Banished from the Rich

Inside the ancestral hall, Mr. Smith lit incense, bowing respectfully to the ancestral tablets before addressing Lily. “Do you understand what it means to represent the Smith family name?” With a slight smirk, Lily replied, “I believe I understand.” Her father’s expression grew hard. “Your brother, the same age as you, has already brought honor to the family, but all you’ve done is bring shame. Do you think you deserve any sympathy for cheating?” Her gaze trailed over the tablets lining the ancestral hall. Calmly, she asked, “Is that half-brother of mine even in our family lineage?” The butler standing nearby felt chills. In that moment, the serene, doll-like young woman gave off an aura of quiet menace. A flush of anger rose to Mr. Smith’s face. “You ungrateful child! No one in two hundred years of the Smith family has been as useless as you! Cheating on exams, bringing shame to our ancestors!” With that, he gestured to the tablets. “Stay here and reflect. Only when you’ve truly repented can you leave. Otherwise... you can go to Carson City and never step foot in the Smith family again.” The door of the ancestral hall shut behind him, leaving Lily alone with the ancestral tablets. She cast her gaze over them, her face betraying a faint smile. “Repent?” She lifted the teacup in her hand, considering her situation. Then, in a moment of quiet decisiveness, she muttered, “Arrange for my transfer to Carson City.” Two days later, she arrived in Carson City, the most remote place in the state, a border town untouched by prosperity. Shrugging her bag over her shoulder, she stepped through its old, moss-covered gates, taking in the towering city walls and centuries-old architecture. The place was overgrown with trees casting dappled light on the cobblestone streets. It was here, in the worn-down streets of Carson City, that Lily’s journey to reclaim her life would begin.