Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Two Chapters in One
When they came out of Ji's house, Jiang Xian was already waiting outside. Jinniang knew that he was afraid of ghosts and didn't dare to stay alone, so she hurriedly walked up to him and asked, "Are you scared, so you came out to look for us?"
Jiang Xian looked at the undisguised concern in his wife's eyes, and he felt his empty heart was instantly filled, so he nodded shyly.
Jinniang held his hand and said, "Let's get in the carriage."
They arrived home in a moment. The child was already sleepy. Jinniang asked someone to take the child away first, and then told Jiang Xian what happened today.
"That's good. Let's use her as a trial stone to help our sister Yun regain her strength and learn flower and bird embroidery, double-sided embroidery, and double-sided embroidery with different colors." Jinniang always believes that "everything that happens is beneficial to me", so she doesn't think about a momentary dispute of emotions, because as long as you are strong enough, you can get your place back at any time.
Fairness cannot be achieved by just shouting. It can only be achieved through absolute strength.
Jiang Xian also likes Jinniang's character, who never gets discouraged and never gives up.
He was also jealous of his brother Jiang Yan's transfer back, as Han Xiao had a bright future because he married Liu Jixiang's daughter. However, now that he has become more and more experienced, he feels that he has accumulated a lot of experience and is more confident.
However, Jiang Xian said: "You said that Mrs. Zhou Si seems to be very favored by Mrs. Wang, but she is doing this for Tuesday--"
"I don't know about that. It's hard to tell for now." Jinniang couldn't make assumptions about others out of thin air.
Even if Zhou Si intends to be a happy man, Jin Niang doesn't think it will be a big deal as long as it is done honestly. It's not like she has a monopoly on it. It all depends on her own ability in the future.
It can be said that Mrs. Ji, with the support of Mrs. Wang, not only held a Qiqiao meeting, but also helped her daughter win the first place. She was very proud of it. Lady Zhou Si also received generous gifts from the blessed lady because of the marriage of Madam Ji's niece, so she clung to Madam Wang's thigh even tighter.
Under Jinniang's instruction, Yunjie successfully learned how to tailor. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, she made a half-sleeved shirt for her brother, which was much better than her previous one with one sleeve longer than the other. She also learned how to embroider double-sided embroidery.
In Jinniang's opinion, she had actually already made plans for her daughter in her heart, including a house and shop in Tianshui Lane, and two hectares of land to build a farm in the future. Not to mention cloth and materials, she also had to give her three thousand strings of cash and a certificate of ordination. In this way, if she gets married in the future, a dowry of six or seven thousand strings of cash would be a lot. If she does not get married, she will still have a large sum of money to live on for the rest of her life.
You can attack when you advance and defend when you retreat.
But once the money is given to you, whether you can manage it or not, and whether you have the ability to keep it, it all depends on your own ability. After all, your parents will leave you one day, your brothers may have their own families, and they may even covet your money. How will you cope with it then?
Even if one day there is nothing left, whether it be natural disasters or man-made calamities, at least your skills can help you turn things around. Jinniang herself is the best example, starting from scratch and eventually living a wealthy life.
Moreover, if a person succeeds in one thing, he will be successful in everything in the future.
Otherwise, you won't be able to concentrate or focus on one thing, and you will be half-hearted in everything you do in the future.
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival was spent by the whole family at Linglong Pavilion. Jiang Xian usually asked his concubine, who was highly skilled in martial arts, to teach Ning Ge'er martial arts. The child was learning horse stance and was now doing it for everyone to see.
Jinniang applauded: "That's great."
"Mom, I want to swing with you." Sister Yun's eyes lit up when she saw the swing outside.
Of course Jinniang agreed. She and her daughter stood on the swing and let Xiqiu and Qingrong take turns pushing it. Every time they went on it, they felt like they were floating in the air. After coming down, I still felt a little unsatisfied.
Jiang Xian said, "Jun Jie'er looks a little dizzy. Go play with your brother over there. I'll push your mother."
Jiang Xian was stronger, and Jinniang flew more vigorously. It took them a long time to feel that they had done their best.
The moon in the sky was big and round today. Jinniang was tired from playing, so she washed up and fell asleep on the bed. The next day, he took his children to the Zhen family next door to attend the third-day bathing banquet.
The third grandmother of the Zhen family, Mrs. Zhuang, gave birth to a son the day before yesterday. Madam Zhen was overjoyed. In addition, Master Zhen was promoted to the Minister of Taichang Temple, one of the Nine Ministers. The Zhen family had even more guests, and even Madam Wei came early.
Dou Yuan also took good care of Yun Jie'er and Ning Ge'er because Jin Niang had taken such good care of her during her pregnancy. After learning that the embroidered shirt Ning Ge'er was wearing was made by Yun Jie'er, she immediately helped her niece to become famous: "Our Yun Jie'er is so amazing at such a young age. She is good at both cutting and embroidery."
"I was just doing it carelessly. Last time, one sleeve was long and the other short." Sister Yun was still a little embarrassed.
Mrs. Wei also chimed in: "This child is very attentive. The sachet she gave me last time was embroidered very well."
Jinniang smiled and said, "Please stop praising her. If you keep praising her, she will be spoiled. When it comes to needlework, the girls from the Ji family are better, especially the third girl Ji."
"Yes, Third Sister Ji threaded the seven-hole needle a lot last time." Sister Yun also said.
Mrs. Qian, who was standing by, naturally wanted to watch the fun and said, "It's too late that day, and we can't see clearly. Anyway, we have to sit here for a while, so why not let everyone watch the children threading needles."
Mrs. Ji felt very uncomfortable after hearing this, and cold sweat broke out on her back.
Before Mrs. Wang, who was sitting on the upper floor, could say anything, Mrs. Zhen smiled and said, "Well, the third day bath hasn't started yet. Let's see the girls' skills. Everyone should show off their skills. At our age, we are happy to see the little girls who look like water plantains."
Sister Yun didn't care: "Okay."
Last time, a young lady from the Wei family was suppressed by someone. Although she was not Mrs. Wei’s daughter, she was also a girl from the Wei family. Mrs. Wei was naturally quite unhappy and just watched coldly from the sidelines today.
Which little girl would go out without a sewing kit? Sister Yun quickly took it out. Miss Ji San hurriedly said she didn't have any, but Miss Ji Da said, "Third sister, I'll give you mine."
The disputes among the wives and concubines in the Ji family are nothing new. The fact that Miss Ji brought it up at this time is just a slap in the face to Madam Ji.
But then again, if you are the real deal, what are you afraid of?
When Miss Ji San saw the needle and thread purse handed over by Miss Ji Da, she pursed her lips and dared not take it. Madam Qian smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, Miss San, it's just a joke."
"Okay." Miss Ji San slowly took out the needle and thread.
Madam Ji held on to the back of the chair tightly, watching four girls of similar age threading the needles. After a while, Yun Jie'er had finished threading the needle, and she was even faster and better. Miss Ji San could not even compare with Yun Jie'er, let alone the girls from the judicial official's family and the girl from the banker's family.
Even Madam Wang couldn't bear to watch the situation on the field. Madam Wei even looked at Madam Ji in surprise. Madam Ji immediately explained: "She was very good at it before, why is it not possible now?"
Jinniang hugged her children and said nothing. The atmosphere was not good. Madam Zhen, as the host, tried to smooth things over: "People make mistakes, horses stumble, and this is normal."
Mrs. Qian also smiled and said, "Yeah, it's not a big deal."
Jinniang couldn't help laughing after hearing this. She thought that it was no wonder that so many people liked and even followed Madam Qian, because she protected those who followed her. Such loyal people have personal charm.
Madam Ji made a huge fool of herself. Not only would the Wei family not marry her daughter because of what she had done, but even the wealthy families in Daming Prefecture saw it and would not consider it at all.
Jinniang used her own method to get her daughter back. When Old Lady Wang heard about it, she felt ashamed and went back to the nunnery.
After the Zhen family's third-day-birthday banquet, it was the tenth birthday celebration of the young lady from the Luo, Ti, and Xing families. Jiang Xian didn't know about this custom, but Jin Niang knew it very well because she had celebrated her tenth birthday herself.
"I remember my two uncles made new clothes for me and sent me birthday noodles. This judicial officer is from Ninghua, and I think their customs are similar to ours."
Immediately, Jinniang prepared a pair of pig's trotters, four fresh chickens, two roast ducks, a plate of longevity noodles, and a piece of light gauze and sent them over, and she went with Madam Qian. The relationship between the two of them improved by leaps and bounds because Madam Qian helped Yunjie last time, and it was even better than before.
"I heard that Madam Wu's husband got a promotion, and this time she plans to follow him to the new post." Jinniang thought of what happened when she saw Madam Wu at the Wei family that day.
Madam Qian smiled and said, "It's no wonder that her eldest son died, so she naturally wants to have another one. She is still young, so how can she stay here forever?"
What's more, Madam Ji made a fool of herself, which also brought shame to Madam Wang. It is said that she went to Guangyun Temple to eat vegetarian food again, and was accompanied by the wife of the Guantao County Magistrate. Seeing that her mother-in-law was like this, Mrs. Wu felt there was no need for her to stay.
As the two were talking, they arrived at Luo Tixing's home. However, his home was not very spacious and there was no room for people to turn around. Everyone says that Luo Tixing is an honest official, and it is indeed true.
But Miss Luo was well-educated and well-mannered. When Sister Yun came, she played with her like an older sister. Jinniang also socialized normally, slowly expanding her influence and striving for the qualification of a fully blessed person.
You can't rely solely on others to recommend a job, you have to fight for it yourself.
The next day, Yun Jieer and the others went to the girls' school and saw the Ji sisters and asked, "Why didn't I see you guys at Luo Tixing's house yesterday? Sister Luo even asked me about it."
The eldest Miss Ji just smiled, and the second Miss Ji said, "My mother is sick at home, so it's not easy for her to go out."
"So that's how it is. This is as it should be." Yun Jieer thought that she was not unhappy last time she lost to Miss Ji San, but now that Miss Ji San lost to her, she felt so uncomfortable, as if she had done something wrong.
The girls said a few words, and then Madam Shen came in, and they immediately sat up straight.
She also said that summer was almost over, and Jinniang seemed to have two pieces of light gauze that she had not used. She saw that it had not rained much this year, so she used her money to buy a few more stones of rice for her home. Although she had a farm, it was out of her reach, so it was better to buy some rice and store it, as she would need it eventually.
After finishing the housework, she went to see Dou Yuan. At this time, Dou Yuan was more than seven months pregnant. She listened to Jinniang and did not dare to eat too much, so her belly was not very big.
"Sister-in-law, do you think I'm pregnant with a boy or a girl?" Dou Yuan was under a lot of pressure. Her brother's wife gave birth to a son, and her sister-in-law gave birth to a son. If she gave birth to a daughter this time, her husband would definitely complain.
Jinniang advised, "I think it's all right. I am also the son of Mr. Yun and his daughter, so what does it matter? You are still young, don't take gains and losses too seriously."
Dou Yuan was anxious: "Sister-in-law, you don't know. Last time I mentioned asking mother-in-law to help Miss Yang find a marriage, she ignored it. Two months later, the Second Master came back. I..."
"Don't be anxious. The more anxious you are, the worse it will be for your health. Your father-in-law has been promoted now, and so many eyes are watching him. As long as you are in this position, no one else can take your place. Maybe, they are just waiting for you to be anxious, and you are pregnant. If anything happens to you, you will just have to give up your position to others." Jinniang comforted.
With Jinniang's comfort, Dou Yuan slowly fell into a nap.
When she woke up, Jinniang was no longer in the room. Dou Yuan asked the maid to help her get up and go to her mother-in-law, Madam Zhen, first. As soon as I got there, I heard a clear and pleasant voice, and it turned out to be Miss Yang's voice.
What she was reading was a travelogue. Mrs. Zhen was impatient to read books, but she liked travelogues, so she asked her to read.
As soon as Dou Yuan came in, Miss Yang hurriedly bowed and they greeted each other.
Madam Zhen smiled and said, "I heard that your cousin's wife came over and asked someone to leave dinner for her, but I didn't expect that she went back."
"There are also a lot of people at my cousin's house, and my daughter-in-law fell asleep while talking." Dou Yuan touched her belly.
Madam Zhen didn't mind her daughter-in-law's misbehavior at all. Since the eldest son was dead, the second son was nominally the eldest son. If her daughter-in-law gave birth to a son, he would be the true eldest grandson.
As for the girl from the Yang family, she is her cousin, so naturally she should be taken care of.
Although the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are not enemies, and Mrs. Zhen is not a bad person, the relationship is so subtle that outsiders may not understand it.
Dou Yuan came out of her mother-in-law's room and happened to meet Zhuang, who had just finished her confinement. Zhuang had not yet lost her pregnancy fat and looked weak. Zhuang called out "Second sister-in-law" and went in to pay her respects to Madam Zhen. Mrs. Zhen favored her youngest son, so of course she loved her youngest son as well. Everyone in the room started talking and laughing. Dou Yuan left, holding her belly, feeling a little lonely.
After October, Dou Yuan received another piece of bad news. Her uncle, Master Dou Da, was used as a handle by his political enemies because Dou Dalang used his name card to investigate a lawsuit involving disputed land. Dou Dalang took his wife and children to seek refuge with his father-in-law. Master Dou Da had finally become an official in Beijing, but now he was demoted again.
After hearing this, Jiang Xian fell silent. You know, he originally planned to make friends with Dou Dalang so that he could make friends with the Dou family in the future. When Jinniang dissuaded him, he felt a little regretful, but he didn't expect that Jinniang's prediction was really correct.
Jinniang didn't think she was very proud of herself for predicting the situation, she just said, "Dou Dalang was born in a wealthy family. Although he is not a playboy, he is easily deceived. He doesn't even care about his own mother, so how can he put himself in the shoes of his uncle, Master Dou?"
Just like Jinniang doesn't believe in the saying that a prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold, human nature is actually very difficult to change.
After this incident, Jiang Xian became more convinced of Jinniang.
As winter approached, the weather started to get colder. Jinniang and the others started taking out their fur coats and padded jackets. Old Lady Wang also received a knee pad as a gift from Mrs. Zhou Si.
The days in the mountains were quiet and uneventful. It was rare that Lady Zhou stayed with her for several months, and Old Lady Wang was somewhat touched.
Madam Zhou Si felt that Madam Ji was not kind. Madam Wang had helped her so much before, but after she fell from grace, she no longer cared about Madam Wang. But she is different, she has a conscience and is not so materialistic.
"Girl, I'm about to go back to Daming Prefecture. I still have a say in your two daughters' admission to the Wei family's girls' school. The Wei family and our family are relatives, so you just wait for good news." Old Lady Wang agreed.
Mrs. Thursday smiled and said, "That's great."
As for renting a house in Daming Prefecture, these matters were of course her business, and it would not be a good idea to trouble Old Madam Wang. She quickly told Sun Shichen the good news, but Sun Shichen had other thoughts. His father had been the prefect for several years, and now his father-in-law was unemployed at home, so he was afraid that no one would help him.
Even he was serving as a county magistrate in Guantao, and was busy with paperwork all day long. If he could get close to the Wei family and get some help in the future, his career would be greatly advanced.
The couple then took twenty-four taels of silver to rent a house, and prepared sixty strings of silver for Mrs. Shen's salary, and assigned five or six people to serve her, and they also had to pay for her living expenses.
"It would be great if there was another lucky person to do this." Mrs. Zhou Si thought.
One hundred strings of cash were gone so quickly, and it really hurt her.
The salary is so little, it’s not enough. Winter is approaching, and we still have to cut winter clothes, buy firewood, and prepare New Year's goods, which means we will need more money. However, they had only been in Guantao for two or three years, so it would be a waste to buy property there. They could only live on the capital they had.
Jinniang soon heard from Yunjie that there were two new students in the girls' school, so she asked, "Whose families are they from?"
"I don't know, I just know his last name is Sun." After writing the big characters, Sister Yun started writing the small characters without raising her head.
Jinniang thought about it and realized that the surname Sun should be Mrs. Zhou Si's two children. She said "Oh" and then said, "Since you are classmates, you should get along well."
Sister Yun smiled and said, "Don't worry, if they don't understand something, I will tell them."
"That's good." Jinniang touched her daughter's head and ordered people to prepare the meal outside.
When the first snow began to fall, Yun Jieer discussed with Jin Niang that they wanted to invite their classmates to their home for a barbecue. Jin Niang naturally agreed and encouraged her daughter, saying, "You will be nine years old next year. I was planning to let you look at the account book, so now is the time to practice. You should plan how many people to invite, what to do besides barbecue, and what drinks they like to drink. You have to decide for yourself."
Sister Yun acted coquettishly: "Mom, please help me prepare..."
"I'll help you prepare the barbecue, tidy up Linglong Restaurant, and prepare the charcoal basin." Jinniang said.
Yunjieer hugged Jinniang and kept acting like a spoiled child. Jinniang poked her daughter's forehead and said, "Okay, okay, I'll do everything for you. You just love to act like a spoiled child."
Although she said so, Yun Jie'er still went to school to ask her classmates about everything Jin Niang had told her, and wrote it down when she came back. She also sent invitations to everyone in advance. The girls from the Wei family came as soon as they received the invitations, and the girls from the Ji family also came. After that incident, the adults never mentioned it again, and the girls gradually forgot about it, and their relationships returned to normal. In addition, the two new girls from the Sun family must also be invited.
In addition, there are Luo Tixing's daughter and Lan family's concubine, who are his frequent acquaintances.
This was the first time her daughter had a dinner party, so Jinniang tidied up the Linglong Pavilion carefully. She replaced the door curtain with one with a raw green silk background embroidered with crabapple flowers, spread a blanket on the couch, and placed a large flower basket on the table with several fresh flowers, which looked lush and fragrant.
All the little girls arrived before noon. They were all very well-behaved, and even the more lively ones would not make much noise in someone else's home. They played backgammon, pot-shooting, chess, and piano together.
Although it is called barbecue, the girls cannot grill it themselves. It is Juxiang and Chunxian who grill it. After grilling, they put it aside and bring it to the table when it is hot enough to eat.
Jinniang also came to deliver some fruit, and was worried that the little girl was wearing too thin and might catch a cold, so she also brought her a coat.
Seeing the girls sitting together talking, she hurried out. Children need their own space when they grow up. Little did she know that Yun Jie'er was saying that the sisters were inviting her together. Although Miss Lan was born out of wedlock, the Lan family had no daughters, so they raised her as their own daughter. Therefore, she was the first to say, "Come to my house in a few days to appreciate the plum blossoms. My mother moved a plum tree from Miss Qian's garden. It is very beautiful."
Sister Yun smiled and said, "Okay, then let's go to Sister Lan's house next time."
Miss Luo, Miss Ji, and Miss Wei all said they would go back to discuss the matter with their elders at home. However, the two sisters from the Sun family were only being taken care of by a few old maids and servants, and there were no adults around. They rented a house casually, so they were too embarrassed to invite everyone to their home, and so they kept silent.
The next time they went to the Lan family, the Sun sisters heard that something happened at home and did not go.
Jinniang always asked Fang's mother, Xi Qiu and others to go out and play with her. She had never lived such a life before and hoped that her daughter could go out and socialize more.
It just so happened that Luo Da, Zhuangtou Fan, and Manager Yao all sent their rent money. This year's harvest was not good, so the Wuxian farm only sent 320 taels, but Manager Yao sent 500 taels, and Luo Da sent 940 taels.
Jinniang asked Fan Zhuangtou and Luo Da in detail about the crops. They were both very good at management. If there were not enough acres of land, they would contribute money from fruits, vegetables, bamboo forests and eggs. Shopkeeper Yao said that many merchants from Pingjiang and Lin'an transported grain to the north to sell, so the inn was often full and business was good. Jinniang flipped through the account book and pointed out two mistakes. Seeing that they were trembling with fear, she rewarded each of them with another twenty strings of cash, a piece of silk cloth, a piece of fine cloth, and this year an extra pair of leather boots.
This leather was made from the leather coats that Ning Ge'er and Yun Jie'er no longer wore. It not only saves money but also can be used as a reward for others, thus killing two birds with one stone. Jinniang also asked Luo Da to bring two extra white silk jackets for Luo Mama, since she was Jiang Xian's wet nurse after all, a set of top-quality study treasures for Yang Ge'er, and two new jackets for her parents.
She also didn't want Luo Da to bring too many things, otherwise she would have to pay for the boat fare separately.
After the three of them delivered the money, Fan Si and Chen Xiaolang invited them to Cuiyun Tower for food and drinks. Suddenly, they saw a man dressed as a foreign official come in. Luo Da hurriedly asked Chen Xiaolang, "Who is this?"
"Oh, this is the shopkeeper of Yanhetafang. Our wife owns a share there, and this is a bonus." Chen Xiaolang said with a smile.
Luo Da thought that last year when she came to give money, her wife became related to the Wei family. This year, her wife even had money to invest in the collapsed house. It was really incredible, incredible.
It seems that my husband is really involved with my wife.
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