Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Two Chapters in One
Daming Prefecture is the throat of the north-south transportation route. In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, it had already become one of the four towns in Heshuo. Even Li Bai wrote the poem "The Qi River flows like jade, and boats and vehicles rush by day" to record the prosperity of Daming Prefecture. Since the Song Dynasty, it has become a secondary capital, as famous as Tokyo Kaifeng and Nanjing Yingtian.
Jinniang had no time to see the scenery of "thousands of dancing pavilions and singing stages, and tens of thousands of magnificent palaces and Buddhist temples" because she had to repair the new house first in preparation for moving in.
Whenever she moved into a place, what Jinniang cared about most was the toilet. If the toilet was too smelly, she would not be able to use it.
Chen Xiaolang had been running errands for Jinniang for many years and was quite experienced. In less than a cup of tea he had asked someone to come and clean up the place. Dou Yuan also sent people to help, and after about three days, the group of people moved in.
The main entrance is in the middle, and the back room is where servants and legal advisors live. They passed through the hanging flower gate, entered the second courtyard, and walked up to the winding corridor. There were three main rooms in the middle where the couple lived, two side rooms on the west side were used as study rooms, and a small side room on the east side was used as a toilet. There was a hallway next to it. The east wing of the second courtyard was occupied by Ning Ge'er, his foster mother and his maid, while the west wing was occupied by Yun Jie'er and her two maids. There is also a toilet next to the east wing, and a kitchen next to the west wing.
Then to the third courtyard, there were a few short rooms on the east side. Jinniang let Fang Mama, Qingrong, Ziteng and Juxiang Ruyan stay there. She also set up a tea house there and asked Aying to take care of the room on weekdays. There is a single-eaved four-corner pavilion on the west side, with many osmanthus flowers planted around the pavilion, so it is named Muxiang Pavilion.
Generally, there is a row of back rooms in the middle of the three courtyards, but this one has only three small houses, and only corridors on both sides, which are directly connected to the pavilion. Because Jinniang planned to hire a teacher for her children in the third courtyard, she did not allow anyone to live there.
Even so, some people live in spacious apartments while others live in cramped ones, and there is nothing that can be done about it. There are better houses, but they are expensive. The house they chose had seven rooms and five courtyards on both sides, while the Zhen family house opposite had seven courtyards and a garden.
However, Jinniang was still very satisfied. After all, it was not like living in the county government office, where everyone lived too close to each other and conflicts were likely to arise. Now that they could close the door and live their own lives, it was much quieter.
On the first day of moving in, Jiang Xian smiled and said, "It feels like a dream. Three years ago, it was my wife who arranged for us to go to Wu County. Now we have moved to a new location and we have to start from the beginning again."
"Young people should explore more. When we are in our seventies or eighties, we won't be able to go anywhere," Jinniang said with a smile.
The prosecutor is responsible for litigation, which is consistent with the first job.
But Jinniang said, "I'm new here, and I don't know the taboos in the officialdom of Daming Prefecture. It would be bad if I invited the wrong person or missed someone. Therefore, I want to invite only the cousin of the Dou family to come and stay with me. What do you think?"
Jiang Xian naturally agreed.
Then I heard Jinniang say, "You must take the children's teacher's affairs to heart."
After the two of them had agreed, Jinniang sent someone to the Zhen family to deliver a letter to Dou Yuan and also prepared a gift of water. First, there were six rolls of fashionable Su satin, one box each of gauze and silk flowers, two packs of green bud tea, two packs of terrifying incense, two boxes of rose cakes, a jar of Pingjiang orange wine, a jar of Yuxianlou Yuye wine, and two packs of Nanxiang.
The gift was so generous, firstly to thank Dou Yuan for helping to buy the house, and secondly to support Dou Yuan.
The Zhen family quickly sent someone back to say they would be there soon.
Because I bought a house this time, there is a well at home, so I don’t have to fetch water from other places. The horses and donkeys originally bought in Wu County have been dealt with, so now Cao Da and Chen Xiaolang have to go to the carriage and horse shop to buy some together.
It was better to be next to Wu County. When it came to the banquet, although Jinniang was not very proficient, she was at least 80% proficient.
Just as she was preparing for the housewarming party, Jiang Xian officially took office. The configuration of Daming Prefecture was similar to that of Kaifeng Prefecture. Because the Yin was not always appointed, the highest official was the acting prefect of Daming Prefecture, also known as the prefect of Daming Prefecture, and he also served as the pacification commissioner of Hebei Road. Under the prefect, there was a Tongpan, who was a Beijing official who supervised and recommended officials of the province to the court. Next comes the judge. The judge actually has similar powers to the magistrate, but the judge is slightly higher in rank. The magistrate is the judge's deputy, assisting the judge in hearing cases.
Although Jiang Xian, the magistrate, was the lowest official and a deputy in Daming Prefecture, his job was not easy at all.
When he came back from the first day of work, Jinniang saw that he was very tired and asked, "Are you not used to the hired carriage? Don't worry, our carriage will be ready in a few days."
After the horses were bought, the carriage had to be installed and decorated, which would take several days. They are unfamiliar with the place and it is inconvenient for them to get things done.
Jiang Xian shook his head: "That's not the reason. It's because there are too many documents piled up. Daming Prefecture has suffered from floods and droughts for many years, causing many places to become barren and uncultivable. As a result, there are starving people everywhere, and there are many thieves who take risks, and there are many cases."
Jinniang had never seen Jiang Xian so tired. After all, they were exhausted from the long journey and they could still sit at home and rest, but he had to deal with so many things at once, so it was no wonder that he was tired.
"Wash your face first, I'll have someone serve the food." Jinniang asked Mother Fang to serve the meal quickly.
Jiang Xian drank a bowl of soup, ate some rice, and went to sleep. Of course, he was still very energetic, but he was not very adaptable in the first few days. But gradually, he became more and more courageous.
After Jinniang had made all the preparations, she invited Dou Yuan and her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law to come over for a drink.
Jinniang welcomed them in and everyone greeted each other.
It turned out that the head of the Zhen family was an official in Bian Jing, and held the rank of Fourth Grade Censor. Madam Zhen did not go to Bian Jing with him, but lived with her clansmen in Daming Prefecture. The eldest son of the Zhen family died early, leaving behind one son, so his wife decided to remain a widow. Dou Yuan married the second son of Zhen, and there is also a third son who just got married last month.
Jinniang invited them to talk in the main room first. A small hall was specially set up in the main room. In the middle was a table, and in the middle of the table was a small black lacquered wooden table. After Jinniang invited Madam Zhen to take a seat, she sat on the other side of the table.
Behind the table are two windows with peony patterns. Under the windows is a large blue-glazed vase with three kinds of blooming chrysanthemums in pink, white and yellow. There is a rosewood screen on the east side, and an embroidered image of Guanyin in purple on the west side. There are four chicken-wing wood armchairs under the main seat, and an ivory table on each side between two chairs.
There were fruits on silver plates on the ivory table, and the maids served tea. The teacups were made of a sky-blue Ru kiln and had gold edges.
"When I was in Wu County, my favorite drink was the "Scary Xiang" tea. The tea soup was emerald green and clear, with a fragrant aroma and very refreshing." It is better to talk about safety topics first with people you don't know.
Dou Yuan took a sip, nodded slowly, and looked at her cousin's wife. She was wearing a pomegranate red tube top embroidered with crabapple flowers, a moon-white pearl jacket, and a folded skirt of the same color. She had her hair done in a heart-shaped bun, with a golden bridge hairpin in the middle of her black hair, and two golden hairpins on each side. She was dressed in an elegant style, and looked very smart and pretty.
Don’t think that wealthy families are not snobbish. They may be even worse, but they hide it very well.
Therefore, in Dou Yuan's opinion, Jinniang's dress was not too grand, but it showed that her family was well-off, which was also good.
Dou Yuan had nowhere to go after marrying far away in Daming Prefecture. When her cousin and his wife moved in with her, she now had someone to support her. The people in the mansion were so happy to receive the Su satin that my cousin's wife sent a few days ago. After all, Su style was very popular in Daming Prefecture.
I heard someone talking about food, and Dou Yuan also said a few words.
After the banquet, Madam Zhen left first, saying she was not feeling well. The eldest Madam Luan and the third Madam Zhuang also escorted their mother-in-law away, and specially kept Dou Yuan to have a private conversation.
Jinniang naturally had something for her in private: "Last time I just followed the crowd, this is specially for you."
When Dou Yuan opened it, she found two boxes of body powder, three handkerchiefs with gold and kingfisher feather decoration, a piece of peacock silk, a piece of eight-color jacquard brocade, and two pine cone-shaped buns. She hurriedly said, "Why bother my cousin to give me these?"
If it hadn't been for them as a couple last time, my brother would have eloped and the family would have fallen into ruin.
"Just take it." Jinniang said.
After Dou Yuan accepted it, she talked about the situation of the Zhen family: "There is nothing wrong with our family. I am the housekeeper now. My mother-in-law treats me well. You can see that my eldest sister-in-law is my cousin's sister-in-law. She is a widow at home and doesn't dare to interfere in anything."
Jinniang nodded: "When we passed Yangzhou three years ago, I knew you were a sensible person. Now we live across from each other. If there is anything I can help you with, just send someone to let me know."
"I feel a lot more at ease now that you're here," Dou Yuan said with a smile.
After a woman marries into a wealthy family, if her parents' home is nearby, she can see them during festivals. But if her parents' home is far away, she may never see them in her entire life.
Jinniang likes this little girl very much and of course hopes that she can live a good life.
The two talked about their recent situation. Jinniang asked about the situation in Daming Mansion. Dou Yuan, as the housekeeper, had dealt with them before. "The mansion's surname is Wang. Madam Wang is about the same age as my mother-in-law. She looks very simple. Her daughter-in-law is from a prominent family and is very considerate. I heard that her husband was an official in Xiangzhou, but she didn't follow him. She has been serving her mother-in-law. As for Ji Tongpan's family, Ji Tongpan favors his concubines and neglects his wife. He has three daughters in total. The youngest one is the legitimate daughter and is about the same age as our sister Yun. As for Judge Dong's family, she is the most straightforward woman. She is good at hosting banquets and everyone likes to go to her house to play."
Jinniang kept it in mind and was very grateful to Dou Yuan. Dou Yuan hurriedly said it was nothing and she couldn't sit for long, so she asked someone to take the gift back home.
While her memory was still the best, Jinniang wrote down these characters.
After inviting the Zhen family over, two servants set off firecrackers outside. The neighbors also sent some home-warming gifts, which were mostly food. Jinniang also sent some steamed fruit fillings over.
It took them about a month to finally settle down here.
That evening, Jiang Xian came back from drinking outside. He washed himself and came in to Jinniang and said, "Do you know who drank with me today? It was He Sange."
"Who is Brother He San?" Jinniang didn't understand.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "It's the second uncle of the Zhou family, how come you don't know?"
It turned out to be Miss Zhou Er's husband, Mr. He San. Sister Shan heard that he was kicked out and it seemed to be related to this matter.
"But I remember that his family seemed to be officials in Yangzhou?" Jinniang said.
Jiang Xian waved his hand, "That was more than ten years ago. Uncle Zhou has not planned to take up official duties since the last mourning period, and Brother Zhou has to rely on others. The He family spent 5,000 strings of cash to build a villa here. It was also a coincidence. I was investigating a case today and happened to meet you. We knew each other before, so we had a drink together."
Originally, Jinniang wanted to talk about the grudge between herself and the second girl, but she thought that so many years had passed and there was no point in bringing it up again.
So she just listened.
Jiang Xian was a little emotional. After getting on the bed, he said, "Brother He San is actually a better person than Sun Shichen, but he has bad luck in exams. When he took the exam for the first time at the Imperial College, it snowed heavily that year and his carriage broke down on the road, so he missed the exam. He took the exam again three years later, but he got sick. He has no ambition."
Jinniang can understand what he said. Luck is sometimes crucial to a person's success.
However, Jinniang said, "Mrs. Zhou Si's husband is an official in Guantao County. Guantao and Daming Prefecture are only a day or two away, so the sisters can meet again."
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "Do you need to tell me that? I heard from Brother He San that they are uncomfortable because of this."
So, Jinniang was thinking about who said that the two illegitimate daughters of the Zhou family married better, while the carefully selected legitimate daughters did not live well.
"It seems that God is fair. I have both parents and they treat me well, so my marriage is not happy." Jinniang has always felt that no one in this world is completely perfect.
After hearing this, Jiang Xian looked at her incredulously: "How could your marriage be unhappy? Aren't we very good together?"
Jinniang smiled and said, "You know, I'll be almost 21 when I get married. Most girls are ready to get married when they're 16 or 17 years old, but everything is the best arrangement. I've always thought that if I meet a good man, I'll start with a family, and if I meet a noble man, I'll start with a career."
Just like when you are unlucky, you can't keep blaming God. You have to enrich yourself so that you can seize the opportunities when they come.
"My lady, you have such determination, which many men may not have. Just like me, sometimes I may not be so persistent." Jiang Xian hugged Jinniang and touched her neck. He knew that her neck was sore because of frequent needlework, so he took the initiative to massage her.
Jinniang felt so comfortable with his massage that she fell asleep after a while. Jiang Xian leaned over and pecked her on the lips.
It is also said that Mrs. Zhou Er tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. She might be excited to see the sisters, but after learning that her sister was already the wife of a county magistrate and her brother-in-law was a Jinshi, she lost all her feelings.
Seeing his wife fluttering in bed like a pancake, He Sanlang was speechless: "I knew you were like this, but why did you keep me here?"
Madam Zhou Er sneered, "I asked you to take the exam, but now you are unwilling to do so. If it weren't for this, how could I, a bastard's daughter, look down on me?"
There is no good talk between husband and wife when they quarrel. He Sanlang said, "Why don't you say it's your problem? You fight with this person and scold that person all day long. There is no peace at home. How can I learn well?"
The two of them are standing back to back, neither of them paying attention to the other?
As for Madam Zhou Si and Sun Shichen and his wife, who were excluded by Madam Zhou Er, they lived very comfortably. They would be traveling from Daming Prefecture to Guantao County to take up their posts the next day. They were supposed to be tired from the long journey, but they were warmly received by Aunt He, who even said that they would be taken there by carriage the next day. She was relieved.
But she didn't tell her second sister today that Jinniang had become Jiang Xian's wife. A person as proud as her probably wouldn't be able to accept it. She didn't make trouble. Anyway, Uncle He was unemployed at home now, and he probably wouldn't bring them to many gatherings of officials' wives, so they wouldn't meet each other.
The next morning, Aunt He's mother personally sent Sun Shichen and Mrs. Zhou Si to Guantao. Seeing that Mrs. Zhou was still a little awkward, she couldn't help but think, "Fortunately, she married into her own family. If she had married into someone else's family, she would have suffered so much."
Just like she herself was not as well off as her younger sister Jiang. None of her three sons passed the imperial examination and the only one with the most hope, Sanlang, was very stage-fearful. As a wife, she never said a word of encouragement. She only complained about this and that, or she would become at odds with her sisters-in-law.
But so what? People cannot be strong forever, they need to learn to relax.
Look, she has taken the initiative to get along with the second wife of the Zhen family. She also sent her an invitation to the old lady of the Zhen family’s 70th birthday. If one is jealous of people who are better than oneself, how can one live?
You have to walk your own path.
Jinniang also received an invitation from the Zhen family. Not only that, she also received an invitation from Madam Qian, the wife of Judge Dong, who was described by Dou Yuan as being very sociable.
Mother Fang said, "Since the judge has invited you over, you should do the same as before. Don't say too much and get to know each other slowly."
"I think so too." Jinniang used to be eager to tell the truth to people when she met them, but later she found that once people got to know you, they were unwilling to talk much, so it is better to maintain a little mystery so that others will be interested in you and be more willing to interact with you.
The master and servant discussed what kind of gift to bring. Just after they finished the discussion, they saw Jiang Xian inviting Mr. Du, a scholar from the Western Academy, to his home. Mr. Du was 27 years old, well-known in the village. It was said that he had excellent handwriting and received an annual salary of 30 strings of cash.
Of course, it doesn’t mean that the decision has been made just by inviting someone. He has to teach for a few days first so that he has the ability to take care of the two children.
On the first day of class, Jinniang asked Jiang Xian to listen outside the door, and asked a woman like Xi Qiu to stay in the inner room. It turned out that Mr. Du really had some skills and could teach the children with ease, so the couple agreed.
Naturally, Jinniang would also remind her daughter: "You are grown up now. I have told you that men and women should be separated. If someone, whether male or female, makes you feel uncomfortable or touches the places I told you about, it is not good, understand?"
"Mom, I know." Sister Yun said with a smile.
Jinniang looked at her daughter again and said, "Don't be alone with a gentleman casually, understand?"
Sister Yun nodded.
Jinniang is a very sensitive person. Because she was born with a scapulohumeral dislocation, she has known how to protect herself since she was young, but her daughter is still young and is a real child. She has to care about her child's life at all times and not let her come into any harm.
She was well aware of the fact that people's hearts are hidden in their stomachs. Even the Mei County Magistrate actually abandoned Bao Niangzi in the end. Although it was said that he and his concubine were drowned when the boat leaked during their escape, the ending was still a happy one. But he sold his wives and concubines. If the female broker had not shown empathy, she would have promised Bao Niang to a traveling merchant as a consort, so that she would not have to worry about food and clothing. But if she was really sold to a brothel, what should he do?
Seeing that her daughter had listened, Jinniang was happy. She also went into the inner room and asked Jiang Xian to tell her son.
"What?" Jiang Xian was puzzled.
Jinniang said: "Girls must learn to protect themselves, and boys are the same. They can't let others touch them, and they can't..."
After listening to Jinniang's words, Jiang Xian sat up from the bed: "Madam, aren't you worrying too much?" Although he said this, he vaguely felt that his wife was right. Recently, the trend of pedophilia has been on the rise, and he has been deeply affected by rumors since he was a child and grew up.
The couple acted separately, and Jiang Xian was overly worried. He even discussed with Jinniang about sending their daughter to Wei's Girls' School because of this.
"The Wei family has five Jinshi graduates, and the girls also have a private school. Not only do they teach classics, history, and literature, but the sisters can also play polo, cuwan, and learn the zither together. I heard that the daughter of the Tongpan is also studying there. Speaking of which, the Wei family is your family."
Jinniang was stunned: "Shiliulang, how come you suddenly know so many people?"
This was nothing to Jiang Xian. Just like Jinniang learning embroidery, he could quickly learn the tricks. For Jiang Xian, making connections with others was as easy as drinking water.
The couple prepared to visit the Wei family for their daughter. Jiang Xian was talking to Jinniang about the Wei family girls' school in the carriage: "The female teacher's surname is Shen, she is from Wuxing, and she is from a prominent family. She was originally going to marry a son of the Wei family, but later became a widow, so she tied her hair and did not plan to get married, and lived on her salary. There are also poems she wrote. I asked someone to copy them out privately. What do you think? Aren't you studying recently? Come and appreciate them."
“How did this come about?” Jinniang flipped through the poem and found it was indeed well written, but when she looked at Jiang Xian, she couldn’t help but think to herself, with your ability to do things, if you don’t take the imperial examination, you can definitely become a leader in the Imperial City Bureau.
Jiang Xian said casually: "It's just a matter of spending some money. Just look at how well she writes poetry and whether she is qualified to teach our daughter."
Jinniang read it carefully and nodded: "It's very well written."
"That's all, my lady. You are so thoughtful. I never thought about those things. You are always so considerate. I really can't compare to you." Jiang Xian smiled.
Jinniang said unhappily, "Don't flatter me. I actually want my daughter to get along with other girls more. Otherwise, she will be shy after being kept in seclusion for many years. But I am also afraid that the outside world is a big dye vat and will dye her black, so I have concerns."
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "My dear, don't worry. We still have the two of us. If it doesn't work, just come back and study again. We have plenty of opportunities."
Hearing this, Jinniang suddenly realized, yes, her daughter was different from her. She did not have only one chance to choose every time. Her daughter had the support of her parents, so she could make any choice.
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