Cheng Yujin brought the food box and walked out. She had just stepped out of the building when she encountered Xheng Yumo on the corridor.
Seeing Cheng Yujin, Cheng Yumo was stunned. Since Jingyong Marquis manor came to propose her marriage, even if both sides said they didn't care, the two sisters' relationship still visibly went cold. Cheng Yumo said that she was doing it for Cheng Yujin's own good. But when caught off guard, Cheng Yumo's first reaction upon seeing Cheng Yujin was dislike.
Cheng Yumo couldn't help thinking about her previous life, when she was forced to see her sister marry her beloved man. At that time, she was ill. Staying alone on her sickbed, she listened to the lively hustle and bustle outside, with firecrackers and the sound of people coming and going. However, she seemed to be forgotten by the world, staying alone in a lonely room. Because she was ill, she couldn't even go out to mingle with the happy crowd.
That feeling, even after two lifetimes, Cheng Yumo would never forget.
Even if these things wouldn't recur in this life, Cheng Yumo still didn't feel relieved. She couldn't help thinking: if only Cheng Yujin didn't lie to replace her position, she and Huo Changyuan would not experience those ups and downs.
Heaven knew how painful Cheng Yumo felt when she saw her sister standing side by side with Huo Changyuan in her previous life. When Cheng Yujin and Huo Changyuan came to Yichun Marquis manor for the first visit after marriage, Cheng Yumo sat on the table with other family members and had to listen to everyone praising Cheng Yujin and Huo Changyuan's legendary marriage tale, saying that the two were a fated couple. Cheng Yumo's heart was as if being cut by a knife. Each and every word was stabbing her heart, piercing into her flesh and dipping it in blood. What utterly crushed Cheng Yumo was seeing Huo Changyuan smiling at her sister, carefully picking up Cheng Yujin's favorite dishes.
At that time, Cheng Yumo couldn't stand it anymore and almost rushed over to shout: you have got the wrong person, the one who saved you is me, is me! Perhaps, Cheng Yumo's expression was too obvious and was seen by Old Madam Cheng. The Old Madam said nothing, but quickly ordered a Mama to take her away. After that, each time Cheng Yujin and Huo Changyuan came to visit, the Old Madam would separate Cheng Yumo for various reasons.
Cheng Yumo went through the most painful months of being misunderstood, betrayed, and forgotten. Her heart gradually died. She thought, maybe this was her fate. Her sister robbed her of nutrition when they were still in their mother's stomach, resulting in her being born weak and sickly. Growing up, because her sister was adopted by an aunt with noble status, she had to pick her sister's leftover every time. Yes, even her marriage was robbed and used for her sister's stepping stone. Perhaps, heaven let her born just to make her a foil, allowing her sister sucked her blood and scraped her flesh.
Cheng Yumo was about to admit his fate when news came that Cheng Yujin was pregnant. Even after this long, they still refused to let her go, and stabbed another knife into her numbed heart. Cheng Yumo also heard that Huo Changyuan was very happy with Cheng Yujin's pregnancy. Everyone in Jingyong Marquis manor had to concede to the pregnant Marchioness. Even when Cheng Yujin wanted to invite her family over to accompany her, Huo Changyuan quickly agreed.
When Cheng Yumo came to Jingyong Marquis manor, she saw Cheng Yujin clad in luxurious clothes and was provided with every best thing to raise her fetus. Everyone in the manor treated Cheng Yujin respectfully. Cheng Yumo listened to everyone complimenting the Marchioness for being smart, beautiful, and capable. She also saw how they were eagerly looking forward to the child in Cheng Yujin's stomach. Several times, Cheng Yumo almost couldn't bear it. These are obviously hers, and Cheng Yujin clearly was the impostor who seized her life-saving grace!
Cheng Yumo was in anguish, but had to force a smile. She told herself that she should accept her fate, but every time she saw Huo Changyuan, she still couldn't control her feelings. She couldn't help but took the initiative to talk to Huo Changyuan again and again, and couldn't help staying behind to stay longer with him. Later, she finally couldn't hold it anymore. After a cup of wine, she told Huo Changyuan the truth on that snowy night.
At that time, Cheng Yumo's mind was blurred with alcohol. But when she spoke the long-hidden truth, she realized that she was completely sober. She knew exactly what she was doing; being drunk was just an excuse.
Cheng Yumo didn't notice it herself and was looking forward to Huo Changyuan's reaction. Huo Changyuan was stunned. He thought Cheng Yumo was blabbering nonsense in drunkenness and was going to call a servant girl to send her back. Cheng Yumo got angry. She deliberately fell on him and use the chance to tell him the details that only be known to them.
Cheng Yumo was satisfied. Now Huo Changyuan knew who was his real savior.
When Huo Changyuan heard Cheng Yumo saying that she took off her clothes to keep him warm, he closed his eyes in despair. He knew that his hunch had come true.
After Cheng Yumo sobered up the next day, she became nervous. She felt guilty for her sister and worried about Huo Changyuan's attitude. After that day, Huo Changyuan seemed to be running away, saying that he was busy in the military barrack and didn't come home for days. Cheng Yumo had an inexplicable feeling that he wasn't hiding from herself, but from her sister.
But, before Cheng Yumo could clear up her mood, Du Ruo came to her: "Second Miss, Madam is calling you."
Even after a long time, Cheng Yumo still remembered Du Ruo's look that day. She knew that Du Ruo was her sister's highest-ranking servant girl, and also the most trusted confidante. Du Ruo just looked at Cheng Yumo silently. Although Du Ruo's face was devoid of emotion, she seemed to examined Cheng Yumo with a shred of pity.
Cheng Yumo was immediately irritated by that look. After arriving at the main courtyard, Cheng Yujin said a few words before suddenly talking about an ancient story with a joking tone. She talked about Ehuang and Nvying and inadvertently asked Cheng Yumo what was her thought about sisters who married the same man.
At that time, Cheng Yujin's eyes looking at Cheng Yumo were full of meaning, exactly the same as Du Ruo's. Cheng Yumo didn't know whether it was out of embarrassment or anger, but she instantly stood up and ran away. After she ran back to her room, she cried and packed her luggage, wanted to go home immediately.
Ehuang and Nvying, beautiful and bright, were daughters of King Yao (a king in China 4,000 years ago), who, in his late years, wanted to leave his throne to a dependable young man. He chose Shun, who had both ability and virtue, to inherit the crown and married his two daughters to him, Ehuang as the queen, Nvying the concubine. (source: globallightminds.com)
When Cheng Yujin knew, she didn't stop Cheng Yumo. Cheng Yumo was sitting in a carriage, crying all the way home. She kept sobbing, feeling that her life was too bitter. Heaven was unfair. Why did it favor her sister so much?
Halfway, she was stopped by Huo Changyuan. Cheng Yumo didn't know how to describe his face at that time. She only remembered that Huo Changyuan apologized to her and said that he would give her an explanation.
At that time, Cheng Yumo was dazzled by excitement. Later, after she became Marchioness Jingyong, she recalled the scene of that day, and found out that Huo Changyuan's expression at that time was clearly admitting the fate between them.
After the death of the scheming woman, the suffering young miss finally got together with her beloved general. But the reality wasn't a stage drama. After the story ended, how was their life?
In the years after their marriage, Cheng Yumo could not tell how miserable her married life was. After all, Huo Changyuan pampered her, and Huo Xue-shi gave her enough face. To outsiders, her life was like a flower on a brocade, or a sun soaked in a honey jar: perfect and beautiful. But Cheng Yumo always felt that she was living under Cheng Yujin's shadow. And the remnants of Cheng Yujin's memories were left everywhere in the manor.
Huo Changyuan couldn't forget his first wife who died young, and the manor's servants couldn't forget the perfect deceased Madam. Even Huo Xue-shi always disliked Cheng Yumo's inability. In Huo Xue-shi's words, it was: "You cannot even do such a simple thing. When your elder sister was here, I don't have to worry at all, and it only took two days for her to finish the arrangement."
Cheng Yumo smiled bitterly. Yes, because such a perfect woman like Cheng Yujin has once existed, she would always get compared no matter what she did.
In the years after her marriage, Cheng Yumo endured unspeakable aggrievance. Later, she woke up to find herself back to her younger self before everything happened. Cheng Yumo cried with joy. Great, nothing has happened. She had to go and tell Huo Changyuan the truth early. With this, she didn't have to kneel before Cheng Yujin(1) and didn't have to endure others comparing them. More importantly, she didn't have to look at Huo Changyuan stroking the embroidery pattern left by Cheng Yujin day after day, silently remembering his deceased wife.
She wanted to thoroughly purge Cheng Yujin's existence from her and Huo Changyuan's life.
Cheng Yumo thought that she had succeeded. Huo Changyuan promptly broke off his engagement with Cheng Yujin and took her as his fiancee instead. Both grandmother and mother accepted her engagement, and even grandfather gave her one thousand silver taels for her dowry. This has never happened in her previous life.
Cheng Yumo came out of the side building with satisfaction, but unexpectedly bumped into Cheng Yujin.
When caught off guard, people didn't have time to hide their thoughts and inadvertently revealed their true feelings. It was also at this moment Cheng Yumo realized that she has never escaped from Cheng Yujin's shadow. Perhaps Huo Changyuan and the people of Jingyong Marquis manor would no longer have Cheng Yujin in their memory. But in Cheng Yumo's heart, her deceased sister would always be a huge mountain she couldn't cross over.
Cheng Yumo's expression turned stiff. After she realized, she quickly tried to control her emotions. She showed the face a younger sister should have and smiled at Cheng Yujin: "Elder sister, you are here."
Cheng Yujin nodded lightly: "Yes."
The atmosphere soon turned awkward again. Cheng Yumo desperately tried to bring back the scene. She glanced at the box in Cheng Yujin's hands and deliberately asked nonchalantly: "Elder sister, why are you carrying that by yourself? Where is your servant girl?"
Du Ruo was about to step forward to apologize, but Cheng Yujin reached out and stopped her movements. Cheng Yujin then said: "This is my own intention. Du Ruo injured her waist and is inconvenient to carry things. Anyway, it is just an empty box and is not heavy. I can bring it myself."
Cheng Yujin once again arranged everything properly and easily. All right, everyone always praised Cheng Yujin for being sensible and generous, as if Cheng Yumo was the ignorant child. At this moment, Cheng Yumo seemed to return to her previous life, and a surge of hostility suddenly burned in her heart. She tried to control the expression, pretending to chat with Cheng Yujin pleasantly: "Really, ah. Elder sister truly treats your servants well. Since elder sister said so, how can this younger sister bear seeing you bring back things by yourself? Let this younger sister help you take that box back."
When Cheng Yumo reached her hand to the food box, Cheng Yujin immediately took a step back: "No."
Cheng Yumo's hand stopped in the air stiffly. She looked at Cheng Yujin in surprise.
Cheng Yujin quickly calmed down and said: "It's just a food box, I can bring it myself. No need to bother you. I am the elder sister, and I should take care of you. Your body isn't healthy, and you cannot be tired."
Cheng Yumo clenched her palms unconsciously. Elder sister should take care of her younger sister; Cheng Yumo grew up listening to these words. When she still lived in her natal family, she never thought anything was wrong. But after getting married, Cheng Yumo realized that this sentence had become an invisible barrier. Her sister's limelight had become something that she could never be able to break through.
Suddenly, an unknown desire engulfed Cheng Yumo's mind. As if she was deliberately competing with Cheng Yujin in her previous life, she said: "Elder sister, what are you talking about? You and I were born on the same day and the same hour. You are only a few dozen minutes older than me. Why should you always take care of me? Even if your servant girl is injured, she shouldn't let you bring things personally. Zhu Xin, go and help elder sister bring the box."
Cheng Yujin frowned. She wondered what kind of strange medicine did Cheng Yumo eat today. Whenever she gave out benefits for her younger siblings before, she never saw Cheng Yumo said that they are of the same age and Cheng Yujin shouldn't relent for her. Why did she suddenly so persistent today?
Cheng Yujin has always used her own thought to gouge other people's minds. She immediately suspected whether Cheng Yumo was also aiming for Old Master Cheng's remaining fortune. Was she perhaps trying to let her servant girl checked if there was anything in the food box?
Unfortunately, there was.
(1) Second wife is considered lower status than the original wife, even if both are technically legal wives. So after she married in, Cheng Yumo had to kneel and give Cheng Yujin's memorial tablet a respectful greeting.
Cheng Yujin was trying to refuse unobtrusively when the door behind her suddenly opened. Cheng Yuanjing walked out of the door. He glanced at the two girls in stalemate and asked: "Why are you still here?"
This 'you' obviously referred to Cheng Yujin. Cheng Yujin immediately answered, "Ninth Uncle, greetings. This niece is just about to go back when I happened to ran into second sister here, so we exchanged a few words."
Cheng Yuanjing nodded and walked towards them. Cheng Yumo couldn't tell why she was a little afraid of this ninth uncle. Obviously, she never had any intersection with him in her previous life. This talented and promising ninth uncle never become a high official and died young. However, when Cheng Yumo saw Cheng Yuanjing walked towards them, she almost reflexively bowed her head and stepped aside.
Fortunately, Cheng Yujin also responded in the same way, which somewhat balanced Cheng Yumo's mood. If she were alone and made such a reaction, it would be too shameful. Cheng Yumo thought that ninth uncle was about to leave after asking the question just now, but unexpectedly, he stopped two steps away and said to the manservant behind: "Go and bring the box for the eldest girl."
Cheng Yujin's expression immediately changed. She smiled and said: "No need. It is just an empty box. I can bring it myself."
Cheng Yuanjing glanced at her with a smile that didn't like a smile: "I know. But there are so many men here, and there is no need for a little girl like you to bring things by yourself. Liu Yi, go and take it."
"Yes." Liu Yi bowed before saying to Cheng Yujin with a smile, "Eldest miss, please let this servant bring it for you."
Cheng Yujin still hesitated. People like her, whose heart was pure black, always guessed other people's intentions using a similar way. Cheng Yujin suspected that Cheng Yuanjing wanted to take the gold from her.
Seeing Cheng Yujin's suspicious gaze, Cheng Yuanjing guessed her thoughts. He raised his eyebrows and said: "What? You want me to bring it personally?"
"This little girl doesn't dare." Cheng Yujin immediately handed the food box to Liu Yi. After letting go, she still added anxiously, "There is a porcelain bowl inside. Be careful not to drop it."
Cheng Yuanjing chuckled lightly. His smiling gaze swept upon Cheng Yujin, obviously noticing her thought. Cheng Yujin didn't care. Anyway, Cheng Yuanjing has seen too much of her real self. In front of the crown prince, she didn't need to care too much about her image.
The noble crown prince didn't have spare time to reveal a little girl's small tricks.
When Liu Yi took over the food box, his expression did not change, as if it was really just an empty wooden box, and didn't feel the weight at all. Liu Yi smiled and bowed to Cheng Yujin: "This servant has received the order. Eldest miss, please walk first."
Since her gold was in someone else's hand, Cheng Yujin didn't dare to refute. She obediently walked behind Cheng Yuanjing. Du Ruo also followed from behind, and a group of people walked away grandiosely. From beginning to end, Cheng Yuanjing only talked to Cheng Yujin, and neither of them paid any attention to Cheng Yumo, who was standing on the side. It was as if she did not exist at all. Cheng Yumo was angry, but she consoled herself. Cheng Yuanjing was about to die, and Cheng Yujin's engagement has broken once, the rest of her life was destined to be full of hardship. Cheng Yumo no longer cared about their disregard of herself.
After a few years, she would become an existence they couldn't even look up to. Why should an elephant care about the offense made by small ants?
Cheng Yumo quickly let go of this incident.
....
Cheng Yujin followed Cheng Yuanjing obediently. Seeing that he was going to enter his courtyard, Cheng Yujin quickly said: "Ninth Uncle, thank you for your help. This little girl has to bid farewell now."
Cheng Yuanjing stopped and motioned to Liu Yi: "Send the eldest girl back."
Liu Yi bowed: "Yes."
In fact, Liu Yi was secretly surprised. His Highness has never liked to meddle in other people's business, not to mention pitying a woman. Why did he repeatedly help eldest Miss Cheng today? Even if His Highness was in a pleasant mood today and had a sudden whim to do a good deed, he should have dismissed eldest miss Cheng after leaving the Old Master's courtyard. Why did he bring her all the way?
Liu Yi didn't understand, nor did Cheng Yujin. Liu Yi knew what kind of person his master was, so he was extremely puzzled. But Cheng Yujin only thought that a great personage was indeed a great personage. Just look at his unpredictable actions and unfathomable temperament. Indeed deserved to be a ruler.
If he was so easy to understand, how could he accomplish great causes?
Liu Yi escorted Cheng Yujin to her courtyard, then saluted politely before going back. Cheng Yujin silently watched Liu Yi's back. When Lian Qiao came in, she happened to meet Liu Yi. As she entered the room, she asked: "Miss, is that Ninth Master's person?"
"Yes."
Lian Qiao couldn't help but glance back once again and said, "Where did Ninth Master buy him? His manners and movements are so excellent."
Cheng Yujin inwardly said: You are right. Every field has experts, and they are the most professional in serving people.
Cheng Yujin coughed lightly to take Lian Qiao's attention back and said solemnly: "In the future, Ninth Uncle will rise high. We must not offend him, not even the people around him. Understand?"
Lian Qiao was startled by Cheng Yujin's sudden warning and nodded quickly. Afterward, Cheng Yujin found an excuse to drive everyone out of the main building before opening the food box gently.
Heaven, is this whole box of gold all hers?
After opening the lid, Cheng Yujin suddenly narrowed her eyes. She leaned closer, pinched the edge with her fingers, and slowly pulled a paper out from the box. She opened it up and found that it was a land deed, and the official seal on it said 'Jinling.'
So it was the 1000 mu land in Jinling. One thousand mu, did Cheng Yuanjing really give her this?
Cheng Yujin's first reaction was to quickly count the number of gold ingots. Cheng Yuanjing's person could stuff the land deed into the box without anyone's notice. Who knew if they also took out a piece of gold in passing.