The Exiled Villainess and Her Shopping Dimension

"By the way, are your younger siblings arriving tomorrow?" The Wang, now at ease, calmed his temper and switched the conversation to something lighter.

"Yes, Your Highness. The herbal convoy should arrive at the same time. Afterward, we’ll need your help in overseeing the distribution to the Hu Region as well."

"Umm, understood," the Wang responded. The allocation of resources couldn’t afford any mistakes. The Hu Region had high expectations regarding this matter. Hearing the two men discussed business again, Yueqian remained silent, letting them continue their conversation. She used the time to write two more plays as she had planned.

For the performances, there shouldn’t be just a brief script. Yueqian knew that once the wandering musicians saw the storyline, they could compose the full narrative and music themselves. After all, they were talented individuals, and she never underestimated them.

Otherwise, how could they become popular so quickly with just a little money? If not for the current misfortune, they would become even more renowned, and Yueqian hoped that day would come.

The two men chatted for a while, and finally the honored guest had to return to his palace, leaving the couple to rest.

The next morning, Yueqian woke up early and headed to the kitchen, which was much larger than her old manor’s. She began preparing food herself, despite the servants’ attempts to stop her.

Since Mu Heng’s younger siblings were arriving, they would undoubtedly be starving. Even with frequent resupplies, they wouldn’t have eaten well or slept comfortably during the journey. Therefore, Yueqian wanted to welcome them with their favorite dishes: stir-fried noodles, dumpling soup, tofu soup with minced pork, herb-roasted duck, and red-braised pork.

After the main dishes, there was dessert, including sweet jackfruit cakes with fragrant egg yolk and sweetened cendol in sweet coconut milk, which looked delicious. Yueqian hadn’t had these dishes often since she found out she was pregnant. While preparing sweets for the children, she asked Yang Ji to help prepare food for herself, which was mainly nourishing and milk-boosting dishes.

"Furen, pregnant women are not supposed to be in the kitchen. If you do this, the servants will be troubled," Wan Gui nearly cried as she spoke. She had been saying this since Yueqian announced her intention to cook in the kitchen herself.

It’s unheard of for servants to allow their mistress to prepare meals to welcome guests, especially when the mistress is pregnant.

Normally, for nobility, entering the kitchen is considered degrading. No one would willingly enter the kitchen themselves. If it wasn’t to please their husbands, they wouldn’t hear who went into the kitchen to boil a bowl of soup. But now, their mistress wasn’t cooking to please her husband; she was preparing meals to welcome her husband’s siblings.

Although Wan Gui had seen Furen Mu in the kitchen several times before, those occasions were more manageable. This time, however, the mistress was acting like a servant just to please her husband’s relatives.

Her husband’s relatives were one thing, but if she continued to humble herself before them, it would be difficult for her in the future. This was Wan Gui’s perspective, shaped by her extensive experience in various noble households. Such thoughts were considered correct because, in other noble households, once a furen entered, the husband’s family often oppressed and mistreated her. If the daughter-in-law allowed herself to be bullied, she would face even harsher treatment in the future. Thus, it was essential for mistresses to conduct themselves with dignity; otherwise, they might be trampled upon at any time.

However, Wan Gui did not understand the dynamics of Mu Heng and Yueqian’s family. The three Mu siblings had been without anyone to care for them since they were young. The younger siblings only had their elder brother and would never think of harming him or the person he loved. Similarly, Mu Heng’s primary responsibility was to care for his siblings.

Yueqian would never ask a question like "Dear, who would you choose between me and your siblings?" Such a question was nonsensical, and ultimately, the person who asked such a question was someone who showed that they did not truly love anyone; they only loved themselves and were selfish.

She knew Mu Heng would strive to fulfill all his roles as best as he could—whether as a brother, a husband, or a future father. He was committed to his duties, neither overstepping nor neglecting them. Therefore, anyone who dared to overstep their role was someone not playing by the rules and would not be honored in the future.

For now, Mu Heng’s younger siblings were still well-behaved, fulfilling their roles as younger brother and sister without interfering in their elder brother’s decisions. They had never caused any problems. This relationship could thus be preserved, and Yueqian was determined to fulfill her duties just as well.

"Why would this trouble you?" Yueqian asked Wan Gui directly, not stopping her work. She acted as though she was unaware of the noble customs and beliefs.

"Oh, my miss, just by entering the kitchen, people will gossip and slander you. They will think you lack dignity."

"Is that so? Then if I don’t enter the kitchen, will they stop gossiping about me?" Yueqian raised an eyebrow at the experienced maid. Wan Gui hesitated at this question. In reality, when she went outside the manor, she must have heard the rumors recently. Even Furen Mu was being criticized as a demon or a monster, which was worse than being scolded for a lack of dignity by nobles.

Realizing this, Wan Gui hesitated, not knowing how to respond to her mistress’s question, and merely avoided the beautiful woman’s gaze.

"Remember this, in this manor, let rumors be rumors. Let people slander if they wish. As long as there is peace and happiness within our household, that is enough," Yueqian instructed. If her servants clung to strict customs, and this and that were not allowed, how could there be happiness in the manor? Wouldn’t it be like she had returned to the point where she had to live in discomfort?

"Of course, Wan Gui, your warning is good. When outside, we must maintain our dignity. But within this household, it will be a place of happiness. If I want to do something, I will do it. Do you understand now?" Yueqian asked the middle-aged woman again. Wan Gui seemed somewhat confused but nodded reluctantly under Yueqian’s gaze.

"I understand, miss," she replied in a subdued tone, causing Yueqian to laugh.

"In truth, the warning about pregnant women not entering the kitchen is important. Do you think it’s only about dignity? What are your thoughts on why our ancestors gave this advice?" Yueqian asked an open-ended question, not wanting her servants to be stuck in outdated ways of thinking.

If they analyzed and thought from another perspective, perhaps they could improve things beyond their current state.

"I think the warning might be to prevent pregnant women from being overworked. Like someone I know, when she was pregnant and forbidden from entering the kitchen, she had a lot of time to rest and didn’t have to wake up early." Rui Beng suggested her thoughts enthusiastically. Seeing that the young girl was thoughtful, Yueqian nodded in agreement.

"You answered well. Pregnant women should not overexert themselves and should have ample rest. Does anyone else have any thoughts?" Yueqian praised her.

She didn’t say whether the answers were right or wrong. She had no authority to decide since the origin of such advice was unknown. To truly understand the purpose, one might need to ask in the afterlife.

"Well, could it be that pregnant women often have food aversions? If they’re cooking and the smell makes them nauseous, they might vomit, wouldn’t that make the food inedible?" suggested Geng Zhi, a young girl who had also risen early to help. Despite her nervousness, she spoke up, earning another word of praise from Yueqian.

"What about the others? What do you think?" This time, Yueqian stopped her work and looked at Fan Yu, who remained silent, avoiding her gaze. So, Yueqian prepared to skip her.

She had no idea what Fan Yu was truly thinking, but the other party was smart, although she seemed reluctant to show her abilities. Yueqian had no intention of forcing anyone to do anything. If Fan Yu wanted to become a skilled cook like her aunt, Yueqian wouldn’t stop her. Perhaps Fan Yu loved this work.

Still, it was a pity because Yueqian liked Fan Yu. The girl had a mind that could be useful in the future. Having her around to help with various tasks would lighten Yueqian’s load considerably.

However, just as Yueqian decided to move on, Fan Yu suddenly spoke up, not wanting to be overlooked. Confusion flickered in her eyes before disappearing as she began to reply.

"I think this might be a strategy from the old days to keep pregnant women out of the kitchen. The kitchen is full of dangers. Even when I was little, I got scalded by hot water and burned by splattering oil. I’ve also heard of cooks causing stove explosions due to negligence."

"That’s why pregnant women shouldn’t be in the kitchen, because of these reasons. However, this idea is popular among the upper class to prevent servants from causing harm to their mistresses. If an accident happens and the mistress gets injured, the servants would not survive the consequences. It could be minor things like sharp objects, heavy items, or hot surfaces. Everything that could cause an impact, and there’s also the issue of smells that might cause nausea. If anything goes wrong, the servants would bear the brunt."

"Perhaps the person who came up with this rule was someone working in the kitchen. Just like now, the servants have to be extra careful not to let the mistress get hurt. In the end, they might have been worried about their own well-being too."

When she had a chance to speak, she explained her perspective immediately. Since she worked in the kitchen more frequently, her thoughts naturally reflected the mindset of someone who worked there.

Every time the mistress entered the kitchen, the servants who worked in the kitchen became more cautious. This time was no different. This could be seen in how they kept checking for safety—whether the fire was too strong, if the stove was stable, and even removing unused items that were nearby but not in use. Usually, the kitchen was cluttered with such items, but as soon as the mistress entered, everyone made sure to do everything properly because they were afraid of the death penalty for themselves.

If something happened to the mistress, and it didn’t affect them directly, Fan Yu believed that the kitchen staff wouldn’t be this cautious.

Hearing Fan Yu’s answer, Yueqian suddenly laughed. She appreciated the straightforward thinking, or rather, she liked Fan Yu’s thinking. This girl didn’t just try to please her but also expressed a genuine concern for others without fear.

However, it wasn’t long before Yue Qian’s laughter suddenly ceased.

"Everyone’s thoughts are good, and one of them might be the real reason. So, what I want to say is, when you hear something, don’t believe it blindly."

"You all probably know how I’m perceived outside now. Those close to me believe I am being slandered. There’s also the matter of state affairs, where we know someone is behind it."

"I don’t care what people outside think or say, but within this household, there should be no one who believes everything without thinking. In the future, I will encourage you to think critically about such matters. If the reasoning is sound, I will listen."

"For example, my coming into the kitchen this time. I know everyone is worried. However, my being in the kitchen makes you more careful in your work. Anything you think might injure me could also injure you. In this manor, safety is not something that separates the master from the servants. Everyone should be equally safe. Therefore, I will come into the kitchen frequently to check for order and safety."

"I ask everyone to work together on this. I don’t want to hear any news about stoves exploding in my manor, even if I’m not in the kitchen."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!