Chapter 138

Chapter 138

A few days after the Jiang family moved in, Mrs. Song sent over some welcoming gifts, and Jin Niang also brought housewarming gifts in return.

Seeing Mrs. Song again, she hadn’t changed much—still elegant and dignified. Yet Jin Niang no longer felt the same unease as before, perhaps because her status as a noblewoman of the fourth rank gave her confidence.

When Mrs. Song saw Jin Niang, a phrase came to mind—though not entirely fitting, it roughly captured the sentiment:

*Once we were equals; now I must defer to you.*

She was immensely grateful that back when Jiang Xian had passed the imperial examinations and ranked first in the Kaifeng prefectural exams, they had sent generous travel funds as a gesture.

"We must visit each other more often," Jin Niang said awkwardly. She had never been particularly skilled at socializing and often worried about making others uncomfortable.

Mrs. Song smiled. "Of course! I’d love to hear how you’ve been all these years. If I recall correctly, you were assigned to the south, weren’t you?"

Jin Niang nodded. "Indeed. We first served in Wuxian, then later in Daming Prefecture before returning to the capital. It’s been about five or six years since we came back."

Jiang Xian had been in office for nearly twelve years now, and his promotions had been relatively swift.

Mrs. Song remarked, "I always knew your husband was no ordinary man."

"It’s thanks to divine favor," Jin Niang replied with a smile.

After staying only long enough for a cup of tea, Jin Niang prepared to leave. This time, her housewarming gifts were quite generous—four bolts of fine brocade, a whole lamb, two boxes of pastries, and two packages of bird’s nest.

Mrs. Song had once been the daughter of a high-ranking official, and her husband was a top graduate—among the elite. But once her father lost his position, people quickly distanced themselves. Her husband, after being implicated in a scandal while assisting the Song family, saw his career stagnate.

It was only after appealing to one of her father’s former protégés that he secured a minor post, but the man treated him with little respect, bossing him around disrespectfully. After years of toiling in provincial assignments, he was only appointed as a compiler at the Jixian Academy due to a recommendation from his former mentor.

Such trials had worn down her husband’s ambition. Mrs. Song’s children were around the same age as Jin Niang’s, especially her daughter, who had blossomed like a peony—graceful and aristocratic.

"Song'er, what brings you here?" Mrs. Song asked, her demeanor softening at the sight of her daughter.

Jiang Song sat down gracefully. "Mother, why were you so courteous to that Mrs. Jiang next door?"

"The Jiang family is no ordinary household. Jiang Xian was once your father’s student, but now their positions are reversed—he holds a fourth-rank post, while your father is merely sixth-rank." As the daughter of an official, Mrs. Song understood these distinctions all too well.

In officialdom, seniority mattered, but rank mattered even more.

Jiang Song shook her head. "If I’d known earlier, we wouldn’t have bought a house here. Our estate near Yiqiu Gate was perfectly fine."

"That house may be large, but it’s been empty for too long, and it’s too remote. The area near Jinliang Bridge is livelier, and it’s closer to the Wei family," Mrs. Song said with a smile.

At this, Jiang Song’s face flushed slightly.

During their journey up the river, they had encountered water bandits and were rescued by the Wei family’s young master. Her father, impressed by the boy’s solid scholarship despite his youth, had tested his knowledge briefly. But since Wei Qilang was in a hurry to continue his travels, the two families had parted ways.

Her mother added, "Learned men often marry late—taking a wife too early can distract them from their studies."

Jiang Song had never seen such a handsome young man before—not some bookish weakling, but someone capable enough to fend off bandits.

Even she, usually so aloof, felt her heart stir.

Mrs. Song had a handsome dowry and a knack for managing finances. She could easily provide her daughter with tens of thousands in dowry money, which would be considered among the finest in Bianjing. With her husband now a respectable civil official, arranging a prestigious match would be effortless.

As the mother and daughter chatted, a servant announced that Madam Meng from across the street had arrived. Mrs. Song stood to welcome her.

Meanwhile, after returning from the Song residence, Jin Niang found herself laughing to herself. Jiang Xian, noticing his wife’s amusement, asked, "My dear, what’s so amusing?"

"I was just thinking about our days in Sweetwater Alley, when I was constantly preoccupied with making money and making book satchels. In the blink of an eye, over a decade has passed. Doesn’t time fly?" Jin Niang now still did needlework, but just for fun, without any utilitarian purpose.

Yet those days of frenzied money-making and sewing had also been quite fulfilling.

Jiang Xian held Jin Niang’s hand and said, "Darling, these are truly the good days."

"I think so too. Seeing an old friend today just made me sentimental." The Madam Wei and Madam Meng Jin Niang usually associated with were acquaintances made after they’d made their mark. Suddenly encountering someone from the past stirred memories of bygone days.

The next day, Ning Geer returned home on his day off from school, bringing two classmates from the county school with him. One was surnamed Fang, the other Kuang. Jiang Xian and Jin Niang treated them like their own nephews. Though the young Fang was not from a noble family, he carried an air of calm demeanor, remarkably steady for his age, while the young Kuang appeared well-mannered.

After greeting the adults, Ning Geer took them to his room to chat. Young Kuang scratched the back of his head earnestly and said, "Jiang Ning, your home is like a palace."

Ning Geer shrugged. "Brother Kuang, you’re exaggerating. My home is nothing special. My parents scrimped to buy this house, and it’s far from the mansions of the wealthy. But my parents love collecting books—after dinner, we can go read."

Both Fang and Kuang agreed.

At mealtime, the Jiang household did not serve an extravagant feast—just six modest dishes and a soup: one cold dish, two vegetable dishes, two meat dishes, and one fried meatball dish.

As Jin Niang dined with Jiang Xian, she remarked, "I think Ning Geer’s two friends are quite promising. I heard next year Kaifeng Prefecture will select one top candidate for the Imperial Academy and two others as reserves. I hope they all make it."

"What if our son doesn’t pass?" Jiang Xian’s first thought was whether he should call in favors.

Jin Niang replied, "If he doesn’t pass, he’ll just keep studying. What else should a boy his age do? Even if he got in through connections, it wouldn’t sit right."

Jiang Xian chuckled. "You’re right, my dear. That’s exactly what I think too."

"I’m glad you think so." Jin Niang had been worried Jiang Xian might try to secure their son’s admission through backdoor means. His words reassured her.

After the meal, Ning Geer and his friends went to the garden’s library. Luo-shu always greeted Ning Geer with, "Our little scholar is back!"

Though it was fine when family said it, hearing it in front of his classmates made Ning Geer blush furiously.

Fang Silang and young Kuang covered their giggles. Once upstairs, the three lit up at the sight of the floor-to-ceiling books. Ning Geer said, "These new books must have been bought by my mother. Over there are past examination essays and our family’s heirloom books—but they can only be read here, not taken out."

Fang Silang and young Kuang thought, *This must be what it means for a family to pass down scholarship through generations.*

While they studied, Jin Niang sent servants with hot tea and snacks, instructing Luo-shu not to disturb them.

Though the adults paid little attention to their son’s visiting classmates, Ding Geer wanted to play with the older boys. Yun Jieer brought Ding Geer to Jin Niang, laughing. "Look how eager our little busybody is to join the fun."

"Children always love playing with older kids. But his brothers are studying and don’t have time for him. In a few days, when your father is off duty, we’ll have a family grill-out in the garden." Jin Niang mused that having children too late in life did have its drawbacks—she couldn’t devote as much attention to Ding Geer as she had to her eldest daughter and son.

It wasn’t intentional neglect, just a matter of waning energy.

Grill-out was Jiang Xian’s specialty. He changed into a gray-black robe and had servants light the fire under the corridor before starting. Jin Niang usually avoided grilled food for fear of overheating, but today’s family outing called for indulgence.

Paired with warm almond milk, Jin Niang ate over a dozen skewers herself. Ding Geer grew livelier, standing beside Jiang Xian like a curious little monkey. Seeing his snow-white kiddo, Jiang Xian couldn’t help but dote on him, the two whispering secrets.

Yun Jieer teased her brother, "Erlang, show us a jig, and I’ll give you this skewer too."

Unabashed, Ding Geer spun in circles, arms outstretched, shaking his body—who knew where he’d learned it?

Only after finishing his dance did his sister reward him with a bite of meat.

The day was joyous, but the grill-out had its aftermath: Jin Niang sprouted two boils on her head, Yun Jieer developed mouth blisters, Jiang Xian had a toothache, and even Ding Geer suffered mild constipation.

The household had to live on water chestnuts (believed to cool internal heat in TCM) and mung bean soup for the next three days to recover.

At home, Jin Niang had already begun designing wedding attire. Over the years, her experience as a *quanfuren* (Complete Fortune Matron) and attending numerous weddings had exposed her to many wedding robes.

The daughter is tall and has a dignified appearance. Next year, a shoulder-draping headdress will be crafted for her, adorned with gold, silver, pearls, and jade. As for the wedding attire, the wide-sleeved ceremonial cape will be embroidered with peonies, the embroidered bodice with pomegranates, and the inner garment’s front panels will be embellished with pearls.

Of course, the pearls won’t be the prized northern pearls but rather good-quality round ones. Jin Niang directly spent fifty taels of silver to purchase two thousand pearls.

Nowadays, the price of silver is two strings of cash per tael, making each pearl roughly fifty wen. These were bought using her own personal savings to help her daughter.

Don’t underestimate a dowry. Back when she married into the Jiang family, aside from someone like Xu Shi, most people didn’t consider it marrying above her station because her dowry appeared quite substantial.

Now it’s her daughter’s turn, and as the daughter of an official’s family, it must be even more extravagant.

Though Jin Niang claims she’ll start embroidering next year, she prefers to prepare early. So once the design was finalized, she began sourcing materials and got to work.

Meanwhile, Zhou Si was in a fluster. She went to the goldsmith’s to order fashionable jewelry for her daughter, only to find that the price of gold had skyrocketed. What used to cost less than thirty strings now required sixty or seventy strings for a single set.

As for furniture, rosewood was out of the question, and even yellow rosewood was expensive. Even mahogany was pricey, so she had to settle for the cheaper chicken-wing wood.

"Mother, why are you in such a hurry?" Eldest Miss Sun asked, noticing Zhou Si’s sweat-drenched face.

Zhou Si shook her head. "The family just sent two hundred strings from back home, but it’s probably not even enough for the jewelry and furniture. This pressure for extravagant dowries is truly ruinous."

Eldest Miss Sun was stunned. "Mother, it seems we haven’t even prepared the porcelain yet."