Jin Niang had eaten too much and was relieving herself when she unexpectedly encountered Concubine Deng, bound tightly with ropes. She had seen Concubine Deng before—a woman with meticulously painted brows and eyes, shrewd and highly favored. Yet here she was in such a state.
The leader of the group, Nanny Sun, declared, "The master and the First Lady showed her such kindness, and in return, she resorted to theft! Who would dare keep a thief like her?"
Theft? Jin Niang found it hard to believe. Concubine Deng might not be the primary wife, but as a secondary wife in a famously wealthy household, she was well-loved. Whatever she wanted was practically within her grasp. This seemed like an unnecessary risk.
But matters within the household were never straightforward. Lan Xiang whispered, "I heard she harmed Second Madam's son and tried to use dark magic again. Young Master's concubine accidentally witnessed it and reported her."
"If that's the case, why did I hear she was caught stealing?" Jin Niang asked, puzzled.
Lan Xiang chuckled. "In a grand household like ours, internal strife can't be openly discussed. Better to downplay major issues and dismiss minor ones. What would outsiders think if they heard? Our Second Young Master is about to be betrothed, and the young ladies aren't yet married. We can't shatter a jade vase just to catch a rat."
Jin Niang nodded in understanding. "That makes sense."
"So, was she sent back to her family or somewhere else?"
Lan Xiang replied, "She received twenty strokes under house rules and was sent away penniless. Concubine Deng used to be a wine-seller, and her former husband was no good. Her whole family relied on her. When she had money, they only thought of taking from her. Now that she's broke, do you think they'll care?"
Jin Niang thought to herself that while competing for favor was one thing, harming a child crossed the line. If this had been exposed and reported to the authorities, her fate would have been far worse.
However, Fourth Miss Zhou was dissatisfied. Concubine Deng had treated Miao Xiaoniang terribly in the past, yet she was merely expelled. She complained to Miao Xiaoniang, "Isn't this too cowardly? Concubine Deng has no powerful family backing her. What is there to fear?"
But Miao Xiaoniang understood the situation well. "Making a scene would only backfire."
"But the Song Penal Code punishes the 'Ten Abominations' and 'Four Killings.' What Concubine Deng committed falls under the 'Four Killings'—premeditated murder, killing in a brawl, killing during robbery, and intentional killing. Those convicted face execution, whether by slow slicing, beating to death, or waist-cutting!" Fourth Miss Zhou had researched this in her past life just to argue.
A woman like Concubine Deng deserved death, yet Madam Wu had handled it so foolishly, letting her off so easily. She had killed Madam Wu's own son!
Miao Xiaoniang, now that she had her revenge, focused on her pregnancy. Hearing her daughter speak so recklessly, she decided to ignore it. "Such words are unbecoming of a young lady. Go work on your embroidery. The First Lady's birthday is approaching, and you’ve already caused trouble by refusing foot-binding. Let’s not invite more trouble."
Fourth Miss Zhou was taken aback. She admired Miao Xiaoniang—Miao Qiuhong—precisely because she was different from the submissive heroines in those feudal-era novels. She was ambitious, daring, and never saw herself as inferior despite her status.
Though she recognized the differences between ancient and modern parent-child relationships, she still wanted to share everything with Miao Xiaoniang. But Miao Xiaoniang didn’t reciprocate.
——
After three days in the Second Household, Jin Niang earned two taels and three mace in wages. She even found a side job—copying sutras for others. Madam Wu’s maid weighed out one tael of silver for her. "This is for five volumes."
Two strings of iron coins per volume meant two hundred copper coins each. Five volumes totaled one tael.
Madam Wu likely didn’t know how well she copied, so she started with just five volumes as a test.
Back when Jin Niang studied, she specialized in calligraphy and tracing paintings. Even with the cheapest paper, she practiced daily to perfect her handwriting. Knowledge truly could be turned into money. The only pity was that she lacked a renowned teacher or family library, unlike those who could learn painting or music properly. She had heard that selling paintings was far more profitable.
Returning to her room, she trimmed the paper with bamboo strips and began grinding ink for copying.
She often mimicked Liu Gongquan’s regular script—his characters were balanced, lean yet firm, echoing the decisive force of Wei Dynasty steles. The strokes were sharp and elegant, the structure tight, with a stronger emphasis on bone structure compared to the more fleshy Yan style, hence the saying "Yan’s flesh, Liu’s bones."
The Diamond Sutra had over five thousand characters. She needed to copy five volumes—these were meant to be burned before Zhou Duzhi’s spirit, so there would surely be more.
Since she had finished her assigned tasks, earning extra silver was fair game.
Fang Qiaolian watched Jin Niang work, a hint of envy in her voice. "You’re really raking it in these days..."
"Just hard-earned pennies. I love good food, and a few extra dishes wipe it all out. If I had your skill in embroidering dragon-and-phoenix quilts, I wouldn’t need these odd jobs." Jin Niang wrinkled her nose, playing poor without batting an eye.
Yesterday, Madam Chen had assigned her Miao Xiaoniang’s baby clothes and swaddling, implying she could collect extra rewards.
Hearing this, Fang Qiaolian couldn’t complain further. She focused on her own work—she still had servants' clothes to finish, plus Miao Xiaoniang’s tasks. It was overwhelming.
Qin Shuang'er, noticing Madam Chen’s favoritism toward Jin Niang and Fang Qiaolian, felt stifled. She wanted to find a way to get closer to the Second Young Master’s attendants. Cuixian’s younger sister worked in the garden, so she grabbed some saved fruits and headed out.
Only Sister Shan seemed unbothered, sleeping whenever she could. She lived by the motto "take each day as it comes."
Finally finishing a volume, Jin Niang stretched. Fang Qiaolian tapped her shoulder. "I’m going to Miao Xiaoniang’s place. Keep an eye on things here."
"Alright," Jin Niang agreed firmly.
Fang Qiaolian soon arrived at Miao Xiaoniang’s quarters. The concubine was instructing the kitchen to prepare wine and dishes. When she saw the seamstress, particularly Fang Qiaolian’s gilded silver butterfly hairpins and neat appearance, she understood the ambitions of maids like her—always climbing, especially those who dressed so finely.
So, Miao Xiaoniang dismissed her. "Come back later. Now isn’t a good time."
No one knew when "later" would be, but Fang Qiaolian didn’t dare ask. She couldn’t help but compare—the First Lady, Second Madam, and Third Lady were always polite, while concubines like Miao Xiaoniang only made things difficult for servants.
Miao Xiaoniang paid no mind. When Lord Zhou arrived, despite her pregnancy, she drank a cup of wine with him. The lord didn’t particularly favor her, but Madam Lü, though charming, was too proper; Yan Hong was young and shy; Madam Jiang was older, and their relationship had settled into mutual respect. Only Miao Xiaoniang was willing to indulge him in every way.
"These days, the First Lady has been busy arranging Brother Cun’s marriage, preparing for the second concubine’s entry to assist her, and tending to the elderly madam. It’s truly remarkable how she manages all this alone. If any of you have matters to attend to, there’s no need to trouble her with them," Lord Zhou said to Miao Xiaoniang.
Though his words sounded like concern for the First Lady, Miao Xiaoniang inwardly sneered at his hypocrisy. To her, Lord Zhou was just as sanctimonious as Zhou Duzhi from the second branch, whose death had actually been caused by excessive indulgence in bedchamber affairs—a result of the aphrodisiacs secretly administered by the woman Miao Xiaoniang had sent to him. In her bid to win favor, the woman had gradually increased the dosage until Zhou Duzhi had exhausted himself to death.
It couldn’t be helped. If anyone was to blame, it was Madam Wu, who had refused to save her in the past. And since Zhou Duzhi had been deeply attached to his stepmother, Miao Xiaoniang had no choice but to plant someone to drive a wedge between them. She had only intended to sow discord, but the woman, desperate to conceive, had recklessly increased the dosage, leading to his demise.
With such a damning secret, the woman was terrified, and Miao Xiaoniang seized the opportunity to manipulate her into implicating Concubine Deng, even planting curses. After all, Concubine Deng was certainly no saint—Miao Xiaoniang had been watching her closely. To her surprise, a cursory investigation had indeed uncovered wrongdoing. Served her right.
Yet, in front of Lord Zhou, Miao Xiaoniang smiled sweetly. "This concubine shares the same thought, which is why I’ve remained indoors during my pregnancy to avoid burdening the First Lady. Yet she still troubles herself to send tailors to make clothes for me and my unborn child."
Lord Zhou was pleased to see harmony among his wives and concubines and beamed with satisfaction.
While Miao Xiaoniang was content, Fang Qiaolian, dismissed by her, returned in frustration and lay down to rest. Jin Niang, meanwhile, yawned as she wrote, then lit an oil lamp. Though it wasn’t yet dark, the room was dim, and the light helped.
Just as silence settled over the household, hurried footsteps approached from outside.
"Sister Shan, why are you still here? The Aunt has summoned you," a voice called.
Sister Shan abruptly sat up from her bed and recognized the speaker as Chun Yan, a maid assigned to the Aunt by the elderly madam. "Sister Chun Yan, but the sewing room is about to get busy—"
Hearing the commotion, Jin Niang stepped out and added, "Indeed, with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, we’ll have our hands full here."
Sister Shan was deeply moved by Jin Niang’s intervention. She knew all too well that people like Qin Shuang'er spoke sweet words but vanished when trouble arose, whereas Jin Niang, though usually keeping to herself, would stand up when needed.
"Oh, dear sister, I understand your situation, but who dares defy the Aunt’s orders? When our masters command, what choice do we servants have?" Chun Yan said helplessly.
Sister Shan immediately looked to Jin Niang, who shook her head—there was nothing she could do. Even though they were maidservants of higher status, not mere lowly slaves, their masters still held the power to transfer their service.
Seeing her helplessness, Sister Shan’s face fell, and she trudged after Chun Yan, shoulders slumped.
Jin Niang sighed softly and turned to go back inside, only to see Qin Shuang'er returning. "I suspect Sister Shan will face even harsher punishment this time. She’s bound to be singled out. If only she hadn’t come back—your kindness only made things worse for her."
"You’re always the one stirring trouble, but can you ever solve anything? If not, why bother speaking? If you ever find yourself in trouble later, we’ll just keep quiet too and offer no help," Jin Niang retorted. She wouldn’t claim to share a deep bond with Sister Shan—after all, colleagues were just colleagues, and true friendship was rare. But each did what they could out of goodwill. It wasn’t right to blame those who showed kindness just because the Aunt mistreated her servants.
Qin Shuang'er was left speechless, fuming. She had never expected this plump, seemingly good-natured girl to have such a sharp tongue.
