Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

As Old Madam Wei spoke, Luo Yue nervously glanced at her husband. She feared he might insist on going, yet she couldn’t stop him from saving his own younger brother.

Just then, Jin Niang spoke up, “Granny, where’s Sheng Geer? And why isn’t Third Brother-in-law here? At least they should come and discuss this.”

Old Madam Wei’s guilt-tripping had worked for years. Once, she claimed Third Uncle had no place to live, so she shamelessly took over the house their father had bought in their hometown, gradually claiming it as hers. Later, when Third Uncle needed help with his business, he dragged their grandparents into helping, refusing to let them assist their own family, even declaring that he alone would handle their care and funeral arrangements.

Yet when Grandfather passed away, it was still her father who shouldered the funeral expenses.

So, she had to remind her parents: Third Uncle’s youngest daughter was only a year younger than her, and Sheng Geer was already fifteen or sixteen. They had children of their own but refused to step forward, leaving it to her father. If this turned out to be a scam, her father would surely be dragged into trouble.

Sure enough, Old Madam Wei retorted, “What could those children possibly know?”

Jin Niang replied, “The bloodstains look fresh, so he must be nearby. Granny, call Third Brother-in-law and Sheng Geer—we’ll report this to the nearest patrol station.”

Fortunately, she had once learned about the patrolmen’s work when considering a match with one, and now that knowledge came in handy.

Old Madam Wei, flustered, hurried back to fetch them. Meanwhile, Jin Niang turned to her father. “Dad, don’t charge in blindly. Third Uncle got involved in alchemy schemes—those people might snare you too, just like him. Take the money you were planning to repay him and use this chance to settle the debt.”

Thanks to Jin Niang’s quick thinking, Luo Yue, who had been frantic, immediately agreed and inwardly marveled at her daughter’s ability to handle anything with ease.

Jin Niang then asked Wei Xiong, “Dad, do you know what to say to the patrolmen?”

Wei Xiong nodded. “I’ll say your Third Uncle was with alchemists—it must be their doing.”

“No. You don’t know who did it yet, so don’t mislead them. Unless asked, just say Granny came to you, claiming Third Uncle’s nails were pulled out and his family needed to ransom him. Hand the twenty-five strings of coins openly to Third Brother-in-law or Sheng Geer, then tell them to inform Third Uncle’s family if they find him.”

Wei Xiong looked confused, so Luo Yue scolded him, “Are you blind? Ying Niang’s father is in trouble, yet she and her brother won’t lift a hand, leaving it to you. They can afford a house worth almost two thousand taels, but now they won’t step forward to pay the ransom, sending Granny here instead—dumping it on us!”

With that, Luo Yue hurried to fetch the money—originally meant as repayment—now perfectly timed.

Soon, Ying Niang and Sheng Geer arrived. Wei Xiong stood to take them along, but Ying Niang said, “Uncle, we’re counting on you.”

Wei Xiong frowned, finally realizing Third Uncle’s family always dumped their troubles on him.

“You should all go. As his children, you’d know more,” Jin Niang interjected.

Luo Yue backed her up.

Reluctantly, Ying Niang told her fiancé, “An Ping, go with Uncle.”

Jin Niang thought to herself: *Your own father’s in trouble, yet you only send your fiancé instead of going yourself—now that’s shameless.* Thankfully, Wei Xiong, An Ping, and Sheng Geer went together, and Wei Xiong followed Jin Niang’s advice, handing the money to Sheng Geer in front of everyone.

If repayment isn’t public, it doesn’t count.

When Third Uncle and his wife were found, they were perfectly fine—the kidnappers had just wanted money and had long fled before the yamen runners arrived.

Jin Niang didn’t know how much capital Third Uncle had lost, but she knew he was shrewd—he’d even recruited their aunt as a subordinate, so it likely wasn’t a fatal blow.

She visited with her parents once. They usually only sold steamed bread in the morning, but now worked all day and night, slaving away relentlessly.

Third Uncle and his wife only lost some money, but their brother-in-law’s leg was fractured while fleeing, so the family sent two hens as a gesture.

All these incidents reinforced Jin Niang’s belief that greed led to disaster—easy money was a pipe dream.

Luo Yue asked, “Do you think your Third Uncle will change after this?”

“No. He’s always sought shortcuts. A bigger scam’s coming, and he’ll walk right into it.” Jin Niang recalled how Third Uncle had once tried to recruit her father—luckily, Dad got away fast.

Old habits die hard!

Third Uncle has a real knack for business and is willing to put in effort, but he's always cutting corners. He still refuses to invest in property. This time, when moving to a new place for business, he bought an old and sickly donkey that couldn't go far. The price was a bargain though—just two guan.

For slightly longer trips, he still had to borrow a donkey cart from their family.

Third Aunt can't cook, and Grandma Wei's no great cook either, so Third Uncle ends up doing the cooking at home. He asked Sheng Geer, "Your Second Uncle returned all the money, right?"

Sheng Geer, always honest, nodded and said, "Yes. At the time, Second Uncle took us to report the case and gave us the money right in front of the soldiers."

"Your Second Uncle has become quite calculating now. No wonder some of my friends told me he's doing well these days and have been asking after your sister Jin Niang." Third Uncle thought he had it all figured out.

Third Aunt and Ying Niang, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "What does that mean?"

Third Uncle said, "He made repaying me look like he was rescuing me, earning himself a reputation for generosity. All our distant relatives and friends knew I had lent him money before."

Back when Second Brother was in the Imperial Guard, relatives wouldn’t even spare him a glance. Now that Second Brother’s down on his luck and I’m doing better, he’s managed to take advantage of me.

Third Aunt also realized, "Has Second Brother become shrewd now? I bet it was your good sister-in-law’s idea."

If Third Uncle disliked Wei Xiong, Third Aunt detested Second Sister-in-law Luo Yue even more. Luo Yue’s life was much better than hers. Wei Xiong was usually honest, but when it came to important matters, he stood by his wife’s side and even argued with his parents for Luo Yue. Meanwhile, her own husband never stood up for her in her repeated disputes with her mother-in-law, all for the sake of free labor.

Even her own daughter, raised by Grandma Wei, wasn’t close to her—unlike Luo Yue’s daughter, who was practically inseparable from her mother.

At least her daughter's marriage prospects were better, which was a great comfort to her.

**

After a month as Embroidery Master, Jin Niang finally received her monthly pay. With the closure of the Brocade Pavilion, there was no extra income, but with six guan now in hand, she breathed easier.

However, Xu Sanjie only received just over two guan. She immediately confronted Jin Niang, "Why'd I get less than usual?"

Jin Niang replied, "Wait a moment, let me check for you."

She already had an idea but still presented the evidence to her: "Look, you left an hour early for twenty days this month—it's recorded by the supervisor. Also, you didn't meet the monthly quota for embroidered garments, and you took two days off."

Xu Sanjie rubbed her belly and said, "But I'm pregnant! You know that, right? I left early because I wasn't feeling well. If it weren't for my condition, I'd have stuck it out. When Embroidery Master Gu was here, it wasn't like this."

"Sanjie, you're misunderstanding me. As you said, I'm new here. I can only record things honestly—it's not me who pays you. If it were my call, you'd get it all. But you're right. Since you're pregnant, we should see what Chief Embroiderer says. Tell you what—let's go see her together and explain your situation. If she's understanding, you won't have to work so hard." Jin Niang said.

I sympathize with your pregnancy, but there should still be rules.

Sure enough, upon hearing they’d have to see the Chief Embroiderer, Xu Sanjie glared at Jin Niang, "Why bother her with such a small matter?"

"I can't go making exceptions," Jin Niang replied.

Xu Sanjie only wanted others to cover for her. If they didn’t, she took it as a lack of sympathy or even bullying, never considering that if Jin Niang were caught shielding her, she’d be guilty of favoritism and lose her position entirely.

"If you won't bend the rules, then if something happens to my baby, will you take responsibility?" Xu Sanjie felt Jin Niang was utterly unreasonable.

Jin Niang didn't scare easy: "If that's how you put it, then we really must go to the Chief Embroiderer. Otherwise, you'll blame others for everything. I'm just doing my job. We should consult her on how to handle your situation, not blame others for not covering for you."

When Jin Niang stood up, Xu Sanjie grew even angrier. To head off any lies, Jin Niang took the records and went to find the Chief Embroiderer first.

Seeing Zou Yuee still embroidering, Xu Sanjie couldn't help but say, "Aren't you pregnant too? Why aren't you speaking up?"

"I'm alright, no trouble," Zou Yuee replied softly, keeping her head down.

Nearby, Zhu Tingfang couldn't help but smirk, impressed by Jin Niang's smarts. She really could learn a lot from her. The previous Embroidery Master Gu liked to play the good person, always covering up for others. By the time the Embroidery Academy couldn't handle the workload, they had to farm out work to artisans and nuns in the embroidery alley, and the New Year bonuses were always docked.

Now, with Jin Niang enforcing rules strictly and managing personnel efficiently, they weren't forced to outsource the winter and New Year garments this year. Surely, everyone would receive their bonuses.

At this moment, Jin Niang was explaining the situation to Chief Embroiderer: "That's how things stand. What do you think we should do?"

Chief Embroiderer replied, "We’ve already made allowances. Otherwise, how could her monthly pay still be over two strings of cash? What do you think?"

Jin Niang naturally wouldn’t take the blame at this point, so she smiled and said, "I’m at a loss too. It mainly depends on your decision. You could just continue paying her as before."

Chief Embroiderer waved her hand. "Let me think it over."

Jin Niang respectfully withdrew.

She was well aware that some senior embroiderers used to receive year-end bonuses before Embroidery Master Gu took office. After Embroidery Master Gu assumed the position, because a third of the Flower-and-Bird Workshop’s staff were idle, the funds allocated to that workshop had to be diverted to hire outside embroiderers. Just to earn praise for favoring a few subordinates, she deprived the majority of this bonus.

The senior embroiderer who once taught her embroidery was like this—supporting a sick grandson at home, extremely honest, never arguing for anything. Even when her bonus was cut, she stayed silent, enduring swollen hands without complaint.

In this world, the squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease.

Soon, Chief Embroiderer issued a directive: for someone like Xu Sanjie, she would be given two extra days of rest each month and moved from garment embroidery to smaller pieces, letting her leave an hour early every day. However, her monthly pay would be reduced to two strings of cash, one less than usual.

Xu Sanjie frowned. "Why am I being transferred?" She had hoped to do the least work for the highest pay.

"Embroidering dresses does take more effort," Zhu Tingfang said bluntly.

Before Xu Sanjie could argue further, Jin Niang approached and said, "This is all I can manage."

Reluctantly, Xu Sanjie moved to the smaller embroidery section, though the work was indeed lighter. Jin Niang stopped keeping tabs on her. Nearby, Zou Yue’e breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She had been working on garments with Xu Sanjie, who often claimed discomfort and left the tasks to her. Thankfully, the current embroidery master had resolved the issue.

As winter approached, Jin Niang, as the embroidery master, received fifty *jin* of charcoal. She kept half at her workstation and took the other half home for her family.

When they brought it back, Third Uncle and Aunt happened to visit—they were delivering a wedding invitation.

Upon seeing Jin Niang, Third Aunt immediately took her hand and said, "Jin Niang, don’t hold it against your cousin for marrying first."

Jin Niang was baffled. "Why would I blame her?"

Third Aunt laughed awkwardly. Luo Yu’e, unable to bear it, interjected, "Picking a date is fine. We’ll attend the banquet when the time comes. We have matters to attend to now, so we won’t be hosting you."

Third Uncle, sharper than his wife, cut in, "What kind of talk is that? Jin Niang’s skills are exceptional. Once she establishes herself in the Embroidery Academy, how could Ying Niang compare?"

Third Aunt forced a smile. "I misspoke. In any case, you must all come then."

Jin Niang shook her head and went inside. She took out a piece of kesi fabric and began taking notes with a chicken-feather brush—first the warp, then the weft. For her, this was a new technique to learn.

One perk of being the embroidery master was that all new patterns passed through her first before being drafted. When she first joined the Embroidery Academy, Jin Niang knew nothing about formal attire and found it overwhelmingly complex. Now, after daily practice, she had mastered it.

She finished her kesi notes, but book learning wasn’t enough—true understanding required hands-on practice. She made a bold decision: singeing a small hole on purpose in the kesi and then repairing it.

Kesi could use gold or silver thread, silk thread, or even thread spun from peacock feathers. This piece used gold and silver thread, which she happened to have on hand. She took out her newly purchased tool—a long, fine steel needle. It was three parts skill and seven parts the right tools.

She secured the fabric with a bamboo hoop and began weaving, following the order of up, down, left, and right, using the needle as a shuttle. At the raised hole, she first connected the threads, then gently adjusted them with the needle to blend seamlessly with the fabric. The needle had to move perfectly straight, never crooked or bent.

On the right side, to ensure smooth draping, Jin Niang used the twin-shuttle method, sewing vertically.

She even ate meals in her room during this process, which irked her mother.

Luo Yu remarked, "I thought becoming the embroidery master would make life easier. Who knew she’d be busier now?"

A stickler for control, Luo Yu insisted on family meals together. She hated when anyone missed meals, though her temper flared and faded quickly. That night, she still prepared brown sugar poached eggs for Jin Niang.

People in Jiangling loved poached eggs, especially in brown sugar water—considered the common folk’s go-to tonic.

"Mother, just leave it there. I'll eat it later," said Jin Niang.

Luo Yue sighed, "Sitting too long is bad for your health. You're impossible—always skipping meals properly, and then you’ll be snacking at midnight when you get hungry. It’s better to have these brown sugar eggs for nourishment than that junk food."

Jin Niang was at a crucial moment in her embroidery and nodded absently, her hands never pausing.

Luo Yue thought to herself, *If only her daughter were a son.* She could achieve anything—fearless of loneliness, strong-willed. The third uncle and his wife believed their taunts would hurt her, but they didn’t realize her heart was entirely set on her work. How could she care about their petty nonsense?

Jin Niang worked until nearly midnight. When she saw the entire piece of kesi fully mended, she swelled with pride and suddenly stood up.

"I finally finished!"

She exclaimed with a laugh.

From next door, Old Lady Cai couldn't help but snap, "Who’s making all that racket this late?"

Embarrassed, Jin Niang sat back down and ate the now-cold brown sugar poached eggs. She dared not wash her face, fearing the water would make her too alert and keep her awake all night.

Before the winter solstice, the Floral and Avian Department needed to complete the garments. Jin Niang began organizing the workflow, always preparing the silk threads in advance to avoid wasting time.

"Tingfang, I’ve already cut the fabric and sorted out the threads. Take these to Madam Lan first," she told Zhu Tingfang.

That way, they could start work sooner.

Zhu Tingfang smiled, "Why go to all this trouble? You’re the Head Embroiderer—even if you did nothing, who would dare say you weren’t doing your part?"

But Jin Niang was determined that this year, the Floral and Avian Department must receive their rewards. Only then could she prove herself to everyone. No matter how long she was filling in as Head Embroiderer, she would do the job as it should be done.

"I believe in doing my best. Besides, I can’t sit still anyway," Jin Niang replied.

They completed all the garments before the winter solstice and turned them in half a day ahead of schedule to the Chief Embroiderer. He patted Jin Niang’s shoulder and said, "It seems Master Gu was right to recommend you."

Jin Niang humbly replied, "That’s only because you’ve always treated us well, sir. I simply wanted to finish the work quickly."

"Hmm, this year, your department was the first to finish among all in the Embroidery Academy," the Chief Embroiderer said, clearly impressed.

Truthfully, the academy had no shortage of people with connections or great talent, but someone still had to work hard and get things done—and Jin Niang was exactly that kind of person.

She then asked about the year-end rewards, and the Chief readily agreed.

The year-end reward was about a month’s wage—close to two hundred taels. Before, that money had been used to hire outside embroiderers, but now it could be given to the workers. Both senior and junior embroiderers were delighted, and Jin Niang’s reputation rose—except for Xu Sanjie, who was clearly displeased.

Xu Sanjie came from a well-off family—her parents were both physicians, and her husband was a minor clerk. But she was fiercely ambitious.

When they were all equal as embroiderers, there hadn’t been any issue. But once Jin Niang surpassed her, she grew resentful.

"That hick…" she spat.

In truth, she’d only gotten the position through pull. She hadn’t expected the role of Head Embroiderer to be so easily attainable—if a village girl could do it, why not her?

Jin Niang remained unaware of all this. When she returned home, she heard that Ying Niang’s wedding had fallen through.

"Why?" Jin Niang asked, puzzled.

Luo Yue explained, "Your Third Uncle demanded two hundred strings of coins as dowry. The groom’s side said they’d already spent one hundred and sixty strings buying a house and had no more money. Your Third Uncle refused to budge, and now both sides are threatening to cancel the marriage."

Jin Niang said, "Though the groom paid one hundred and sixty strings, Ying Niang put up most of the money. All these years, she hasn’t even had new clothes for New Year. The two thousand taels for the house with two courtyards will all come out of her pocket in the future. Third Uncle’s always thought his daughter deserved a better match."

Mother and daughter were just discussing the situation when Wei Xiong anxiously asked, "They wouldn’t actually cancel it, would they?"

"Don't worry, you can rest assured." For the sake of that grand house, the man's family would swallow their pride and make concessions.

Marriages between men and women were mostly based on mutual interests.

Back then, matchmaking was much like casting leads for a TV drama—regardless of whether their personalities matched, as long as their status matched, the match would go ahead.

After the winter solstice, everyone relaxed quite a bit. One morning, Jin Niang came in nibbling on a meat-filled steamed bun. After finishing it, she leisurely whipped up a bowl of lotus root paste at her station and let out a contented yawn.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xu Sanjie watching her strangely. Jin Niang grew cautious but couldn’t figure out what she was planning.

It was midday, and after lunch everyone felt drowsy. Jin Niang herself had already stifled several yawns. Since this was the day before their scheduled break, minds were wandering—some thinking about buying a chicken to treat their families, others looking forward to reuniting with their children. Even Jin Niang was only flipping through a book absentmindedly.

Unexpectedly, an official from the Embroidery Academy arrived. She outranked even the Chief Embroiderer and rarely visited in person, yet today she had come especially.

Holding a kesi tapestry, the official said, "The Empress Dowager really loves this 'Peony in Spring' piece and wants it displayed tomorrow. However, when the palace’s female officer Xun retrieved it, she found a hole. They specially asked embroiderers from your Flower-and-Bird Division to repair it. I remember Embroidery Master Zhang does excellent work?"

There were three senior embroiderers in the Flower-and-Bird Division qualified to repair kesi works, with Embroidery Master Zhang being the most experienced. But Jin Niang hesitated: "Reporting to the supervisor, Embroidery Master Zhang took sick leave yesterday, and Embroidery Masters Lan and Ku happen to be off duty today."

These veteran embroiderers enjoyed generous benefits—the likes of Jin Niang only got three days off per month, while they could take five or six. Following the schedule set by former Head Embroiderer Gu, Jin Niang usually arranged their days off to align with regular breaks, so each time they could have two consecutive days off.

Therefore, normally only one experienced senior embroiderer needed to be on duty daily—but why did Embroidery Master Zhang have to fall ill just today, and why did the supervisor just happen to pick today?

The supervisor was furious: "How could you approve leave for all of them? At least one should stay! What kind of deputy embroiderer are you? If no one can fix this, you can forget about keeping your position." Then turning anxiously to the Chief Embroiderer, she added, "What shall we do now?"

The Chief Embroiderer also gave Jin Niang a reproachful look. Unexpectedly, Jin Niang smiled and said, "Though the senior embroiderers aren't here, I'd like to give it a try."

"You?" The supervisor eyed her skeptically. Repairing kesi wasn’t something ordinary embroiderers could handle—only a handful in the entire Embroidery Academy had such skills. Seeing how young Wei Jin Niang looked, she suspected boasting.

Jin Niang met her gaze firmly: "Yes, I can do it."

The supervisor hadn't come without purpose—she intended to use this opportunity to replace the deputy embroiderer. Yet she hadn't expected Jin Niang actually possessed the skill. Meanwhile, Xu Sanjie, seeing how skillfully Jin Niang worked, nearly choked with rage. She had spent twenty strings of coins treating the supervisor to meals through connections—only to set the stage for someone else to shine!

Xu Sanjie felt like fainting.