Upon hearing this, Jiang Li pretended to be suddenly enlightened: “I see. Although I don’t have much savings on hand, I do have clothes. If you don’t mind, Ranshuang, go ahead and pick one out.”
Having finally achieved her goal, Yin Ranshuang breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, she felt that speaking with Jiang Li was truly exhausting, and she decided she would not seek her out again unless it was absolutely necessary.
Jiang Li exchanged a glance with Wangyou. The clever maid immediately understood which garments to bring out for Yin Ranshuang to choose from. Yin Ranshuang was soon captivated by the magnificent array of clothes, even beginning to doubt whether Jiang Li was truly penniless. After all, even if she had no cash, these items could be pawned for a considerable sum.
Yin Ranshuang didn’t dwell on it further, struggling to pick out a single outfit. It wasn’t necessarily her favorite, but rather the one that fit her best. Since her build was not identical to Jiang Li’s, not every garment suited her. Despite her reluctance, she had to painfully set aside the ones that didn’t fit.
Jiang Li watched with a smile throughout, burying her true thoughts deep within. She would not be commissioning a new outfit for Yin Ranshuang, nor would she be offering any further help. Neither Yin Ranshuang nor the rest of the Yin family deserved it.
Yin Ranshuang didn’t think too much of it; unaware of the events of the previous life, she saw no issue with Jiang Li’s behavior. In her eyes, Jiang Li was at least better than the second sister-in-law, at least willing to let her attend the banquet and borrow clothes. She wasn’t exactly grateful, but she held no animosity. In short, she left Jiang Li’s courtyard quite happy, returning to her own room to find matching jewelry. For tomorrow’s banquet, she was determined to stand out among the noble daughters and show them that she, Yin Ranshuang, was a peerless beauty no less than any of them.
The next day arrived in a blink.
Yin Ranshuang was dressed early and went to Madam Fan’s quarters, waiting for Jiang Li to finish her morning greetings so they could depart together. To her frustration, she waited so long that she nearly lost her patience before finally seeing Jiang Li appear. Had the invitation not been addressed specifically to Jiang Li, Yin Ranshuang would never have bothered waiting for her.
Jiang Li paid her respects to Madam Fan and then looked at Yin Ranshuang: “Ranshuang, you arrived quite early today.” Jiang Li had arrived for her greetings a quarter-hour earlier than usual; she had never seen Yin Ranshuang present during her morning routine before. Yin Ranshuang had intended to complain, but hearing this made her blush, and the words died in her throat.
Madam Fan, however, looked at Jiang Li with slight dissatisfaction. Dressing so plainly to a floral viewing banquet was simply embarrassing for the Yin family. Nevertheless, she had little regard for her daughter-in-law and didn’t care much about her appearance. Madam Fan remarked, “Very well. Since you are going to the Princess’s estate, leave early to avoid being impolite.”
Yin Ranshuang stood up, bowed alongside Jiang Li, and they departed.
Seated in the carriage, Yin Ranshuang was in high spirits; she had never attended such a banquet and was filled with curiosity. Yet, when she glanced at Jiang Li, her gaze was filled with disdain. Despite having no shortage of fine clothing, Jiang Li had dressed so understatedly that it made the Yin family appear as though they were mistreating her. Yin Ranshuang quickly brushed the thought aside, lost in excitement as she pondered what interesting things she might witness at the estate.
The carriage stopped before the Princess’s estate. Since they had arrived early, there weren’t many carriages yet, allowing them to disembark and enter quickly. Yin Ranshuang followed by Jiang Li’s side, her eyes darting everywhere. The Yin family lived comfortably, but compared to the grand noble houses of the capital, they were nothing, let alone the Princess’s estate. Every plant and tree here felt novel to her.
Jiang Li kept her head slightly bowed, pretending not to notice Yin Ranshuang’s lack of decorum. A maidservant from the estate led them to the reception hall, where several noble ladies and matrons were already chatting. After Jiang Li greeted them, she found a seat.
Yin Ranshuang was highly dissatisfied with Jiang Li’s behavior. Having finally gained access to these people, how could a mere greeting be enough? She felt she must actively cultivate connections! With that, she ignored Jiang Li’s perspective and marched over to strike up a conversation with the noble daughters. Upon hearing her approach, the group fell silent and turned away, leaving her snubbed.
Angry and humiliated, Yin Ranshuang pouted and walked out of the hall.
Jiang Li’s brows knit slightly. She had anticipated that Yin Ranshuang lacked basic etiquette. In her previous life, Yin Ranshuang would never have been able to enter these social circles without Jiang Li’s constant guidance. Now, with no one watching over her, Yin Ranshuang didn’t even bother to hide her nature. Jiang Li sighed softly; regardless, the girl was her responsibility for the day. Losing face for the Yin family was one thing, but she had to ensure Yin Ranshuang didn’t cause any major trouble.
Jiang Li stood up to find her. Yin Ranshuang had asked a maidservant for directions and had been led to the gardens. There were guests in the gardens as well; as it was a floral viewing banquet, the ladies did not stay exclusively in the reception hall. Besides the women, there were also men present.
Yin Ranshuang’s gaze wandered across the garden until it suddenly froze on one person. She saw a young gentleman bending down to pick a flower, his slender fingers looking quite elegant. A moment later, he straightened up, revealing his face to her.
He was dressed in a moon-white long robe that draped over his slender, upright frame, highlighting his fair complexion and an air of scholarly refinement. For an instant, Yin Ranshuang felt as though the man had stepped out of a painting—the epitome of a graceful young scholar.
When Jiang Li caught up, she noticed Yin Ranshuang’s dazed expression. She followed the girl’s gaze and noticed the man standing before the flowers. It was none other than the scoundrel Yin Ranshuang would fall in love with in her previous life: Wei Zizhang.
Admittedly, Wei Zizhang was quite handsome, but he was far from a suitable match. Though born into the imperial family, he was of secondary descent; even with his status as a royal nephew, no one in the capital took him seriously. Wei Zizhang frequented brothels and tea houses, was disliked by his stepmother, and was entangled in countless ambiguous relationships with young women. Some of the girls he deceived went mad; others chose to hang themselves.
Yin Ranshuang was merely one of the many he would fool. In her previous life, Jiang Li had stopped Yin Ranshuang from eloping with him and had even arranged a better marriage for her. Later, when the scandal of Wei Zizhang deceiving young women broke out, he was thrown into prison. Jiang Li had thought she had pulled her sister-in-law out of a fiery pit, but it turned out to be a complete farce. It was only when she was sent away to a country estate by the Yin family that she learned Yin Ranshuang had long been using money and connections to rescue Wei Zizhang from prison. Not only that, but Yin Ranshuang had been having an affair with him behind her husband’s back—even her son was actually Wei Zizhang’s.