Chapter 008
Chapter 8: Du Manor must be a blessed paradise
Yu Zhi Yi paused and thought: [Wait, that doesn’t make sense.]
By normal logic, if a family knows their daughter spent her wedding night alone, shouldn’t her parents roll up their sleeves and beat the heartless groom? But the people of Yu Manor only cared about whether he would escort Yu Zhi Yi back to visit her parents.
Yu Zhi Yi smiled at him and asked: “Young Master Du, now that you know my standing in Yu Manor, what will you do next? Will you tell Mother-in-law everything?”
Du Zi Heng fell silent.
His mother had forced this marriage because Bing Yue’s status could not be shown in public, while the eldest daughter of Yu Manor matched their rank.
But after what he saw today, that was not the truth at all.
A family that cannot help their daughter and might even drag her down is not worth relying on.
If he tossed that fact in his mother’s face, she would understand how wrong she had been.
Du Zi Heng looked away and said: “As long as you behave, do not covet what is not yours, and do not provoke Bing Yue, you can keep the seat of young madam for now.”
He added in a calmer voice: “Later I will look for a proper chance to end the marriage without harming your reputation, and I will find you a good place to go.”
Yu Zhi Yi was a little surprised.
[So Young Master Du is soft-hearted after all.]
She said with an easy tone: “When you figure out a clean way to end it, just let me know. As for finding me a place, that won’t be needed. I have a place.”
Du Zi Heng frowned and asked: “You are a weak woman. Where could you go?”
After these few days of contact, he understood that the rumors were false. This Eldest Miss Yu was clearly gentle and kind. The barbs she showed were only for self-protection.
No matter what, the two of them were now husband and wife.
She married him because she had no choice, and now the eyes of the world had tied her to him. If he acted like a true scoundrel, she might not survive it.
[Forget it. It’s only one more mouth to feed.]
[Bing Yue is reasonable. She will understand me… right?]
Back at Chancellor’s Manor, Du Zi Heng tossed out one line: “Take everything from the carriage back,” then strode off into the deep halls and vanished.
Zi Yuan grumbled under her breath and said, frowning: “How can the son-in-law be like this? He can’t wait to run to that woman. Where does that leave miss?”
Yu Zhi Yi answered without fuss: “They were in love first. I’m the one who cut into their feelings. For him to act like this is understandable.”
Red Luan had said that love cares about who came first and who came later. The one who comes later is the intruder.
Even though it was not on purpose, Yu Zhi Yi had to admit she had become the third party between Du Zi Heng and You Bing Yue.
But Red Luan also said the rule of first-come-first-served does not fit this messed-up era.
So Yu Zhi Yi did not think she was in the wrong.
She clapped her hands once and changed the subject: “Enough. Instead of worrying about useless things, let’s do the accounts. We can add a meat dish this month.”
At the word money, Zi Yuan’s mood finally lifted.
An hour later, Zi Yuan came in with the ledger and said briskly: “Miss, I’ve counted everything.”
She reported in a neat voice: “Splendid Brocade Pavilion’s dividend is one thousand five hundred twenty-four taels. Yu Manor sent two bolts of Shu brocade, one hundred-year ginseng, a basket of fresh crabs, and pastries and candies. Converted to cash, that’s about eight hundred twenty taels.”
Yu Zhi Yi laughed and said: “My dowry didn’t even reach eight hundred taels. I didn’t expect that just by going back once with Du Zi Heng, we’d get so much.”
She did not dwell on it. Her smile turned bright and sincere as she added: “I made money on this trip, and Red Luan gained fame. That’s two wins at once. You can’t find a better deal even with a lantern.”
Red Luan was her friend, born into the Jiang family, an old imperial merchant clan.
Although her family worked in trade and Patriarch Jiang Yu Qiu had only one daughter, the Jiang Clan did not expect Red Luan to inherit. They only wanted her to learn manners and rules so she could marry into a great house as a main wife.
If not a main wife, then a concubine would do.
Red Luan refused that fate and ran away in anger.
She wanted to prove her value. She was not only useful for marriage ties. She could do business like a man, build her own success, and hold up the whole clan.
Yu Zhi Yi and she got along well and shared the same hobby: making money. They made a deal: as long as Yu Zhi Yi brought clients to Red Luan, Yu Zhi Yi would take half of the clothing’s sale price.
That peony-red dress had cost Du Zi Heng more than three thousand taels of silver.
The main goal of this trip was not to swagger in Yu Clan and slap faces. It was to help Red Luan build her name.
In Minister’s Manor, the infamous vicious eldest miss used one breathtaking peony-red dress to capture Young Master Du’s eyes, made him ignore her bad reputation, and obediently accompany her home to visit. Was that headline loud enough?
Would the madams and concubines trapped in their back courtyards, always praying for their husbands’ favor, go crazy for it?
Du Zi Heng was a very useful tool for making money.
All at once, Yu Zhi Yi’s expression shifted.
A strand of merit rushed into her body.
In her last life, she had read faces for many people, helped them change their paths, and kept them from bad ends. She had even saved the lives of four hundred thousand Great Sheng soldiers in Zhang Tian Shun’s battle against the Great Luo Empire. Yet she never gained a chance like this.
She wondered: [Did Heaven think my last death was too unfair and give me this ability as payback?]
Yu Zhi Yi felt excited.
Merit is much harder to grow than cultivation base. Also, only raising cultivation base may not make one an immortal. After death, you still turn to a pile of white bones.
But with merit, even if her cultivation base was not enough for immortality, she could be born next life into a happy family and not worry about messy troubles.
Now she had a new goal.
[Accumulate merit!]
By dusk, Madam Yao returned to the manor.
At that time, Yu Zhi Yi was reviewing Chancellor’s Manor’s account books and the files on the servants under her.
When she heard, she was about to go pay respects, but Madam Yao came straight to her courtyard.
Yu Zhi Yi set down the account book and said with a smile: “Mother, I was just going to Leaning Plum Courtyard. What brings you here?”
“Yi’er!” Madam Yao gripped Yu Zhi Yi’s hand, her voice a little choked.
Yu Zhi Yi stole a glance at the “parents palace” on Madam Yao’s face and understood at once: “Mother, grandmother is fine. Please don’t worry.”
“Yi’er, you are my lucky star,” Madam Yao said, more certain than ever.
After hearing Yu Zhi Yi’s warning earlier, she had gone back to the Yao Clan that very day.
Old Madam Yao had planned to visit Tian Yin Temple outside the city to worship, but when she heard her daughter was returning, she gave it up for now and sent her head maid to offer incense money instead.
On the road, bandits robbed that maid. They not only took her money, they tried to kill her to keep her quiet, stabbing her in the abdomen.
Luckily the blade went wide and missed the vital parts.
After urgent treatment, the maid was out of danger for the time being.
But the physician said she survived because she was young and healthy.
In other words, if Old Madam Yao had taken that wound, she would not have lived.
If Madam Yao had not listened to Yu Zhi Yi and gone back today, then by now she would have no mother.
Still, she felt guilty toward the maid and asked in a soft voice: “Yi’er, Tian Xiang won’t come to harm, will she?”
Yu Zhi Yi answered at once: “Please be at ease, Mother. That maid has turned misfortune into a blessing. She will live a rich life.”
Madam Yao let out a long breath. The more she looked at this daughter-in-law, the more satisfied she felt. She turned to the woman behind her and said: “Aunt Wen, bring the things.”
Aunt Wen carried in a delicate box, lifted the lid, and revealed an exquisite, splendid hair ornament set.
It was “Warm Sun,” a new release from Treasure Pavilion. The whole set used warm red tones with pale blue gemstones dotted in between. It was rich and grand.
Yu Zhi Yi politely declined on the surface, but in her heart she was already estimating the price.
[Hiss. Five thousand taels.]
[We’re rich.]
[Du Manor must be a blessed paradise. In just a few days, I’ve earned more than in the past seven years.]