Chapter 24 The Arrival of Crisis

**Chapter 24 – The Arrival of Crisis**

"Yan'er, Xian'er, what brings you two little monkeys here today?" Jiang Shi had a warm relationship with her natal family and was always delighted to see her nephews.

Jiang Yan smiled and replied, "Auntie, our mother sent us to deliver the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. We thought we’d take the opportunity to come visit you too."

Jiang Yan’s great-grandfather had once served as a Vice Grand Councilor (a high-ranking official during the Ming/Qing dynasties), his grandfather inherited the position of Grand Supplicator in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices through ancestral privilege, and his father also relied on family connections to serve as an educational official in Fujian. Although each generation had declined somewhat in status, Jiang Yan, as the firstborn son of the main branch and future clan leader, was still someone not to be underestimated. As for Jiang Xian, his grandfather died early, and his father had been raised by the main branch, which made the cousins especially close.

Now that Jiang Xian’s grandparents had both passed away and his father was far away in Fujian, his mother had sent him to deliver the festival gifts.

Jiang Shi then asked how Jiang Yan and Jiang Xian’s mothers were doing, and they both replied that all was well. Just as they were speaking, Aunt arrived. Jiang Shi’s eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled: “What brings you over, Aunt?”

“I have some fine pastries that tasted quite good, so I brought them over for my sister-in-law. I didn’t expect you to have guests,” Aunt said, eyeing the Jiang brothers curiously.

Being a mother herself, Jiang Shi understood exactly what Aunt was thinking. In the past, there might have been a match—after all, Mei Paner’s father had been a jinshi. But now, Mei’s father had been dismissed from office due to misconduct, and Aunt’s household was nearly destitute. Long ago, when Aunt married, the old lady had given her a dowry of twenty thousand strings of cash—a substantial sum—but now she returned barely clothed, clearly having lost everything.

The eldest branch of the Jiang family, though no longer producing officials, remained extremely prosperous.

Moreover, since Jiang Shi and Aunt were not on good terms, she had no desire for her nephews to become entangled with Aunt’s daughter. She simply smiled and said, “Yan’er, Xian’er, pay your respects to Aunt.”

The Jiang brothers immediately bowed respectfully. Aunt quickly praised them, saying, “Such handsome features!” Then she asked their ages and, upon learning that Jiang Yan was thirteen and Jiang Xian ten, offered further compliments.

After the greetings, Jiang Shi promptly sent her two nephews off.

Seeing this, Aunt could only turn to the old lady and ask, “Those two boys don’t seem like sister-in-law’s real nephews?”

The old lady chuckled. “They’re not. They’re from the main branch. Ever since their family produced a Grand Councilor, three generations have lived off ancestral privileges. Jiang Yan is somewhat better—he at least got an educational post through his father, and he’ll be the next clan leader. As for Jiang Xian’s father, he never cared for books, spending his days cockfighting and gambling, while his wife is a fierce-tempered woman. Your sister-in-law comes from the second branch. Her father just retired from office, but her brother only has a hereditary title, and none of her nephews are known for scholarly pursuits.”

Knowing her daughter’s intentions, the old lady added, “They’re just idle rich men now. If you ask me, it would be better to find a young, ambitious candidate for the imperial examinations—someone who can provide a stable future.”

“Mother, I’d love that, but where would I even meet such a promising scholar with means?”

Her elder brother had four daughters still unwed—any decent prospects would surely go to them first.

Besides, she had already married a jinshi before, but instead of being ambitious, he had squandered her entire dowry. Now, she’d rather avoid overly ambitious husbands and focus on financial stability.

It was a pity that the Jiangs hadn’t produced any officials for generations—they looked prosperous on the outside, but inside, things weren’t necessarily so rosy.

The old lady tried to comfort her: “Don’t rush. Pan’er is still young.”

But Aunt dared not voice her real concern—if she didn’t secure a match soon, her brother’s daughters would get engaged first, taking the best of the marriage trousseau funds. True, the old lady doted on them and had already given her three thousand strings of cash to manage, but that wasn’t enough for a proper dowry.

She herself had received twenty thousand strings of cash as a dowry—her daughter should at least receive ten thousand.

**

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Jin Niang finally completed the beaded gown. She designed the sash ties into peony buds and created a pouch embroidered with peonies and a long-tailed bird. The clever detail lay in the button—it was shaped like a bird holding a flower in its beak.

When the eldest young lady wore the gown, her youthful charm and elegant grace stunned even Jiang Shi. Not only did she outshine the Zhou sisters, but even the late madam would have gaped in awe. As a reward, Jin Niang received a string of cash (1,000 copper coins) from Jiang Shi and two bolts of silk gauze from the eldest young lady.

Silk gauze was a valuable commodity—each bolt was worth about two strings of cash. Yet Jin Niang knew that if she had commissioned such work elsewhere, it would have cost far more.

Still, it was just a passing thought—she had little capital to spare anyway.

After finishing the gown, Jin Niang rested for a few days. The dress received widespread praise, especially after the eldest young lady wore it to her maternal family’s home, where many eagerly asked about it. Soon, Jin Niang’s quarters became flooded with visitors. The third young lady, ever tactful, often discreetly sent tea, pastries, handkerchiefs, and hair ornaments without drawing attention.

During this time, Jin Niang used her free moments to teach Si Er basic skills—hemming, making pouches, cutting fabric, choosing embroidery patterns, and coordinating colors. She taught just enough for a beginner like Si Er to grasp.

Meanwhile, the Zhou household was full of excitement. First, Second Madam Wu gave birth to a precious son, followed shortly by Concubine Miao delivering another boy. After the traditional full-month celebration for the sons, the family welcomed two imperial examination candidates.

Lan Xue and the kitchen maids, always well-informed, quickly came to gossip with Jin Niang: “One of the visiting scholars is Third Master He, our aunt’s son—a relative of ours, quite refined and proper. The other is a disciple of our master’s jinshi cohort, and seems to come from a modest background.”

These matters had nothing to do with Jin Niang and the others, but they were afraid that Madam might have the sewing room make clothes for them, piling more work on them. Like the saying goes, they got all the fun, while the others not only got nothing out of it but ended up with even more work.

Yet Auntie took it to heart. This time, she had truly done her due diligence—Third Master He was the youngest son of the magistrate of Jiangling, with decent scholarly prospects and a well-off family. No penniless scholar, that’s for sure—an excellent match for her daughter.

"Shanjie, Shanjie, come here," Auntie called.

Shanjie set down her needlework and hurried over. "Auntie, what do you need?"

Auntie smiled. "Make a handkerchief for the young lady, and do it real fine—the fancier, the better." She knew full well that if she went about it the proper way, Jiang Shi would block her at every turn. But once things were done, to avoid gossip among relatives, they’d just have to go along with it.

At worst, even if it didn’t work out, it was just the work of an outside hired girl—then the blame could fall on her.

With that, Auntie, for the first time ever, handed her two hundred coins with a smile. "You’ve worked hard on the needlework these days."

Shanjie grabbed the coins, thrilled, unaware of the crisis looming ahead.