Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The clothes needed to be finished a day in advance so that any necessary adjustments could be made for a better fit. Jin Niang arranged her clothes neatly on a tray and lined up with Fang Qiaolian and Jiang Shanjie for Chen Niangzi’s inspection.

Chen Niangzi inspected for skipped stitches or fraying threads. The three passed inspection swiftly. Then, Chen Niangzi said to Qin Shuanger, “Since you’re on good terms with the eldest young lady, take the finished piece to her first and ask for a few days’ grace. I still have a lot of work on my hands.”

In truth, Chen Niangzi had intended for Jin Niang and the others to help Qin Shuanger with her tasks, but none of them were willing, all claiming they had other matters to attend to.

Qin Shuanger could only force a bitter smile and agree. She hadn’t expected Chen Niangzi to refuse to cover for her. Didn’t they say “prosperity and ruin are shared”? She’d just wanted her work to shine brighter.

With Xiao He and Si Er now assisting them, Jin Niang and the others rarely went out. Stepping outside now, an icy blast hit her, and she stamped her feet. “It’s freezing!”

“Indeed. Let’s hurry and deliver these, then rest a bit when we return. We’ve been exhausted these past few days,” Fang Qiaolian said, yawning.

The Zhou estate was short-staffed, keeping everyone busy day in, day out. The three of them walked out from the rear quarters and unexpectedly ran into Jiang Shi escorting a beautiful woman out. The woman was tall and slender, with a delicate, snow-white face—rarely beautiful.

The three quickly stood aside and greeted them.

Jiang Shi was saying with a smile, “Since you insist, I won’t pretend to refuse. We really don’t have space here anymore.”

“Eldest sister-in-law, you’re too kind. It’s only right. Our household is small, and we have an extra courtyard to spare,” the beautiful woman replied.

Jiang Shi then asked, “Where are you off to now?”

“I’m going to the second branch to check on Du-ge’er. I heard his illness has taken a bad turn this time,” the woman replied evasively.

Jin Niang thought to herself that this must be Xi Shi, the third wife of the Zhou family. Over the past few days, Lan Xue and Rui Cao from the tea room had dropped by to chat and gossip about the Zhou family. The eldest and second Zhou brothers were born of the same mother, while the third brother was a concubine’s son. Thus, the three wives came from vastly different backgrounds. Jiang Shi, the eldest wife, had been chosen by the old master—her great-uncle was a chancellor, and her father was a censor-in-chief, putting her pedigree beyond reproach. The second wife, Li Shi, also came from a good family, though she died young after bearing a son. The new second wife, Wu Shi, hailed from a middling official clan—a notch below. Only Xi Shi had a lowly background and little money. It was said her family often came to the Zhou household to scrounge for handouts.

Moreover, the third master had a favored concubine in his household. Still, everyone said Xi Shi was fortunate—she had a son, now fifteen, who was a real scholar in the making.

After Xi Shi left, Jiang Shi noticed Jin Niang and the others. Learning they were from the sewing room, she called them forward.

“Are these for the young ladies?”

“Replying to the madam, we’re taking these to the young ladies first to see if they fit. If not, we’ll make adjustments as quickly as possible,” Jin Niang answered when the other two remained silent.

Jiang Shi stepped closer, leafing through the garments wordlessly, then gave a nod. “Go ahead.”

“Yes.” Jin Niang and the others sighed in relief and headed to the third young lady’s quarters.

Unfortunately, when they arrived, the third young lady had gone to the old madam’s residence, leaving only her head maid, Dan Ruo, behind. Dan Ruo kindly said, “You can leave them here.”

But Jin Niang, thinking this was her first assignment in the Zhou household, worried that if the third young lady didn’t return and something went wrong with the clothes in the meantime, she’d be left holding the bag. So she smiled and said, “I’ll wait here for a while. Since the clothes are finished, I don’t have much else to do.”

“The third young lady might not return until after dinner at the old madam’s. You’ll be waiting ages,” Dan Ruo said offhandedly while polishing a milky Ge-ware vase.

Jin Niang smiled. “It’s fine. The snow outside is heavy, and trudging back in the dark would only complicate alterations. Don’t mind me—I’ll just sit in the outer room.”

She had heard that the maids in these quarters were like territorial hens, each clinging to their niche. Even the junior maids, Yin Zhu and the newly arrived Que Er, were relegated to the side rooms, tasked with menial jobs like lifting curtains, running errands, or fetching meals. Only Qing Xue and Dan Ruo were allowed inside.

The third young lady’s rooms were tame by comparison. Rumor had it that the real snake pit was Zhou Cunzhi’s quarters—the second young master and Jiang Shi’s only son—where the maids clawed at each other like gamecocks.

She sat quietly in the room. After Dan Ruo finished cleaning the vase, table, and screen, she noticed Jin Niang dozing off in the outer room without wandering around. She tossed her a light cover. “Don’t catch a cold.”

“Thank you, elder sister,” Jin Niang said gratefully, accepting it.

Dan Ruo smiled. “Don’t mention it. I’ve got chores inside. I’ll leave you be.”

“Of course,” Jin Niang replied politely.

After about two hours, a young servant brought food to Dan Ruo. Jin Niang caught the scent of the meal and realized how ravenous she was, but she managed to restrain herself. It wasn’t until the Third Miss arrived, escorted by her attendants, that Jin Niang stepped forward to explain her purpose. The Third Miss handed her warming pan to Yin Zhu and said, "You’ve waited so long—how inconvenient for you. But I ate too much at Grandmother’s just now and feel rather drowsy. I’ll try it on after I rest."

Would a mistress ever understand a servant’s plight? Never.

Jin Niang smiled and replied, "Very well. Let the ladies nearby inspect it first. If there are no major issues with the clothes, I’ll return and report to our mistress."

The Third Miss nodded at Dan Ruo, who flipped through the garments and said, "Miss, they’re fine."

"You may go," the Third Miss waved her off.

Jin Niang smiled as she left, but the moment she stepped outside, hunger struck her so hard she felt faint. She doubted there would be any food left if she returned now, so she went straight to the kitchen and spent two copper coins on two meat buns—a side trade the kitchen ran for those who missed mealtimes.

The oily meat buns were so rich she almost wept with relief. After eating, her stomach was full, and her strength returned.

Back in the sewing room, all was quiet—everyone was taking their midday nap. Jin Niang also slept for an hour.

Meanwhile, the Third Miss dozed briefly before summoning Lv Xiaoniang to have her daughter try on the clothes. Lv Xiaoniang, aware her daughter was lovely, saw how the elegant yet luxurious garments made her stand out.

"The embroiderer’s skill is quite good," she beamed.

Seeing both Lv Xiaoniang and the Third Miss in high spirits, Dan Ruo seized the chance to praise Jin Niang: "That girl is extremely diligent. If something isn’t right, she fixes it immediately. She even waits patiently in the outer room—I invited her in for tea and snacks, but she refused."

Lv Xiaoniang had her own calculations. Recently, the old madam often complained of loneliness—otherwise, her aunt wouldn’t have come back from her husband’s home. But the aunt would eventually leave. If her daughter could stay close to Grandmother, not only would her reputation improve, but Grandmother might dip into her private savings for her dowry later.

She had seen how Jiang Shi scoured expensive fabrics and materials for the Eldest and Second Misses, filling the storeroom to the brim. She didn’t want her daughter to end up with only the family’s basic dowry allowance.

Yet for her daughter to stand out, clothing and jewelry were especially important.

She advised her daughter, "Reward your servants generously—only then will they willingly serve you. Otherwise, after all their hard work, if they get nothing, even those who once favored you will call you stingy and unkind."

Thus, by evening, Jin Niang received a plate of roasted goose, two handkerchiefs, and a brass warming pan from the Third Miss’s quarters.

At the time, Jiang Shanjie was just talking about the quilt she had received. As Jin Niang and the others were admiring it, the gifts from the Third Miss arrived. Jin Niang pressed a freshly embroidered sachet into Qing Xue’s hand: "Thank you, sister, for delivering these."

Qing Xue admired the satin sachet’s cherry blossoms and happily chatted a bit more: "The Third Miss said your sewing is excellent. She’s easygoing—no changes needed. It’s perfect as is."

Jin Niang repeatedly replied, "That’s good, that’s good."

After seeing Qing Xue off, she tucked the handkerchiefs into her storage chest and placed the warming pan on her bed. Once filled with hot water, it would surely make her nights warmer.

As for the goose meat, during dinner, she kept half for herself and shared the rest, including Si Er and Xiao He. Fang Qiaolian, who had received braised meat and pastries from the Second Miss today, also contributed hers to the shared meal. Jiang Shanjie cracked jokes, and everyone chatted merrily—only Qin Shuanger hunched stubbornly over her needlework, refusing to join even when called.

Her slapdash work showed. Even Chunlan from the Eldest Miss’s quarters, hearing that the other misses had received their clothes, came specially to the sewing room to hurry Qin Shuanger along, making her even more frantic. The garments were finished, but she skimped on details—while others had entire floral embroidery on their collars, hers only had a few blossoms at the hem.

Chen Niangzi scowled at the shoddy work and helped embroider some extra touches to make it passable.

Later, when the aunt visited, the Third Miss was praised for her "jade-and-snow loveliness." Chen Niangzi then assigned Jin Niang to sew for the Eldest Miss next spring, while Qin Shuanger would serve the Third Miss next time.

Jin Niang blinked, then nodded—it made sense.

At least she had made a name for herself now. When people mentioned the sewing room, they spoke of that talented girl Jin Niang whose needlework stood out. So much so that Jiang Shi had handpicked her to make an outfit for the visiting Cousin Mei.

"Congratulations, Jin Niang. I heard the aunt’s family is famously wealthy—if you do well, she’ll surely tip you handsomely," Qin Shuanger was the first to offer felicitations.

Defeated but undeterred, Qin Shuanger quickly adjusted her mindset. To win back Chen Niangzi’s favor, she had to surpass Jin Niang.

But "competing" didn’t mean quarreling or trading barbs.

Even if they secretly loathed each other, appearances had to be maintained. Moreover, she had heard many things from the Eldest Miss’s quarters—Jiang Shi and the aunt had clashed in their youth. Before the aunt married, Jiang Shi had endured her bullying, with the old madam always taking sides.

When elephants fight, the grass suffers. Who knew whether this was fortune or misfortune for her?