Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Apart from staying at his maternal grandfather’s house in Luoyang for many days, Wei Qilang had never lived in another household. Unexpectedly, however, he found his stay at the Jiang residence quite pleasant.

Especially the bathroom, which was even better furnished than the main house. Though the interior decorations were not as lavish as those in his own home, that wasn’t why he had come.

Breakfast was delivered directly from the kitchen—reportedly purchased outside, including Yunying-style noodles and Granny Cao’s meat pies. The household kitchen had prepared mung bean and lily porridge, salted duck eggs, two vegetarian buns, and two meat buns.

When Qing Rong brought the meal over, she said, “Our mistress usually buys one or two items from outside in the morning and pairs them with homemade dishes. Feel free to pick what you like, Young Master Wei.”

“Thank you, Sister Qing Rong. I like both the Yunying noodles and the porridge,” Wei Qilang replied promptly.

Qing Rong smiled. “As long as you’re happy. Once you’re done eating, you should head to school, so I won’t disturb you further. Oh, and the mistress mentioned that this evening, our master will take the family to Fanlou for dinner. She said you needn’t come to greet her after returning—just focus on your studies first.”

Wei Qilang was delighted once again.

To Yun Jieer and Ning Geer, this was completely normal. Their parents often took them out for food and entertainment, so the siblings sometimes preferred staying home quietly to do needlework or read.

But for Wei Qilang, who rarely had the chance to go out, it was like a bird escaping its cage—a taste of freedom. His mother had always been overly protective. Even when he did go out, it was usually to the mansions of high-ranking officials, seldom for fun outings in the market like watching wrestling or acrobatics.

“Uncle, Aunt, I see a stall selling windmills over there. I’d like to buy a set for Cousin Ding,” Wei Qilang said.

Jin Niang smiled and told him it wasn’t necessary, while Jiang Xian raised an eyebrow. The kid’s actions felt strangely familiar.

About ten days later, Jin Niang finished making his new clothes—a breathable inner robe of blue fabric with white cranes, covered by a short-sleeved sheer overrobe embroidered with jade hairpin flowers. The belt was also blue with jade hairpin flower embroidery, and the shoes had matching uppers.

When Wei Qilang came out wearing them, Jin Niang couldn’t help but say to Jiang Xian, “Wow, this child is truly handsome.”

Jiang Xian gave a faint “Hmm” and, when no one was looking, pinched Jin Niang’s waist. She shot him an angry glare.

Wei Qilang approached slowly. “Thank you, Aunt, for your kindness in making this outfit for me.”

“No need for thanks. Tomorrow is your day off, so rest well at home. I’ll be going to the temple with your cousin, and your uncle will be here. If you need anything, just send someone to him,” Jin Niang said.

For some reason, Wei Qilang added, “Aunt, why don’t I escort you and Cousin there? Though we’re under the emperor’s rule, it’s not always entirely safe.”

Jiang Xian was speechless. *I’ve already assigned four retainers to accompany them—isn’t that enough?* He had only wanted to stay home and admire a newly acquired painting, but now this boy was butting in.

So Jiang Xian said, “Nephew, there’s no need for that. Stay home—I plan to teach you some clever techniques for essay structuring tomorrow.”

Jin Niang, unaware of the undercurrents between the two, heard Jiang Xian mention studies and chimed in, “Yes, good child, you should stay home and listen to your uncle’s teachings.”

Wei Qilang bowed respectfully. “Understood.”

Jiang Xian thought smugly, *You’re still too inexperienced. Becoming my son-in-law won’t be so easy.* A few days prior, he had run into Grand Academician Wei—his so-called brother-in-law—whose words had hinted at such an intention. Otherwise, why would he entrust his son to their care?

For others, this would be an excellent match—after all, it was said that one should marry daughters above their station and sons below. Both he and his wife had decided to move on from old hang-ups. Once he rose to the fourth or third rank, wouldn’t there be plenty of good marriage prospects?

It seemed the Wei family had good taste.

But Jiang Xian didn’t mention any of this to Jin Niang. Since Grand Academician Wei hadn’t explicitly stated it, it wasn’t his place to bring it up. If this backfired, it might make future interactions awkward.

That night, by the flickering candle’s glow, Jin Niang took a sip of fragrant tea and said, “Since my grandmother passed, no one in our family has returned to Anlu, so her ashes remain at Renwang Temple. My parents sent a letter in March along with twenty strings of cash, asking me to pay respects for them. Tomorrow, while I’m away, you should rest well at home.”

Jiang Xian took a sip from her teacup before replying, “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I won’t. I’ve even taken on another job—as a wedding luck-bringer,” Jin Niang said with a laugh.

Jiang Xian sighed. “Dear, we’re doing fine now. Maybe you should stop taking these jobs—no need to wear yourself out.”

Jin Niang shook her head: "This is nothing. Why pass up good money? It’s just a formality anyway, and our household expenses have grown quite a bit now."

More mouths to feed means higher costs, but there's no helping it—some costs are unavoidable.

Look at Jiang Xian—he gets paid for his calligraphy work, but when he wants to buy a famous painting, he still needs to withdraw money from the accounts, and those fees alone might not be enough. Then there’s all the spending on hairpins, jewelry, and clothes for Jin Niang and the others each year.

Money’s money—why turn it down?

The next day, Jin Niang and Yun Jieer arrived very early, reaching the temple before the sun had even risen. She said to her daughter, "Though we burn incense and pray to the Buddha, we shouldn’t take these things too seriously. Many legends are just forced interpretations."

Yun Jieer nodded. "Like you always say, we make our own luck."

"That’s the right attitude. Today, we’ll also have a vegetarian meal here. This temple’s vegetarian food is famous, much better than the one we visited last time," Jin Niang said with a smile.

Mother and daughter walked forward together, first donating incense money, then preparing yellow paper and incense to pay respects to their grandmother.

Jin Niang barely knew this grandmother. After the memorial, they listened to a sermon by Master Faneng before heading to the guest resting quarters.

As soon as they stepped in, they bumped into someone they knew. "Sister-in-law."

The Third Lady Zhou smiled. "You’re here too, sister-in-law! Come, let’s talk."

It turned out she had come with Zhou Cunzhi’s wife and concubines, specifically to pray for Zhou Cunzhi’s bastard son’s health. Concubine Guo’s boy nearly died during the New Year and was saved by a revered monk from this temple, so they had come to fulfill their vow.

Unlike the provinces, the capital was full of high-ranking officials, and this was a royal temple—they’d never shut it down for just anyone.

Jin Niang saw Concubine Guo again. She had a soft way about her, and Jin Niang hadn’t realized Zhou Cunzhi favored such a temperament. She also noticed the child, about five or six years old, who was quite handsome.

Jin Niang, who spoiled her own little boy, Ding Geer, said to Concubine Guo, "It’ll get better as he grows older."

She then produced a white jade amulet as a gift for the child. Concubine Guo, seeing Jin Niang’s kind and gentle demeanor, quickly stood to thank her.

After exchanging pleasantries, the vegetarian meal was served. Jin Niang took the opportunity to speak with Xiang Ming, who now wore her hair in a married woman’s style, adorned with a gilded silver headpiece and several gold hairpins. She lit up seeing Jin Niang, but then shrank a little. "Sister Jin Niang, I never thought you’d still acknowledge me."

"What kind of talk is that? What we have goes deeper than that. It’s just that I couldn’t invite you out alone," Jin Niang said.

Besides, they no longer interacted much with the Zhou family.

Xiang Ming smiled bitterly. "I know how good you’ve been to me, sister. But I’ve been out in the cold for ages—our lord now dotes on Concubine Guo, and I might as well be invisible."

"You’ve already borne a daughter. Raising her well is just as meaningful. Look how Third Lady’s making Concubine Lv proud?" Jin Niang could only console her this way.

She’d never been good at the bedroom politics, especially since Concubine Guo hadn’t resorted to any underhanded tactics. In fact, Concubine Guo had her own miseries—her son had barely survived. Jin Niang could only offer such comfort.

With that, she untied a jade pendant from her waist and handed it over. "Since your daughter isn’t here today, give this to her when she comes."

Xiang Ming accepted it and poured out more grievances. "I was too naive back then, thinking that because I was younger and cleverer than the madam, I’d be favored. Now I realize men also want support—they love wealth too."

Jin Niang thought to herself, *Isn’t that perfectly normal?* As the saying goes, when the purse is thin, love grows cold. Take Jiang Xian—his salary was enough to support himself alone, allowing him to buy antiques and paintings, but raising a large family was another matter. A pair of antique jade cups cost a hundred taels of silver, and a mutton-fat jade vase another hundred.

Thus, Jin Niang set aside two hundred taels a year in the accounts just for his purchases.

Then there were his clothes, shoes, hats, and headpieces—all had to be of the finest quality.

Fortunately, their daughter’s dowry was nearly saved up, the grand house had been bought, and household expenses weren’t too high. Jin Niang was happy to dress him up and spoil him.

So she said, "Don’t we women also admire talent and good looks? Si Er, you originally hoped to escape your past life. Now that you’ve achieved that, there’s no need to be overly anxious about gains and losses. Play the long game."

Xiang Ming had once been quite perceptive, but being confined to the inner quarters in a small world had twisted her perspective. Hearing Jin Niang’s words, she suddenly understood. "Sister Jin Niang is right."

"Let's go, we should join the feast now, or they’ll wonder what’s keeping us," said Jin Niang.

The two entered shortly after one another. Seeing that everyone had nearly finished eating, Jin Niang instructed Cui Huan to purchase another serving of vegetarian meal, packed in a food box, to bring back for Jiang Xian and the children to try.

Whenever she returned from outside, not just the children but even Jiang Xian would eagerly paw at her sleeves, as if she had hidden some treats.

It was too hot outside, so Jin Niang rested with her daughter in the room before heading back. On the way home, she had someone stop by a beverage shop to buy chilled delights like honey shaved ice, sweet milk ice, frothy plum wine, and cherry cream pastries. Spotting someone buying green lotus buns, she also picked up a few steamers.

Upon returning home, as soon as Jin Niang mentioned the chilled drinks, everyone gathered.

However, she turned to Wei Qilang and asked, "Can you eat ice?"

Wei Qilang nodded eagerly, but when Jin Niang checked with his maids and nanny, they all looked hesitant. She relented, "Then wait a bit before having any—it's too cold now."

Wei Qilang pouted, "Auntie, I’ll be fine! Once, I was with Wang Dalang when he died, and I was completely unharmed."

"Fine, just one bite," Jin Niang conceded, having someone bring a small dish and scooping a portion of sweet milk ice for him.

Jiang Xian quickly poured himself some frothy plum wine, taking a satisfied sip before eyeing the cherry cream pastry. Jin Niang glanced at him, "That one’s mine."

"I want some," Jiang Xian insisted, gazing at her.

Jin Niang finally relented, "Alright."

The couple shared the cherry cream pastry, and Jin Niang also sent a steamer of green lotus buns to Ju Xiang so she could taste something from outside.

Wei Qilang watched in amazement. The Jiang Xian he usually saw was quite composed—he hadn’t expected this side of him. Meanwhile, Yun Jieer and Ning Geer had already devoured their portions of sweet milk ice and honey shaved ice.

After the little afternoon treat, Jin Niang, fearing drowsiness, went to her room to read, while the others dispersed.

Dinner was served in the flower pavilion—a mix of monastery-style vegetarian dishes, two cold meat dishes, and a soup made with radish balls. The family ate their fill.

After the meal, they took a stroll to cool down. It was quiet, with no elaborate music or entertainment, yet Wei Qilang found it incredibly soothing, like Tao Yuanming’s idyllic retreat.

No disturbances, no ugliness that crossed moral lines—the Jiang household was just... normal.

It was wonderful. Look—Uncle was teaching them to identify the twelve constellations in the sky.

A few days later, Jin Niang donned the silver-gilded crown she had made the previous year, adorned with hairpins with dangling charms and fresh flowers at her temples, and went to the Tao family to serve as the Complete Fortune Matron. She was selective about such roles—otherwise, her efforts would be wasted.

There, she ran into an acquaintance: Madam Bai, who used to frequent her Embroidery Shop for clothing. But Madam Bai seemed to be faring poorly. In summer, most wore light gauze dresses, yet hers was yellowed, clearly years old, and she had only a single silver hairpin, her hair wrapped in a scarf.

"Who is this?" Jin Niang asked the maid leading her in.

The maid sneered, "Madam Shaopeng—no good. She always shows up during our family’s celebrations to mooch. Our master and mistress are furious. She was once a lady from an official’s family, but her kin were demoted for corruption."

Jin Niang sighed inwardly. What a shame.

Today, the bride’s family gifted her sixty-six taels of silver, two rolls of brocade (one with twin peaches and ruyi motifs, the other with red floral designs), two bolts of patterned gauze (cloud and peacock designs), two sets of jewelry, four types of fresh fruit, a set of wine vessels, and two boxes of silk flowers.

Upon returning, most items were stored away, but the fruit wouldn’t last. Jin Niang had the kitchen turn them into two jars of fruit wine, distributing the rest among the household.

The brocade and gauze were of good quality, so she had them stored for her daughter’s future dowry.

Just as the items were put away, Wei Qilang returned from school with an invitation. "Aunt, there’s a polo game in the capital in a few days. Since Cousin is skilled at polo, I secured an invitation for her."

Jin Niang examined it—a polo event hosted by Princess Shanzhen. She didn’t treat Wei Qilang as a child but asked, "Yun Jieer would surely love it, but as civil officials, is it appropriate for us to mingle with Imperial relatives?"

"Don’t worry, Aunt. Our family and the Fans will be attending too. It’s just polo—no big deal," Wei Qilang reassured her.

Jin Niang then nodded, "Then I'll tell your cousin. She’ll be thrilled."

Wei Qilang left satisfied. That day, when he got home, his father examined his studies and found he had made huge improvement. In truth, he hadn’t stayed up late studying as before, yet the results were better—all because his uncle checked his homework daily and, during breaks, would explain how to break down essay prompts.

Apart from that, it was all about nonstop practice. Ning Geer had said the same—his policy analysis essays used to be weak, but by continuously practicing and writing, he improved rapidly.

After exchanging a few more words, Wei Qilang went to the front study to work on assignments with Ning Geer.

Jin Niang continued reading for a while before rising to embroider.

This time, she intended to embroider the Purplerobed Guanyin. The previous piece had been gifted to the Wei family, so she had to sketch a new pattern and embroider it carefully, starting fresh.

The next day, their neighbor, Madam Shi, invited them to her garden pavilion for wine. Jin Niang took the children along, but midway, Madam Shi felt unwell and called for a woman doctor.

Unexpectedly, it was yet another old acquaintance. Jin Niang mused that this month seemed to bring reunions with old acquaintances.

Lou Siniang was equally astonished to see Jin Niang there. Her family had kept in touch with Ying Niang, but ever since the Wei family’s grandmother passed, Wei Xiong and Luo Yue had stopped speaking to the rest of the Wei clan.

She assumed it was because they had become officials and had to keep up appearances.

Thus, Lou Siniang didn’t say anything, only mentioning it to Feng Sheng afterward. Feng Sheng, now forty-five and growing a beard, had run the clinic with her for over a decade, building a decent reputation around Jinliang Bridge.

Their eldest son, Lin Geer, though not scholarly, excelled in ophthalmology, even landing a spot in the imperial hospital. While still young, he opened his own clinic, and the family’s earnings allowed them to purchase over a thousand acres of land. His wife came from a scholarly family and gave him a grandson soon after marriage.

Their second son, Guan Geer, was still studying in Xiangfu County’s school. Though average in ability, the family’s wealth ensured his education.

Their third son, born to Lou Siniang five years prior when she thought she could no longer conceive, was exceptionally bright. Named Yun Geer, his name meant ‘rising to greatness’.

After hearing Lou Siniang’s account, Feng Sheng’s memory came back. "You did right not to call out. Jiang Shiliu is now a top official like the Deputy Secretariat Director. Since there’s no prior connection, it’s best not to engage."

Though years had passed, he had indeed plotted to get rid of Rong Niang. But no scheme worked unless the target willingly stepped into it. Had Rong Niang not been so easily swayed, he wouldn’t have felt so justified.

Time had changed things. He feared no one—except that sister-in-law of his.

Back when he and Rong Niang spoke of Jin Niang, he often dismissed her—plump, odd, and used to be a servant. Yet she was shrewd, patient in failure, she didn’t marry till her late twenties only for her husband to become a scholar within years.

Now an official herself, he’d only learned of it through deliberate inquiry.

How could commoners contend with officials? You’d have to be crazy to try.

Lou Siniang smiled. "I thought the same. Their home, next to the Li family, is a grand estate now, with many children."

"I’ve got to go to Qizhou for herbs. I’ll leave the household to you," Feng Sheng said.

Lou Siniang frowned. "Send someone else. You’re not young anymore."

Feng Sheng chuckled. "I don’t trust others with this. Qizhou’s white-flowered snakes are often faked. We might as well buy in bulk. Don’t worry—after this, I’ll delegate."

"Very well. Yun Geer misses you. Come back safely." Lou Siniang treated her stepsons well, but her own son held her heart—especially one born past thirty.

Children softened people.

Feng Sheng took only the procurement funds, leaving two thousand taels with Lou Siniang. "When I return, we’ll use this to buy land for Yun Geer."

The clinic was their joint effort, but Yun Geer was too young. He had to secure his youngest’s future.

Lou Siniang, principled, hesitated. "If the elder sons find out you’re buying land privately, what will they think? Better not."

"The eldest is married. For the second, I’ll arrange a match soon and split the family assets soon. Then we’ll have peace." Feng Sheng knew he’d soon reach fifty. If death came, what would become of Lou Siniang and Yun Geer?

Lou Siniang gave a firm nod, "Alright."

They quickly put the encounter with Jin Niang out of their minds, and Jin Niang didn’t plan to mention it either. Since Lady Shi had come down with heatstroke earlier, she had the children wash up and rest upon returning.

Yun Jieer said, "Mother, I’ll go check on Second Brother."

"Alright, but don’t wake him if he’s already asleep," Jin Niang replied warmly, pleased that her daughter was learning to care for others.

Yun Jieer went to Ding Geer’s room and found him standing while holding onto a chair. She played with him for a while before leaving. As she stepped out, she spotted Wei Qilang standing under the corridor and asked curiously, "Seventh Cousin, aren’t you going back in this heat?"

"Oh, I was just about to visit our little cousin. I’ll go in now," Wei Qilang replied hastily.

Yun Jieer eyed him skeptically and reminded him, "Don’t get him too riled up, or he’ll get too excited and start sweating."

Wei Qilang chuckled, "Don’t worry, I won’t. I’ve already spoken to Aunt—I’ll help Uncle bathe him later."

Yun Jieer tilted her head. "Seventh Cousin, can you even handle that?"

"Hey, don’t sell me short!" Wei Qilang retorted before leisurely entering Ding Geer’s room.

Yun Jieer shook her head and walked off. Back in her own room, she lit a stick of calming incense but didn’t rest immediately. Instead, she bathed first, then asked her new maid, Cuilan, to fetch her riding attire.

In this blistering heat, this Seventh Cousin still insisted she go horseback riding—what a dumb idea! Yet, he somehow managed to charm Mother effortlessly. Before he arrived, she had been the eldest sister in the household, her words unquestioned by both parents. But now, he took all the advantages, even competing to bathe her little brother! So unfair!