"Have your husband write a letter first to Daming Prefecture to inform your in-laws of the good news. I'll have your sister-in-law make the arrangements for you, so you can relax and enjoy yourself for a few days," Jin Niang said to her daughter.
Sister Jun, holding the transcribed copy of the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, finally felt her heart settle: "I don't even know what to say, Daughter. It feels like a dream."
Jin Niang smiled. "Everyone feels this way. Back when your father placed first in the Kaifeng Prefecture exam, my whole being felt like it was floating on water. I couldn't tell what was real and what was false. You might not know this, but at that time, because I had been doing needlework for so long, one day my eyes shed a great many tears, and the corner of my lower eyelid twitched intermittently. I was afraid I was getting facial paralysis. I felt so helpless, yet I had no choice but to continue. Otherwise, if your father had to wait for the next exam session, we would have needed money for social engagements. So, when I got that news, it truly was like a long drought ending with sweet rain."
"Your husband is clever, his temperament is gentle, and his devotion to you goes without saying. Even if the Wei family weren't officials, they are a wealthy and powerful household. In the future, when the family divides the estate, you two will surely receive a large share. But I think if a person lacks ability themselves, they might not be able to protect their wealth even if they possess a mountain of gold and silver. Fortunately, your father listened to me and wasn't afraid of displeasing your husband, pushing him to study. Now, the bitterness has finally given way to sweetness. I am so happy for you."
Sister Jun, tears in her eyes, hugged her mother.
The third son of the Meng family across the street also passed. His ranking was slightly lower than Wei the Seventh's, but both were within the third class. Sun Shichen managed to secure a good position for his son-in-law: Registrar of Lin'an Prefecture, to take up his post immediately.
As Wei the Seventh and Meng the Third were now neighbors and fellow graduates, Sister Jun and Eldest Miss Sun often chatted together.
"Do you know which office your husband has been assigned to?" Eldest Miss Sun asked cheerfully. She felt she had finally endured through to better days and feared nothing now.
Sister Jun replied, "Magistrate of Wu County."
Wei the Seventh already held an official post in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Now, having passed the imperial examination as a Presented Scholar, his first appointment was as a local magistrate. This was a very fortunate coincidence. Jiang Xian had once served as the County Defender of Wu County and knew full well how prosperous it was. He had originally considered if he could arrange a position in the Pingjiang Army, but Jin Niang said that to truly love someone is not to harm them, and to temper a person, one must start with being a magistrate.
Even Brother Ning started out as a prefectural judge.
Without experience serving outside the capital, one could never fully understand the hardships of the common people or become truly seasoned and mature.
Eldest Miss Sun smiled. "That's wonderful. We'll even be traveling the same route."
Sister Jun smiled and agreed.
Each had received instructions from their parents. Jin Niang told her daughter, "The Gu family are the leading local gentry. Although their influence isn't what it used to be, we have a long-standing friendship. Also..." She told her daughter all her connections and even wrote several letters for her daughter to deliver.
Sister Jun listened intently. Her mother continued, "I also have a task for you. I own estates and shops in Wu County, as you knew when you were at home. Please go and check on that courier station for me. If that Shopkeeper Yao is not performing well, write and tell me. Remember, you must report truthfully."
Steward Fan was still alright; his son, though not as capable as Fan the Fourth, was honest. However, she feared she might not be able to effectively manage Shopkeeper Yao from afar in the future. It was better to deal with the situation now while her influence was strong.
Sister Jun nodded. She then went back to pack their luggage, only to find her husband sitting dazedly in their room. "You're in here without making a sound? Who are you trying to scare?" she said.
Wei the Seventh sighed with emotion. "I never thought I would pass. Before the exam, my mother-in-law specially hung an embroidery of the God of Literature in my room. Although I'm very happy, now that we're leaving, I feel a bit reluctant..." Living at his aunt's house had truly felt like his own home. His aunt even secretly gave him pocket money every year and had his bathroom renovated. Ah!
"So that's what it is. Since when did you become so sentimental?" Sister Jun laughed. "Just do your duties well at your post. Make some achievements, so in the future, you and Brother Ning can support each other in court. Wouldn't that be ideal?"
Wei the Seventh slowly nodded in agreement.
Not to mention Jin Niang seeing off her daughter and son-in-law, she also used her private funds to treat her own family to a meal at the Immortal Gathering Pavilion. Over the past two years, Jiang Xian and Brother Ning had expended considerable effort for Wei the Seventh.
By the sixth month, it was Jin Niang's birthday. Brother Ning and Lu Qionghua gifted her a pair of crystal lingzhi mushroom hairpins and a purple sandalwood table screen. The crystal hairpins were rare, and the famille rose enamel decoration on the sandalwood screen was exceptionally beautiful. These were likely prepared by Lu Qionghua. Jin Niang nodded slightly; this daughter-in-law hadn't wasted the usual care she received.
Upon learning that Wei the Seventh had passed the imperial examination, Madam Wei, to express her gratitude to Jin Niang, specially sent a pair of fragrant wood-framed gauze cabinets on her birthday. Inside was a glass lamp, and below were two boxes of exquisite jewelry: one with gold inlaid with cat's eye stones, the other with white jade and pearls.
Not to mention the many others who tried to offer bribes under the guise of birthday gifts. Jin Niang returned them all. She only accepted gifts from relatives with whom she had regular exchanges. She wanted no valuable items from strangers; she wasn't short of money now.
Last year, Jin Niang had sold a house in Luoyang, and with other stock, she had a total of four thousand strings of cash. She simply took out three thousand strings to purchase a property with three large frontages and two courtyards deep, setting up a one-stop wedding services shop. It would provide everything from the bride's wedding dress and dragon-and-phoenix embroidered bed quilts to items for setting up the bridal chamber, and even wedding candies. Fine silk and skilled craftsmanship went without saying.
She had tasted the sweet profits of running a wedding shop before—it was truly lucrative and allowed for cooperation with local matchmakers.
Thinking of this, she summoned Minzhi. "I'd like you to be the shop manageress for this store. Are you willing?"
Nowadays, Ying managed the household, Qingrong managed her courtyard, and although Minzhi was skilled in needlework, her usefulness had diminished. Hence, Jin Niang's question. Of course, if Minzhi was unwilling, she had replacements in mind.
Minzhi agreed immediately. Jin Niang then created a sort of "planning document," detailing how to recruit embroiderers, arrange accommodations, and develop themes, all with specific guidelines.
She gave her two hundred strings of cash as capital to hire embroiderers and purchase silk thread and fabric, instructing her to keep careful accounts daily.
Master and servant planned for half a month. Minzhi, through a broker, recruited two masters each in Su embroidery and Shu embroidery, hired four apprentices, and bought two servants specifically to attend to these embroiderers, ensuring they didn't do rough work.
Following Jin Niang's previous arrangements, Minzhi first furnished the shop, displayed their embroidery work, and hung wedding dresses on racks, and so on.
Originally, Minzhi had only been a needleworker and maid. Now, her mistress said she would receive one-tenth of the shop's profits. She bravely stepped forward. She even bought samples of wedding candies for Jin Niang to taste, deciding which ones to purchase before bargaining with the suppliers. This was her first time doing such things, yet she found the resistance to stepping out was not as great as she had imagined.
Chen Xiaolang even joked, "Madam built her fortune through embroidery work, she is most skilled in this craft. Now that it's entrusted to you, you must not handle it carelessly."
"Isn't that obvious, Manager Chen?" Minzhi snorted coldly.
The shop was set to open around August. Jin Niang personally went to inspect it once, offered some pointers, and said, "I hear next year is the Year of the Dragon. Many people plan to marry this year and have a dragon baby next year, so you should also prepare some children's patchwork jackets and children's clothes. The rest seems fine."
Jin Niang, after all, had draft patterns for the flowers and birds section, and the master for the dragon and phoenix quilts was an old hand.
Master craftsmen earned two taels per month, with an increase of one tael after three full years, and up to five taels after ten years. Apprentices initially had food and lodging covered, earning two mace per month, with gradual increases later.
Don't underestimate such a wedding goods shop—it's a sustainable business with very low costs.
Jiang Xian said, "Madam, you lost four thousand taels just last year, and now you're taking out such a sum again this year. I thought you would be saving up."
"Money is something you save when you have little. When you have more, you can afford to try things, as long as it doesn't jeopardize the foundation. Besides, what I'm opening are all within my expertise; there's no way I'll lose out," Jin Niang said with a laugh.
If the silk and velvet shop's business couldn't be sustained in the future, renting it out would also be good, given its prime location in a bustling area.
So, she wasn't worried.
Wei Yang, at least, was promoted this year to a Rank 6b Vice Director in the Ministry of Works' Water Bureau. Of course, this also had to do with his brother-in-law's influence; otherwise, moving up even one rank in officialdom isn't easy. Jiang Xian himself had toiled for twenty years to become a Hanlin Academician.
Zhang Pingjun invited relatives to celebrate. Jiang Xian couldn't attend, so Jin Niang went with Brother Ning and his wife, and Brother Ding. Their residence had been upgraded from a two-courtyard house to a three-courtyard one, and they had also brought Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong to live with them.
However, Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong had spent the past few years renovating their manor and rarely came to Jin Niang's place, preferring the comfortable life at the manor.
"Sister is here. Brother Ning's wife, please come in and sit," Zhang Pingjun greeted them and called her daughter Ziyi over.
Lu Qionghua attended to Jin Niang. At home, Jin Niang didn't make her daughter-in-law stand on ceremony and even let them live independently, but outside, appearances had to be maintained. Otherwise, people wouldn't blame Jin Niang, but would say Lady Lu didn't serve her mother-in-law.
Because Jin Niang came, Wei Yang's superior even sent congratulatory gifts.
The food, fruits, and vegetables were plentiful. Zhang Pingjun tried to keep them longer, but Jin Niang smiled and said, "The daughter of the eldest uncle's family is getting married in a few days, we still need to go over there."
Zhang Pingjun knew that Jiang Yan had gone to serve as Prefect of Jiangning. Madam Xu was said to be frequently ill lately, with some kind of growth on her arm and weak energy, hardly in a state to handle affairs.
Moreover, with Jiang Fang's current overbearing influence, Jiang Yan might still have a chance to make a comeback, so it wasn't appropriate to insist they stay.
After leaving the Zhang residence, Jin Niang and Brother Ding shared a carriage. She used to focus her energy on her eldest son and daughter, but now it was almost all on her youngest son.
She asked, "Today I heard people calling you 'Jade-Faced Rakshasa'. That was the nickname your maternal grandmother had back in the day. How did you get it too?"
"Mother, you don't know, even the prefectural school is a place that eats people alive. At first, like my brother, I dressed inconspicuously. Some people tried to bully me, but when I revealed my background, they became submissive. Also, I've learned some legwork. Last time someone tried to ambush me, I kicked his leg so hard it turned black," Brother Ding explained to Jin Niang.
Jin Niang thought that women in the inner chambers, pampered by their parents, often don't know the harshness of the outside world. Men, however, learn early about scheming against each other, how to suppress people, and how to deal with others.
Especially someone like Brother Ding, who was exceptionally handsome. Being the youngest in the family and too pretty, Jin Niang was afraid he'd be bullied, so she always assigned him two pages and four guards/attendants.
She didn't expect his ability to fight back was quite strong. Jin Niang also breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you can handle it."
When Brother Ding was little, he often wore his brother's hand-me-downs. Now that he's grown up, seeing how handsome her youngest son is, Jin Niang is more willing to have clothes made for him, making him stand out even more.
"Mother, I heard people say Father is going to be promoted. Is it true?" Brother Ding asked.
Jin Niang said, "Not exactly. Your father wants to request the court to suppress the uprising. He's been appointed as a Pacification Commissioner, so he hasn't been able to come these days."
Only then did Brother Ding understand.
The days when Jiang Xian wasn't home were quite pleasant for Jin Niang too. Her daughter-in-law would often bring her grandson over to chat. With the men away during the day, the women would just talk and drink tea together.
Early this morning, Lu Qionghua came over. Jin Niang smiled and said, "Perfect timing, I'm about to have breakfast. Join me."
"Alright, I'll benefit from you today, mother-in-law," Lu Qionghua said as she sat down.
But considering Lu Qionghua had a weak stomach, Jin Niang also had someone buy congee for her from Liu Lou: "I rarely went to Liu Lou at Jinliang Bridge before, but after going once, I found they really have everything, and the food is delicious too."
Unlike scholars who generally love villas and retreating to the countryside, Jin Niang preferred living in bustling cities. Everything to eat and drink is available, it's lively and convenient, and she isn't someone who craves quietness.
After the mother and daughter-in-law finished their meal, the stewardesses from outside arrived. Jin Niang didn't avoid her daughter-in-law. Today, it was Minzhi coming to submit the accounts. She reported, "These days, orders are scheduled into next month. The shop has specially hired two more clerks."
Jin Niang smiled and said, "Although the shop is busy, remember not to let the embroiderers work overnight, and don't rush the work. Most importantly, collect the draft patterns once they're finished, and don't let them get leaked outside."
She flipped through the account book, quite satisfied. Before, their shop only had two or three embroiderers, and only Embroidery Mistress Zhu specialized in wedding quilts, earning handsomely. Now with eight embroiderers, in just this month, there were nearly five hundred strings of cash worth of orders.
Jin Niang would be satisfied if the embroidery shop's revenue reached around two thousand strings of cash, so she handed the account book back to her.
After Minzhi left, Steward Luo arrived. Lu Qionghua felt it inappropriate to stay longer and excused herself first. Steward Luo came to discuss matters of the Luoyang estate. After all, the Luoyang estate was the largest, and Jin Niang always paid close attention to management issues—no oppression of tenant farmers, no random wrongdoing. Otherwise, no matter how great the contribution, they would be expelled or handed over to the authorities.
After Steward Luo left, Shopkeeper Liang came. Jin Niang had Ying give him two thousand taels to purchase raw silk and had him press his fingerprint as confirmation. Only then were the morning's affairs concluded.
After waking from a nap, she spent an hour on needlework before starting to design and organize her sketches. The clothing she had designed in the past was quite inspired; she might not even be able to come up with such combinations now. It was just that after several years, the paper had yellowed, so she needed to redo and perfect them.
When she worked on her design drafts, she would go to the flower pavilion. There was a flower bed there, and the weather was pleasant.
She sketched for two hours. It wasn't until Brother Ding came over that she realized it was time for dinner, and she did feel a bit hungry.
The mother and son ate together, with just four dishes and a soup. The Jiang family rarely had a habit of waste. Jin Niang had taught the children from a young age to only take as much as they could eat.
"Mother, Eldest Han has invited me to play polo tomorrow. I'll be going and won't be home for meals," Brother Ding said.
Jin Niang smiled. "Go and have fun. Do you want your elder brother to pick you up?"
Brother Ding quickly shook his head. "Please don't. People would laugh at me."
Knowing the child was older and cared about face, Jin Niang didn't stop him. He attended many such gatherings and wasn't timid about them. Jin Niang had Ziteng fetch his riding attire, personally ironed it, checked it over once more, and then returned to her room.
The next day, as Madam Lu had come to Bianjing, Lu Qionghua took her child back to her maternal home. Jin Niang was in the flower pavilion finishing her design drafts when Third Madam Zhou came to visit.
In the past, whenever she saw Third Madam Zhou, she was always impeccably groomed, rarely doing anything unbecoming. Today, however, she looked quite haggard.
"Sister-in-law."
Seeing her state, Jin Niang invited her to sit. "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"
Third Madam Zhou shook her head. "During those years of demotion, life was hard, and I contracted a stubborn illness. I know my own body. My husband has procured countless tonics, but there's been no improvement."
But why was she saying this? Was it to entrust her children?
If it was about entrusting orphans, Jin Niang would not agree. Jiang Xian could not forgive Jiang Fang emotionally, and they were political opponents. There was really no need for such saintly gestures.
So, she only said, "I have some ginseng and other tonics here. Would you like to take them back and see?"
Third Madam Zhou waved her hand. "That's not why I came today. You know the court situation is unstable now. My only worry is my four sons. If in the future... I wanted to ask you, sister-in-law, to look after them a little."
Jin Niang, of course, evaded the topic. Why should she?
Third Madam Zhou coughed heavily several times, as if she would cough her lungs out. Tears welled in her eyes. "I was presumptuous."
"Right now, Second Brother is the Left Councilor, second only to one person and above ten thousand others. Sister-in-law, you'd better not indulge in wild thoughts," Jin Niang said.
Third Madam Zhou sighed and left the Jiang residence. Only then did she say to her confidante, "That woman has a heart of stone. Nothing works. Forget it, I'd better go back."
"Why don't you go to Fourth Aunt Sun's place?" the confidante asked.
Hearing this, Third Madam Zhou shook her head. That fourth sister of hers was timid and not very capable. Her own life was a mess; how could she be entrusted with anything? Moreover, when one prospers, all prosper; when one falls, all fall. If her own family met with misfortune, the Sun family might not fare well either.
In reality, after Third Madam Zhou left, Jiang Fang's position as councilor wasn't greatly affected. Jin Niang only mentioned it to Brother Ning and didn't make a fuss.
Brother Ning, however, said, "It might be a deliberate show of weakness to lower our guard."
"That's possible too," Jin Niang shook her head.
By the ninth month, the osmanthus blossoms grew even more fragrant, giving a feeling they would soon reach their peak and then fade. Jin Niang thought of her husband. Every year at this time, Jiang Xian would collect osmanthus flowers, dry them, and make osmanthus pudding for her. Now, he had been gone for three months with no letters.
However, a letter did arrive from her daughter, Sister Jun.
Fortunately, Shopkeeper Liang returned safely with the raw silk and arranged for the shop assistants to dye it. By the end of the year, Jin Niang received twenty thousand taels from him. The warehouse business was finally revived this year, with dividends reaching five thousand strings. The shipping business yielded one thousand strings, and the inns about fifteen hundred strings. This didn't even include the shops at Golden Beam Bridge, tenant rents from various places, and income from other inns, which already totaled over one hundred thousand strings.
To be honest, when you crave a goal, you try every way to reach that round number. But once you achieve it, you feel somewhat empty.
The key was, this was something hard to share with others. She rarely spoke of her wealth to the children—it wasn't time to divide the family property yet. As for her own parents, they would be shocked and frightened just hearing about it, and besides, she didn't wish to tell them.
There was only one person she could share it with: her husband. Unfortunately, her husband wasn't home.
At this moment, she missed Jiang Xian a little.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but she thought she heard someone call her name at the door.
Jiang Xian returned late at night. He originally thought if his wife was asleep, he would just sleep haphazardly in the side room. If she was awake, he would sleep with her.
Unexpectedly, they were truly in sync. Jin Niang was actually awake.
Before he could even speak, his wife pulled him to the bed. Like someone who had eaten a hot dumpling and needed to spit it out quickly to tell him, she poured out her news. After listening, he finally understood. "So, you mean we now have assets of one hundred thousand strings?"
"More than that, over a hundred thousand strings," Jin Niang said with a laugh.
Jiang Xian, seeing her like this, couldn't help but kiss her. "Is this what kept you awake? I thought it was because you missed me."
"I did miss you, but I wanted to tell you sooner," Jin Niang chuckled.
Jiang Xian gently covered her eyes. "You haven't slept well for years. I've kept you up half the night today. Get some rest now."
Once her eyes were covered, everything went dark for Jin Niang, and she actually fell asleep.
To speak of Jiang Xian: previously, for quelling the rebellion, he was appointed Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and Participator in Determining Governmental Matters. This time, because the rebellion was handled properly, he was promoted to Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery and Grand Academician of the Hall for Assembled Worthies.
As for Jiang Fang, for colluding with imperial consorts and failing in the struggle for the succession—the Crown Prince was now established—his previously radical actions faced a strong backlash. He himself was demoted to Fang County, with the Emperor decreeing that his descendants could never serve in the court. Even the Jiang clan removed his name from the lineage.
Jiang Fang was not the least bit afraid. Leaving Bianjing, he laughed heartily and chanted, "Head raised, I laugh as I go out the door; Am I not one of the worthy, hidden among the common weeds?"
Jiang Xian, however, said, "I'm afraid that man will never return to the capital in his lifetime."
Far away in Jiangning, Jiang Yan died in his post.
...
The Jiang household was very lively today, with a constant stream of congratulatory guests. Both Brother Ning and Brother Ding were busy receiving them. Many also flattered Jin Niang. Though she smiled and responded to them, she was filled with countless emotions.
After the bustle died down, she and Jiang Xian drank together, both sighing with emotion.
"When I first came to the capital, I never imagined a little maid like me would become the wife of a First-Rank Grand Councilor," Jin Niang said with a laugh.
Jiang Xian took a sip of grape wine. "And I never thought a mere junior from a collateral branch would become a Grand Councilor either."
Neither of them were prone to sentimentality. After a few moments of reflection, Jiang Xian brought up, "You mentioned Sister Jun wrote. I wonder how they are faring?"
"I heard that young lady from the Jiang family, the one she never got along with, has become the wife of the Judicial Commissioner of the Liangzhe Circuit. I was a bit worried, but now that you are the Grand Councilor, I won't just say 'children and grandchildren have their own fortunes' anymore. As long as our son-in-law performs his duties properly, no one will dare give him trouble," Jin Niang said, smiling.
Jiang Xian chuckled.
The night was deep, and the lamplight cast a soft yellow glow. Jin Niang and Jiang Xian retired to bed, the room filled with warmth and comfort.
