For those six years, Jiang Yixi had nearly the same dream every night, seeing the same face. Ink-black eyes empty and lifeless, lips pale pink and glossy like glazed porcelain, speaking to her: “Survive.”
That scene left her ashamed and suffocated, those eyes made her heart ache unbearably…
After an unknown length of time, clear laughter echoed from the distance, jolting Jiang Yixi back to awareness.
At first she felt disoriented—why wasn’t she sleeping on the clay kang of the convent? Blinking, she remembered: she had been reborn, returned to when she was fifteen.
The man in her dream was Meng Cimo, the person her father had saved at the cost of his own life, her husband’s elder brother in her previous life. If she allowed the marriage arrangement to proceed, he would become her husband’s elder brother again in this life.
When they were “caught in adultery,” Meng Cimo had taken all the blame for her: “Third sister-in-law was drugged with sleeping draught, she knew nothing…” He also told her, “I’m sorry, you were implicated because of me. No matter how difficult the road ahead, survive. I will prove our innocence.”
Jiang Yixi knew that if Meng Cimo hadn’t publicly shouldered all responsibility, she would have been executed that very day. Of course, if he hadn’t been blind, he wouldn’t have been framed either.
In the convent, Jiang Yixi had clung to those three words—”survive”—as her lifeline. She felt that if she died, Meng Cimo and she would have borne their disgrace in vain. She was also waiting, waiting for Meng Cimo to prove their innocence.
Years later, she accidentally rescued Old Doctor Shen, who had fallen while gathering herbs on the mountain. When the old divine doctor asked what she wanted in return, Jiang Yixi requested that he treat Meng Cimo’s eyes. The old doctor said his parents and relatives had all been killed by “rebels” of the Jinhe Court, so he wouldn’t treat officials or their families, but he could teach Jiang Yixi instead. He warned her not to reveal she was his disciple, or there would be endless trouble.
Jiang Yixi spent a year learning to treat illnesses, including eye diseases. But when she sent someone to fetch Meng Cimo, he had already chosen to die so resolutely…
“Second Young Lady, here you are! This servant has been searching everywhere for you.”
A maid in a pale blue sleeveless jacket came running.
She was another of Jiang Yixi’s maids, named Shui Lu. In her previous life, Shui Lu had been present during several of Jiang Yixi’s misfortunes. After the “adultery” was discovered, while wet nurse Mama Wu and maid Shui Xiang were beaten to death, Shui Lu emerged completely unscathed. When Jiang Yixi was divorced, Shui Lu remained in the Cheng Guo Duke Manor.
Jiang Yixi gave her a cold glance. The icy glare fell like sudden hail from a clear sky, making Shui Lu shiver.
“What’s the rush? What is it?”
Shui Lu replied, “Sister Yingluo sent me to fetch Second Young Lady. The Old Madame requires your presence.”
The Old Madame had returned?
Jiang Yixi wanted to see the Old Madame too, so she turned to leave the garden.
When Shui Lu moved to support her arm, Jiang Yixi pulled away.
Crossing the garden, she paused before Green Pond. The water surface rippled in layers, scattering countless flecks of gold under the sunlight. Dozens of small lotus leaves floated at the edge, swaying in the breeze.
Jiang Yixi took several deep breaths. The past was like smoke, and this life was still long…
This lifetime, she would find a way to avoid that marriage arrangement and live well…
Survive!
A burst of laughter skimmed across the water, pulling Jiang Yixi back to reality.
An octagonal pavilion stood in the pond, connected to both banks by winding bridges. Several brightly dressed young ladies were in the pavilion: Third Miss Jiang Yiyan, Fourth Miss Jiang Yirou, and Fifth Miss Jiang Yishan.
Jiang Yirou called out, “Second Sister!”Jiang Yiyan shot Jiang Yixi a fierce glare.
Jiang Yiyan was the second legitimate daughter of Earl Jiang, fourteen years old, spoiled and fiercely competitive. She harbored intense resentment toward Jiang Yixi for bringing shame upon the family.
Jiang Yirou was the legitimate daughter of Third Master Jiang, thirteen years old, lively and fond of talking and laughing.
The fifth young lady, Jiang Yishan, was Earl Jiang’s illegitimate daughter, twelve years old and quiet by nature.
Earl Jiang also had an eldest legitimate daughter, Jiang Yihui, seventeen years old, who had just married earlier this year.
Jiang Yixi had a younger brother, Jiang Xun, thirteen years old. Because their mother had died during childbirth while delivering him, and due to his mischievous and unruly nature, no one in the family liked him. The previous Jiang Yixi had also believed this younger brother was responsible for their mother’s death and kept a distant relationship with him.
Later, when Jiang Yixi fell into hardship, Jiang Xun repeatedly skipped school and left the estate to visit her at the nunnery. The fearless young boy wept bitterly, feeling he was incapable and had failed to take good care of his sister. Unfortunately, Jiang Xun fell ill and died a year before her own death.
In that lifetime, every member of the second branch had perished.
Recalling the past, Jiang Yixi felt a surge of mixed emotions, her eyes reddening.
She smiled at Jiang Yirou and headed toward Ruyi Hall, where Old Lady Jiang resided.
Jiang Yiyan rolled her eyes, twisting her handkerchief as she cursed, “After doing such a shameless thing, she still has the nerve to smile. A toad lusting after swan meat—how dare she even dream of Third Young Master Meng?”
In Jiang Yiyan’s mind, she was far superior to Jiang Yixi. She had a better background, looks, reputation, and talent—she excelled in every way. As for Jiang Yixi, aside from having fairer skin, she fell short in every aspect. Most notably, losing her mother at a young age was a major taboo among noble families when selecting a daughter-in-law. How could someone like her dare to aspire to Third Young Master Meng, who stood so high and unattainable even to Jiang Yiyan herself?
Jiang Yirou muttered, “Second Sister already said she didn’t mean to pull Third Young Master Meng…”
Jiang Yiyan interrupted sharply, “How can you believe such nonsense?”
In Ruyi Hall, Old Lady Jiang, along with Madame Zhou (wife of the eldest master), Madame Zhao (wife of the third master), and Madame Min (wife of the eldest grandson), sat chatting idly, with the main topic being criticizing Jiang Yixi behind her back.
The rejection from the Duke of Chengguo’s residence had humiliated the old lady, and she wished she could strangle that wretched girl on the spot.
As Jiang Yixi entered the room, even without looking up, she could feel several invisible daggers of scorn shooting toward her.
Old Lady Jiang, in her fifties, looked stern and severe due to her anger, her plump, pale face taking on a harsh edge.
As soon as Jiang Yixi curtsied in greeting, the old lady splashed a cup of tea on her.
Gritting her teeth, she scolded, “Wretched girl, don’t you know your own worth? How dare you set your sights on Third Young Master Meng? You went for gain but ended up with loss—ruining your own reputation and that of the Earl’s estate, and earning the hatred of the Grand Princess and the Meng family.”
Jiang Yixi lowered her gaze, concealing the sharpness in her eyes. This old lady was biased and cold-hearted, having always neglected the second branch, disliked her second son, and never shown any compassion toward Jiang Yixi and her brother, who had lost their mother at a young age.
In truth, among the three Jiang brothers, the second son, Jiang Chen, was the most handsome and capable, having become a fourth-rank Guerilla General before the age of thirty. Five years ago, he went off to battle and achieved countless merits. Had he survived, he would undoubtedly have been the most accomplished of them all.
But the old lady valued her eldest son, the Earl, doted on her clever youngest son, and never held the second son in any regard.
It was only after Jiang Chen risked his life to save Meng Cimo, bringing numerous benefits to the Marquis of Wuxiang’s household, that the old lady’s attitude toward the siblings began to shift. But now that Jiang Yixi had accidentally caused a major disaster, the old lady resented her once more.
However, she couldn’t afford to offend the old lady just yet.