Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

Several quiet days passed, and A Ying asked Jin Niang, “How do we find out who made the report?”

“Those people might be one person or several. If they had real ability, they wouldn’t resort to such dirty tricks. These are just snakes, insects, rats, and ants—don’t take them seriously,” Jin Niang replied.

When her parents heard about the incident, her mother asked her father’s old army buddy to come by the shop and scare off any troublemakers. That uncle now worked under the Deputy Chief of the Palace Guard and came in uniform on purpose.

But Jin Niang knew that open spears could be dodged—hidden daggers were harder to avoid.

So she told Chen Xiaolang to stay sharp. Every day before leaving the counter, he was to bring the money to her room, lock up the valuable brocade, and douse the charcoal stove in the embroidery room with water before heading out.

Chen Xiaolang grew nervous. “Miss, what if thieves come?”

“They won’t. Arson and hurting people would get them locked up for good. Besides, there’s water in the vats outside to put out fires. And my father is home—you just need to shout from the back yard, understand?” Jin Niang looked at him.

Ju Xiang, holding a stoking rod, said, “Nothing to worry about.”

Jin Niang smiled. “You don’t need to be jumpy at every shadow. I’m just used to thinking ahead. Those people probably won’t dare do anything anyway.”

Hearing this, everyone relaxed. Luo Yu’e laughed, “We’ve got seven mouths to feed—who’d be foolish enough to mess with us?”

A Ying loved it here. The master was honest and kind, the mistress straightforward and never one to bully, the young master diligent and studious, and the young lady treated her well, always warm and kind. The whole family got along peacefully, without schemes or filth. She hung onto Jin Niang’s arm, looking around happily.

“Then everyone, go rest,” Jin Niang said.

Luo Yu’e added another layer of straw under Chen Xiaolang’s bedding in the back room, patted it to make sure it was warm, then went to her own room.

They stayed peaceful like this for seven or eight days, and finally everyone felt at ease.

By then, it was almost Little New Year. Her parents had closed their breakfast stall and planned to find a new spot near Sweetwater Alley next year—the current rent kept going up.

That morning, Luo Yu’e made breakfast: pork tripe and yinmi porridge, a common dish in Anlu. They had bought the ingredients from a general store nearby and were delighted.

After breakfast, customers started coming in to pick up their orders. Jin Niang checked the receipts and had A Ying hand over the goods.

Two weeks into business, Jin Niang had already earned fourteen strings of coins. Watching her cut out embroidered butterflies, A Ying asked curiously, “Miss, does anyone actually want these?”

“Yes, it’s called patch embroidery. After I became the Embroidery Chief at the academy, someone taught me this technique. There are shops in the embroidery lane that specialize in selling these. I plan to make a box—if someone asks for embroidery by year-end, I can just sew them on directly.” Jin Niang no longer regretted her time at the Zhou household or the Embroidery Academy.

At the Zhou household, she had worked hard for three years, developing humility and restraint. At the academy, she learned how to reflect, manage others, and speak appropriately according to her position—and saw different views from different places.

But the fabric she wanted wasn’t available here, so she went to Qu Fengying’s shop to browse. A Ying quickly helped her on with her cloak, and the two arrived shortly.

“I’d like to see the sunset-cloud hue,” Jin Niang asked the clerk. Just as she finished picking out some, she ran into a familiar face.

It was none other than Kuang San Ge. He was bossing workers around, loading bolts of colorful silk onto a horse cart. Judging by his role, he had clearly risen to become a steward.

Was the Zhou family preparing for a wedding?

Thinking about it, Third Miss was seventeen, Fourth Miss fifteen—was it one of them?

At her vanity, Fourth Miss watched her maid comb through her hair, black and smooth like satin. Her reflection was fresh and pretty.

Ru Liu smiled. “Miss, your hair looks amazing.”

Three years ago, Jiang Fang had made jinshi and was sent to govern a prefecture. Third Miss was still young, and the Zhou family didn’t want her to suffer in marriage, so they postponed it. Now that Jiang Fang had returned, the wedding needed to be arranged.

But the Zhou family wasn’t as prosperous as before. Word was, Third Miss’s dowry totaled only five thousand taels—two thousand for the trousseau, and three thousand as a nest egg. Fourth Miss’s might be even less. Still, at least she had saved Eldest Miss’s life, so she wouldn’t have to go through the hardship of becoming a stepmother.

Unfortunately, Cousin Mei died of a fever. The old lady had been ill and bedridden for ages, so she could only take refuge with the old lady. Because of this, her father and Jiang Shi treated her a bit more carefully—after all, once the old lady passed away, they would all have to go into mourning.

"Come on, let's go greet the mistress first, then tend to the old lady," said the fourth young lady as she stood up.

But when they reached Jiang Shi’s door, the maid holding up the door curtain said that the mistress’s nephew from her natal family had come to deliver holiday gifts. The fourth young lady waited in the side room. Soon, a young man in brocade robes stepped out. Dressed in jade-colored robes and wearing a golden crown, he was so strikingly handsome you couldn’t forget him at first glance.

"Fourth Young Lady, is this the sixteenth young master from the mistress’s family?" Ruoliu asked.

Jiang Shiliu, Jiang Xian?

After Zhou Cunzhi’s demotion and later reinstatement, this man had played a major role. The fourth young lady had read about him in an extra chapter of the novel. He was described as outwardly beautiful and inwardly sharp-witted. As an official, he was a master schemer—cunning, deceitful, greedy for wealth, and connected with powerful eunuchs—a real scoundrel. Of course, his end was tragic too: after repeated demotions, he eventually died far from home.

The fourth young lady entered the main room and indeed found Jiang Shi beaming. Lately, perhaps due to menopause, Jiang Shi had been quick to anger, yet Jiang Xian could cheer her up like this—shows how good he is. No wonder it used to be both Jiang Yan and Jiang Xian who came together; now only Jiang Xian came.

"Mistress."

Jiang Shi nodded. "Child, I'm busy with your third sister's wedding now. Please pay more attention to the old lady."

In truth, it was Sister-in-law Zhang Shi who handled all the wedding arrangements. With Second Brother Zhou Cun posted elsewhere, she managed every household matter, big or small. There was no need for Jiang Shi to get involved—it was just that she didn’t want to serve her mother-in-law.

Still, the fourth young lady had to smooth things over: "The mistress works hard, as everyone knows. I wouldn’t call it trouble—I’m only doing my duty."

"Hmm, seeing you so sensible reassures me. Good child, you’ve shown such filial piety tending to your grandmother. Your father and I won’t let you down," Jiang Shi said meaningfully.

The fourth young lady’s heart skipped a beat—this must be about her own marriage.

Three years ago, her father had taken a liking to Han Xiao. But this promising young scholar had already been chosen as the Chancellor of Jixian’s son-in-law. Unfortunately, the girl had died of illness within a year of marriage.

Was it him?

**

In the south, the Minor New Year had already passed on the twenty-fourth, but the north was bitterly cold. Jin Niang had Chen Xiaolang sweep the snow off the doorstep each day before coming inside.

Today, Jin Niang embroidered eight butterflies and placed them all in a box. Glancing at the sky outside, she told the others, "Let’s pack up early today. It’s freezing out there—surely not many people will come."

Unexpectedly, someone walked in. They looked outside and saw a delicate girl with twin buns, hugging a bundle and braving the wind and snow to enter.

A Ying hurried forward to brush off the snowflakes and fetched her some hot tea.

"Our mistress has an imperial kesi robe torn by a nail. Can it be fixed?" the maid asked.

Jin Niang stared at her for a while before saying, "Si Er, is that you?"

She had grown taller and fuller, but her face was familiar.

The maid was startled. She used to be called Si Er, but changed her name to Xiang Ming. How did this woman know her old name? Still sharp, she replied, "May I ask who you are…?"

Jin Niang had lost weight and changed her style. With the dim light outside, she guessed Xiang Ming barely recognized her, so she smiled and said, "It’s me—Jin Niang. Do you remember? We used to work together in the needlework room."

Xiang Ming gasped in disbelief. They exchanged stories, sighing at how things had turned out.

After Jin Niang and the others left, the needlework room was disbanded. Later, Xiang Ming was transferred to serve Jiang Shi and had become a low-ranking maid in her quarters.

"I never imagined Sister Jin Niang would have such fortune," Xiang Ming murmured, lost in thought.

Realizing it was getting late, Jin Niang got to the point: "You need this garment mended?"

Xiang Ming wiped her brow. "Yes. The third young lady is about to marry, and this is the mistress’s favorite dress. It got snagged on a nail, and none of the embroiderers in the alley could fix it."

"This is imperial kesi. Not even most artisans in the Embroidery Academy could mend it," Jin Niang said, examining it closely.

Xiang Ming was startled: "Then can you do it, sister?"

Jin Niang smiled: "Mending this kind of kesi—a type of intricate silk tapestry—would take at least five days, maybe up to ten. But since it's you who brought it, I'll work late for five nights and have it ready by Lunar New Year’s Eve. Just send someone to pick it up then. Of course, the price won't be cheap..."

She wanted to be clear from the start, to avoid letting money ruin their relationship.

Xiang Ming said: "If you're able to mend it, sister, that's all that matters. How much will it cost?"

"Three guan." Jin Niang examined the garment—the threads used were impossible to find elsewhere; she had only kept some aside from her time at the Embroidery Academy.

Hearing this, Xiang Ming thought the price was reasonable. She went outside to fetch a money box and returned with three taels. Jin Niang didn’t take the extra, weighing it on a small scale and giving back the surplus 200 wen.

Xiang Ming insisted: "Please keep it, sister."

"That wouldn’t be right—you take it back." Jin Niang knew she was still only a third-tier maid. In Jiang Shi’s household, the senior maids guarded their positions tightly, making advancement difficult, and there were many social expectations among the servants.

Seeing Jin Niang’s firmness, Xiang Ming didn’t press further. As it was getting late and she needed to return to the manor, Jin Niang told her to keep the receipt and send someone to collect the garment later.

After seeing Xiang Ming off, Jin Niang discussed with her mother about sending New Year gifts to the Zhou family: "If they hadn't noticed me before, it wouldn't matter. But now, out of politeness, we should prepare something."

Luo Yume agreed but looked troubled: "But they’re such a high-status family—ordinary gifts might not impress them. What should we get?"

Gift-giving had its nuances. Since Jin Niang had no particular requests of the Zhous, she didn’t want to give anything too extravagant, which might make people think she had made a fortune. The gift had to be clever and tasteful: "Common things like rice, flour, or pork probably won’t appeal to them. Let’s check out the Great Xiangguo Temple tomorrow and see if there’s anything unique."

Mother and daughter discussed it a bit more, then noticing Ju Xiang had already prepared dinner, went to the hall to eat.

The next morning, the pair first visited a pastry shop to pre-order four boxes each of butter spiral pastries and honeydew cakes, then sent Chen Xiaolang to Gaoyang Tower to reserve two bottles of Liuxia wine, before finally heading to the Great Xiangguo Temple.

A group of nuns were selling headbands, wigs, and hairpins, but anything decently appealing wasn’t cheap.

Jin Niang shook her head: "Let’s keep looking further in. If nothing else, we can just send some fabric as a gift."

They browsed longer but remained unsatisfied. Fortunately, in the eastern corridor, they spotted green-background silk with peony and gardenia patterns—an elegant design. When they asked the price, it was four guan per bolt (a bolt being a standard fabric length).

That meant one hundred wen per foot. Jin Niang had an idea: one foot could make a handkerchief. She could cut the fabric into squares and embroider a butterfly onto each—one part elegance, one part charm.

"Shopkeeper, I’ll take four feet and four inches of this silk."

The shopkeeper moved his scissors slightly backward, intending to cut six feet and pressure her into paying extra. Jin Niang took out four qian of silver (about 400 wen) and said firmly: "This is all I’m paying. If you cut more, I won’t pay extra."

Caught red-handed, the shopkeeper wasn’t offended and adjusted his scissors back: "You're quite the negotiator."

Truly, appearances could be deceiving—this seemingly delicate girl was sharp as a tack.

Jin Niang raised an eyebrow, unfazed.

Back home, the streets were bustling. Jin Niang resumed mending the kesi. She had already planned her approach the day before, so she set it aside on another embroidery frame.

"Miss, someone’s here to order clothes for the Lantern Festival!" A Ying called.

Jin Niang quickly sipped her tea and came out to greet a mother and daughter. She brought over a catalog: "These are dresses, skirts, and robes I’ve made for others over the years."

Noticing the daughter’s shyness, she smiled: "You have a slender figure—a pleated skirt would flatter you well, showing off your graceful shape. And a beizi jacket (a traditional style) made from this satin would look lovely too, embroidered with butterflies and peach blossoms to match the season..."

As she flipped to another page, the pair realized they’d never seen such a way of choosing clothes—everything looked beautiful.

They wanted everything they saw.

Jin Niang caught on immediately. She signaled A Ying to serve tea. Sharp as ever, A Ying recognized them as big spenders and promptly brought tea and some dainty sweets.

"It's alright, take your time to choose. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me," Jin Niang said with a smile.

In her past life, she disliked being followed around while shopping and constantly bombarded with explanations, so now as a shop owner, she kept her guidance brief.

The mother and daughter browsed for more than half an hour. Both wanted a beizi and a skirt: the mother chose a mid-length green straight-collar jacket and a red three-ridged skirt, while the daughter opted for a hazy rose-colored front-opening long jacket and a pleated skirt.

"Will you be bringing your own fabric, or would you prefer to use ours from the shop?" Jin Niang asked.

They both selected the shop's fabric. Jin Niang smiled and explained, "There are two different pricing options: without embroidery on the collar and cuffs, these four pieces total 23 guan; with embroidery on those areas, it’s 25 guan. Since we’re providing the lining and fabric, our costs are already quite high..."

The mother and daughter had already been enchanted by the catalog, barely containing their excitement. As soon as Jin Niang finished speaking, they nodded eagerly and paid the full 25 guan—5 guan for materials, leaving a clean profit of 20 guan.

Jin Niang handed them the invoice and sighed in relief. After the pair left, she sent Chen Xiaolang to buy lining, instructing him to inspect carefully and avoid being swindled with shoddy materials. She herself began preparing all the necessary fabrics and threads, which could wait until after the New Year.

Closing such a big deal naturally delighted Jin Niang.

For now, she focused on repairing the kesi tapestry, which required complete concentration. The damaged areas were small but crucial—no wonder many dared not accept such work.

Midway through the restoration, she heard that Feng Sheng had fallen ill. Jin Niang couldn’t help asking, "What’s wrong with him?"

"I’m not sure. The doctor said it wasn’t serious, but your brother-in-law has become irritable and restless, unable to sleep at night. He keeps waking up panicked, sitting bolt upright in bed," Luo Yu’e replied, still finding it hard to believe.

Jin Niang immediately recognized it as nervous exhaustion. Feng Sheng had always been competitive by nature. After buying that 5,000-guan mansion, he’d been pushing himself hard to earn money. When anxiety struck, it often manifested physically. She had once suffered from insomnia too, but during the day she arranged time for naps, had the servants prepare nourishing soups, and knew the importance of working within her limits.

Everyone used to envy Rong Niang—though orphaned, she had Feng Sheng, a handsome and devoted husband. Now, seeing Feng Sheng like this, Rong Niang felt utterly alone. Her uncle and aunt had only stopped by briefly before leaving...

"It’s all Jin Niang’s fault. If she hadn’t lied about buying a two-section house, you wouldn’t have wanted a three-section one," Rong Niang muttered bitterly, convinced Jin Niang had done it on purpose.

Only later did they hear from Wei Xiong that Jin Niang had actually bought a single-section house, simply divided into two sections.

Rong Niang now felt thoroughly duped.

Feng Sheng, however, asked, "What did Dr. Zhao say?"

"Not much—just told you to rest well. With only two or three days left before the New Year, you might as well stay in until after the Lantern Festival," Rong Niang replied.

She was more than happy for her husband to rest longer and raised no objection to Dr. Zhao’s advice.

Feng Sheng, though, felt uneasy. This was the busiest season for doctors—indigestion from overeating, carriage collisions, injuries from crowds, even colds. Why should he rest so long?

With that thought, he kicked off the covers and tried to rise, but Rong Niang stopped him. "The doctor prescribed medicine—you need to rest now."

"I'm no top-tier physician, nor do I have connections to the imperial physicians. What if someone replaces me while I’m away?" Feng Sheng worried.

Rong Niang wasn’t concerned. "Didn’t you say other clinics wanted to hire you?"

Feng Sheng shook his head. "If I leave here, I might earn only a mere 10 to 20 guan a month elsewhere. What good is that? Let me go out—don’t stop me."

Rong Niang blocked his way with her arms. "You're not well yet. You can't go out."

After much pleading, Feng Sheng finally agreed to stay home and recuperate.

Meanwhile, Jin Niang finished embroidering the handkerchiefs. She cut silk with a green base patterned with camellias and gardenias into square shapes, hemmed the edges, and attached pre-embroidered butterflies. A Ying examined them—one butterfly per handkerchief, each unique: stately swallowtails, dainty white butterflies, and lively fritillaries.

"So beautiful, miss! You're a marvel," A Ying exclaimed.

Jin Niang waved her off. "I’m no marvel—just took some care."

The day before New Year’s Eve, Xiang Ming came as usual to collect the goods. Jin Niang entrusted her to deliver New Year gifts to the main and branch households—the main branch being her old employer, and Wu Shi from the secondary branch, who’d always been kind to her. She owed them both gifts.

Xiang Ming noticed that the gifts prepared by Jin Niang were all top-quality goods, especially these silk square handkerchiefs, which were truly luxurious, elegant, and delicate.

The two of them had some time to chat today, and Xiang Ming talked mostly about the Zhou family: "When our eldest young lady was giving birth, she almost had a difficult delivery. It’s said that the fourth young lady took good care of her and saved her life. Since then, the eldest young lady has grown much closer to the fourth young lady. As for the second young lady, she was married off to the He family years ago. She often writes letters complaining about the He family, but fortunately, Madam He is her aunt, so she isn’t treated harshly. The third young lady is getting married this New Year, and they barely scraped together five thousand taels of silver. Immediately after that, it’s the fourth young lady’s turn—rumor has it she’s being betrothed to Judge Han, so another five thousand taels must be spent. The family’s finances aren’t as comfortable as before."

"Indeed, marrying off daughters one after another, with such hefty dowries, is bound to strain them. But they’re an official’s family—still better off than folks like us," Jin Niang remarked.

Now, the second branch of the Zhou family also has children, even grandchildren, and expenses are everywhere. They can no longer bankroll the main branch like before.

Xiang Ming then smiled and asked, "Sister Jin Niang, have you settled on a marriage yet?"

"Me? I’m still the same. I’ve only just left the Embroidery Academy, and this shop has just opened. Besides, my parents are petty merchants—the matches they pick might not be to my liking." Jin Niang gave a bitter smile.

Xiang Ming, who had always admired Jin Niang, couldn’t help but say, "With your character, looks, and talent, marrying some lowly peddler or workman would be a true injustice."

She had an idea in mind—if only First Madam would arrange a good match for Sister Jin Niang. But she kept it to herself for now, fearing that if things didn’t work out, it would only lead to awkwardness. So she changed the subject with a few more casual remarks.

When she returned to the Zhou residence, Xiang Ming made sure to place Jin Niang’s gifts at the front and said to Jiang Shi, "What an interesting connection—the kesi embroidery was actually repaired by Sister Jin Niang! She even served as the Embroidery Chief at the Embroidery Academy, but later chose not to take the palace exam to become a female official. She wanted to care for her parents, so she bought a new house and shop in Sweetwater Lane outside the Great Xiangguo Temple. From what I saw, it must have cost several thousand taels."

"Oh? She’s really that capable?" Jiang Shi still had some impression of her.

Xiang Ming smiled. "Look at the handkerchiefs she sent—she said they were for you and the Second Madam, claiming they were too plain to be worthy of you."

When Jiang Shi opened the box, she found the two handkerchiefs indescribably exquisite and charming. She couldn’t help but remark, "Such fine embroidery work!"

Wu Shi, standing nearby, was surprised by Jin Niang’s achievements and suggested, "Sister-in-law, why not invite her and her mother over for a chat during the Lantern Festival?"

"Mmm," Jiang Shi responded noncommittally.

Xiang Ming added mysteriously, "Sister Jin Niang has changed so much—if the two madams saw her now, they’d be quite surprised."

This piqued the interest of both Jiang Shi and Wu Shi, who said, "Let’s send her an invitation right away. We can’t wait to see her again!"