The garments had to be prepared a day in advance so that any necessary adjustments could be made for a better fit. Jin Niang neatly folded her work onto a tray and lined up with Fang Qiaolian and Jiang Shanjie to have Madam Chen inspect them first.
Madam Chen mainly checked for missed stitches or loose threads, and the three of them passed quickly. Then they overheard Madam Chen say to Qin Shuang'er, "Since you're close with the eldest young lady, take the one you've finished to her first and ask for a few days' grace. I still have plenty of work on my hands."
In truth, Madam Chen likely intended for Jin Niang and the others to help Qin Shuang'er with her tasks, but none of them were willing, all excusing themselves with other matters.
Qin Shuang'er could only force a reluctant agreement. She hadn’t expected Madam Chen to refuse to cover for her—weren’t they supposed to share both glory and blame? She had only wanted to make her work stand out more.
Now that Jin Niang and the others had Little He and Si'er to assist, they rarely went out. Stepping outside now, a gust of cold air hit them, and Jin Niang stamped her feet. "It's freezing."
"Absolutely. Let’s deliver these quickly and rest when we get back. We’ve been exhausted lately," Fang Qiaolian said, yawning.
The Zhou household didn’t actually have many servants, so everyone was busy daily. The three of them walked out from the rear annex but unexpectedly ran into Madam Jiang escorting a beautiful woman out. The woman was strikingly tall, with a delicate, snow-white face—exceptionally lovely.
The three quickly stood aside to greet them.
They overheard Madam Jiang saying cheerfully, "Since you insist, I won’t stand on ceremony. We’re already overcrowded here."
"Eldest sister-in-law, you’re too kind. This is only proper. Our household is small, and we have a spare courtyard," the beautiful woman replied.
Madam Jiang then asked, "Where are you off to now?"
"I’m going to the second branch to check on Brother Du. I heard his illness has taken a severe turn this time," the woman answered vaguely.
Jin Niang guessed this must be Lady Xi, the third wife of the Zhou family. Recently, the maids Lan Xue and Rui Cao from the tea room had come by to chat and gossip, mentioning the Zhou household. The eldest and second Zhou brothers shared the same mother, while the third was a concubine-born son, so their wives’ backgrounds varied greatly. Madam Jiang, the eldest wife, had been chosen by the late patriarch—her great-uncle had been a chancellor, and her father was a high-ranking censor, making her family supremely distinguished. The second branch’s first wife, Lady Fu, also came from a good family, though she had died young after bearing a son. Her successor, Madam Wu, was from a modest official family. Only Lady Xi had humble origins and little wealth, and it was said her relatives often came to the estate seeking handouts.
Moreover, the third master had a favored concubine. Still, everyone said Lady Xi was fortunate—she had a fifteen-year-old son who showed great promise in his studies.
After Lady Xi left, Madam Jiang noticed Jin Niang and the others. Learning they were from the sewing room, she called them forward.
"Are these for the young ladies?"
"Replying to Madam, we’re delivering them for the young ladies to try on. If adjustments are needed, we’ll make them promptly," Jin Niang answered when the other two stayed silent.
Madam Jiang stepped closer, flipping through the garments before nodding vaguely. "You may go."
"Yes." Jin Niang and the others sighed in relief and headed to Third Miss’s quarters.
Unfortunately, Third Miss had gone to the old matriarch’s residence, leaving only her head maid, Dan Ruo, behind. Dan Ruo kindly offered, "You can leave them here."
But Jin Niang worried—this was her first assignment for the Zhou family. If something went wrong while the garments were unattended, she’d have no way to defend herself. So she smiled and said, "I’ll wait a while. Now that the sewing’s done, I’ve nothing urgent."
"Third Miss might not return until after dining with the old matriarch. You’ll be waiting a long time," Qing Xue remarked dismissively as she polished a pale yellow Ge-ware vase.
Jin Niang replied, "It’s no trouble. The snow outside is heavy, and going back and forth in the dark would be worse. Don’t mind me—I’ll just sit quietly in the outer room."
She’d heard that maids in these quarters guarded their positions fiercely, like "one hole, one radish." Even the younger maids, Yin Zhu and the newly arrived Que'er, were relegated to the side chambers, only handling tasks like lifting curtains, running errands, or fetching meals. The inner duties were reserved for Qing Xue and Dan Ruo.
Third Miss’s quarters were still tame compared to the eldest branch’s only son, Zhou Cunzhi’s rooms—where the competition was said to be vicious.
Jin Niang waited quietly. When Qing Xue finished cleaning the vase, table, and screen, she noticed Jin Niang dozing off in the outer room but not snooping around. She fetched a thin blanket and handed it over. "Don’t catch a chill."
"Thank you, sister," Jin Niang said gratefully.
Qing Xue smiled. "No need for thanks. I’ve work inside, so I’ll leave you be."
"Of course."
About two hours later, a young servant brought food for Qing Xue. The aroma made Jin Niang’s stomach growl, but she endured. When Third Miss finally returned, surrounded by attendants, Jin Niang stepped forward to explain her purpose.
Third Miss handed her warming pan to Yin Zhu and said, "You’ve waited so long, but I ate too much at Grandmother’s and feel drowsy. I’ll try it on after I rest."
Could a mistress ever truly understand a servant’s plight? Of course not.
Jin Niang smiled. "Very well. Let your maids inspect it first. If there are no major issues, I’ll report back to Madam Chen."
Third Miss nodded to Dan Ruo, who examined the garments. "Miss, they’re fine."
"You may go," Third Miss waved.
Once outside, Jin Niang felt dizzy with hunger. Knowing there’d be no food left in the sewing room, she went straight to the kitchen and spent two coppers on two meat buns—a side business for the cooks, who sold these to those who missed mealtime.
The greasy buns were so delicious she nearly cried. With her stomach full and energy restored, she returned to the sewing room, where everyone was napping. She dozed for an hour as well.
Meanwhile, Third Miss also rested briefly before summoning Madam Lü to watch her try on the new clothes. Delighted, Madam Lü praised, "The seamstress did well. This style is elegant yet luxurious—it highlights your beauty perfectly."
Seeing Madam Lü and Third Miss in good spirits, Qing Xue seized the chance to compliment Jin Niang. "That girl is very diligent. She waited outside without a word of complaint, refusing even tea or snacks I offered."
Madam Lü had her own calculations in mind. In recent years, the old madam often lamented the emptiness of her household—otherwise, the married aunt wouldn’t have returned home for a visit. But the aunt would eventually leave again. If her daughter could stay by the old madam’s side, not only would it sound more respectable, but the old madam might also later set aside some of her private savings for her daughter’s dowry.
Seeing how Madam Jiang had been scouring everywhere for expensive fabrics and fine woods for the eldest and second miss, filling the storeroom to the brim, Madam Lü didn’t want her daughter to end up with only the standard thousand strings of cash from the family coffers.
Yet for a daughter to stand out, fine clothes and jewelry were especially important.
She also instructed her daughter, “You must be generous with those under you, so they’ll be willing to work for you. Otherwise, after all their hard work, if they get nothing in return, even those who once favored you will call you stingy and inconsiderate.”
Thus, by evening, Jin Niang received a plate of roasted goose meat, two handkerchiefs, and a brass bed warmer from Third Miss’s quarters.
At the time, Jiang Shanjie was just talking about the quilt she had received, and Jin Niang and the others were admiring it when Third Miss’s gifts arrived. Jin Niang handed Qing Xue a newly embroidered pouch: “Thank you for making the trip, sister.”
Qing Xue, delighted by the satin pouch embroidered with cherries, couldn’t help but say a few extra words: “Third Miss praised your sewing skills. She’s a practical person, so there’s no need for you to make changes—your work is already excellent.”
Jin Niang quickly replied, “That’s good to hear, that’s good to hear.”
After seeing Qing Xue off, she stored the handkerchiefs in her chest and placed the bed warmer on her bed. Once filled with hot water, it would surely make her nights much cozier.
As for the goose meat, during dinner, she kept half for herself and shared the rest, even giving a few pieces to Si'er and Little He. Fang Qiaolian, who had received braised meat and pastries from Fourth Miss earlier, set them out for everyone to enjoy together. Jiang Shanjie cracked a joke, and the group chatted merrily—only Qin Shuang'er remained hunched over her embroidery, refusing to join even when called.
Her rushed work, of course, turned out poorly. When Chun Lan from the eldest miss’s quarters heard that the other young ladies already had their new clothes, she made a special trip to the sewing room to boast, making Qin Shuang'er even more anxious. In her haste, she cut corners: while others had entire floral patterns embroidered along the collars and hems, she only stitched a few blossoms at the corners.
Even Madam Chen was dissatisfied and had to step in to add a few stitches, barely making it passable.
Yet when the married aunt visited, Third Miss was praised as “lovely as jade and snow,” and Madam Chen promptly assigned Jin Niang to sew for the eldest miss come spring, while Qin Shuang'er would work for Third Miss next time.
Jin Niang was surprised but found it reasonable.
At least she had made a name for herself now. People spoke of the sewing room’s “skilled young seamstress Jin Niang,” and soon enough, Madam Jiang specially requested her to make an outfit for their guest, Cousin Mei.
“Congratulations, Jin Niang,” Qin Shuang'er was the first to offer her well-wishes. “I’ve heard the aunt’s family is quite wealthy. If you do well, there’s bound to be a reward.”
Though her first attempt had failed, Qin Shuang'er quickly adjusted her mindset. To regain Madam Chen’s and the higher-ups’ trust, she had to outshine Jin Niang.
But “competing” didn’t mean quarreling or trading barbs.
No matter how strained their relationship, appearances had to be maintained. Besides, she had overheard many things in the eldest miss’s quarters—Madam and the aunt had clashed in their youth, and back when the aunt was still unmarried, Madam had suffered plenty under her, with the old madam always taking the aunt’s side.
When the gods fought, the little devils suffered. Qin Shuang'er couldn’t tell if this turn of events was a blessing or a curse.
