Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After finally finishing the copying of the scriptures amidst her busy schedule, Jin Niang personally delivered them to the second residence. Perhaps because she had once saved Wu Shi’s child, Wu Shi would always see her whenever she came over.

It was no different today, except that Wu Shi was reclining on the bed, looking particularly strained with this pregnancy.

“Your servant greets Second Lady. I have completed the copying of this volume of scriptures,” she said, raising it above her head with both hands.

Wu Shi had her attendant take it and smiled, “Come closer and speak.”

Jin Niang stepped forward and, seeing Wu Shi’s condition, could not help but ask, “How is Second Lady feeling? You look somewhat weak.”

“It’s nothing much. Xiao Qing had a fever and a bit of a cough yesterday, so I stayed up half the night watching over him.” Wu Shi, being in her late thirties, found her body struggling to cope.

Jin Niang advised, “Second Lady is currently pregnant; you must take good care of yourself. How is Fourth Young Master?”

Wu Shi smiled, “Just a common illness.”

Jin Niang asked another question and then noticed an old woman entering to discuss matters concerning Xiao Qing. Everything she said seemed to be for Xiao Qing’s benefit, but Jin Niang recognized her as the same woman who had spoken with Miao Xiaoniang behind the rockery.

Yan Hong’s child had died within these inner chambers. If not for some foul play, why would such a promising pregnancy end so tragically? It was likely that Miao Xiaoniang was involved.

After the old woman left, Jin Niang paused for a moment before deciding to speak up: “Second Lady, your servant believes that reciting this volume of scriptures can help eliminate illness and misfortune. May I privately recite it for you? Otherwise, once I leave the manor, it might not be possible for me to do so again.”

Based on Wu Shi’s judgment, Jin Niang was a very measured maid who never acted presumptuously despite having saved Xiao Qing. Now, it seemed she wanted to say something. Could it be that she was seeking financial assistance due to family hardships? This was not uncommon for a maid of her age whose family was poor.

Thus, Wu Shi dismissed the attendants.

Jin Niang used her finger to write the character “Miao” in tea water on the table and said, “Before Young Master’s death, I once saw that nurse speaking secretly with this person when I was delivering something.”

Mrs. Wu was greatly alarmed.

"Lady, I will start reciting the scriptures now," Jin Niang picked up the scripture, wiped off the water stains, and truly began to recite.

This left Mrs. Wu wanting to ask more questions but unable to do so. However, she understood Jin Niang's dilemma; after all, she was a servant of the main house. If Miss Miao found out what she had said, it would not be good for her.

After finishing the recitation, Jin Niang smiled and said, "I have work in the embroidery room, so I'll take my leave now."

"Wait a moment." Mrs. Wu did not press further but wanted to give her a silver ingot as a reward, which Jin Niang declined.

"I copied a scroll, one string of cash is enough for me. My parents have come to the capital, and if there are any difficulties in the future, I hope you can help them. I would be eternally grateful." Jin Niang mentioned this not for the reward but for her conscience.

Mrs. Wu smiled, "You are quite clear-headed, child."

But she did not follow Jin Niang's wishes. Though she did not give her a silver ingot, she gave her two gold hairpins: "Living in Bianjing is no easy feat. In the future, everything from firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, to tea will cost money, and proper attire is also important."

Seeing that she could not refuse, Jin Niang finally accepted them.

When she returned to the embroidery room, she had barely eaten a few bites when she heard that her mother was waiting for her at the west gate. Jin Niang hurriedly finished her meal and went out, only to find that her mother had accomplished something significant in just over a month.

"Did you really lease a house?"

"How could it be false? I came today to ask you what kind of furniture you like. Do you want a top cabinet or a closed-front cabinet? And for your desk, do you prefer a raised-head table or a square table with bookshelves?" Luo Yewo thought that if she had the money, she would definitely prepare a better boudoir for her daughter.

Jin Niang immediately replied, "I want the one with bookshelves. But do you still have enough money?"

Luo Yewo scratched her head, "Fortunately, I held him back. Your father wanted to spend even more than I did."

"Mother, I'll give you ten strings of cash for your expenses these days, and I'll bring you cloth, candles, and iron kettles." She knew very well that using up all their money to lease a house was unwise, but her parents were like that. They might not be particularly wise or heroic, and they had many flaws, sometimes even favoring boys over girls, but ultimately, they loved her deeply.

Whether she wanted to read books, become an embroiderer, or even take the examination for the Embroidery Academy, and move to Bianjing, they would fulfill whatever she desired.

Seeing her take out items and ask about this and that, Jin Niang explained, "This iron kettle is for holding hot water to keep it warm, saving firewood. These candles are for home use, and there’s also a set of the Four Treasures of the Study for my brother. Also, Mother, my brother’s studies are important; my furniture can wait. I won’t be returning for a few more months anyway."

A man who aspires to achieve his lifelong ambition must diligently study the Six Classics by the window.

If she were a man, she would certainly have pursued education.

"His matters are easy to arrange, but we need to order the furniture in advance. Keep your money for yourself. After these busy days, your father and I will look for work," Luo Yüe had already thought of a plan.

Jin Niang shook her head, "Mother, you previously mentioned looking for a shop to start a business with Father. Use the ten guan jiaozi from the money shop. If it’s not enough, come to me for more. At your age, working as a porter or a brewer would be too hard, and you’d have to endure a lot. Oh, right, here’s a five-liang silver ingot."

"That’s too much, I can’t accept it," Luo Yüe quickly waved her hands.

But Jin Niang insisted, and Luo Yüe finally accepted it. She then mentioned Feng Sheng’s disapproval: "Your brother-in-law gave us quite a lecture, as if he looked down on us. But despite his words, he still sent your elder sister over, which is better than what your second uncle’s family did."

Jin Niang was well aware of Feng Sheng’s character. He was someone who looked down on others, what one might call a self-centered person in modern terms, extremely intolerant of stupidity, and fond of giving paternalistic advice.

He wasn’t entirely bad, though.

Jin Niang simply said, "I don’t interact much with them in Bianjing. Whenever I visit, I never go empty-handed. Even when they insist I come, they don’t treat me any differently. Mother, don’t think that just because we have relatives, they will support us. We should rely on ourselves. There are always people better than us, and while he looks down on us, there are those who look down on him."

For some reason, Luo Yüe didn’t always listen to others, but whenever Jin Niang spoke, she found it very reasonable. After returning home, she told Wei Xiong, "Jin Niang gave me fifteen liang. That’s her entire year’s salary. Tomorrow, let’s have the carpenter make the furniture according to our daughter’s specifications and find a tutor for our son."

Wei Xiong was delighted, "Oh, that’s wonderful! We were worried about the money, and we haven’t even found a shop yet."

"We’ll talk about the shop later. Last year, we ran a business for a whole year, and the year before that, I helped your brother for a year. We’re both exhausted, and the journey to Bianjing was tiring." Luo Yüe was slender and had always had poor health.

At home, Wei Xiong seemed diligent, but he lacked initiative. Luo Yüe was smarter, but her health wasn’t good. Her mind was now focused on bringing her daughter back to help her recover, and other matters could wait.

Thinking of this, she took out the iron teapot again: "My daughter said that using this can keep tea hot for two or three days, saving so much firewood. Hurry up and chop the wood; let's try it now."

Wei Xiong pretended to be dead, but was kicked by Luo Yumei, who immediately got up to boil water in the new kitchen.

Luo Yumei laughed heartily and then said to Yang Ge'er, "Your sister wants you to hurry and go study..."

Yang Ge'er looked outside: "Mother, it’s raining outside. I want to play at home."

"You..." She never had the heart to scold her children.

On the other side, Feng Sheng was still afraid of lending money, but unexpectedly Rongniang returned and said, "Second Auntie said Jin Niang gave them more than ten strings of cash. When I went there, they were taking Yang Ge'er to the village school."

Feng Sheng pouted: "Your sister was always average-looking and didn’t earn much, yet she still brings money home..."

Rongniang thought to herself, no matter what, Jin Niang was still very happy. Despite Second Uncle and Aunt having many flaws, they treated their children well.

Jin Niang felt the same way. Having her parents around gave her a strong sense of support, which improved her state of mind significantly.

Chen Niang and the others had also completed their work ahead of time. Jiang Shi rewarded each of them with a string of cash, and it took Jin Niang and the others several days and nights to recover.

By this time, it was only one month before the eldest daughter’s marriage. Qin Shuang'er had already gone to the third branch. She had no attachment to the embroidery workshop and left without hesitation. Chen Niang called her over to change her contract from a live one to a dead one.

Even Fang Qiaolian thought it was a bad deal: "If it’s a dead contract, she won’t get her monthly pay anymore."

"What can be done? It’s her own choice." Jin Niang could only advise if others were willing to listen.

Fang Qiaolian looked at Jin Niang: "You’re lucky. Your parents have come to Bianjing. You’ll all be Bianjing residents in the future."

Perhaps it was only the last month, so everyone no longer needed to hide. Jin Niang smiled and said, "Qiaolian, will you still go to the Shu embroidery workshop in the future?"

Fang Qiaolian shook her head: "Before I came to the capital, my family had already arranged a marriage for me. My fiancé is a clerk in the Jiangling Prefecture." If she wasn't certain that Jin Niang wouldn't return to Jiangling, she wouldn't have mentioned this.

A clerk in the prefecture was a scribe in the government office. Though they were looked down upon by the scholar-official class, they still belonged to the officialdom and enjoyed the privilege of being exempt from corvée labor. They wore long robes (albeit only black), tied with a long scholarly sash like a scholar, and wore boots. Clerks held a certain amount of power and could be promoted to higher ranks after a certain number of years of service, provided they passed an examination and were found to have committed no faults during their tenure.

Clerks were quite influential at the local level. Jin Niang hurriedly congratulated her: "Congratulations on your good match."

Here, it was clear to her that Fang Qiaolian was acting as an informant for Lady He, which explained how Third Young Master He managed to elude Mei Pan'er, gather information about Second Miss's preferences, check if the Zhou family was truly prosperous, and whether Second Miss had any hidden illnesses...

The reward for all this was the prospect of marrying into a clerk's family. With her embroidery skills, familiarity with the Zhou family, and the backing of the He family, her future life would be very comfortable.

Fang Qiaolian smiled: "It's all thanks to the arrangements of the elders. What do I have? He was just a minor clerk in the office before."

"I won't say more. I just wish you a peaceful and happy life, and may you have a noble son soon." Jin Niang chuckled.

Fang Qiaolian moved to tickle her, and Jin Niang quickly dodged, laughing until tears almost streamed down her face.

As they were playing, a servant girl unfamiliar to them entered and asked, "Is Lady Chen here? Second Madam needs her."

Jin Niang immediately composed herself: "Lady Chen is in the front hall."

The servant girl left.

Jin Niang said to Fang Qiaolian, "I hope they're not making us sew clothes for the last month."

"I'm already dizzy from all the needlework I've heard about." Fang Qiaolian politely declined.

Jin Niang shrugged: "There's nothing we can do. Perhaps once we leave, we won't be so controlled anymore."

Isn't freedom the most important thing in life?

Without freedom, what good is power and wealth? Saying insincere words and doing insincere deeds every day, what's the point?

Sure enough, Second Madam asked Lady Chen to make clothes for Zhou Cunzhi. It was said that they had originally found a tailor outside, but Zhou Cunzhi found the clothes too vulgar and the tailor's skills lacking. They hadn't approached her before because she was busy making the bride's wedding dress. Now that the dowry embroidery was finished, they asked her to help.

Lady Chen claimed she was ill. Though not old, the stress was too much for her, and with her existing back problems, this time she ended up bedridden after completing the task.

The job fell to Jin Niang, as she was one of the few who had made clothes for Zhou Cunzhi before.

After two days of rest, Jin Niang was already in high spirits. She had already taken his measurements last time, so there was no need to do it again. Since Second Master and Second Madam didn't specify the design, Jin Niang took the liberty to create freely. In her mind, Zhou Cunzhi's bold personality suited a red robe best, with a round-collar jacket made of silk, embroidered with floral patterns on the chest and shoulders, and slits on both sides of the robe, which would accentuate his tall stature.

Fang Qiaolian saw Jin Niang think for a moment before starting to use the templates, seemingly having an idea right away. She couldn't help but ask, "You can start again?"

"Yes," Jin Niang felt she had no creative block; whenever she wanted to do something, she immediately became interested.

"I really admire you; you're truly amazing," Fang Qiaolian said.

Jin Niang shook her head, "I'm far from being a true master."

She even wondered how Zhou Cunzhi would feel wearing this outfit. It was time to make a garment that truly belonged to him.

If she could open a shop where she could freely express herself, that would be ideal.

But for now, she just thought about it. In the morning, she cut out the clothes, and at noon, she went to play with Lan Xue. It turned out that Lan Xue's family had guests, and Jin Niang helped her prepare tea. Although she still wasn't skilled with the final step, she was quite familiar with the earlier stages of tea preparation.

"Who's coming? Why such a grand occasion?" Jin Niang hadn't heard about any guests.

Lan Xue replied, "It seems the young master from the Jiang family has come. You don't know that our Second Master and Young Master Jiang have a very close relationship; they even attend literary gatherings together."

"It seems the twists and turns of life are truly unpredictable." The eldest daughter, though set to marry into the Chancellor's family, faced the failure of Wang Sanlang's imperial examination. The second daughter married He San Gongzi, a cousin marriage, but the He family held a lower rank than the Zhou family. Normally, the Zhou family could control the He family forever, but the He family had leverage over them through the second daughter. Even the commotion caused by Little Miss Miao, who gave birth to a young master, led to the third daughter marrying the best match.

A man of noble birth, with a fine appearance and exceptional learning.

Lanxue smiled and said, "You, don't just look at the surface. Do you know that this young Master Jiang is actually the son of the sixth master of the Jiang family in the capital? His family originally had three sons, and he ranks second. The sixth master failed his examinations repeatedly, so Young Master Jiang went to Hangzhou to study on his own, and even adopted himself into another branch. His parents, the sixth master and his wife, initially disagreed, but were eventually pressured by the clan to consent."

Jin Niang exclaimed, "What a twist! This person is truly heartless. As I always say, a golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one's own doghouse."

No matter how shabby her own home might be, it was still hers; no matter how splendid others' homes might be, they were still others'.

Lanxue took the tea Jin Niang had prepared and stirred it, saying, "That's why I say the waters run deep here. He can abandon his own parents and brothers; what couldn't he discard when he rises to power?"

Indeed, Jin Niang thought.

Xiaoniang also spoke similarly to the Fourth Miss, adding, "You're not young anymore, and you should pay more attention. As the saying goes, one doesn't strike a smiling face. You should often do needlework for your father."

"Alright, I'm making shoes for Father," the Fourth Miss subtly sensed that Xiaoniang's words were different from before. Previously, she wanted her to spend more time with the First Lady, but now she only wanted her to please her father.

Could it be that the First Lady had already given the dowries to the two elder sisters?

It seemed so.

Hearing her daughter speak thus, Xiaoniang felt somewhat relieved: "Very well."

Master Zhou would not sit idle. After Yanhong fell ill, Mistress Jiang did not arrange anyone to attend to her. However, Second Master, seeing his brother living like a widower, immediately bought a pair of exquisite twin dancers for his brother, each costing nearly a thousand taels.

Though these two had yet to receive any formal title, they were younger than Xiaoniang and more favored. Xiaoniang knew that while she could still share some of the affection, the favor of her youth had long since faded.

Fortunately, she had made proper arrangements. If Little Qigeh were to have an accident, Wu Shi, who was already in poor health during her pregnancy, might lose all three lives.

The Fourth Miss knew that Xiaoniang must have started making her moves. If not for everyone in the mansion turning a blind eye to Xiaoniang, she wouldn't have acted this way. The First Lady preferred to let Lü Xiaoniang manage the household rather than her own Xiaoniang, despite how much Xiaoniang had tried to please her—lifting the curtains, helping her wash her feet, and even assisting when Second Young Master angered their father.

She had read the books; if it weren't for Wu's own pig-like stupidity and incompetence in managing her household, how could she have been so easily bought off?

In this world, as long as one gives others a way out, why would they act so despicably?

Moreover, speaking of evil, Second Master is a hundred times more repulsive than Little Concubine Miao. Everyone detests Little Concubine Miao for climbing into bed, but Second Master personally sent beautiful concubines to First Master and beautiful maidservants to Third Cousin, yet no one criticizes him? Even Lady Wu, who is so strong-willed, says nothing.

However, Fourth Miss did not want her mother to repeat the mistakes of her past life. She advised from the side, "Mother, all the men in our family are scholars. I've heard that Chancellor Han Qi was a commoner’s son, yet he eventually obtained a noble title for his mother. There's no need to worry about the present; just focus on nurturing Brother, and in the future, you won't be inferior to anyone."

Little Concubine Miao smiled, "I trust your brother." But she knew deep down that it was too difficult, and she didn't believe in the future.

Besides, even those who passed the imperial exams, many impoverished scholars still had to beg at Second Master's pawnshop for loans, only wearing decent clothes when they went out.

At her age, Fourth Miss didn't understand that being an official wasn't easy either. Look at Aunt Lady, who married a scholar with no fortune; what was her end? Money is the most important thing.

Fourth Miss couldn't say anything more.

But when Little Concubine Miao thought she was bold enough, she learned that the old woman she had arranged to be there had been expelled, and even the other wet nurse by Qinqin's side had been replaced.

Fourth Miss had also heard about it; apparently, Wu felt that the two women were negligent, saying they played with Qinqin using a cloth strip around his neck, nearly causing him to suffocate.

It was said that the old woman was almost beaten to death, but she insisted it was not intentional.

She was handed over to the authorities by Second Master, charged with attempted murder.

What amazed Fourth Miss was that from start to finish, the old woman never revealed that Little Concubine Miao was behind it. Little Concubine Miao wasn't worried at all because the old woman's daughter was beautiful and had originally been the young master's concubine. After the young master died, she reported Little Concubine Xiao, but was still harassed by some ruffians outside, which was arranged by Little Concubine Miao's brother. He arranged for people to harass her and then save her daughter. Now, the old woman's daughter was married to someone introduced by her. If the old woman revealed the truth, her daughter's fate would be uncertain.

Such hidden matters are hard to investigate after the fact. Wu only found a bag of silver at the old woman's home, but the silver couldn't prove that Little Concubine Miao was involved.

Wu rubbed her belly, planning to investigate Little Concubine Miao after giving birth, but she didn't know that Little Concubine Miao was pregnant again.

After the Zhou family's commotion, Jin Niang also heaved a sigh of relief. No matter what, the old woman had been sent away, and Little Brother Qin was safe.

Jin Niang’s clothes were also ready, and she specially had them delivered to Zhou Cunzhi. After trying on the outfit, Zhou Cunzhi immediately wanted to take it off: "If I wear this, people who don’t know me might think I’m a woman."

The servant suppressed a laugh: "I actually think this looks quite good."

"Who made this?" Zhou Cunzhi was very dissatisfied.

The servant replied: "It was Jin Niang from the embroidery room. Her needlework is top-notch. When I picked it up, she even mentioned that she put a lot of thought into the floral patterns this time."

Zhou Cunzhi was almost fuming: "Is this fat girl treating me like her toy? How could she do this?"

The servant shrank back in fear.

"Go and bring her to me," Zhou Cunzhi gritted his teeth. This was the outfit he had prepared to wear when visiting the Prime Minister’s house, and now it was ruined.

Jin Niang arrived quickly. Seeing Zhou Cunzhi’s anger, she hurriedly said: "Second Young Master, please don’t be angry. When I was making this outfit, I was reading the Book of Songs that Second Lady gave me. I happened to turn to 'Yi Jie' from the 'Qi Feng' section, which begins with 'Ah, how splendid! Tall and slender, his brows so fine, his eyes so bright.' Isn’t this exactly you? Those light colors would make you look too plain and uninteresting. On the contrary, wearing red would give you the air of 'a courtyard with the red of late-blooming crabapples,' making you stand out like a crane among chickens, truly remarkable."

As she spoke, she noticed Zhou Cunzhi’s lips curling, realizing she had succeeded.

Sure enough, Zhou Cunzhi said: "I’ll admit you have a point, but in the future, you must ask for my opinion before making any clothes."

Jin Niang reluctantly agreed, thinking to herself that she would be leaving the Zhou residence soon, and he wouldn’t be able to find her to make clothes even if he wanted to, hmpf.