Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Previously, Cheng Yaren had mentioned that the monthly salary at the Embroidery Academy was two dan of grain and six dou of rice and beans, all paid in kind. She also went to a bookstore outside that cooperated with the Embroidery Academy to have a small wooden sign made. On the right side of the sign, the three large characters "Embroidery Academy" were written, in the middle was "Flower and Bird Section of the Embroidery Department," and on the far left, it read "Wei Xiaoniangzi," with a total processing fee of sixteen wen.

When Wei Xiong heard that his daughter had been selected, he and his daughter hurried back to tell Luo Yewo the good news, and naturally, the family was overjoyed.

Jin Niang, upon learning she had been chosen, also gave her parents twelve guan, urging them to quickly buy a donkey cart.

Having a cart would be more convenient; when the grain was distributed, they could directly use the donkey cart to bring it back home, wouldn't that be easier? However, she said, "The fodder will be your responsibility to manage."

Although the family lived together, they still needed to clarify their responsibilities. It was better for everyone to lay out the terms beforehand, making it easier to get along.

Luo Yewo smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll buy the fodder."

"Alright, as usual, you take care of buying vegetables, oil, salt, vinegar, cooking, and washing clothes, while I will handle firewood, charcoal, soap nuts powder, and rice. This way, we can share the burden," Jin Niang suggested.

Her parents were reluctant, but Jin Niang insisted, "That's not how it should be. Since we're living together for the long term, and I'm old enough to start earning money, we should support each other so that life can be better."

Only then did her parents agree.

Living together as a family has its own set of rules. While parents love you, it doesn't mean you should always act like a child and expect others to do everything for you.

After being selected for the Embroidery Academy, Jin Niang would only start work three days later. In the meantime, she bought an embroidery frame and began to embroider sachets at home. Luo Yewo, puzzled, asked, "Why are you doing this now? Didn't you say you've already passed the exam?"

"These are for the Brocade Pavilion. The monthly salary at the Embroidery Academy isn't much, so I need some extra income. You see, the Brocade Pavilion doesn't allow just anyone to sell there. Only after your sachets and fans catch their eye will they give you a small space to sell ready-made clothes." Jin Niang stretched lazily and continued working.

Luo Yewo looked at her daughter and said, "You really are ambitious."

Jin Niang smiled, "Of course, I'm still young. You don't know how big the Embroidery Academy is. They give me three embroidery frames, all kinds of silk threads, wool threads, and drawing books. It's truly wonderful."

Luo Yuer moved the brazier closer to her daughter: "Now that you have a plan, we can rest easy. We've already prepared all the New Year's goods."

"Yes, please manage everything at home, Mother. Our family will surely flourish in the future," Jin Niang smiled.

Upon hearing that Ying Niang wanted to buy a house, Feng Sheng also mentioned it to Rong Niang: "This is too risky. She’s taking too big a step. Who doesn’t start with a small house and then move to a bigger one? She only has so much money and wants to reach for the stars."

"I feel the same way. How did she borrow so much money? I wouldn’t even dare to think about it." Rong Niang felt a bit scared but also thought these cousins seemed to be more daring than ever.

Feng Sheng had barely eaten a few bites when he heard someone calling. He quickly got up and said to Rong Niang, "I need to visit a few households tonight and won’t be back. Take Lin Ge to bed early."

Though Feng Sheng earned a lot of money, he worked very hard, often making house calls late at night.

Sometimes, after staying up all night, he would eat breakfast on the go before coming home.

Rong Niang could only say, "At least finish your dinner before you go."

"I won’t eat." He hurriedly grabbed his medical bag. As an outsider, he had to work tirelessly to achieve great things in Bianjing; there was no room to slow down.

The room was eerily quiet, and it was just her and Lin Ge again. The child was already asleep, leaving her alone once more. She couldn’t go out, and staying at home was unbearably dull and lonely.

In truth, she didn’t need Feng Sheng to work so hard; being together as a family was more important than anything.

The next day was Laba Festival. After personally cooking the Laba porridge, Rong Niang sent the carriage driver to Stinky Water Alley, where both her uncles lived. To her surprise, her second uncle had bought a new donkey cart. When she arrived, her second uncle was removing the harness and leading the donkey into the house.

"Rong Niang has come."

Her second aunt came out, wearing a velvet flower in her hair and pearl earrings, dressed in a green cotton robe and a red embroidered skirt, looking different from usual.

Rong Niang quickly smiled, "I’ve brought Laba porridge. Did Uncle buy a new donkey cart?"

Luo Yuer said, "It was Jin Niang who paid for the carriage. It would be inconvenient without one. When Jin Niang goes to work at the Embroidery Academy and Yang Ge needs to go to school, they will both need a carriage to get around."

Rong Niang was surprised: "Jin Niang found a job so quickly?"

"It's no joke; working at the Embroidery Academy is much better than being a maid in someone else's house." Luo Yuer couldn't stop smiling when she mentioned it.

The second house wasn't large, but it was cozy. The kitchen was simmering with warm porridge, and a few delicate pastries were placed in the small hall. Her aunt-in-law also poured hot water from an iron kettle to make tea for her. Soon, Jin Niang came out as well.

At home, Jin Niang didn't dress up much. She wore a slightly worn pink padded jacket, under which was a pair of cotton pants, and over them, a green three-tiered skirt. Her skin had improved somewhat, but she still had dark circles under her eyes.

Rong Niang held her hand and said, "Why didn't you tell us you got into the Embroidery Academy? We should have come to congratulate you."

"It's not like I became an official or passed the imperial exams; there's no need to make a big fuss about it," Jin Niang replied, joining in the conversation.

Rong Niang then got up and went to the third house, while Jin Niang tasted the Laba porridge Rong Niang had brought over and said to her mother, "Big Sister cooked it until it was very soft, it's quite delicious."

"It probably took her all night," Luo Yuer said, taking a bite.

Jin Niang shook her head and went back inside to make tassels. She made a pair of red plum blossom purses, with red plum blossoms embroidered on gray shiny satin, the bottom part embroidered on the satin fabric, and the top connected with black branches and red plums attached. The tassels were also tied in plum blossom knots.

Such red plum blossom purses were very suitable for young girls to wear. Then, she hurriedly made another pair of more luxurious coin-patterned round purses at home. Of course, the satin was brought from the Zhou family, and she had invested a lot herself.

After finishing the two pairs of purses, the next day, she waited for her father to send her brother to school, and then her parents took her to the Brocade Pavilion.

Originally, according to the procedure, she would leave the purses there to sell. If a customer liked them, the Brocade Pavilion would sign a contract with her. Jin Niang thought that during winter, plum blossoms would definitely sell well, and she could wait a month or so.

"Mr. Tao, these are the purses I embroidered. If anyone likes them, please send a message to the sixth house west of Stinky Water Alley," Jin Niang said.

Mr. Tao was initially indifferent, but upon seeing the fine stitching and beautiful patterns on Jin Niang's purses, he was about to accept them. Luo Yuer naturally boosted her daughter's reputation: "Sir, my daughter is a seamstress at the Embroidery Academy, not just any ordinary embroiderer."

"It turns out you're an embroiderer from the Embroidery Academy. I was already impressed by your needlework and wanted to sign you on; this is perfect." Mr. Tao's concerns were now completely alleviated.

Jin Niang showed the innkeeper the new wooden sign she had made, which made signing the contract even smoother.

Their agreement wasn't an employment contract but rather a sales and profit-sharing agreement. Jin Niang could obtain all the fabrics, silk threads, and accessories she needed from the Brocade Pavilion, though it only stocked basic materials. If she needed to buy from outside fabric shops, she would have to submit a receipt for reimbursement.

Jin Niang visited the Brocade Pavilion's warehouse and found the materials there too common and lacking in novelty. She then took her parents to a fabric store to find several yards of better quality material.

On the way back, Luo Yuenuo kept watching her daughter, noticing how confidently and eloquently she spoke, addressing every point precisely and without any slip-ups. Her daughter had changed so much over these three years.

But Jin Niang didn't think much of it, saying, "You learn as you handle more things on your own."

Even in the Song Dynasty, many women ran businesses on the streets. Since they had spent the morning taking care of business, Jin Niang suggested having lunch at the Eight Immortals Tower in the northern part of the state city. This tower was a prestigious establishment, with its entrance adorned with colorful silk canopies and decorated with flowers, birds, and tassels, making it look very grand.

At such a grand place, Wei Xiong felt intimidated: "We should just go back and cook ourselves. Why waste this money?"

"Father, we're here now, let's go in. We save all year long, and if we don't treat ourselves, who knows where the money will end up. Besides, good things have been happening one after another recently. I've joined the Embroidery Academy and signed a contract with the Brocade Pavilion. These are all reasons to celebrate, aren't they?" Although Jin Niang wasn't wealthy, she hoped her parents could broaden their horizons and enjoy the food.

She noticed that her father's hands had been scalded by steam from the oil pot several times, leaving marks.

Her parents sat at the table nervously, especially her mother, who usually talked a lot but now seemed at a loss. Jin Niang smiled and said to the waiter, "Could you show me the water signboards?"

Such prestigious establishments always had several water signboards. It was Jin Niang's first time ordering, but she acted calm and ordered, "A plate of scallion-sprinkled rabbit, lamb skewers, tripe soup, lychee kidney, three white meat sandwiches, and three bowls of water rice."

The waiter carefully noted down each dish she ordered and left.

As soon as he left, Luo Yuenuo said, "This is such a grand and impressive place, and it's our first time here. Even when your father was in the Imperial Guard, we never came here; we only ate at foot shops. Look at their curtains, studded with pearls—how extraordinary! And the corridor we walked through had artificial hills; it's truly a wonderful place."

Jin Niang nodded, "Yes, I only learned about this place in Bianjing. When I was at the Zhou family, I couldn't go anywhere. In the future, once I receive my monthly pay, we can come here every month if we want."

Money isn't saved by being frugal; without generating income, merely cutting expenses won't work.

Tea Master quickly brought the dishes. Despite Wei Xiong's constant talk about how cost-effective it was to eat at home, he buried his head and ate more than anyone else. The scallion-sprinkled rabbit, fragrant and numbing, continuously stimulated their taste buds, prompting Jin Niang to order a few more drinks.

Lamb skewers were Jin Niang's favorite, and she kept half to take home for her brother. The Three-Crisp Soup was refreshingly tasty, with tender bamboo shoots, small mushrooms, goji berries, and the spicy flavor of black pepper, making both parents drink bowl after bowl. Not to mention the lychee kidney, which wasn't actually made with lychees but had the kidney surface cut into a dense pattern of intersecting diamond shapes.

"Father, is it good?" Jin Niang asked with a smile.

Wei Xiong, embarrassed, patted his stomach. "It's delicious, better than anything I've ever eaten."

Luo Yüe also said, "In the future, don't be shy. We all earn money together, so we should spend it together. Jin Niang, next time it's my treat."

The three of them ate until they were almost bursting, practically leaning against the wall as they left. As the crowd noise grew louder, they drove their cart home.

As soon as Jin Niang returned, she drank a cup of water, but it tasted bitter. "Stinky Alley, Stinky Alley, this water really isn't good." She then took some high-quality tea from Hunan to drink, thinking that she used to always save the best for others, considering it wasteful to enjoy it herself. Now, she realized that enjoying it herself was the least wasteful.

Speaking of tea, Luo Yüe loved it the most and poured herself a cup to savor.

Wei Xiong, who had been driving the cart all morning, had already gone to rest. Luo Yüe said, "Your father has never been so satisfied after eating. He says it's even better than the life of an emperor. It's not just your father; I eat less too. When I was young, your grandmother always liked to make carrots, and even a bit of pickled vegetables was a treat..."

At first, she tried to keep her eyes open to listen, but gradually fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was already dark outside. Yang Ge had returned and was eating the food they had brought back. Jin Niang, in slippers, came out and took out her brother's homework. She noticed that her brother didn't talk much and his handwriting was average.

"Mother, after he finishes eating, have him come over to recite and practice writing," Jin Niang said.

Luo Yüe patted her son. "Listen to your sister and eat quickly."

At the mention of studying, the usually obedient Yang Ge only wanted to play with his toy, dragging his feet. Jin Niang wouldn't let him off, "Later, when I light the lamp to sew, you can recite beside me. I'll recite with you."

In her past life, she was a humanities student, quick at memorizing and with a good memory. Besides, the texts her brother needed to learn were ones she had already mastered long ago.

For transfer students like Young Brother Yang, if they don’t adapt from the start, it will be hard for them to keep up later. This was still the Northern Song Dynasty, where printing technology was quite advanced and literati were highly valued. The benefits of literacy weren't just about holding office or becoming an official; even for something as simple as going to a tavern, finding a job, or reading a contract, being literate was more than sufficient.

Jin Niang went in first to check the measurements for the clothes she usually made, slightly adjusting them to be looser. Now that she was making ready-to-wear clothing, similar to a one-size-fits-all, it had to suit most people. For winter coats, she used a mix of hemp and silk floss inside. There was no choice; using all silk floss would make the price too high, and not everyone would buy it.

This was the first time Luo Yüehua saw Jin Niang cutting fabric, and she was truly amazed at how quickly Jin Niang knew what she wanted to do.

Young Brother Yang finally came in, dragging his feet. He was Luo Yüehua’s son, born ten years after her marriage, so he was doted on immensely. Seeing Young Brother Yang fussing about wanting to sleep, she said, “Why don’t we let him rest for a while?”

“No way. If he doesn’t finish today, tomorrow’s classes won’t be interesting, and he might drop out in a few days. With his thin frame, can he help you make steamed buns? My father is still strong and can drive a cart. Even Cousin Sheng from Uncle San’s family, who transferred to Bianjing at ten after studying in the village school, always ranked last. Uncle San, though miserly, still paid extra for the teacher to tutor him privately,” Jin Niang said irritably.

Luo Yüehua had no choice but to leave her son there. Jin Niang studied with him, and a child who usually took five or six days to memorize an article managed to do it in just two hours today.

During this time, Jin Niang was busy with her floral patterns. This was the first piece of clothing she was making to sell, so she couldn’t afford to be careless. She also had to look after her brother, and it was deep into the night by the time he finished.

Fortunately, the next day, Young Brother Yang came back and said, “Mr. Gou praised me today, saying I was the only one who memorized it. Thank you, Sister.”

Jin Niang pinched her brother’s little cheeks. The whole family supported each other; her parents did household chores and sent her here and there, allowing her to focus on embroidery without any worries. If her brother succeeded in the future, he would also be her support.

“We’re all family, there’s no need to thank anyone. From now on, come here every day to study. I’ll study with you. It’s important to develop good habits from a young age. If you keep procrastinating, you won’t achieve anything, not just in studies but in anything you do.” Jin Niang patted her brother’s head.

The dress she had just cut yesterday needed embroidery today, which was said to take about ten days.

That evening, Luo Yüehua made duck soup, and Jin Niang drank a bowl before saying, “Tomorrow morning, I’m going to the Embroidery Academy. I’m not sure where I’ll have lunch, so I probably won’t come back. You can eat at home.”

Luo Yüehua replied, “I’ll knead the dough tonight with your father and make some steamed cakes for you to take tomorrow morning.”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself. There are places nearby where you can buy food. Tomorrow, either have Father bring me lunch or you can go yourself, but someone should stay home. With the year-end approaching, there are many thieves around,” Jin Niang reminded.

At night, Luo Yuer said to Wei Xiong, "Which daughter worries as much as ours? She really thinks of everything."

Wei Xiong remained silent upon hearing this, but his mind was still on the scallion-sprinkled rabbit, and he smacked his lips.

Early in the morning, Jin Niang got up, dressed, and put on her wooden badge. Luo Yuer cooked noodles for everyone, with an egg poached in each bowl. After eating, they all hurried out, first sending Yang Ge to Xiucai Gou, then Jin Niang to the Embroidery Academy.

Jin Niang stepped through the snow, showing her wooden badge to the gatekeeper before entering. The Embroidery Academy had a chief administrator, a position of eighth rank, who oversaw the entire academy. Below him were one embroidery worker, one head embroiderer, and four deputy heads.

The four deputy heads managed the categories of landscapes, pavilions, figures, and flowers and birds, respectively. Jin Niang quickly went to meet their head embroiderer, a lady surnamed Gu, who was very fashionable. Her hair was styled in multiple buns, with a golden comb in the center and a silver-gilt phoenix pin slanted behind it. A string of crystal prayer beads hung from her chest, and her attire was opulent, comparable only to Lady Wu, the second madam of the Zhou family, among those she had seen.

Speaking of the Zhou family, Jin Niang considered herself fortunate to have met a good leader there. Chen Niang was not meddlesome, fair, and did not oppress them; their relationship had been good for three years.

This Lady Gu, however, made her feel a bit uneasy.

There were five people entering the flower and bird embroidery department this time: two young women in their twenties, another woman in her early twenties whose hair was not yet bound, indicating she was unmarried, and one who was quite beautiful, about the same age as Jin Niang.

Before Jin Niang could ask any questions, Lady Gu began to assign tasks: "You will spend the first month getting familiar with the place. In the first half of the month, you must learn the rules and taboos. In the second half, you will continue learning these in the mornings, while afternoons will be spent learning painting from a scholar from the Hanlin Academy. In the afternoons, you will also follow experienced embroiderers. After that, you will start working on the embroidery frames."

The five of them did not dare to speak, and were led to another room to wait for the instructing female official to come and teach them etiquette and dress codes.

Jin Niang thought this might be like new employee training. She took out paper and pen and listened as the official said, "The empress's attire consists of four types: 'First is the veil robe, second is the red robe, third is the ceremonial robe, and fourth is the yellow robe.' The empress wears the veil robe when receiving her title, visiting the Temple of Heaven, attending court meetings, and other important events. The concubines and the crown prince's consort wear the paulownia pheasant robe when receiving their titles and attending court meetings..."

"Ordinary attire usually includes a deep red wide-sleeved robe with a red floral silk collar. A long red silk skirt, a red gauze shawl with jade pendants, a red silk jacket with a yellow and red gauze shirt, white gauze underpants, a yellow skirt, and a light pink gauze short shirt..."

As the official spoke, Jin Niang took notes and yawned, feeling as if she had returned to her student days.

After listening for the whole morning, they were hungry. However, the Embroidery Academy did not provide meals, so they could either bring their own food or eat outside. She and the other embroiderers went out and spent six coins on a bowl of noodles, which, though clear, had a good flavor.

"Why doesn't such a large place provide meals?" someone complained.

Jin Niang looked up and saw it was Xu Sanjie. She was originally from Ji'an, her husband being a county clerk. Later, when the county magistrate was promoted to an official in the capital, her husband followed. However, living in Bianjing was not easy, so she came out to earn extra income for the family.

Hearing this, Jin Niang thought that since they were working outside the various government offices, the court naturally did not provide meals.

This issue had also been addressed by Gu Xiu: "Initially, we ate inside, but everyone complained about the poor quality of the food, so we decided to pay you five hundred coins for your meals, three hundred coins for rent, and two hundred coins for charcoal each month, totaling one guan more per month."

This was another pleasant surprise.

When the hour of the Rooster arrived in the afternoon, they were promptly allowed to go home. Jin Niang was still not used to this, as there was no concept of leaving work at the Zhou family. There was always something to do, and she could be called upon at any time.

Her mother had already prepared dinner, and life now was much better than in Jiangling. There were three dishes on the table: cured meat stir-fried with Chinese chives, steamed cabbage with rice flour, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. The family chatted warmly together.

After finishing her meal and standing for a while, Jin Niang started making clothes. Winter nights fell early, and sewing could only be done for about two hours. Now she could still use the candles from before, but if she had to buy them herself, one candle would cost 150 coins, so she had to be frugal.

The set of clothes included a lined jacket, a pleated skirt, a bodice, a neck wrap, and padded trousers. She even made matching colored phoenix-head shoes, which could be sold individually or as a set.

These were all very labor-intensive tasks. Seeing her daughter like this, Luo Yewo said, "Among your sisters, only your eldest sister has good fortune. Her husband is so capable, she only needs to enjoy life."

She only hoped her daughter could find a satisfactory husband and avoid such hardship.

But Jin Niang tilted her head and smiled, saying, "Mother, life is too long to make hasty judgments. When you married Father, he was in the imperial guard with a high salary, and you could focus on raising me. But within a few years, our family became impoverished. Mountains can crumble, and rivers can dry up; why should I place all my hopes on someone else? While others take pride in whom they marry, I will make them proud to have me as their wife."