After being elected as the guild leader, Jin Niang took the initiative to speak to Madam Bao of Bin Yun Lou: "I must apologize for my earlier rudeness."
Madam Bao was quite understanding: "It was all for official matters. In private, we can still interact normally."
Meanwhile, Sister Zhen stood nearby with a defeated expression. She had originally intended to mock Bin Yun Lou using Wang Ji Embroidery Shop as a comparison, given Bin Yun Lou's clear advantages. Yet, to her surprise, she ended up looking inferior.
Back at the embroidery shop, Ying and Minzhi quickly hung the guild leader's banner outside the shop. Jin Niang specially instructed Juxiang to prepare extra dishes, and everyone gathered to celebrate together.
Jin Niang felt joy in her heart, but more than that, she felt a sense of accomplishment—they had finally made a name for themselves.
At twenty-two, she was at the peak of her youth. Once this prime passed, her eyes might grow dim, and her head might ache. While she was still young, she wanted to explore endless possibilities.
Ying looked at her mistress with boundless admiration.
As the guild leader, Jin Niang’s first order of business was to strictly prohibit embroidery shops from secretly making official robes. Every year, some shops took on such private jobs, only to push the blame onto ordinary embroiderers when caught.
Being newly appointed kept her quite busy—there were unemployed embroiderers to assess and register, shops urgently needing workers to recommend, outsourced projects from the Imperial Embroidery Academy to allocate, and disputes between shops to mediate…
On top of that, the government requisitioned supplies and labor directly from merchants without compensation, and the taxes and corvée duties were already heavy.
Jin Niang had an idea—why not just pay in silver instead? Otherwise, during the busiest season of the New Year, who would want to take on extra work?
While Jin Niang was swamped with work, Jiang Xian waited impatiently. Normally, his wife would send him snacks, shoes, or hats every seven days, but now half a month had passed without a word.
"Liu Dou'er!" he called for his servant.
Liu Dou'er hurried in. "Young Master, do you have any orders?"
Jiang Xian said, "Go back home and see what my wife is up to. Tell her I’ll return for Minor New Year."
He expected Liu Dou'er to return within an hour or two, but the servant didn’t come back until evening—and with a face full of excitement.
"Young Master, Madam has done something incredible! She’s become the guild leader! When I got home, I heard that the palace’s military uniforms were assigned to her. She distributed the work among several shops, and people came bearing gifts—pepper, tea leaves… Madam refused, but they left everything behind, saying she helped them earn money by securing the military contract and shouldn’t go unrewarded. I helped Uncle Luo and Young Master Chen move everything to the storeroom. Then, since it was Ying’s birthday, Juxiang prepared a feast, so I stayed to eat before coming back."
So much had happened in just half a month away from home!
Jiang Xian quickly asked, "Did Madam mention me at all?"
Liu Dou'er gave him a look as if he were being unreasonable. "Madam is very busy."
"I’m busy too, you know!" Jiang Xian really wanted to go home—it was so lively there. Studying at the Liu residence was dull, filled with nothing but etiquette and social obligations.
But he had to restrain himself. Otherwise, Minister Liu would think him too restless.
Still, he felt a little wronged. Even at his busiest, he never forgot his wife—yet she seemed to have forgotten him entirely.
Of course, Jin Niang hadn’t forgotten Jiang Xian. She was just genuinely occupied. This time, while she hadn’t taken on the military uniform project herself, she had assigned it to seven embroidery shops. These shops needed extra embroiderers, so she recommended unemployed workers—even Jing An—to them.
That evening, as she looked over the gifts people had sent, she noted the pepper from Qi Luo Pavilion—a luxury item worth three strings of cash per pound, reserved for honored guests. She had not only assigned them work from the Imperial Embroidery Academy but also part of the military contract, so they were repaying her kindness.
Aside from guild matters, Jin Niang also had to finish a set of chick-themed children’s clothing. Seeing her daughter reminded her that her husband was still at the Liu residence.
"Young Master Chen!" she called.
Young Master Chen hurried over. "Madam, what do you need? Another official task?"
Jin Niang covered her mouth, laughing. "Such an official-minded fellow! No, I was thinking of my husband at the Liu residence. Later, I’ll prepare some gifts to send over. If I don’t remind you, it seems everyone forgets about him."
Young Master Chen scratched his head sheepishly. Jiang Xian was a good man, but he was still Madam’s husband.
Since Jiang Xian was staying with the Liu family for the New Year, she couldn’t neglect the seasonal gifts. She prepared two boxes of dried fruits, two boxes of fresh fruits, a jar of fine wine, bolts of plain and patterned silk for painting, and six pairs of exquisite embroidered pouches. The Huang family received the same, as they had taken Jiang Xian under their wing. Scholar Xiao, the Zhuangyuan residence, her in-laws, and Jiang Xian’s friends all had to be considered.
Naturally, she also sent Jiang Xian his favorite dishes—fried quail and a box of crispy taro.
When Jiang Xian was in Minister Liu’s study chatting with Eldest Young Master Liu, he received word that Jin Niang had sent New Year gifts—and food just for him.
Eldest Young Master Liu remarked, "You’ll be going home in a few days, yet your wife still sends you treats. I wonder what delicacies she’s sent this time?"
Now Jiang Xian couldn’t keep the food to himself. When the box was opened, it revealed his favorite dishes—proof that his wife remembered his tastes. Eldest Young Master Liu, coming from a wealthy family, lacked nothing, but food always tasted better from someone else’s kitchen. He ate heartily and sighed, "I’ve had crispy taro before, but never this delicious."
"I’ll ask my wife where she bought it and let you know," Jiang Xian said with a smile.
Whenever Jin Niang visited a new place and found something tasty, she would bring some back for him. If he liked it, she would make sure to send more in the future. He swore he had eaten more delicious food after marriage than in his entire life before.
It wasn’t a matter of money—before marriage, gatherings always took him to the same places. But Jin Niang sought out good food everywhere, regardless of status.
Eldest Young Master Liu nodded, then glanced outside. "Last year was warm—wearing fur coats felt too hot. But this year is as cold as the year before."
"Indeed. I’ve heard many people are falling ill with lung ailments from the cold." Jiang Xian thought of his wife and daughter at home and decided to bring some medicinal herbs when he returned.
After exchanging a few words, a servant came to inform them that Madam Xun’s younger brother had arrived, prompting Eldest Young Master Liu to go greet his brother-in-law.
Madam Xun, born into an official’s family and married into the household of a grand councilor, reclined on her couch. She placed a piece of Sumatran frankincense—costing thirteen strings of cash per pound—into a celadon-glazed crabapple-shaped incense burner from the Ge Kiln. Soon, delicate tendrils of fragrant smoke began to rise.
Though she was only three years older than Jin Niang, unlike Jin Niang’s late marriage, Madam Xun had already been wed for a decade. While she had a son and a daughter, troubles weighed on her mind. Her father-in-law held a high-ranking position, but her husband, nearing thirty, had yet to achieve scholarly success. If he were to rely solely on hereditary privilege for an official post, his prospects would be limited.
Perhaps this was why the Liu family sought to recruit ambitious scholars among their relatives.
Yet Madam Xun believed no number of such scholars could compare to her husband’s own efforts.
Everyone knew of Madam Xun’s methods. The last time a somewhat pretty maid had been taken in by Eldest Young Master Liu, she was beaten with rods and expelled the very next day. Even Jiang Xian, a handsome young man, had been driven out under suspicion.
Because of this, Eldest Young Master Liu had taken a concubine outside the household, and Madam Xun, unable to control the situation, had no choice but to turn a blind eye.
Now, she almost wished Jiang Xian and her husband had been involved—at least Jiang Xian was a man and wouldn’t produce a child.
But Jiang Xian was nothing of the sort. Though strikingly handsome, he remained devoted to his wife, a woman of exceptional beauty. Even the alluring maids Madam Xun sent to serve him went unnoticed.
Madam Xun even considered seeking advice from Jin Niang, but the latter rarely visited and spoke with measured words.
Now, the concubine, unable to wait any longer, was demanding entry into the household, claiming pregnancy. Madam Xun was deeply troubled and had invited her brother over to deliver a warning.
But such warnings could only delay the inevitable.
Meanwhile, Jin Niang was occupied with guild affairs and her own shop’s work. The Gao family of the southern city had ordered three sets of fine garments for their son’s first birthday, to be made at the Wei embroidery shop. Minzhi handled the sewing, while Jin Niang did the embroidery.
These three sets were no small matter—each cost twelve strings of cash, totaling thirty-six strings.
To finish on time, Jin Niang worked late into the night, especially since Jiang Xian hadn’t returned. Nanny Luo kept her company, remarking, "You’re much busier now than before."
"Indeed, but there’s no choice. Expenses pile up everywhere—festival gifts alone cost nearly twenty thousand coins."
With servants like Nanny Luo, it was better to emphasize hardships rather than flaunt wealth. Otherwise, word might spread back to the Jiang family, making it seem as though earning money came easily.
Nanny Luo thought to herself that the late mistress had been wise. Otherwise, with the sixth master taking a new wife, what would become of the young master? He was still so young, and passing the imperial exams was uncertain. Thankfully, Jin Niang managed everything well.
Jiang Xian returned during the Minor New Year and told Jin Niang about the Liu family’s dispute over the concubine’s entry.
"Surely not," Jin Niang said, finding such matters far removed from her own life.
But Jiang Xian had his own interpretation: "I think it’s a way to counter Madam Xun. Just like how my father agreed to marry Mrs. Zheng after my mother passed—to regain some control."
After his mother’s death, Madam Xu had seized full authority, even forcing his father to defer to her. Bringing Mrs. Zheng into the household had been a countermove. Similarly, Madam Xun, relying on her family’s influence, dominated Eldest Young Master Liu, who, frustrated by his scholarly failures, couldn’t oppose her directly. Hence, this messy situation.
After hearing his analysis, Jin Niang couldn’t help but say, "It’s all so convoluted. Isn’t it just men making excuses for their fickleness? Xian, with all this chaos, maybe you should study at home and only visit when you need guidance."
"No," Jiang Xian replied. "Another talented scholar has joined me at the Liu residence. We can learn from each other." Leaving now would make it difficult to return.
Jin Niang sighed. "Very well, I understand."
Just then, Young Master Chen arrived to report that Yixiang Lou and Bin Yun Lou were relocating to the northern city. Jin Niang’s expression darkened, and Jiang Xian asked why.
"The owner of Yixiang Lou is an older man, a native of Bianjing, with three generations of business behind him. I heard he expected to be named guild leader, but the position went to me instead," Jin Niang explained.
"Yixiang Lou has its problems. Like me, he designs his own patterns, but several times, customers complained that the finished garments didn’t match the drawings or had structural flaws. He grew fearful and stuck to old styles."
Jin Niang had her critics too—some claimed her work had declined—but she always focused on satisfying customers, which was why she had risen steadily.
As for Bin Yun Lou, Jin Niang rubbed her temples. "They pay the highest taxes in the guild."
"Why are they leaving?" Jiang Xian asked.
"I don’t know. I’ll go ask." Jin Niang shook her head and left.
The owner of Bin Yun Lou wouldn’t admit it was due to losing the guild leadership to Jin Niang, though that played a part. The real reason was that despite its former glory, the shop was struggling.
A single embroidered screen might sell for two hundred strings of cash, but it took a skilled embroiderer two to three years to complete the intricate double-sided patterns. After wages and costs, the profit was minimal.
With new embroidery styles gaining popularity, Bin Yun Lou’s traditional designs were fading.
When Jin Niang returned, she told Jiang Xian, "Their departure doesn’t matter, but I worry people will blame me."
"What will you do? Will you continue as acting guild leader?" Jiang Xian asked.
Jin Niang smiled brightly. "Of course. If I quit over gossip, I wouldn’t be myself."
After her coming-of-age ceremony, she had waited five years before marrying, enduring endless rumors. She held her ground and secured a good match. The same determination had seen her through challenges in her business.
If you wanted to do something, unless you yourself chose to stop, you shouldn’t let others’ words deter you.
After the two shops announced their move, some criticized Jin Niang’s youth and questioned her fitness as guild leader. Unfazed, she focused on completing the Gao family’s order, delivering the final set.
By spring, Yixiang Lou’s premises were leased to another embroidery shop, its grand reopening celebrated with firecrackers and fanfare.
Jiang Xian gained many insights from this. He suddenly felt that if life progressed according to one's own goals, even if the light at the end of the tunnel wasn’t immediately visible, perseverance would eventually lead to clarity.
In spring, Zhou Cunzhi secured an official post in the capital, sparing him from an external assignment. The Zhou family was overjoyed, though they remained restrained in their celebrations due to their mourning period. Nearly all the Zhou daughters, except for the married Second Miss Zhou, returned home to congratulate him.
Fourth Miss Zhou hadn’t visited her family in a long time and had assumed Lady Zhang would be delighted to see her. To her surprise, Lady Zhang’s reaction was indifferent.
Could this be why Zhou Cunzhi later sought affection outside his marriage, taking Wei Jin Niang as his mistress? When husband and wife grow distant, a man may seek solace elsewhere. Alas, in this lifetime, Jin Niang ended up with Jiang Xian instead.
The events described in the earlier novel had completely unraveled, and none of the characters aligned with their original roles. Fourth Miss Zhou gazed at the sky, finally feeling the weight of reality—she was truly in the Song Dynasty, likely for the rest of her life.
"Fourth Sister, why are you still here?"
Hearing Third Miss call her, Fourth Miss Zhou snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. "I just came from paying respects to Madam."
As they walked out of the Zhou residence together, Third Miss said, "I heard that Eldest Miss’s father-in-law has resigned from his post and plans to return to Luoyang. Let’s visit my place one day to bid her farewell."
Fourth Miss Zhou naturally agreed, but as she looked at Third Miss, she couldn’t help but reflect on how fortunes had shifted. In the past, Eldest Miss and Second Miss Zhou, as the legitimate daughters, received far more attention, while she and Third Miss were often overlooked—though she fared slightly better due to Miao Xiaoniang’s favor. Now, however, Third Miss had married into the most advantageous position.
In feudal society, excelling in one’s work could never compare to marrying well.
A woman’s status was always tied to her husband’s glory.
Jiang Xian’s situation was similar, though in his case, it was his wife’s prestige that elevated him.
Meanwhile, when Jin Niang first became a guild leader, she facilitated two major business deals. After a period of quiet, she began studying the embroidery techniques for Guanyin statues. She didn’t ask outright but instead visited skilled embroiderers frequently, observing until she grasped their methods.
"Madam Ren, I’ve found a master framer for you. When would you like to meet him?" Jin Niang asked with a smile.
Madam Ren specialized in embroidering Buddhist images, and her current project was a depiction of Shakyamuni Buddha preaching. The Buddha’s face and hands were highlighted with gold leaf, his hair embroidered with seed stitches, and his robes in flat stitch, with gold-threaded outlines for the patchwork garment. Jin Niang quietly memorized each detail.
"Thank you, Guild Leader Wei, for always keeping my affairs in mind," Madam Ren said gratefully.
Jin Niang waved it off. "You flatter me. As my senior, it’s only right." Then, feigning curiosity, she added, "I noticed the Willow-Leaf Guanyin you’ve hung differs from this one. Why is that?"
Madam Ren replied casually, "The threads are different. That one uses mulberry silk."
"Ah, I see. I have a relative struggling with infertility. I originally embroidered a sutra for her, but after seeing your work, I thought of making a Guanyin statue instead. Unfortunately, my skills are lacking—would you mind giving me some guidance?" Jin Niang covered her mouth with a playful laugh.
She knew Madam Ren wouldn’t teach her outright—these were trade secrets, after all—but a few pointers to help her refine her craft would suffice.
Previously, Madam Ren might have brushed her off, but now that Jin Niang, as guild leader, had assisted her multiple times, she couldn’t easily refuse.
Jin Niang pressed on, "The backgrounds I embroider always look stiff. How do you make yours so luminous, as if glowing?"
She’d already noticed the use of random stitches for the base layer, but Madam Ren, assuming she hadn’t, vaguely replied, "The hands are painted first, then embroidered in layers."
Thinking her explanation obscure, Madam Ren didn’t realize Jin Niang had already pieced it together, though she pretended otherwise.
Back home, Jin Niang devoted herself to practice. She started with a small Violet-Robed Guanyin, spending three days sketching the design on plain silk. She then split mulberry silk into the finest threads, first laying a thin random-stitch base for the background. She embroidered the face in flat stitch for smoothness, avoiding overlaps, and alternated between flat and seed stitches, adding depth to the background with staggered stitches.
Since it wasn’t double-sided, she allowed herself some creative liberties.
Despite her efforts, the result fell short of her expectations, frustrating her deeply—especially since it bore both sutras and sacred imagery.
Ying consoled her, "Madam Ren has been learning this since she could talk—decades of experience. You’ve just begun; it’s natural you’re not at her level yet."
Truthfully, Ying found the work impressive, but Jin Niang insisted on comparing herself to the best.
Undeterred, Jin Niang gifted the Violet Guanyin to the owner of Huixian Lou. The Wei embroidery workshop couldn’t secure large-scale orders like curtain panels—not due to skill but because they were a boutique atelier, not a mass-production house.
As guild leader, Jin Niang represented the southern district’s embroiderers in presenting gifts to major clients like Huixian Lou. Her Guanyin was merely a token inclusion, likely destined for obscurity.
Unexpectedly, the owner’s wife, a devout Buddhist recovering from illness, hung it in her chamber. Within a month, she made a full recovery.
Crucially, she was the one who brewed Huixian Lou’s famed jade-like wine.
Her restored health meant the wine could flow again. Grateful, she personally visited Jin Niang to thank her. Jin Niang, skeptical that the statue had caused the recovery, declined credit. "It was merely coincidence," she insisted.
Her refusal left the gift unaccepted.
At the time, Jiang Xian thought his wife too principled—turning down aged jade wine!
Jin Niang confided in him, "Truthfully, my embroidery still has flaws. Now that I’m learning more, I see so many details I mishandled. Luckily, they’re not connoisseurs, or they wouldn’t have offered the wine."
"I genuinely can’t spot any issues. You’ve done wonderfully," Jiang Xian reassured her.
Jin Niang shook her head. "Don’t humor me."
Seeing her genuine disappointment, Jiang Xian cooked her favorite celery dumplings to cheer her up. The sight alone lifted her spirits—she ate a small bowl and coyly asked for more, a rare moment of acting spoiled. Jiang Xian, aware of how much she managed at home while he studied, gladly obliged.
Later, at a poetry gathering at Huixian Lou—where Jiang Xian, still in mourning, abstained from drinking—his friends ordered wine. To their surprise, the owner served them the prized jade brew.
Zhang the Ninth laughed. "Such vintage—you’re truly generous tonight!"
The host pointed to Jiang Xian and said, "This gentleman is the husband of Madam Wei, the renowned head of the southern embroidery workshop. Madam Wei is universally praised—young yet brilliant, wise beyond her years, and exceptionally talented. This humble offering of wine is but a small token of our esteem."
To think it was offered freely! Jiang Xian couldn't help lifting his chin slightly, swelling with pride at basking in his wife's reflected glory.
