Mom Si brought Ru Yin Yue out to a shopping mall, the largest in Cheng Shi City that was famous for its branded clothing stores and jewelry.
"That dress looks good!" Mom Si gently pulled Ru Yin Yue toward one of the boutiques, the black, silky one piece catching her eye. She proceeded toward the cashier. "Do you have that? Please allow my daughter-in-law to try it on."
"Right away, madam!"
"There's no need…" Ru Yin Yue protested, but mom Si shook her head.
"Look at you." She gestured toward the casual t-shirt and jeans that her daughter-in-law was currently wearing. "Your clothing don't match your current status at all. You need something more befitting of your identity. I don't mean to sound rude, but your current attire is too cheap. It'll be embarrassing if people see that the daughter-in-law of the Si family is wearing such casual clothing. You must remember that you are representing the Si family now. So don't wear such cheap clothing in public."
"But they are comfortable," Ru Yin Yue grumbled under her breath.
The shopping assistant returned before mom Si could reprimand her, holding one of the sets of black dress that the older lady saw displayed on the window earlier.
"I believe this should be your size," the experienced sales assistant said. "Please try it on, ma'am, and let me know if there are any problems. Check if it fits and is comfortable."
"Thank you." Ru Yin Yue accepted the dress, studying it. It was a formal gown that looked incredibly uncomfortable, something that she would only wear for special events. "This looks…nice."
"It will look very good on you," the sales assistant told her. She scrutinized Ru Yin Yue with a smile. "Personally, I think that a young lady like you with such a good figure shouldn't wear such casual clothes. These dresses will emphasize your beauty."
"T…thank you, but I don't think I'm as beautiful as you make me sound to be…"
"You should be more confident in yourself. Trust me, you have a very lovely figure and a pretty face." The sales assistant gave her an assuring smile. "If I were a man, I would definitely fall in love with you."
Ru Yin Yue was sure that the sales assistant was simply trying to flatter her, but she politely thanked her anyway.
"Please recommend my daughter-in-law a few more dresses," mom Si said cheerfully. "We need to fill out her wardrobe."
"No, I can't…" Ru Yin Yue protested, but her mother-in-law cut her off.
"Yes, you can. Remember, you are now the image of the Si family. I won't have you use the lack of formal attire as an excuse to embarrass us. Not that I think you're embarrassing us, of course, but you do understand that people will gossip about how you're wearing cheap clothing and accuse the Si family of ill-treating you."
Ru Yin Yue lowered her head, unable to argue. Mom Si was right. People could spread some very malicious rumors. If it was just her alone, she wouldn't care, but she couldn't drag the Si family's reputation into the mud with her.
The next hour or two flew past before Ru Yin Yue knew it, with mom Si arguing which dresses suited her and which didn't. Honestly, Ru Yin Yue couldn't tell. She hadn't kept in touch with fashion for very long now.
All those long days of working part-time in Europe while she attended school, scrimping and scraping to ensure she had enough money to pay rent, eat and afford a few precious luxuries. Even then, Ru Yin Yue's luxuries mainly consisted of buying CDs or music files from ITunes, and the occasional CD player or portable music player with earphones.
Her life revolved around music, not fashion. Now that she thought about it, she felt sheepish when she realized she had been reckless in her spending, often squandering large amounts of cash on her favorite music and artistes. Then again, she was young. She thought she could afford it, what with her part-time jobs and all that.
In return, she never bought much clothing, having settled for the cheapest and most comfortable. Ru Yin Yue had understandably prioritized music over fashion.
So she had no idea what actually looked good and what didn't. She simply went with the sales assistant's recommendations and took her mother-in-law's advice. Mom Si watched the bundle of dresses in satisfaction after she picked out what she deemed was the most appropriate.
"This should do it. Please wrap them up. I'll pay at the counter."
"No, mom, I can't let you…"
Ru Yin Yue protested and tried to stop her mother-in-law, but mom Si would not be stopped. She shrugged off her daughter-in-law and produced a gold and black credit card.
"Dear, I know you can't afford it. I'm aware of what my stupid son is doing, blocking your music jobs. I've talked to him, and hopefully he'll stop it soon. But for now, let me buy this for you. A gift from your mother-in-law. I haven't given you anything yet, not for the wedding. So please accept these."
"T…thank you."
"Also, I'll tell Zha Nan to give you money. As the daughter-in-law of the Si family, how can you go out without money? Make sure you ask him for money when you need it. You're his wife. His money is now your money."
"I'm not sure about that…" Ru Yin Yue shook her head helplessly, but mom Si gripped her arm tightly.
"Yes, it is. That's how marriage works. Normally the wife should be handling the finances at home. Otherwise, what's the point of getting married?"
Ru Yin Yue lowered her head. She had no idea why they were married. She agreed because she desperately needed the money from the Si family to pay for her mother's hospitalization fees, but she didn't understand Si Zha Nan's decision. He claimed that it was for revenge, but except that night of domestic violence, he hadn't actually done anything else to her.
Mom Si must have caught something on Ru Yin Yue's face, for she sighed and shook her head.
"I know the marriage is hard on you. I'm very sorry for putting you through this. I've already told Zha Nan the truth, but he refuses to believe me. He insists on blaming you for…for framing that cheating Zhou Ni Yao. Even though you had nothing to do with it, and the photographs were gathered by the private investigator I hired…he stubbornly insists that you were the one behind it. I know this is not fair, but I still have to ask you to endure."
She gently placed a hand on Ru Yin Yue's arm and squeezed.
"I am very confident that you are the right girl for him. That once he calms down and sees you for who you really are…once he accepts the truth about Zhou Ni Yao and stops deluding himself…he will fall for you. I won't be able to ask for a better daughter-in-law. You are the one."
"I…mom…"
Ru Yin Yue was unable to say anything. Her mother-in-law simply smiled and patted her arm before returning to the cashier. The sales assistant had already wrapped up the clothing in a nice bag and was passing the credit card and the purchases back to both ladies.
"Thank you."
Ru Yin Yue accepted the bag, and then she turned and bowed to her mother-in-law as well.
"Thank you for the gift, mom."
"It's nothing. We're family, aren't we?"
The both of them then left the boutique. At first, it appeared as if mom Si was about to lead Ru Yin Yue toward the carpark, but then the younger woman stopped in front of a shop.
"Sorry, mom. Do you mind if I stop here for a while?"
"No, not at all. Did something catch your eye?"
Mom Si smiled indulgently and turned toward the direction that Ru Yin Yue was staring at. She was not surprised to see that the latter had paused in front of a music shop.
It was a store that sold instruments, ranging from guitars to violins to pianos. Ru Yin Yue wasn't able to help herself, stepping into the shop and glancing around.
"May I help you?" A male sales assistant in a smart suit stood sharply by the side, offering a professional smile.
"Just looking around," Ru Yin Yue mumbled, embarrassed, but mom Si gently pushed her into the store.
"What's there to be shy about? If you're interested in something, go look at it!"
"No, I…"
Ru Yin Yue's words trailed off when she caught sight of the small, silvery piano that had drawn her attention. It was exhibited by the window, its lid open to display the gleaming white and black keys.
"Ah, the latest Italian model," the sales assistant said with a grin. "This pianoforte has been designed to be compact, so it can fit in any room. Moreover, its acoustics have been tuned and you can adjust the volume, thanks to cutting-edge technology."
"Do you mind if I…try it out?"
Ru Yin Yue was about to reach out with her fingers to stroke the shiny keys, but she managed to stop herself in time. The sales assistant merely beamed and shook his head, politely gesturing for her to go ahead.
"Not at all. These instruments are all available for sampling. After all, who would purchase an instrument they aren't satisfied with?"
"Yes." Ru Yin Yue nodded vaguely, no longer paying him much attention. Before she realized it, she had already glided onto the seat. Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers across the keyboard, trying out various notes. A smile of delight crept across her pretty face and she felt confidence swell up within her.
Closing her eyes briefly for a second, she then began to play.
The melody drifted across the mall, their sweet notes seizing the attention of shoppers and passers-by. Drawn by the emotional music, a small crowd gathered, staring through the glass window at the young musician who played on a compact, silver piano. Ru Yin Yue didn't even notice them, so immersed was her in crafting her tune that her eyes were riveted solely on the dazzling instrument before her.
Her fingers moved as if they had a life of their own, almost as if they were beyond the control of her conscious mind. Even so, Ru Yin Yue rapidly ran her fingers across the keys, beads of perspiration trickling down her face.
This was it…the liberating feeling of playing music…of expressing herself not through words but melody. Even though there were no words, the listeners could understand her feelings. Beside her, mom Si silently watched, tears streaking down her face.
For some reason, she could hear the anguish in Ru Yin Yue's notes. The torment she put her through.
What have I done? She wondered to herself, clenching a shaking fist.