Chapter 62: Reaping What One Sows
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In the end, Yu Zhi Yi chose the gown that Hong Luan had designed just for her.
The moon-white dress shimmered as if bathed in moonlight, with a light red shawl that added a hint of allure to her pure elegance. These two colors were tricky—one could wash out a complexion, while the other could make fair skin seem even more radiant. Yet neither color could overshadow Yu Zhi Yi’s charm; instead, they only highlighted her beauty.
Madam Yao sighed, a touch of exasperation in her voice. “Yi’er, you’re so beautiful that you could make a sack look good. I just can’t decide; I truly can’t.”
Yu Zhi Yi smiled softly. “Then why don’t we go with this one?”
She liked this dress mainly because the sleeves were just the right length—not excessively long like others that trailed dramatically on the floor. The color was also appealing. Despite the red shawl being vibrant, it was more understated compared to the other dresses Hong Luan had recently designed, which all seemed to favor bold, vivid colors. Yu Zhi Yi made a mental note to speak to her about it. If she, who could pull off almost anything, felt uneasy in those colors, then surely other customers would too.
Chancellor Du had been waiting outside the carriage for some time. When he saw his wife and daughter-in-law approaching, he helped them into the carriage. The family of four settled inside.
These days, Du Zi Heng had grown increasingly quiet. Aside from occasionally glancing at Yu Zhi Yi, he avoided eye contact completely. Yu Zhi Yi saw no reason to force a conversation.
Madam Yao, however, couldn’t help herself. “Yi’er, remember, at the palace banquet, there are certain customs to follow…”
She had attended many palace banquets before but had only ever seen the real daughter of the Yu family there, never her own daughter-in-law. She was worried that Yi’er might make an unintentional mistake.
“It’s not that I doubt you,” she added gently. “But the nobles can be… particular. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Yu Zhi Yi replied, listening attentively. “I appreciate your guidance.”
She already knew these rules well but respected Madam Yao’s intentions. In her previous life, she had learned the hard way.
Madam Yu had never taken her inside the palace, and the lady of Duke Courage’s Mansion had intended to belittle her. When she first entered the palace back then, no one had prepared her for what to expect. She had felt like a country girl stepping into a grand estate. Though she hadn’t gawked openly, her anxiety and cautiousness had been obvious, and she had made some small mistakes.
When they arrived at Splendid Morning Hall, the Yu family and the Duke Courage’s family were already present. Their seats were not far apart. As Yu Zhi Yi entered, she felt several pairs of eyes turn toward her.
The scrutiny, disdain, and even hatred in those gazes were almost tangible. The intensity was such that even someone less perceptive would have noticed. The Du family members frowned slightly. Chancellor Du cast a casual glance in the direction of the stares.
Caught by his gaze, the five sons of the Yu family and Madam Yu quickly looked away. Yu Jiao Jiao and Madam Meng from the Zhang family also averted their eyes. But Zhang Tian Shun continued to stare at Yu Zhi Yi, confusion evident on his face.
“What’s going on?” he wondered. “Why do I feel like kneeling on a washboard when I see this woman?”
He shuddered slightly but didn’t look away. Instead, he stared intently at her face, trying to remember. “Have I met her before? When would she have punished me?” But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall.
“Me, the esteemed Third Young Master Zhang, kneeling because of a woman? Impossible.” Besides, wasn’t she just the adopted daughter of the Yu family? But why did her profile resemble Yu Jiao Jiao’s?
Noticing his gaze, Yu Jiao Jiao felt a surge of panic. No one knew better than she how precarious her marriage was. In the previous life, Zhang Tian Shun had married Yu Zhi Yi because he was captivated by her beauty after accidentally witnessing her saving someone.
After discovering she was the adopted daughter of the Yu family, he had begged his mother to propose marriage. In this life, Yu Jiao Jiao had used her knowledge from her rebirth. She had worn the same clothes Yu Zhi Yi had worn that day, styled her hair the same way, and used makeup to resemble her. She had then gone to save the person Yu Zhi Yi had saved in the previous life.
Afterward, Zhang Tian Shun had questioned why she looked different from that day. Feeling guilty, Yu Jiao Jiao had continued to use makeup to make her profile resemble Yu Zhi Yi’s. But a fake was still a fake.
Now, seeing Yu Zhi Yi in person, Zhang Tian Shun’s suspicions were aroused. To make matters worse, yesterday, after returning home, Yu Jiao Jiao had been scolded by Madam Meng and punished to kneel in the courtyard. Her knees still ached. All this fueled her intense hatred toward Yu Zhi Yi.
Sensing Yu Jiao Jiao’s glare, Yu Zhi Yi raised an eyebrow and glanced over. Even thick makeup couldn’t hide the dark circles under Yu Jiao Jiao’s eyes or the fatigue on her face. Yu Zhi Yi offered a faint smile and nodded slightly, as if greeting her.
But only Yu Jiao Jiao knew she was being mocked. “She’s laughing at me!” she thought angrily. “She’s gloating!”
And indeed, Yu Zhi Yi was. Stealing someone else’s life hadn’t turned out so well, had it?
Madam Meng was a woman with an iron grip. In the Zhang household, from the Duke himself to her children and in-laws, down to the servants, she sought to control everyone. Before Yu Zhi Yi had married into the family in her previous life, Madam Meng had successfully kept everyone under her thumb, except for the Duke.
After she married in, Madam Meng had tried repeatedly to impose her rules on Yu Zhi Yi. But to Yu Zhi Yi, Madam Meng was neither a parent nor someone who had raised her. Although she was her mother-in-law, she was essentially a stranger. She had no intention of acquiescing.
So when she was punished to kneel, Madam Meng would inexplicably trip and fall. When she was made to stand in the rain, Madam Meng would accidentally spill hot tea all over herself. After scolding Yu Zhi Yi, Madam Meng would turn around only to be reprimanded harshly by the old Madam Zhang.
In short, whenever Yu Zhi Yi suffered at Madam Meng’s hands, misfortune would soon befall the older woman. And that wasn’t all.
Every time Madam Meng made things difficult for her, Yu Zhi Yi would return the favor to Zhang Tian Shun. At first, he had no objections to his mother disciplining his wife. In fact, he welcomed it.
“If my wife doesn’t behave, Mother will set her straight,” he had thought. “Saves me the trouble.”
But later…
Every time Madam Meng wanted to confront Yu Zhi Yi, Zhang Tian Shun would intervene. Over time, Madam Meng didn’t dare to punish her anymore.
Yu Jiao Jiao, without understanding any of this, had jumped headfirst into the pit that was the Duke Courage’s Mansion. Truly, she was reaping what she had sown.