Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Two chapters merged into one

Jinniang found that she was buried under the cloth and couldn't breathe. She opened her eyes suddenly and realized it was a dream.

This dream also reflects her state of mind. She has been too busy lately. She got up and poured a glass of water. Then she heard Qin Shuang'er making some noises. Jinniang asked hurriedly, "Shuang'er, are you up too?"

Qin Shuang'er smiled and said, "My little life is coming."

Jinniang was speechless: "Happy days are here, and you are still so happy."

Although the Zhou family can now make better menstrual belts with cotton and paper, they are still no match for modern sanitary products. So Jinniang is most annoyed by her menstrual period. She even fills her two iron bottles with hot water, and when she feels sticky, she goes into the house to wash, for fear of bacterial invasion.

Qin Shuang'er said, "Go to sleep, I'm going to sleep now."

She quickly went to bed and covered herself with a thin quilt, not feeling any great burden in her heart. In a few months, you will still be slaves and maids wandering around, but I will be different.

Now that I'm not pregnant, everything is best.

Zhou Shenzhi approached the second master, still a little shy: "My nephew feels sorry for her, so I want to ask the second uncle for help."

When Mr. Zhou Er was young, he often wandered around with women, but he was not a playboy. After all, he managed his family business several times over, and he was a shrewd man.

Therefore, when he heard his nephew say this, he said, "If he was really a decent person and really wanted you well, why would he indulge you before marriage? However, this is not a big deal, but you have to be sensible."

Zhou Shenzhi said: "Since I was young, my mother has been very strict with me. Father, you also know this. I only regard my second uncle as my own father. My second aunt has also been very kind to me in raising me. I would like to thank my second uncle for his help in this marriage. I will also respect and love my new bride in the future."

"Well, don't worry. I heard that she was hired from outside. When the time comes, I will say that you are short of a needlework maid and let her serve in your room. You have the final say on what happens in the future." Master Zhou Er was not afraid that his eldest sister-in-law would have a grudge. She was just a maid at that time. He had added a lot of silver money to the dowries of the two girls in the eldest house.

Zhou Shenzhi was overjoyed: "I'll leave everything to my second uncle."

Master Zhou Er patted him on the shoulder and said, "I have failed in my life and can only be a minor official. You and Cun'er are both good students. You must study hard and don't let the adults down."

"Nephew understands." Zhou Shenzhi said with a smile.

Master Zhou Er was of course very good at talking. She told Wu that she bought the maid from the needlework room and gave her to the third room to take care of Xi's mother and son. "You have always had a good relationship with the third sister-in-law. Last time I saw that the maid who helped you embroider the quilt was quite capable, so I asked the eldest sister-in-law to get her contract. When the eldest girl's dowry is embroidered, let her go, and you can pick another one and send them to be a servant in the room together."

"Why does the master personally take care of such a matter?" Mrs. Wu wondered.

Mr. Zhou Er hugged Mrs. Wu and said, "Our Qin is still so young, and the one in your belly doesn't know the yin and yang yet. I am old, and I am afraid I can't protect you anymore. You still have to be careful. The bride has nothing to do with us, so she won't help us. Let's keep two people just in case."

The listener felt sad for no reason. Mrs. Wu felt that it was inappropriate: "As uncles and aunts, how can we send the people in the house to our nephew?"

"We are the elders, so it is normal for us to give gifts. Besides, the third house is in financial difficulty. If we want to buy two capable maids, we may not be able to raise the money." Master Zhou Er is very good at economics.

Whether from the perspective of benefits or emotions, he felt that he should give it away, and Mrs. Wu also thought it made sense.

So, Madam Chen said to Qin Shuang'er in the sewing room: "Your contract still has five months left. Now you will finish sewing in the sewing room for a month, and then go directly to the third room."

Qin Shuang'er didn't expect that she really didn't make a mistake, but she still pretended to be at a loss: "Why did the people from the third room take me away?"

"Then I don't know. They said that you and a maid from the second house who is good at cooking will go together." Madam Chen thought that the second house wanted to send two craftsmen to the third house.

Jinniang looked at Qin Shuang'er, wondering if she had gone out those days just to take care of this matter, but if she did so, she would probably really go from being a hired worker who received monthly wages to a free nanny.

Fang Qiaolian also whispered to Jinniang: "If I have to choose, I'll choose you."

"I, then I definitely won't go." Jinniang shook her head.

From then on, Qin Shuang'er worked even more slowly than before, and her mind was no longer on the chores. She was very happy every day. She had ten taels of silver given by the third young master, and she would often treat Xiao He to meals with some of the money. The two of them often didn't even do their chores.

Jinniang looked up at Si'er and said, "Close the edge. The stitches here should be more detailed."

Si Er replied, "Okay."

Jinniang finished her needlework and began to copy scriptures. She had a lot to do and could not stop at all. Under such circumstances, Jinniang went to ask Chen Niangzi for advice on how to do the work, and Chen Niangzi was willing to teach. After all, Jinniang had completed a lot of work and could get the job done well.

But Jinniang only does her own work and is unwilling to do more.

There are only a few months left, and she has to do her last shift and perfect her skills.

Success came too suddenly, and Qin Shuang'er was actually unable to control herself for a moment. Seeing Jinniang and the others busying around in dust and dirt, she felt even more that she had done a very good job on this matter. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger. She thought it through very thoroughly, and even Miao Xiaoniang secretly tried to win her over.

She went to take a nap before finishing her lunch. Madam Chen looked at her from behind and said, "Really? Are you really planning to work in the Zhou Mansion for the rest of your life?"

Somehow Madam Chen remembered what the old woman from the He family said on the boat that year, that someone would stay in the Zhou family. It seemed that it was true.

Jiang didn't care about these things, because most of the dowry to be embroidered for the eldest daughter had already been completed. The third brother would get married after the eldest daughter got married, so it would not affect the gift.

Luying also said: "It's really funny. If it was given to someone who is good at sewing, it should be Jinniang, right?"

"Since the second house wants her, I'm just doing her a favor. What's the big deal?" Jiang didn't care about these things. She was just a servant.

The second master was good at business and generous to his family. His two daughters received several thousand taels of dowry. As the saying goes, one should be soft-hearted when receiving something from someone. Wu usually followed the lead of her, the eldest sister-in-law. She would not feel sorry even if she gave the money to ten servants, let alone one servant.

Lu Ying nodded: "You are right. The Second Madam has been the housekeeper these days. She is really vigorous and resolute. Our house will be completely renewed in the future."

The Second Mistress first severely punished the habit of drinking and gambling everywhere. She supported Jiang, so many servants were beaten with a stick, even Lanxue's own brother was beaten a few times, and Mrs. Hu was deprived of her rice salary for a month.

Although Jinniang had a good relationship with them, she felt that the second wife was right. Gambling and drinking were the easiest things to cause trouble and bring unrest to the family. The population of the first house was already increasing, so it should be like this.

But it was not appropriate to say more in front of Lan Xue, so he just changed the subject and said something else: "Our sewing room is starting to slow down a bit now. If we go somewhere else in the future, I'm afraid everyone will be an expert."

I have persisted in doing the most difficult and tiring work, so it will be easy for me to do it elsewhere in the future. I can only think positively.

Seeing her like this, Lan Xue said, "Congratulations! You will be able to go home in a few months and enjoy the joy of family life again."

Jinniang thought so too.

But unexpectedly, Zhen'er came over and said, "Sister Jinniang, your parents are here and are waiting for you at the corner gate."

"My parents? Could they be kidnappers?" Jinniang felt puzzled.

The distance from Jiangling to Bianjing is not short. Could it be that they really went to Beijing because of their letters? Jinniang rubbed her hair, her blood boiling, and ran to the corner gate, where she saw a couple holding a little boy waiting for her.

"Dad, Mom, Yang Ge'er, why are you here?" Jinniang was very shocked.

Wei Xiong rubbed his hands, smiling, but he didn't know what to say. Luo Yu'e said, "How can we let you stay in Bianjing alone? Originally, your father didn't agree to come, but I decided to come with you. As you said, Jiangling is not as profitable as Bianjing."

After she finished speaking, Luo Yu'e saw that her daughter had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was greasy, and her skin was not as good as it was at home. She felt very distressed: "My son, why did your face turn into the color of mud?"

Jinniang looked at her mother and brother. Her mother's skin was so tender that you could squeeze water out of it, not to mention her brother, whose eyelashes were long and whose face was as white as tofu. She touched her face and said, "Am I considered a very fair person here? But I only rest for two or three hours recently, and the rest of the time I have to do needlework."

"Tsk tsk tsk, even the cows at home don't have such a hard life." Luo Yu'e couldn't help but complain when she saw her daughter like this.

Jinniang stamped her feet: "Mother, please speak softly, so that no one can hear you. By the way, where are you going to stay? I will ask for leave tomorrow to find you."

Of course, they were going to Rong Niang's place. Luo Yu'e also said, "When your uncle got into trouble, why was he able to get compensation? It was because your father went to find his former comrades in the imperial guards. Otherwise, he would have helped steal horses from the carriage and horse shop to sell them, and he would have been thrown into prison long ago. It's just that your father never leaves his name behind when doing good deeds. Let's go to Rong Niang's place to rest first, and you can come over tomorrow to talk together."

Jinniang told them the address and reminded her parents: "If you live in someone else's house, be careful and don't make it too troublesome. Find a renter to rent a house quickly."

"Okay, by the way, Jinniang, we brought you some fermented tofu. Didn't you love to eat fried rice with egg with this when you were at home?" Luo Yu'e quickly took out the jar.

For people like my parents who grew up in the countryside, they think pickles are a good thing and they have to eat different kinds of pickles with almost every meal. Pickled radishes, dried eggplants, mustard greens, and hung bacon and fish are all their favorites.

Jinniang took it and watched the vehicle they hired leave.

It is also said that Luo Yu'e got on the carriage and said to Wei Xiong: "I didn't expect my daughter to be so hard-working. You also complained that I shouldn't have sold the house to come here, but if I don't sell it, my daughter won't be able to take care of it, and my son won't be able to look after it either."

"We have capital now. It is definitely better to find a place to do business in Jiangling than to leave our hometown." Wei Xiong was unwilling to change.

Luo Yu'e shook her head: "What do you know? Our family being together is better than anything else. Besides, as Jinniang said, Bianjing is indeed prosperous. Besides, your brother came to Bianjing without saying a word."

Let's not talk about how Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e came to Rong Niang and how Rong Niang arranged for them to stay. Let's just say that Jin Niang went out directly to talk to Lu Xiaoniang. Although the second wife is assisting in the housekeeping now, she still has to ask Jiang for instructions.

But Jiang's family happened to have a guest, so Luying whispered to her, "It's the brother of Madam's mother's family. Jiang's family is originally from Hangzhou Prefecture. He used to be a county magistrate, and now he is an official in Beijing. His wife is talking inside."

"Then I'll wait a moment." Jinniang said.

In the inner room, Jiang was talking to her sister-in-law Liu: "Sister-in-law, Fang Ge'er won the first prize in Kaifeng Prefecture. I am really happy for him. This way, our Jiang family will have a successor. By the way, does he have a marriage proposal?"

"Yes, she is the daughter of the Peng family. Her family is originally from Xijinghedifu (Luoyang), and her father is the chief inspector of the Dushuijian." When Liu mentioned her future daughter-in-law, she kept praising her for being virtuous and kind.

Jiang knew that the Dushuijian was a lucrative position, and she had originally thought about marrying her third daughter to her nephew, but she didn't expect...

But she was also the wife of an official, so how could Liu see that Jiang Fang was originally the son of her sixth cousin, and was later adopted out by the clan. It is said that Liu and her sixth sister-in-law had a big fight over the adoption, but in the end Liu won because her husband was a Jinshi, while her sixth cousin was just a scholar who had failed in the imperial examinations many times and his family business was in decline.

But Liu and Sixth Sister-in-law are cousins, so she sighed in her heart.

Therefore, when Jiang saw Jinniang was about to go out, she complained: "Didn't you say you were busy? Why are you going out again?"

"To answer Madam's question, my parents came from Jiangling. I was worried that they were not well settled, so I wanted to go and visit them. Don't worry, I have already done a lot of needlework last night." Jinniang thought to herself that this was the pain of being controlled by others, and everything depended on their mood.

Jiang said "hmm", not knowing whether to agree or not. When Jinniang was getting a little impatient, she let Luying handle it.

Jinniang hired a car this time. She bought a basket of fruit and two roast geese at the fruit shop.

The yard that Rong Niang and her family rented was not big, so my parents and my brother's family of three felt a little cramped yesterday. But they were very diligent. They helped to make the beds and quilts early in the morning, for fear of dirtying other people's things. They also asked Wei Xiong to buy breakfast and meat.

Seeing Jinniang coming, the whole family couldn't help but cry.

Rong Niang also said: "Aunt doesn't know how polite Jin Niang is. She never comes empty-handed."

Luo Yu'e took her daughter's hand and sat down, and couldn't help asking her about her life in the mansion: "You wrote too little in the letter, and mother really doesn't know."

Seeing that the family wanted to talk in private, Rong Niang excused herself to go out, and Jin Niang told her everything about her stay at the Zhou family: "At first, the work was fine. The Zhou family is considered a very good family, but my daughter was also punished to kneel. There was also a girl named Shan Jie who came with us. She was stripped of her pants, beaten with a stick, and driven out. People like us have to look at their faces all the time. Mrs. Chen's waist can't even be straightened because of sewing."

"Tsk tsk." Luo Yu'e was about to pull her daughter's trouser leg to check again, and only felt relieved when she heard Jinniang say that it was already healed.

She also had something to say to Jinniang: "Mother sold our house for 150 guan, and still lost 30 guan. After working in your uncle's shop for a year, the two of us made a booming business and earned more than 180 guan. The two of us will go to Beijing with several hundred guan. Your father and I can make steamed buns, soy milk, and fried dumplings. We will definitely live a prosperous life."

"Well, mother, if you and father want to find someone to rent a house, you can find the person I usually look for." Jinniang is also full of hope for the future.

However, she also reminded Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong: "Don't tell anyone about my exam for Wenxiu Academy. If I pass, it's fine. But if I fail, I will just be laughed at."

Luo Yu'e nodded: "I came late yesterday and didn't have a chance to say anything."

After all, it was not convenient for Jinniang to say anything more since they were in someone else's house. She looked at the sun outside and said hurriedly, "If you have rented a house, please send a letter to the west corner gate of Zhou's mansion. I will come to find you then. Now Zhou's mansion is busy, and I have had a good meal today."

Seeing her daughter being so cautious, Luo Yu'e counted on her hands: "There are still five months left. Mom and Dad should find a place to live as soon as possible. When you come out, you won't have to suffer anymore."

Jinniang reminded her, "Mother, the food in Beijing is good, but the food in the houses is quite expensive. You should take your time to look for it, and don't be in a hurry."

But Luo Yu'e is an impatient person. She stayed at Rong Niang's house yesterday. Rong Niang's husband seemed to be smiling, but his words seemed to look down on them. He was teaching them at such a young age. How could they possibly stay here for long?

Although this day was like a war, the family was actually getting together. It was such a magical thing, Jinniang felt like she was dreaming.

Her parents have more than 300 strings of cash, and she has more than 100 strings of cash, which makes it more than 500 strings of cash. It would be great if she could enter the Wenxiu Academy in the future.

It's only been a few months, and Jinniang is very happy.

It is also said that Jiang Fangben, a promising nephew of the Jiang family, already had a fiancée, but his fiancée died of an acute illness. Mr. Zhou and Jiang hurried to the Jiang family and successfully arranged a marriage for the third girl.

"I never thought that the third young lady would be the one to take the top spot. Mr. Jiang is the champion of Kaifeng Prefecture this year, and he happens to be a relative of ours. This is great." Qin Shuang'er's own affairs were settled, and she had the leisure to comment on the affairs of the mansion, no longer as anxious as before.

When Jinniang heard her call the Zhou Mansion "our home", she had actually guessed something, but she was too stupid. The living contract became a dead contract and was being held hostage by others. Now she was just a maid entering the Third Young Master's room, and she didn't know whether she could become his wife in the future. Even when the new bride came into the house, she didn't know if she would still have a way to survive.

Just like Cuixian, all the concubines were kicked out.

But she also showed her happiness for the Third Young Lady. After all, among the girls in the Zhou family, the Third Young Lady was the one for whom she had made clothes from the very beginning, and she was actually a pretty nice person.

She also went to express her congratulations. It was said that the third girl was exactly thirteen years old this year, and looked just like a young girl, with her eyes revealing a girl's shyness.

And Lu Xiaoniang next to her was so happy.

Having a fiancé who passed the provincial examination meant that she would be the wife of a Jinshi scholar after she got married. The Jiang family was also her family's family, which was better than anything else.

In the Song Dynasty, Jinshi were very popular. It was said that sometimes fights would break out over who would be the son-in-law of the emperor.

After the people who came to congratulate her left, Lu Xiaoniang was also calculating the dowry. Before, the old lady gave the eldest daughter a dowry of 2,000 taels, but the second daughter was not given much consideration. It was probably that the public would have to pay for it. If she could get 5,000 taels, that would be very thoughtful.

"Third Miss, mother is really happy for you." Lu Xiaoniang hugged her daughter and cried emotionally.

In fact, the third girl had seen Jiang Fang once in the back garden. He was handsome, heroic and masculine. Unlike other men who looked too scholarly, he was a man of both talent and beauty.

This will inevitably make the second girl jealous, and she will feel that her mother is partial. Why did she give such a good marriage to someone else? But how can a girl discuss these things? She will only become more withdrawn and weird.

If the eldest girl could have guided her in the past, now that she is about to get married, she has to do needlework and learn cooking, etiquette, and housekeeping. She is so busy that how can she have the leisure to care about others? Jiang was afraid that her second daughter would feel uncomfortable, so she secretly gave her a headdress and called her over to comfort her. She also said that it was okay to play around at home, but when they went out together they were all a family. Besides, the third daughter was very close to them, so what was wrong with the sisters being together?

In Jiang's view, she had given all her savings to her biological daughter, and the third girl's marriage in the future would also be funded by public funds. She had only contributed a little to the third girl's affairs, so why not do her a favor? The third girl married the nephew of her own family to help her son and appease Lu Xiaoniang.

But no matter what she said, the second girl became stubborn.

This really proves the saying that one's own failure is terrible, but a friend's success is even more heartbreaking.

The same thing happened to the Wei family. Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e originally went to rent a house, but they didn't expect that the person who rented the house wanted to mortgage the house because he was in a hurry to return home and was short of money. Zhouqiao Night Market was originally the most lively night market in Bianjing. Although the house in the stinky alley here is old, it is small but complete with all the necessary facilities. There is a well at the entrance of the alley. Although the house is only 20 or 30 steps away, it has two large rooms and a small flower hall that can accommodate a dining table and a desk. Even the toilet and kitchen can still be used. If the house and the land are sold, the total amount will be more than 800 taels.

But if it is pawned for ten years, it will cost three hundred strings of cash, and this money must be paid in one lump sum.

Luo Yu'e was immediately attracted, especially because the light in the big room inside was so good. If her daughter could do needlework, it would surely be great. What's more, her daughter worked as a slave in someone else's home, suffering and being ostracized every day. If there was a room in her home, it would be easier for her to get married.

Cheng Ya knew the truth. He saw that Jinniang had a younger brother, so he added, "Madam Luo, to tell you the truth, there are two scholars named Huang and Gou near Zhouqiao. Their elementary schools are the most famous, and they have produced many child prodigies. They only accept children from nearby areas, and people from outside cannot get in even if they want to."

Luo Yu'e made a decision immediately. She took out three hundred strings of cash to mortgage the house, and spent another ten strings of cash to ask a Cheng agent to get the official deed.

The official deed was obtained, but the kitchen of the house had to be built, and there were only two rooms here, so they gave the one with the best orientation and a large window to their daughter, and they also had to find someone to divide the other room into two rooms with wooden boards, which cost another ten strings of cash. They almost spent all the money they had, but they felt that everything was good, and even hoped that Jinniang would come home to reunite with them.

But Feng Sheng frowned when he heard this: "They spent 300 strings of cash on pawning for ten years. They are just like a family of fools. They have also used up all the money. How do they make a living? If they use this money to find a shop and do business well, they can buy a house after making money for ten or eight years. They can wear a hat that suits their head."

Rong Niang had been to the stinky water lane and said, "Second uncle and second aunt can't be persuaded. They are leading people to paint the house. Second aunt even said that she would give this to sister Jinniang as a dowry."

"A typical poor fellow. Pawning a house does not mean buying one. Although Choushui Lane is in the downtown area, it is where poor people live. That's why I say they are ignorant." Feng Sheng became more and more excited as he spoke.

Rong Niang was so frightened that she was speechless, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that what her husband said was not wrong.

However, my second uncle and his wife have spent all the money they brought on this mortgaged house, and I am afraid they have no more money left. I have to borrow from them. Should I lend them money or not when the time comes?