Chapter 43: Unintentionally Revealing the Hardships to Lady Zheng

Chapter 43: Unintentionally Revealing the Hardships to Lady Zheng

Zheng Jinyu wished to learn, and she would teach whatever was desired. If there was something she didn't know, she would personally seek external help for her.

Lady Zheng was even more delighted by this prospect. After all, in her eyes, Zheng Jinyu was a prodigious young lady.

A genius could excel in anything.

Two days later, an elderly former palace maid from the Imperial Treasures Bureau arrived at the Zheng residence. With her silver hair, it was apparent that she was quite advanced in age.

Zheng Jinyu doubted if she had the strength left to clatter gold and silver.

Indeed, she might not possess great strength, and her vision might be failing, but her skills remain impeccable. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of various applicable materials and the art of handling them.

What Zheng Jinyu sought to learn was precisely these aspects.

From this experienced nanny, she has learned many forgotten arts. Combining these ancient skills with her modern knowledge and taste, she is determined to create a masterpiece that will astonish the entire capital. Such a creation would undoubtedly fetch a high price among the noble ladies' circle.

...

Zheng Jinxiu's words stirred a sense of crisis in Wang Fuzhen, compelling her to visit the Zheng residence to assert her presence.

She sought out Zheng Jinxiu for amusement and, incidentally, paid a courtesy call to Lady Zheng.

In the past, Lady Zheng would undoubtedly have been delighted and eager to foster ties with the Wang family through this marriage alliance.

However, she had already been preconditioned against Wang Fuzhen, finding her highly displeasing to the eye.

With veiled barbs and subtle jibes in her speech, Lady Zheng caught Wang Fuzhen off guard, leaving her both taken aback and perplexed.

On this day, Zheng Jinxiu accompanied Wang Fuzhen out of the Zheng residence. Wang Fuzhen inquired, "Jinxiu, does your mother not like me?"

Zheng Jinxiu chuckled. "How could that be? Zhen Zhen is a distinguished young lady from the Wang family. Who wouldn't like you?"

Indeed, Wang Fuzhen had thought the same. Could it be that her impression of Madam Zheng's displeasure was merely an illusion?

"I'll come visit you again another day to play."

"Sounds good."

Zheng Jinyu was aware that Wang Fuzhen had suffered a setback before Lady Zheng, all due to Zheng Jinxiu's machinations.

In the original story, although Wang Fuzhen didn't end up with Zheng Hongxu in the end, they were once betrothed.

But in this life, even the prospect of an engagement might be out of reach for her.

Zheng Jinyu had initially assumed that Zheng Jinxiu would use Wang Fuzhen as a pawn to aid in her schemes against her, and thus she would facilitate Wang Fuzhen's entry into the Zheng family.

However, she had misjudged; Zheng Jinxiu remained the same. She harbored a strong possessiveness toward her father, mother, and brothers in the Zheng family.

No one could take her brother away from her, not even Wang Fuzhen, who had been instrumental in helping her this lifetime.

...

Ten days later, Zheng Jinyu completed an entire set of jewelry.

A gold necklace adorned with white jade, coordinating hair ornaments, tassels, earrings, and bracelets...

When she finished, she placed them in an exquisite sandalwood box and sent it to Lady Zheng.

The first set must be presented to Madam Zheng as a gesture of support for her endeavors. She had generously provided Jinyu with two thousand taels of silver, along with numerous gold and silver ingots from the treasury to use as materials.

Acquiring high-quality ingredients often required connections that ordinary people didn't possess; it was through Madam Zheng's assistance that such access was made possible.

When Jinyu placed her creations before Madam Zheng, admiration shone in the older woman's eyes.

"Jinyu, you made all of these?"

"Yes, Mother, this is my first set. I wanted to show my filial piety to you."

"Beautiful, truly exquisite. Attendant, quickly help this lady don it."

"Mother, I'm here to assist you."

Remove all the jewelry she's currently wearing and dress her up entirely in the set crafted by Zheng Jinyu.

To complement the jewelry, Madam Zheng also exchanged her original sky-blue attire for a frosted white dress with gold thread embroidery, which beautifully accentuated the white jade accessories.

As the lady emerged in this attire, the maidservants exclaimed, "Madam, you look ten years younger."

Being ten years younger might be an exaggeration, a clever way for the maids to flatter her, but she did indeed appear much younger.

Madam Zheng was not old to begin with; her eldest child was only twenty, and she herself was merely in her thirties. With proper care and free from worries, it was natural for her to look youthful.

She now appeared like a woman in her twenties.

"Is that true?" Madam Zheng stroked her hairline.

Could a maid afford to lie? The servant girl eagerly nodded.

"Indeed, my lady, please take a look."

The maid turned the copper mirror around.

Madam Zheng gazed into the mirror, highly pleased with her appearance.

Then, she turned to Zheng Jinyu with a smile and said, "Jinyu, I've heard from the nanny that you have a unique perspective on creating such items. This flower you made is called Magnolia."

"Yes, Mother, do you like it?"

"Certainly." She smiled warmly and held Zheng Jinyu's hand, saying, "Jinyu, you've truly given your mother a pleasant surprise."

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the servants.

Gazing at Zheng Jinyu, she sighed again. "How wonderful it would have been if you had always been by my side, Jinyu. How have you been all these years? Have the Fangs treated you well?"

After months of effort, she had finally reached a point where she could inquire about Jinyu's life over the years.

Since returning, Zheng Jinyu had never mentioned any hardships she experienced in the Fang family. She knew that in this kind of coddled protagonist narrative, things could be strangely twisted.

Her grievances, if not expressed wisely, could backfire. In the eyes of those who favored Zheng Jinxiu, her troubled past would seem like an attempt to hold Zheng Jinxiu hostage.

They might believe she's intentionally bringing up these matters to make Zheng Jinxiu feel guilty.

Thus, she needed to take a different approach, gradually earning a significant place in their hearts.

At this moment, it was best to reveal just a hint, allowing them to uncover the rest on their own, which would yield the most effective outcome.

Zheng Jinyu smiled and said, "Mother, everything is quite well."

Yet her smile was so forced that mist seemed to linger in the corners of her eyes.

Madam Zheng's heart ached at the sight.

"How could life in the countryside be good? I know rural girls have to work hard from a young age, and there's not much food—often leaving one hungry. Look how thin you've become."

Compared to when she had first returned, Jinyu had gained some weight and grown a little taller. Still, Madam Zheng thought she was too slender.

"Jinyu, be honest with Mother. Were the Fangs kind to you? Tell me about your years with them."

To tell the truth, how could they investigate it? She couldn't speak the truth, but she also couldn't remain entirely silent.

The art of speaking lay in how much and how one chose to express oneself.

Zheng Jinyu said, "It was truly not bad. I had more work because I'm the eldest daughter, and it's only right for an older sister to take care of her younger siblings. When I was five, both my grandfather and grandmother from the Fang family passed away, and that was the most difficult year. Father Fang had to work to support the entire family, while Mother Fang was pregnant and couldn't do heavy labor. Who else could have taken on those responsibilities as the eldest daughter?"

Mrs. Zheng was astonished. She had been only five years old.

What was Zheng Jinxiu doing at the age of five?

Still, he was cooing and acting spoiled in her arms.

The entire family had to amuse her just to coax her into eating a few more bites of food.

Yet, her own flesh and blood, her daughter, was back in the countryside, looking after children and attending to expectant mothers.

At this thought, a pang of sorrow pierced Madam Zheng's heart, causing her nose to ache and making it hard for her to breathe.

Spotting her hand, Madam Zheng reached out and took it once more.

These past few days, crafting jewelry has left my knuckles slightly reddened. Yet, how could the hands of a fourteen-year-old maiden appear in such a state?

They were bony, with prominent joints and dark, patchy discolorations.