Chapter Forty-Six: A Good Person

When Jiang Li went to Mingyi Hall, she brought only Bai Xue, her maid, along. Although Mingyi Hall was meant for the young ladies from noble families to study, its discipline was strict. If it weren’t for her previous marriage to Shen Yuyong, which had brought her into contact with the teachers of Mingyi Hall, she would have been utterly ignorant about its customs and likely caused a great deal of embarrassment.

Jiang Youyao and Jiang Yuer were certainly eager to see Jiang Li make a fool of herself, so they deliberately omitted any helpful instructions. When Jiang Li and Bai Xue boarded the carriage, Tong’er, still reluctant to part, said, “Miss, you must come back early.”

Tong’er had been inseparable from Jiang Li during their eight years on Qingcheng Mountain. At that time, Jiang Li had only Tong’er as her maid. Now that there were more servants around Jiang Li, Tong’er felt somewhat neglected, and Jiang Li had taken care to comfort her.

Though she brought Bai Xue to Mingyi Hall, others would surely mock Jiang Li when they saw such a big, awkward maid at her side. Yet, the world is not to be judged by appearances; Bai Xue, though lacking the charm of other maids, possessed remarkable strength. Ever since her brush with death, Jiang Li often wondered if she’d have escaped that fate had she possessed some skill in martial arts, rather than dying helplessly.

But martial arts were not learned in a day, and the Jiang family was one of civil officials. Jiang Li was still a young lady; there was no reason for her to practice martial arts. Besides, she doubted this body was suited for such training, so she dismissed the idea.

Unable to wield martial arts herself, she reasoned that having a strong maid might increase her chances of survival. Jiang Li knew that hope existed only for the living, and any measure that might give her even a slight chance could prove crucial at a desperate moment.

On the way to Mingyi Hall, Jiang Li and Bai Xue found that Jiang Youyao and her companions had already arrived.

Previously, Jiang Youyao never traveled with Jiang Yuer and Jiang Yuyan, as the latter two belonged to another branch of the family and she looked down on them. However, Jiang Yuer was sweet-tongued and liked to flatter her, so Jiang Youyao occasionally favored her. Today, for the sake of vexing Jiang Li, Jiang Youyao shared a carriage with Jiang Yuer and Jiang Yuyan for the first time. To the girls at Mingyi Hall, this was unusual.

“Youyao,” a girl in pink at the gate glanced back, curiosity in her voice, “isn’t your family’s second young lady coming to study today as well? Why don’t we see her? Didn’t you come together?”

Before Jiang Youyao could reply, Jiang Yuer spoke first. “Second Sister got up late. She’s probably busy choosing which dress to wear. It’s her first day at Mingyi Hall, so she must care a lot.”

Normally, Jiang Youyao would have been displeased by Jiang Yuer’s interruptions, but today she let her speak freely.

As Jiang Yuer finished, another tall girl sneered, “Choosing a dress? This isn’t a beauty contest or an imperial selection. What’s there to choose?”

“I heard that when your second young lady first returned home, someone said she was quite a beauty,” another girl probed, looking at Jiang Youyao. “Is she really that pretty? How does she compare to you, Youyao?”

Although Jiang Youyao was neither the most talented nor the most beautiful at Mingyi Hall, those with more talent lacked her looks, and those prettier than her lacked her intellect. Combined with Jiang Yuanbo’s status, Jiang Youyao was unmatched at Mingyi Hall.

Jiang Yuer laughed, “Second Sister is indeed good-looking, but after so long in the mountains, her temperament…” She left the sentence unfinished, but everyone recalled that Jiang Li had been exiled to a convent for eight years.

Eight years in the depths of the mountains—surely she was a country bumpkin, just returned to Yanjing, hardly knowledgeable about anything.

Even the girl who had been curious about Jiang Li now looked at her with contempt.

The students at Mingyi Hall judged by status, appearance, and talent. Each was a cherished daughter in her own family, accustomed to being at the top, unwilling to be outshone. Any newcomer was sure to be compared.

Aside from having a father who was the Prime Minister, Jiang Li had nothing. And even her father seemed indifferent to her. What could possibly make her worth attention?

As they spoke, someone outside shouted, “Second Miss Jiang is here!”

All the girls in the academy turned to look at the entrance.

There, two girls approached. The maid’s physique was far more robust than ordinary maids, her skin dark, and her apricot-red skirt made her look neither delicate nor charming but rather a bit comical—her mannerisms more like a village girl from the wilds.

Though the maid drew attention, perhaps because of her comical appearance, she only made the girl beside her seem more outstanding.

That girl wore a gentle smile, warm as a mountain breeze, soothing to the heart. Her features were delicately balanced; her clear eyes and bold brows lent her gentle beauty an air of resilience.

“Is that the second Miss Jiang?” someone whispered, “She doesn’t look like she was raised in the mountains.”

On her first day at the academy, meeting strangers in an unfamiliar place, this girl showed neither discomfort nor timidity. Her poise was equal to anyone present.

“I think she does look like someone raised in the mountains,” another whispered, “She’s quite spirited.”

That “spirit” was an indefinable quality, not something learned by study or bought with silver. Her eyes were as clear as a spring, sweet and pure.

Even with all the rumors of her cruelty, the second Miss Jiang’s gentle and pure bearing made it impossible for anyone to feel dislike.

The sudden change in the crowd’s attitude toward Jiang Li was immediately noticed by Jiang Youyao and her companions. Jiang Youyao was furious—Jiang Li had not worn the dresses sent by Ji Shuran but chose her own. Clearly, she was doing it deliberately, deliberately seeking attention!

Jiang Youyao’s thoughts were somewhat unreasonable. If Jiang Li had worn those dresses, she truly would have stood out. However, standing out at this moment might not be a good thing. Jiang Li’s simple, elegant attire matched her own temperament perfectly, and that subtle distinction raised her above the rest.

Jiang Yuer was puzzled. She could not understand why, despite Jiang Li’s ruined reputation, none of the students showed any dislike toward her upon seeing her. Did reputation not matter after all?

Jiang Li smiled quietly to herself.

The eyes of the world always miss something, and what they cannot see blinds them. Yet most people believe what they see is everything.

For example, whether someone is good or bad—how can one judge from a single meeting? What’s truly understood is only another’s judgment.

She appeared to be a good person; with a little effort, perhaps she could become a “good person.”