Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

When Jin Niang returned, Qin Shuanger noticed the bundle she was carrying and said with a hint of envy, “Why did it take so long? What did the eldest young lady give you?”

“It wasn’t the eldest young lady who gave me anything. On the way back, Sister Yan Hong sent me to the second household. The second mistress said my clothes looked too drab, so one of her attendants gave me an outfit.” Jin Niang didn’t mention the gold earrings the eldest young lady had given her—she was afraid that if Qin Shuanger found out, she’d grow jealous, and worse still, Fang Qiaolian might resent her too.

In ancient times, even a single padded jacket could be pawned for a few strings of cash. Except for the aunt, the Zhou family’s masters were all quite generous. But her own family couldn’t offer her a dowry—her younger brother needed money for his studies, so everything she owned, including her trousseau, she had to earn herself.

Thinking about this, she flopped onto the bed and sighed dramatically, “If only I were as slim as you all. Oh well, I don’t feel like eating today.”

Qin Shuanger, worried that Jin Niang might stand out too much, quickly replied, “Don’t say that! We have so much work to do. If you skip meals, you might faint from hunger. I just made some preserved plum spareribs—you’d be wasting them if you didn’t eat.”

“Then I’ll eat,” Jin Niang immediately said, putting on a greedy look.

Qin Shuanger smiled. “That’s better! I think a little extra weight suits you. Everyone likes someone who looks prosperous—who wants a skeleton?”

Jin Niang acted all flattered, pretending to be overwhelmed by the praise, and shyly said, “My mother always says I was born lucky too.”

Qin Shuanger almost retched. Who did she think she was, putting on airs like that? Even saying those words made her skin crawl, so she slipped outside for some air.

Once she left, Fang Qiaolian said diplomatically to Jin Niang, “You really should dress more neatly. After all, ‘clothes make the man’—don’t we know that well enough in the embroidery workshop?”

Normally, Jin Niang was eloquent, the most skilled among them at embroidery, and clever too—only her figure fell short. So when she spoke with such self-deprecation, the others naturally felt a sense of superiority.

Hearing this, Jin Niang looked at Fang Qiaolian enviously. “But I can’t pull off those tight clothes—I’d look like a stuffed sausage.”

Before the three finished their meal, word came that Zhou Duzhi, the eldest son of the second household, had died. Jin Niang had expected as much—if Zhou Duzhi wasn’t at death’s door, why would Concubine Miao suddenly appear today? That woman had her ear to the ground, but who knew what schemes she and that old servant were plotting?

Though this was the second household’s affair and unrelated to the main household’s embroidery workshop, Madam Chen was a jack-of-all-trades, handling both weddings and funerals. Jiang Shi had summoned her specifically to cut mourning clothes.

Madam Chen addressed the three: “We’ve nearly finished the servants’ clothes, but the first mistress said to put unfinished work on hold—the second household’s funeral takes priority. But as you know, Concubine Miao will need swaddling clothes and small blankets, and since she’s showing her pregnancy now, she’ll also need two sets of new clothes. Let’s divide up the tasks. From now on, I’ll assign all of Concubine Miao’s and the fourth young lady’s work to her.”

A birth and a death—one brought joy, the other sorrow—but the second household was wealthy, while Concubine Miao’s rewards were limited.

Without hesitation, Jin Niang said, “I’ll naturally go with you, Madam Chen. I only have the hem left on my last piece—it won’t take long to finish. No need to worry about this side.”

She always worked like that—if others took two months, she preferred to finish early, rather than rush at the end. She’d rather finish ahead of time and rest.

“Then I’ll go with Jin Niang too,” Fang Qiaolian said—no dummy herself.

Qin Shuanger chimed in, “Madam Chen, why don’t we all go together? She wasn’t about to miss out—the second household was loaded.”

“Madam Chen, why don’t we head there first?” Jin Niang suggested. “If we can’t manage everything, we can send Shanjie back later—let her relax for a few days too.” She wasn’t above mooching this time, thinking only of Jiang Shanjie.

Madam Chen nodded. “That’s a good idea.” Then she pointed at Qin Shuanger. “We stick together like this.”

“Yes,” Qin Shuanger pasted on a smile, not daring to argue.

But inwardly, she looked down on them. Madam Chen was so old yet still had to work for a living. Rumor had it her husband blew her earnings on brothels or carried on with widows. She only earned more because she was older—Qin Shuanger was sure she’d be rolling in it by Madam Chen’s age.

Once she became a concubine and bore a child or two like Concubine Miao, she wouldn’t have to work so hard.

After finalizing their plans, they gathered their needles, thread, and scissors and headed to the second household. A makeshift mourning hall was already arranged, and Zhou Duzhi’s widow, Lady Du, and her daughter were wailing their hearts out. Jin Niang followed Madam Chen to see Wu Shi, but at the doorway, they encountered a tall, handsome young man in his late teens, dressed like nobility. From his attire, she guessed who he was.

Since her clothes had been made by Madam Chen, this had to be Zhou Cunzhi, Jiang Shi’s son and the main household’s eldest legitimate heir.

Sure enough, Madam Chen hustled them into a bow. “Quick, greet Second Master Cun.”

Zhou Cunzhi didn’t spare them a glance and walked straight past. Jin Niang gave him an appreciative once-over—like admiring a flower, she took a moment to enjoy something beautiful before moving on with her work.

To their surprise, both Qin Shuanger and Fang Qiaolian blushed. Fang Qiaolian, being sharp-witted, understood that such a man was out of their league—someone to admire from a distance. Qin Shuanger, however, had always dreamed of becoming a concubine, and the moment she saw Zhou Cunzhi, her heart was already gone.

At fourteen, she was at that dreamy age when a girl’s heart flutters with infatuation. How could she *help* but daydream after seeing such a handsome young master?

Jin Niang, on the other hand, thought nothing of it. She was pragmatic—Qin Shuanger’s scheming and sucking up struck her as normal. What irked her was Qin Shuanger cutting corners without effort while acting like she was the smartest in the room. But for a maid, aiming to become a concubine wasn’t exactly unheard of. After all, they couldn’t just choose careers like modern women.

Still, the mistress’s blessing came first. Otherwise, interfering with someone else’s marriage was immoral.

For pretty but unskilled maids, such ambitions might be forgivable. But these girls had skills—enough to support themselves through honest work. Yet still dreaming of an easy life as a concubine? That was hard to respect.

So Fang Qiaolian scoffed, “Qin Shuanger’s out of her mind.”

“The second young master’s maids aren’t pushovers,” Jin Niang said, shaking her head.

Zhou Duzhi’s funeral was grandly arranged. Wu Shi, pregnant and stretched thin, was handling things but could only do so much. So she invited Xi Shi to help—the two sisters-in-law had always been close.

Unbeknownst to them, the fourth young lady had come with her sisters. At the sight of Xi Shi, she muttered *brownnoser* under her breath. Had it not been for Xi Shi spreading rumors back then that her own concubine was unruly, Concubine Miao wouldn’t have suffered Aunt Deng’s abuse.

Upon entering, Xi Shi warned Wu Shi: “Last time, the child’s death was fishy. This time, you’d better watch your back—who knows who might try something again?” Her husband, though born of a concubine, was far better off than her. He only married her because he’d already knocked up his sweetheart before the wedding, leaving him no choice.

After marriage, Xi Shi was constantly bullied by her husband’s favored concubine, ignored by her husband, and disliked by her mother-in-law. It was her second sister-in-law who stood up for her, the only one who ever showed her kindness. Their bond was closer than blood sisters—far more than she shared with Jiang Shi.

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken precautions this time. As for Aunt Deng, I’ve already got eyes on her,” Wu Shi whispered.

The second master had three concubines total. The eldest, Huang Shi, had once been the maid of his first wife, Li Shi. Now she was quiet and obedient. Then there was Concubine Zhu, who had married in out of fear of being left destitute—she was a troublemaker. But neither received much favor. Only Aunt Deng remained highly suspect…

Yet Aunt Deng excelled at seduction—the second master couldn’t do without her. She’d pick a fight even when *she* was wrong. Without solid proof, Wu Shi couldn’t move against her.

Xi Shi nodded. “That’s good.” Then she added, “And what about Qiu Hong? I heard she’s staying indoors now, keeping to herself?”

“Who cares about her?” Wu Shi didn’t even want to mention her name.

Back in the day, Concubine Miao had been a lowly servant in the third household. Xi Shi, long tormented by her husband’s favored concubine, found even her own attendants disloyal—Concubine Miao was no exception, often exchanging glances with the concubine and leaking information from the main house.

Later, after Xi Shi gave birth to Zhou Shenzhi in hopes of regaining favor, her position as the main wife became secure. Naturally, she dismissed those who had betrayed her. The favored concubine seized the chance to promote Concubine Miao as a rival, knowing full well she was a useless pawn—good only for causing trouble.

Xi Shi then asked Wu Shi to take Concubine Miao away, foiling the plan. In the second household, Wu Shi didn’t mistreat her, simply assigning her to the storeroom. But Concubine Miao was ambitious. When she heard of Aunt Deng’s rising favor, she somehow ended up in her service.

Thinking herself clever, she boasted to Aunt Deng that she had been sent by the third madam to serve the second madam, implying she was no ordinary servant. Instead of earning respect, this only deepened Aunt Deng’s hatred. Aunt Deng believed that aside from birth, she surpassed Wu Shi in every way. She rode Concubine Miao hard, slinging insults left and right.

Wu Shi caught wind of it a few times and reprimanded Aunt Deng, who would nod politely but only grow harsher behind closed doors. Then, when the second master visited Aunt Deng’s quarters and glanced at Concubine Miao a few too many times, Aunt Deng—who lived solely on her master’s favor—couldn’t tolerate a rival. At first, she merely scolded, but soon made Concubine Miao kneel and beat her regularly.

Unable to endure such abuse, Concubine Miao, bold and resourceful, sought another path. When the first master visited the second household for a banquet, she disguised herself as a servant boy, slipped past everyone, and shared a night of passion with him. Bold and gorgeous, she was up for anything—fake hills, temple halls, lakeside groves, you name it. Doggy-style, lotus position, or a little mouth music—she had it down pat. Soon, she was with child and entered the first household.

Wu Shi couldn’t care less that she left. But then Concubine Miao acted like the second household was her *family*, as if Wu Shi had *hand-delivered* her to the elder brother. Naturally, Wu Shi wasn’t having *any* of that. So Wu Shi refused to even *mention* Concubine Miao.