On the eighth day of the sixth month, Jin Niang turned twenty-three, and Sister Jun was now one year and four months old. Jiang Xian specially hired a painter to create a portrait of Jin Niang alone, and later, Jin Niang held their daughter for another family portrait.
It was akin to modern photography—truly remarkable that Jiang Xian thought to gift her this for her birthday.
The previous year had brought an unexpected windfall of eight hundred strings of cash, but after that peak, this year’s earnings were far less impressive, with only two hundred strings made in the past six months.
Though mourning customs dictated three years, it was actually twenty-seven months in practice. Jin Niang couldn’t help but smile and say, “Husband, come winter this year, we’ll be out of mourning.”
When one stayed busy, time flew by. To Jin Niang, it felt as though Sixth Madam Jiang’s passing had only happened yesterday.
“Indeed,” Jiang Xian replied. “Next year, I’ll be taking the provincial exams again.”
Jin Niang laughed. “No, once mourning ends, you should come home and stay for a while. It’s been so long since we’ve been close as husband and wife.”
Jiang Xian embraced her. “I know you’ve missed me. Very well, I’ll come back then.”
Having been apart for most of the year, both longed for each other deeply. During the New Year, Jiang Xian had clung to Jin Niang, unwilling to let go. Jin Niang, too, found herself relying on her husband more, often seeking his advice on matters.
However, the couple still had to visit the old family residence next month. While Madam Zheng was generally reasonable, she was utterly submissive to Master Jiang the Sixth, insisting on celebrating his birthday even though it wasn’t a milestone year.
This was why Master Jiang the Sixth got along so well with his second wife.
Jin Niang asked, “What should we give as a birthday gift?”
“Just send some longevity noodles. Last time, the old man promised to send something for Sister Jun, but nothing came. Not even a soul showed up for her first-year celebration,” Jiang Xian grumbled, protective of his precious daughter.
Sister Jun could now speak a few simple words. Seeing her parents engrossed in conversation, she stretched out her arms and called, “Mama!” Jin Niang had no choice but to scoop her up.
The little girl wore a red gauze vest, loose silk trousers, and had baby powder dusted over the folds of her chubby neck. Once in her mother’s arms, she settled contentedly.
Jin Niang agreed with Jiang Xian. “In that case, I’ll send a load of longevity noodles and a jacket. In this heat, I can’t be bothered to make new clothes.”
After all, one had to balance work and rest. After a busy stretch, it was only natural to take things easier.
Once Jin Niang’s birthday celebrations were over, Jiang Xian left for the Liu household—only to arrive at an awkward time. Eldest Young Master Liu had allowed his mistress and illegitimate son to move in, driving Madam Xun to flee to her parents’ home in fury. Faced with such a scandal, Jiang Xian quickly retreated.
Meanwhile, Jin Niang had put Sister Jun to sleep and was napping in bed when she felt someone kiss her. Half-asleep, she instinctively reached under her pillow for a knife, only to open her eyes and see Jiang Xian. She thought she must be dreaming.
“Husband, why are you back? You scared me!” Jin Niang patted her chest.
Seeing her genuine fright, Jiang Xian asked gently, “Do you struggle to sleep well when I’m not here?”
Jin Niang had meant to say she slept fine alone, but under his earnest gaze, she admitted shyly, “Yes. With the baby so small, and my parents rising early for work, they nap soundly after lunch. I’m left feeling uneasy.”
She added in a whisper, “And all our money is kept in my room.”
Jiang Xian’s heart ached. Though they had servants and her parents nearby, her parents were exhausted from running their new shop, and servants could never be fully trusted. He realized how selfish he’d been, always thinking of himself and never considering his wife’s struggles.
Seizing the excuse of the Liu family’s chaos, he returned home—much to Jin Niang’s delight. Truthfully, she didn’t care whether he passed the imperial exams again. As long as they were together, life was joyful, and she was more than capable of supporting her family.
She led Jiang Xian to a chest in the back. “Look—this one’s filled with tea, pepper, and spices, all gifts or trade goods. I’ve set aside the finest. If we ever need money, these could fetch about three hundred taels.”
Opening another chest, she said, “I sold the old fabrics Madam Zheng gave us and bought two hundred birch candles. The wax merchant also traded me a set of clothes for four hundred white candles, ten taper candles, and several pairs of regular ones.”
Most of her clothes were for display, and since lightly worn pieces couldn’t be resold or given away (being too lavish), she bartered them for practical goods.
An ordinary candle cost eighteen coins, while intricately carved tapers went for two hundred coins, and regular ones for one hundred fifty.
Jiang Xian gaped. “You’re incredibly shrewd.”
“Don’t skimp on these candles or strain your eyes with oil lamps,” Jin Niang teased.
These were their shared savings, and Jiang Xian felt a squirrel-like thrill hoarding them. He even mused, “By the time I become an official, we might still have leftovers.”
At the mention of officialdom, Jin Niang said, “Third Miss Zhou visited recently. Her husband is returning to the capital for reassignment—who knows if he’ll stay?”
“Perhaps. He’s always been one to scheme for himself,” Jiang Xian said dismissively, unwilling to discuss Jiang Fang further.
Jin Niang changed the subject.
Being home, Jiang Xian finally felt at ease, his heart settling like a weight returning to its rightful place.
In the seventh month, they attended Master Jiang the Sixth’s birthday at the old residence. Madam Zheng had prepared a lavish feast, inviting all his close friends to ensure a merry gathering.
Jin Niang was startled to see Madam Xu dressed so plainly. Though always modest, she’d once carried the dignity of a lady. Now, in a yellowed, half-worn white skirt, she resembled a kitchen maid.
Even with Madam Zheng managing household funds, daily meals were provided, so Madam Xu should’ve had some savings. Unbeknownst to others, she hoarded every coin from her meager land income, spending only on her son’s clothes. Though barely older than Jin Niang, she looked a generation apart.
She was also sizing up Jin Niang, who wore a silver-white jacket with small chrysanthemum patterns on the collar, paired with a silver-gilded peony hairpin. A jade comb adorned with peony motifs sat in the middle of her bun, while her fingers were adorned with three floral-patterned rings, and her wrists bore a pair of gilded gold and silver bracelets with bird-and-flower designs—elegant and refined, yet undeniably wealthy.
Of course, with Mother-in-law having allocated the most valuable shops to them, how could they not be well-off?
Jin Niang understood why Madam Xu dressed this way—it was purely to signal to everyone that Madam Zheng was extravagant. But then again, appearing so shabby at Father-in-law’s birthday banquet might very well anger Master Jiang the Sixth. Moreover, while outsiders might gossip for a while, feigning poverty could eventually make people believe you truly were poor—and that wouldn’t be a good thing.
The clan was full of opportunists.
But Madam Xu’s affairs were none of Jin Niang’s concern. She had come to realize that the key to peace of mind was minding her own business.
Today, Jiang Fang and his wife had arrived together. Master Jiang the Sixth harbored no resentment toward this adopted-out son and even publicly said to him, “We are all family. What’s past is past. Now that you’ve earned your jinshi degree, thanks to your uncle’s care, you should guide your younger brothers in the future.”
On this matter, Jin Niang felt deeply for her mother-in-law. Once a person was gone, even the principles they had upheld could be rewritten.
Living well was what truly mattered, she thought.
Jiang Fang wasn’t exactly gloating, but he knew his judgment had been correct. No matter the means, once you achieved success, even those who once resented you would turn into well-wishers.
While the brothers conversed, Jin Niang chatted casually with Third Miss. Though Third Miss didn’t treat her like a true sister-in-law, she at least regarded her as family, unlike Fourth Miss Zhou, whose kindness always carried an air of condescension.
Third Miss remarked, “Your family will be out of mourning by the end of the year, so you can take the provincial exams next year, right? I imagine the capital will be packed again.”
“Exactly. Thankfully, we live in Bianjing—saves us a lot of trouble,” Jin Niang replied with a smile.
Their shared topic of conversation wasn’t the Jiang family but the Zhou Family. Third Miss mentioned, “Second Uncle bought a house in Yangxian and even built a garden. He plans to retire there in a few years.”
Jin Niang smiled. “How wonderful. Second Master has always been well-off. I’ve just been too busy lately to pay my respects to Second Madam. How is Brother Qin doing?”
“He’s well. Brother Qin is an honest boy—not the most gifted in studies, but dutiful. Though life hasn’t been easy for the third branch,” Third Miss sighed.
At the mention of the third branch, Jin Niang thought of Qin Shuang'er and asked without hesitation, “What’s happened to them? When Third Young Master passed, our Sixteenth Young Master even sent funeral gifts. He said the widow wept bitterly.”
Third Miss shrugged. “Third Sister-in-law observed mourning for a year before her family took her back to remarry. The concubines who bore children stayed behind to care for them—better to have their own mothers looking after them than outsiders.”
So Qin Shuang'er must still be with the Zhou Family, Jin Niang mused. Unless she found a good match, staying there at least ensured safety and comfort.
When the banquet began, Jin Niang ate a small bowl of longevity noodles but had little interest in the meat dishes. She used to indulge too much in food, eating even when not hungry, until she grew plump. Losing weight was far harder than gaining it.
After paying respects to Master Jiang the Sixth earlier with her child, Jin Niang left the banquet halfway to check on her daughter. Little Sister Jun was dressed formally today—a white undergarment embroidered with crabapple blossoms, a jacket with crabapple branch patterns, and a pink pleated skirt over white trousers.
“Mama, I want to go play!” Sister Jun stretched out her arms the moment she saw her mother.
Jin Niang smiled. “Alright, Mama will take you for a walk.”
The heat made the hall stifling. She had intended to stroll in the garden but remembered it had been rented out, so she settled for teaching her daughter to recognize flowers under the shade of a tree.
“Look, Sister Jun, these are hydrangeas. So many colors—red, pink, blue—just like the ones at home,” Jin Niang pointed out.
Sister Jun reached out to pluck one, but Jin Niang stopped her. “No picking flowers. If you pinch them, they’ll hurt.”
“Okay, I’ll just look,” Sister Jun said, clasping her hands behind her back.
Jin Niang praised her. “My daughter is so good!”
As they enjoyed the fresh air, the banquet ended, and more people gathered nearby. Jin Niang overheard two women gossiping:
“Master Jiang the Sixth’s banquet was splendid, but his eldest son’s wife looked like a servant.”
“True. The younger son and his wife carried themselves like masters, while the elder ones seemed rather shabby. Clearly, they favor the youngest and disregard the eldest.”
“Exactly.”
“The emperor loves his eldest son, but common folk dote on the youngest.”
Jin Niang shook her head at these remarks. On the carriage ride home, she told Jiang Xian, “See? Now we’re the ones being criticized.”
Jiang Xian fumed. “They’re the ones fighting, yet we’re the ones blamed.”
“At least we live in Sweetwater Lane. It keeps us away from drama, and you can focus on your studies,” Jin Niang said.
Jiang Xian disliked domestic squabbles but acknowledged she was right—and felt grateful for it.
Soon, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived. Last year, they hadn’t celebrated due to Sixth Madam Jiang’s death anniversary, but this year, Jin Niang prepared thoroughly. She ordered pastries from a bakery, bought crabs, fish, shrimp, fresh pomegranates, and pears from Madam Huang’s household.
Her embroidery shop was filled with festive sachets, hanging robes, and displayed shoes and socks. Strangely, the embroiderers had little to do. Ying even remarked, “Business isn’t great this Mid-Autumn.”
“It’s just back to normal. Last year was unusually good,” Jin Niang reassured her.
She urged Madame Zhu and Minzhi to rest their eyes when work was slow, but the two couldn’t sit idle.
Even Jiang Xian noticed the dip in business and offered, “Do you need me to—”
“No need. Being constantly busy would wear me out,” Jin Niang said cheerfully. Her original goal had been to earn around three hundred strings of cash a year.
Now, with three thousand strings already saved, she had surpassed her target. Current earnings covered daily expenses and early loan repayments.
Jiang Xian admired his wife’s steady mindset—rarely swayed by gains or losses.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated with great liveliness at home, and gifts from the embroidery guild had also arrived. Jin Niang divided the presents in half to give to Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e, the married couple. For some reason, the things Jin Niang bought herself didn’t always please them much, but when it came to gifts from others, they felt as though they had gained an enormous bargain.
Third Young Master Peng, short on funds during the Mid-Autumn Festival, came knocking again for assistance. Jin Niang said to Jiang Xian, "Why don’t we give him the remaining gift boxes we have at home? That way, he won’t need to buy any himself, and we can consider it a gift rather than a loan."
Jiang Xian, of course, no longer wished to keep playing the generous benefactor. Besides, among friends, financial matters could easily lead to disputes if not handled carefully. As it was, he himself now relied entirely on his wife’s family for support. He had sent lavish gifts to the Huang and Liu families, as well as to the top scholar’s household, with Jin Niang personally reviewing the list—all items were of the finest quality and quite costly.
Especially in recent days, Jin Niang had shown him their savings to reassure him that he could focus on his studies. With such meticulous budgeting, he couldn’t afford to be wasteful.
So he prepared to give Third Young Master Peng eight boxes of dried fruits and mooncakes from their home. Unexpectedly, Peng showed some disdain—as a scion of a noble family, how could he possibly value such cheap boxes worth only a hundred or two coins?
Jiang Xian, seeing this, couldn’t help but feel irritated.
When Third Young Master Peng returned home, he complained to his wife, "Sixteenth Young Master is treating me like a beggar. He used to be so generous, but since marrying these past few years, he’s become increasingly stingy."
Peng’s wife, Lady Yu, was also his cousin. They had inherited a house and two hundred mu of land after the family division, but by now, they had sold a hundred mu, leaving only a small estate. Yet, they still insisted on maintaining appearances—festival gifts alone cost them twenty strings of cash. On top of daily expenses, servants’ upkeep, Peng’s social engagements like poetry gatherings, and new clothes, money was always tight.
Lady Yu had long resented hearing Peng repeatedly praise Jin Niang’s household management skills. Now, seeing him complain, she couldn’t resist adding, "Merchant families only care about petty gains. As the saying goes, 'One takes on the color of one’s company.' Jiang the Sixteenth used to be decent, but now he’s probably changed too."
"Let’s just avoid his house from now on," Peng said.
In the past, he, Jiang the Sixteenth, and Zhang the Ninth had been close. But now that Zhang had entered the Imperial Academy and made new friends, he still kept in touch with Jiang the Sixteenth while leaving Peng behind. Rumor had it that the last time they went to the Immortal Gathering Pavilion, they hadn’t even invited him.
Deep down, Peng knew he had fallen behind the other two and could no longer keep up appearances. Jiang the Sixteenth had once been in a similar position, but his capable wife allowed him to focus on his studies and even network with influential figures like Scholar Xiao, Top Scholar Jiang, and even Academician Huang.
With his new clothes and silver fish tokens for tipping, no one would guess his family was struggling.
But as for himself…
Well, if a circle wouldn’t accept him, there was no point forcing his way in.
Resigned, he dismissed some servants, moved the family into one section of their house, and rented out the other. He also began working as a companion to Grand Commandant Ding’s son, accompanying him in reading, playing chess, painting, and sports like polo and cuju, cutting ties with his old friends.
When Jiang Xian heard about this, he paid Peng a visit and returned deeply moved.
He told Jin Niang, "If not for you, I might have ended up just like Third Young Master Peng."
"Not necessarily," Jin Niang replied. "If he focuses on his studies and earns a degree, he could easily make ten strings of cash a month teaching in a relative’s household." She didn’t think Jiang Xian would end up like Peng.
Still, it was good that Peng had come to terms with his situation, stopped borrowing money for extravagant gifts, and started living within his means.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jin Niang resumed her embroidery of Guanyin, determined to perfect her work.
Her previous designs had been sufficient for the Double Ninth Festival, so she and Jiang Xian visited their family estate. While Jin Niang was adept at business matters, agricultural affairs were not her forte.
Surprisingly, Jiang Xian proved quite knowledgeable. He smiled and said, "Though scholars may not always understand farming, I’ve handled land disputes for Madam Liu’s family, so I can manage this."
"That’s wonderful! My husband is so capable!" Jin Niang didn’t hold back in praising him.
After obtaining the land register, Jiang Xian gathered the estate manager and several tenants to discuss recent conditions and their skills, quickly settling matters with Jin Niang.
"We’ll build some houses for them as a gesture of goodwill. Some are skilled in charcoal-making, others in livestock. From now on, they can supply us with charcoal, rice, eggs, and even meat," Jiang Xian arranged.
Jin Niang agreed readily, "Just tell me how much is needed, and I’ll provide it."
This was Jiang Xian’s first time managing their household finances. He left Luo Da to oversee the construction, explaining his requirements before the couple returned home.
Back home, Jiang Xian said proudly, "See? I can be reliable too."
"Of course! I noticed long ago," Jin Niang praised him repeatedly, delighted to see him acting like a pleased child in front of her.
A household thrives when everyone contributes.
By the time the estate buildings were nearly complete, Top Scholar Jiang had returned. Jin Niang promptly prepared modest gifts for Jiang Xian to deliver. Dressed in a dark blue robe, Jiang Xian tugged at his sleeves self-consciously before leaving.
"You’re really something," Jin Niang giggled behind her hand.
The top scholar disliked extravagance, so Jiang Xian couldn’t dress as usual.
During his visit, Jiang Xian also encountered Zhou Cunzhi and Sun Shichen. Zhou had come specifically to introduce his brother-in-law to Top Scholar Jiang, having secured the connection through the influential Young Master Gong.
Sun Shichen was dismayed to see Jiang Xian. They had once studied together under Academician Huang, but Huang had favored Jiang Xian. Now that Huang had retired, Sun had barely managed to gain access to Top Scholar Jiang—only to run into Jiang Xian again.
Unbeknownst to him, Top Scholar Jiang’s assessment of Jiang Xian was "talented but lacking in virtue." Though young, Jiang Xian handled tasks with remarkable efficiency. Yet his loyalty was questionable—if someone else offered better benefits, he wouldn’t hesitate to switch sides. Still, such people were undeniably useful.
Take the gifts Jiang Xian brought—not just for the top scholar, but also clothes and shoes for his wife Lady Song and their children.
Meanwhile, Lady Song was chatting with Fourth Miss Zhou. Pregnant with her second child and nearing delivery, she remarked, "Jiang Shushi’s wife is truly skilled. Her pregnancy pillows have been a lifesaver during both my pregnancies."
Fourth Miss Zhou said, "Indeed, her craftsmanship is excellent. I’ve also bought some for my daughter. These little garments are truly lovely. Speaking of which, she’s quite fortunate. If her husband passes the imperial examination and becomes a jinshi, she’ll rise to prominence as well."
Fourth Miss Zhou found Jin Niang’s story inspiring, but Lady Song, who understood the ways of official families, remarked, "Without marital connections, even securing an official post in the court is difficult. To be frank, many men abandon their wives after becoming jinshi, either secretly remarrying or casting aside their humble origins. True gentlemen of good character are as rare as phoenix feathers."
"Are you suggesting Madam Wei might end up laboring in vain for someone else’s benefit?" Fourth Miss Zhou felt a chill at the thought.
Lady Song chuckled. "I’m merely stating how the world works—it’s not necessarily about them. Besides, Jiang Xian may not pass the examination so quickly."
Yet Fourth Miss Zhou took the words to heart, for in the book, Jiang Xian did indeed become a jinshi.
