bullyxtreme Chapter 220 Li Mingyue Regrets
Chapter 220 Li Mingyue Regrets
Since marrying Zhao Chengye, Li Mingyue has never had a single day of peace.
My mother-in-law likes to put on airs and make things difficult for others, while my sister-in-law is arrogant, domineering, and short-sighted, always eyeing my things.
Even her beloved brother Chengye wasn't the person she had imagined.
All that glamorous and refined demeanor is an act.
A donkey dung ball has a shiny surface; apart from being eloquent and having a better appearance, it's not much different from those spoiled brats.
The Ningguo Duke's Mansion was more of an empty shell, with only the main house and a few courtyards for entertaining guests, all adorned with flowers.
In more remote areas, everything has been turned into vegetable gardens, and they can't even afford to repair the gold paint on the roof beams.
The stark contrast after marriage left Li Mingyue heartbroken and finally understood why her mother had repeatedly asked her if she would regret it.
I finally understand what the saying means: "For a woman, getting married is like being reborn for the second time."
Some flowers can bloom beautifully no matter how harsh the environment.
But she couldn't be like that; she was just an ordinary flower, like most girls.
It can grow well in fertile soil and with abundant rain, but it will gradually wither in barren and arid places.
But she had already moved from her parents' garden to her husband's land, and the roots she had planted there could not be pulled out.
Even if you manage to pull it up, it will be torn to pieces.
She also tried to change things.
Whether you try to please your mother-in-law or reluctantly give your best things to your sister-in-law, it's all in vain.
Her mother-in-law had no idea what it meant to reciprocate kindness; she only knew how to take an inch and then a mile.
The more submissive and humble she appeared, the more cruelly the old woman tormented her.
People don't think that a daughter-in-law's filial piety is a sign of good manners; they just think you're a coward who's easy to manipulate.
Her sister-in-law has learned her mother-in-law's essence tenfold, becoming insatiably greedy and never satisfied.
Even if she poured all her dowry into it, it wouldn't be enough to fill this bottomless pit.
Li Mingyue was never a very good-natured person.
She initially tried to integrate into her in-laws' family in order to win back Zhao Chengye's heart, but she exploded after discovering that the two of them were shameless.
Who says people only have one attribute? She's not only love-obsessed, she's also a mama's girl.
Zhao Chengye's inaction caused her romantic tendencies to diminish somewhat, while her mama's boy tendencies regained the upper hand.
A "mama's boy" is unhappy because his mother always wants to compete with his wife.
But if the mother is reliable, the "mama's girl" can be very happy.
Madam Li didn't seem surprised to see her daughter return crying; she simply stroked Li Mingyue's head affectionately and offered her advice.
Reincarnation is indeed important, but it doesn't mean you have to accept your fate after being reincarnated.
Even those who marry into wealthy families can have a miserable life, while those who marry into lowly families can still carve out a path to success.
Isn't Miss Jiang next door a perfect example? With the backing of Chief Supervisor Xiao, she completely suppressed the Liu family.
He's rich and has plenty of free time, so no one dares to mess with him. When he browses a jewelry store, he can casually pick up items worth thousands of taels of silver without batting an eye.
Two women who were acquainted with her had daughters who had offended Jiang Xinyu, and Jiang Xinyu rushed over to apologize.
As a result, the return gift they casually gave was actually tribute fabric bestowed by the palace.
Originally, this marriage was for her daughter Mingyue, but at the time, the mother and daughter felt like the sky had fallen.
In order to escape the fate of marrying a eunuch, she even considered the Ningguo Duke's Mansion, which she originally looked down upon, and deliberately arranged a marriage exchange at the risk of being divorced.
It seems that she lacked vision; she only saw that the Duke of Ningguo's family was not a good match and failed to see the advantages of Chief Eunuch Xiao.
Unfortunately, it's too late to say anything now; all we can do is try our best to help Mingyue live a good life from now on.
Li Mingyue went back to her parents' home and brought back a maid and a nanny. After returning, she had a huge fight with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
After being summoned for a talk by the Li family patriarch, Zhao Chengye dared not let his mother and sister run wild anymore.
Having tasted the sweetness of success, Li Mingyue became increasingly unwilling to be a virtuous wife.
It's so great to be a shrew; you can punish me however you want, I'm not going to take it.
If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll hang myself. Let's see how you explain yourself to my family.
Since she became a shrew, the sky has become bluer, the water clearer, the maids speak more politely, and her mother-in-law no longer dares to set rules for her all the time.
It's just that this benefit came a little late, and she was put through the wringer for several months.
As Li Mingyue spent more time at the Ningguo Duke's mansion, she also won over some of the maids and servants, and gradually learned some things that she had never known while she was still in her boudoir.
For example, the love triangle between Jiang Xinyu, Jiang Wanqiu, and Zhao Chengye.
She was truly blind to Jiang Wanqiu's good character before; who knew that the slut had been having an affair with her brother-in-law all along.
Bah, so shameless.
Li Mingyue felt a surge of hatred when she thought back to when she was still a young lady and complained to Jiang Wanqiu that Jiang Xinyu was not good enough for Zhao Chengye.
She was just a little girl with feelings for Zhao Chengye because he was good-looking.
If we met, I would just give a greeting and quickly avoid her; I never thought of having any private dealings or actively seducing her.
As a result, Jiang Wanqiu adopted a serious demeanor, like a female master, advising her with maxims and precepts for women.
I was so stupid to think that the despicable woman was of noble character and genuinely cared about me, fearing that I was going down the wrong path.
Thinking about it now, it's disgusting!
They say one thing and do another; they're really good at playing the hypocrite.
Originally, these things could only be kept to Li Mingyue's heart, after all, the title of the Crown Prince's wife sounded quite good.
She had no way out and no courage to completely sever ties with the Zhao family.
The Li clan could support her in seizing power within the inner quarters and challenging the matriarch, but they would not allow her to divorce and lose face for the clan.
Some things you have to stand firm on, but some things you have to turn a blind eye to.
After becoming the wife of the Duke's heir, Li Mingyue has grown a lot.
She used to act recklessly because her mother could protect her in that circle.
That won't work now; she has to find her place within the established family's rules and frameworks.
It's true what they say: you can't teach someone by human instruction, but you can learn from experience; you'll remember once you've been hurt.
Li Mingyue remained enthusiastic towards Zhao Chengye, but the love she felt for him had gradually diminished to about 30% and was still declining.
She valued her own practical interests and status more than her husband's favor.
The Ningguo Duke's Mansion was already poor, and Jiang Xinyu had swindled them out of several thousand taels of silver, making their situation even more precarious.
If the masters are struggling financially, the servants are having an even harder time.
In addition, there were no happy events in the household, and the servants hadn't seen any reward money for more than half a year.
In order to keep track of Zhao Chengye's movements, Li Mingyue slipped silver to Zhao Chengye's personal servants.
How could a few young men who had been poor for half a year not be bribed?
Therefore, Li Mingyue knew that Zhao Chengye and the Left Prime Minister had a close relationship for a period of time.
She also knew that Zhao Chengye and Jiang Wanqiu had rekindled their relationship, and vaguely mentioned that Xiao Yuan had died and Jiang Xinyu had become a widow.
At first, she didn't understand, but later, Zhao Chengye's neurotic prayers and the news from the court helped Li Mingyue to make a rough guess.
She lacked political acumen regarding the turbulent events at court, but she keenly picked up on a signal.
If Xiao Yuan is indeed dead, then Jiang Xinyu will become a widow and return to her parents' home.
This means they will bring back a large dowry.
The Liu family was in charge of the Jiang family's back residence, and with Supervisor Xiao as her backer, the Liu family dared not touch Jiang Xinyu.
If she were to return home as a widow, her dowry would likely be taken away and given to Jiang Wanqiu.
No wonder Zhao Chengye went back to marry Jiang Wanqiu; he planned to use her dowry to fill the financial hole in the mansion.
Thinking of this, Li Mingyue broke out in a cold sweat.
Jiang Wanqiu, with her large dowry, could not possibly become a concubine. What would she do if she wanted to be a wife?
Will he be dismissed, or will he simply die of illness?