The head steward of the Marquis's mansion always brought a lot of trinkets with him whenever he came over.
Madam Wen, Sister-in-law Qiong, and Huiniang would also make her some odds and ends of needlework, and she had collected a basket full of various sachets.
Now, she has taken them all out.
Things like a little horse-drawn carriage that could run, a toy rabbit with rubies for eyes, and a game of tossing sachets quickly got the little girls excited and they were having a great time.
The young maids had been warned countless times by their families that Jiayin was a princess, and they couldn't bully her, hurt her, or anything like that...
Over time, they became afraid to approach Jiayin, and even when they occasionally looked at her from afar, they were afraid of being blamed.
Unexpectedly, after playing with Jiayin for a while today, I realized how wonderful she is.
So, one invited Jiayin to go dig for vegetables, and another invited Jiayin to play jump rope.
Jiayin didn't want to coax the child every day, so she quickly set out the courses she wanted to learn.
Reading and needlework were fine, but the girls felt immense sympathy when they heard that Jiayin was going to learn medicine and pharmacology from Zhang Shen.
They had never been to the small courtyard behind the village, but they had heard the screams coming from there.
It's amazing that Jiayin is going to such a terrible place! It must have been so difficult for her!
Needless to say, Jiayin's refusal of their invitation didn't upset the girls; instead, it earned her a lot of sympathy...
Soon, the sun was high in the sky, and the women had to go home to cook.
Grandma Li entered the house and was pleased to see that the children were playing well.
She distributed the remaining snacks to the little girls and said with a smile, "It's almost noon, go home with your mother to cook. You can come back to play again when you have time."
The little girls bowed, waved to Jiayin, then went out to meet their mother, and skipped and hopped home.
Jiayin ran over and hugged her grandma, complaining playfully, "Grandma, don't make me take care of the baby anymore, I'm so tired!"
Grandma Li was so dizzy from being shaken that she tapped her chubby granddaughter twice. After finally regaining her balance, she was both amused and exasperated.
She meant well, not wanting her granddaughter to be unsociable, but since her granddaughter didn't want to, she didn't force her. So she said...
"What strange things are you saying? You're just a child too! Who's fooling whom is still uncertain! If you don't want to play with others, that's fine. Come on, let's go see the fabric I left for you, make a few more dresses, and in a few days, your aunt will take you out to play."
Madam Wen was rolling up a piece of Shu brocade. When she saw them coming, she smiled and said, "This brocade has an elegant pattern. It would be perfect for making a jacket and skirt for Hongying in winter."
Grandma Li was a little worried. "The family is so busy that I really don't have time to do needlework right now. Speaking of which, in a few days we'll be busy preparing autumn and winter clothes. With clothes for more than twenty people, we'll be even busier than we are."
Jiayin immediately said, "Grandma, find the fabric and send it to the Marquis's residence. Let the embroiderers there help sew it."
Old Mrs. Li instinctively replied, "No, that would be too much trouble for them..."
Dongmei, standing to the side, chimed in to support her young master, "Madam, you know that the Marquis is away from home most of the year. There are seven or eight embroiderers in the manor, and they're all worried about losing their jobs. On ordinary days, when they occasionally make a dress for the princess, countless people are vying for it."
"Now that we've assigned them some work, they'll be ecstatic. Their skills will finally come in handy. Besides, we don't need to wear these clothes and skirts in our house right away, so they can take their time making them without getting tired."
"So that's how it is." Old Madam Li nodded. Although the Marquis had made it clear that the Marquis's Mansion was for Jiayin, the Li family usually tried their best to keep to their proper place and did not want to take any advantage of the Marquis's Mansion. They were afraid that the people in the Marquis's Mansion would look down on the Li family and that their granddaughter would also lose face.
Once Dongmei explained things clearly, she felt relieved and replied, "Alright, let's calculate how many clothes we need to make, find the fabric, and send them over as soon as possible. But when the clothes are finished, we'll give them some money for their hard work. It doesn't matter how much, it's the thought that counts, and we can't let them work for nothing."
"Okay, I'll deliver the fabric and make sure to pass on the message." Dongmei agreed with a smile, and sure enough, when she turned her head, she saw Jiayin making a small gesture at her.
Originally, Jiayin planned to sell the jade melons she had stored in her space during these few days.
Perfect timing! This time, she planned to go back to the city with Dongmei and Yeshan to take care of things together.
Old Mrs. Li had no idea that her plump granddaughter was plotting to make a fortune again, and she was enthusiastically leading Mrs. Wen to pick out fabrics.
This piece is suitable for making a padded jacket for Jiayin, and that piece is suitable for making casual padded jackets for Zhao Yuru and Tao Hongying.
Li Lao Er also needs to have a few sets of long gowns made, as well as Jia Ren and Li Ge'er's boys. Wen Juan, being the new bride, needs a brightly colored one, and Jia Huan needs one that is durable and resistant to dirt.
The Zhao family in the backyard need two sets of coarse cloth autumn clothes, while their jackets and trousers should be made of fine cotton with extra padding, since they're always out and about in the winter...
Jiayin felt dizzy from listening and, impatient with the commotion, secretly slipped into the house to fiddle with the box of jewelry.
It has to be said that the Empress really went all out this time.
Perhaps having heard that she liked gold bracelets, there were actually four pairs of gold bracelets in the box, all of them solid, and they felt quite heavy when you picked them up and shook them.
Any pair you take out will weigh four or five ounces. If you send them to be melted down and remade, they'll be enough to make a set of headdresses.
Jiayin has already stored quite a lot in her space, so this time she will take it all out generously and send it to the Marquis's mansion along with the fabric, so that the master jeweler can make four sets of headdresses.
It just so happens that the gems that her brother Jiayi had collected for her in the south can also come in handy.
The gemstones aren't very big, but they're of good quality; they'd be perfect for setting in an earring or a hairpin.
There were four women in the family: Grandma, Mother, Third Aunt, and Sister-in-law Wenjuan, each wearing a new set of jewelry.
The box also contains a set of twelve flower hairpins, each corresponding to a month, with one flower for each month, each with its own unique beauty and exquisite design.
Jiayin plans to leave the three winter sticks for her grandmother, and the rest can be divided among the family.
Mother, Third Aunt, Sister-in-law Wenjuan, Huiniang, Madam Wen, Granny He, Dongmei, Sister-in-law Qiong, that's exactly nine people, one branch for each person.
As for Shui Ling and Shui Yun, there was also a pair of exquisitely crafted silver bracelets in the box...
Of course, Jiayin couldn't possibly leave nothing for himself.
She only separated half of these boxes, and put the other half into her makeup box, which contained styles suitable for her age.
Although I don't like the Empress, I can still wear the jewelry bestowed upon me by the Empress when I go out as a guest in the future, and use her as a shield to show off my power.
After Old Lady Li and the others finished distributing the fabric, they received jewelry as gifts from the chubby girl, which was a pleasant surprise.
Madam Wen was about to decline, but Old Madam Li said, "Take it if you want it. This girl is like a Pixiu, only taking in and never giving out. It's really not easy to get anything out of her. Once this opportunity is gone, it'll be gone forever."
Everyone laughed, and Madam Wen even stuck the hairpin directly into her hair, prompting Granny He and Dongmei to do the same.
Shui Ling and Shui Yun swung their silver bracelets around their wrists with big smiles, their faces beaming.
After lunch, Dongmei and Yeshan were about to head into town.
Jiayin, using the excuse that she was bored at home, took Shuiling with her and ran off...
Leaving aside the commotion at home, let's just say that Li Lao Er came to the academy today to deliver a gift.
Dean Zhou, the Peng family, and Mr. Tang's family each received four jade melons and twenty golden fruits.
Although there aren't many, everyone knows that the melons from Suijintan are plentiful and valuable.
Even the imperial palace only received a few dozen.
Moreover, four jade melons are enough; two for our own consumption, and two more to give to close friends or elders.
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