After Shedding Her Status as a Chamber Maid, She Became Obsessed with Making Money

Chen Shiyi is a young woman who has endured a life of abuse and neglect under her stepmother, Lü Erniang, in the rural Xiangyang Village. Following the sudden death of her father, her stepmother decides to sell her to the matchmaker Cai Yapozi to support her own biological children. Rather than fleeing into an uncertain and likely fatal existence, Chen Shiyi accepts her fate with numb resignation, viewing herself as little more than livestock. She allows herself to be sold, enduring the humiliation of being displayed like merchandise before being transported to the capital, Jingdu. Upon arrival, she is purchased by Steward Xu of the prestigious Wen Su Marquis Estate, where she is assigned to work in the main kitchen courtyard under the supervision of Auntie Shi. For the first time in her life, Chen Shiyi experiences basic kindness, adequate food, and a safe place to sleep, leading her to believe she has found a sanctuary.

Her fragile peace is shattered when imperial officials raid the Marquis Estate, arresting the family on charges of embezzling funds designated for dam construction in Yun County. Chen Shiyi, who had briefly stepped away to retrieve her few belongings, is caught in the chaos and arrested alongside the family. She discovers that she is to be exiled to Fangling, a desolate frontier region, as a personal servant to Wen Zhiheng, the eldest son of the Marquis. The journey is brutal; Chen Shiyi and the exiled nobles are shackled and forced to march fifty miles daily through rain and mud. Despite her initial hostility toward Wen Zhiheng, who had used her as a human shield during the raid, Chen Shiyi begins to assist the family out of necessity and compassion. She uses her rural knowledge to create grass ropes for footwear, gathers medicinal herbs to treat injuries, and climbs trees to fetch edible elm seeds for the starving group.

As the exile progresses, the power dynamics shift. Wen Zhiheng, once arrogant, recognizes Chen Shiyi’s value and begins to treat her with a degree of respect, even apologizing for his sister’s cruelty. A landslide during the journey separates the group, and Chen Shiyi risks her life to rescue Wen Zhiheng’s sister, Wen Zhirou, from the mud. This act of bravery cements a bond between them, and Wen Zhirou, once disdainful, becomes one of Chen Shiyi’s few allies. Upon arriving in Fangling, the Wen family is stripped of their wealth and forced to live in a dilapidated house in a remote settlement. The men are assigned to work in the Fengming Mine, while the women are left to fend for themselves with no income or shelter. Chen Shiyi navigates these harsh new realities, helping the family survive encounters with corrupt local officials, parasitic leeches in their water supply, and swarms of rats in their home. She maintains a pragmatic outlook, focusing on survival while slowly integrating into the fragile community that supports the exiled nobles.

The story follows Chen Shiyi’s transformation from a beaten orphan into a resilient survivor who holds the key to the Wen family’s immediate welfare. As the men begin their grueling labor in the mines and the women struggle to secure food and safety, the narrative explores the stark contrast between the fallen aristocracy and the enduring strength of those at the bottom of society. Chen Shiyi’s resourcefulness becomes the family’s lifeline, setting the stage for their long and arduous journey toward redemption and eventual return to power in the capital.