Chapter 74

Chapter 74

During the one and a half months of her lying-in period, the shop's expenses had increased compared to before. The cost of fabrics, silk threads, and yarn used in production had risen, and there were also returned garments.

"This is one of our regular customers. Why was the order returned?" Jin Niang asked A Ying.

A Ying hurriedly explained, "She brought a piece of fabric and asked us to design a pattern for it. As you know, apart from you, no one else here has the skill to draw on the spot. So we told her we had similar colors from designs you'd previously drawn and let her choose from those. That day, she dawdled for nearly two hours before finally selecting the pattern and style. But when Zhu Xiuniang finished early, the customer claimed the flowers weren’t what she wanted. She also said you usually help her with the finishing touches, but this time the work was too sloppy, so she insisted on returning it."

"You’ve all worked hard during my absence," Jin Niang said, roughly understanding the situation. Zhu Xiuniang was just an ordinary embroiderer—skilled but not articulate. A Ying, though good at handling customers, wasn't the proprietor and wasn't proficient in embroidery, which led to the confusion and the return.

In this month and a half, the shop had only earned twenty-six strings of coins. Still, some income was better than none.

With Jin Niang back, everyone felt reassured. She first asked A Ying, "Have the padding for this month’s garments been finished?"

"Just a few more left," A Ying replied promptly.

"Good, prioritize finishing those. I’ll need to go to the Ghost Market and Donghua Gate early tomorrow morning, so make sure everyone wakes up early." Jin Niang was now full of energy.

However, when Jiang Xian heard Jin Niang was going to the Ghost Market, he insisted on accompanying her. "I can’t let you go alone, especially since you’ve just finished your confinement. There’s no need to rush."

Jin Niang laughed. "I’ve been cooped up for over a month—I’m practically stiff from inactivity! To run a business well, I need to get out and see things for inspiration. I can’t just stay closed up inside."

"That’s why I’ll go with you. I’ve never been to the Ghost Market before," Jiang Xian said.

Jin Niang had no choice but to agree.

At noon, the couple ate together. Jin Niang touched her belly and found it strange. "Now that the baby’s born, I still feel a bit unaccustomed."

"Wife, you’ve suffered a lot," Jiang Xian said, recalling how difficult childbirth had been when he was present for it.

"Actually, compared to many others, I’m quite fortunate. I had my parents and husband taking care of me, and a dedicated wet nurse to look after the baby. All I had to do was rest. But since we’re still in mourning, we’ll have to be careful in the future." Jin Niang was also worried about having another child too soon, as it would affect the growth of their small business.

It was unclear whether Jiang Xian understood her hint, but that night, he slept properly beside her, repeatedly saying how comfortable the bed was.

Instead, he reminded her, "We have to wake up before dawn tomorrow, so let’s rest early."

"Alright." As Jin Niang lay there, she inexplicably thought of Rong Niang and sighed softly.

Around midnight (during the third watch), they rose together. Jin Niang changed into a grayish-blue cross-collared top and a fitted skirt. Details included a waistband embroidered with colorful flowers and birds, paired with an ivory-white shawl. A Ying tied her hair with red silk ribbons and adorned it simply with pearl-encrusted hair combs.

Her refined beauty made Jiang Xian’s heart flutter.

Before boarding the carriage, Jiang Xian personally draped a pine-flower colored cloak over her shoulders. "Don’t catch a cold."

Jin Niang had been to the Ghost Market many times, but it was Jiang Xian’s first visit, and he looked wide-eyed with curiosity. Jin Niang let him explore while her eyes scanned the stalls. This year, the colors sold at the market were similar to what she was wearing—grayish-blue, pine-flower green, light apricot, and lotus-pink.

Underbust corsets had been modified into cross-collared styles, and pleated skirts had shifted to fitted designs, often featuring contrasting panels.

There were also many stalls selling frog closures in various styles, each priced between three to fifteen wen. Jin Niang, who could currently make fewer than ten types of closures, bought ten different ones: pomegranate blossom, butterfly flower, balsam, flower basket, willow leaf, longevity symbol, maple leaf, plum blossom, chrysanthemum, and ginkgo.

She also selected three colors of auspicious motif and floral sprig patterns, purchasing a total of three meters.

The Ghost Market dispersed at dawn, and Jin Niang then headed to a fabric shop at Donghua Gate. She carefully selected several bolts of fine fabric, departed from the shop, and arranged with the shopkeeper for quarterly deliveries, with payments to be made on a quarterly basis.

With most tasks completed, Jin Niang led everyone back.

In the morning, she began designing garments, focusing on fitted skirts with contrasting panels to create a layered effect. She personally worked on these while assigning Zhu Xiuniang to embroider bed covers in crisp, light colors like white with lotus and mandarin duck motifs.

By the end of the fourth month, the shop was back to its usual routine.

By the end of April, Min Zhi had also made two sets of boys’ clothing. Jin Niang had an idea: “Min Zhi, I’d like you to focus on making children’s clothes—for both boys and girls. Tomorrow, I’ll start sketching designs, and you can follow my drawings to create some festive outfits for the Dragon Boat Festival. Make the most of this chance, and then I can raise your wages accordingly.”

“Yes,” Min Zhi eagerly agreed, her whole body fired up with determination.

Jin Niang personally delivered the two sets of clothes to Lin Geer and Guan Geer. However, both boys were studying, and Feng Sheng looked at her and said, “Second Younger Sister, thank you. Their mother passed away, and it’s kind of you to still remember them.”

At Feng Sheng’s age, remarrying was entirely normal, and Jin Niang certainly couldn’t stop him. She replied, “Brother-in-law, don’t say that. My elder sister passed away young, and I couldn’t even come at the time. Now, I’m just doing what little I can.”

“Second Younger Sister, don’t grieve. You were recuperating then—it couldn’t be helped,” Feng Sheng said calmly.

Jin Niang exchanged a few more gentle words, but her relationship with her nephews was distant. Even Rong Niang only visited once every six months or a year. After a few nostalgic remarks, she left.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, news quickly spread that Feng Sheng was seeking to marry Lou Siniang. Ying Niang came to ask Jin Niang, “Should we attend the wedding banquet?”

“No need. We’re the sisters of the late elder sister. Now that she’s gone, it wouldn’t be proper for us, her relatives from her past, to attend,” Jin Niang shook her head.

Besides, she added, “Brother-in-law Feng didn’t invite me either.”

Ying Niang was somewhat smug. “He did invite me, though.”

“Then you go ahead,” Jin Niang said, clearly couldn’t be bothered with the drama. Seeing Jin Niang’s indifference, Ying Niang left.

Feng Sheng wasn’t some high-ranking official who needed to observe mourning for his late wife. Normally, one would wait a year before remarrying, but Feng Sheng was already proposing marriage now. Was there foul play behind Rong Niang’s death?

Thinking of this, she made a buttoned half-sleeve tunic for her daughter and quickly tailored a pair of traditional open-crotch pants for toddlers. Their shop even sold patchwork infant robes—look, a woman had just come in and bought one on the spot.

Originally, patchwork clothes were supposed to be stitched together from scraps of fabric donated by different families, but nowadays, they were all meticulously crafted. The one just sold went for six qian (~0.6 tael) of silver—about 600 copper coins.

Who’d have thought kids’ clothes would outsell adults’? Though many still adhered to the old saying, “new for three years, old for three years, mended for another three years” (a note: symbolizing thriftiness), parents’ hearts were the same—they all wanted their sons and daughters dressed as beautifully as possible.

For the Qixi Festival’s lotus-leaf-patterned half-sleeved jackets, Jin Niang spent half a month sketching seven or eight designs, and Min Zhi hurriedly made one of each.

Jin Niang assigned tasks: Zhu Xiuniang handled wedding items, while Min Zhi focused on children’s wear, and Jin Niang herself specialized in clothing. If things got busy, both Zhu Xiuniang and Min Zhi would help complete urgent orders for the shop.

By the end of June, thanks to the children’s clothing, the shop’s monthly earnings had risen to eighty guan. After paying off debts, taxes, wages, living expenses, and costs, she had made nearly sixty guan in profit.

At lunch, Jiang Xian said to Jin Niang, “Now that Zhuangyuan Jiang’s wife is pregnant, what should we send them? You’re always clever—help me decide.”

“Isn’t it simple? Send a patchwork outfit for the unborn child, a pair of maternity pillows for support and side-sleeping, and a longevity lock [a traditional protective amulet]. How’s that?” Jin Niang suggested.

The patchwork clothes and pillows could be made in-house, costing little, while the silver-gilt longevity lock would be just over one guan. For less than two guan, they could give a heartfelt and useful gift.

Had she not been pregnant herself, she wouldn’t have known how uncomfortable sleeping could be for expectant mothers.

Jiang Xian gave a thumbs-up. “As expected of my wife.”

Then he stole a glance at Jin Niang. After her postpartum recovery, she had initially been slightly plump but had since slimmed down completely, looking radiant and full of vitality—more beautiful than ever.

Thinking this, he sidled closer. “Wife, I’ve prepared lambskin. Tonight, I’m not letting you go.”

Jin Niang blushed. “I know.”

The two were quite harmonious in their marital relations. Jiang Xian was often enchanted by his wife, unable to resist pinching her cheeks and arms, sometimes even coaxing her to call him “brother.”

Once the gifts were ready, Jiang Xian asked Jin Niang to accompany him—after all, these were gifts for a woman, and he also hoped his wife would no longer always hide behind him.

Naturally, Jiang Xian also told Jin Niang about Zhuangyuan Jiang’s situation: “He’s from a humble background and now lives in a house that came with the Song family’s dowry. Rumor has it he’s quite henpecked.”

“Ah, I see,” Jin Niang realized.

While there are benefits to marrying into a wealthy family, it's not for everyone.

Jin Niang had met Madam Song before and had even made clothes for her. This time, when the two met, Madam Song seemed friendly enough. Jin Niang didn’t lay it on thick but simply said, "I originally wanted to make you a medicinal pillow, but since pregnant women shouldn't use herbs casually, I filled it with plain cotton instead. And this pregnancy pillow can be used throughout the mid-to-late stages of pregnancy."

These gifts hit the mark perfectly. Madam Song was especially pleased with the hundred-patch outfit: "They say a hundred-patch outfit keeps sickness and bad luck at bay while granting long life. Thank you, Madam Wei."

Since Jin Niang had recently given birth, most of their conversation revolved around children. Jin Niang shared many of the mistakes she'd made herself until word came that Jiang Xian was leaving, so she took her leave.

Madam Song had once seen Jiang Xian from behind a screen and hadn't really liked him—she thought he was too smooth for his own good, someone an ordinary person couldn't handle.

But today, meeting his wife was a completely different experience. She was sincere, attentive, and gentle. Though she ran a business, she held her own—neither fawning nor arrogant. Madam Song especially enjoyed listening to her talk; she knew her place without being fake, showing no hint of flattery.

Madam Song treated Jin Niang quite kindly, even giving her two boxes of tissue-paper flowers to take home and wear. Jin Niang, in turn, had A Ying put them away. She didn’t think much of it—until Jiang Xian made something of himself, equality wasn’t really possible, so she didn’t get her hopes up.

As for the short-sleeved lotus dresses, they sold well, and Min Zhi’s wages were raised to five qian.

After handing out the wages, Jin Niang sold some old ledgers to a doll shop and pocketed another forty-five guan. She took five guan and gave it to Jiang Xian: "Get yourself whatever books or inkstones you want."

Jiang Xian quickly protested, "Didn’t you already give me money this month? Why more?"

"It’s nothing—just a bit of extra income, so I’m sharing some with you," Jin Niang smiled.

Jiang Xian couldn’t help but say, "You spoil me. But I still have money—I’ll just let you hold onto this. I’ll ask when I need it."

"Alright."

The first anniversary of her mother-in-law’s death was coming up soon. Xu Shi had already sent word saying they would go together to the gravesite for the memorial. Jin Niang told Jiang Xian to prepare incense, candles, and joss paper.

Mentioning Madam Jiang Liu made Jiang Xian sigh—he hadn’t realized it had nearly been a year since his mother passed.

After a few sentimental words, Jin Niang and Jiang Xian went to see their daughter. Yun Jieer, now over four months old, could already roll over. The little one had long lashes, milky-white skin, and eyes like black grapes—enough to melt your heart. She wore a mint-green baby wrap under a frilly gauze top of the same color, ivory split pants, and pale pink silk socks.

She looked like a little lotus blossom.

"Sweetheart, do you want to go out? Let’s go to the shop for a while, okay?" Jin Niang couldn’t bear to put her down.

Jiang Xian whined, "Wife, if you two go to the shop, I can’t come. You’re rubbing it in." He ached to cuddle his soft, sweet girls.

Jin Niang pretended not to hear, simply putting a frilled hat on Yun Jieer’s head before heading downstairs.

Yun Jieer really was lucky. The shop was usually dead around noon due to the heat, so Jin Niang had planned to spend the slow hours with her daughter.

At that moment, Chen Xiaolang and A Ying were playing with the baby—one shaking a rattle, the other singing lullabies.

"Madam, look how her little arms look like lotus roots! That outfit looks amazing on her," A Ying said, kissing Yun Jieer’s arm.

Just then, a young woman walked in. Jin Niang recognized her as the wife of the young owner of a nearby business. Their family was fairly prosperous but were notorious penny-pinchers. Last year, she had tried on twenty outfits at the embroidery shop but bought none.

Still, Jin Niang treated every customer equally. She asked A Ying to serve her, though reluctantly—on such a hot day, everyone was sweaty, and if this woman tried on clothes, they’d stink to high heaven and become unsellable.

To everyone’s surprise, the woman’s eyes lit up when she saw Yun Jieer. Looking at Jin Niang, she asked excitedly, "Madam Wei, this outfit is adorable! Did you make it? Is it for sale?"

Some people pinch pennies for themselves but splurge on their kids. Without batting an eye, she ordered a set for her child—at a full guan.

Even A Ying was stunned. "Wow, didn’t expect her to pay so easily!"

"That’s just how parents are—poor parents’ hearts," Jin Niang said, kissing her daughter.

Carrying Yun Jieer, she went to Jiang Xian’s study and told him what happened, feeling quite proud: "Who knew our little Yun Jieer would be such a lucky charm?"

Jiang Xian was still a little upset: "Wife, you just took our daughter and left without even acknowledging me. I won't talk to you either."

"Alright, alright, it's my fault. Forgive me," Jin Niang blinked at him playfully.

Seeing his wife like this, Jiang Xian couldn't stay angry any longer. He sat down and joined her in playing with their child.

By the afternoon, Jin Niang had already sold three sets of children's clothing and even received a commission to make clothes for a dog. She decided to buy everyone ice treats to cool off, but unexpectedly, someone arrived with gifts—Lou Siniang had sent them over.

One box of black incense and another of blended seven fragrances.

Both were expensive spices, likely worth around five qian of silver.

"Why is she sending me these when her marriage to Brother-in-law Feng is their own affair?" Jin Niang fell silent.

Meanwhile, Lou Siniang was speaking to Feng Sheng: "Auntie Jiang is, after all, the children's biological aunt. We can't just sever ties with that side of the family. We should continue to maintain contact in the future."

The couple had just married recently, and Feng Sheng was very fond of Lou Siniang. Though she wasn't as strikingly beautiful as Rong Niang, she was a skilled physician, virtuous, and shared his ambitions.

Since entering the household, she hadn't treated his two sons from his previous marriage as her own, but neither had she spoiled or neglected them.

"You're absolutely right, Madam," Feng Sheng said with a smile.

The Lou family had considered Lou Siniang too old, belonging to the category of busybodies and meddlers, and rather ordinary-looking. But Feng Sheng owned a three-section compound near Jinliang Bridge. Though he had two sons already, they were handsome, well-off, and he himself was the chief physician at Huichun Clinic. Their marriage had proceeded swiftly.

Over the years, Lou Siniang had saved nearly three hundred strings of cash (a guan was a string of 1,000 coins) for her dowry. After entering the household, she and Feng Sheng both wanted to open their own clinic. They were in perfect agreement, so she contributed her dowry, and Feng Sheng added his savings. Together, they prepared to rent a shop and set up their practice.

At this point, Lou Siniang naturally wanted to avoid any discord in the household, so she sent gifts to both Jin Niang and Ying Niang.

In his younger days, Feng Sheng had naturally been drawn to beautiful women. But now, he admired women like Lou Siniang—a capable manager at home and in business, level-headed and rational. She was the ideal matriarch for the Feng family.

As for the Feng family's affairs, Jin Niang had mostly heard about them from Ying Niang. With fewer interactions between them, news had become scarce. Now, she and Jiang Xian were taking Yun Jieer to visit her mother-in-law's grave.

Originally, Yun Jieer shouldn't have gone—she was still too young, and there was a risk of being unsettled by spirits. But Madam Jiang Liu had been exceptionally kind to Jin Niang during her lifetime, and Jiang Xian also wanted to bring his daughter to pay respects to his mother. So Jin Niang agreed.

She dressed Yun Jieer in a cream-colored gauze blouse with embroidered strawberries, paired with moon-white silk open-crotch pants, a pink gauze hair ribbon, and white silk flats embroidered with strawberries.

Yun Jieer was already adorable, but dressed like this, Jiang Xian was tempted to take over the wet nurse's job and carry her himself. However, Jin Niang stopped him: "It's scorching hot in August. It's not easy for the child to go out—let the wet nurse hold her. We don't want her to overheat."

Jiang Xian let go reluctantly. Jin Niang, genuinely worried about the child falling ill, instructed the wet nurse: "After we finish paying our respects, take her to the shade under the trees."

The wet nurse nodded in agreement.

Jiang Xian then glanced at his wife. She wore a simple lotus-colored dress, looking refreshingly cool, gently fanning their daughter with a silk fan.

When Jin Niang noticed him staring, she quickly hid her face behind the fan, prompting Jiang Xian to look away.

The family of three arrived at Nanxun Ward to meet up with Sixth Uncle, Jiang Yan, and Seventh Aunt Jiang. After more than an hour, they reached the gravesite. Jin Niang stood silently before Madam Jiang Liu's grave and murmured, "Rest assured, we will live well. I've brought your granddaughter to see you."

After the memorial rites, everyone retreated to a nearby house to rest. Yun Jieer, perhaps from a bit of sun exposure, had developed a mild tummy ache. Luo Mama and the wet nurse were tending to her, while Jin Niang watched anxiously.

Outside, Jiang Xian was conversing with his family. He asked Brother-in-law Xue, "Has your official appointment come through yet?"

"Shiliulang, your brother-in-law's appointment has been finalized, but there's one matter where we still need your help," Seventh Aunt said to her brother.

Jiang Xian raised an eyebrow. "We're family—no need for formalities. If there's anything troubling you, Sister, just tell me."

It turned out that after Brother-in-law Xue earned his jinshi degree, he had waited over half a year for an official post. Between greasing palms and networking with fellow graduates, he had already spent six hundred strings of cash. Now that he was posted to a far-off province, Seventh Aunt had no money left and hoped Jiang Xian could assist—after all, he had married into a merchant family.

In her view, men usually called the shots in households. If Jiang Xian agreed, Wei Shi likely wouldn't object. Besides, her husband had already passed the imperial exams and secured his position—it was only right for the family to help.

In the past, Jiang Xian wouldn’t have thought much of it, but since moving into Sweet Water Lane, he had realized that Jin Niang kept their finances strictly separate from his parents’ household and put their own little family first. Naturally, he couldn't just casually use the family’s money to play the generous brother.

Thus, Jiang Xian immediately took off his money pouch and said, “Sister, if you don’t mind, consider this for your travels.”

He had ten strings of cash on him—money Jin Niang usually gave him for tips when he went out. Upon hearing his sister’s words, he handed over the pouch without hesitation. To outsiders, it seemed sincere enough, but Seventh Aunt couldn’t very well complain. She was expecting at least a hundred strings, not such a paltry sum.

Yet, being too proud to say so, she maintained her dignity and remained silent.

Jiang Xian, however, mused inwardly: *All sweet and sisterly when you want to borrow money, but the moment I say I can’t help, your attitude changes completely. Seems like my dear sister doesn’t care about me all that much.* He also recalled how this so-called good sister hadn’t offered any support when he and his wife were cast out of the family home.

So, Jiang Xian pretended not to notice either.

After visiting the ancestral graves, Jin Niang must have caught some wind, because her throat began to hurt. Meanwhile, Yun Jieer was sick with diarrhea for two days. With both mother and daughter falling ill, Jiang Xian was nearly beside himself with worry, though fortunately they recovered quickly.

Having just sold several sets of Mid-Autumn children’s outfits and dresses, Jin Niang mentioned to Jiang Xian at noon, “We’ve been getting customers specifically asking for our children’s clothes.”

Just then, Old Ge, one of Xu Shi’s servants, came by with news: Sixth Uncle would soon marry Zheng Shi, daughter of the ex-Commissioner, with the wedding set for the day before winter solstice.

Jin Niang noticed Jiang Xian’s face darken instantly. After Old Ge left, she asked with concern, “Is there something wrong with this Miss Zheng?”

“The Zheng family is powerful and prestigious. Though Zheng Shi is a concubine-born daughter, all her sisters married into wealth or nobility. Yet at marriageable age, she secretly pledged herself to a schoolteacher. They planned to elope, but the man ran away, and she tried to take her own life in despair. Her family rescued her, but branded her as a disgrace and made her become a nun for several years. The scandal was huge—her name became widely known throughout the land. Of course I’ve heard of it,” Jiang Xian frowned.

Jin Niang sighed. “But this is Eldest Uncle’s decision, and Father seems quite willing. There’s nothing we can do about it. At least we’ve moved out—we won’t be involved in whatever happens next.”

Zheng Shi, now thirty-nine, would find it difficult to bear children again. Although the family knew the truth about Sixth Uncle, outsiders still saw him as a respected head of household—with property, shops, land, servants, and sons who were all doing well. Perhaps one day he might even gain an honorary title through his sons’ success.

Hearing Jin Niang’s words, Jiang Xian added, “Thank goodness we moved out. Out of sight, out of mind.”

Jin Niang, however, thought differently about Xu Shi. *Serves her right—after all her scheming to kick us out, now she’ll get exactly what she deserves.*