Jin Niang had once read about the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, mentioning that "Shensheng perished by staying within, while Chong'er found safety abroad." If she, as a mother, remained merely a concubine and returned to her hometown, her status would be lowly. Lady Zhang still had some scruples regarding Zhou Cunzhi and dared not act too harshly, but the Zhou family's First Madam was a very unkind person, and Jin Niang would be of no use to her son.
If, after returning home, she could resume her former trade and build a life for herself, she might be able to provide support in the future.
Perhaps she would be robbed on the road, perhaps she might not fare as well as others, but no matter what, at least she dared to take this step.
Just as she was about to exchange her money for the journey home, she never expected that a gentleman from the Du family would come to propose marriage. This gentleman from the Du family had the given name Qing, courtesy name Zhongfeng, and was just thirty years old. She knew his background, but Jin Niang also said to him: "To be honest, Zhou Cunzhi previously deceived me into becoming a concubine, and I deeply regret it. I will never be anyone's concubine again."
Du Qing had seen Jin Niang by chance. He had caught a glimpse of her once and, hearing she was married, naturally felt a sense of loss. He never imagined that at this time, as she prepared to leave the Zhou family and return home, he realized his opportunity had come.
He was sincere in his proposal. Seeing Jin Niang speak thus, he hurriedly said, "If Madam Wei agrees, I will immediately write to inform my parents."
Jin Niang knew of him. He was the son of a county magistrate, his family quite wealthy, with some dealings with the Zhou family. But one can know a person's face, not their heart. She said, "I do not know what it is about me that you find admirable?"
"It is simply my admiration for you, Madam," said Du Qing, seeing Jin Niang's fine features and elegant demeanor.
"You do not know what kind of person I am, yet you admire me so. What if I turn out not to match my reputation? If you are truly sincere, why not first accompany me back to Jiangling to stay for some time?" Jin Niang proposed.
Du Qing promptly agreed. Because of him, Jin Niang did not need to exchange for flying cash (a form of draft); Du Qing directly hired people to transport her trunks and cases.
Although they shared the same boat, both were very proper and observed decorum.
Du Qing, being the son of an official, still had a somewhat naive disposition. Jin Niang was a few years older than him, but she did not force him to study or the like, only saying, "In my view, the officialdom is murky; even if one passes the imperial examinations, being an official is not easy. Your family is wealthy, and I also have considerable assets. If we can establish a marriage, being a country squire is also very good."
Men most fear being pressured. If they have ambition for scholarly honors, they will naturally strive; if not, it's enough if they have some capability.
"Madam, what are you saying? I will certainly study diligently," Du Qing said with a laugh.
After just these few words, Jin Niang returned to her room. Du Qing's servant boy remarked, "Young Master, you are too good to Madam Wei, even following her back to her hometown."
"At first, I only thought her talented, beautiful, and suitable for the household, but now, after traveling together, I find Madam Wei magnanimous. She even sent the boat fare to me in advance. I've even discovered she is quite well-read," Du Qing felt increasingly that his judgment was good.
And yesterday, when he felt somewhat unwell, it was Madam Wei's bowl of plum blossom noodle soup that warmed his stomach and made him feel very comfortable.
On the boat, Jin Niang was reading. In the Zhou household, she had read many books—on cuisine, travelogues, and medical texts. She truly felt that literacy was an excellent thing; at least, people couldn't easily deceive her about many matters.
Speaking of which, there was also some luck. On the road, they happened upon a cloth merchant whose goods had gotten damp. Jin Niang, remembering she had some lemons on hand, successfully used them to help remove the stains. The cloth merchant was immensely grateful, and Jin Niang seized the opportunity to sell him all the fabrics she had from before.
She had been with Zhou Cunzhi for nearly ten years and had saved up jewelry worth over a thousand taels of silver. She wasn't as foolish as that young lady Guo, giving her whole heart and everything to a man.
Seeing Jin Niang like this, Du Qing admired her more and more.
Upon reaching Jiangling, Du Qing immediately proposed to the Wei family. First, he sent six plates of dried fruits and six plates of fresh fruits, along with a gold crown, a silver-gilt crown, a set of gold jewelry, a string of Japanese crystal beads, gold hairpins, gold bracelets, a gold pendant, and six gold hairpins inlaid with gemstones.
Two sets of embroidered wedding robes, four brocade gowns of Shu silk, twelve bolts of colored satin, thirty camellia flowers, twenty velvet and silk flowers, and a betrothal gift of two hundred strings of cash.
Jin Niang's side need not even be mentioned. Over the years, she had amassed a dowry of nearly eight thousand strings of cash, carried over in over eighty chests.
Here, Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong doted on Du Qing immensely. Jin Niang and he stayed at her parents' home for a month before accompanying Du Qing to his father's post.
Magistrate Du was initially very dissatisfied. With his son's qualifications, he could have easily married an official's daughter.
But Jin Niang paid her respects morning and evening. Having stayed in a prominent household like the Zhou family, her every word and action carried a dignified grace. Du Qing's mother was a woman who regarded her husband as her heaven, easy to get along with. Jin Niang usually did needlework with her, spun thread and wove brocade at home during the day, and cooked soups in the kitchen.
Besides these duties of a virtuous wife and mother, she also gently encouraged Du Qing to study. For men, without scholarly honors, it is difficult to get anywhere.
Just like the Zhou family's second young lady. Although she was the legitimate daughter, she was far worse off than several of her half-sisters. Her third younger sister married the great talent Jiang Fang; her fourth younger sister married her brother-in-law as a second wife, also a man of high rank and power. Only her own husband had no scholarly honors, always seeming sullen and wanting to vent his frustrations.
"In my opinion, we need to have some status of our own, so that later we can go to Lin'an Prefecture to see Chun'er. Since ancient times, it's better to follow a beggar mother than an official father. The Zhou family won't release him, so I can only see him properly if I have some standing," Jin Niang said with a worried frown.
Du Qing remembered the gap between his own family and the Zhou family. Indeed, it was so. He took Jin Niang's hand and said, "Don't worry, I will study diligently."
Seeing their son begin to strive for advancement and their daughter-in-law truly being sensible, Du Qing's parents had few complaints left.
Jin Niang thought that at her age, she should first regulate her health. Fortunately, having lived comfortably all these years, her health was quite good. She began preparing for pregnancy, taking some medicines to nourish her qi and blood, and soon became pregnant.
"Are we really going to have our own child?" Du Qing said.
"Yes, I wonder if it will be a son or a daughter?" Jin Niang smiled sweetly.
Du Qing laughed, "Son or daughter, both are good."
"I think so too," Jin Niang said.
This year, she had firmly established her footing in the Du family. She had Du Qing send a few people with gifts specifically for Chun'er to Lin'an. No matter what, having his birth mother visit would be better for him.
The people sent to Lin'an Prefecture returned a month later, saying Chun'er was studying well and had asked about Jin Niang. Hearing that Jin Niang planned to visit him, he was very happy.
Jin Niang looked at Du Qing, who immediately said, "I'll go study right away."
That year, Jin Niang gave birth to a daughter. In the eighth month, Du Qing passed the provincial examination and prepared to go to the capital for the metropolitan examination. Jin Niang packed his luggage for him and said, "After you pass the metropolitan examination out there, don't go wandering about. You must wait until everything is settled."
Du Qing smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will go find Jiang Xian. He is now a Zhongshu Sheren. This man is greedy for wealth and goods, but he also values friendship quite a bit. I had some dealings with him before."
"I've heard the Jiang brothers have both thrown in their lot with the Shen faction, so naturally they are at the height of their power now. Our gifts of greeting must be substantial," Jin Niang was making preparations.
Du Qing immediately took his leave from his parents, wife, and daughter and set off for the capital, leaving Jin Niang alone at home.
Now that she was the principal wife, and her mother-in-law, being elderly, did not involve herself much in household affairs, the management of the home was entirely in her hands. The nurse for the child was also chosen by her, and it was perfectly right and proper for her to instruct the child.
No one could say anymore, "You are just a concubine, you have no right to teach."
When her daughter grew up, she would be able to call her "mother" openly and without shame.
In fact, when she left the Zhou family, she knew that Xiang Ming wasn't a bad person either, sometimes just acting to protect herself. So, she specifically gave her one hundred strings of cash, asking her to look after her son in private.
Once her husband passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi, she would bring her son over in the future.
But unfortunately, although Du Qing did become a jinshi, she heard that Zhou Cunzhi had also been pulled back into favor by Jiang Xian.
Du Qing had no choice but to prepare several kinds of gifts to send to the Zhou family. It was said Zhou Cunzhi was still very angry, but thankfully Jiang Xian helped mediate. Jiang Xian, having reached such an official rank, was still a very good person. When Jin Niang received the letter, she sighed with emotion, no wonder everyone liked him.
However, precisely because he was such a person, he could see through people's hearts too easily, likely feeling he had others dancing in the palm of his hand. Who knew what the future held, but she would remember this kindness.
Because of the generous gifts and his connection with Jiang Xian, Du Qing obtained a decent official post. He was appointed as a Registrar in Dan County, and Jin Niang also took their daughter along to Dan County.
This time, as the Registrar's wife, Jin Niang also realized that Du Qing really wasn't the type to worry much. Having reached this age, she herself felt quite fulfilled.
However, Zhou Cunzhi was not doing well either. Although Jiang Xian had pulled him back, the years of demotion had already worn down his spirit. Moreover, his original political stance was close to the Jixian faction's Prime Minister, and he couldn't very well switch allegiances, so he could only shut himself away at home.
Out of kindness, Jin Niang sent someone to try and take the opportunity to bring Chun Ge'er over, but Zhou Cunzhi sent a letter informing them that Chun Ge'er had been adopted by the second branch.
Originally, it was Zhou Cunzhi's younger half-brother, the biological younger brother of the Fourth Miss Zhou, who was to inherit, but who knows what madness came over Zhou Cunzhi...
"Forget it, perhaps it's for the best. The Zhou family's second branch is quite wealthy. If I insisted on bringing Chun Ge'er over, he might blame me in the future," Jin Niang said.
But Du Qing smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. In three years, when I go to the capital for my evaluation, we can go see Chun Ge'er."
Only then did Jin Niang nod.
Although Du Qing's talent and ability couldn't be considered outstanding, he came from an official family and performed his duties steadily and without incident. Three years later, they went to the capital for his evaluation. He didn't pass the selection for the Hanlin Academy, but Jin Niang finally got to see Chun Ge'er. After not seeing him for these few years, he had grown from a child into a youth.
"Your mother has missed you very much all this time. I've finally found an opportunity," Jin Niang said.
After many years apart, Chun Ge'er was somewhat distant, but he knew that Du Qing was now the Magistrate of Pengze County, and that Du Qing's father was now a Prefect. His own mother was an official's wife. His feelings were somewhat complicated.
Jin Niang understood very well: if she were still that concubine, even her own son would look down on her. Thankfully, although it was painful at the time, she had made the absolutely correct choice.
Sometimes you have to understand a truth: even your own children can be snobbish. There's no point dwelling on it. So, one must always strive to better oneself.
"Mother, I will study hard. In the future, once I've established myself through my studies, I will come find you," Chun Ge'er said.
Jin Niang held his hand and said, "The master and madam of the second branch have adopted you as their grandson, so you must also be filial to them. As for your mother here, whatever help you need, I will do my utmost."
Chun Ge'er was deeply moved. When Jin Niang was leaving, she left him one hundred strings of cash and two trunks of clothing. She understood very well that kind words were not as practical as giving some material goods.
Over these years, the Du family had been steadily rising in status. The Du family was originally quite well-off, and Jin Niang had purchased some high-quality farmland in their hometown of Lin'an Prefecture. Her own dowry went without saying—it was likely more than she could use in this lifetime. Therefore, whenever Chun Ge'er sought her out in the future, she had the means to ensure her son lived well.
After seeing her son, Jin Niang took her daughter and followed her husband to Shandong.
Unexpectedly, while passing through a certain place, Du Qing mentioned, "His Majesty has bestowed the estate here to Jiang Xian. He is truly the man of the hour now."
"Yes, he certainly knows how to navigate officialdom," Jin Niang merely sighed.
As for Chun Ge'er, after receiving the gifts from Jin Niang, he was still very happy inside. Although the second branch provided him with everything he needed, after all, he wasn't their biological child, and ready cash wasn't always at hand. If his mother gave too much, the second branch might feel uncomfortable. This amount was just right. Looking at the four sets of fine robes, the straight-collared gowns and beizi, and even two fur coats for winter in the trunks, he felt very comforted.
Xiang Ming, of course, also knew Jin Niang had sent things. She now regretted: what if she had also left directly like Jin Niang back then?
But on second thought, she shook her head. She didn't have a dowry as substantial as Jin Niang's.
Therefore, when she ran into Chun Ge'er, she rarely said, "Your mother is now an official's wife, while the second branch no longer holds official positions. So, there's no need to avoid contact with your mother anymore."
Chun Ge'er had been looked after by Xiang Ming when he was young. Although she could be partial, she had treated him quite well overall. So he smiled and said, "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."
The Zhou family was gradually beginning to decline. The second branch had no sons, the third branch's son died young, and Zhou Cunzhi, after being demoted and recalled, had lost his fighting spirit. Xiang Ming herself sighed that life seemed to have no place where she could truly settle down.
Chun Ge'er was alright; he was a boy after all. In the future, wherever he wanted to go, he could leave. He also had a mother who was an official's wife, and the Du family she married into was an official family, so he ultimately still had something to rely on.
During Du Qing's tenure as Magistrate of Pengze, since Jin Niang and Du Qing only had this one daughter, the couple treasured her like a jewel. The child's name was Zhen Zhen.
When she was five, Jin Niang hired a tutor to teach her to read. Jin Niang herself had only studied for two years, but was more capable than ordinary people. Her daughter would be an official's daughter in the future, so naturally she couldn't be like her.
Zhen Zhen, having grown up with Jin Niang since childhood, was very close to her mother. When Jin Niang was nearly forty, she gave birth to a son, sending Du Qing into raptures of joy.
This child came as a complete surprise. At her age, Jin Niang had not planned on having any more children, and Du Qing was busy with his official duties. Neither of them had expected it.
Even her father-in-law, serving as an official far away, specially sent many gifts. But Jin Niang felt that with children, it wasn't about gender; one filial child was enough.
Ever since giving birth to Chun Ge'er, she had realized that if she were still just a concubine, or a poor woman, Chun Ge'er might not have even deigned to acknowledge her.
That was also why she hadn't desperately tried to have more children, taking special care to prevent pregnancy after each birth.
Du Qing's official career progressed steadily. After three years as the Magistrate of Pengze, he was transferred to Laizhou as a Tongpan. These weren't particularly wealthy postings, and he remained in provincial appointments, but for them, staying away from the intrigues of Bianjing was a good thing.
According to a letter from Chun Ge'er, the eldest master of the Zhou family had passed away. Zhou Cunzhi and his entire family had returned to Lin'an to observe mourning. Chun Ge'er had also returned to his ancestral home. He had always been inclined towards asceticism and Daoist practices, and now, back home, his desire for fame and fortune had faded considerably. Lady Zhang, who had previously played the role of a virtuous wife expecting great success from her husband, found that Zhou Cunzhi had lost his drive. In a fit of anger, she drowned herself.
After reading the letter, Jin Niang thought it was all too absurd. Wasn't one's own life precious?
Even Du Qing hinted that he might resign from his post in a few years. Jin Niang understood. Being a local official in charge of the people was no easy task. Besides, this was Du Qing's own career path; he must have weighed the pros and cons. Someone like Zhou Cunzhi, who had experienced such dramatic rises and falls, was probably already weary of it all.
When Chun Ge'er turned sixteen, he set out to travel and study. He was now a tall youth. It was said that over the years, without Zhou Cunzhi, the official nephew, the Second Branch of the Zhou family had lost much of their wealth. The upside was that as they aged, their ambitions had mellowed.
"They even took the initiative to send my son over."
Upon hearing Chun Ge'er was coming, Du Qing promptly helped arrange accommodations for him. Jin Niang also planned to find a good marriage match for her son.
After all, her son was no longer the child of an official family. Finding a bride from an official's household would be difficult. When Chun Ge'er arrived at Jin Niang's place, he didn't feel neglected at all.
He had thought his mother might fawn over her new husband and treat him coldly, but that wasn't the case. Uncle Du had a gentle temperament and, in his eyes, felt more like a father—teaching him to read, hiring renowned tutors for him. And Zhen Zhen was adorable, often secretly stuffing his pouch with little snacks.
Gradually, he felt at ease.
However, Jin Niang found arranging a marriage for him somewhat troublesome and complained to Du Qing: "We could look for a daughter from an official family, but we'd only be able to choose from among the poorer officials."
Chun Ge'er was not short of money; he certainly aimed to marry an official's daughter. Jin Niang shook her head and continued selecting for her son.
Naturally, she also set a requirement for him: "You must at least pass the exams to enter the prefectural school. With real talent and learning, you need fear nothing else."
"I didn't study much while with the Zhou family. Back in Lin'an, we hardly had any tutors. It was only later, after some clansman mentioned it, that we started studying properly," Chun Ge'er said, lowering his head.
Jin Niang smiled. "It's never too late to start. Back then, I saw the situation in the Zhou family. Staying there long-term might not have been good for you. However, let me remind you, all this so-called wealth and power is only temporary. What you learn yourself is what truly belongs to you."
She couldn't let Chun Ge'er feel so secure that he became a wastrel. Even she herself wouldn't have much confidence if she hadn't accumulated substantial wealth.
Jin Niang replaced all the unreliable servants and maids around Chun Ge'er and supervised his studies daily. At first, Chun Ge'er was determined to study hard, but he gradually became lazy. Jin Niang was resolved to manage him at least until he entered the prefectural school and secured a good marriage. Naturally, whenever he thought of running off, she had people keep him in check.
Fortunately, the boy had been clever at his studies since childhood. At nineteen, he passed the exams for the prefectural school. He had a fortune of a hundred thousand strings, was reasonably handsome, was the son of the Tongpan's wife, and came from a scholarly family himself.
The Prefect valued talent and, upon Jin Niang's visit, betrothed his daughter to Chun Ge'er.
Jin Niang sent a letter to Lin'an, and the family there sent a generous betrothal gift. After Chun Ge'er married the Prefect's daughter, they first returned to Lin'an to pay respects to the elders.
Meanwhile, as Du Qing was transferred to become the Prefect of Quzhou, they passed through Lin'an. Jin Niang specially went to see Second Master Zhou and Second Madam. By then, they were very old, frail and elderly, keeping each other company, but doing well.
Second Master Zhou, once a very shrewd man, now looked much kinder due to having put on weight. Second Madam, now addressed as the Old Madam, said with a smile, "We must thank you for finding him such a good wife."
"It was nothing. I forced him to study for a few years and was afraid he might resent me for it," Jin Niang replied.
Madam Wu added, "Second Master and I plan to retire in Yangxian. We are too old to manage Chun Ge'er anymore. You are a kind person. You settled the child's marriage and even had them return to show us respect. But we cannot be too selfish. We'll trouble you and Du Qing to look after Chun Ge'er from now on."
Jin Niang was taken aback.
Many people who adopted a child wished to sever all ties with the previous family. Why was Second Madam Zhou like this?
But Madam Wu knew the score. They were too old to prevent it anyway; it was better to do it as a favor.
Jin Niang agreed. She and Du Qing now planned to serve a few more years in office, arrange a marriage for their daughter, and then resign and return home. After Chun Ge'er and his wife saw off Second Master Zhou and his wife to Yangxian, they proceeded to Jin Niang's posting in Quzhou.
Usually, Chun Ge'er assisted Du Qing with official matters, while his wife attended to Jin Niang.
Later, Du Qing was laterally transferred to serve as Prefect of Ganzhou for three years. Zhen Zhen was also betrothed, and Chun Ge'er contributed two thousand strings for his sister's dowry.
After several years in Ganzhou, Master Du fell ill. Du Qing and Jin Niang returned to their hometown to care for the old man. After Master Du passed away, Du Qing observed the mourning period. Once it was over, they married off Zhen Zhen. By then, Chun Ge'er had already passed the imperial examinations and become a Jinshi.
Jin Niang and Du Qing then lived leisurely in their hometown. During the day, they often went boating on the lake; at night, they would enjoy fine food together. The days passed, uncounted.
They paid little attention to affairs at court. But one day, they saw a man and his attendant being driven out of an inn, with onlookers pointing fingers. Jin Niang had an excellent memory for faces. She was surprised to recognize the man as Jiang Xian and promptly had him brought to their home.
When Jiang Xian saw that Jin Niang had personally gone to the kitchen to make his favorite fried quail, he was nearly moved to tears. Having lost his father young and climbed with great difficulty to a high position, he was now demoted and reviled as a treacherous, autocratic minister. Everywhere he went, someone exposed his identity, clearly the work of political enemies.
He simply hadn't expected that from a casual favor he did for Master Du many years ago—for which he had even accepted quite a few gifts from him—they would still remember.
After finally finishing the meal, Jin Niang handed him a bag of money and said, "I have arranged a carriage for you at the back gate."
"Thank you," Jiang Xian said with deep emotion. He swore to himself that one day he would make a comeback, and he would absolutely not spare those who had wronged him.
But he knew such hope was now very faint.
Jin Niang and Master Du saw him to the gate. Jin Niang couldn't help saying, "If the day ever comes when you hold office again, can you promise me one thing?"
"Please tell me," Jiang Xian replied, thinking she would probably ask for an official post for her son or husband.
To his surprise, Jin Niang smiled and said, "Lord Jiang, with your talent, if you ever serve as an official again, I hope you will become a truly good official who works for the common people."
Jiang Xian was taken aback. He looked at her deeply for a moment and said softly, "Alright."
