her husband’s family. After all, the Rong family was no golden nest but a fiery pit!

So, the Rong family’s decision to divorce her was just what she wanted! During her "convalescence" in the woodshed, Shen Miao had sifted through the original owner’s memories repeatedly and confirmed that this era was a somewhat different Song Dynasty from what she knew: during the reign of Emperor Taizu, the court had bought back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun with gold and silver. Moreover, the throne hadn’t passed from brother to brother; instead, Emperor Taizong was Zhao Kuangyin’s eldest grandson, Zhao Weizheng.

Thus, this Song Dynasty was prosperous and powerful. Although there were still external threats, there was no "Jingkang Incident" or "Manjianghong." In the original owner’s memories, Jinling was the most prosperous city in the south, where trade was highly developed, and disputes over land and loans were frequent. Lawyers were as common in Jinling as teahouses and restaurants. Jinling even had private schools dedicated to teaching legal studies, known as "litigation studies." This was why Shen Miao could easily hire a lawyer while Auntie Rong was out playing cards.

Moreover, according to Song law, a woman who was divorced, rather than initiating the divorce herself, wouldn’t be subjected to beatings or imprisonment. Retrieving her dowry wouldn’t be harshly criticized, but the husband’s family, if they tried to seize the dowry, would be despised by society. Even if the case went to court, it would be difficult to favor such a greedy family. Given this, Shen Miao, unlike the original owner, naturally wanted to make the Rong family suffer!

Rong Dalang was a mama’s boy who allowed his mother to mistreat his wife. In the original owner’s memories, Rong Dalang even often slept in his mother’s room! He didn’t work, and without marrying the original owner, he wouldn’t have had such an easy life. The Song Dynasty had a tradition of generous dowries, and even though the original owner came from a small merchant family, her dowry had been a hundred strings of cash.

However, the original owner was naive and didn’t keep a tight grip on her dowry, allowing the Rong family to use it for Rong Dalang’s studies and household expenses, while she dutifully served the family’s "tigress." Now, she had only reclaimed a small part of it, but at least she had twenty-three strings of cash, enough to return to Kaifeng—yes, the original owner was from Kaifeng.

Her parents ran a noodle shop in Kaifeng, and business had always been thriving. Three years ago, when Rong Dalang failed the civil service exams, he came to Kaifeng to promote his poetry. While having breakfast at the Shen family’s noodle shop, he caught sight of the original owner and was captivated by her beauty, despite her simple attire. That’s how they met—though Shen Miao suspected his motives were less than pure, likely driven by the Shen family’s substantial dowry.

After reviewing these memories, her suspicions were confirmed.

Rong Dalang was also handsome and smooth-tongued, deceiving the Shen family into believing he was a reincarnated literary genius. They actually married their daughter to him. However, less than six months after the original owner moved to Jinling, her parents were killed in a tragic accident. While driving out of the city to buy vegetables and grain, they were struck by a galloping horse ridden by a young nobleman in fine attire.

The original owner hurried back to Kaifeng to arrange the funeral and care for her two young, bewildered siblings. Three years ago, her younger brother was only seven, and her sister was four—mere children suddenly left without their parents’ protection. She planned to bring them to Jinling, but the Rong family shut the door on them. Her mother-in-law shot her a glare, while Rong Dalang stayed silent.

Later, the original owner justified her actions with various reasons, likely because she felt powerless and her younger brother had already begun his education in Bianjing, making a move difficult. Ultimately, she entrusted her younger siblings to her uncle’s care and rented out the family’s noodle shop through a middleman. The monthly rent was entirely given to her uncle to cover the children’s living expenses.

However, the peace didn’t last. Two months ago, the aunt of the Shen family wrote a letter complaining that the merchant who rented the Shenji shop had been careless with fire. One night, a fire broke out. Though the flames were not extensive, the shop was completely destroyed. Fearing repercussions from the Shen family, the merchant fled overnight, taking his wealth with him. Now, the shop lay in ruins, and no one was willing to rent it again, constantly pressing the original owner for money.

The original owner once again considered bringing her siblings to Jinling, which was also why Auntie Rong was determined to drive her daughter-in-law away: the original owner’s dowry was nearly depleted, and with two more dependents on the horizon, it made more sense to marry a new wife who brought a hefty dowry while her son had achieved the title of scholar.

It was said that Rong Dalang had already caught the attention of Zheng Xueyu of Mingzhou Academy. Zheng Xueyu also had a daughter of marriageable age. Rong Dalang had been trying hard to curry favor with the Zheng family for nearly half a year and had not returned home, likely waiting for the original owner to die so he could marry a new wife.

While dealing with the dowry matters with the lawyer, Shen Miao pondered for a long time and quickly figured out what to do after leaving the Rong family: she thought of the original owner’s background and felt that leaving Jinling to seek a livelihood in Bianjing was not a bad option. Moreover, the original owner’s family ran a restaurant, which aligned with her previous life’s profession.

What a coincidence—her previous life’s family had been chefs for three generations!

Moreover, the original owner’s two younger siblings were still living under someone else’s roof in Bianjing. Shen Miao was not as naive as the original owner; from the letter, she could tell that the aunt was not easy to deal with. Bianjing was expensive, and the shop rent must have been substantial. After three years of rent, she was still pressing for more. She wondered how the two children were doing now.

Since she had taken over the original owner’s body, she owed it to her only living relatives to look after them, not abandon them.

While she was lost in thought, the coachman finally brought a porter and kindly helped her bargain down the price, allowing her to board the boat and head north.