When Jin Niang returned, Qin Shuang'er noticed she was carrying a bundle and remarked with a hint of jealousy, "What took you so long? What did the young mistress reward you with?"
"It wasn’t the young mistress who rewarded me. On the way back, Yan Hong sent me to the second household. The second mistress said my clothes looked too drab, so she had one of her maids pick out a gown for me." Jin Niang deliberately didn’t mention the gold earrings the young mistress had given her, afraid Qin Shuang'er would grow envious and even Fang Qiaolian might resent her.
In ancient times, even a padded jacket could fetch a few strings of cash at the pawnshop. The Zhou Family’s masters—aside from the Aunt—were quite generous. Jin Niang had no dowry to rely on; her younger brother needed funds for schooling, so she had to earn her own trousseau.
With that in mind, she flopped onto the bed and sighed dramatically, "If only I were as slender as you two. Ah, never mind—I don’t feel like eating today."
Qin Shuang'er, who dreaded the thought of Jin Niang outshining her, quickly said, "Don’t be silly! We have so much work to do. If you skip meals, you might faint from hunger. I just made some plum-glazed ribs today—it’d be a shame if you didn’t eat them."
"Then I’ll eat," Jin Niang immediately put on a greedy expression.
Qin Shuang'er smiled in satisfaction. "That’s more like it. Honestly, a little plumpness makes you look adorable. People prefer those who look prosperous—who wants a stick-thin scarecrow?"
Jin Niang pretended to be flattered, bashfully adding, "My mother always said I was born with a fortunate appearance."
Qin Shuang'er nearly gagged. How could someone like Jin Niang pretend to be attractive? Even she couldn’t stomach her own flattery and excused herself to step outside for fresh air.
Once she left, Fang Qiaolian gently advised Jin Niang, "You really should dress more neatly. ‘Fine feathers make fine birds’—haven’t we learned that much in the embroidery workshop?"
Normally, Jin Niang was eloquent, the most skilled embroiderer among them, and even quite clever—only her figure fell short. So when she spoke with self-deprecation, the others couldn’t help but feel a sense of superiority.
Jin Niang looked at Fang Qiaolian with envy. "But I can’t fit into those fitted gowns—I’d look like a stuffed dumpling."
Before they could finish their meal, news arrived that Zhou Duzhi, the eldest son of the second household, had passed away. Jin Niang wasn’t surprised. If Zhou Duzhi hadn’t been on the brink of death, why would Miao Xiaoniang suddenly appear today? That woman was well-informed, but Jin Niang wondered what scheme she and that old maidservant were plotting.
Though this was the second household’s affair and unrelated to the first household’s sewing room, Madam Chen was a capable woman who handled both weddings and funerals. Madam Jiang had summoned her to make mourning clothes.
Madam Chen addressed the three girls: "We’ve nearly finished the servants’ garments. The first mistress said to set those aside for now—the second household’s funeral takes priority. But as you know, Miao Xiaoniang’s swaddling cloths and blankets also need sewing, and since she’s showing now, she’ll need two new gowns. Let’s divide the tasks. From now on, I’ll assign all of Miao Xiaoniang and Fourth Miss Zhou’s work to her."
A birth and a death—yet the second household was wealthy, while Miao Xiaoniang’s rewards would be meager.
Without hesitation, Jin Niang said, "I’ll follow your lead, Madam Chen. I only have one gown left to hem, so I won’t be held up here."
She always worked this way—if others took two months, she finished early, preferring to rest rather than rush at the last minute.
"Then I’ll go with Jin Niang," Fang Qiaolian chimed in, no fool herself.
Qin Shuang'er added, "Madam Chen, why don’t we all go?" She too wanted to go—the second household was rich.
"Madam Chen, let’s head there first. If we’re overwhelmed, we can send Jiang Shanjie back to relax for a few days," Jin Niang suggested, thinking of Jiang Shanjie rather than herself.
Madam Chen nodded. "A sensible idea." Then she glanced at Qin Shuang'er. "We stand together."
"Yes," Qin Shuang'er forced a smile, not daring to argue.
But inwardly, she looked down on them. Madam Chen was old, still toiling for a living. Rumor had it her husband squandered her hard-earned money on brothels—or perhaps she was a disreputable widow. She only earned more because of her seniority. Qin Shuang'er was certain she’d do better by Madam Chen’s age.
Once she became a concubine and bore a child like Miao Xiaoniang, she’d never have to work so hard again.
After finalizing their plans, they gathered their needles, thread, and scissors and headed to the second household. The mourning hall was already set up simply, where Madam Du, Zhou Duzhi’s widow, and her daughter wept until they nearly collapsed. Jin Niang followed Madam Chen to see Madam Wu but paused when they encountered a tall, handsome young man at the door. He appeared eighteen or nineteen, with refined manners and elegant attire. Judging by his clothes, Jin Niang guessed his identity.
Since her gown had been made by Madam Chen, this must be Zhou Cunzhi, Madam Jiang’s son and the first household’s eldest legitimate heir.
Sure enough, Madam Chen urged them to bow. "Greet Second Master Cun."
Zhou Cunzhi didn’t spare them a glance and strode past. Jin Niang admired him for a fleeting moment—like admiring a flower—then went about her business.
Qin Shuang'er and Fang Qiaolian, however, blushed. Fang Qiaolian was wise enough to know such a man was beyond their reach, but Qin Shuang'er, who had long dreamed of becoming a maidservant-turned-concubine, was instantly smitten.
At fourteen, she was at the age of youthful infatuation. How could she not fantasize about such a young master?
Jin Niang found this unremarkable. She judged matters objectively—Qin Shuang'er’s scheming and flattery were normal, but she disliked how Qin Shuang'er acted clever without effort, always seeking advantage. Still, for maids, aspiring to concubinage was common—they couldn’t exactly choose careers like modern women.
But it had to be done with the main wife’s consent. Otherwise, breaking up a marriage was immoral.
For unskilled but pretty maids, it might be understandable. But they had skills—they could support themselves. Choosing concubinage just to avoid work was shameful.
Fang Qiaolian whispered, "Qin Shuang'er is delusional."
"The maids around Second Master Cun aren’t to be trifled with," Jin Niang shook her head.
Zhou Duzhi’s funeral was grand. Madam Wu, though pregnant, managed the arrangements but soon enlisted Lady Xi’s help. The two sisters-in-law had always gotten along.
Unbeknownst to them, when Fourth Miss Zhou arrived with her sisters and saw Lady Xi, she silently cursed her as a bootlicker. If not for Lady Xi spreading rumors years ago that her mother was unruly, Miao Xiaoniang wouldn’t have suffered under Concubine Deng’s abuse.
Lady Xi entered the room and first cautioned Madam Wu: "The death of the young master last time was suspicious. This time, sister-in-law must be on guard—who knows what villain might harm him again." Her husband, though born of a concubine, was far better off than her. The only reason he married her was that he already had a favored woman before their union, one who even bore his child. Thus, he had no choice but to wed Lady Xi.
After entering the household, she was often bullied by her husband's favored concubine, neglected by him, and disliked by her mother-in-law. It was her second sister-in-law, Madam Wu, who stood up for her and showed her kindness. As a result, the bond between them was far closer than with Madam Jiang—closer even than real sisters.
"Don’t worry, I’ve taken precautions this time. I’ve already stationed people around Madam Deng," Madam Wu whispered.
The second master had three concubines in total. The eldest, Madam Huang, had once been a maid serving his first wife, Madam Li. She was now docile. Then there was Mistress Zhu, who had married into the family out of fear of being left destitute. She was a troublemaker, but neither of these two held much favor. Only Concubine Deng was highly suspect...
But Concubine Deng was skilled in the arts of seduction, and the second master couldn’t do without her. She was the type to argue even when clearly in the wrong. Without solid evidence, Madam Wu couldn’t easily move against her.
Lady Xi nodded. "That’s good to hear." Then she added, "I heard Qiu Hong is also pregnant now? They say she’s staying indoors to rest."
"Don’t even mention her," Madam Wu said coldly, unwilling to speak of her.
Back then, Miao Xiaoniang had merely been a lowly maid in the third branch. Lady Xi, constantly tormented by her husband’s favored concubine, found that even her own servants had turned disloyal—Miao Xiaoniang among them. She had spent her days exchanging glances with that concubine, leaking information about the main household.
Later, when Lady Xi sought to regain her husband’s favor and bore him a son, Zhou Shenzhi, her position as the main wife stabilized, though she still lacked affection. Naturally, she dismissed those who had betrayed her. The favored concubine, seeing Miao Xiaoniang as a spent pawn, seized the chance to elevate her, hoping to use her as a rival to spite Lady Xi.
To thwart this, Lady Xi asked Madam Wu to take Miao Xiaoniang into the second branch. The concubine’s scheme failed, and once in the second household, Madam Wu didn’t mistreat her—she simply assigned her to the storeroom. But Miao Xiaoniang was ambitious. Hearing of Concubine Deng’s rising favor, she somehow ended up serving her.
Thinking herself clever, Miao Xiaoniang boasted to Concubine Deng that she had been sent by the third madam to serve Madam Wu, implying she was no ordinary maid. Instead of impressing her, this only deepened Concubine Deng’s resentment. She believed that aside from birth status, she surpassed Madam Wu in every way. She took every opportunity to berate Miao Xiaoniang, often cruelly.
Madam Wu caught wind of this a few times and reprimanded Concubine Deng, who would obediently agree in front of her but only grew harsher in private. Matters worsened when the second master glanced at Miao Xiaoniang a few times during his visits to Concubine Deng’s quarters. Relying solely on her master’s favor, Concubine Deng couldn’t tolerate any threat. At first, she merely scolded Miao Xiaoniang, but soon she forced her to kneel, and beatings became routine.
Unable to endure the abuse, Miao Xiaoniang took a bold and unconventional path. When Elder Master Zhou came to the second branch for a drink, she disguised herself as a servant boy, slipped past everyone, and shared a night of passion with him. She was wild and beautiful, and soon their encounters spread—behind fake mountains, in the ancestral hall, by the lakeside woods. She mastered every trick, from riding him like a horse to playing the flute, leaving traces of their affair everywhere. Eventually, she became pregnant and entered the first branch.
As far as Madam Wu was concerned, Miao Xiaoniang could go to the first branch—she didn’t care. But then Miao Xiaoniang began treating the second branch as her natal family, as if Madam Wu had personally sent her to Elder Master Zhou’s bed. Naturally, Madam Wu wanted nothing to do with her.
That was why Madam Wu refused to even speak of Miao Xiaoniang.
