As Granny Wei spoke these words, Luo Yu'e nervously glanced at her husband, fearing he would insist on going to help. Yet she couldn't stop him from rescuing his own younger brother.
At that moment, Jin Niang interjected, "Granny, where is Brother Sheng? And why is Third Brother-in-law nowhere to be seen? At the very least, they should come and discuss this together."
Granny Wei's emotional manipulation had worked for years. Once, she claimed Third Uncle had no place to live, so she openly took over the house their father had bought in the hometown, allocating it to them. Over time, they treated it as their own. Later, when Third Uncle needed help for his business, he called their grandparents to assist, refusing to let them aid their own family. He even declared that he alone would handle their care and funeral arrangements.
Yet when Grandfather passed away, it was still Jin Niang's father who handled the burial.
So she had to remind her parents: Third Uncle's daughter, Ying Niang, was only a year younger than her, and Brother Sheng was already fifteen or sixteen—old enough to step up. Yet they stayed silent, leaving her father to take charge. If this turned out to be a scam, her father would be the one trapped.
Sure enough, Granny Wei retorted, "What do those two youngsters know?"
Jin Niang pressed, "The bloodstains look fresh—he must still be nearby. Granny, call Third Brother-in-law and Brother Sheng. Let’s all go report this to the local patrol station."
Fortunately, she had once looked into matchmaking with a patrol soldier—now that knowledge came in handy.
Granny Wei, momentarily at a loss, hurried off to fetch them. Meanwhile, Jin Niang turned to her father. "Dad, don’t foolishly rush in. Third Uncle got involved with alchemy swindlers. They might be holding him to lure you in, then torture you too. Take the money you were planning to return to him—this is the perfect chance to settle the debt."
Luo Yu'e, initially frantic, immediately agreed, silently admiring her daughter’s quick thinking. No matter the crisis, Jin Niang always had a solution.
Jin Niang then asked Wei Xiong, "Dad, do you know what to say when we meet the patrolmen?"
Wei Xiong nodded. "I’ll say your Third Uncle was with those alchemy frauds—they must be behind this."
"No. Right now, you don’t know who’s responsible. Don’t mislead them. Just say Granny came to you, claiming Third Uncle had his nails pulled out and demanding ransom. Hand the twenty-five strings of cash directly to Brother Sheng or Third Brother-in-law in front of everyone. Then tell them to inform us if they find Third Uncle."
Wei Xiong looked confused, so Luo Yu'e scolded him. "Can’t you see? Ying Niang’s father is in trouble, yet she and her brother do nothing—just waiting for you to step in. They can afford a mansion worth nearly two thousand taels, but when it’s time to pay ransom, they hide behind Granny and dump this on us."
She hurried to fetch the money—originally meant as repayment—now perfectly timed.
Soon, Ying Niang and Brother Sheng arrived. Wei Xiong stood to lead them, but Ying Niang said, "Second Uncle, we’re entrusting everything to you."
Wei Xiong frowned, realizing Third Uncle’s family always shoved trouble onto him.
"You should all come. You’re his children—you’d know more details," Jin Niang cut in. Luo Yu'e backed her up.
Reluctantly, Ying Niang turned to her fiancé. "An Ping, you go with Uncle."
Jin Niang thought to herself: Your own father’s in danger, and you won’t even go—just sending your fiancé? Impressive. Still, Wei Xiong, An Ping, and Brother Sheng went together, and Wei Xiong followed Jin Niang’s advice, publicly handing the money to Brother Sheng.
If debts aren’t settled openly, they don’t count.
When Third Uncle and his wife were found, they were unharmed—the kidnappers had just wanted money and fled before the authorities arrived.
Jin Niang didn’t know how much Third Uncle lost, but she was sure his shrewdness kept him afloat. He’d even recruited her aunts as underlings—hardly a crippling blow.
She visited once with her parents. Their family, who once only sold steamed buns in the morning, now worked from dawn till dusk.
Third Uncle and his wife only lost money, but Brother-in-law broke his leg fleeing and was given two hens as compensation.
All this reinforced Jin Niang’s belief: Greed invites disaster. Easy gains? Best not even dream of them.
Luo Yu'e asked, "Do you think your Third Uncle will change after this?"
"No. He’s always sought shortcuts. A bigger scam will come, and he’ll jump right in." Jin Niang recalled how he’d tried recruiting her father—thankfully, he’d escaped.
A leopard can’t change its spots.
Third Uncle was skilled in business and diligent, but he chased get-rich-quick schemes and still refused to invest properly. This time, he bought a sickly old donkey for just five strings of cash—barely fit for short trips. For longer distances, he had to borrow their cart.
Since Third Aunt couldn’t cook and Granny Wei’s meals were mediocre, Third Uncle did the cooking. He asked Brother Sheng, "Your Second Uncle returned the money, right?"
Brother Sheng, ever honest, nodded. "Yes, he gave it to us in front of the soldiers when we reported the case."
"Your Second Uncle’s grown cunning. No wonder my friends say he’s doing well now—they even asked about Jin Niang." Third Uncle smirked, thinking he saw through it all.
Third Aunt and Ying Niang frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He framed returning my money as rescuing me, earning himself a reputation for generosity. Distant relatives all knew I lent to him."
Back when Second Brother served in the Imperial Guard, those same relatives ignored Third Uncle. Now that Second Brother had fallen and he’d risen, his brother was stealing his spotlight.
Third Aunt caught on. "Second Brother’s gotten clever? I bet that shrewd sister-in-law of yours is behind it."
If Third Uncle disliked Wei Xiong, Third Aunt despised Second Sister-in-law Luo Yu'e even more. Luo Yu'e's life was far more comfortable than hers—Wei Xiong might seem meek, but he always stood up for his wife in important matters and had even argued with their in-laws on Luo Yu'e's behalf. Meanwhile, her own husband, eager to avoid losing free labor, never once defended her during her frequent clashes with her mother-in-law.
Even her own daughter, raised by Granny Wei, wasn’t close to her, unlike Luo Yu'e's daughter, who was practically inseparable from her mother.
At least her daughter’s marriage prospects were far smoother—a small consolation that brought her some comfort.
After a full month as Head Embroiderer, Jin Niang finally received her wages. With the embroidery workshop closed, there were no extra earnings, but the six strings of cash she received now eased her worries somewhat.
However, Third Sister Xu only received a little over two strings. She immediately confronted Jin Niang: "Why is my pay less than before?"
Jin Niang replied, "Wait a moment, let me check for you."
She already knew the reason but still presented the records to Third Sister Xu: "See here—you left an hour early twenty days this month, as noted by the supervisor. Also, you didn’t meet the monthly quota for finished garments, and you took two days off."
Third Sister Xu rubbed her belly. "But I’m with child! You know that, don’t you? I left early because I wasn’t feeling well. If not for that, I would’ve stayed. When Head Embroiderer Gu was here, it wasn’t like this."
"Third Sister, you misunderstand me," Jin Niang said patiently. "As you said, I’m new here. I can only record things as they are—it’s not me who decides your pay. If it were up to me, I’d give you everything. But since you’re pregnant, perhaps we should consult Chief Embroiderer Du. Let’s go together and explain your situation. If she’s understanding, you won’t have to work so hard."
I sympathize with your condition, but rules are rules.
At the mention of Chief Embroiderer Du, Third Sister Xu glared at Jin Niang. "Why bother her with such a small matter?"
"I don’t dare make decisions on my own," Jin Niang replied.
Third Sister Xu only cared about others covering for her. If they didn’t, she took it as a personal slight, never considering that if Jin Niang were caught bending the rules, she’d lose her position entirely.
"If you won’t take responsibility, then if something happens to my baby, I’ll hold you accountable!" Third Sister Xu snapped, finding Jin Niang utterly heartless.
Jin Niang, however, wasn’t one to be intimidated. "If that’s how you feel, then we must go to Chief Embroiderer Du. Otherwise, you’ll blame me for everything. I’m only doing my job. We should discuss how to handle your situation properly, not expect me to break the rules for you."
She stood up decisively, and Third Sister Xu, fuming, could only watch as Jin Niang took the records and left to find Chief Embroiderer Du first, preventing any misrepresentation of the situation.
Turning to Zou Yue'e, who was quietly embroidering, Third Sister Xu demanded, "Aren’t you pregnant too? Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"I’m fine—no discomfort," Zou Yue'e murmured, keeping her head down.
Nearby, Zhu Tingfang smirked, admiring Jin Niang’s shrewdness. She was learning a lot from her. The previous Head Embroiderer Gu had played the benevolent role, covering up shortcomings until the embroidery house fell behind and had to outsource work to local seamstresses and nuns. As a result, year-end bonuses were always docked.
Now, with Jin Niang enforcing strict rules and proper management, they wouldn’t need to outsource winter and New Year garments this year—bonuses were finally within reach.
Meanwhile, Jin Niang reported the matter to Chief Embroiderer Du. "That’s the situation. What do you think?"
Chief Embroiderer Du sighed. "We’ve already been lenient. Otherwise, her pay would’ve been even less. What’s your take?"
Jin Niang wasn’t about to shoulder the blame. Smiling, she said, "I’m at a loss myself. It’s up to you—perhaps you could just let her keep her original pay."
Chief Embroiderer Du waved her off. "Let me discuss it first."
Jin Niang bowed and withdrew.
She knew all too well how, under Head Embroiderer Gu’s lax management, the embroidery house had wasted resources—one-third of the workers in the floral-and-bird section were idle, forcing them to outsource work and cut year-end bonuses for most.
One elderly embroiderer, who had once taught Jin Niang, suffered silently despite her sick grandson at home. She never complained, even as her hands swelled with calluses.
In this world, crying loudest doesn’t always earn you candy.
Soon, Chief Embroiderer Du’s decision came down: Third Sister Xu would be given two extra rest days per month and reassigned from garment embroidery to smaller pieces, allowing her to leave an hour early daily. Her pay, however, would be reduced to two strings—one less than before.
Third Sister Xu frowned. "Why move me?" She had hoped to do minimal work for maximum pay.
"Garment embroidery is more labor-intensive," Zhu Tingfang pointed out bluntly.
Before Third Sister Xu could argue further, Jin Niang approached. "This is the best I could do."
Grudgingly, Third Sister Xu moved to the smaller embroidery section, where the work was indeed lighter. Jin Niang paid her no further mind. Nearby, Zou Yue'e exhaled in relief—Third Sister Xu had often left her to shoulder the extra work. At least now, the new head had resolved the issue.
As winter approached, Jin Niang, as Head Embroiderer, received fifty catties of charcoal. She kept half at the workshop and took the rest home.
When she returned, Third Uncle and Third Aunt were visiting—to deliver a wedding invitation.
Third Aunt seized Jin Niang’s hand. "Jin Niang, don’t resent your younger cousin for marrying before you!"
Jin Niang was baffled. "Why would I?"
Third Aunt gave an awkward laugh, but Luo Yu'e cut in, "Now that you’ve set the date, we’ll be there for the celebration. We have errands to run now, so we won’t keep you."
Third Uncle was shrewder than Third Aunt. He said directly to his wife, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Jin Niang's skills are so exceptional—once she establishes herself in the Embroidery Workshop, how could Ying Niang ever compare?"
Third Aunt gave an awkward laugh. "I misspoke. Anyway, you'll all be coming over later."
Jin Niang shook her head and went into her room, holding a piece of brocade silk while taking notes with a chicken-feather brush. For her, mastering the technique of first weaving the warp threads and then the weft threads was a new challenge to learn.
One benefit of being the head embroiderer was that all patterns passed through her hands first before being drafted by others. When she first joined the Embroidery Workshop, Jin Niang had no knowledge of formal attire regulations and found them overwhelmingly complex. But now, after daily practice, she had memorized them all.
She finished her notes on brocade weaving, yet knowing that book knowledge alone was shallow, true understanding required hands-on practice. She made a bold decision—deliberately burning a hole in the brocade and then mending it.
Brocade was typically woven with gold or silver threads, silk threads, or peacock-feather-twisted threads. This piece used gold and silver threads, which she happened to have on hand. She took out her newly purchased tool—an exceptionally fine and long steel needle. Three parts skill, seven parts tools.
She secured the fabric with a bamboo hoop, then began weaving the warp and weft threads in an up-down, left-right sequence, using the needle as a shuttle to mend the hole. She first connected the raised edges of the hole, then gently adjusted the threads with the needle to blend seamlessly with the surrounding weave. The needle had to move perfectly straight, never tilting or bending.
For one section on the right, to ensure smooth draping, Jin Niang used a double-shuttle technique, stitching vertically.
She was so absorbed in her work that she even ate meals in her room, much to her mother’s displeasure.
Luo Yu'e grumbled, "I thought becoming head embroiderer would make life easier, but now you’re even busier."
Luo Yu'e was a woman of strong control, insisting that the whole family eat together at the table. If anyone was absent, she grew upset. Yet her temper flared and faded quickly—by evening, she had prepared brown sugar poached eggs for Jin Niang.
In Jiangling, people loved poached eggs boiled in water, especially with brown sugar syrup, considered the best tonic among common folk.
"Leave it there, Mother. I’ll eat it later," Jin Niang said.
Luo Yu'e sighed. "They say sitting too long harms the body. You’re not even eating properly. If you get hungry at midnight, you’ll just snack on junk. Wouldn’t it be better to have something nourishing like this instead?"
Jin Niang, absorbed in a critical part of her embroidery, nodded absentmindedly, her hands never pausing.
Luo Yu'e thought to herself that if her daughter had been born a son, she would have succeeded in anything—fearless of solitude, strong-willed. Third Uncle and his wife thought their mockery would upset her, but Jin Niang was too focused on her craft to care about their petty antics.
By midnight, Jin Niang finally finished mending the brocade. A surge of pride welled up, and she abruptly stood.
"I did it!" she exclaimed.
From next door, Granny Cai snapped, "What kind of night owl is screeching out here?"
Chastened, Jin Niang sat back down and ate the now-cold brown sugar poached eggs. She didn’t dare wash her face, afraid the water would wake her up and keep her restless all night.
Before the winter solstice, the Floral and Avian Department had to finish their garments. Jin Niang began organizing the workload, always prepping threads in advance to save time.
"Zhu Tingfang, I’ve already cut the fabric and sorted the threads. Take these to Embroiderer Lan first," she instructed.
This way, they could work faster.
Zhu Tingfang chuckled. "Why trouble yourself? You’re the head embroiderer—no one would blame you if you didn’t lift a finger."
But Jin Niang was determined to ensure the Floral and Avian Department earned their bonuses this year. Only then would she earn true respect. Whether her interim position lasted or not, she would fulfill her duties.
"I just can’t sit idle. I have to do my best," Jin Niang replied.
They completed the garments half a day ahead of schedule. When Jin Niang delivered them to Chief Embroiderer Du, the chief patted her shoulder approvingly. "Seems Head Embroiderer Gu wasn’t wrong to recommend you."
Jin Niang demurred, "It’s only because you’ve always treated us well. I just focused on finishing the work quickly."
"Indeed, your department was the first to submit this year," Chief Embroiderer Du praised.
Truthfully, the Embroidery Workshop had its share of well-connected and highly skilled veterans, but someone had to do the diligent work—and Jin Niang was that person.
When Jin Niang inquired about the year-end bonuses, Chief Embroiderer Du agreed readily.
The bonus amounted to a month’s wages—nearly two hundred taels. Previously, this money had been spent on hiring outside embroiderers, but now it would go to the team. The senior and junior embroiderers were thrilled, and Jin Niang’s reputation rose—except for Third Sister Xu.
Third Sister Xu came from a family of physicians, comfortably well-off, and her husband was a minor official. But she was fiercely competitive.
When they were all just embroiderers, equality kept things peaceful. But once Jin Niang surpassed her, resentment festered.
"Country bumpkin," she muttered scornfully.
In truth, Third Sister Xu had only gotten her position through connections. She never expected a "village girl" to rise so high—why couldn’t she?
Jin Niang remained oblivious. Returning home, she learned that Ying Niang’s wedding was canceled.
"Why?" Jin Niang asked, puzzled.
Luo Yu'e explained, "Your Third Uncle demanded two hundred strings of cash as dowry. The groom’s family said they’d already spent one hundred sixty on the house and had nothing left. Your uncle refused to budge, so both sides are calling it off."
Jin Niang analyzed, "The groom’s family paid one hundred sixty, but Ying Niang contributed the most—she hasn’t even bought new clothes for years. The two-thousand-tael house’s remaining debt falls on her. Third Uncle always believed she deserved a better match."
Mother and daughter merely dissected the situation, but Wei Xiong fretted, "Surely they won’t really cancel?"
"Don’t worry," Jin Niang reassured. For the sake of that grand house, the groom’s family would compromise.
Marriages were often transactions—like casting leads for a drama. Compatibility mattered less than matching status.
After the winter solstice, everyone relaxed. Jin Niang strolled into the workshop one morning, munching on a meat bun. After finishing, she mixed herself a bowl of lotus root starch, yawned contentedly, and settled in.
Somehow, Jin Niang caught Third Sister Xu staring at her from the corner of her eye—her expression odd and unsettling. Jin Niang grew wary but couldn’t fathom what she was up to.
It was midday, and after their meal, everyone was drowsy. Jin Niang yawned repeatedly. Today was the eve of their ten-day rest, and minds had already wandered elsewhere—some dreaming of buying a chicken for a feast, others eager to reunite with their children. Even Jin Niang merely flipped through a book absentmindedly.
Unexpectedly, an embroiderer from the Embroiderers' Bureau arrived—a figure of higher standing than even Chief Embroiderer Du, who rarely made appearances. Yet today, she had come specifically.
Holding a kesi tapestry in her hands, the embroiderer announced, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is quite fond of this 'Peony in Spring' piece and intends to display it tomorrow. However, Female Official Xun discovered a hole in it while preparing it. She specifically requested the Flower-and-Bird Division’s embroiderers to repair it. Didn’t Embroiderer Zhang excel at this?"
Within the Flower-and-Bird Division, only three senior embroiderers were skilled in kesi restoration, with Embroiderer Zhang being the most seasoned. But Jin Niang hesitated. "Respected Embroiderer, Embroiderer Zhang fell ill yesterday and returned home. Embroiderer Lan and Embroiderer Ku are also off duty today."
These senior embroiderers enjoyed superior privileges—while Jin Niang and the others had three rest days a month, the seniors had five or six. Following the schedule set by the late Head Embroiderer Gu, Jin Niang had arranged their days off to align with the regular ten-day breaks, allowing them two consecutive days of rest each time.
Thus, only one experienced embroiderer was usually on duty each day. Yet, by sheer misfortune, Embroiderer Zhang had fallen ill precisely when the embroiderer had chosen this day to visit.
The embroiderer was furious. "How could you let them all take leave? At least one should have remained! What kind of deputy head are you? If no one can mend this, you might as well step down." She then turned to Chief Embroiderer Du in distress. "What are we to do now?"
Chief Embroiderer Du also shot Jin Niang a reproachful look. Unexpectedly, Jin Niang smiled and said, "Though the senior embroiderers aren’t here, I can give it a try."
"You?" The embroiderer eyed her skeptically. Restoring kesi was no ordinary task—only a handful in the entire Embroiderers' Bureau could manage it. This Wei Jin Niang was so young—was she just boasting?
Jin Niang met her gaze firmly. "Yes, I can do it."
The embroiderer hadn’t come without purpose—she intended to replace the deputy head and had seized this excuse to demote her. Yet, to her surprise, Jin Niang actually possessed the skill. Meanwhile, Third Sister Xu, watching Jin Niang’s deft hands, nearly choked on her fury. She had spent twenty strings of cash treating the embroiderer to a meal through a connection—only to have it benefit someone else!
Third Sister Xu felt as if she might faint.
