Chapter 8: The Du Manor, Truly a Blessed Place
This novel is translated and hosted only on Bcatranslation
On second thought, something didn’t add up.
By any usual logic, if a family found out their daughter spent her wedding night alone, shouldn’t they be rolling up their sleeves to give the heartless husband a beating?
But the Yu family was only concerned about whether he would accompany Yu Zhi Yi back home for a visit.
Yu Zhi Yi smiled at him, her eyes steady. “Young Master Du, now that you know my position in the Yu family, what do you plan to do? Will you lay it all out for your mother?”
Du Zi Heng remained silent.
The reason his mother had forced him into marriage was because Bing Yue’s status was too low, while the eldest daughter of the Yu family seemed a perfect match for him.
But today, after seeing it for himself, it was clearly not the case at all.
A family that couldn’t provide any help, and might even hold him back, was utterly unreliable.
He only needed to throw this fact in his mother’s face, and she would see how mistaken she had been.
Du Zi Heng turned his gaze away. “As long as you behave and don’t crave what’s not yours or provoke Bing Yue, you can stay in the position of young madam—for now.”
“One day, I’ll find the right opportunity to annul our marriage without hurting your reputation. I’ll also find you a good place to go.”
Yu Zhi Yi was a little surprised.
This Young Master Du was softer-hearted than she thought.
“When you come up with a way to dissolve the marriage, just let me know,” she said. “As for finding me a place, there’s no need. I already have somewhere to go.”
Du Zi Heng frowned. “Where could you go? You’re just a woman, fragile and alone.”
In these past few days of interacting with her, he’d come to understand that all the rumors were false. This eldest Miss Yu was clearly a gentle and kind person. She only put up a front to protect herself.
No matter how things stood now, they were husband and wife.
She had been forced to marry him and was now tied by the judgment of the world to his side. If he were crueler, she might not even survive.
So be it. What was one more person to feed?
Bing Yue was always understanding; surely she’d comprehend… right?
When they returned to the Du Manor, Du Zi Heng simply said, “Bring everything from the carriage back in,” before quickly disappearing into the depths of the estate.
Zi Yuan grumbled, “How could the young master be like this? He’s that eager to see her? What about our miss?”
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t mind. “They were in love before I came along. I was the one who stepped in between them, so his behavior is understandable.”
Hong Luan always said that in love, the first to arrive had the rightful claim. The one who came later was the intruder.
Though it wasn’t her choice, Yu Zhi Yi had to admit that she became the third party between Du Zi Heng and You Bing Yue.
But Hong Luan also said that the rules of first come, first served did not apply in this unfair world.
Yu Zhi Yi didn’t see herself as being in the wrong.
“Alright, instead of dwelling on pointless things, let’s go over the accounts and see if we can afford an extra meal this month.”
The mention of money lifted Zi Yuan’s spirits somewhat.
An hour later, Zi Yuan returned with the ledger in hand. “Miss, it’s all calculated.”
“The dividends from Splendid Embroidery Workshop are 1,524 taels. The Yu family provided two bolts of Shu brocade, a hundred-year-old ginseng, a basket of fresh crabs, and assorted pastries and sweets. Altogether, they’re worth around 820 taels.”
Yu Zhi Yi found it amusing. “My dowry was barely worth 800 taels. I didn’t expect Du Zi Heng’s visit would bring in so much.”
She didn’t linger on the thought, her smile becoming more genuine. “This trip earned me some money and gave Hong Luan a reputation boost—a win-win situation, wouldn’t you say?”
Hong Luan was her close friend, from the Jiang family, a prominent royal merchant family.
Although the Jiang family was wealthy and influential, they had no intention of letting Hong Luan inherit the business. Instead, they wanted her to learn manners and rules to marry well—preferably into a high-ranking family.
If she couldn’t become the main wife, even a concubine would do.
But Hong Luan didn’t want that fate. Angry and determined, she ran away.
She wanted to prove her worth. She wasn’t just useful for marriage; she could do business like a man, make achievements, and support her family!
Yu Zhi Yi felt a kinship with her, sharing the same love for making money. They struck a deal: if Yu Zhi Yi helped attract customers for Hong Luan, she’d get half the profit from every garment sold.
That peony-red dress had cost Du Zi Heng over 3,000 taels.
Her main goal on this trip wasn’t just to show off to the Yu family, but to help Hong Luan make her mark.
The infamous eldest Miss Yu from the Minister’s residence—captivating Young Master Du with a stunning peony-red gown, making him set aside her ill reputation to obediently return home with her—now that was a headline.
Would the wives and concubines, confined to their courtyards and praying for their husbands’ affection, go crazy for it?
Du Zi Heng was turning out to be quite a profitable tool.
Suddenly, Yu Zhi Yi’s expression shifted.
A surge of virtue had just entered her body!
In her past life, she had helped many by reading their fortunes, altering their paths to avoid bad outcomes, and even saved 400,000 soldiers in the battle between Zhang Tian Shun and the Great Luo Empire. But none of those deeds had given her such fortune.
Could it be that the heavens felt her death in her past life had been too unjust, and had rewarded her with this ability now?
Yu Zhi Yi’s heart raced with excitement.
Accumulating virtue was far more challenging than cultivating one’s powers. Besides, even if one’s cultivation was high, it didn’t guarantee immortality. Without virtue, one could still end up as a pile of bones after death.
But with virtue, even if she couldn’t become immortal, her next life would be blessed. She wouldn’t need to worry about mundane troubles.
Now, she had a new goal.
Accumulate virtue!
It was late afternoon when Madam Yao returned to the manor.
At that time, Yu Zhi Yi was reviewing the household ledgers and her staff’s profiles. Upon hearing the news, she was about to go pay her respects when Madam Yao came directly to her courtyard.
Yu Zhi Yi put down the books. “Mother, I was just about to head to Plum Courtyard. What brings you here?”
“Yi’er!” Madam Yao grasped Yu Zhi Yi’s hand, her voice thick with emotion.
Yu Zhi Yi glanced at the area between her mother’s eyebrows, understanding dawning in her heart. “Mother, Grandmother is fine now. There’s no need to worry.”
“Yi’er, you truly are my lucky star!” Madam Yao’s suspicions were all but confirmed.
After listening to Yu Zhi Yi earlier, she had gone back to the Yao family today.
Old Madam Yao had been planning to visit Heavenly Sound Temple outside the city to pray, but upon hearing her daughter was visiting, she canceled her plans, sending a maid to make the offering instead.
Unexpectedly, the maid was attacked by bandits on the way. They not only robbed her but also tried to kill her to keep her quiet, stabbing her in the abdomen.
Fortunately, the stab missed any vital organs. After emergency treatment, the maid was out of immediate danger.
The doctor said it was because the maid was young and healthy that she survived.
If Old Madam Yao had been the one stabbed, she wouldn’t have made it.
If Madam Yao hadn’t listened to Yu Zhi Yi and returned today, she might have lost her mother.
Still, she felt guilty about the maid and couldn’t help but ask, “Yi’er, will Tian Xiang be alright?”
Yu Zhi Yi nodded. “Rest assured, Mother. This ordeal will turn out to be a blessing in disguise for her. She’ll live a prosperous life.”
Madam Yao sighed in relief, her affection for her daughter-in-law deepening. She turned to Aunt Wen. “Bring it here.”
Aunt Wen stepped forward with an ornate box. She opened the lid, revealing a luxurious set of jewelry.
It was the newly released “Warm Sun” set from Treasure Pavilion. The entire set featured a warm red color, accented with light blue gemstones, opulent and elegant.
Yu Zhi Yi politely refused on the surface, but in her mind, she had already estimated its value.
Five thousand taels.
She’s rich!
What kind of blessed place was the Du Manor, anyway? In just a few short days, she’d made more money than in the past seven years combined!