“The next time we meet will mean an eternal bond.” Bai Yujing gazed at her with unwavering determination, his voice filled with resolve.
Just as they were packing their bags, Deng Shen suddenly came in to deliver a message, "Madam, there is a guest outside who wants to see you."
"Who wants to see me?" Jiang Huaiyu asked curiously.
Deng Shen scratched his head and said uncertainly, "It's a young woman named Yingxiang. She said she was your former servant."
"Yingxiang?"
Jiang Huaiyu paused, slightly taken aback. "Quickly, invite her in."
"Yes, sir!" Deng Shen accepted the order and quickly left.
Not long after, Deng Shen led in a woman with a beautiful appearance. As soon as the woman saw Jiang Huaiyu, she immediately knelt down and spoke in a loud and respectful voice.
"Young lady, Yingxiang has come to kowtow to you!"
Jiang Huaiyu quickly gestured to Feiyue to help her up, and said with a smile, "Yingxiang, we are no longer master and servant, you don't need to kneel before me."
Yingxiang shook her head firmly, "No, Madam, in my heart, you will always be my master."
Jiang Huaiyu gazed tenderly at the vibrant woman before her, unable to fathom the horrific ordeal she had endured in her past life. Fortunately, in this reincarnation, she was still living a healthy life. Witnessing her current well-being was a fitting end to their deep friendship forged since childhood.
"Yingxiang, how did you know I was here?" Jiang Huaiyu asked curiously.
With tears in her eyes, Yingxiang glanced at Jiang Huaiyu with excitement, carefully wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes before slowly saying, "I didn't know that Miss had returned, but thinking that the first month of the lunar year was about to end, Miss should also return to the Jiang family to visit, so I went to inquire about the news. When I learned that Miss and her husband were living here, I couldn't wait to find them here."
Jiang Huaiyu kindly gestured for Feiyue to serve him some fragrant tea, and asked with a smile, "What brings you here?"
Yingxiang lowered her head and suddenly knelt down. "I have come here specifically to express my gratitude to you, Miss."
"What are you thanking me for?" Jiang Huaiyu asked, slightly puzzled. "If it's because I helped you redeem yourself, you've already expressed your gratitude, so there's no need to mention it again."
“It’s not for that reason…” Yingxiang seemed a little embarrassed to say it.
Jiang Huaiyu gently waved her hand, signaling Feiyue to leave the room. Once only the two of them remained, Yingxiang choked back tears and revealed the truth: "Yingxiang wants to thank Miss for saving my life. That day, you didn't let me follow the Second Miss into the Marquis's mansion. Instead, you used the excuse that a marriage had already been arranged at home to quietly redeem me from the Jiang family. Therefore, Madam sent Wocan and Xiangzhu to accompany the Second Miss into the Marquis's mansion. Miss may not know... Xiangzhu has unfortunately passed away."
"Passed away?" Jiang Huaiyu asked in shock.
She knew that Wocan and Xiangzhu had entered the Marquis's residence with Jiang Shuqin. She had seen Wocan unharmed at the Jiang family home, so she naturally assumed that Xiangzhu should also be fine, perhaps because she had other duties at the Marquis's residence and had not returned with them. But she never expected that Xiangzhu would pass away so young.
In Jiang Huaiyu's mind, only one possibility flashed through her mind—"Could it be... that it was done by Jiang Shuqin?"
Yingxiang nodded slightly, her voice tinged with sorrow. She slowly said, "Indeed. Wocan, Xiangzhu, and I are like sisters. I remember that first snowfall of that year, I happened to meet Wocan in the bustling market. She was tearful and told me many secrets of the Marquis's mansion. The Second Miss... seemed to have suffered terrible treatment in the mansion, so she vented all her anger and resentment on Wocan and Xiangzhu. I remember once, Xiangzhu accidentally knocked over a teacup and was ordered by the Second Miss to kneel in the freezing snow all night. Even though Xiangzhu later fell ill from the cold and had to seek medical attention, she ultimately couldn't overcome the illness, which is truly regrettable."
Jiang Huaiyu's expression hardened, and the muscles on her face twitched involuntarily. She angrily rebuked, "How could she treat a living being so carelessly!"
"I was truly terrified!" Yingxiang wiped away her tears and gave a bitter smile as she continued, "Miss, you may not know this, but when you suggested that I leave the Marquis's mansion, I was filled with gratitude, but at the same time, I secretly harbored some resentment. After all, if I had stayed in the mansion longer, my future would undoubtedly have been brighter. But now, looking back, I was so ignorant that I didn't realize that your actions, Miss, had actually saved my life."
"The second young lady has always been dissatisfied with me, and she always treats me coldly whenever we meet. If I really go to the Marquis's mansion with her, I'm afraid my fate won't be much better than Xiangzhu's..."
Yingxiang bowed deeply to the ground, expressing her sincerest gratitude. "Therefore, I must come in person to thank you, Miss."
Jiang Huaiyu gently helped her up, saying kindly, "It's all in the past now, you don't need to take it to heart anymore. It's just that your under-eye area..."
Faced with the loss of a young life, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but feel worried.
Yingxiang smiled with relief and said softly, "Miss, there is no need to worry too much. After all, the Marquis's mansion is still the Marquis's mansion. Since that incident, I heard that the Lady of Jingyuan Marquis has severely punished the Second Miss and strictly ordered her not to do anything that could harm anyone. Wocan should be able to turn the tide."
"Then I can rest assured." Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly, her mood seemingly lightening with those words.
Lady Jingyuan has always been intolerant of any imperfections, which may be one of the many reasons why she wanted to dissolve her marriage with Jiang Shuqin.
The two sat down again, and Jiang Huaiyu asked with concern, "Yingxiang, it's been a while since you returned home. How are you doing now?"
"I..." Yingxiang hesitated slightly, as if her next words concealed some unspeakable secret.
Jiang Huaiyu said gently, "We've been together since childhood. If you ever have any difficulties and need my help, just ask, and I'll do my best without hesitation."
Yingxiang hesitated for a moment, a resolute look flashing across her face. She then knelt down and pleaded, "Yingxiang begs you, young lady, to take me away from this place of trouble!"
What do you mean?
Yingxiang's eyes reddened, but she forced back her tears, raised her head, and her face was filled with unspeakable sorrow and resentment.
"I will always remember the kindness you showed me, young lady. However, my brother and sister-in-law are heartless. They are blinded by money and have tried to sell me to a widower who is over fifty years old as a concubine. Although he is widowed, he has many concubines, no fewer than ten, and he also has three sons who fight over the family property day and night. If I were to step into that house, I would probably end up with nothing but dust!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu was furious. "Outrageous! How could they do such a thing to you?"
Yingxiang raised her sleeve and fiercely wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, forcing them back into her eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
