Since Jiang Xian now served as the Imperial Diarist, Advisor Song, who specialized in legal matters, no longer had a place in his service. Jiang Xian helped introduce him to several officials about to take up local magistrate posts. Jin Niang also gave him six strings of cash for travel expenses, along with six pairs of wax candles and a set of shoes and a hat.
Having lived harmoniously with the family for over six years, Advisor Song was given a farewell feast prepared by the kitchen under Chen the young servant and Liu Dou'er.
Advisor Song had lived and eaten at the Jiang residence, receiving new clothes for all four seasons. Over six years, he had saved over six hundred strings of cash. Now, the master of the house had even found him a new position, and the parting gift was generous, making for an amicable departure.
Jin Niang was just saying to Jiang Xian, "With your thirty-string salary, and now that we no longer have the expense for Advisor Song, our household has more than enough."
The household's rice, poultry, fish, meat, and even eggs all came from the estate. Now, the main expenses were just the servants' monthly wages, ice for the summer, and daily miscellaneous costs, which didn't amount to much silver.
Seeing the weather had turned slightly cooler and his wife had taken up her embroidery again, Jiang Xian asked, "Is this another Guanyin embroidery?"
"Yes. Yesterday, I went to the temple with my mother and saw someone selling paintings of the Child-Granting Guanyin outside. I spent a string of cash to buy one and came back feeling inspired to embroider it," Jin Niang said with a laugh. She planned to finish the Child-Granting Guanyin first, then embroider hollyhocks on the pale blue-green satin she had bought at Donghua Gate.
After hearing her out, Jiang Xian lay down on a nearby daybed, letting out a relaxed sigh. "My dear, currently by the Emperor's side, I dare not draw attention to myself. But once an opportunity arises, I'm afraid my official rank may rise quite quickly."
Jin Niang felt for her husband. "You must still be cautious. I worry for you."
"It's fine. The moment I return home like this, I feel completely at peace," Jiang Xian said.
Jin Niang exchanged a few more quiet words with him. Seeing he had fallen asleep, she focused on her delicate embroidery. When her daughter came over, Jin Niang gave her some pointers on needlework and then said, "Your father is resting, let's speak softly. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, we will find a tutor for you at home, specifically to teach you the yueqin. Privately, I think you must still study. If your father hires a tutor for your younger brother's studies, you can also study behind a screen. That would be proper learning, not just for fun."
What child wants to study? Sister Jun tried to wheedle her way out of it, but Jin Niang could only persuade her: "I was just like you, I only studied for three years, which is better than many. You've also only studied for three years. If you study a few more years, even though you cannot take the imperial exams, the knowledge will surely be useful in the future, and you won't be easily deceived."
She had considered two paths for her daughter: one was to master embroidery, a skill that would certainly allow her to earn money in the future; the other was to study and bring prosperity to the family. If the husband she married failed in the imperial examinations, she could still teach her own sons.
In this world, having wealth without power often leads to being bullied.
Therefore, this time she ignored her daughter's pleas.
Seeing Jin Niang so serious, Sister Jun had to agree. Jin Niang smiled again and said, "Later, I'll have the meal served in the flower pavilion. Let's eat there, alright?"
Sister Jun immediately clapped her hands, then remembered Jiang Xian was sleeping and stuck out her tongue.
"Tomorrow, make a set of clothes each for your maternal grandmother and grandfather. You can decide on the patterns and styles yourself," Jin Niang assigned her the task.
With her parents living in the residence, both Sister Jun and Brother Ning were delighted. Luo Yu'e usually loved flowers and plants and had a low threshold for laughter. When the children told jokes, even if Jin Niang was just politely amused, her mother was an exceptionally enthusiastic audience. So, the two children got along very well with their maternal grandparents.
Now, being asked to make clothes as a filial gesture, Sister Jun nodded eagerly. "Mother, don't worry."
Mother and daughter chatted quietly as they continued their needlework. When Jiang Xian woke up, the family of four went to eat in the flower pavilion with its lattice windows. The scent of flowers wafted from all around, a gentle breeze brushed against them, and the family of four felt utterly comfortable.
Six dishes and a soup were laid out on the table, and they were all finished cleanly.
After the meal, Jin Niang and Jiang Xian strolled hand-in-hand among the flowers. As a married couple at ease, and being in their own home, they weren't afraid of gossip.
Then she heard Jiang Xian ask, "Has Second Sister-in-Law Zhou come by?"
Jin Niang shook her head. "She has not. But we cannot just swallow this injustice silently. I only mentioned it to Zhang the Ninth's wife. It's enough for her to know; I didn't make it public."
"If she hasn't come to see you, she's undoubtedly upset with you," Jiang Xian immediately pointed out the truth.
Jin Niang said, "Who knows?"
Since they didn't interact much anyway, she didn't particularly care. Jin Niang was currently on an upward path. She had joined the Wei family through adoption, and if her brother succeeded in the imperial exams and gained an official post, the Wei family might not fare worse than her in the future.
In the second courtyard, Luo Yu'e was also talking to Younger Brother Yang. "Your sister has asked your brother-in-law to take you to present your writings to influential figures. This is an opportunity your classmates likely don't have. Now the family also has someone to escort you, so you must study diligently."
"I understand," Younger Brother Yang, always good-natured, replied.
Luo Yu'e picked a chicken wing for him. "If you strive to make something of yourself, your sister will stand taller, and your father and I can also hold our heads high living here."
Hearing his mother repeat this over and over, Younger Brother Yang felt a surge of irritation, then immediately felt unfilial, and ended up finishing his meal in silence.
Fortunately, Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e soon coaxed him, and he felt better.
Soon it was Mid-Autumn Festival. Jin Niang was sending Ying to deliver festival gifts: first to the Wei family, the Fan family, and the Liu family who had once taught Jiang Xian. Although Minister Liu was not in the capital, his eldest son, Liu Dalang, was. After these three families, who received the most gifts, came the parents-in-law, elder brother and sister-in-law at the old residence, the two maternal uncles from the Liu family, and other relatives. Lastly were Jiang Xian's classmates, friends, and colleagues.
The leading gift to the Wei family included six boxes of mooncakes in different flavors, two jars of osmanthus wine, four lion-shaped milk candies, four boxes of melons and fruits, a whole sheep, a basket of hairy crabs, a bolt of Zhang velvet, a bolt of bluish-green peony-patterned luo silk, a pot of green chrysanthemums, and a pot of white chrysanthemums.
Others received similar gifts, with some items reduced appropriately.
Soon, Jin Niang also began receiving gifts in return. First, the Liu family sent a bolt of pale yellow water-forest-bird patterned satin, a bolt of Shu brocade in the 'Ten Varieties' pattern, two jars of Qiongbo wine, two boxes of osmanthus-flavored mooncakes, twenty catties of white flour, a fresh pig, and six crystal geese. Then the Wei family sent a bolt of white peony-patterned smoke-gauze soft silk, a bolt of gambiered Guangdong gauze, two boxes of pastries, two boxes of olives, a jar of honey, a box of longans, two jars of Yaoling wine from the Tixie Tower, a box of candied cherries, and a jar of crystal sugar walnuts.
As gifts from others arrived one after another, Jin Niang had Ying and Qingrong record and store them properly, and instructed people to give tips to the messengers.
Luo Da and Chen the young servant were also tired from a full day's work. Fortunately, Jin Niang also rewarded them with mooncakes and fruits so everyone could enjoy the festival properly.
In the evening, Jiang Xian, Wei Xiong, and Younger Brother Yang enjoyed tea and wine together, while Jin Niang, Luo Yu'e, Sister Jun, and Brother Ning admired the moon and ate melons.
"Mother, these are the olives sent by the Wei family. One box is sugar-preserved, the other is for steeping in tea. They add a sweet aftertaste to the tea. I've taken some from each for you to try," Jin Niang said.
Luo Yu'e wasn't quite used to the taste of olives, but she knew they were fashionable to eat nowadays, so she learned to slowly put one in her mouth and savor it. She felt somewhat enchanted: "Such good days, I had never even dared to dream of them before."
Jin Niang smiled and said, "Then we must cherish these hard-won days all the more, watching out for and helping each other. Only then will our lives get better and better."
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Younger Brother Yang was to take the Imperial College entrance exam. Luo Yu'e prepared an exam basket for him, but worried she hadn't packed it correctly, she called for Jin Niang. Jin Niang added a few items and directly fetched the exam basket Jiang Xian had once used to pack everything.
Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e personally saw Younger Brother Yang off to the examination hall. Upon returning, they were restless and went to sit with Jin Niang. Jin Niang was currently doing accounts. Their household was different from others; most matrons only managed internal household affairs—things like seasonal clothing and kitchen procurement. Jin Niang managed both outside and inside matters, so she had quite a few account books.
However, Jin Niang also had a plan: "Mother, if Younger Brother Yang passes this provincial exam this time, I think we should first arrange a marriage for him. What do you think? Otherwise, if he fails the metropolitan exam again, will he wait another few years?"
"Then wouldn't we have to find a matchmaker?" Luo Yu'e said.
Jin Niang knew Luo Yu'e didn't have many connections, and she herself didn't know many people either. But she laughed, "What are you worried about? Once he passes the provincial exam, naturally many will come wanting to propose matches."
Luo Yu'e remembered that years ago, after her son had passed the provincial exam, it was indeed like that. She had been swayed and tempted back then, but was also afraid of traps, so she had to wait for her daughter to return and consider things. Now, hearing her daughter say this, she felt slightly reassured.
Meanwhile, over at the Zhou family, Jiang Xian had not visited during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Madam Zhou was complaining, "People are truly lacking in sentiment these days. Before, Jiang the Sixteenth never missed a visit to our house. But now, even after returning to the capital, he doesn't come. I originally wanted to properly ask him about our Second Young Lady's affairs."
"Mother, what does this have to do with him?" Zhou Cunzhi said.
Madam Zhou directly began wiping tears: "Your elder sister died young, leaving behind a pair of children. It was hard enough for your nephew to take a wife, yet he has to endure his stepmother's moods. And your second sister's whereabouts are unknown. What sin have I committed?"
In her life, she hadn't done any bad deeds, so why were her children's fates so bitter? That Lady Zhang was also unfilial, feigning compliance while secretly disobeying, putting on airs and making a show, causing her son to suffer as well.
In the past, Zhou Cunzhi would have been impatient listening to this, but now he also thought back to when his father was at the height of his power—what was the Zhou family like then? The second and third branches were merely appendages.
Fortunately, he was now an official himself, so he comforted her, "Third Young Master Wang is not a foolish man; he often corresponds with me. Your eldest nephew is currently focused on the imperial examinations, so how could things be so terrible? As for Second Sister, as long as she is safe and well."
Returning to his rooms from Madam Zhou, he did not go to Lady Zhang's quarters but went instead to Concubine Guo's. This Concubine Guo had fair skin, a gentle temperament, and was petite and delicate. Seeing Zhou Cunzhi enter, she hurriedly said, "I just put our son to sleep."
With that, she had a maid fetch water for Zhou Cunzhi to wash his hands, while she personally prepared tea.
Zhou Cunzhi washed his hands and took the teacup: "The boy is young, let him sleep more. More sleep will help him grow taller."
Now that he was the only official in the family, of course he had the final say. Moreover, he had helped his brother-in-law, Zhang the Ninth, secure his official inheritance, so Lady Zhang dared not oppose him. This Concubine Guo was the proper secondary wife he had taken while in his official post; she came from a respectable family.
"I also let him sleep more," Concubine Guo said. Actually, she didn't like going out either. A few nights ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was chilly, and the child was only three, but both Lady Zhang and Zhou Cunzhi wanted to carry him out to admire the moon. Thankfully, the boy didn't develop a high fever.
The two talked for a while, and Zhou Cunzhi stayed to rest there. They frolicked all night, and Xiang Ming, living next door, heard everything clearly, her heart sour with envy.
She had once been favored too, but then she gave birth to a daughter who died young. Before she could properly recuperate, she had another daughter. By the time she came to her senses, the Second Master had a new favorite. She was just a maidservant by origin, not like that Concubine Guo, who was originally the second wife of a prefect. The prefect, in his forties or fifties, had married her in the bloom of her youth and naturally doted on her. She hadn't enjoyed the good life for two years before he died, and she was driven out by the stepson, but she still took away a considerable sum of silver.
When she entered the Zhou household, she brought with her a large black lacquer bed with gold tracery, a pearwood bed with openwork carving, four chests and four wardrobes full of clothes packed to the brim, two gold crowns, three pairs of gold bracelets, several boxes of pearls and gemstones, and entered with two maidservants in attendance. She was generous with her spending, knowledgeable, and Zhou Cunzhi was utterly devoted to her, favoring her exclusively.
It made Xiang Ming feel neglected. With the man not coming, she had little money in hand and felt desolate, so she couldn't help but cry.
Over in Jin Niang's rooms, it was very lively. Jiang Xian had his ten-day leave tomorrow and was too excited to sleep. The two played backgammon until midnight, then brought the gauze lantern to the bedside to read. Jin Niang got up to use the toilet, have a snack, and they only went to sleep at dawn.
They had their first meal at noon. After eating, Jin Niang began her embroidery, and Luo Yu'e came over from the front courtyard to chat.
"Your husband previously hired a famous tutor for him, and this time took him along for examination paper circulation. Younger Brother Yang should be most grateful to his elder sister and brother-in-law."
Jin Niang listened to this repetitive talk. After her mother said it twice, Jin Niang finally said, "If you want to show gratitude, buying some fruit pastries or an inkstone your son-in-law likes and sending them over would be better than anything. That way, I can also save face."
Now that her parents lived in her residence, with food and lodging fully covered by Jin Niang, and they had the house on Foul Water Lane bringing in three strings and two hundred coins a month, plus fifty mu of land that would yield at least thirty to fifty strings a year in the future, the couple would have seventy or eighty strings.
Jin Niang herself didn't mind, but she reminded her mother to be better to Jiang Xian, not to take his contributions for granted, so that everyone could live in greater harmony. With outsiders, when someone helps you, you still give gifts on three festivals and four seasons. Could it be that family members should be taken for granted?
The relationship between parents-in-law and son-in-law corresponds to that between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Hearing this, Luo Yu'e agreed it was indeed so. After Younger Brother Yang passed the provincial exam, under Jin Niang's guidance, Younger Brother Yang personally selected a jin of pine-soot ink, a tile inkstone, and two stacks of bamboo-leaf paper. Luo Yu'e sent a plate of fried quail, two bunches of grapes, and two portions of fashionable pastries.
"How can I accept this? Mother-in-law, doing this truly treats me like an outsider," Jiang Xian promptly declined.
It was Jin Niang who smiled and said, "Husband, please accept it. This is also a token of my parents' and Younger Brother Yang's regard."
Only then did Jiang Xian accept. Jin Niang had Luo Da's son, Tiger Head, wrap the items in felt and deliver them to his study. The household also prepared a feast, and the whole family went to the pavilion to drink wine.
During the meal, Jiang Xian said to Younger Brother Yang, "If you want to pass, from today on, do not go out. I will set topics for you to write on—ten essays a day—and I will correct them for you."
If Jin Niang and Luo Yu'e told Younger Brother Yang to write ten essays a day, he would certainly not comply, as his energy was insufficient. But when Jiang Xian said it, he agreed. Jiang Xian patted his shoulder: "We all came through this. Once you pass the exam, you won't have to toil like this anymore."
Setting aside Younger Brother Yang's situation, Jiang Xian hired a tutor for his son, Brother Ning. This man had originally passed the imperial examination as a Presented Scholar but fell out of favor with a powerful minister and remained out of office. Jin Niang opened the money box again to prepare the teacher's remuneration, which amounted to sixty-six taels of silver. Additionally, they provided two sets of clothes per year, covered his board and lodging, and settled him in the west side-room of the first courtyard.
Brother Ning and Sister Jun usually had their lessons in the west wing-room of the second courtyard, beginning specialized instruction in the classics, histories, philosophies, and literary collections.
Jin Niang quietly said to Luo Yu'e, "If my brother passes, even if he doesn't become an official, this amount would be sufficient for a year's expenses."
As mother and daughter were talking, a matchmaker's proposal was delivered to Jin Niang. "The niece of Shopkeeper Zhao from the rice shop is getting married, with a dowry of two hundred strings of cash. That's too little, not even as much as I had back then. I had property and dowry totaling over two thousand strings, and Sixteenth Young Master didn't even have an official title at the time."
"What about this one? It seems to be an official's family," Luo Yu'e pointed at another proposal.
Jin Niang picked it up to look, then sent for a matchmaker in a purple vest—a high-class matchmaker who moved in official circles. Younger Brother Yang, being the brother-in-law of a Court Diarist and a Provincial Graduate himself, was now in a different league.
Shortly, a matchmaker named Cheng, addressed as Madam Cheng, arrived. Hearing Jin Niang's inquiry, she introduced: "This is the daughter of Secretary Lang of the Gao family. Miss Gao is also a great beauty, stunningly beautiful. The family's wealth is immense, with money piled as high as the North Star and grain stores overflowing. What's most remarkable about her dowry is a full set of rosewood furniture, plus three thousand strings of cash in silver."
After questioning the matchmaker, even Luo Yu'e was somewhat tempted. Jin Niang smiled and said, "Please don't rush. Let us make some inquiries first. If the young lady has a good temperament and character, we can discuss it further."
With that, Jin Niang invited Jiang Yan's wife, Lady Zeng, over. Lady Zeng was Jiang Yan's second wife, married after his first wife passed away. She had visited with Jiang Yan a few days prior and got along well with Jin Niang. Jin Niang thus entrusted her with making open inquiries, while also asking Chen the Younger to discreetly investigate through the local beggar chief in the neighborhood.
During their investigations, Jin Niang and Luo Yu'e began preparing the betrothal gifts, as these would be needed regardless of whom they married. First was the gold hairpin for the hair-pinning ceremony. Jin Niang selected one from her own dressing case, placed it in a long box, and brought it to Luo Yu'e. Luo Yu'e dared not accept it: "I'm afraid such a valuable item might get lost if kept with me."
"What's there to fear? I'll give it to you first to avoid forgetting later," Jin Niang handed it to her.
Next, for the formal betrothal gifts, they needed wine bottles decorated with nets, topped with eight large flowers, or alternatively, silks and raw silk, and eight silver ingots. The Wei family, of course, couldn't afford silver ingots, so they compromised with eight bolts of colorful satin, which happened to be the same satin Jin Niang had previously given Luo Yu'e.
Wealthy families would give the bride gold armlets, bracelets, and pendants; ordinary families prepared silver ones. Jin Niang felt the Wei family wasn't wealthy, so they prepared silver items. As for the betrothal gifts, Jin Niang had ready-made ones: a set of red plain silk wide-sleeved robe and a yellow silk gold-inlaid skirt, plus a magnolia flower imitation hair coronet given to her by Madame Dou the Second, two gold comb ornaments, a pair of pearl hairpins, and a pair of gold ball hairpins.
Luo Yu'e and her husband Wei Xiong, in turn, bought a floral headdress, a gold-inlaid veil, fans decorated with patterns of five boys and two girls, face powder, money for the hair-washing ceremony, and painted ceremonial fruits.
After buying land, the couple only had about one hundred strings of cash left, plus around ten strings from three months' rent. They would use the one hundred strings as the betrothal gift. As for the wedding itself, waiting until next year would allow them to manage the expenses.
Furthermore, as the provincial exams were in February next year, many scholars were coming to the capital. Among them was Hao the Second, husband of the eldest daughter of the Gu family from Wu County and son of the former Magistrate of Changzhou County, who also came to sit for the exams and specially sent a visiting card. Jiang Xian met him once and, seeing he was also a talented young man, wanted to host him at his residence.
Hao the Second, upon arriving in the capital, also sent generous gifts: sixteen bolts of Jiangnan silk, twenty cakes of tea, six jars of orange wine, and a pair of jade peach-shaped cups. Jin Niang returned the extra gifts, saying to him, "Although your family is wealthy, we have an old connection. Local products are fine to accept, but keep the valuable items for your own future networking after you become a Presented Scholar."
Hao the Second said, "These were brought on my wife's instructions, Madam. This..."
"I know your wife is thoughtful and thorough, but if you are too polite while staying in my home, I would feel uneasy hosting you," Jin Niang said with a smile.
Thus, he was settled in a guest room. During the day, he wrote policy essays and poems with Younger Brother Yang; in the evenings, he returned and explained things to them. Hao the Second was originally a student of the National Academy, but his studies were delayed due to consecutive mourning periods after his father and then Grandmother Gu passed away. As the son of an official, his social skills and conversation were ten times better than Wei Yang's, but Wei Yang was more diligent, cautious, and steady, showing remarkable talent especially in policy essays, so Hao the Second did not dare look down on him.
After staying for another half month at the Jiang residence, with three meals, tea, and wine diligently provided, Jiang Xian even took them to meet his elder brother Jiang Yan, also a Presented Scholar graduate. They also presented their writings to Grand Academician Wei and Grand Academician Fan, making the trip worthwhile.
Jin Niang's inquiries about Miss Gao also yielded results. Chen the Younger reported: "That Miss Gao is the third child in her family. Nothing bad is heard about her, but she also has no particular reputation for virtue. Minzhi asked the old woman Wang who often sells hair ornaments. She said the girl is literate, but her nature is naive and carefree, not lifting a finger at home."
"That's not so good then," Jin Niang shook her head. Younger Brother Yang was already somewhat indolent, and his parents weren't particularly decisive. If they welcomed such a person into the family, the Wei household would not prosper.
Meanwhile, Lady Zeng came by and only mentioned that the girl's dowry was impressive.
Jin Niang was considering looking at the next candidate when Third Madam Peng paid a visit. Her husband, Third Young Master Peng, was currently a hanger-on in Zhang the Ninth's household and had previously visited with Zhang the Ninth. After exchanging pleasantries, Third Madam Peng stated her purpose: "Doesn't the Zhang family have a young lady of marriageable age? Why seek far and wide, Sister Sixteen?"
"You mean the young lady of the Zhang family?" Jin Niang was somewhat surprised.
Zhang the Ninth came from a prominent family. Later, he entered the National Academy to study, passed the exams after several years, and now held the lucrative official position of Vice Director of the Waterworks Bureau through hereditary privilege.
Third Madam Peng spoke bluntly: "Sister Sixteen, if I may say, this couldn't be better. Not only does Young Lady Zhang have a dowry of five thousand strings, but also a house near the Yi Qiu Gate, six chests and six cabinets packed with embroidered robes and brocade skirts, so full you can't even insert a hand. Even if your brother later becomes a Presented Scholar, he might not find such a good match."
Jin Niang smiled and said, "It's not that I disagree. It's just that my parents come from a humble background, and I fear we are not a good match. If a new daughter-in-law from such a family comes to our home, she might have to endure hardship. Moreover, our two families have such a good relationship. If the match is made, all is well. If it isn't, it would be awkward for us to interact in the future."
Although she felt that Zhang the Ninth was a decent man, and she had met Miss Zhang twice with a favorable impression, the disparity between their families still needed to be addressed.
Peng the Third's wife went back and said to Madam Zhang, "That Lady of the Jiang family said her younger brother is from a humble family, with just a few simple rooms and a few meager acres of thin land. She fears you might think them not quite well-matched."
Madam Zhang, however, thought that the Wei family's young master was from a scholarly family, and was even a clan relative of Grand Academician Wei of the Hanlin Academy. His brother-in-law was Jiang Xian, a dual jinshi graduate from one household. Precisely because the other family was of modest means, her own family had an opportunity.
If they really waited until he passed the imperial examinations and became a jinshi, where would there be any chance left for them?
Admittedly, Wei Yang's talent and learning were not top-tier, but he steadily ranked in the upper-middle level at the Imperial College, even scoring within the top ten in several recent exams. Because Jin Niang did not jump at the opportunity out of eagerness, Madam Zhang actually thought more highly of her. Hearing that her family was financially tight after buying a new house, yet they still handled matters with such prudence.
The Zhang family sent word back saying they were willing. Jin Niang discussed it with Jiang Xian, who thought this marriage alliance was excellent.
Jin Niang used the pretext of worshipping Buddha to arrange a meeting for everyone. Younger Brother Yang wore a sapphire-blue zhiduo robe, appearing upright and proper. Miss Zhang was extremely beautiful, quite courteous, and particularly humble when meeting Jin Niang and Luo Yu'e.
"What books is the young lady reading now?" Jin Niang asked.
Miss Zhang glanced at Jin Niang, understanding that she was the true decision-maker here. Otherwise, given the friendship between her father and Uncle Jiang, the matter could have been settled directly. She replied carefully, "I merely read some 'Analects for Women' and 'Classic of Filial Piety for Women.'"
Jin Niang nodded: "The 'Analects for Women' says that at home, a couple should treat each other with the respect due to a guest. When the husband speaks, listen attentively; if the husband does wrong, admonish him earnestly. Do not learn from foolish women who bring disaster upon themselves. Although I also read these texts, for us women, it's enough to understand their principles."
Miss Zhang's heart stirred, and she smiled sincerely, "You are quite right."
By selecting this passage, Lady Wei was indicating that she need not rigidly adhere to the idea of the husband being supreme, and should not be afraid to point out her husband's faults.
After they chatted and laughed for a bit longer, Jin Niang let the young people walk ahead while she said to Madam Zhang, "I'll be frank with you. If my brother gets married, both my mother and I intend for the young couple to live separately, to better foster their relationship. When they have free time, they can also come stay at my house for a while."
Madam Zhang chided playfully, "What are you saying? Taking care of parents-in-law is her duty."
"It is indeed her duty, which is why I've prepared a side courtyard. They only need to live there for a full month. I think if Younger Brother Yang is fortunate enough to pass the exams, they will need to establish their own capabilities. If he doesn't pass, it's still time for adults to start a family and career. Moreover, when relatives live together, constraints are inevitable," Jin Niang explained.
Madam Zhang then discussed with Jin Niang having them live in the bride's dowry house, and so on. Jin Niang didn't see any issue with this, as Jiang Xian had lived in her dowry house for many years.
Soon, Luo Yu'e went over to perform the hairpin ceremony. She brought the hollow gold floral hairpin prepared by Jin Niang, which was exquisitely crafted. After the hairpin was placed, they quickly exchanged the betrothal cards and selected a date.
Madam Zhang knew Jin Niang's parents were originally commoners and had assumed they would be quite austere. However, she saw that the gifts sent, while not luxurious, were proper and appropriate. The bride's family's return gifts for the betrothal were actually quite plentiful: black silk scarves and satin, gold and jade handkerchiefs and rings, seven-treasure headbands, and some embroidery work.
After the betrothal gifts came the bride price. As this marriage alliance was favorable, Jin Niang added a set of brocade clothing and sent over her own silver headdress. The Zhang family also sent return gifts of gold and jade scholar's treasures, and colored satins and silks. Luo Yu'e took the gold and jade items from these and gave them to Jin Niang, as her daughter had spent a considerable amount for her brother this time.
After the bride price was sent, the Wei family sent one hundred strings of cash as the financial gift. Thus, they only waited until next spring to welcome the bride into their home.
With this matter settled, Jin Niang also breathed a sigh of relief, though she kept feeling somewhat nauseous. She called for a doctor, who examined her and found she was actually pregnant.
