Chapter 84

Chapter 84

A large boat sailed along the river as a light drizzle fell from the sky. The window was slightly ajar, and through the gap, the view outside resembled an unbroken veil of mist, creating a dreamy, misty atmosphere.

Jin Niang had already been on the boat for three days. The grown-ups had settled in, and none of the children had fallen ill, so she finally relaxed enough to take a moment to herself by the window.

It had been a long time since she had such leisure. Jin Niang had worked for nearly sixteen years without a single day of true rest.

A Ying brought over a pot of tea and soon returned with a small plum-patterned tray, arranging pine nuts, lychees, dragon eyes, fragrant lotus seeds, torreya nuts, and hazelnuts on the square table. She sighed, "Mistress, we were always so busy at the Embroidery Shop. Now that we’re suddenly free, I don’t even know what to do with myself."

Jin Niang chuckled. "Dear girl, the Embroidery Shop wasn’t a permanent arrangement. Even if we’d stayed in Bianjing, I wouldn’t have been able to keep it up for many more years."

"Why?" A Ying was puzzled.

Jin Niang pointed to her eyes. "I started working in the embroidery workshop at nine, and now it’s been sixteen years. My body isn’t what it used to be. Most long-time embroiderers start losing their eyesight around thirty, unable to see clearly beyond three meters."

A Ying thought of Zhu Xiuniang—it was indeed the same for her. She couldn’t even recognize someone approaching from a distance.

She understood now and had to admit her mistress was right. "Then from now on, I’ll take good care of you and keep myself healthy too."

Jin Niang smiled. Truthfully, since she stopped embroidering every day, her backaches had lessened, and she even slept better. But she held A Ying’s hand and said, "Learn more from Fang Ma in your free time. In the future, when attending to officials' wives, you’ll be my greatest helper."

"Yes, Mistress," A Ying nodded firmly.

After sharing a pot of tea, Jin Niang closed the window and took to her reading on the daybed. She was quite satisfied with this passenger boat—neither too big nor too small, with clean and well-equipped bedding. The journey from Bianjing to Pingjiang Army was said to take twenty or thirty days without storms or heavy rain, but Jin Niang had specifically asked and learned it usually took over two months.

And it wasn’t cheap—including food and miscellaneous expenses, this trip alone cost three hundred strings of cash.

It was a steep price indeed, but there was no other choice. The children were too young, and traveling by boat reduced the need to change boats. This was also why some officials traveled alone—it saved a lot of money.

She had heard that Zhousi Guniang accompanied her husband to Fuyang County, where he served as Chief Clerk. Fuyang was in Hangzhou, and the journey was even more costly.

As for whether Wu County or Fuyang County was better, Wu County undoubtedly was. In the Song Dynasty, counties were classified as "red," "border," "prosperous," "tight," "upper," "middle," or "lower." Wu County was a "prosperous" county, while Fuyang was a "tight" one, and Wu County was also the administrative seat of Pingjiang Prefecture.

After reading for a while and eating a few bites of food, night soon fell. Jiang Xian returned from outside, and Jin Niang pointed to the iron thermos. "There’s hot water inside for you."

Washing up during travel was inconvenient, but Jin Niang’s iron thermos solved many problems. The couple had the kitchen prepare hot water daily, allowing them to wash thoroughly and stay clean.

Jiang Xian took the iron thermos behind the screen, carefully cleaned his teeth, poured out the hot water, mixed it with some cold, and washed himself before changing into sleepwear. Only then did he call A Ying in to tidy up.

Fortunately, the couple didn’t require maids to attend to them at night. After cleaning the room, A Ying retired to her own quarters to rest.

They had chartered the boat, so there were no strangers aboard, and everyone felt at ease. Besides, Jiang Xian held an official position, so few would dare cause trouble.

"Mistress, are you asleep yet?" Jiang Xian asked.

Jin Niang yawned. "What is it? Are you too tired from the boat ride?"

"No, I was just wondering if you’re still heartbroken over spending three hundred strings of cash," Jiang Xian teased.

Jin Niang laughed. "Not really. I just didn’t expect it to cost so much. Thankfully, we brought enough money."

Jiang Xian drew his wife close. "My elder brother went to his post alone, leaving his wife at home, but I wanted you with me."

"I wanted to be with you too, so I never considered parting from you," Jin Niang murmured, burrowing into his arms and inhaling his pleasant scent.

Jiang Xian was pleased with himself—he had personally picked this scented soap beans before leaving Bianjing, and it did smell wonderful. Seeing how his wife reacted, it was working as intended.

The two slept soundly through the night. When Jin Niang awoke in the morning, the squabbling sparrows outside the window woke them both. Breakfast was prepared by the female boat attendant—since they typically ate just twice daily aboard, the meals were substantial.

In the morning, there was a bowl of spiced meat porridge, a plate of fried white sausage, two pork pancreas flatbreads, along with chestnut cakes, milk cakes, fermented yellow sprouts, pickled melon relish, and more. Jin Niang, Jiang Xian, and their daughter Yun Jieer couldn’t finish it all, so they shared the leftovers with A Ying and Xi Qiu.

Fang Ma ate at a side table while listening to Jin Niang and Jiang Xian discuss: “I’ve seen officials bring local products from their hometowns to sell in Bianjing. I wonder if we could also bring some specialties along the way to Wuxian and sell them there? That way, we could cover some travel costs.”

Jiang Xian initially found it troublesome, but since his wife suggested it, he naturally thought it made sense. The boat crew was also from Liangzhe, so Jiang Xian chatted with them, not mentioning what he wanted to buy but simply asking what the people of Wuxian liked.

After gathering information, Jiang Xian said, “I’ve heard Pingjiang city is bustling, with bridges like Mihang Bridge, Guozixiang Bridge, Yuhang Bridge, Sihang Bridge, Gushi Bridge, and streets like Yaoshi Street, Doufen Alley, Dajiu Alley, You Alley, Xiuxian Alley, Zhan Alley, Zhangzi Alley, Jinzi Alley, and more. It could rival Bianjing.”

Jin Niang had to give up on the idea. Fang Ma, sitting nearby, chimed in, “Madam, if you ask me, the people there aren’t lacking in money—what they lack is respect for the ladies of Bianjing.”

That was true. Jin Niang quickly caught on and smiled, “In that case, could you and Fang Ma spare some time to teach me how to act more dignified?”

Jiang Xian loved his wife’s determination. Those so-called noblewomen were merely born into better circumstances.

“Jin Niang, I’ll teach you touhu [a traditional throwing game],” Jiang Xian eagerly offered. “I’m quite good at it.”

Fang Ma laughed, “I’ll teach you backgammon. Not to boast, but when my late mistress was still alive, I often won a few rounds.”

Jin Niang said happily, “With your help, I have nothing to fear.”

After the boat docked, Jiang Xian had someone buy a backgammon set. Jin Niang was a diligent learner—she spent her days reading, practicing touhu and backgammon. To her, touhu was all about hand familiarity, so she practiced diligently to find the knack. Once she understood the rules of backgammon, she began playing rounds with Fang Ma, Min Zhi, Xi Qiu, and even Jiang Xian.

Everyone admired Jin Niang’s hardworking and studious nature. She rarely troubled the servants, always spoke directly, and never humiliated others lightly.

“Darling, look—as soon as the boat docks, we get to eat crisp greens,” Jin Niang said cheerfully, picking up a bite of greens for her daughter, who never liked eating them.

Yun Jieer wanted to spit it out but, under Jin Niang’s watchful gaze, gulped it down.

Ning Geer, now ten months old, had eight teeth and no longer needed to eat only mush. Ju Xiang specially prepared his meals—egg-coated bread cubes, a few vegetable leaves, and a small bowl of light noodle soup with lard.

Previously, Ning Geer had suffered from constipation, but after adding lard, he passed stools more easily. Jin Niang had observed this when raising Yun Jieer, so she had experience with Ning Geer.

After the meal, the wet nurse took the children back to their room, while Jin Niang stood up to practice touhu. She placed the bronze pot two and a half arrow-lengths distant and aimed bamboo arrows at its mouth, with the first to score one hundred and twenty points winning. She did this every day after meals and even lost some weight, making her love the game even more.

Her best record so far was landing two arrows in the pot consecutively.

Jiang Xian gave pointers: “Hold your hand like this—steady. Don’t let it tilt when you release, or it’ll hit the rim.”

Jin Niang listened attentively. “Alright, I’ll try again.”

She was always grateful for others’ advice. Life’s circumstances were ever-changing, and staying in one place too long could dull one’s spirit.

Yet Jiang Xian found Jin Niang a bit too formal. When he taught her, she earnestly treated it like a lesson, humbly learning without ever playing the wife card to flirt. She was quite the character.

After an hour of touhu, Jin Niang reclined on the daybed to read, dozed off for a bit, then called Fang Ma in to play backgammon.

With daily practice, she improved rapidly within half a month, and the days passed quickly. When the boat docked for supplies, they heard that Sun Shichen and Zhousi Guniang wanted to board their boat—their hired boat was leaking, and waiting for another would take at least ten days to half a month. Desperate, they turned to Jiang Xian for help.

Jiang Xian instinctively looked at Jin Niang, who said, “Our passenger boat does have some space left, but they’ll need to share space. Also, ask the boatmen if they have enough food for so many people. If adding them doesn’t cost much, we can cover it—that way, they’ll be in our debt. If it’s too much, they’ll have to handle it themselves.”

“Good, I’ll go tell them,” Jiang Xian said, impressed by her thoughtfulness.

He went out and said to Sun Shichen with a smile, “My boat isn’t very big. If you’re in a hurry, you’ll have to make do with tight quarters.”

Sun Shichen’s boat was leaking, ruining much of their baggage. They had stayed at a nearby post station for days, which hadn’t cost much, but they needed to hurry to their post, and their belongings were too numerous to find a larger boat. Meeting you was a godsend.

“This is wonderful, Brother Shushi! Thank you for your help,” Sun Shichen said gratefully.

Jiang Xian asked how many people they had brought along, and the answer was surprising—over twenty individuals. He quickly summoned the boatman and said, "This is a friend I met along the way. However, they’ve brought over twenty people. Do we have enough food stored? If not, we should get more."

The boatman feigned reluctance: "County Sheriff Jiang, with over twenty extra people, I’m afraid our supplies won’t be enough. Besides, there are only a few empty rooms left."

They were actually trying to politely decline. Whether Sun Shichen didn’t understand or was pretending not to, he quickly replied, "No need to worry about that. We’ve brought our own cooks and can prepare our own meals."

Since he had no objections, Jiang Xian could only say, "Then we’ll leave it to you, Brother Sun."

Sun Shichen naturally wouldn’t complain. He hadn’t even thought about paying—after all, Jiang Xian had chartered the boat. Even if they weren’t hitching a ride, Jiang Xian would still be using it. Besides, haggling over such a small amount would be cheap.

The empty rooms on the west side were given to the Sun family, sparing Sun Shichen any inconvenience. He was currently dining with Jiang Xian in the dining hall.

Meanwhile, Lady Zhou had her servants secure their bedding, lock away their valuables, and arrange for meals to be cooked. Only then did she prepare several gifts and personally bring them to Jin Niang.

The gifts included a bolt of pale blue gauze, a bolt of white polished silk from Zizhou, a bolt of white floral-patterned silk, a bolt of patterned silk from Pengzhou, and a bolt of lotus-patterned silk from Langzhou. There were also two boxes of Imperial Dragon-Phoenix tea, two boxes of exquisite pastries, and a box of storax resin pills.

Jin Niang smiled and said, "You’re too generous. It’s just a short trip together."

"We’ve inconvenienced you," Lady Zhou replied. She knew the boat Jin Niang had hired wasn’t large, yet they still stayed aboard, so it was only proper to prepare gifts.

Jin Niang was puzzled. "Why didn’t you hire servants after arriving at your destination?"

Lady Zhou explained, "Officials can’t buy local servants in their postings, so we had to bring our own."

Not being from an official family, Jin Niang was unaware of such rules. She inwardly regretted not bringing more servants herself. Practical wisdom is its own learning—she still had much to learn.

"You’ve really thought of everything," Jin Niang praised sincerely.

Lady Zhou observed that Jin Niang looked well and carried herself with some dignity. Still, it was evident that she came from a servant background, unfamiliar with official social customs—even unaware that officials couldn’t buy local servants.

After a few more exchanges, Lady Zhou realized Jin Niang didn’t know county sheriffs were supposed to live in the county office. Only those demoted or politically suppressed might rent outside.

Jin Niang, on the other hand, felt that talking to Lady Zhou helped her identify gaps in her knowledge.

That night, when she mentioned this to Jiang Xian, he laughed and said, "I forgot—most officials in Bianjing live outside because there are too many offices and officials."

"Ah, so that’s why officials’ sons are called ‘Yamen scions’?" Jin Niang, coming from a humble background, knew she had to work harder to catch up.

Jiang Xian pinched her cheek. "Exactly."

Meanwhile, Lady Zhou’s maid was more indignant than her mistress. Danli couldn’t help but say, "That Jin Niang didn’t even rise to greet you earlier!"

Lady Zhou shook her head. "Her position is different now. You shouldn’t speak so carelessly."

Truthfully, as long as no one was harmed, there was no issue with someone moving up in the world—especially since they were on her boat, thanks to her kindness.

Though her subordinates still felt resentful, they dared not act out after her reprimand.

However, another conflict arose because the Sun family always ate later than the Jiang family. Since the boat was chartered by the Jiangs, the boatmen prioritized preparing their meals before letting the Sun family use the kitchen.

So by the time the Jiangs were almost done eating, the Suns hadn’t even started cooking, which was causing friction.

After playing two rounds of backgammon, Jin Niang said to Jiang Xian, "At the next major dock, let’s dock longer. Otherwise, if this continues, there’ll surely be trouble."

Jin Niang had assumed the Suns would contribute some travel expenses—not that she was being stingy, but because their crowd was making a racket. The silks Lady Zhou had gifted were duplicates of what Jin Niang already owned, even the storax resin pill box was identical to one given by Zhuangyuan Jiang’s wife, Madam Song.

Though valuable, the gifts were worth maybe twenty strings of coins and felt half-hearted.

Jiang Xian also found the situation inconvenient. The noise from so many people ruined the quiet peace they had enjoyed before.

Therefore, he said, "My lady, you shouldn't have agreed in the first place."

"Then you should have refused outright. Why look at me? I only agreed for the sake of reputation. But I was just speaking in anger—I’ve grown accustomed to peace and quiet these years, so even minor inconveniences bother me. It’s all trivial, really," Jin Niang laughed.

Jiang Xian also knew it was due to their family connections that refusal was difficult.

Being an official means one must cherish their reputation.

Fortunately, the Sixth Lady also found the situation inconvenient and said to her husband, "At the next port, if there’s a boat heading to Hangzhou, let’s just hire it and go directly."

"Hmm," Sun Shichen replied. He had gone hungry several times these past few days but couldn’t complain, as it was the Jiang family’s hired boat.

That they weren’t treated as honored guests was something Sun Shichen understood well. He and Jiang Xian had competed openly and behind the scenes under Academician Huang and Zhuangyuan Jiang. In the end, Jiang Xian prevailed, ranking eighth in the palace exams, far surpassing him. If not for his patrons at court, he would never have been assigned to such a prosperous region as Liangzhe.

With patrons at court, a few years of seniority would secure him a return to the capital as an official.

Just as both sides were discontent, they coincidentally spotted a relative’s boat. His elder brother had married the daughter of a porcelain merchant from Caizhou, and this was a ship heading to Liangzhe to transport porcelain. His brother’s wife’s younger brother was personally escorting the cargo to Jiangnan West Circuit, naturally passing through Hangzhou.

The Sun family cleared out in a hurry, leaving the boat in disarray, leaving the crew grumbling.

Jin Niang had Min Zhi and Chen Xiaolang help clean up a bit, which slightly eased the crew’s frustration.

Jiang Xian remarked, "This cargo ship is often followed by water bandits. They’re really bold—first hiring a leaky boat, now daring to board a cargo ship so casually."

Jin Niang, relieved to finally have peace after days of noise, decided to read in peace. She was grateful to have learned from the Sixth Lady about the need to bring servants ahead of time and chose not to dwell on the matter, seeing them as mere passersby. The journey proceeded smoothly, and they soon arrived in Yangzhou.

Fang Ma mentioned someone: "The young master has a paternal aunt who married into Yangzhou. I remember when she was still unmarried, she once fell into the water and was rescued by our Sixth Madam’s people."

So Jiang Xian wrote a letter and had an idler at the wharf deliver it. Unexpectedly, his aunt was exceptionally hospitable and immediately sent a carriage to fetch Jin Niang and her husband.

Jin Niang prepared gifts: two jars of Kaifeng’s famous banquet wine, Yaoquan, and Ju Xiang’s specialty, chrysanthemum duck rolls, packed in a food box adorned with crabapple blossoms. She also included a collar panel she had embroidered herself, two boxes of gauze ribbon flowers she was about to wear, and two bolts of large-flowered luo silk.

The gifts were neither too modest nor overly extravagant—fitting for a kinswoman’s visit.

Jiang Xian had a vague recollection of this aunt, but judging by the respectful attendants sent to fetch them and the lavish trimmings on the carriage and sedan, it was clear she had put thought into the arrangements.

Here, Fang Ma’s role became evident. Upon seeing the older maidservant sent by Madam Dou, Jiang Xian’s aunt, she hurried forward and called out, "Are you Yunluo?"

"Sister Peony," Lan Mama replied, moved to hear her old name again after so long.

After catching up, Fang Ma introduced Jin Niang: "This is the lady of our Shiliulang’s household, deeply filial. When she heard Eighth Aunt enjoyed chrysanthemum duck rolls in her maiden days, she specially had some prepared."

Jin Niang smiled and nodded at Lan Mama.

Lan Mama smiled back. "Just now, I saw how young Shiliulang is, yet already a metropolitan graduate, and his wife is both beautiful and virtuous—truly a perfect match."

Yangzhou—where poets dream of “a fortune of 100,000 strings” or “blossoms in spring”—was a city of gilded splendor. The streets bustled with life as they approached the residence of the Jiang family’s Eighth Aunt.

Returning to the present, Fang Ma inquired about Madam Dou’s situation. Lan Mama replied, "Our lady has a son and a daughter. The son is seventeen and still studying, while the twelve-year-old daughter is exceptionally lovely."

"How wonderful—a son and a daughter," Fang Ma chimed in.

Lan Mama sighed. "If only it were that simple. Our lady is kind and virtuous but isn’t scheming. The master is a philanderer, with several concubines causing constant strife at home."

This was family business, so Jin Niang refrained from commenting. But surely Madam Dou couldn’t be suffering too badly—would she receive guests with such fanfare if she were?

Clearly, Jiang Xian sensed it too. The Dou family’s eyes held a hopeful gleam, as if they were facing some trouble. He had only intended to visit as a relative, not to get entangled in any complications.

After a good hour in the carriage, they arrived at the Dou residence in Yangzhou’s inner city, its grandeur hidden from outside view. Normally, Jiang Xian would meet the master of the house while Jin Niang visited Madam Dou, but since they had never met, Lan Mama first led the couple and their two servants to see Madam Dou.

Jin Niang and Jiang Xian walked side by side, and she whispered, "Your aunt seems to have encountered some trouble and wants you to back her up. Be careful."

"Darling, you noticed it too?" Jiang Xian put on a mock-scared face.

Jin Niang glanced at him and couldn't help but chuckle. "Since you're about to become the County Sheriff, if there really is an issue, you can use it as practice. Otherwise, reading all those legal casebooks would be pointless. Besides, we’re shorthanded at home—it’s a good chance for me to hire a few servants in Yangzhou. We’ll each have our own tasks to handle. Wouldn’t that work out perfectly?"

"Come on—I need you with me!" Jiang Xian blinked playfully.

Jin Niang reassured him, "Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stay by your side to protect you."

Jiang Xian was really just trying to act spoiled, but even in jest, his wife always cared for him so deeply and had his back no matter what. He truly didn’t know what to say.

Lan Mama, who was leading the way ahead, remarked to those beside her, "Sixteenth Lad and his wife are so sweet together."