Chapter 77

Chapter 77

After being elected as the head of the guild, Jin Niang took the initiative to speak to Madam Bao of Binyun Pavilion: “I must apologize for any offense earlier.”

Madam Bao, however, was quite understanding: “It was all for official matters. Privately, we can still get along as usual.”

On the other hand, Madam Needle, who stood nearby, looked crestfallen. She had intended to mock Binyun Pavilion by bringing up Wang’s Embroidery Shop, given Binyun Pavilion’s obvious advantages, but her scheme fell flat.

Upon returning to the shop, A Ying and Min Zhi quickly hung the sign announcing their status as the head guild outside. Jin Niang specifically asked Ju Xiang to prepare extra dishes, and everyone gathered together to celebrate.

Jin Niang was happy, but more than that, she felt a sense of accomplishment—they had finally gained some recognition.

She was twenty-two years old, at the peak of her abilities. Beyond this point, her vision might blur, and dizziness take hold. While still young, she ought to explore endless possibilities.

A Ying gazed at her mistress with deep reverence.

As the newly appointed head of the guild, Jin Niang’s first order of business was to ban embroidery shops from secretly making official robes. Every year, some shops took on such private jobs, only to pin the blame on ordinary embroiderers when caught.

The new responsibilities kept her buried in work. There were unemployed embroiderers to assess and register, shops urgently in need of workers to recommend, and the Embroidery Academy’s outsourced tasks for the year to allocate fairly among shops. Then there were disputes between shops to mediate…

Moreover, the government requisitioned supplies and labor from merchants without pay. Merchants like Jin Niang already bore heavy taxes and labor obligations.

She had an idea: it would be better to pay silver outright instead. Otherwise, during the busiest season of the year, who would willingly take on extra work?

While Jin Niang was buried in work, Jiang Xian waited anxiously. His wife usually sent him snacks, shoes, or hats every seven days, but now half a month had passed without a word.

“Liu Douer!” he called for the servant.

Liu Douer hurried in. “Yes, Young Master?”

Jiang Xian said, “Go home and see what my wife is up to. Tell her I’ll return for Little New Year.”

He expected Liu Douer to return in an hour or two, but the servant didn’t come back until evening, beaming with excitement. “Young Master, the mistress has done something remarkable—she’s become the head of the guild! When I got home, I heard that the imperial military uniforms were to be made by her and others. She’s already distributed the work among several shops. People sent so many gifts—pepper, tea—but the mistress refused them. They dropped the gifts and fled, saying she’s helping them prosper by securing the military order. Chen Xiaolang, Uncle Luo, and I spent hours moving it all into storage. Then, since it was A Ying’s birthday, Ju Xiang prepared a feast, so I stayed to eat before coming back.”

So much had happened in just half a month away from home.

Jiang Xian quickly asked, “Did my wife mention me at all?”

Liu Douer gave him a look that said the young master was missing the point. “The mistress is very busy.”

“I’m busy too, you know?” Jiang Xian really wanted to go home—it was so lively there. Studying at the Liu residence was dull, filled with just etiquette and endless socializing.

But he had to restrain himself. Otherwise, Chancellor Liu would surely think him impulsive.

Still, he nursed a quiet grievance. Even at his busiest, he never forgot his wife, yet she seemed to have forgotten him in her own busyness.

Of course, Jin Niang hadn’t forgotten Jiang Xian—she was truly stretched thin. This time, while securing the military uniform order, her own shop didn’t take on the job, but seven others did. These shops, overloaded with work, needed embroiderers, so Jin Niang recommended all the unemployed ones—even Jing An—to them.

That evening, as she looked over the gifts sent by others, she noted the pepper from Qiluo Pavilion—a full jin. Pepper was expensive, costing three guan per jin, meant for honored guests. She had not only assigned the Embroidery Academy’s work to Qiluo Pavilion but also part of the military uniform contract, so this was their way of repaying her kindness.

Aside from guild matters, Jin Niang also had to rush to finish children’s outfits embroidered with chicks. The moment she saw her daughter’s chick-embroidered clothes, she remembered her husband was still at the Liu residence.

“Chen Xiaolang, come here,” she called.

Chen Xiaolang hurried over. “How may I serve, Mistress?”

Jin Niang covered her mouth, laughing. “Always thinking like an official! No, I was thinking of sending some things to the young master at the Liu residence. If I don’t remind you, it seems everyone forgets about him.”

Chen Xiaolang scratched his head, looking sheepish. The young master was indeed a good man, but his first duty was to the mistress.

Since Jiang Xian was staying with the Liu family, Jin Niang naturally prepared New Year's gifts—two boxes of dried fruits, two boxes of fresh fruits, a jar of premium wine, a bolt each of plain silk and fine satin for painting, and six pairs of delicate sachets. The Huang family received identical gifts as well, since they had accepted Jiang Xian as their disciple, along with presents for Xiao Hanlin, the Zhuangyuan Mansion, her in-laws, her husband's relatives, and friends.

Of course, Jin Niang had also sent Jiang Xian his favorite dishes—a serving of fried quail and a box of crispy huangdu.

After visiting Chancellor Liu’s study, Jiang Xian was chatting with Liu Dalang when news arrived that Jin Niang had sent New Year’s gifts—and even some food for him.

Liu Dalang teased, “You're going home soon, yet your wife still remembers you. I wonder what treasures she has sent this time?”

Now Jiang Xian couldn’t eat alone. When the food box was opened, it revealed all his favorite dishes—only his wife would remember such details. Someone like Liu Dalang, born into wealth and lacking nothing, still found everything more appealing on the other side. He eagerly dug in and sighed, “I’ve eaten crispy huangdu before, but never this delicious.”

“I’ll ask my wife where she got it when I return and let you know, elder brother,” Jiang Xian replied with a smile.

Whenever his wife visited somewhere new and tasted something delicious, she would bring some back for him. If he liked it, she would make a note of it and send it to him later. He swore that since marriage, he had eaten far more delicacies than in his entire life before.

It wasn't about money—before marriage, he had only ever dined at the same few places. But his wife would try any tasty food, no matter how humble.

Liu Dalang nodded and glanced outside. “Last year was so warm that even a fur coat felt stifling. This year, though, it’s just as cold as the year before last.”

“Indeed. I heard many people caught lung infections from the cold.” As he spoke, Jiang Xian thought of his wife and daughter at home and decided to bring some medicinal herbs back when he returned.

After chatting a while longer, a servant came to say that Lady Xun’s younger brother had arrived, so Liu Dalang went to meet his brother-in-law.

Lady Xun came from an official family and had married into the Chancellor’s household. Reclining on the daybed, she placed frankincense worth thirteen guan from Srivijaya into a gray-glazed Ge kiln incense burner shaped like a begonia. Soon, wisps of delicate fragrance filled the air.

She was three years older than Jin Niang, but unlike Jin Niang, who had married late, she had been married for ten years. Though she had a son and a daughter, she still had concerns. Her father-in-law was a high-ranking official, but her husband, nearing thirty, had yet to achieve success in his studies. If he had to rely on hereditary privilege for an official post, his prospects would likely remain dim.

Perhaps this was why the Liu family had taken in several ambitious scholar-relatives.

But Lady Xun believed that no matter how many scholars they gathered, it was better to rely on one's own efforts.

Everyone knew of Lady Xun’s severity. Last time, a maid of slight beauty who had been taken in by Liu Dalang was beaten and driven out the very next day. Even someone as handsome as Jiang Xian had once been suspected and expelled.

Because of this, Liu Dalang had kept a mistress outside the home, and Lady Xun could do little more than pretend not to notice.

Now, she almost wished Jiang Xian and Liu Dalang were involved—at least Jiang Xian was a man and wouldn’t produce a child.

But Jiang Xian truly wasn’t like that. Though exceptionally handsome, his wife was stunningly beautiful, and even the pretty maids Lady Xun sent to serve him barely caught his eye.

Lady Xun even wanted to learn from Jin Niang, but unfortunately, Jin Niang rarely visited and always spoke with great discretion.

Now, one of the mistresses had grown impatient, become pregnant, and wanted to enter the household. Naturally, Lady Xun was deeply troubled and had invited her brother over today to warn Liu Dalang.

But the warning would only delay the concubine’s entry, nothing more.

Jin Niang was also very busy—not only with guild matters but also with work from her own shop. The son of the Gao family in the southern district was celebrating his first birthday and had ordered three sets of high-end robes from Wei’s Embroidery Shop. After Min Zhi finished sewing them, Jin Niang added the embroidery.

These weren’t just ordinary outfits—one set cost twelve guan, so three sets totaled thirty-six guan.

To finish them sooner, Jin Niang worked late into the night. After all, Jiang Xian hadn’t returned yet. Luo Mama sat beside her, saying, “You’re much busier now than before.”

“Indeed, but there’s no choice. Expenses were piling up everywhere. You wouldn’t believe how much those New Year’s gifts cost—close to twenty thousand coins.”

With servants like Luo Mama from the Jiang family, it was better not to appear wealthy and instead emphasize the difficulties. Otherwise, word might get back to the Jiang household, making them think earning money was easy.

Luo Mama mused that the mistress had been wise. Otherwise, if she had passed away and Sixth Uncle had taken a new favorite, what would become of the young master? He was still so young—who knew when he would pass the imperial exams? Thankfully, there was Madam Wei to manage things.

Jiang Xian came back for Little New Year and told Jin Niang about the Liu family’s turmoil over the concubine trying to enter the household.

“Really?” Jin Niang couldn’t imagine such concubine dramas touching her own life.

Jiang Xian had his own thoughts: "Actually, I think it's also to counter Madam Xun, just like why my father eventually agreed to marry Lady Zheng in the end."

After his mother passed away, Xu Shi took complete control of the household, growing arrogant and overbearing, to the point where even his father had to defer to her. Now, bringing Lady Zheng into the household was a way to even the scales. As for Madam Xun, she relied on her family background to dominate Liu Dalang, who kept failing the imperial exams and couldn’t act freely—making it difficult to oppose her directly, hence this whole mess.

After hearing his analysis, Jin Niang couldn't help but say, "This is too complicated. Isn't it just men using new love as an excuse to discard the old? Xianlang, with all this toxicity, maybe you should keep to your studies at home, only visiting when you need guidance."

"No, now there’s a talented scholar from the Liu family studying with me, and we can learn from each other." Jiang Xian knew that once he left the Liu household, it wouldn’t be easy to return.

Jin Niang sighed, "Alright, I understand."

They had only spoken a few words when Chen Xiaolang came to the study and mentioned that Scented Silks Pavilion and Binyun Pavilion were both planning to move to the northern part of the city. Jin Niang’s expression darkened, and Jiang Xian quickly asked why.

"The proprietor of Scented Silks Pavilion is an older man, a native of Bianjing, and his family has been in business for three generations. I heard he originally thought he’d be Head of the Guild, but the position went to me instead." Jin Niang shrugged.

"Scented Silks Pavilion has operational issues. Like me, he used to design his own patterns and make garments, but after several incidents where customers complained that the finished clothes didn’t match the designs or had ill-fitting cuts, he got scared and stuck to old styles."

Jin Niang also faced criticism, with some saying her work had declined. But she always turned critics into admirers through quality work—that was how she gradually rose to prominence.

As for Binyun Pavilion, Jin Niang massaged her forehead. "They pay the most taxes."

Jiang Xian asked, "Then why are they moving?"

"I don’t know. I’ll go ask them in person." Jin Niang shook her head and left.

The proprietor of Binyun Pavilion naturally wouldn’t admit it was because they lost the Head of the Guild position to Jin Niang—that was only part of it. The root cause was that despite their lingering prestige, Binyun Pavilion could no longer sustain itself.

A single folding screen might sell for two hundred strings of cash, but it took an embroiderer two to three years to complete the intricate double-sided embroidery (where both sides show perfect patterns). The embroiderers’ wages alone cost dozens of strings, plus material expenses, leaving only a few extra strings in profit each month.

Now, with new embroidery styles emerging, Binyun Pavilion’s old designs were falling out of fashion.

Before long, Jin Niang returned and told Jiang Xian, "Whether they leave or not doesn’t matter to me. I just worry people will blame me for it."

"What will you do then? Will you still serve as interim Head?" Jiang Xian asked.

Jin Niang smiled brightly. "Of course I will. Why wouldn’t I? If I quit just because of a few rumors, that wouldn’t be me."

Back when she remained unmarried for five years after her hair-pinning ceremony, she had ignored all the gossip and held her ground—and ended up with a wonderful marriage. The same went for running her shop; she faced plenty of naysayers and busybodies but never backed down.

If you want to do something, unless you yourself don’t want to, you shouldn’t let others’ words stop you.

After the two shops announced their plans, some people gossiped, claiming Jin Niang was too young to be Head of the Guild and couldn’t command respect. Jin Niang, however, focused on her work, completing the final order—the first birthday robes for the Gao family’s son—with excellence.

By the following spring, Scented Silks Pavilion’s shop was leased by another embroidery shop, which celebrated with firecrackers and festivities, creating quite a lively scene.

Jiang Xian gained many insights from this. He suddenly realized that if one pursued their goals steadfastly, even if the path seemed dark at times, persistence would eventually bring clarity.

In spring, Zhou Cunzhi secured an official post in the capital, sparing him a provincial post.

The Zhou family was overjoyed, though they kept celebrations muted due to mourning. Nearly all the Zhou daughters, except the second who had married into a distant family, returned home to congratulate him.

The fourth daughter hadn’t visited in a long time and expected Zhang Shi to be delighted, but Zhang Shi was oddly distant.

Was this why Zhou Cunzhi later married Wei Jinniang outside the family? An estranged marriage, a man finding comfort in another’s arms. Unfortunately, in this lifetime, Wei Jinniang ended up with Jiang Xian.

The events from the original novel had gone completely off-script, and none of the characters matched anymore. The fourth daughter stared blankly at the sky, finally feeling the reality—she was truly in the Song Dynasty, likely for the rest of her life.

"Fourth Sister, why are you still here?"

Hearing the third daughter call her, the fourth daughter startled from her reverie and smiled. "I just came from Mother’s place." **Footnote:** In ancient China, money was often strung together on cords, with one string typically representing 1,000 copper coins (or one "guan").

The third sister walked out of the Zhou residence with her and said, "I heard that Eldest Sister's father-in-law has resigned from his official post and is preparing to return to Luoyang. Let's pick a day to go to my place and hold a send-off party for her."

The fourth sister naturally had no objections, but at the same time, she glanced at the third sister and couldn't help but feel how fortunes had reversed. In the past, the eldest and second sisters, being born of the main wife, were more favored, while she and the third sister were often overlooked. She had fared slightly better than the third sister because Concubine Miao was more favored. But now, it was the third sister who had married the most advantageously.

In feudal society, no matter how capable you were, it couldn't beat marrying well.

A woman's standing always depended on her husband's rank.

Jiang Xian was much the same, except in his case, it was the husband's status that rose with the wife's.

When Jin Niang first became the Guild Master, she brokered two big contracts, then went quiet for a while before starting to study up on the embroidery techniques for Guanyin. Her inquiries weren't direct questions but rather frequent visits on various occasions. Among those skilled in embroidery, observation alone could reveal much.

"Madam Ren, I've found you a new master who excels at mounting. When would you like to go and see?" Jin Niang said with a smile.

Madam Ren specialized in embroidering Buddhist images, and this time she was working on a depiction of Shakyamuni Buddha preaching. The Buddha's face and hands were primarily embroidered with gold foil, the hair with seed stitches, the robes with flat stitches, and the Buddhist robe outlined with twisted gold thread. Jin Niang took mental notes.

"Don't mention it, Guild Master Wei! Thank you for always keeping my matters in mind," Madam Ren expressed her gratitude.

Jin Niang smiled. "You're my senior; it's only right." Then, feigning curiosity, she added, "I noticed the Willow-Leaf Guanyin hanging over there looks different from this one."

Madam Ren replied casually, "Different threads were used. That one was done with silk floss threads."

"I see. I have a relative who couldn't get pregnant. I originally embroidered a sutra for her, but after seeing your work, I thought of embroidering a Buddha image instead. Only, my skills are lacking—wouldn't hurt if you gave me some pointers?" Jin Niang giggled behind her hand.

She knew full well Madam Ren wouldn't teach her outright—it was her livelihood, after all—but a few hints to help her figure things out on her own wouldn't be amiss.

In the past, Madam Ren might have given her the cold shoulder, but now that Jin Niang, as Guild Master, had helped her considerably, she couldn't very well refuse.

Jin Niang continued, "The backgrounds I embroider for Guanyin always look stiff. How do you make yours so luminous, as if glowing?"

She had already noticed that the underlayer was done with scattered stitches, but even so, Madam Ren, assuming Jin Niang hadn't caught on, only said vaguely, "The hands of Guanyin are painted first, then embroidered over, with multiple layers."

Thinking she'd been obscure, Madam Ren didn't realize Jin Niang had already grasped the technique, though she pretended otherwise.

Thus, upon returning home, Jin Niang dove headfirst into practicing. She first embroidered a small image of the Purple-Robed Guanyin, sketching it on unbleached silk for three full days before starting. She bought silk floss threads, separated them into the thinnest filaments, and began with a thin layer of scattered stitches for the background. Starting with the face, she used flat stitches to ensure evenness and smoothness, avoiding overlaps.

Alternating between flat and satin stitches, she then added depth to the background with offset stitches.

Since it wasn't reversible embroidery, she had some leeway to improvise rather than strictly follow others' methods.

Despite her painstaking efforts, the result fell short of her expectations, much to Jin Niang's frustration—especially since it included embroidered sutras and Buddha images.

A Ying comforted her, "Madam Ren has been learning this since she could talk—decades of practice. You've just started; of course it won't be as good."

In truth, A Ying thought it was quite impressive, but her mistress insisted on comparing herself to the best, leaving little room for satisfaction.

Because of this, Jin Niang gifted the Purple-Robed Guanyin to the proprietor of Huixian Lou. Wei's Embroidery Shop naturally couldn't secure large-scale orders like those for Huixian Lou's curtains—not due to skill, but because they were a specialty atelier focused on exquisite, small pieces rather than mass production.

Still, as Guild Master, Jin Niang had to represent the entire southern district's embroidery guild in presenting gifts to such major clients. She offered her Guanyin piece as tribute.

She expected it to be stashed in some dusty corner.

Unexpectedly, after receiving the Purple Guanyin, the wife of Huixian Lou's proprietor—who had been ill and was deeply pious—hung it in her room. Within a month, her illness completely vanished.

It was worth noting that the wife was the true master behind Huixian Lou's signature jade liquor.

Once recovered, she resumed brewing the wine and came in person to Jin Niang's home to express her gratitude. Jin Niang, not crediting her recovery to the embroidery, insisted on declining credit: "It was merely a happy accident."

Her refusal left no room for further insistence.

At that time, Jiang Xian still felt his wife was too inflexible—after all, it was Yuxu wine, and aged at that.

Jin Niang said to Jiang Xian, "To be honest, my embroidery wasn’t that well done. I’m still gradually learning from others and have just realized how many details I failed to capture. Luckily, they aren't fellow embroiderers, or they wouldn’t have given me the wine."

"I genuinely can't see any flaws. My lady, you really are doing an excellent job," Jiang Xian replied sincerely.

Jin Niang shook her head. "Don’t say things you don’t mean."

Seeing she was genuinely upset, Jiang Xian specially made her favorite celery dumplings to comfort her. The sight of them immediately lifted Jin Niang’s spirits. She ate a small bowl and even asked Jiang Xian to fry a few more for her. He knew his wife was being playful with him. After all, while he studied away from home, she managed everything on her own, so he gladly obliged once more.

Later, at a poetry gathering at Huixian Tower, Jiang Xian was still in mourning and had no intention of drinking. But as his friends were about to order drinks, the owner of Huixian Tower sent over some Yuxu wine.

Zhang Jiulang laughed. "This is aged liquor! You’re actually willing to bring it out?"

The owner pointed at Jiang Xian and said, "This gentleman is the husband of Guild Master Wei. Madam Wei’s reputation speaks for itself—young yet already leading the southern embroidery guild, brilliant and wise beyond her years. This wine is our honor to serve."

It was offered free of charge, and Jiang Xian couldn’t help but hold his head a little higher, basking in his wife’s prestige.