Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Two Chapters in One

Jinniang had been so busy that she neglected her health. It was hard to believe that she suddenly became pregnant. Since they came back from the boat, the two had been trying to get pregnant, but there had been no news. Jinniang didn't think she would be pregnant, but she got pregnant just as the twelfth lunar month began.

Jiang Xian was much calmer than Jinniang at this time: "My wife, you got pregnant just when you finished embroidering the Guanyin Bodhisattva. This child was sent to us by Guanyin Bodhisattva, so it must be a blessed child."

"As long as the baby can be born safely, I don't ask for a lucky or unlucky child." Jinniang touched her belly and always had a wonderful feeling.

The couple is looking forward to the birth of this little one. All they want is for the baby to be safe and healthy. All parents have the same feeling. Luo Yu'e was also talking to her son: "This is all the money our family can give you for your betrothal gifts. Your sister also said that the Zhang family is after the position of a future Jinshi's wife. As for you, as long as you study hard, you will be worthy of their willingness to marry their daughter to you."

Yang Ge'er knew it very well: "My son knows. Sister always considers everything for me. This time, sister has spent a lot of money."

"Your sister just bought a house. All of this was taken out of her own private money. When you become successful in the future, you must take good care of your nephew and niece, so as not to let your sister down for being so kind to you." Luo Yu'e sighed.

Yang Ge'er whispered, "My brother-in-law took me to the Wei family and the Fan family again in private, but this time he didn't take Brother Hao with him."

"This is my relative." Luo Yu'e reminded her son not to tell anyone.

Yang Ge nodded.

The mother and son chatted for a while about family matters before they dispersed. Luo Yu'e went to see her daughter. It happened that Jiang Xian had just gone out and Jinniang was preparing New Year gifts.

This was prepared in advance, and she filled several booklets with it. When she saw her mother, she smiled and said, "Please sit down. I have some more to write. Finish it quickly so I can rest in peace."

Jinniang always knew her own shortcomings from the gifts others gave her in return. For example, she had never thought of giving olives to others when the Wei family gave her olives in return. She could add some to her gift this time. She also said to Luo Yu'e, "This year, we have a new relative, Zhang Jiulang. I'll prepare some for you as well."

"I still have money. The rent for Choushui Lane was delivered today, and there is also one season's rent." Luo Yu'e refused firmly.

So, Jinniang also said: "This is the first time to send it over, so it should be more decent. Don't worry, I won't stop you if you want to pay in the future."

My younger brother married a woman who has a dowry, is capable and has a good family background. His life will surely be much better in the future. My parents won't have to worry about it, and neither will I. But if she was asked to give more to her brother, she didn't have that much, because she also had a son and a daughter.

When Jinniang sent the festival gifts to Zhang's house, Zhang returned home. Madam Zhang heard the maid beside her say, "Father Wei sent two rolls of Jiangnan fashionable silk, a northern sheep, two jars of Yao wine, a jar of candied cherries, a jar of salted olives, and two basins of peonies."

Ever since she learned that her natal brother had betrothed his daughter to a son who made dumplings, Zhang finally understood her mother-in-law's feelings. But Zhang Jiulang was not the type to be controlled by her. Last time, he not only said that she had sent the wrong satin, but he also falsely accused others. Their relationship was no longer the same. Ever since Miss Zhang got engaged to Wei Yang, Zhang said something again, and their relationship became even more strained.

Now, when she saw the festival gifts sent by the Wei family, she couldn't help but say, "They didn't even send a golden crown, but they did all these fancy things."

"The jewelry given by the Wei family includes gold hairpins and pearl hairpins. As for gold crowns, there are silver crowns at least, so there is nothing bad." Madam Zhang was not offended by her instigation. She thought that the family was so well-off that they wanted to pass the imperial examination and marry the daughter of an official.

Zhang couldn't sow discord between her brother and sister-in-law, so she went to see Miss Zhang. Miss Zhang was not very good at needlework, but when she learned that her future sister-in-law was very popular, she also started to work hard, at least to be presentable.

Seeing Zhang come in, she hurriedly stood up and said, "Aunt."

Zhang had no daughter, so she loved her niece very much and often took her to Zhou's house for a short stay. Now seeing how well-behaved and sensible she was, she couldn't help but speak up for her: "Pingjun, your father arranged a marriage for you, but arranged a marriage for your concubine sister with the son of the prefect of Huzhou."

"Aunt, Wei Yanei is also Lord Jiang's brother-in-law and a member of the Wei family." Zhang Pingjun said.

"How are they the same? We all know the origin of the Wei family! Your father favors the one who was born out of wedlock and raised by his illegitimate daughter." Zhang said.

Zhang Pingjun thought that if it was her original aunt, she would never be so blatant even if she didn't like her. But now her uncle had just married a wealthy second wife. Her aunt had lent money to people for business a few years ago and had lost a large sum of money to them. She was not favored by her husband, so her temperament became even more sour and mean.

But since they were already married, Zhang Pingjun said, "Aunt, although the young master of the Wei family is poor, it is precisely because of poverty that good talents are born. He was admitted to the Imperial College at the age of 18, which is already very good."

Zhang may not be unaware of this truth, but after hearing her niece speak so frankly, she took out a small box from her sleeve and said, "This is a gift from your aunt to add to your dowry. Please accept it."

Zhang Pingjun opened the box and found a pair of golden bracelets with dragon and phoenix patterns. She looked at Zhang, who held her hand and said, "Aunt has always been strong-willed. It's not good for a woman to be too strong-willed. Don't learn from me."

Ever since she was defrauded of the payment for her goods, she had little spare money. The eldest branch of the Zhou family spent more than they earned. Her father-in-law liked antiques and bronze artifacts, all of which cost money, and her mother-in-law still wanted to put on airs as before. Zhou Cunzhi had to take care of the officialdom, and his colleagues had to give her gifts on all occasions, so she had no choice but to pass off inferior goods as good ones.

This is also a case of selecting a target. Someone like Wei Jinniang, who was born as a maid, would definitely feel embarrassed to always interact with the master's family. Even if she is discovered after a few years, she will suffer in silence.

I didn't expect her to reveal it so quickly.

Fortunately, Zhou Cunzhi didn't know that he liked rich girls and disliked her, the daughter of a poor official. Zhang felt very unfair.

But she also knew that she would suffer in silence if she was so strong, so she warned her niece.

"Yes." Zhang Pingjun nodded with tears in her eyes.

On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, there is a happy event in the old house. Xuan Ge'er is going to marry the daughter of the Wu family. Jinniang got up early and put on her makeup. She wore a golden crown today and a dress with apricot-yellow pearls. She wore lantern-shaped tassel earrings on her ears, a jewel-inlaid ring and a bracelet-style gold ring on her hands. She was naturally radiant and dazzling.

Jiang Xian wondered if his wife had embroidered too many Bodhisattvas, which made them look more like Bodhisattvas, so he didn't dare to act rashly.

He helped his wife into the carriage and added, "We have spent a lot this year, so we will have to wait until next year."

"I thought so too. It would be great if this money could be used by only the two of us. Our daughter is getting married, our son is getting married, and we don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl, so we have to prepare some money for her." Jinniang pouted.

Jiang Xian's heart melted when he saw her acting so coquettishly, but he was afraid of messing up her clothes, so he didn't dare to hug her in his arms.

The relationship between him and his wife initially developed from a husband-and-wife relationship, which later developed into a relationship of mutual assistance, and finally into a relationship between a man and a woman. She has a clear mind and a high moral character, but she is also capable and not too aggressive. The most important thing is that when I am with her, I don’t have to be afraid of anything.

When they arrived at the Nanxunmen old house, the outside was already decorated with lights and colors. Jiang Xian said with emotion: "It was the same when we got married. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye."

"The days since we were exiled have passed so quickly. To be honest, the only thing I remember now is the day we got married in Tianshui Lane, as if it just happened yesterday." Jinniang said.

The two said goodbye at the door while they were talking. Jinniang went into the inner room from the second door, while Jiang Xian stayed outside in the men's room. Here are the female guests. Several sisters-in-law of the Xu family are here, gathered together. I heard that Xu had about a dozen nephews from her mother's side, all of whom were scholars, especially her fifth brother's son, who was quite talented despite his young age.

After Jinniang came in, everyone greeted each other. She met Xu Sansao again. She was a person who loved to dress up. She had to dress up even when borrowing money. Today she was wearing a gold-sprinkled skirt and a silver-and-gold crown. The young wife in her twenties standing next to her should be the third daughter-in-law.

"Is your sister-in-law pregnant?" asked Mrs. Xu.

Jinniang nodded: "Yes, I just got pregnant not long ago."

Before Xu could say anything else, a new guest arrived, so she hurried out to greet him. Mother Fang, who was standing next to Jinniang, thought that in such occasions, the sisters-in-law should help to welcome the guests and then come in to talk together. However, Xu ignored everyone in the room and went out to greet the guests one by one, with no one leading the way.

Mother Fang thought that she had a narrow vision before. She only had this small piece of land and thought that Xu was at least an okay housekeeper, but she was just a little frugal. Now, after following her wife outside for six or seven years and gaining a lot of experience, she realized that Xu's ability was actually very average and she was just not very good at building a reputation for herself.

What about frugality, what about virtue, what about compassion for the poor and the elderly.

He simply thought he was perfect.

My wife is different in this regard. She seldom builds a reputation for herself. The only thing she has built is the reputation of her embroidered statue of Guanyin, purely for the sake of making money.

Of course, Jinniang came here just after attending a wedding, so she wouldn't say these things. She was pregnant and couldn't smell any strong smells, so she went to Zeng's place to wipe the cards. When Xu welcomed the guests, she saw the mess here and secretly complained to her sister-in-law for not helping her to attract the guests.

After the cards are dealt with and lunch is over, the groom will go to pick up the bride. Jinniang was talking with relatives from the Zheng and Xu families. The people in the Zheng family were of course very happy. Zheng married an old man who was over fifty years old and thought she would live the rest of her life there, but she didn't expect that her two step-sons would pass the imperial examinations one after another, and the sixth branch of the Jiang family also became prosperous. The achievements of Mrs. Jiang Liu's sons have made her successful. Now everyone calls her "Old Madam".

The Zhou family came in the afternoon. Madam Zhou, Mrs. Jiang, and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zhang, came together. When Madam Zhou saw Jinniang sitting there, she sent a maid to quietly call Jinniang over. Jinniang probably guessed what he was going to ask, and sure enough, he was going to ask about the second young lady. Fortunately, Jinniang had already prepared an excuse: "We just went there not long ago, and we only met once. We never expected to hear that it was a murder case. The supervisor issued an order saying that he should be severely punished, and there was nothing we could do."

If you don't lend money at high interest rates and force people to death, will you be caught?

Madam Zhou also said, "Since you are in Daming Prefecture, just tell me if you want to spend money to make arrangements. We must get rid of this matter. How can we just leave it alone? We are all relatives after all."

Jinniang had no intention of saying anything more to her, she just listened without saying anything. Xu, who was not far away, heard their conversation and smiled with glee. She is no longer a maid from someone else's family. When she sees her old master, she has to be servile and humble, and she can't even straighten her back.

If Zhang was a normal person, she would of course come to the rescue now. After all, the relationship between Zhou Cunzhi and Jiang Xian has not really fallen out. But Zhang was not in a position to rescue after Jinniang exposed the fake silk incident last time. She just stood there and watched the joke.

It was Jinniang herself who said, "Madam Zhou, I left something outside and need to go out and take a look."

This is how I escaped.

After coming out, Ah Ying cursed: "What a man! His own daughter committed a crime and he still had the nerve to blame others."

"Who cares about her?" Jinniang thought that since Miss Zhou Er was wanted, there was no need to argue with Madam Zhou. After all, she was pregnant.

Why bother with her?

The eldest daughter Zhou passed away six or seven years ago, and the second daughter never dared to show up in her life. As for Zhou Cunzhi's situation, it was clear that he was going downhill when Zhang started sending him fake goods.

She did not have any deep hatred with the Zhou family. The Zhou family once blocked her marriage with Jiang Xian, but it was also because of her stay in the Zhou family that she was seen by Mrs. Jiang Liu. This was also the reason why Jinniang did not want to care too much.

Because of this, Jinniang waited for the bride to come in and pay her respects to the elders before going home. It just so happened that she was pregnant, and Jiang Xian was also worried that he might not feel well. When he heard Jinniang say that Madam Zhou questioned her, Jiang Xian was very angry: "Didn't the eldest sister-in-law and the second sister-in-law say a few words to help you?"

"No." Jinniang shook her head.

Jiang Xian said, "Sister-in-law usually doesn't mind, but today my husband and I brought a generous gift to her, but she turned a blind eye as the host. As for Sister-in-law Zhou, she was teased by someone before, and I had to punish that person. She gave us fake silk, and we were afraid that she would be fooled, but she just stood by and watched."

Jinniang waved her hand: "Forget it, in the final analysis, it was she who disregarded the law. Why don't we take this opportunity to stop communicating with each other."

Jiang Xian nodded: "I thought so too."

Jinniang was always able to adjust herself. When the next day she received a dividend of 1,200 strings of cash, she was in a very good mood. Then there was the rent from the farm, as well as firewood, eggs, chicken, duck and goose meat.

She began to give benefits to the servants. At the end of the year, Juxiang, Luo Mama, and Chen Xiaolang, who had done an excellent job and never slacked off, all received a reward of five cents, a chicken, and a handkerchief.

After moving into the new house, these three people never missed work without reason. Mother Luo was in charge of the garden, and no outsiders were allowed to come in or out at will every day. The small gate was also guarded tightly at night. Not to mention Juxiang, the whole kitchen is run by her and Chunxian, and everything is in perfect order. There has never been a quality control problem, and the taste is getting better and better. As for Chen Xiaolang, who is now the second manager, as long as Jinniang gives him something to do, he can do it the next day and never put it off until tomorrow.

Jinniang also wrapped silver and money for the three of them in red cloth, and wrote words of praise on the outside of the red cloth.

"This year, the three of them won it. Next year, my reward will be even higher. By then, I hope more new people will also be able to get it." Jinniang said.

In an instant, all the servants were as excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Usually, Hu Tou helped to clean Jiang Xian's study, but now his father Luo Da was the chief steward of the family, and Hu Zi became Jiang Xian's servant.

Although Hutou usually swept the floor clean, he never knelt down to wipe the tables and chairs. Today he wanted to sweep the floor until it was completely bare.

Jiang Xian even joked, "Why are you so diligent today, little fellow?"

Tiger Head scratched the back of his head and said, "If I do well, my wife will call me out in front of many people to give out red cloth and money as a reward. My grandmother will be in trouble."

A young servant like Hutou, who had just started working, only earned fifty cents a month, so naturally he wanted to compete for a place.

Jiang Xian was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

Even when he was tired in the study and walking alone in the garden, he was about to go to the courtyard to find Xibin, and heard Xi Qiu say to Fan Si: "Write a letter to your uncle and bring some loquat wine to my wife when you come next year. My wife doesn't like to drink pure wine, she likes fruit wine."

…

Jiang Xian thought it over, this is just the beginning, and people are giving gifts!

This year they cooked beef and slaughtered sheep and lived a very comfortable life. Yun Jie'er made a set of clothes for Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e, and the old couple were very happy when they received the clothes.

Jinniang bought a little maid to serve the two of them, and picked a boy for Yangge'er to help run errands. Her father had gained weight because he no longer had to get up early and work late to do heavy work, and he was not as bitter and resentful as before. Her mother, needless to say, had become even more slick and smooth.

This year, the Wei family took Jinniang in as usual. Jinniang was saying to Madam Wei, "Although a man should not talk about strange things, I just finished embroidering the Guanyin, and I got this child. I am lucky."

Mrs. Wei was also the daughter of Wei Qilang, who was in middle age, so she did share some of her experiences, which Jinniang also wrote down.

While Jinniang and her friends were visiting relatives and friends, Hao Erlang and Wei Yang were still writing essays. For them, who were about to take the provincial examination, if they passed, their lives would never be the same again.

But there are differences between the two of them in their study. Yang Ge'er said to Jin Niang, "Brother Hao is indeed very smart and seems to be studious, but he couldn't solve a problem my brother-in-law gave him today."

Although Yang Ge'er's mental strength is not very strong, he must concentrate on thinking when writing. Hao Erlang wrote a lot in a very eloquent way, but it was too flashy.

Jinniang knew what his situation was. In modern terms, it was fake learning. You said he didn't learn, but he was still learning, but not sincerely.

"What should we do then?" Jinniang was also worried.

Wei Yang said: "I told him, but he was still a little impatient."

Jinniang said, "Forget it. Then you should take care of yourself first and do well in the provincial exam."

She always felt that her brother was not a very conspicuous person. He was still very simple in his twenties, doing carpentry and eating fried chicken, but he had good luck in major exams. She was still wondering if he was lucky, but after observing him, she felt that he was not. He might not be a very smart person, but he was definitely down-to-earth and willing to work hard.

Yang Ge'er is going to take part in the provincial examination. The Zhang family is more nervous than the Jiang family. Zhang Jiulang comes in person. Although he has the temperament of a government official, he gets along well with honest scholars like Wei Yang and treats him with courtesy.

Jiang Xian comforted him instead, "Brother Yang is still young. Even my brother passed the exam when he was almost 30 years old. You don't have to be too anxious." "Do you think he can pass?" Zhang Jiulang asked.

"It's hard to say. We can only say that we do our best and the rest is left to fate." Jiang Xian was not the examiner, so naturally he was not very clear about it. Besides, his performance on the spot still depended on himself.

Because someone at home was preparing for the exam, Ning Ge'er and Yun Jie'er couldn't go out to play freely. They all came to Jin Niang's place. Yun Jie'er looked at Jin Niang's belly in awe: "Mom, will I have a little brother again in a few months?"

"We don't know yet whether it's a little brother or a little sister. It's only four months now, and it will take another five or six months for the baby to be born. Then you can play together." Jinniang yawned as she spoke.

Yun Jie'er is older than Ning Ge'er and more thoughtful. She said to Jin Niang, "I saw Ma Yang Niang asking Ning Ge'er to ask you to let her come back. Mother, she always indulges her brother. This is not good."

Originally, Ma Yangniang was not a family-born girl, and the plan was to hire her for only about two years. Later, she said that she was in financial difficulty, so Jinniang asked her to help manage the yard. Later, she always spoiled Ning Ge'er, and Jinniang didn't drive her out. She let her take charge of laundry. Ma Yangniang felt much more tired and lost.

But there is no one idle here in Jinniang's place. Even Jiang Xian's wet nurse, Luo Mama, often has to guard the gate at night. Luo's eldest daughter-in-law, who is also the wife of the chief steward, also has to fertilize the soil, move flowers and sweep the garden every day. Even Jinniang herself, although not as tired as before, still had no free time with needlework and housework.

But she was not used to it for a while, and Jinniang could understand, so she told Fang Mama. Fang Mama told Ma Yangniang once: "Just because you nursed my brother, you are more noble than us? My wife gives you three coins of silver a month, two sets of clothes a year, and you don't have to wash my underwear and my sister and brother's underwear. They are all washed by the maids. How can you have more work? If you really have other strengths, it's fine, but you don't, so it's better to be quiet. You used to be a smart person, why are you confused now? Before, my wife asked my brother to get up early to study, and my brother was lazy, so you instigated my brother to pretend to be sick. Later, my wife asked my brother to finish his homework before eating, and you secretly took snacks for my brother to eat first. You are a good person in front of my brother, and my wife is generous. I don't blame you for instigating my brother. If it were someone else, I'm afraid you would have been driven out long ago."

After some beating, Ma Yangniang finally became more obedient. However, for her, either the salary was high or the treatment was good, but now she had neither. She was afraid that her wife still resented her, so she wanted to quit and said that it was her husband from outside who came back.

Jinniang personally asked her if she was willing to leave, and she said that her husband forced her to leave. What? Jinniang finally said, "If you don't want to, just stay in the mansion and I will speak for you."

The horse nanny was hesitant and had already made up her mind to leave, so Jinniang gave her the contract and asked her to take the boxes, money and other things with her. In this way, there is no need to hire someone to take care of the laundry; everyone can just let their maids do the laundry.

Ah Ying said angrily: "Before you knelt and refused to leave, but now you are like this."

Jinniang thought that it would be better for her to ask to go so that she could discipline her son personally in the future.

Mother Fang thought that her wife was kind and righteous, but this was also an open conspiracy. Her wife usually acted decisively, but she gave Ma Yangniang several chances when it came to the matter. It was not because she was weak, but because she wanted Ma Yangniang to withdraw voluntarily so that Ning Ge'er would not be able to blame her as a mother in the future.

It is also said that Ma Yangniang had been away for half a month when the provincial examination began. The results were announced a few days later. Although Yang Ge'er was the second to last on the list, he finally passed. Having passed the provincial examination, the palace examination was just a matter of ranking.

Jiang Xian set up several tables in the garden to have a lively feast. Jinniang also gave tips to the servants. Luo Yu'e also gave tips and was so happy.

Even the Wei family came to celebrate in person and sent a gift of water.

But Yang Ge'er's ranking was too low, and everyone was afraid that he would be selected as a fifth-class official, and would have to take the test again to be selected as an official in the future.

I didn't expect that he could be directly appointed as an official even though he ranked last among the four in the palace examination.

Jinniang, who was pregnant at home, did not go to see the list. She heard Ning Ge'er come back and said with great joy, "Those people almost took my uncle away. One pulled his arm and another his leg. In the end, Uncle Zhang's father sent people to get him back."

Jinniang also laughed when she thought of Yangge'er's slim figure being robbed.

The original wedding date was set for September, but now the Zhang family asked to get married earlier, fearing that their son-in-law, a Jinshi, would be snatched away. Jinniang was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when she heard this.