The shop was spotlessly cleaned by Juxiang, who had also prepared breakfast for them—a bowl of wonton for each.
Jin Niang was truly hungry, finishing even the broth in her bowl. There was nothing like the comfort of home. The Jiang residence might be grand, but she never felt at ease with what she ate or drank there. After all, a golden nest or a silver nest couldn’t compare to one’s own humble home.
Yet she considered herself incredibly fortunate. Her husband was younger than her but talented and handsome. Her mother-in-law had never imposed strict rules on her, and though her relationship with her sister-in-law was lukewarm, they lived far enough apart that the worst she faced was indifference, nothing more.
Besides, she had her own business, a house, and her parents and younger brother nearby.
"Ying, I plan to hire an embroiderer through the guild head," Jin Niang said.
Ying replied, "You’re right, but we must choose carefully."
"Yes, that’s what I think too. Otherwise, when we have multiple outfits to rush, we can work faster." From selling outfits for silk dolls, Jin Niang realized she could gradually shift from embroidery to design.
This would lighten her workload considerably.
Jin Niang offered a wage of three qian of silver for the first month, including three meals a day. After a month’s probation, the pay would increase to one guan per month. This was the same wage one would earn after three years at the Shu Embroidery Workshop. Even at larger embroidery houses nearby, ordinary embroiderers earned no more than two guan, and those at the Imperial Embroidery Academy only made two guan at most.
She relayed her requirements to the guild head, who readily agreed and remarked with a smile, "Madam Wei, I thought you’d closed your shop for good. People say you’ve married into an official’s family."
"Don’t say such things. What official family? My husband is just a scholar," Jin Niang replied.
Though many women in Bianjing worked outside the home, most were from poor families supplementing their income or widows. The general belief was that married women should focus on their husbands and children.
After leaving the guild head, Jin Niang began sewing sachets embroidered with the "Five Poisons" motif. Soon, some of her old customers dropped by to chat.
"Madam Wei, this dress of mine is too plain. I’d like some embroidery here. What do you suggest?" Madam Bai asked.
Jin Niang examined the dress. The fabric had been fashionable two years prior—likely a gift kept untouched until now. She didn’t point this out, only smiling as she said, "I think a clustered floral pattern would suit it well. This shade of rouge-red would pair nicely with a heavy lotus medallion design. Let me show you the pattern."
She fetched a catalog from the Imperial Embroidery Academy and handed it to Madam Bai, who nodded eagerly. "Perfect! How much would it cost?"
"That depends on where you want it embroidered. If it’s just along the collar of your half-sleeve jacket, it’ll be three qian. But if you add the cuffs, it’ll be four qian."
Madam Bai sighed inwardly. She loved fine clothing and refused to wear anything less. The Wei family embroidery shop in Sweetwater Alley was renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and unique designs, often featuring patterns unavailable elsewhere.
Her monthly allowance was only two qian. After some thought, she said, "Madam Wei, I have a cake of Jian tea. Could I trade it for the embroidery?"
Jin Niang considered it—a cake of Jian tea was worth one guan, making it a fair exchange. She smiled. "Normally, I wouldn’t accept this, but since you’re a regular customer, I’ll make an exception. I’ll even add some floral sprigs to your skirt hem."
Delighted, Madam Bai sent her maid home to fetch the tea.
The tea had been a gift from the wife of Minister Liu. Her mother had deemed it too precious to use, but Madam Bai was at the age where she needed to impress potential suitors. In Bianjing, everyone had sharp eyes for status.
Once the tea was handed over, Jin Niang wrote out a receipt.
Madam Bai happily had her maid take it.
That afternoon, the guild head recommended a woman in her mid-twenties, a local whose husband worked in a fruit warehouse. He had recently injured his back while moving crates, forcing her to seek work to support the family.
Jin Niang asked, "Do you have children?"
"Three," the woman replied.
"Is anyone helping you care for them?"
She shook her head. "I look after them myself. I usually leave them at home."
"Alright, then there are three tests. If you pass, we’ll try you out for a month," Jin Niang said with a smile.
She didn’t mind family obligations, but skill was non-negotiable. The first test was embroidering a design from her catalog, the second was mending a tear, and the third was showcasing the woman’s specialty—all within two hours.
"Two hours? I can’t—I have to go home and nurse my child," the woman said anxiously, glancing at the sky.
Jin Niang had no choice. "Then it won’t work out."
The woman pleaded about her hardships, so Jin Niang offered, "Our embroiderers must work on-site. How about this? If we’re swamped later, I’ll call on you for help. Does that sound fair?"
"Yes, yes!" The woman left without even attempting the tests, too worried about her children.
The interview had taken time, so Jin Niang hurried to her embroidery room to work. Ying sat nearby sewing menstrual pads, remarking, "Madam Bai is an official’s daughter. Why would she trade tea for embroidery?"
Jin Niang replied, "No matter her circumstances, anything she pulls out is worth a fair bit. Besides, an official’s daughter carries weight."
She didn’t judge Madam Bai. At her age, securing a good match was natural.
Even daughters of Bianjing officials struggled to marry well, let alone the daughter of a sixth-rank official from the provinces. It was only sensible for her to plan ahead.
That evening, Jin Niang dined with Luo Yu'e and the others. After days apart, they had endless stories to share. Luo Yu'e laughed. "With Juxiang back, I feel so much lighter."
"I thought she’d be idle there, so I brought her home. It worked out perfectly," Jin Niang said.
After the meal, Luo Yu'e pulled her daughter aside. "On the day you returned home, there were too many people, and I forgot to ask—how is your husband?"
Jin Niang smiled. "He’s wonderful. He studies during the day and has handed over all his private savings to me. But I haven’t mistreated him. His mother is often ill, and his sister-in-law lives far away. Unless it’s for formal greetings, we hardly see her."
"That’s good, that’s good. You’ve landed in a nest of blessings. When I married your father and was pregnant with you, my mother brought eggs for my postpartum recovery, but your grandmother sold them all. During my confinement, I only ate ten eggs." Luo Yu'e still fumed at the memory.
Listening to her mother’s grumbling, Jin Niang felt as if she’d never left home.
But soon, Chen Xiaolang informed her that Jiang Xian had come to fetch her. Reluctantly, she bid her mother farewell. Outside, she saw her husband, who seemed to be pouting. "I haven’t seen you all day, so I came straight to get you. Did you miss me?"
His words were not casually spoken—he had grown accustomed to intimate moments with Jin Niang as husband and wife. Yet when Jin Niang thought about it, she realized she seldom, if ever, dwelled on him.
Not wanting to hurt his feelings with blunt honesty, she softened her reply: "Of course I have. Today, a customer came to order clothes but didn’t have enough money. They offered a cake of Jian tea in exchange, and I imagined us enjoying it together. It would be perfect for whisking tea."
"Jian tea, also called wax-face tea, is indeed ideal for whisking. I’ll prepare a cup for you later, alright?" Jiang Xian’s smile faltered slightly. He was perceptive and could easily sense her evasiveness.
Marriages came in many forms—some stifling, like his sister-in-law who suffocated his elder brother, or his own formidable mother. But Jin Niang was different. She rarely lost her temper, treated others with sincerity and propriety, and made no demands. Such women were rare.
Desireless, yet unyielding...
Jin Niang, noticing his pensiveness, nodded with a gentle smile.
Upon returning home, she freshened up first, deciding against needlework that evening. If she kept straining her eyes like this, they’d likely fail her by thirty. Besides, sitting all day demanded rest at night.
While Jiang Xian read by lamplight, Jin Niang served him chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea. Meanwhile, she had Ying adorn her nails with crushed balsam petals.
It was girls' time now. Minzhi brought warm water, carefully washing and drying Jin Niang’s hands before trimming the edges with a file and scissors. Xi Qiu mixed the reddest balsam leaves with a pinch of alum, pounding them into a paste before applying it evenly to Jin Niang’s fingers and toes, wrapping them in leaves.
As they worked, Jin Niang entertained them with riddles: "Here’s an easy one—a little iron dog guards the gate. When guests come knocking, they flee at its sight."
The maids giggled through guesses until Jin Niang raised a finger to her lips. "Hush now, don’t disturb the master’s reading."
They hushed, and Ying guessed correctly: "A lock!"
"Well done! Here’s another—not a riddle, though. If a white radish got drunk, what would it become?"
Minzhi answered instantly, "A red radish!"
Jin Niang clapped cheerfully. "Minzhi, you’re brilliant!"
The muffled laughter outside drew a quiet smile from Jiang Xian. He cherished this warmth—neither stifling silence nor lonely solitude with only books for company.
An hour later, the leaves were removed. Jin Niang returned to the inner chamber, sitting on the bed with her feet propped for a second coating, wrapped in cloth to set overnight.
Jiang Xian glanced up from his book and froze. Beneath her lifted skirt, a glimpse of her leg—smooth as jade, slender at the ankle, her petite foot arched delicately, toes blushed pink—struck him with an unexpected thirst. He drained his chrysanthemum tea, yet it did nothing to quench the heat.
"Darling, are you unwell?" Jin Niang noticed him massaging his temples, agitation plain on his face.
"Just parched," he muttered.
She gestured for a maid to fetch more tea, but the three girls exchanged glances, each hoping to stay by Jin Niang’s side. Only when she directed Minzhi—furthest away—did the girl reluctantly leave.
That night, Jiang Xian’s amorous advances were firmly rebuffed. "You stayed up late again, and you’re already impatient? Last time, you kept me up for two full watches. Ten drops of blood make one drop of essence, you know."
"I’m perfectly healthy," he grumbled like a child denied candy.
Jin Niang stood her ground. "Behave. I’ve just done my nails. If you ruin them, I won’t speak to you."
Thus chastened, Jiang Xian settled for crowding under her thin quilt, much to her exasperated amusement.
The next morning, the maids unwrapped her nails, washing away the residue to reveal a vibrant hue. At the shop, Jin Niang spent the morning finishing Madam Bai’s embroidery. Business was slow until afternoon, when the guild leader sent another candidate—this one skilled but overly slick, demanding higher pay before even starting.
By dusk, Jin Niang completed the order and secured another: a "Lotus Pond" design for a gown’s collar, priced at one string of cash.
She began cutting fabric, drafting patterns, and sorting threads.
Their wedding had cost over a hundred strings for her dowry. Now, Jin Niang aimed higher—to repay the pawnshop a hundred strings ahead of schedule and clear their debts early.
Returning home, she sketched a "Persimmon Wishes" ensemble—a chemise, underrobe, over-gown, and pleated skirt in blue gauze with golden persimmon motifs, perfect for young ladies at the Dragon Boat Festival.
She’d need to hire another embroiderer soon.
As she set aside her brush, Jiang Xian finally returned. "You’re late today," she greeted him.
"Auntie kept me for dinner. I couldn’t refuse."
He’d visited the Zhous, where Madam Zhou insisted on a meal and lengthy chatter.
"Did you go with Eighth Brother?" Jin Niang asked.
"No, he’s at our uncle’s." Jiang Xian smiled.
She fetched his sleepwear. "Go bathe. I’ll keep you company while you study tonight."
But Jiang Xian, restless since last night and emboldened by wine, pulled her into an embrace despite the maids’ presence. They scurried out as Jin Niang pushed at his shoulders. "Bathe first."
"Wife~ I’ve been thinking of you all day, even while drinking and reading," he complained.
Remembering she’d neglected him yesterday, Jin Niang relented, linking arms. "Then let’s bathe together, hm?"
Seeing his eagerness, she couldn’t let him touch her unwashed. Leaning close, she whispered, "We’ve never tried… elsewhere."
Jiang Xian swept her off her feet toward the bathing chamber…
An hour later, they emerged. Jin Niang shot him a reproachful look. "You tore my underclothes! What shall I wear tomorrow? The world ought to see how wild you are."
A beautiful, capable, and gentle wife was already a rarity—but one so harmonious in bed made him feel like an immortal since their wedding.
Chastened, he stayed silent.
Settling beside her, he asked, "Did you find suitable help today?"
Jin Niang patted her chest to steady her breathing before saying, "Not yet. There's always some issue here or there. It's fine—someone else will come tomorrow. Finding work isn't easy these days anyway."
Jiang Xian wasn't truly concerned about her embroidery shop's business; he was merely making conversation. He turned over, propping himself up to look at her. "Darling, in a few days, I'd like to take you to visit Academician Huang's home. His wife mentioned she’d love to meet you."
"Meet me?" Though Jin Niang wasn’t afraid of socializing, she found such interactions exhausting. She’d much rather spend the time earning more money.
"Yes, it’s just a family gathering—a chance for everyone to chat and enjoy each other’s company." Seeing her tension, Jiang Xian softened his tone.
Jin Niang met his gaze. "Do you want me to go?"
Jiang Xian nodded. "I do."
"Then I’ll go." She smiled faintly.
However, she added, "But what should we bring as gifts? I don’t know their preferences."
Jiang Xian waved it off. "Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it. The Academician loves honey wine, and Madam Huang enjoys fruit candies. I’ve already asked Liu Dou’er to buy them."
Jin Niang quickly got up to note it down. With so many tasks filling her days, she feared forgetting if she didn’t write it immediately.
After jotting it down, she returned to bed, still uneasy. "Since it’s my first visit and I don’t know their temperaments, I’ll keep quiet. Better to speak less until I’m more familiar with them. I wouldn’t want to say something wrong and embarrass you."
Jiang Xian had actually intended this outing as a way to lift her spirits. He’d heard from Xi Qiu that Madam Xu had gone to a chuiwan match without inviting Jin Niang—yet she never complained to him about such slights. Her nervousness reminded him of her modest upbringing; she lacked experience in high society. But she was doing this for him.
With a reassuring smile, he said, "Madam Huang is very kind. Besides, there’ll be many guests that day. Think of it as an opportunity to make new friends, alright?"
For Jiang Xian, socializing was as effortless as breathing. But for Jin Niang, it was a challenge. She didn’t crave extensive social circles—friendships demanded time, money, and emotional investment, distractions from her embroidery and designs.
Yet voicing this would likely baffle Jiang Xian. So she simply nodded.
"Sleep now," he murmured, his hand rhythmically patting her back as if soothing a child. Only after she drifted off did he rise to study.
Four days later, Jin Niang finally hired a suitable embroiderer—Auntie Zhu, a thirty-year-old woman with a plain cloth headscarf and neat, though patched, clothing. Originally from Pingjiang Prefecture, she had learned embroidery from her mother. Her husband had once run a small dye workshop, and their life had been comfortable—until their son was kidnapped. The couple had spent nearly all their savings searching for him in Bianliang.
Now, they were determined to rebuild their livelihood. "If we ever find our son," Auntie Zhu said, "we can’t let him return to a home in ruins."
Admiring their resilience and impressed by her skills, Jin Niang agreed to a one-month trial. If Auntie Zhu met expectations, she’d be hired permanently.
"Auntie Zhu," Jin Niang instructed, "here’s the fabric and patterns. Start with these five-poison amulet pouches and cords." She pointed to the design book.
Auntie Zhu, noting Jin Niang’s youth yet disciplined manner—and hearing she’d once served in the palace—was awed by the exquisite designs. "Understood," she replied respectfully.
Watching Jin Niang work, she marveled at her steady, swift hands—a true master. The admiration deepened.
With help now in the shop, Jin Niang felt lighter. After finishing a collar piece, she began sewing a self-designed gown, demonstrating her techniques to Auntie Zhu.
"For new designs in my catalog, I always make a sample to wear first. Watch closely—once orders come in, you’ll be responsible for recreating them."
Auntie Zhu, though quiet, learned attentively. Jin Niang nodded approvingly, correcting her gently and reminding her to handle the costly silks carefully to avoid snags.
But just as Jin Niang completed the gown and wore it out, an eager buyer appeared. Before she could oversee Auntie Zhu’s work, it was time to leave with Jiang Xian for Academician Huang’s home.
They dressed in matching outfits from their wedding—his and hers collars embroidered with twin lotus blooms, the very picture of a blissful newlywed couple. Inside the carriage, Jin Niang sat primly, while Jiang Xian gazed at her, amused by the contrast between this demure lady and the playful woman from their nights.
At the Huang residence, Jiang Xian alighted first, then helped her down. Jin Niang took a deep breath.
"Young Master Sixteen," a servant greeted, "the Academician awaits in the hall with several disciples and old friends. They’ve been expecting you."
Jiang Xian glanced at Jin Niang, her eyes fixed on him like a fledgling’s. His heart twinged. "I’d like to take my wife to pay respects to Madam Huang first," he said.
A maidservant arrived to escort Jin Niang, teasing, "Don’t fret, Young Master. I’ll deliver your lady safely."
Assuring him, Jin Niang added, "Go ahead. I’ll follow this auntie."
She knew the rules—men and women entertained separately in noble households. Urging him on, she said, "You should join them."
Only then did Jiang Xian leave.
Like a child at kindergarten, Jin Niang had seemed anxious with him nearby but adapted quickly once alone.
In Madam Huang’s quarters, several female guests had already gathered, including Fourth Miss Zhou—newly wedded to a prefect’s son from another province.
Fourth Miss Zhou spotted Jin Niang. Married barely a month, she’d moved to Caizhou, where her father-in-law’s promotion to Xiangzhou Prefect’s governor had secured her husband’s tutelage under Academician Huang through Madam Huang’s familial ties.
Yet here she was, seated as an equal to her former maid.
"Madam Huang." Jin Niang curtsied.
The silver-haired hostess, clad in a deep-purple overgown and gilded brown skirt, beamed. "Come, sit. Young Master Sixteen is already so handsome, but his wife surpasses even him in beauty."
Unfamiliar with the company, Jin Niang opted for quiet reserve, playing the shy, demure role to perfection.
To her surprise, Jin Niang's silence led Fourth Miss Zhou to misunderstand—thinking she was uneasy in the presence of her former mistress, afraid that her past as a maid might be exposed, and thus unwilling to speak.
Fourth Miss Zhou wanted to say that Jin Niang was overthinking it! She was hardly the petty sort to dredge up such matters.
