It was only about two and a half miles from Daqiao Village to Daqiao Town, not a great distance. It was just that Jiang Jingyi was accustomed to driving wherever she went, and suddenly having to rely on her own two legs to walk that far truly felt unfamiliar.
Besides, as the daughter of a landlord family, even at her worst, she should have had an ox cart for travel. Yet the original owner had given up comfortable transportation for such a ridiculous reason…
To make matters worse, she had been exposed by her maidservant at this critical moment. Even though those words were spoken by the original owner, she still found it embarrassing now!
Jiang Jingyi coughed lightly and said, “I was just saying that casually.”
Upon hearing this, Yingtao breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and said, “But miss, if you want a carriage, perhaps you could mention it to the master today. The master cares about face and would surely agree.” She thought of Madam Ma again and quickly advised, “But miss must avoid the madam when bringing it up, and it would be best if the young master-in-law were present as well.”
“You’re quite clever, little girl.” Jiang Jingyi glanced teasingly at Yingtao, understanding the implication behind her words.
If Ji Qiuyang, as the son-in-law, made the request in person, Jiang Dachuan would certainly be too embarrassed to refuse. So even if Jiang Dachuan did provide a carriage, it wouldn’t be because he cherished his daughter, but because he wanted to save face.
Jiang Jingyi understood this clearly, and naturally Ji Qiuyang did too. He couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Jingyi’s fair face, adding several more conjectures in his mind. It seemed Jiang Jingyi’s life in the Jiang household wasn’t as comfortable as he had previously imagined. Perhaps the wicked stepmother and scoundrel father mentioned in her letter yesterday were not without basis.
In her original world, Jiang Jingyi had been a hedonist, and now in ancient times, even when conditions didn’t permit, she still wanted to make herself as comfortable as possible. Since the Jiang family had a carriage, she naturally wanted to bring one out today.
While she harbored these small schemes, Ji Qiuyang didn’t overthink it—he was merely worried that with this woman present, today’s visit to the Jiang family wouldn’t pass peacefully.
The three of them walked for nearly an hour before reaching the town. Daqiao Town was relatively prosperous, with many shops lining the streets, though at this early hour there were almost no people around.
From a distance, some people spotted the three of them together and began pointing and whispering.
Being pointed at made Ji Qiuyang uncomfortable. “I’m going to buy some things.”
With that, he strode quickly toward the shops, as if trying to put distance between himself and Jiang Jingyi. Jiang Jingyi raised an eyebrow and deliberately called out loudly, “Just buy two catties of wine, that’s enough.”
Ji Qiuyang’s face darkened.
Jiang Jingyi could guess why passersby were pointing at her.
As a notorious figure, the original owner was very well-known in town, especially since Jiang Jingyi had recently caused such a scene to marry Ji Qiuyang—the town’s impression of her was even more deeply etched.
Someone else might have felt embarrassed by this, but Jiang Jingyi wasn’t bothered. Let them look if they wanted, let them talk if they wanted; as long as they weren’t blind enough to come before her and provoke her unhappiness, she couldn’t be bothered to care.
Ji Qiuyang bought the wine, purchased a cut of meat, and finally bought a package of snacks.
Just as he was hesitating whether to stand together with Jiang Jingyi, from the other end of town, two carriages came toward them, followed by two rows of nearly twenty household servants, each carrying a club. Ji Qiuyang’s brow twitched, he suddenly had an ominous feeling.
Jiang Jingyi’s brow twitched. Could this be her maternal grandparents’ family arriving? Such a grand display, she liked it!
This speculation made Jiang Jingyi’s eyes light up. Nothing was more delightful than finding a powerful support to rely on, the heavens still favored her.
Sure enough, the carriage stopped beside her. Before the curtain was even lifted, a voice called out affectionately, “Jingyi! My little precious Jingyi!”
The corner of Jiang Jingyi’s mouth twitched. Was this the style of her maternal relatives?
Before she could react, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a woman in her forties was the first to poke her head out. Her gaze swept around before finally landing on Jiang Jingyi. “Jingyi? I’m your eldest maternal aunt!”
With that, Madam Li swiftly jumped down from the carriage, threw open her arms, and embraced Jiang Jingyi tightly, calling her “little precious” and “sweetheart” nonstop, leaving Jiang Jingyi utterly dumbfounded.
Jiang Jingyi was stunned. She had just managed to call out “Aunt” when He Yan also descended from the other carriage. However, He Yan’s outfit nearly blinded her, it was so flashy that Jiang Jingyi felt he must be wearing the entire He family fortune on his person.
Ji Qiuyang had met the couple yesterday, and while he could somewhat accept Madam Li’s behavior, seeing He Yan’s appearance made the corner of his mouth twitch involuntarily. Yesterday, dressed in a plain blue robe, he had looked like a scholar; today, his outfit was unmistakably that of a nouveau riche.
The two elders, unconcerned about who might be watching on the road, eagerly expressed their years of longing for Jiang Jingyi.
He Yan said, “The Jiang family didn’t even notify us about such an important matter as your wedding. Absolutely outrageous! Once your grandfather and I go deal with that bastard Jiang Dachuan…”
Upon hearing “grandfather,” Jiang Jingyi quickly asked, “Has Grandfather come as well?”
“He’s here, he’s here.” Only then did He Yan remember his own father and hastily stepped aside. Jiang Jingyi then saw an elderly man in his sixties sitting in the rear carriage with a displeased expression.
Jiang Jingyi thought he might be angry with her, but unexpectedly, Old Master He picked up his walking stick and struck He Yan with it. “So now you remember I’m your father? Move aside, move aside!”
With that, Old Master He was helped down from the carriage. Jiang Jingyi took two steps forward, her eyes reddening. “Grandfather.”
“Ah, grandfather’s little heart and soul!” Old Master He looked at Jiang Jingyi’s plain attire and thin face, his heart aching. “That dog bastard Jiang Dachuan has truly mistreated my Jingyi. Just wait until I break his dog legs!”
Jiang Jingyi felt an extraordinary warmth toward such relatives, while Ji Qiuyang deeply sympathized with his father-in-law’s legs.
But the more warmly the He family treated Jiang Jingyi, the more puzzled he became. Logically speaking, the He family’s circumstances were far beyond what the Jiang family could ever hope to match. So how could they have allowed their niece to suffer in the Jiang household all this time?
“Grandfather, this is my husband, Ji Qiuyang.” Jiang Jingyi, mindful of her current identity, introduced him shyly.
It was evident that He Yan resembled Old Master He. The old man also sized up Ji Qiuyang from head to toe and gave an almost identical assessment: “Not bad-looking. Worthy of Jingyi.”
Then he added, “I heard you secured this marriage yourself? Just as I said—that dog Jiang Dachuan doesn’t treat you well, forcing you to find a husband on your own. Damn bastard, son of a bitch!”
Jiang Jingyi smiled warmly. “Grandfather is absolutely right.”
Ji Qiuyang couldn’t help but glance at her. You two are truly related—even your manner of cursing is identical. He almost felt sympathy for his father-in-law.
However, the next moment, Ji Qiuyang found himself sympathizing with his own situation.
Old Master He frowned as he looked at Ji Qiuyang. “I heard you weren’t willing to marry Jingyi at first?”
Sweat began to form on Ji Qiuyang’s forehead. How was he supposed to answer that? Should he say he had essentially been entrapped by Jiang Jingyi? That he never wanted to marry her in the first place? His gaze swept over the walking stick in Old Master He’s hand, and he had no doubt that if he admitted reluctance, that stick would come down on him.
For a moment, Ji Qiuyang was at a loss.
He couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Jingyi, hoping that she might, considering their partnership, rescue him from this predicament. But although Jiang Jingyi clearly saw his look, she turned her head away and pretended not to notice.
Ji Qiuyang’s face was stiff with tension.
Just as the atmosphere seemed about to freeze, Jiang Jingyi quickly said to Old Master He, “Grandfather, don’t listen to idle gossip. Look at my husband and me, a perfect match made in heaven. Who would be so blind as to spread rumors that my husband wasn’t willing to marry me? Right, darling?”
As she spoke, her gaze swept toward Ji Qiuyang, her face beaming with smiles while the teasing in her eyes could barely be contained.
Unfortunately for Ji Qiuyang, at this moment he couldn’t refute her words and had no choice but to pinch his nose and nod in agreement.
Jiang Jingyi then added coquettishly, “Grandfather, you’ve embarrassed him with all these questions.”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about for a man?” Although Old Master He said this, his tone had softened considerably.
He Yan chuckled heartily. “Father, let’s go demand an explanation from the Jiang family!”
Jiang Jingyi’s face lit up with joy. “Uncle, did you bring the dowry list from my mother’s side? To be honest, I was previously deceived by Madam Ma and nearly couldn’t marry my husband. To secure this marriage, I voluntarily gave my mother’s dowry to Madam Ma. But my father doesn’t know about this, and I didn’t sign any written agreement. Can we get it back?”
“Absolutely! Leave it to your uncle.” He Yan’s chest swelled with confidence. Hearing his niece’s words only strengthened his belief that Jiang Dachuan was worthless and Madam Ma a wicked stepmother.
The group boarded the carriage and headed toward the Jiang residence. Jiang Jingyi asked, “Uncle, should we send a visiting card first so they can prepare to receive us?”
He Yan waved his hand dismissively, a glint of battle in his eyes. “No need. Let’s catch them off guard.”
What he didn’t mention was that he wanted to see firsthand how the Jiang family had originally planned to welcome their new son-in-law.
Ji Qiuyang was summoned by Old Master He to the rear carriage, while up front, Jiang Jingyi and Madam Li reminisced about over a decade of familial bonds. Madam Li was more than ten years older than Jiang Jingyi’s mother and had essentially watched her grow up. But after bearing two children, Jiang Jingyi’s mother discovered that Jiang Dachuan had kept a mistress who had already borne him a child. Her already weakened constitution deteriorated further until she ultimately passed away. In the end, even her two sons became estranged from the He family—it would be untrue to say this didn’t cause Madam Li pain.
Through Madam Li’s recollections and some subtle questioning of Yingtao, Jiang Jingyi managed to glean additional information.
Jiang Jingyi’s mother had already passed away when the original owner was only five or six years old. A child that young, once taken in by a stepmother, could essentially be molded into whatever shape the stepmother desired. If Jiang Jingyi and the He family had maintained contact, then the Jiang family property might have eventually fallen to Jiang Jingyi and her brother, with whatever was left over going to Madam Ma and her children.
How could one maximize the benefits?
Madam Ma wouldn’t dare reach for anything from the He family, but securing the Jiang family’s assets in her own hands would be much easier. First, raise the two children to be useless, completely obedient to her, letting that lust-driven Jiang Dachuan become disappointed in them. Then, when the time came for the two children to marry, swindle their inheritance away—wouldn’t that work perfectly?
How to sever ties between the He family and the Jiang family? Naturally, have Jiang Jingyi and her brother voluntarily cut off contact themselves, even say some hurtful things. Then, even if the He family wanted to intervene, they’d have no justification, and if they mishandled it, they might even earn a bad reputation for meddling in other people’s affairs.
Madam Ma had calculated brilliantly, and her plan succeeded. Jiang Jingyi and her younger brother Jiang Yuqin were successfully raised to be useless and actively severed ties with the He family. Jiang Dachuan also became thoroughly disappointed in them, instead pinning his hopes on Madam Ma’s two children.
Unfortunately, the original owner died, and Jiang Jingyi crossed over. Admittedly, the original owner wasn’t a good person, but if you traced it back to the root cause, it was because from childhood, her parents had never instilled any positive values in her.
Towards such parents, Jiang Jingyi felt she couldn’t afford to be soft-hearted.
The town was only so big, and they soon arrived at the Jiang family gate.
Although the Jiang family couldn’t compare to the He family, they still occupied a three-courtyard residence. As the carriage stopped, more than twenty strong, young servants planted their clubs on the ground with a thud, startling the Jiang family’s gatekeeper.
Jiang Jingyi was the first to step down from the carriage, followed by Ji Qiuyang. Jiang Jingyi smiled sweetly. “Go in and announce that I’ve returned home for my visit.”
The gatekeeper was immediately alarmed. When their young lady had married, she had only taken one maidservant with her. Yet in just a couple of days, how had she brought back so many people?
The gatekeeper, one of Madam Ma’s people, took one look at the imposing procession and hurriedly ran toward the inner courtyard, shouting as he ran, “Something terrible has happened! The eldest young lady has brought people to attack the house!”
Ji Qiuyang glanced at Jiang Jingyi and the crowd behind her, thinking that the gatekeeper’s shout wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
**
Author has something to say:
Jiang Jingyi: I am so kind-hearted.