Upon leaving the old residence, both mother and daughter breathed a sigh of relief.
Sister Jun, being young and spirited, couldn't help but say, "This grandmother keeps saying she's about to die, that she's all alone and has no status. It's so annoying to listen to. It's not as if my father would confer an honorary title on her instead of his own birth mother, would he?"
"She's not competing with your birth grandmother. She wants your father to help petition for an honorary title for her the next time he gets a promotion. I was just giving her vague replies," Jin Niang said with a laugh.
Sister Jun was quite puzzled. "Why can't she just wait? When she entered the family, Father and you had already moved out. We send generous gifts for every season and festival, isn't that enough?"
Jin Niang explained to her daughter, "Haven't you noticed? When there's work to be done, few people come to help, but when it's time to claim credit, everyone rushes forward. But that's just how the world is. Whether you like someone or not, you often have to share the same roof, unless you have the ability to be completely independent, like your father and I. We rely on ourselves, so we can't be controlled by others. Whatever she says, I don't make promises on your father's behalf, so she can't achieve her goals and has no hold over us."
Sister Jun sighed. "Mother, I don't want to get married anymore."
"That's fine. Staying at home is good too. You can just lure Wei the Seventh Young Master here instead," Jin Niang teased her.
Then Jin Niang continued, "Look at your cousin from the Dou family, the one who used to live across from us in Daming Prefecture. Her sister-in-law gave birth to two sons and bullies her for not having a son, acting so arrogantly. That's why people always say, 'Never be born a woman in this life, for a hundred years of joy and sorrow lie in another's hands.'"
Sister Jun leaned against Jin Niang. "What you say is truly disheartening."
"Lowering your expectations in anything can lead to pleasant surprises. If your hopes are too high, you're more likely to be disappointed," Jin Niang said, patting her daughter's hand in comfort.
When the mother and daughter returned home, Jin Niang briefly mentioned the matter to Jiang Xian. Jiang Xian held Jin Niang and said, "I never realized she was so obsessed with official status."
Jin Niang looked at her husband. "Anyway, I gave some vague responses. She seemed perfectly fine, with the flesh under her chin almost hanging down to her neck."
Madam Zheng wanted to make trouble, but Jin Niang and the others didn't even live with her. Besides, she wasn't Jiang Xian's birth mother. Sending some tonics and visiting a few times was already more than enough. Jiang Yan and his wife from the clan were everywhere praising their filial piety.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jiang Xian did bring Master Jiang the Sixth over. Brother Ning also returned home. That year at the prefectural school, he had studied diligently to be selected for the Imperial College, composing poems and essays on the spot. Master Jiang the Sixth held his grandson's hand and said to Jiang Xian and Jin Niang, "You two must nurture this child well. Don't constrain him."
Jiang Xian even laughed, "Father, could it be that our Brother Ning is born with extraordinary signs?"
Of course, his eldest son was his pride—born into wealth yet able to endure hardship. However, as he grew older, his temperament became somewhat more individualistic. Yet, he didn't treat people differently based on their status; he treated everyone equally.
He was very strong-willed; even his own father couldn't sway his ambitions.
Such a person didn't become an official just for the sake of being an official. He might even become a high-ranking official in the future, leaving his father trailing behind. However, the child was still young and must not be overly praised.
Master Jiang the Sixth said, "I say this for a reason."
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the rent from Luoyang arrived. Jin Niang placed the two hundred and seventy taels of silver in the western side room. The money they had saved before was all stored in the cellar beneath the main courtyard. This cellar was originally used for hiding gold and silver, and the secret passage below was known only to the two of them.
By the time of the Double Ninth Festival, Jiang Xian had found a tutor for his second son, Brother Ding. The child had just turned three this year, about the same age his older brother was when he started his studies.
As usual, Jin Niang set aside the west wing room for the child's study. The tutor they hired this time was an elderly master, quite advanced in years, with a humorous temperament, not one of those stern old men. Jiang Xian really knew how to handle things, at least ensuring the child didn't develop an aversion to studying.
On the first day after school, Brother Ding came back with his large rooster-shaped book bag, his long eyelashes wet with tears, and immediately threw himself into Jin Niang's arms. "Mother."
"My little son is such a delicate one," Jin Niang said, holding him on her lap.
Brother Ding laughed, looking like a little white dumpling. "Mother, the 'Hundred Family Surnames' the teacher talked about, you've already taught me."
Having gone through teaching Sister Jun and Brother Ning, Jin Niang's approach to teaching Brother Ding this time followed the orthodox ancient method—certainly not some unorthodox shortcut.
"Well, did the teacher assign any homework today?" Jin Niang asked.
Brother Ding nodded.
Jin Niang said gently, "Then let's remember what our homework is every day from now on, alright?"
Brother Ding giggled.
Soon after, Sister Jun also came over, keeping her brother company while he did his homework. Only after Brother Ding finished did they have dinner together.
A month later, Brother Ding no longer cried when going to school, and Jin Niang felt relieved. She had just finished embroidering another quilt for her daughter, packed it into a cotton bag, and sealed it.
Porcelain wares were delivered from outside. These were Ding kiln porcelain that Jin Niang had specially ordered for her daughter: a white-glazed carved lotus petal bowl, a white-glazed ewer, a white-glazed five-legged incense burner, a white-glazed carved washer, a white-glazed long vase with lotus patterns, a white-glazed porcelain pillow...
She checked the bottom of each piece, where the character "Jiang" was carved, and nodded slightly.
Often, when such utensils were brought to the in-laws' house and mixed in with theirs, after repeated use, it would become unclear whose was whose. Having a character carved at the bottom ensured everyone would know.
These also needed to be shown to Sister Jun, so she wouldn't just know the dowry list but be completely unfamiliar with the actual items in her dowry.
Just as Sister Jun arrived, the Third Lady Zhou came for a visit. Jin Niang quickly rose to welcome her. Nowadays, Jiang Fang was highly valued by Senior Councillor Shen, and Third Lady Zhou's status had risen accordingly.
Seeing the still-uncovered boxes, Third Lady Zhou couldn't help but praise, "What beautiful glaze colors."
"Exactly because the glaze colors were so good. It took a year to order them through an acquaintance," Jin Niang said with a smile, having the boxes carried away and tea served.
Third Lady Zhou said, "I just visited the Nanxun Lane. Madam Zheng is recuperating quite well. She says you send a pig's trotter over every day."
"Like nourishes like. We don't live nearby now and can't go over every day, so this is the best we can do," Jin Niang replied.
Third Lady Zhou thought that no matter what, Jin Niang's actions were beyond reproach. But by coming to Jin Niang's place to report every time she visited the old residence, she was also putting on a show of propriety. They were all the same.
After exchanging a few more words, Third Lady Zhou left and went to Fourth Lady Zhou's place.
After the sisters met, Third Lady Zhou still felt she should remind her younger sister: "Today I went to Jin Niang's place at Jinliang Bridge. They were preparing the dowry. That high-quality white-glazed Ding ware was so fine. You should hurry and place your orders too. The child will be of age next year."
Fourth Lady Zhou said, "It's not that I haven't been helping to look for prospects, but none ever seem quite satisfactory."
"You really must hurry. By the way, how much dowry do you plan to give your eldest daughter?" Third Lady Zhou thought to herself that she did know some people she could introduce.
Fourth Lady Zhou considered the matter. The harvest from the two plots of land had been delivered, totaling two hundred and eighty strings of cash. Combined with her husband's salary and some unofficial income, they now had close to three hundred strings. Girls often married at eighteen or nineteen, and her daughter still had about three or four years left. She estimated a figure. "I intend to prepare a thousand strings for my eldest daughter, and I'll give her the hundred-acre estate that was part of my own dowry."
After all, she still had a second daughter, so she couldn't give everything to the eldest. The eldest would also receive quite a substantial amount in wedding gifts from the Sun clan relatives.
A thousand strings was actually not a small amount. Of course, it couldn't compare to the Zhou family, who had been high officials for generations and were skilled in managing wealth. The Sun family were ordinary officials; the fact that Fourth Lady Zhou's household could afford to buy a residence in Bianjing was already quite an achievement. This was all her two daughters could expect.
Upon hearing this, Third Lady Zhou, thinking she had that much money on hand, couldn't help but smile. "That's good, that's quite decent."
"That's what I think too. After all, I have two daughters, and their ages aren't far apart." In truth, Fourth Lady Zhou was already beginning to worry. Two daughters meant two thousand strings!
Third Lady Zhou wasn't fully aware of their situation. Because Jiang Fang had been adopted into that branch, he was the sole heir. Moreover, he had been an official for a long time and held a higher rank, so she herself was quite well-off and assumed Fourth Lady Zhou's circumstances were similar.
Of course, the most pressing matter was her daughter's marriage prospects. Her husband's official rank wasn't particularly high, so she asked Third Lady Zhou to help arrange something, especially since Third Lady Zhou's husband was now a staunch supporter of Councilor Shen.
Third Lady Zhou agreed immediately. "Very well, I'll look around for you."
True to her word, Third Lady Zhou acted swiftly and soon found a potential match. Jin Niang also knew this family—it was the son of a concubine from the Meng household across the street, specifically the son of the deceased Concubine Huang. Magistrate Meng's rank was two levels higher than Sun Shichen's, and Madam Meng was a relative of the imperial family. The Meng household was very prosperous, living in a grand five-courtyard compound.
Both Sun Shichen and Fourth Lady Zhou felt this match was unsuitable because this Third Young Master Meng was a son of a concubine. Although he was scholarly, still...
In private, the Eldest Miss Sun asked Third Lady Zhou, "Aunt, what is Third Young Master Meng's scholarship like?"
Third Lady Zhou replied, "His scholarship is quite excellent. You may not know, but of the three young masters of the Meng family, the eldest married a daughter from the Lin family, who are in-laws of Councilor Shen. The second and third young masters both pursue scholarly studies. It's precisely because we know this Third Young Master Meng is a good scholar that we suggested him."
Even Jin Niang knew about Consort Qiao's pregnancy, which suggested a potentially limitless future, let alone someone as astute as Jiang Fang.
Furthermore, Third Lady Zhou herself was born of a concubine and understood well that their standing was not equal to that of the legitimate children, which often made them study even harder.
"Then I am willing." Eldest Miss Sun thought to herself that if this search continued, she would soon be fifteen, and who knew how long it might drag on? Didn't the daughter of the Wang family also marry a son of a concubine from the Wei family? Whether a son was legitimate or not ultimately depended on his scholarship. If he studied well, even a son born outside the main household would be treated like an ancestor by the family. If he was incompetent, what did it matter if he was legitimate?
Third Lady Zhou widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting her niece to be so decisive.
Because Sun Shichen's father had already retired from office, while Sun Shichen's rank seemed high to ordinary people, for a truly advantageous marriage, to be blunt, Eldest Miss Sun's dowry of only a thousand strings made it very difficult.
To give an example, the reason Jiang Xian's daughter could marry upwards was firstly due to kinship ties, strengthening family bonds, and secondly because Jiang Xian's official career was extremely promising. After returning from Liao, he was appointed a Secretariat Drafter, and now he was about to be promoted to Deputy Fourth Rank, awaiting appointment as an Academician at the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
By year's end, an imperial decree arrived at Jin Niang's household, appointing Jiang Xian as an Academician at the Hall of Preserving Harmony.
Meanwhile, across the street, the Meng family's youngest son, Third Young Master Meng, also became engaged. Surprisingly, it was to Fourth Lady Zhou's daughter, Eldest Miss Sun. Madam Meng, unaware that the Sun family knew Jin Niang, even told Jin Niang, "This match was decided by my husband. The girl's aunt is the wife of Jiang Fang, Academician of the Tianzhang Pavilion. Her father is also among the purest of the pure literati. It's quite a good match."
Madam Meng felt that a son of a concubine marrying the daughter of a minor official with an average dowry was fine; as long as he didn't surpass her own sons, she didn't mind.
Jin Niang thought that Magistrate Meng was a fifth-rank official, while Sun Shichen was deputy sixth-rank—a difference of two levels. Although Third Young Master Meng was a son of a concubine, as long as a son from a civil official family could pass the imperial examinations, he was a treasure to the family. The son-in-law found by the neighboring Li family was even from a minor clerk's family.
Moreover, the Meng family was no ordinary official household; Madam Meng was a relative of the imperial family, and the family was wealthy. It wasn't a bad match at all.
Nanny Fang, sitting below Jin Niang, knew about Fourth Lady Zhou's two daughters and remarked, "I recall her eldest daughter is about the same age as our Sister Jun, both of marriageable age. How is it that her engagement is only being settled now?"
"That, I don't know," Jin Niang shook her head.
Eldest Miss Sun had personally approved this match. Although Fourth Lady Zhou blamed her daughter for being short-sighted—being a modern transmigrator, she knew there was no real difference between legitimate and illegitimate sons in terms of inherent worth, but there was a distinction in closeness and favor.
"That Madam Meng is not Third Young Master Meng's birth mother. She won't genuinely care for a son not her own. Furthermore, with your qualifications, you could find a better match later," Fourth Lady Zhou felt her daughter was marrying beneath her station.
Eldest Miss Sun said, "Even if it is marrying down, I have no regrets, Mother. I want to settle my engagement sooner. As for Second Sister, you should quickly start looking for prospects for her too. Originally, our cousin from the Zhou family was also a cherished daughter, but what happened? Our uncle was demoted, and who knows what the future holds."
As the saying goes, prepare for a rainy day. As long as the Meng family were imperial relatives, minor troubles wouldn't affect them. Even without engaging in factional struggles, no one would target them.
Fourth Lady Zhou hadn't expected her daughter to think so far ahead. She simply felt her daughter worried too much, leading her to choose a son of a concubine. But since her daughter was determined, she agreed.
Although the Meng family was arranging a marriage for a son of a concubine, they still followed the proper etiquette. While the betrothal gifts weren't as lavish as those for the eldest and second sons, they were still quite generous. Madam Meng even told Jin Niang that when it came time for the formal presentation of gifts, they planned to give five hundred strings.
Five hundred strings was the standard amount given by official families. Sixth Lady Jiang had followed the five-hundred-string standard for her own daughter.
However, arranging a marriage wasn't an overnight affair. Jin Niang listened and then let the matter rest.
When spring arrived the following year, Shopkeeper Yao and Steward Fan came to the capital together. By this time, Jin Niang had accumulated a fortune of ten thousand strings. The two men, learning of Jiang Xian's promotion, specially stayed to kowtow in congratulations. Jin Niang had her son Dingge's tutor help review the account books, as someone without a vested interest would give an honest opinion.
Jin Niang thought to herself that the land in Luoyang was originally intended for her daughter. When her daughter married, she would also give her a shop. That way, her annual income would be six to seven hundred strings, which was not a small amount.
The dowry money for my daughter is still five hundred strings short of five thousand strings, and that would take until next year to save up. I must finish all the other embroidery by the end of this year, as next year she will need to spend a whole year's effort helping her daughter embroider the wedding dress.
It's just that after Sister Jun saw Jin Niang's wedding dress, she even tried it on, thinking she could wear Jin Niang's dress. She actually didn't want her mother to go through the trouble for her again. Those embroidery pieces consumed too much of her mother's heart and energy, so much so that her mother wasn't as leisurely as in previous years. Besides, her mother's wedding dress had only been worn once and was still brand new.
How could Jin Niang agree? "There's still a year or two to go. Oh, right, I asked Shopkeeper Yao to bring some Yue kiln celadon and 'secret color' porcelain, all cosmetic cases and such."
Sister Jun came to look and was indeed utterly enchanted.
However, Jin Niang didn't forget to tell her the price. Not to make her feel guilty, but to prevent extravagance. Many families scrape together their silver with great difficulty, only for it to be wildly squandered outside. She didn't like her children always thinking money grew on trees, so she always told them.
The six festive quilts, which took two years, were finally finished. For the bed canopies, Jin Niang herself only embroidered one light gauze jasmine canopy and bought one gold-inlaid canopy. It was Sister Jun who embroidered two canopies herself and finished the chair covers, table curtains, and other items together with Minzhi. Now Jin Niang started embroidering door curtains. With the warm spring weather, it was the perfect time for needlework. Jin Niang planned to embroider four pieces based on flowers of the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter. This year, she would focus on the door curtains and the bridal veil.
Minzhi only worked on small items like oilcloth pouches, sachets, fan cases, and shoe uppers. Sister Jun herself wanted to embroider pillowcases and make shoes and socks for the Wei family.
As for the sachets, headscarves, sweat towels, powder puffs, and oilcloth pouches to be given as rewards to the Wei family servants, she let Qingrong make them. Qingrong had already finished them over the past two years.
While these tasks were underway, Madam Meng, having heard from Madam Li that Jin Niang's Guanyin embroidery was exquisite, also wanted to buy one for her second daughter. This brought in another two hundred strings for Jin Niang.
She took twenty strings from this amount. First, she gave ten strings to Minzhi as extra reward for her work. Another five strings were given to Qingrong as a reward. Qingrong quickly waved her hands, "You already rewarded me at the end of last year."
"Take it, it's from my private savings," Jin Niang said with a smile.
The remaining five strings Jin Niang used to treat the servants to an extra meal—one roast chicken each.
The Luo family, all five members working, brought back five roast chickens. Hutou almost ate himself sick, rubbing his belly and saying, "I'm sure I'll run at the sight of chicken from now on. The mistress is really something, two chickens would have been enough for our family."
He received knocks on the head from his grandparents, father, and mother in turn.
Nanny Luo said, "I'll save one to eat during my night watch."
During the night watch, the mistress didn't allow drinking alcohol, but provided hot water or warm drinks. Having some perilla drink and a roast chicken—this old woman was in good health and wanted to earn an advanced reward next time too.
Juxiang from the kitchen, needless to say, enjoyed one roast chicken, a cup of wine, along with stir-fried cured meat with magnolia slices and sweet and sour fish offered by two cleaning women, and pickled radish to go with the drink. She ate with great relish.
Not to mention the gatekeepers. Those with families were fine, but the single ones usually only got a few pieces of meat as a treat. A whole chicken was simply too satisfying.
So much so that when Jiang Xian returned from outside, the air was filled with the aroma of roast chicken. He quickened his pace back.
Even Liu Quan, the six or seven-year-old page of Brother Ning, was eating a chicken leg in the corridor.
"What's going on today? Why is everyone in our house eating chicken? Is it some special occasion?"
Jin Niang smiled, "I sold a Guanyin embroidery today, so I treated the whole household to a roast chicken each."
Jiang Xian sat down and stretched out his hand, "Where's mine?"
"You want one too?" Jin Niang was speechless. He ate chicken, duck, fish, and meat every day until he was tired of them, and now he was craving this.
But Jiang Xian was unusually tempted and pestered Jin Niang for one. Jin Niang, utterly exasperated, sent Hutou out to buy one. Hearing this, Hutou was dumbfounded—he was now put off by the smell of roast chicken, having reached the point of being sick of it.
...
It was also said that the Meng family first sent the initial betrothal letter to the Sun family. Fourth Lady Zhou had also served as a 'complete blessing' matchmaker and knew these steps. It's just that during the engagement, the woman's family had to spend a considerable sum.
Especially for the return gifts from the woman's family. The family's silks and satins had to be brought out. Although her daughter's needlework wasn't bad, she couldn't embroider so much alone. Shoes, socks, towels, and handkerchiefs all had to be in pairs, requiring hiring embroiderers, which would cost over ten strings in labor alone.
Naturally, there was also money for the matchmaker and the 'complete blessing' person, costing another fifty strings.
Of course, what worried Fourth Lady Zhou more was the one thousand strings written on the dowry list. Fortunately, the Meng family sent five hundred strings as the betrothal gift, so her family only needed to come up with another five hundred strings. This greatly reduced her pressure.
The wedding date was also set for later. Although the Third Young Master of the Meng family was born of a concubine, the gifts sent by the Meng family were not shabby. Gold bracelets, gold bangles, gold pendants—these were aside—they also sent two sets of gold-inlaid clothing, two sets of brocade clothing, and even a silver-gilt headdress.
Fourth Lady Zhou said to her daughter, "I have a headdress in my own dowry. I'll let you take it as part of yours."
A pure gold headdress cost one to two hundred strings—that was no small sum.
Eldest Miss Sun smiled, "Thank you, Mother."
Treating the other party's dowry items as part of her own dowry also lightened the family's pressure in preparing the dowry. Eldest Miss Sun also breathed a sigh of relief.
By the time the Meng family finished delivering the betrothal gifts, it was already June. Jin Niang had finished the door curtains and bridal veil and could finally relax. Coincidentally, Brother Ning was admitted to the Upper Division of the school, and Jiang Xian's salary was also brought home. As he was now a fourth-rank official, his half-year salary was nearly four hundred strings.
She again invited tailors to their home to make summer clothes for their family of four—five sets each to change into.
The tailors finished the new clothes in a few days. Jin Niang could wear new clothes on her birthday. Seventh Young Master Wei specially came to deliver birthday gifts. Over the past few years, Seventh Young Master Wei had shot up in height. They had to look up to talk to him.
"Aunt, I heard Brother Ning was admitted to the Upper Division," Seventh Young Master Wei said as he sat down.
Jin Niang smiled, "Indeed. After almost two years in the prefectural school, he finally moved from the Outer to the Middle Division, and this year to the Upper Division. He's overjoyed. But the pressure is also great, he says there's a wealth of talent there."
Seventh Young Master Wei smiled, "It's just that your nephew must escort my teacher back to his hometown. Today I celebrate your birthday, Aunt. We likely won't meet again until next year."
Jin Niang looked at him and said, "You young people should also go out and make your way. However, people and affairs outside are very complex. You must never be deceived."
Seventh Young Master Wei wore an expression of alarm and haste, "Aunt is the most experienced and knowledgeable person your nephew has ever seen. Aunt, please quickly share some advice. Your nephew is afraid of falling into someone's trap."
"Alright." Jin Niang began to explain.
Jiang Xian, watching his future son-in-law from the side, snorted inwardly. This kid was full of tricks and putting on quite an act. 'Afraid of falling into a trap'—more likely others would fall into his trap.
Good thing his wife was so straightforward.
