Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Two Chapters in One
But after the beginning of winter, it snowed lightly. Jinniang wore a dark blue close-fitting jacket inside and a bright red sable fur coat outside, which made her face look even more fair.
Jiang Xian smiled and asked, "Are you really going to write poetry today?"
"It's nothing more than finding an excuse for everyone to get together. There's no point in writing real poetry. You know me. I'm just a half-baked one." Jinniang picked out some lip balm with an earpin and applied it carefully on her lips.
Jiang Xian said, "I finally came back yesterday, but you left me alone today. I just hope my wife can come back soon."
"I haven't seen you talk about this before. I understand. Just come back earlier." Jinniang stood up, put her hand on his shoulder and patted it. However, Jiang Xian grabbed her hand and twisted it. Her face flushed.
Then Jiang Xian said, "Wait a minute."
After saying that, he walked to the desk, picked up his pen and began to write fluently on a few pieces of paper. Jinniang leaned over to take a look, only to see that all he had written were titled "Plum" and "Snow".
Jinniang looked at these and was confused: "Why did you write these?"
"Just take a look at it. If you can't write it, just use mine. Anyway, I don't think you guys will come up with too difficult questions." Jiang Xian said.
Jinniang was stunned: "Isn't this cheating? I don't want it."
Jiang Xian tried to persuade her again, but Jinniang still didn't even look at her and walked out directly, leaving Jiang Xian with only a bitter smile. This girl was very stubborn. Afraid that she would blame him when she got back, he hurried to the kitchen to make her favorite dish.
Outside, Liu Dou'er harnessed the horse, and Jinniang took Fang Mama to sit on it first. Behind them, Fan Si drove the carriage, taking Qingrong and Aying with him, as well as a clothing box and some gifts.
Soon they came to Madam Qian's place. Madam Qian was wearing a thick brocade coat inlaid with silver mouse fur and a Zhaojun lying rabbit on her head. Madam Qian came forward and took her hand and said, "I heard the other day that little brother is getting married soon, is it true?"
"It's not easy to teach you about this from a small family." Madam Qian said with a smile.
When the two walked onto the veranda, they learned that when Judge Dong was first the county magistrate, he had arranged a marriage with the granddaughter of the Tongpan. Later, the Tongpan had lost his career, but Judge Dong was promoted to the magistrate of Daming Prefecture.
Jinniang said, "I have been a happy man for five or six times. If you have a choice, that's fine. If not, you can look for me."
Don’t know why? Jinniang always felt that if she didn't make money, it would be like missing out on a great opportunity.
Madam Qian said happily, "If I don't invite you, who else should I invite? It's just that I couldn't ask for it. Fortunately, you asked for it yourself."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
At first, Madam Qian just wanted to make friends with Jinniang. After all, the judge and the prosecutor were in the same yamen, so they should work together. But I didn't expect that Madam Wei was quite well-intentioned. Even when the wife of the magistrate tried to recruit her, she refused to go. It can be seen that she is a bit stubborn. She is not like others who would rush to someone just because he holds a high official position, no matter how bad the person is.
The snow near the old plum tree had been cleared, and everyone was sitting in the corridor, enjoying the snow and plum blossoms with their hot water bottles. Madam Qian smiled and said, "I'll open the windows nearby, so you can go in and warm yourself by the fire. It will be warmer if you look through the windows."
Everyone answered yes. After entering, they saw a large table with a total of forty plates of fruits, snacks and dishes. Lan drank a cup of wine, wiped the wine off her mouth with a handkerchief, and then smiled and said, "We think the red plum is very good, but the other flowers in Sister Qian's house are also good, look at the camellia, and the bougainvillea and daffodils, which are not good. If we only say that the plum blossom is not good, we will use 'flowers' as the title, and any flower in this garden will do."
Today, in addition to Jinniang and Lan, there are several other women, all of whom are officials' wives and are knowledgeable in poetry and literature. They all say it's a good idea.
Lan said, "In that case, let's write a seven-character regulated verse. We already have a rhyme. Why not use the garden as the rhyme? This will make our stay in this garden worthwhile."
Everyone agreed, and Jinniang wrote the title "Ode to Camellia" first. She really liked camellia, but she was just getting started in poetry writing, so she just randomly put together the numbers.
The important thing is to participate!
Jinniang didn't care whether she was at the bottom of the ranking or not. Besides, she found that most people liked to preach. Since she was not good at writing, she could quickly build relationships with people by going to them for advice.
Lan was the first to read Jinniang's poems, because Jinniang looked very bookish. But after reading this poem, she laughed dryly and said, "Sister Wei's poems are not bad."
Everyone asked the poetry supervisor to rank the poems, and Jinniang was ranked last. Everyone felt embarrassed for Jinniang, but she smiled and said, "In that case, I will order tea for you all."
After saying this, he personally ordered tea and served it to everyone, talking and laughing, without a trace of displeasure.
Lan was secretly convinced. If it were someone else, they would definitely be ashamed. She also said, "I only studied for three years. I just like poetry. When I learn it well, I will play with you guys again."
"Don't worry, sister. I'll give you a few books on poetry." Lan said quickly.
Jinniang asked for advice on poetry again, and immediately became close to everyone. When it was time for the banquet, Jinniang said that she would invite everyone to her home for a drink in a few days, and everyone said they would come. She sent out invitations immediately after returning, and even sent one to Mrs. Ji and Old Lady Wang.
As usual, Old Lady Wang did not come and asked her daughter-in-law Wu to come. Madam Ji also said she was not feeling well and did not come. However, Madam Qian and Madam Lan came to show their support. Jinniang asked Ruyan, who had just opened the shop, to bring some snacks and help her carry the goods. "Although it's a new shop, they make snacks from the south. I thought they tasted good, so I bought some. Especially the buttered abalone snails, which are even better when paired with jasmine tea."
Ruyan was originally worried about sales, but she didn't expect Jinniang to help her so much and even forbid her to give them for free, saying that it was not easy for her to run a small business. She spent five cents of silver to buy cakes and gave them to these officials' wives.
Wu tasted it and liked it very much. Jinniang smiled and said, "I bought a lot. I will pack two boxes for you to take back later."
"How can I do this?" Wu refused.
Jinniang said, "They are just some snacks, not expensive items."
After that, he led everyone to play tossing pots and backgammon, and asked the servants to barbecue meat in the afternoon. Although the event might not be perfect, he managed to get into this circle and also helped Ruyan to open up sales.
Jiang Xian saw that Jinniang had so many posts and was surprised: "Our Jinniang made so many friends as soon as she came here."
"No, not much. I plan to study poetry at home these days and won't go out. Besides, the winter solstice is coming, and we should start preparing for the New Year. We must have a good year this year." Jinniang said with a smile.
Jiang Xian leaned over and put his face against hers: "Madam, can you accompany me today?"
Sometimes when he is too tired and suffering, he just wants his wife to accompany him exclusively and not do anything else. As long as she focuses on him wholeheartedly, he will be very happy.
"Okay." Jinniang naturally knew what Jiang Xian was thinking. Sometimes he was like a child, wishing that she would revolve around him.
But there is nothing to be criticized or criticized, just like being a parent is not something you are born into. Jiang Xian is so childish at times, which shows that they have a good relationship as husband and wife.
Because Jinniang is not very good at cooking, she just made a bowl of Sichuan Fritillary Bulbs and Quail Soup by herself. Sichuan Fritillary Bulbs can moisten the lungs and relieve coughs, resolve phlegm and relieve asthma, while quail can reduce swelling and promote diuresis, and the soup is also nourishing.
Of course, this bowl of soup was also made under Jiang Xian's guidance. After it was stewed, Jiang Xian praised: "My wife's cooking skills are really good."
In addition to cooking together, Jinniang also helped him comb his hair and design clothes for him, and the couple also spent a lot of time talking together.
Just then, Jiang Xian said, "There are too many cases in Daming Prefecture. Fortunately, Judge Dong is reasonable and sensible. It's not like in Wu County."
"This is a good thing. I heard that during the Yifeng period of the Tang Dynasty, Di Renjie was promoted to the position of Dali Temple Secretary. Within a year, he judged a large number of backlog cases involving 17,000 people, but no one complained of injustice. Later, he was promoted to Imperial Censor. Let's not worry about whether we will be promoted or not. Anyway, those who can reach the top will always be noticed." Jinniang comforted.
Jiang Xian is actually a very enterprising person, but he easily gets depressed when there is no improvement, so he needs Jinniang to tirelessly encourage him. Even though his career is bleak, after hearing these words, he really feels more open-minded and comfortable.
"My wife, you are my medicine. I can't get well without you."
Jinniang laughed and said, "You are talking nonsense again. Who in the world would be bad without whom? Even if it was me, if I really died, the sun would still rise in the east and set in the west, nothing would change."
Therefore, this is why Jinniang makes money but is not really lost in money and power.
In fact, what she didn't say was that Mr. Jiang Liu was not young anymore. After his wife, who had given birth to three sons and a daughter, died, he remarried.
Jiang Xian's conditions are much better than his father's. He might be introduced to someone in less than a month, and the person may be even better, just like Han Xiao.
But these words destroyed the tenderness and sweetness between them.
Jiang Xian saw her lowering her head and knew what she was thinking, but his promises were useless. He had to prove it with his actions in the future, and she would know.
Jinniang was very optimistic. She thought for a while and then said with a smile, "I'll change my clothes to show you."
"Okay." Jiang Xian thought she really had done something new, but when he saw her come out, he almost had a nosebleed: "Madam, isn't this a nun's outfit? Why is it so transparent?"
Jinniang had seen a piece of grey gauze given to her by someone before, and she suddenly had an idea, so she secretly sewed a transparent nun's costume herself. She stood there, just smiling and not saying anything.
Jiang Xian pulled her to the bed: "It's freezing in this snowy place, be careful not to get cold."
…
Not to mention how comfortable Jiang Xian had yesterday. Because of the heavy snow and blocked the roads, Wei Family Girls' School was temporarily closed. Fortunately, in this test, Sister Yun got third place, which made her very satisfied.
Jinniang had planned to have a barbecue at Linglong Restaurant while her children were at home, but unexpectedly, Madam Qian sent someone to tell her that Wu's eldest son had died.
"What? Then we all have to go over there." Jinniang said to Lan.
Wu's son is the eldest son. The Wang family has several grandsons, but this one is the son of the main wife and is raised by old lady Wang. Thinking of Wu, as a mother to her, Jinniang couldn't help but shed tears.
She and Lan prepared the funeral expenses and went to meet up with Madam Qian. The three of them had learned the news quite early, but because they were waiting for each other, they arrived a little late.
Mrs. Ji was not the only one who rushed over after hearing the news.
But Mrs. Ji was not happy. She always felt that she was alone and others thought she had no friends. In fact, no one cared about her at all.
Wu was usually dignified and steady, but at this moment she burst into tears: "My son, how could you bear to leave me? This is going to take my life away."
Jinniang also started crying unconsciously. She could not imagine the scene of her children dying. It was such a heart-wrenching pain!
When she looked again, Wu could no longer stand up, and her maid hurriedly supported her.
"Why did he die so suddenly?" Jinniang knew that the child was over ten years old and was no longer a child.
The mother beside Wu said, "My brother was in good health on weekdays, but he caught a cold and died suddenly. Just like the seventh young master of the Wei family, he played with our young master and he was fine. No wonder our lady died like this, she died too suddenly."
As they were talking, Mrs. Wei came over, and everyone went to greet her and started crying again.
The Wang family prepared tea and food. Jinniang couldn't help but say, "His illness must have healed very quickly. Otherwise, I could have given the Guanyin statue I embroidered to the child to hang. When I embroidered this Buddha statue, I had it consecrated at Zijin Temple and chanted sutras for it. It's not that I believe in gods and Buddhas, but I've hung it at home and my children and I have never gotten sick."
People must be prepared and seize the opportunity.
Sure enough, after leaving Wang's house, Mrs. Wei came to find Jinniang and told her that Wei Qilang was also sick.
"What should we do? We can call a doctor." She still hoped that Mrs. Wei could believe the doctor. Her embroidered portrait was only for psychological comfort and to create a good relationship.
Madam Wei said, "Why not? We invited several doctors to come and see him. Although the high fever has subsided, he still has a cough."
Jinniang looked at Madam Wei and said, "Aren't you suffering? I feel the same way. On a winter day like this, the brazier must be burning brightly, but the windows can't be closed too tightly."
Mrs. Wei thought to herself, I called you specifically not because I wanted to hear you say these things. Was it because my hints were not enough? Or perhaps Mrs. Chiang was unwilling to give up.
If someone is unwilling to give up, you cannot take it away by force.
Just when she was feeling anxious, she heard Jinniang say, "Madam Wei, I have a statue of Guanyin at home that has been blessed. If you don't mind, please take it over."
When Madam Wei heard this, she felt like a bucket of fresh water had poured down her dry pond. Even she, who was not easily angered by her actions, could not help but smile: "That's great."
After Jinniang returned, she told Jiang Xian about this matter: "It doesn't matter if the trick is new, as long as it works. Although this Wei family member is not a local official, she is a third-rank transport envoy. I asked about her family and her reputation among officials is also very good. If we can get in touch with this person, we may have a chance to return to Beijing in the future."
"Your reaction is so quick." Jiang Xian couldn't help but praise.
When he heard that Mrs. Wei's son was sick, he immediately thought of a solution. He is really an extraordinary person and his mind works very quickly.
Jinniang said, "I won't say any more. I have to find a box to put the embroidered portrait in and take it over. Oh, by the way, I've also got to send some supplements." She packed up and took Fang's mother, Aying and others to Wei's house, leaving Qingrong at home to support them.
After getting on the carriage, Ah Ying said, "Madam, Ruyan sent me eight boxes of snacks. I wanted to give her money, but she refused."
"I have already helped her to make some connections. I will let her run her business well in the future. There is no need to do this. You should not take other people's things. It is not easy for her to run a small business." Jinniang said.
Ah Ying smiled and said, "I understand."
Jinniang said seriously, "I'm not kidding you. We all know Ruyan's background, and we won't tell anyone. But the other servants in the family are getting close to her, so they will inevitably ask about her. She finally got rid of her family status and became a good woman. If she reveals something, how will she survive? People will think that the teahouse she opened is not legitimate. Besides, we have only been in Daming Prefecture for three years, and she should find a backer as soon as possible. After we leave, she can also survive well. Otherwise, we will stop her from doing anything, and it will be difficult for her to change her job."
From the very beginning, Jinniang did not ask Ruyan to repay anything. Even when she asked her to learn to be a female doctor from Jiang Liujie, it was out of her own selfish desire. Now that she has become successful, Jinniang no longer feels that there is any need to be involved.
Ruyan should be allowed to start over.
Ah Ying always listened to Jin Niang's words, so she quickly said, "Don't worry, I will follow your wishes."
Mother Fang, who was standing by, nodded after hearing this. This was a good idea.
They soon arrived at the Wei family. This time, Mrs. Wei personally sent her mother to pick her up. Jinniang followed her in and quickly handed the embroidered portrait to Mrs. Wei. After Mrs. Wei opened it, she could smell the scent of sandalwood, which must be from frequent worship. The worshipper was not lying. Then she looked at the half-human-height embroidered image of Guanyin. This Guanyin had a compassionate look, with golden light shining behind her, and her purple clothes made her look more sacred, compassionate, and wise.
"Mrs. Jiang, thank you so much. We will go back once the child is well," said Mrs. Wei.
Jinniang didn't say anything, but went in to take a look at Wei Qilang first. It was not without reason that this boy was called a "male vixen" by the girls. Despite his young age, he is extremely handsome, with long eyelashes and extremely fair skin.
After coming out of the ward, she said to Madam Wei, "If this Guanyin statue can bless the little boy to get better, you can keep it at home. I will embroider another one on weekdays. The child's health is more important than anything else."
Mrs. Wei recalled that Jiang Xian and his wife had specially asked someone to plead for their daughter in her house in order to find a husband. Since both of them valued children so much, it was no wonder that she felt the same way.
Less than three days after the Purple-Robed Guanyin statue was hung, Wei Qillang's condition improved and he was fine.
Madam Wei came to the house specially and wanted to take a godparent, but Jinniang smiled and said, "I am willing to take a godparent, but we have the same surname, so it's not a good idea."
It is often said in the folks that there will be conflicts if the godparents have the same surname. Although Jinniang doesn't know what the custom is, it really won't work.
"Your last name is also Wei?" Mrs. Wei thought it was such a coincidence.
Jinniang smiled and said, "That's right, but my family is poor, not as good as yours."
Mrs. Wei thought to herself that the two Jiang brothers had great prospects at such a young age, and Jiang Xian was said to have made great political achievements, so she might as well sell himself to him. So he asked Jinniang's family whether they were willing to unite with the clan. Of course Jinniang was willing, and she had almost full authority over her family's affairs.
My younger brother is planning to pursue a career in politics, and it would be great if he could have a connection with the Wei family.
Mrs. Wei immediately wrote a letter to her husband and informed her clan members. After more than a month, Jinniang's family became a relative of the Wei family. Now when she went to the Wei family, people called her "Auntie", and Jinniang called Mrs. Wei "Sister-in-law". She also brought her children and husband to have dinner with the Wei family.
Madam Wei still held Ning Ge'er tightly, and Jin Niang couldn't help but laugh, "You don't know that he doesn't want this child from ordinary people, he only wants a pretty sister to hold him."
Mrs. Wei felt even happier after hearing this.
On his way back, Luo Da had just delivered the rent money. Jinniang told him about the Wei family's clan alliance and asked him to take a letter back. Luo Da also talked about the situation at home: "Since Yang Ge'er entered the Imperial College, many people have proposed marriage. The master and mistress of the in-laws all said that they would wait for you to return to make arrangements."
"Brother Yang is still young. Let him study hard. It would be great if he could pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi," said Jinniang.
Her younger brother is honest and his family conditions are not very good. She has seen those families who have arranged marriages with students from the Imperial College early on. The girls are very strong and her mother also has a bad temper. If the situation becomes confrontational, there will be no peace in the family. In addition, there are those who look good on the outside, but after you marry them you find out that they are just empty shells. They may even want the man to pay for them, which will be even more miserable for you.
Now that they have arrived in Damingfu, the happiest person is Luo Da, because it is much closer from Kaifeng to Damingfu than to Wuxian. After meeting Jinniang, he went to see Jiang Xian and said, "Congratulations to you on your promotion to the position of magistrate."
"It's not really a happy event. Have you gone to see your wife first?" Jiang Xian said lightly.
Luo laughed loudly and said, "I heard that your family is related to the Huainan Transport Envoy's family. This is really a happy event."
Hearing this, Jiang Xian smiled and said, "I'm hanging out with your wife now."
Luo Da thought that the wife of a seventh-rank official and a third-rank Huainan Transport Commissioner were connected, and his wife really had some skills. But when Jiang Xian asked about the situation in the capital, he started talking seriously again.
However, Jinniang received a total of 980 taels of silver from the capital. After Jiang Xian was promoted, his salary increased from 7 strings of cash a month to 20 strings of cash. They could now live very well just relying on his salary, so Jinniang could save almost all of the money.
She has no plans to buy property in Daming Prefecture now, because Daming Prefecture is close to Bian Jing. If she has the money, it would be better to buy property in Bian Jing in the future.
"Aying, go prepare the rice soup. Manager Luo brought two little kids with him. Arrange for them to eat together." Jinniang said.
Ah Ying was busy, but also thought that now it was Luo Da who came, and then the head of Fan Village, Manager Yao, would have to come to give an account. Her wife was really amazing. In just three years, she had added hundreds of acres of land and a store. This year, they would definitely have a prosperous year.
She also said that Madam Zhou Er received a holiday gift from Madam Zhou San. She had never gotten along well with Madam Zhou San in her boudoir, and it was rare for her to send her something. She just took a look and saw that it was just some local products, nothing special. When she got married, she brought a dowry of 10,000 taels, which included a woolen thread shop with a capital of 6,500 taels. The shop originally made a profit of 1,000 guan a year, but the shopkeeper became arrogant and felt he had made contributions, and started to boss people around. Madam Zhou Er got rid of him and replaced him with her own people, but the consequence was that her woolen thread shop now only made 500 guan a year.
This amount of money is a huge sum for an ordinary family, but it is not enough for a family like theirs.
Nowadays, food, clothing and social activities are all provided by the government, but if you want to buy anything else, you have to use your own private money. Especially after my father-in-law became unemployed, my mother-in-law has become increasingly short of money. She used to wear brocade robes and silk clothes, but now for the winter, she still wears the lynx fur coat that came as a dowry from her parents' home. A high-quality sable fur coat would cost sixty taels.
In addition to these, my daughter was also betrothed as a child. The man was introduced by her mother and was the youngest son of the Jiedushi. My family is now poor and he is an official. Although my daughter is only eight years old now, she still has to prepare a dowry, which should be at least tens of thousands of strings of cash. The He family has not yet divided up, and the eldest sister-in-law's daughter is getting married. The government only gives her 200 strings of cash. What can she do with it?
Thinking of this, she saw that her third sister had written a letter. When she opened it, she found that it said that Jiang Xian’s wife was Wei Jinniang, the servant who used to work in her house?
She didn't even recognize him, it was ridiculous that the man pretended not to recognize her.
Do you really think that no one knows about her past? If a jackdaw wants to turn into a phoenix, he’s just dreaming!
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