Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Shanjie had come to the Zhou household from Jiangling. Even if she was to be dismissed, her parents or other relatives would have to come for her. However, her parents were still in Jiangling, so Madam Chen had to take her in first to nurse her injuries for a few days before sending her away.

When she returned to the embroidery workshop this time, the others no longer treated her with their earlier warmth. She wanted to say something but opened her mouth and couldn't speak. The First Madam had sent Green Tassel to warn her: if she kept her mouth shut, the Zhou family would simply dismiss her, allowing her to make a living outside without interference. But if she dared to reveal anything—whether theft or passing secret messages—either charge could be pinned on her, and she would be handed over to the authorities, ruining her life forever.

As for Jin Niang, she only spoke to others now, no longer as close to Shanjie as before. Qin Shuanger, who used to be amiable with everyone, now treated her with indifference, not to mention Fang Qiaolian.

What fickleness of human relationships!

Of course, Jin Niang wouldn’t treat her the same as before. Once Shanjie had gained favor, she completely ignored her old acquaintances. Now that she herself might be involved in some shady business, who would want to be dragged into it?

Shanjie stayed less than two days nursing her injuries before being sent away early. When Madam Chen heard that the Shu Embroidery Studio happened to be short-handed at year’s end, she took the opportunity to recommend Shanjie there, thus getting rid of this hot potato.

Naturally, losing one Shanjie meant little to Jiang Shi. Most of the usual embroidery work involved figures, flowers, birds, insects, and fish; landscapes were rarely used. Shanjie leaving a year early saved Jiang Shi twenty-four strings of coins—enough money to buy several maids during a famine year.

Shanjie’s departure caused no ripple in the embroidery workshop. Jin Niang delivered clothes she had made for the Old Madam and received a pair of gold ball hairpins as an unexpected windfall.

Soon came the Winter Solstice, dubbed the "Secondary New Year," the most important festival in Bianjing. Even officials were granted leave, and Master Zhou could rest for seven days. Everyone in the Zhou household, from masters to servants, began wearing new clothes. Jin Niang also changed into fresh attire—a white silk jacket paired with sleeves trimmed in fox fur, green cotton trousers beneath, and a gardenia-yellow whirling skirt over them.

She had dressed up slightly, but even more so was Fang Qiaolian. Previously, she always wore simple headpieces, yet today she was dressed to the nines—a silver-red satin jacket matched with a light-green pleated skirt, adorned with a fashionable vase-shaped hairpin, a stark contrast to her usual appearance.

Though the embroidery workers earned high wages, that silver-red satin was not something just anyone could obtain. But Jin Niang made it a habit to avoid prying into others’ private affairs. Shanjie had become too involved and ended up beaten and dismissed.

The kitchen prepared dumpling soup for the day—the filling made from marinated quail meat. It was the first time Jin Niang had tasted such a filling, and she found it delicious, drinking all the broth and shaking her head in delight: “So good!”

“Again? It’s obviously too salty,” Qin Shuanger disliked such provincial behavior.

Jin Niang didn’t mind and just smiled. “If the meat isn’t marinated, it’ll have a raw meat smell. I think it’s quite nice.”

Qin Shuanger secretly curled her lip.

After lunch, Madam Chen arrived. The embroidery workshop never rested, regardless of weather. Sure enough, Madam Chen began assigning tasks: “Shuanger, Concubine Miao’s fifth young master needs two winter jackets. You cut eight undergarments and six split-crotch cotton pants. These are urgent—you must start now. Qiaolian, the second and third young ladies each need two robes with fox-fur trimmed sleeves. As for Jin Niang, the eldest young lady wants two pairs of ‘Wrong All the Way’ shoes and six pouches. The fourth young lady needs a warm hat and a long jacket.”

Jin Niang wrote down her tasks and went first to consult the eldest young lady. The so-called “Wrong All the Way” shoes were the latest fashion among noble daughters in Dongjing—essentially color-blocked shoes.

The eldest young lady was easy to work with, unlike the domineering second young lady. Jin Niang made sure to communicate clearly: “One half in green gauze, the other in red gauze—the red and emerald hues will complement each other beautifully.”

“I trust your taste,” the eldest young lady smiled.

Jin Niang continued discussing pouch styles, settling on two round pouches, two oval ones, one ingot-shaped, and one chicken-heart shaped. After finalizing the pouches and selecting colors, the process still took nearly two hours. She had planned to return after eating, but the fourth young lady arrived at the eldest’s quarters instead. Jin Niang hurried forward: “I was just about to visit you—thankfully you’ve saved me the trouble.”

The fourth young lady handed her cloak to a maid and smiled. “You’re looking for me about clothes, aren’t you?”

“You’ve seen right through me. Madam Chen instructed me to make you a long jacket in brocade with medallion patterns. I wanted to ask what kind of collar edging you’d prefer.”

The fourth young lady seemed to respect her expertise. “You’re the embroiderer—your eye is surely better than mine. Just decide for yourself.”

Delighted to encounter such an accommodating mistress, Jin Niang replied cheerfully, “Since you trust me, I’ll proceed directly. If anything needs adjusting later, just call for me.”

The fourth young lady nodded, and Jin Niang withdrew.

Once Jin Niang had left, the eldest young lady had two or three plates of pastries brought out, along with hot tea for the fourth young lady. “It’s so cold—why did you come over?”

Among the household’s young ladies, the second had a bad temper, and the third always competed with her. But the eldest sister was gentle and tolerant, so the fourth young lady enjoyed spending time with her. Moreover, she wished for her eldest sister to live a long and healthy life. According to the books, this eldest sister married the youngest son of the prime minister but died shortly after childbirth. To care for their grandchild, the Zhou family later remarried her off as a replacement wife. But her husband only mourned his first wife, nitpicking at her endlessly. With Concubine Miao’s misdeeds exposed and her natal family ignoring her, the fourth young lady in the books had died of melancholy within a few years of marriage.

“Eldest Sister, don’t fuss. I just came to see you—it’s stifling staying indoors all the time.” The fourth young lady popped a pastry into her mouth with a smile.

The eldest young lady held her hand. “I’ve heard you’re extremely lenient with your servants. That’s good, but everything must still have order and boundaries. Otherwise, the servants will become unruly.”

Speaking of this, Fourth Young Lady also felt embarrassed, as her good intentions had been taken for granted. Having grown up with the idea of equality among all people, she initially forbade the servants in her household from kowtowing to her, treating them as if they were modern supervisors rather than masters. She even stopped them from referring to themselves as "servants" in her presence.

But perhaps because she was too lenient, her belongings began mysteriously disappearing, and the servants grew increasingly disobedient, even looking down on her as their mistress. At her wits' end, she finally lost her temper once, and only then did they start trembling with fear.

She wondered if she had changed.

It dawned on her—there was no need to be overly kind to servants. If you respected them, they would only see it as weakness and incompetence.

Take Concubine Miao, for example. If she didn’t fight for favor, it would be snatched away by others. Resources in ancient times were limited—even eggs, rice, and fabric weren’t freely available, especially in large families. Her concubine mother had fought tooth and nail for the sake of her siblings. How could those highborn elites ever understand?

**

After the winter solstice, Jin Niang kept feeling like she had forgotten something. When she saw Concubine Miao, it came back to her—she had meant to warn Yan Hong that the First Madam might be using her to undermine Concubine Miao.

But how could she bring it up? After the incident with Shanjie, minor maids like them dared not meddle in such matters.

Soon, she devised a plan. When she visited Yan Hong, who was now carefully nurturing her pregnancy, Yan Hong smiled and asked, "What brings you here? I heard the Embroidery Academy has been quite busy lately."

"My sister and brother-in-law live north of Horse Market Street. They recently brought me a bundle from my mother. Since I wasn’t home when they got married, I wanted to ask your advice on what to gift them. The relationship between my cousins is… complicated." Jin Niang vaguely hinted.

Yan Hong, who had been anxious these days, was eager for gossip. "What’s so complicated about your family?"

Jin Niang shared her story: "My grandparents had three sons. My eldest uncle was a brilliant scholar and later became an accountant at a carriage house. My father enlisted in the army early, and my uncle learned a trade. Before they married, the brothers got along well. But once their wives entered the picture, my grandmother began stirring up trouble. Out of filial piety, I shouldn't say this, but she pitted them against each other until all three families turned hostile. Whichever family thrived, she’d use another to attack the rest. It’s a tangled mess. Now that my eldest uncle and aunt have passed, and my cousin is married, I can’t just pretend not to know."

She hoped to use her own family as an example to warn Yan Hong about manipulation and rivalry. But Yan Hong seemed oblivious and simply said, "Then it's simple—gift them a set of porcelain. Newlyweds always need dishes and bowls."

Jin Niang, as though a lightbulb went off, replied, "You're right. I'll go prepare that."

Truth be told, how could Yan Hong not know her own predicament? But she was already in too deep. The master of the household ignored the household affairs, and as the primary wife, Jiang Shi had elevated her status. How could she refuse such favor?

Jin Niang usually avoided such wife-concubine conflicts. She felt she had done her part by hinting—after all, speaking too plainly would be risky. If no strife occurred, she'd be guilty of slandering the mistress, a much worse crime than Shanjie’s.

Still, she needed to prepare a wedding gift for her cousin. She had considered taking half a day off to shop, but personal trips didn’t rate a house carriage. Going alone risked robbery or getting snatched.

After a discreet check of her personal savings, she found the usual gold, silver, jewelry, and fabric bestowed by her masters—all reserved for her future dowry and untouchable. Fortunately, she recalled buying many pouches while studying patterns from the Brocade Embroidery Workshop. She selected a bright pair, each stuffed with eighteen coppers, then asked Kuang Sanlang to buy her two wooden combs carved with floral and bird motifs for two hundred coppers. She also gave Aunt Hu a silver tael to purchase a jug of lamb wine and six boxes of pastries. Everything was wrapped in red silk, and she paid Lan Xue’s brother twenty coins to deliver it.

Jin Niang felt her gift was generous—even the Zhou girls typically just swapped embroidery. If Rong Niang reciprocated, she might later have an excuse to visit the Brocade Embroidery Workshop and the Embroidery Academy for job opportunities.

Meanwhile, Feng Sheng and Rong Niang rented a modest courtyard in the capital. After Rong Niang’s father died, her mother spent thirty-five strings of coins on the funeral. When her mother fell gravely ill, her uncle refused to visit, fearing he’d be asked to contribute. After her mother’s passing, Rong Niang covered the burial costs and even funded her own dowry. Though the family had once compensated her with five hundred strings, only two hundred remained—her entire savings.

Her husband’s wages went toward rent, furniture, and household items. Once settled, she hurried to cook fish soup. When Feng Sheng returned, he brought Jin Niang’s gift.

"Who knew she’d be so formal?"

Rong Niang unwrapped it—two pouches and wooden combs. Blessed with good looks, she never frequented fancy boutiques and assumed Jin Niang’s gifts were ordinary. Only the pastries seemed noteworthy. For a return gift, she packed some facial cleanser and soap pods her husband had brought from the clinic, presenting them as a solstice gift.

Jin Niang had bought facial cleanser from Dr. Zhao’s before, but Rong Niang’s tiny porcelain vial resembled a modern sample—worth just a few dozen coins. The soap pods she casually handed to Si Er.

Thus, when Rong Niang later invited her for New Year’s, Jin Niang declined. Without a close bond, it would just be awkward small talk—and she’d owe another favor.

Besides, the real priority was New Year’s bonuses.

Work was about earning money, after all. Her plans to go out were quietly shelved.

After the winter solstice came Laba Festival, where households exchanged Laba porridge. Northern Song’s version differed from modern ones—instead of red beans, dates, lotus seeds, or peanuts, it was made with walnuts, pine nuts, milk mushrooms, persimmons, and chestnuts.

Thick and hearty, it was delicious.

After the porridge, Si Er stitched shoe soles, now skilled enough to assist Jin Niang, who was sewing Fourth Young Lady’s collar trim with ease.

Six pouches and two pairs of "Wrong to the End" shoes for Eldest Miss were ready, and Fourth Young Lady’s warm hat was finished. Only the magnolia-embroidered collar trim remained—a design inspired by Xu Xi’s magnolia and crabapple blossoms from the Five Dynasties, symbolizing wealth and nobility.

Qin Shuanger, of course, had no idea that Jin Niang was imitating famous paintings. She secretly wondered how Jin Niang, who had learned the craft from Mistress Chen just like them, could create such exquisite patterns that she now handled almost all of First Miss’s clothing. What’s more, everyone praised her for being both fast and skilled—even Second Miss, who’d once berated her, seemed to have secretly asked the First Madam to have Jin Niang make her clothes.

But she had no time to dwell on it. During the day, she had to curry favor with the maids and nannies in Second Young Master’s quarters, and at night, she stayed up alone to finish her embroidery, barely having time to learn new designs.

Of course, she hadn’t come to the Zhou household to truly develop her embroidery skills, so she never bothered to master it.

For Jin Niang, however, even though she was never formally trained, she genuinely loved embroidery and treated it as a passion. She avoided idle gossip and focused on honing her skills.

Take, for example, Fourth Miss’s padded jacket—it wasn’t made with overly complicated techniques, which Jin Niang wasn’t particularly skilled at, yet everyone still praised it for its beauty.

As the year-end approached, Fourth Miss was quite generous with her rewards, even matching First Miss’s standards. She gave Jin Niang a string of coins, three feet of spare fabric, and a small mother-of-pearl vanity box.

Of course, there were things Jin Niang didn’t know—after Fourth Miss gave out the rewards, her confidante Danli mused to herself, “Your private savings are already meager, and Concubine Miao barely supplements you. Why give so much to the sewing room?”

“What’s the big deal? They worked hard for us—how can we take it for granted?” Fourth Miss always felt that ancient servants were pitiable. Weren’t they working for money in the first place?

Unbeknownst to her, Danli secretly thought that Fourth Miss’s monthly allowance was only two strings of cash, and even with year-end gifts from elders, it topped out at twenty-odd strings. Yet the maids serving her received no rewards—all the generosity was just for the sake of her reputation.

Jin Niang didn’t understand Fourth Miss’s affairs. She simply did her work well, and higher-ranking ladies usually rewarded her. For instance, First Miss praised the two pairs of shoes she made and gifted her a bolt of premium Zhejiang silk worth about one string and three hundred fifty coppers, along with a plate of pastries.

Since Si Er had helped with the soles of First Miss’s shoes this time, Jin Niang couldn’t bear to cut the silk, so she simply gave Si Er sixty coppers and the pastries instead.

Perhaps because Jin Niang’s work for Fourth Miss was also excellent, this year, her sister-in-law, Jiang Shi, didn’t ask Mistress Chen to make her birthday clothes as usual—instead, she gave the measurements to Jin Niang. However, Mistress Chen wasn’t idle either—Jiang Shi had her make Zhou Cunzhi’s wedding attire along with eight new sets of clothes, keeping her run ragged.

Of course, Jiang Shi knew how to treat people well. Aware of the sewing room’s hard work, she specially sent a New Year’s banquet. Unfortunately, Fang Qiaolian went to her godmother Aunt Kuang’s place, Qin Shuanger went to her godmother Nanny Lin’s, leaving only Mistress Chen, Jin Niang, Si Er, and Xiao He sitting together, making the group seem small.

People are easily influenced by their surroundings. Mistress Chen teased Jin Niang, “Why don’t you find a godmother too? It’d make things easier for you…”

“Don’t be silly,” Jin Niang replied. “I’ll just do my job well, help you where I can, and work diligently for the remaining two years before going home. With your care, I don’t need a godmother.” Jin Niang wasn’t one for lofty ambitions—she believed in doing her best at the task at hand and maintaining good relations with those around her.

Xiao He secretly envied Si Er, whispering, “Look how much Jin Niang values you. She even gave you a pouch with twenty coins for the New Year and teaches you embroidery and shoemaking. I still haven’t even learned how to make tassels.”

Though Jin Niang was strict with Si Er, she truly taught her skills and shared rewards. Qin Shuanger, on the other hand, spoke sweetly but rarely taught Xiao He anything, giving her mostly treats, never cash.

Si Er shrugged. “What can you do?”

In her heart, Jin Niang was always kind, teaching her earnestly and being generous—she felt she had truly found the right person to follow. Qin Shuanger might be good at socializing, but she acted mostly for her own benefit, much like Fourth Miss—while those in her own quarters received little, she was lavish with outsiders.

But Si Er also understood why Fourth Miss was like this. Among the young ladies, First Miss and Second Miss received subsidies from the First Madam. Third Miss’s concubine, though lost standing, had once helped the First Madam manage the household for over a decade, like Yan Hong, and had amassed considerable savings. Only Fourth Miss’s birth mother came from a poor family, offering no support. To avoid being looked down upon by servants, she had no choice but to act this way.

When Si Er shared these thoughts with Jin Niang, the latter chuckled and said, “Si Er, as maids, our lives are much harder than our mistresses’. It’s not our place to pity them—just focus on doing our work well.”

After finishing the clothes Jiang Shi had ordered, Jin Niang noticed a touch of frostbite on her right middle finger. Fortunately, it was minor, so she soaked it in hot water at night and resisted scratching it. Thankfully, Jiang Shi had rewarded her generously—a pair of iron thermoses, twenty candles, a pound of Hunan mountain tea, and a quill pen.

The iron thermos functioned like a modern thermos, each costing about eight or nine hundred coins. The twenty candles were worth around four strings, the Hunan tea nine hundred sixty coins, and the quill pen from Guangxi about three or four coins each—adding up to six or seven strings. Before, Jin Niang had thought money was most important, but now she realized many things could be bartered directly. So, aside from using the quill and thermoses, she stored the rest away.

With two iron thermoses, washing their hair got easier. That very afternoon, she washed her hair and helped Si Er do the same, both relaxing afterward.

Si Er suddenly said, “Sister Jin Niang, didn’t you say you wanted to visit Daxiangguo Temple again? Seems like we won’t be able to go now.”

“True,” Jin Niang sighed. “It’s difficult. After New Year’s, Second Young Master’s bride will be moving in, and the sewing room will be even busier.”

Besides, she now had some savings and was reluctant to leave, fearing theft if she did.

Since they weren’t personal attendants who could follow their mistresses outside, Jin Niang’s plans were temporarily postponed. However, as the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Second Young Master wanted to send a gift to his teacher’s wife, who was a devout Buddhist. Through Cui Xian, he learned that Jin Niang was skilled at embroidering sutras and thus commissioned her for the task.

Jin Niang used the opportunity to request a trip to Daxiangguo Temple to purchase rubbings of famous calligraphy—each booklet cost only a little over a hundred coins. Second Young Master immediately agreed, pleased with her thoroughness.

Thus, she successfully obtained the pass to leave the household.