Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Innkeeper Yao and Manor Manager Fan came to the capital to deliver the rental income, never expecting to coincidentally encounter Wei Yang’s wedding. Jin Niang had them stay to enjoy the celebration before leaving. This time, Innkeeper Yao brought 530 strings of money, while Manor Manager Fan delivered over 300 strings. Jin Niang gave each of them 20 strings as wages and rewarded them with two bolts of fashionable silk, two boxes of wedding cakes, and a jug of lamb wine.

Manor Manager Fan had not known much about Jin Niang’s maiden family before, but now that he saw her younger brother had actually passed the jinshi examination, his respect for her deepened even further.

This money, combined with last year’s rental income of over 1,700 strings from the warehouse and the Sweet Water Alley residence, totaled 2,500 strings. She took 50 strings and had Luo Da and A Ying handle the wedding preparations for her brother. The remaining money, along with the 500-odd strings she had on hand, was separately stored to make up 3,000 strings—this was Yun Jieer’s dowry, which absolutely could not be touched.

Jin Niang then called Wei Yang over and said, “The Zhang family’s daughter will soon marry into our household, and the two of you will be posted elsewhere together. I’ve already spoken with your brother-in-law—we’ll have our two retainers, Ding San and Zhao Wu, accompany you for your safety.”

“Sister, I truly never expected I’d actually pass. I’m still in a daze. Honestly, whether I become an official or not doesn’t matter to me—I just want to stay with everyone.” Wei Yang felt a little afraid at the thought of being an official; he rarely even argued with others.

Jin Niang laughed. “What can we do? That's just how fortune smiled on you.”

For some reason, Wei Yang felt a pang of sadness when he thought of Hao Erlang’s attitude. “He didn’t pass, but I did. I never bragged about it, yet he suddenly started acting distant. We’ve spent months studying and discussing together—why?”

So that was the issue. Jin Niang smiled. “If it were me, I might not have the magnanimity either. You passed, he didn’t—of course he’s upset. Since that’s the case, why not be a little more understanding? Still, you should be careful. I heard of a scholar who passed the Metropolitan Exam but was tricked into going to Xiaoyun Tower, where he was forced to drink until he died. Now that you’ve earned your jinshi degree, there are plenty who’d love to see you humiliated or lost to drunkenness. You must be cautious.”

The siblings talked at length, mostly with Jin Niang giving advice and Yang Geer listening. Finally, Jin Niang handed him ten strings of money. “Take this for your needs—don’t be frugal.”

Yang Geer refused. “Sister, the Wei clan gave me fifty taels, and my father-in-law gave me 500 strings as start-up funds. I’m not short on money now.”

Seeing his firm refusal, Jin Niang said with relief, “Good, then I’ll keep it. It’ll be used for your wedding anyway.”

Back when the engagement was first settled, Zhang Shi had once remarked on how shabby the Wei family was. Who could have imagined she’d be proved wrong so swiftly? Wei Yang, still so young, had become a jinshi.

Zhou Cunzhi even had her send congratulatory gifts. When he saw she hadn’t prepared any, he directly instructed the external steward to deliver them. He personally went to the Jiang residence to offer his congratulations, and Jiang Xian called Wei Yang over to speak with him. After leaving the Jiangs, Zhou Cunzhi also visited Zhang Jiulang’s home.

“You’ve got good judgment. That young Wei man is truly a simple and honest fellow.”

When choosing a son-in-law, one ought to pick someone like this—no guile, just solid scholarship.

Zhang Jiulang laughed. “I saw how Shushi took special care to teach him, and considering he was a student at the Imperial Academy, plus Jin Niang’s competence, forming ties with the Wei family meant that even if he didn’t pass, he’d still have prospects. Who’d have thought he’d exceed expectations and pass on his first attempt?”

His daughter would soon be an official’s wife! No—he had to hurry the Wei family along with the wedding. These days, there were unscrupulous people who’d steal betrothed brides.

Seeing Zhang Jiulang distracted, Zhou Cunzhi didn’t linger. After boarding his sedan chair, he reflected that his twenty-year-old self would never have imagined his nearly forty-year-old self would end up like this.

Jin Niang, unaware of all these complicated matters, simply noticed that the Wei family had become much more cordial toward her, treating her with genuine equality.

Before, it had often felt as though Jin Niang was the one seeking favor from the Weis. Now that the Wei family had produced a jinshi, though they couldn’t stand as equals, their confidence had certainly grown.

Just as she was thinking this, her stomach moved, and she let out a soft “Aiyo!” Ning Geer immediately ran over and pressed his ear to her belly. “Mother, the baby’s turning again!”

Jin Niang patted her son’s little head. “You did just the same when you were in my belly.”

“Mother, I want to study here with you today.” For some reason, Ning Geer wanted to stay close to his mother—after all, he had once lived inside her belly too.

Jin Niang was happy to have her son grow closer to her. “Alright, you can do your homework here later. Go back to your room and eat first. I’ll rest on the couch for a bit—my back is sore. Come back after your meal.”

Once Ning Geer left, A Ying chuckled. “Now that our uncle has earned his jinshi degree, the most displeased must be Lady Xu. She’s always affecting airs about her literati background, yet none of her own relatives have passed the exams—she still relies on the master. Let’s see how she keeps up her pretenses in front of you now.”

“I just told you—the Wu family’s daughters may seem modest, polite, and delicate, but they’re not to be underestimated. The other day, when I met Xiao Wu Shi, her words and actions were exactly like those of Lady Wu we met in Daming Prefecture. Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law care deeply about reputation—who knows which of them will out-virtue the other?” Jin Niang shrugged.

A Ying suppressed a chuckle. “You’re right. The two of them will just compete to be the more ‘virtuous.’”

After chatting about this for a while, Jin Niang added, “Now that our uncle is getting married, we should hire more servants. We’ll set aside a room in the western wing of the second courtyard to use as a tea room—it’ll be suitable for preparing medicine or tea in the future. Also, we’ll need to hire a wet nurse and two maids to serve them.”

A Ying took note. “Actually, you should add two more people here as well. Qing Rong is reliable and often accompanies you, but Zi Teng is only good for menial tasks—she’s not suited for more delicate work. Leaving her to watch the house wouldn’t give me peace of mind either.”

"Alright, I'll leave all these matters to you," said Jin Niang.

After speaking, she suddenly slapped her forehead. "I almost forgot—next time, have Steward Fan bring some high-quality timber. We should prepare Yun Jieer's dowry in advance. Look at the Zhang family, marrying off their daughter as soon as the decision was made."

A Ying voiced her concern, "But who knows when we'll be able to save up enough money?"

"Indeed, the shop at Golden Beam Bridge has been vacant for nearly half a year. I’ll have someone check on it tomorrow." Jin Niang still felt there were too many expenses lately, making it difficult to invest. Reckless investments could backfire, so for now, she prioritized taking care of the child in her womb.

If the child was dutiful, no problem. But if it were a wastrel (spendthrift), even the grandest family fortune could be squandered.

Since they had previously helped Ru Yan with her wedding preparations, A Ying was well-versed in the process. Chen Xiaolang handled internal affairs, while Luo Da managed external matters. Once funds were allocated from the accounts, everyone sprang into action—tidying up the courtyard, hanging lanterns and red banners, hiring chefs and a bridal sedan. Though the household staff was small, they were all highly capable.

"The front hall can seat six tables, the flower hall three, and a few more in the garden—that should suffice." Jin Niang, supporting her belly, went to inspect the arrangements.

Just as she finished and was about to return, a gift arrived from outside, sent by the neighboring Lady Le'an. Jin Niang opened it to find a box of dewy jade hairpins, two jars of grape wine, and four boxes of the latest pastries from Fan Tower.

The servant wore a white silk *moxiong* (bandeau) and a blue silk beizi, dressed impeccably. Jin Niang examined the name card, which read: "From Lady Le'an, wife of the second son of the Marquis of Jin'an."

Realizing it was a noble family, Jin Niang quickly said, "With recent household affairs, I was unaware of our new neighbors. Once I’m free, I will surely pay a visit to greet you properly."

She then instructed A Ying to reward the messenger with one tael of silver and had Fang Ma send a box of candied oranges, two boxes of pastries from Huixian Tower, six perch brought by Steward Fan, and two jars of Qiongbo wine (a prized variety).

Upon returning, Fang Ma explained, "After the old marquis’s death, the marquisate split the inheritance, so the couple now lives next to us."

"Hmm, our master is a scholar-official. Associating with the imperial clan or nobility isn’t our usual practice—best to avoid giving censorate officials any grounds for criticism." Jin Niang was always cautious in such matters.

Fang Ma nodded. "You’re absolutely right."

Just as they finished speaking, Yun Jieer arrived, having just returned from practicing the *yueqin* (a lute-like instrument) in the garden. Jiang Xian had specially hired a master to teach her, but to avoid interfering with her studies, lessons were held for an hour each afternoon after school.

The girl already had a foundation from her time in Daming Prefecture, and now she was learning even more advanced fingering and compositions.

Jin Niang smiled. "Why come straight here?"

"Mother, it’s too noisy at home." Yun Jieer was accustomed to quiet.

Jin Niang chuckled. "Once your uncle is married and his official appointment comes through, everything will settle down. But you can’t blame the environment entirely—you must also learn to focus without distractions."

At eleven, Yun Jieer wasn’t entirely naive. She said, "Mother, I know Uncle passing the imperial exams is a great thing for our family, but I think Grandfather and Grandmother dote on him more."

Yun Jieer didn’t yet understand the concept of son preference, as her own parents treated her and her younger brother equally—even making him apologize when he misbehaved.

But not every family was like theirs.

Understanding her concern, Jin Niang smiled. "What can we do? If I spent my days fighting over such things, I’d be trapped forever."

This was why she had chosen to strike out on her own—earning her dowry, even buying her own home—knowing that even parents weren’t always reliable.

Yun Jieer nodded, half-understanding. Jin Niang kissed her daughter’s forehead. "The world is full of unfairness and inequality, but we must carve out our own place in it. Understand?"

"I understand. I love you the most, Mother." Sometimes, Yun Jieer felt incredibly fortunate.

Jin Niang reflected that some children were naturally loving, while others took kindness as their due.

Meanwhile, A Ying had brought back two maids skilled in making tea and pastries. Their expertise made them worth fifteen taels each—not only were they adept at brewing tea, but they could also prepare all sorts of fancy snacks.

Yang Geer now lived in a small courtyard within the garden, vacating the west wing. The two maids rested in the inner room while using the outer space to steep tea and decoct medicine.

This took some burden off Ju Xiang’s workload—pastries were now handled by the tea-serving maids, Hui Zhu and Xiao Yun.

Jin Niang asked them, "I heard you both are skilled at making various pastries? What exactly are your specialties?"

Xiao Yun smiled and replied, "I am most adept at making 'dripping crisp abalone spirals,' and can also make 'little pavilions.'"

The so-called "little pavilions" were pastries where dough was kneaded with locust flower juice to resemble dark tiles, maltose threads formed carved railings, jujube paste was shaped into miniature rockeries, mung bean powder was molded into moss-like textures, and mung bean jelly formed a pond with rippling waves. This set of pastries formed a miniature garden, a favorite among elite scholar-officials.

This was also why Jin Niang opted against hiring the Professional Caterers this time and instead had the household cooks prepare the banquet, saving a considerable sum. Otherwise, hiring a slightly renowned cook would require sending a sedan chair to fetch her, costing a hundred or two hundred strings of cash per visit.

"What about Hui Zhu?" Jin Niang asked the other girl.

Hui Zhu smiled and said, "Besides brewing tea, I can also make candied wintermelon fish, carved plum blossom balls, green plum lotus leaves, carved golden oranges, candied bamboo shoot flowers, and carved ginger preserves. Originally, my mother was a cook, and she even taught me a dish called 'crab-stuffed oranges' (a delicacy of crabmeat served in hollowed citrus)."

"Good. Tomorrow, make some of your specialty pastries first and let me see," Jin Niang said, unwilling to take their word for it without proof.

The next evening, Xiao Yun prepared several specialty pastries, starting with a "little pavilion," which cost less than one qian to make but would sell for at least three to five qian outside—and often poorly made at that. This one, however, was exceptionally well-made. There were also the dripping crisp abalone spirals, which had a rich, dense texture and were quite good.

Hui Zhu’s preserves took longer to prepare, but she sent over some drinks instead. Jin Niang couldn’t drink much, so she summoned Yang Geer over—he loved drinks the most. After he approved, Jin Niang felt reassured.

The two maids thus settled into the household. Luo Yue then came by to report that the tenants in the Stinking-Water Alley house had moved out.

"That old woman next door who got robbed keeps several vicious dogs. No matter how many times we’ve talked to her, she won’t listen. Now it’s made our house hard to rent out," Luo Yue said helplessly.

Jin Niang replied, "Then just leave it empty for now. Besides, you and Father live with me now."

Luo Yue suddenly said, "Jin Niang, I’ve been thinking—maybe we should just sell or pawn the house. Even if we don’t stay with you in the future, we could live in the small manor that came with the fifty acres we bought in the suburbs. Otherwise, constantly renting it out and collecting payments is too much trouble. We’ll give you the money from the sale, and the farmland in the countryside can go to your brother after our passing."

"Mother, you should keep it for yourself," Jin Niang refused.

Luo Yue waved her hand. "I don’t need it."

"Then do this: after selling the house, keep a hundred strings for yourself. The rest, you can give to my brother or me—it’s up to you," Jin Niang suggested.

Luo Yue acted decisively. She and Wei Xiong took a carriage to find a broker to sell the house, but the Stinking-Water Alley’s poor environment made it difficult.

Meanwhile, the shop at Golden Beam Bridge finally found a suitable tenant—a gold and jewelry store, rented at sixty strings a month, totaling 720 strings a year.

Jin Niang finally breathed a sigh of relief. "After waiting over half a year, it was worth it. Businesses like moneylenders or jewelers usually don’t leave after just a few days. This time, we’ll have stability for at least three years."

After calculating the household’s income: Sweetwater Alley brought in four hundred and fifty-six strings a year, Golden Beam Bridge’s rent was seven hundred and twenty strings, the two hundred acres of land in the capital yielded about a hundred and sixty strings, the warehouse rental profits were twelve hundred strings, Wu County’s land rent was three hundred and sixty strings, and Wu County’s lodging properties brought in over five hundred strings—totaling three thousand, three hundred and ninety-six strings.

But expenses were also high. The salaries for the bailiff, shopkeepers, senior stewards, skilled workers like the tea masters, and the maids’ monthly wages alone cost over a hundred strings a year—not including extra rewards. Then there were the children’s education expenses, stationery, and books, another hundred strings or so. Gifts for festivals, clothing, and jewelry required at least another hundred strings in preparation.

Fortunately, she planned to cover all these expenses with Jiang Xian’s official salary.

With that in mind, she took out Shu brocade with ten motifs, goose-yellow satin, and a few fashionable Jiangnan silks, then hired an outside embroiderer for ten strings to make new clothes for everyone to wear at Yang Geer’s wedding.

She also took her mother and daughter to the rented gold and jewelry shop—partly to support their business—and bought Luo Yue a pair of eggplant-shaped gold earrings, a ruyi hairpin (a symbolic ‘as-you-wish’ ornament), and a silver comb. For her daughter, she commissioned a delicate gold hair set, while she chose a seven-strand bridge-style floral gold hairpin for herself. Before leaving, she bought Jiang Xian a green jade-adorned headpiece.

Such gold and silver items were also status symbols. Jin Niang would buy them once or twice a year—after all, one couldn’t just save without spending.

For her daughter, for instance, a gold coronet and a silver coronet would suffice for her dowry. One set of jewelry a year was enough—no need for more.

Back home, Jin Niang gave Jiang Xian the green jade-adorned headpiece and heard that Hao Erlang was leaving. Puzzled, she asked, "Isn’t he studying at the National Academy in the capital?"

Jiang Xian shook his head. "This is why wealthy young men rarely achieve much. You always say Yang Geer is lazy, but he’ll strain his mind to solve any problem I give him. That’s why he often complains of headaches and wants to sleep."

"Fine. If he’s leaving, give him some comforting words," Jin Niang said.

Jiang Xian smiled. "Leave it to me."

Hao Erlang left first without saying a word to Wei Yang. Jin Niang, however, prepared farewell gifts for him and simply said, "If you come to the capital in the future, don’t hesitate to visit us."

This put Hao Erlang at ease. He genuinely thought Wei Yang was beneath him, yet Wei Yang had succeeded. Still, Wei Yang wasn’t a bad person—he just couldn’t face himself. Fortunately, Madam Wei didn’t mention anything.

After Hao Erlang left, Jin Niang had the guest room cleaned. She heard that Innkeeper Yao had smuggled Jiangnan silk to the capital, turning a tidy profit. He was quite tactful, sending Jin Niang two gold-embroidered handkerchiefs, two bolts of fashionable silk, three boxes of jade maiden peach blossom powder, twenty boxes of rouge, and twenty pots of lip rouge.

Yun Jieer, standing nearby, asked, "Mother, Rong Mama said the inn in Wu County is very profitable. Why does Innkeeper Yao give you roughly the same amount every year?"

Jin Niang smiled. "Ah, you’re still green. He’s a capable man—only he could grow the business this big. But without our family’s influence, he might not have succeeded there. If I were in Wu County, and your brother grew up to help me inspect the shops, the subordinates wouldn’t dare to slack off. But now, I’m too far away to manage everything. If I made a fuss now, what would happen to the Wu County inn? Who’s to say a new manager would be better? Sometimes, when you lack the means, you have to endure for the time being."

Innkeeper Yao was clever but not truly deceitful, so Jin Niang turned a blind eye.

As for Luo Da, he was a good man, decent at managing the estate, but utterly incapable of running a shop. Leasing out shops only shrank their prospects. Still, Luo Da was loyal, so he remained the chief steward.

"In the future, you’ll have all sorts of people under you—it’s all about how you use them."

In Daming Prefecture, Jin Niang had already taught her daughter to read account books. She also began bringing her along to various banquets to familiarize her with such affairs.

By early April, Luo Yue had pawned the house in the foul-smelling alley for 360 strings of cash. She wanted to give it all to Jin Niang, but Jin Niang only accepted 100 strings, saying, "Mother, didn’t you teach me that having money in hand keeps worries at bay? Why don’t you and Father keep 160 strings for your retirement, and give the remaining 100 to the bride?"

"To the bride? Not to your brother?" Luo Yue was puzzled.

Jin Niang laughed. "Mother, the Zhang family has taken a liking to Brother and is bringing a generous dowry, but we shouldn’t take it for granted. Giving her 100 strings yourself shows your goodwill. Besides, though our Wei family isn’t wealthy, you and Father have retirement funds and income from the fields—she won’t need to support you. That way, both sides can get along well."

Luo Yue nodded.

The Zhang family sent their daughter over in mid-April. Her trousseau spilled across several courtyards, and the side courtyard was decked out in red. Madam Wei sent her eldest daughter-in-law, Fan Shi, and Wei Liulang’s wife, Wang Shi (the legitimate daughter of Madam Wu, who had married in Daming Prefecture earlier that year and came to the capital with her husband for his studies).

That day, Luo Yue wore the hairpins and rings Jin Niang had commissioned for her at the goldsmith’s, looking quite splendid. As they chatted, tea and snacks were served.

This time, the family had specially hired a maid skilled in making pastries. Fan Shi remarked, "These butterflake pastries are exceptionally well-made!"

"The help just whipped this up. Thank you both for helping today," Jin Niang said modestly.

Fan Shi and Wang Shi both demurred.

The next day, the bride arrived. Though they hadn’t hired the Professional Caterers, Jin Niang had personally selected the dishes. The first course was a platter of fresh fruits—red, green, and yellow diced neatly—followed by a tray of dried fruits, carved preserves, and then the "tiered pastry pagodas."

Even Manor Manager Fan’s table had these delicate "tiered pastry pagodas," so exquisite that guests hesitated to eat them.

Next came drinks, with the neighboring county magistrate’s gift of grape wine served to the women, while the men enjoyed Huixian Tower’s vintage spirits.

Only then did the main courses arrive. Ju Xiang’s specialty appetizers—spiced lamb skewers and grilled lamb ribs—were served as the opening and closing dishes. In between were Wang Po’s crystal goose and Hui Zhu’s crab-filled citrus cups, along with a few less remarkable dishes that still earned praise.

Manor Manager Fan was thoroughly impressed. Though their table was only for the outer courtyard, they cleared the plates like locusts, and each guest left with a box of bridal candies.

As for how the newlyweds got along, when Zhang Pingjun returned to her parents three days later, she told her mother, "My mother-in-law handed me 100 strings for our household—I was quite startled!"

Mrs. Zhang inquired in detail about her daughter’s daily life. Zhang Pingjun replied, "My sister-in-law is pregnant, but she’s considerate, often sending me petite treats from the tea room. My mother-in-law is straightforward and lives two courtyards away. She told me there’s no need for stiff morning formalities—it’s better for everyone to be at ease."

"That’s good, that’s good. From what I see, you’ve landed softly—your husband is a scholar, your sister-in-law and mother-in-law aren’t meddlesome, far better than high-born families where you’d have to watch their every mood. But since they treat you well, don’t act aloof. If your husband gets an official post elsewhere, stick by him like your aunt. Otherwise, you might enjoy comfort now but lose everything later," Mrs. Zhang advised, both happy for her daughter and planning for her future.

Truly, a parent’s worry lasts a lifetime.