Chapter 49

Chapter 49

She never imagined that Third Uncle would meet such an end. Her mother added, “Your Third Aunt wants your father to bring the body back with our donkey cart? How could she suggest that?”

Not only did Third Uncle’s own family have a donkey cart—she simply didn’t want to use theirs for transporting a corpse—but Ying Niang’s family had one too. Why push it all onto my parents?

Jin Niang looked at Wei Xiong. “You didn’t say yes, right?”

Wei Xiong had almost agreed, since he was too shaken to think straight after his younger brother’s sudden death. But his wife refused, so he declined. When Jin Niang asked, he quickly shook his head. “No, no.”

“Good. You should focus on your own affairs. If they ask what to do, just tell them to handle it themselves. He had children, a wife—you can lend a hand if needed, but that’s it.” Jin Niang spelled everything out for him.

There was no helping it—her father was terrible at thinking on his feet. She had to spell every word out for him.

Just as she was about to mention her departure from the Embroidery Academy, her mother spoke again. “Your grandma was saying that all the money your Third Uncle earned in his lifetime ended up in your Third Aunt’s hands?”

“What? Didn’t Third Aunt manage the household finances?” Jin Niang was floored.

Wei Xiong nodded. “Yes, your Third Uncle always handled the money in their home.”

Jin Niang glanced at her parents. “Then you two should keep your distance. Any missing money will start fights, and if something disappears, they won’t blame their own—they’ll blame you.”

Without Wei Xiong as the main helper, thankfully there was still the son-in-law, An Ping. To arrange the funeral, An Ping even put his own work aside, working tirelessly. The reason? Third Aunt wouldn’t lift a finger—anything troublesome or laborious, she avoided.

She even said, “I told your Third Uncle not to go, but he wouldn’t listen.”

The nerve of her! Jin Niang shook her head in disbelief.

As for her leaving the Embroidery Academy, Jin Niang had expected her mother to react strongly, but it was her father who was the most upset.

“Jin Niang, maybe we should talk to Broker Cheng again? A government job’s steady. You have so much debt to repay—what if you can’t?” Wei Xiong fretted, momentarily forgetting even his brother’s death.

He had a point. Years ago, after leaving the Imperial Army, he’d thought his future was bright—only to watch his luck run out. Meanwhile, his former comrades had become county magistrates in Jiangling or officials in Kaifeng’s yamen, while he ended up with nothing.

Jin Niang replied, “Father, the Embroidery Academy contract was only for three years. It ran out last year. If I signed again and my pay stayed at two strings a month, what then? The house isn’t finished yet, but I can work from home and sell to Brocade Pavilion for income. Once I open my own shop, I won’t need to rely on anyone.”

Wei Xiong went on and on, but to everyone’s surprise, Yang Geer spoke up. “Father, Sister’s right. Even if it’s good, it’s still working for others. What’s wrong with her working for herself later?”

“Exactly. She has her reasons,” Luo Yue chimed in, supporting Jin Niang.

Wei Xiong mumbled awkwardly, “I just thought working outside would help her meet more people…”

“Enough. Focus on your own matters—like Grandmother’s situation. Why stick your nose in my business? I’ve never asked you to repay my monthly debts.” Jin Niang scowled.

Shut up when he saw her face, Wei Xiong fell silent.

As for Third Uncle’s affairs, Sheng Geer had just started at a timber yard and didn’t miss a day of work. Ying Niang was cared for by her mother-in-law during her confinement, while An Ping spent a full month sitting with the body and handling the funeral. He even settled Third Uncle’s shop affairs and arranged for Third Aunt and Grandmother to return to their hometown for the burial.

Though this resolved the issue of Grandmother living with them, Jin Niang found it odd. “Why is An Ping putting in so much effort? No son would’ve done this much.”

When Third Uncle’s ashes were sent back, Ying Niang’s child had just turned a month old. Jin Niang accompanied her parents to the An family.

To her surprise, the An family had a new horse-drawn carriage—a horse nearly five feet tall. Wei Xiong, familiar with horses, remarked, “That horse must’ve cost at least thirty strings.”

“How can they afford a new horse? I heard they borrowed money for Third Uncle’s funeral,” Jin Niang said.

After all, when Ying Niang married, aside from the house loan, there was also a 200-string dowry debt—no small sum.

Only Ying Niang knew the truth. She hadn’t expected her mother to be so lazy, refusing to lift a finger for her father’s funeral. Fortunately, An Ping had uncovered her father’s savings—200 strings went to her mother, while she pocketed the other 500 strings for herself.

Thirty strings of cash bought a carriage, four hundred strings covered the loans, and seventy she kept carefully saved—how could she not feel at ease?

Even so, she still played poor in front of her relatives.

Jin Niang noticed that Ying Niang, though complaining about poverty, showed no real sorrow. She had already guessed most of the truth. How ridiculous—all her work just ended up benefiting someone else!

That Third Aunt thought herself clever. She took Third Uncle’s money and, fearing her relatives might come after her, pretended to be dutiful by returning to Jiangling with Grandma. Little did she know, someone outsmarted her.

By now it was June, and the walls of the new house had been layered with a hemp-reinforced yellow mud base. The craftsmen planned to let it dry before applying a fine coat of lime, and finally hiring painters for murals on the walls.

Jin Niang skipped the last step entirely. Unlike in the Tang Dynasty, painted murals were now dull and wasteful. Instead, she decided to hang scroll paintings—those were all the rage now—and resolved to paint them herself.

She used floral designs she knew by heart, choosing seven colors as themes on white silk: yellow from Zhao Chang’s *Bees and Flowers*, pink from Xu Xi’s *Red Peonies*, white from Huang Quan’s *Dancing Butterflies*, purple from the wisteria of the Imperial Painting Academy, blue-green from Gu Deqian’s *Lotus Pond and Waterfowl*, blue from Cui Bai’s *Loquats and Peacocks*, and orange from the Imperial Academy’s *Trumpet Vine*.

Each morning she painted one piece, and each afternoon she worked on needlework. Without fixed employment, everything fell on her shoulders.

Framing cost a fortune, so Jin Niang pasted her paintings onto plain paper and set them aside—until her brother Yang Geer framed them for her, making them look quite elegant.

This month she brought home twenty strings from the Brocade Workshop, but before the money even settled in her hands, she gave it all to Mr. Gong.

Looking at what remained—only a hundred strings—she finally relaxed. Plans were one thing, but the construction kept adding expenses. Luckily, she resisted temptation.

While painting at home, she heard that Ying Niang and An Ping had arrived. She went out to greet them: “Hey, what’s up?”

Ying Niang replied, “We just visited Second Uncle’s shop. He and his wife said tomorrow is Eldest Sister and her husband’s housewarming. Since we were passing by, we came to tell you.”

After a quick chat, the couple excused themselves and left.

When her parents returned, Jin Niang told them, “They didn’t invite us—they only found out through Ying Niang and told us. They’re totally snubbing us. I’m not going.”

Wei Xiong added, “They didn’t even send a servant to fetch us.”

“Then forget them. Why do they get to set the rules and we don’t?” Jin Niang shrugged.

Rong Niang, clueless about this drama, assumed the family would naturally attend the housewarming. After all, she had gone all out—buying chickens, ducks, fish, and even some beef through connections—to treat everyone well.

Feng Sheng, a social butterfly, had invited ten tables’ worth of guests—even without throwing a big banquet.

“Rong Niang,” he reminded her, “Dr. Zhao and Squire Zhang are coming. Seat them on the east side—don’t mix them with your Second Uncle’s family. Thinking Wei Xiong’s shabby look would embarrass their fancy guests.”

Rong Niang nodded. “Understood.”

She didn’t care much for Second Uncle’s family either—Jin Niang was too odd, and Second Aunt too hot-tempered. Both kinda trashy for polite company.

On moving day, the celebration was grand. Rong Niang, barely twenty-two or twenty-three, was in her prime. Her looks made Feng Sheng proud—some even said a pretty wife is a husband’s trophy.

As usual, Feng Sheng checked the gift ledger—a map of who mattered. “Ying Niang sent half a pig, baskets of fruit, and a bolt of cloth—quite generous.”

“She just finished her postpartum month not long ago,” Rong Niang said, feeling closer to Ying Niang.

Feng Sheng chuckled, “Squire Zhang sent premium lamb cuts and two high-quality Duan inkstones for our boys.”

The couple chatted over the gifts until they realized, “Wait, your Second Uncle’s family didn’t come?”

Rong Niang pressed her forehead. “Seems not.”

“Probably skipped to avoid giving a gift,” Feng Sheng mused. Jin Niang must’ve spent every penny on that house and even quit the Embroidery Academy—clearly too strapped to show up.

Rong Niang shook her head. "That shouldn't be the case."

Feng Sheng raised an eyebrow. "Tut tut. Hard to say. It might not have been like this before, but who knows now? With the job at the Embroidery Academy gone, those so-called side earnings were never reliable to begin with. And she still has to repay loans every month. Tsk tsk. Sometimes, girls shouldn’t be too stubborn."

Rong Niang fell silent for a moment.

During the Qixi Festival, Jin Niang happened to deliver clothes to Brocade Pavilion and then went to check on the new house. The door was already installed, and the interior walls had just been polished. The location of the house was excellent—it was south-facing.

However, the wooden pillars didn’t match the color of the walls. Jin Niang couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Gong, is there any way to make the front hall’s pillars match the walls?"

Mr. Gong chuckled. "That’s easy. There’s wallpaper—you can buy it yourself, and I’ll help you paste it. Fifty copper coins per sheet. We’ve already polished the lime plaster so finely that it’s nearly white. Wouldn’t that work well?"

So, Jin Niang went to the stationery shop and bought thirty-two sheets of wallpaper, spending a total of 1,600 coins. She then gave Mr. Gong an additional 200 coins as payment for his work to cover all the pillars.

The front hall had a counter in the front and storage shelves in the back. To the east of the hall stood a round table with a few embroidered footstools and a daybed, all made of ordinary wood. Jin Niang cut a brocade into a tablecloth, strung beads to make tassels, and draped it over the table, instantly making it look luxurious.

As for the daybed, though it looked plain at first glance, she first padded it with silk batting wrapped in brocade matching the tablecloth, then made throw pillows with various soft satins—cherry pink, tender green, and creamy white as the base, embroidered with colorful flowers, making it exceptionally beautiful.

To her, this was the shopfront, while the living quarters at the back didn’t need to be as refined.

With the front hall nearly set up, she had her father place a water basin by the entrance, filled with water. She also asked a florist to bring in mud, planting lotus rhizomes horizontally in the soil and covering them with another layer of mud.

The florist smiled. "Once the water lilies grow, it’ll look splendid. Just remember to aerate the soil, miss."

Jin Niang nodded slightly. "Alright, I’ll keep that in mind."

As for the counter, she placed paper flowers costing fifty coins each there. There had been an argument between mother and daughter over whether to buy real or fake flowers. Jin Niang reasoned, "We can just put one pot of real flowers by the main entrance. The rest can be fake—they’ll stay the same color forever. Look how pretty these paper peonies are, and they’re not expensive. Real flowers need dedicated care, and I don’t have the time for that."

With that, she also had someone bring in a lemon tree, its green leaves bright against yellow fruit, looking very fresh. It cost her over 200 coins to have it made.

Luo Yue remarked, "Fake flowers indoors will draw ridicule."

"Mother, you can grow real ones on my balcony or the veranda," Jin Niang replied with a smile.

Luo Yue knew she couldn’t win against her daughter, whose determination was unmatched. She only regretted not providing her with a better background, leaving her daughter like a crow among phoenixes. So she dropped it.

She even dictated where the drying rack should be hung, leaving no room for debate.

After locking up the new house, Jin Niang covered her nose. "The windows have just been painted, and the smell is strong. We’ll have to wait a few months for it to fade before we can move in."

"Let’s move in by New Year’s," Luo Yue said eagerly.

Jin Niang nodded. "That’s what I was thinking too."

"But what about the fabrics for your embroidery shop? Shouldn’t you go check on them?" Luo Yue worried.

Jin Niang shook her head. "No need. Once the shop sign goes up, the silk and thread suppliers will come knocking on their own. It’ll be annoying."

"But if you don’t prepare early, what if business is slow? You have quite a bit to repay every month. The money from Brocade Pavilion isn’t exactly plentiful either. Ah, really—who knows who took your position?" Luo Yue sighed.

Jin Niang smiled. "It must’ve been a female official from the palace. When they leave palace service, they always look for comfortable posts like this. No point harping on the past. Actually, I have a better idea—a way to make people seek me out for business without even needing to see my craftsmanship."

Luo Yue was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Mother, I’ve truly decided to lose weight this time. Once I slim down, won’t I be a walking advertisement?" Jin Niang grinned.

To her surprise, Luo Yue burst into laughter, utterly unconvinced. "You’ve said that a thousand times before."

"That was when I still had a job. Now that I’m sewing full-time at home, why not? Besides, back then, I had nothing—even if I were beautiful, I was just a poor girl. Now I have assets and beauty. At the very least, I can scare off half the unworthy suitors." Jin Niang said firmly.

Just like in the Zhou family, being beautiful wasn't a good thing—those with power could oppress you, and as a servant, your body wasn’t even your own. The Embroidery Academy was the same. Only now that she had left could she finally reclaim her true appearance.

Losing weight takes money and time. People always on the go had to settle for high-carb or greasy junk food, and burning the midnight oil—no way you could lose weight like that.

Because of this, Jin Niang also couldn’t stay up late anymore. All her sewing work had to be done during the day.

Being overweight, she certainly couldn’t start running right away—besides, there was no place to run here, and people would stare. She had to begin by controlling her diet. In her past life, she had lost weight using the 16:8 fasting method—the key was not to starve, as that would easily lead to hair loss.

No one in the family really believed Jin Niang could slim down, but she started keeping a daily record for herself. In the morning, she ate a small bowl of lotus leaf porridge and one egg. For lunch, she had a fist-sized portion of rice, two fists of vegetables, and a fist of protein. If she was too lazy to cook at noon, she bought two sour veggie buns. Dinner was the hard part.

Because in the evening, her parents would cook hearty dishes—like now, her mother had stewed lamb with pickled cabbage, loaded with dried spices, making it sour, spicy, and delicious. It was easy to overeat.

She had to put the brakes on.

Luo Yue, seeing her daughter stop after just one bowl of rice, urged anxiously, "Jin Niang, this lamb was specially reserved for you. Eating more can boost your energy and blood health—it’s good for you. Your father and I are busy with work during the day and can’t take care of you. I don’t even know what you eat all day. Let me serve you more..."

"No, no, I really won’t eat anymore," Jin Niang turned and went into her room.

Luo Yue, worried her daughter would go hungry, sighed softly and put aside some lamb. "I’ll leave this for when she’s hungry. She works hard every day—how can she not eat her fill?"

Back in her room, Jin Niang continued sewing, but after about an hour, her stomach began to ache. In the past, she would have snacked on sesame cakes or meat pies at night, but now, losing weight, she had to tough it out.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she went to bed. But when the hunger pangs grew too sharp, she ate a piece of the lamb her mother had left for her.

Worried dieting would mess with her period, she bought red dates and longan as snacks but made sure not to eat them after dinner.

Staying home to lose weight, she avoided going out—because temptation was everywhere.

Then came Rong Niang’s birthday. She sent someone to invite her parents for a meal, but Jin Niang obviously skipped the feast.

Rong Niang played nice. "In the future, don’t bring gifts—just come as family—no need for gifts."

Luo Yue, however, remembered how Feng Sheng and Rong Niang had personally delivered mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They might’ve been making up for last time, so they couldn’t just cut ties completely.

But hearing Rong Niang’s words, she smiled. "This is nothing much either."

Rong Niang, however, assumed the second branch of the family must have been left poor after buying the house. That’s why she had sent them fruits and mooncakes last time—this time, she let them come empty-handed to feast and indulge.

After all, Jin Niang was still her cousin.

Unaware of their thoughts, Luo Yue sat at the table, faced with a spread of delicious dishes. Before them were crabs, fried in sesame oil and seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar—so tasty you couldn’t resist.

"Mind if I take some leftovers for Jin Niang?"

No matter that her daughter was already twenty, to Luo Yue, she was still her child. Whenever she encountered something delicious, she wanted to share it with her. Rong Niang, of course, agreed and even had a to-go box brought over. Luo Yue packed a bit of everything and thanked her.

Rong Niang waved it off. "It’s really nothing."

Oddly, she didn’t ask about Jin Niang’s new place. But Ying Niang inquired, "How’s Second Sister’s house coming along?"

Only then did Luo Yue open up. "Nearly finished. Just waiting for the paint fumes to fade, so we’ll move in after the New Year. We’ll have you all over—no excuses!"

Ying Niang gave a laugh and nodded.

During the meal, Luo Yue chatted with other guests from the Feng family, including Ying Niang’s mother-in-law, Fourth Aunt An, who was quite eloquent. In front of Luo Yue, she praised Jin Niang: "The Wei family’s daughters are truly outstanding—every one of them sharp as a tack."

"Oh, don't say that," Luo Yue waved her hand. "We're just getting by—nothing special."

Rong Niang sighed inwardly. Look at this—before, there were still people trying to find suitors for Jin Niang, but now no one even dares mention it. Her uncle and aunt act as if nothing's wrong.

Luo Yue, however, truly seemed unbothered. She left the packed leftovers with Jin Niang—no matter where she went, whenever she saw something delicious, she would always bring some back for her child. Sometimes even a single piece of candy someone gave her would be carefully saved and brought home.

Jin Niang chose a crab to eat and finished half a bowl of rice. Luo Yue watched her daughter with a smile, then quickly stood up. "It's too dry without soup—I'll make you some egg drop soup."

"Mother, don’t trouble yourself. I’ll just drink more hot water," Jin Niang replied, lightly touching her face.

Luo Yue nodded to herself. "This is really good. I never thought you’d actually keep at it this time."

Jin Niang shook her head. "It’s still early. I have two more months—I need to lose a bit more."

Other than going to the new house to have plaques and banners hung, Jin Niang didn’t go out at all. Finally, on the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, she prepared to move into the new house. Curious about her new home, relatives came to visit.

Ying Niang was the first to arrive. As soon as she reached the gate, she saw a woman standing there and froze in place. The woman looked stunningly beautiful—how could such a beauty appear in such a poor alley? Her face was like peach blossoms, her white teeth just showing, looking delicate and elegant. Yet, with a slight tilt of her head, there was also a hint of charming innocence—full of life.

But there was something familiar about her. As the woman approached, she smiled and said, "Ying Niang, why are you staring at me like that?"

This woman turned out to be Second Sister Jin Niang. Ying Niang was stunned.

Jin Niang simply smiled. She'd always had delicate features—not sharply defined or striking—so when she was heavier, her features blurred; her almond eyes became narrow slits, with a double chin and broad cheeks. After losing weight, since she rarely went out, her skin became fair, almost translucent, and her facial structure and features aligned perfectly.

Ying Niang rushed inside, asking her mother, "Aunt, how did Second Sister become so beautiful?"

No sooner had she spoken than Rong Niang entered. Though she never flaunted her beauty, she knew she was attractive—otherwise Feng Sheng wouldn’t still be so infatuated with her. But upon seeing Jin Niang, radiant like polished jade, gentle and lovely, poised and serene, they exchanged glances, each quietly assessing the other.

Meanwhile, Ying Niang, seeing her eldest and second sister standing together, couldn’t help but ask her husband, "You’re a man—tell me, which of them is more beautiful?"

"I don't know," An Ping refused to answer such questions.

Ying Niang snapped, "You have to say!"

An Ping looked over. Rong Niang’s features were exquisite—stunning at first glance, bright and charming. But the more he looked, the more she seemed somehow fragile, as if easily startled. Jin Niang, however, appeared delicate and pitiable, like a pale lilac flower full of fragility. Yet her gaze was steady, her demeanor calm, and when her eyes flickered, they seemed to speak.

But these thoughts he kept to himself. Facing Ying Niang, he said firmly, "Neither one is as beautiful as you."