Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Two Chapters in One
The shopkeeper of this collapsed house sent Jinniang a four-month bonus, a total of four hundred taels. After receiving it, Jinniang did the math and found that this collapsed house was really profitable, possibly making tens of thousands of taels a year.
In this way, she had about six thousand taels in her hands. Her daily expenses were paid from Jiang Xian's salary and the money she earned as a Quanfu woman, and she saved all the money.
"Aying, help the three of them prepare the travel expenses these days, and prepare some New Year's goods for them. Oh, and also send some to Manager Bi in the collapsed house." Jinniang said.
"Don't worry, I will take care of these myself. My husband helped the Cui family solve a big case last time. The Cui family's ship will go to Suzhou and Hangzhou before the New Year. It's just the right time to take them there, and it won't cost much." Aying said.
Jinniang nodded, and Jiang Xian worked at the grandfather's house for a month just to solve the Cui family's case. The Cui family was a well-known wealthy family in Daming Prefecture, so naturally they had to send gifts to their doorstep. Jiang Xian naturally refused to accept them, but the Cui family insisted. So Jiang Xian just asked them to help bring two people up, which saved a lot of travel expenses. The Cui family still felt that it was not enough.
However, Jinniang and Jiang Xian refused repeatedly, so they gave up.
The master and servant discussed some details. Yunjie came back just in time, so Jinniang asked Aying to go out and do some work. She smiled and said, "You came back early today."
Sister Yun yawned and said, "I've been going to different houses every day these days, and my daughter is tired."
"Go and rest if you're tired." Jinniang looked at her daughter lovingly.
Then I heard Sister Yun say, "Mother, we went to the Wei family today and had barbecue. We had lamb and venison. The venison breast was delicious. I specially wrapped it in oil paper and brought it back for you to taste."
I didn't expect my daughter to be so filial. People say that if you give birth to a bad child, it means the child is your enemy from the previous life, and if you give birth to a good child, it means you must have done good deeds in the previous life. Jinniang ate a few slices. The venison originally had a fishy smell, but the seasonings sprinkled on it masked the smell, and the meat was quite tender.
"It's delicious, thank you, girl."
Seeing that Jinniang liked it, Yunjie said a lot of things, like how Wei Qilang was very good at grilling meat and playing backgammon today, how Madam Lan hit a guan'er in tossing pot, and how the Sun sisters claimed to be sick and couldn't come.
Jinniang also felt strange: "Why don't the Sun sisters go?"
"I don't know. Anyway, they always say something happened at home." Sister Yun shrugged.
Mrs. Zhou only learned about this during the Chinese New Year. She didn't expect her daughters to be unable to participate in social activities. Miss Sun said, "Mother, we first went to the home of Magistrate Jiang. Her house has pavilions and corridors, which are very beautiful. She also prepared forty dishes. There are only a few people in our family. How can we prepare it?"
Mrs. Zhou Si said anxiously, "Why don't you send someone to tell me so that I can help you."
The purpose of sending daughters to girls' school is to study and socialize, but they are shy and don't even participate. What's the point? In terms of status, her husband is a seventh-rank county magistrate, which is much higher than the Lan family's military officer, and is comparable to the prosecutor. In terms of family background, she and Sun Shichen are both from official families, but her daughter is the most self-abased one.
Miss Sun was quite clear-headed: "Mother, we just need to study. Our family is originally in Guantao, not in Damingfu, so we don't want to join in the excitement."
"That being said, it's really unfair to you." Mrs. Zhou Si also knew that her daughter was telling the truth.
Miss Sun has been sensible since she was young. She knew that her mother had a hard time, so she said, "Mom, let's not compare ourselves with others."
Mrs. Zhou Si sighed. She had been married to a wealthy family in Guantao County several times before, but in the end she only received a gift of 20 taels of silver, which was too little.
Guantao County's economy is worse than Fuyang County's. Daming Prefecture is better, but it is too difficult for them to go to Daming Prefecture.
Now I have to send holiday gifts to Old Madam Wang, which cost me six or seven strings of cash.
Miss Sun Er was not as sensible as Miss Sun Da. She even said, "Mother, Miss Jiang Da and Miss Ji are wearing jewelry now. They change clothes every day and have fur coats. My sister and I don't have any..."
The jewelry was easy to deal with, as she brought a lot as a dowry, and the old lady gave her a lot. But a fur coat? Fur coats are not cheap. A piece of fur costs four or five strings of cash, and the labor cost must be calculated separately.
Alas, it would be great if Madam Wang could give him another job that would make him a better person, but he is very indifferent and always stays away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Mrs. Zhou Si was sighing in despair, but Mrs. Jin Niang got the job of a blessed woman thanks to her daughter. The child would cheer for her mother wherever she went, and was overheard by Luo Tixing's wife.
The daughter of an eighth-rank prosecutor under Luo Tixing was getting married, and they were looking to invite a suitable and married woman. They originally wanted to invite the man's sister, but the two sisters-in-law had a falling out. This prosecutor had always been well-fawned by Mrs. Luo, so Mrs. Luo recommended Jinniang, and Jinniang got the job of Quanfu Ren.
To be a blessed person, you must first have the right attire. Wearing a brocade robe with a sable fur coat on the outside and a golden crown on the head, you will look very decent. She was also very familiar with the wedding process. Although the prosecutor was of the eighth rank, he was an official under the Hebei Road Judicial Department. Although she was not as generous as the big merchants like the Pingjiang Gu family, or Mrs. Wei, who was a third-rank imperial edict, she was also pretty good.
A pair of golden hairpins, two sets of six-in-one plum blossom porcelain, two gold-mud handkerchiefs, a piece of purple-grey crepe, a piece of brown peony-flowered silk, a piece of smoky silk, a load of tea cakes, a silver coin weighing twenty-five taels, a fresh pork, and two roast geese.
After Jinniang brought the things back, she gave the food to the kitchen and gave a gold-smelling handkerchief to Aying. Aying has been taking care of everything inside and outside the house these days, and it has not been easy for her.
"My wife always thinks of me." Aying was very happy.
Jinniang said, "You should save up your money now. The baby is about to be born, so stop working."
Ah Ying smiled and said, "If you asked me to stay at home, I really couldn't stay. Besides, you were busy all day when you were pregnant, and I'm not that delicate."
Maybe because Aying got married late and her bones had grown, there was nothing unusual about her pregnancy.
Jinniang said, "I have a wolf skin, it's not expensive, I'll use it as a footstool for you when you give birth."
"As long as my wife is here, I'll be fine." Ah Ying felt at ease for some reason.
After the master and servant finished talking, Jiang Xian came in again and Aying hurried out.
Jinniang said, "Our daughters can help me with the work now."
"Sister Yun is getting more and more capable now. She told me yesterday that you asked her to write a gift list and teach her how to use an abacus next year." Jiang Xian was also proud of it.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Money likes to move around, but it can't be moved too much, and it can't be too quiet. We have to learn how to manage finances and plan from time to time, so that our family won't be poor in the future."
But Jiang Xian asked, "Is it only one silver piece this time?"
"It's already a lot. After all, rich people are a minority. By the way, I also have to take out the ginseng that the Gu family sent before. I'm afraid that my cousin from the Dou family has had an attack in the past few days. This ginseng can replenish her vitality." Jinniang gave Qingrong the key and asked her to take it.
Although the Zhen family will make preparations, Mrs. Zhen is not her biological mother after all. If she is not considerate at the moment, she can also take it out herself.
The two chatted for a while and were about to rest when Zi Teng came over and said, "Madam, Madam Dou's water broke and she asked you to come over."
Jinniang quickly asked someone to bring her a fur coat and put it on before going over. Zhen Erlang had already returned from Yingtian Prefecture. He and Madam Zhen were sitting in the side room. When they saw Jinniang coming over, they quickly bowed.
"Don't be so polite. How is Yuanniang?" Jinniang asked.
Zhen Erlang was stunned for a moment. It turned out that his wife's name was Dou Yuan. He said, "It said inside that it has started."
Jinniang lifted the curtain and hurried in. Dou Yuan was lying on the bed. The moment she saw her, her eyes lit up and she felt at ease. She was worried, afraid that the midwife would be bribed and that no one would save her from a difficult labor. Now everything is fine.
"Yuanniang, I'll sit here and watch over you, don't worry." Jinniang said.
After being a full-time lady for the whole day, Jinniang was already very tired, but she still kept up her spirits. Inside, everyone was busy. Outside, Madam Zhen said to her son, "I'm afraid it won't be that fast. I'll go back and take care of it. You stay here. After all, her cousin's wife is here."
"Your son will take you there." Zhen Erlang said hurriedly.
Madam Zhen waved her hand: "No need, you just watch here first."
After Mrs. Zhen returned, she went into the Buddhist temple and did not let Miss Yang come to study. However, Miss Yang was a little uneasy. If she waited for Dou to give birth to a child, her position would probably be more stable.
She and her cousin had been childhood sweethearts and their relationship was almost tacit, but then Dou Yuan showed up unexpectedly.
Why did God want to separate these two lovers?
But due to the ethics, she could not do anything. When she saw her cousin, tears flowed unconsciously. As for my father, he rarely spoke to my mother when she was alive. Now he has married a new wife and has many concubines. Who will take care of her?
Fortunately, the news came that Dou Yuan had only given birth to a daughter. Miss Yang knew that this had nothing to do with her, but she was relieved.
Jinniang came out holding the child and said to Zhen Erlang, "Brother-in-law, I see that the child has a full forehead and a bone bulge in the middle of the forehead that goes straight into the hairline. This is the Fuxi bone. I heard that people born with this bone are extremely noble and are destined to become high-ranking officials. I'm afraid they can even be among the three highest officials."
She couldn't let others look down on this girl, so she repeated the story she had prepared long ago.
Fortunately, Zhen Erlang still had some kindness. He looked at his daughter with joy and went out to announce the good news. Dou Yuan, who was in the inner room, heard it all clearly. She felt that her husband was still redeemable and she couldn't just let him go and let someone else take him away.
He also said that after returning from the Zhen family, Jinniang was so tired that she almost collapsed, and she had to rest for two days before she recovered. The third day of the bath happened to be New Year's Eve. Jinniang went there for a while and saw that Dou Yuan was in good health, so she came back with relief.
Ning'er at home is already five years old. During the Chinese New Year when he is not in school, Jinniang asks Jiang Xian to teach her son to review his lessons. In order to appease the child, Jiang Xian taught him how to play tossing pots, chess, and backgammon. It was good enough if he could read for half an hour.
He had another explanation: "Our Ning brother is usually serious, better than me, let him have some fun during the New Year."
Of course Jinniang also felt sorry for her son, after all, he was only five years old. On New Year's Eve, the couple took him and Yunjie'er to the backyard to set off fireworks. Jinniang also played the three-legged game. She and Yunjie'er were on one team, and Jiang Xian and Ningge'er were on the other team.
The mother and daughter moved in unison and were even one step faster than Jiang Xian and his son who were in the lead. They were all laughing when they reached the finish line.
On the second day of the New Year, they went to the Wei family again. In addition to giving the Wei family holiday gifts, Jinniang also made a hood for Wei Qilang. Mrs. Wei personally asked her son to come out to express her gratitude.
"Thank you, Third Aunt." Wei Qilang bowed hurriedly.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Why are you so polite, Qilang? I'll leave Ning Ge'er to you. Take him downstairs to play."
Wei Qilang said, "Don't worry, aunt." He took Ning Ge'er's hand and went out together.
As for Sister Yun, she was originally studying at the Wei family and knew quite a few people there. When she heard that the two girls from the Wei family were there, she went out to play with them.
Jinniang was arranged to play willow leaf cards. After she joined the clan, she was ranked third in age. Sitting opposite her was the former third aunt, now the fourth aunt. She did not have any hatred, but instead mentioned to Jinniang: "Speaking of which, the Wang family has also served in Daming Prefecture for three years, and this year is the last year."
"Is it true?" Jinniang thought that Madam Wu was really smart and ran really fast.
Fourth Aunt Wei said with a smile: "Why would I lie to you, Third Sister? It's true. Who knows where another Duke of the Mansion will come from by then."
Jinniang remembered that the sixth son of the Wei family was engaged to the daughter of the Wang family. It was no wonder that the people of the Wei family knew about the whereabouts of the Wang family. However, it was a good thing that old lady Wang left, as she was old but not old at heart. For example, Madam Shen, the mother of the Pingjiang Army Commander, did a very good job in this regard and never caused trouble.
As an official working away from home, I have limited relatives and friends, and I seldom visit them. In the blink of an eye, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has passed. Jiang Xian started working at the government office, and the two children also started going to school. Jinniang originally planned to rest at home for a few days, but she didn't expect that the girl from the Ji family got engaged this year. Miss Ji is thirteen years old this year, which is indeed the age for girls from official families to get engaged, but it was a little unexpected.
Jinniang asked Qianniang: "I wonder which family you are talking about?"
"He is a poor student and his family is not considered to be a good one." Madam Qian said.
Jinniang didn't understand: "There are other students who are well-matched with you. Why do you have to marry a poor student?"
Madam Qian shook her head: "This is their family affair."
Miss Ji would definitely not marry Jinniang, so in order to ease the relationship with Old Lady Wang, Mrs. Ji found Miss Zhou Si. Mrs. Zhou Si was planning to make a fortune this time and even bought herself some clothes. However, she did not expect that the Ji family only gave her 20 taels of silver, some food, drinks and two pieces of cloth.
No matter how favored the concubine of the Ji family is, it is still Madam Ji who takes care of all these things, so Madam Ji certainly would not take it seriously.
I had to rush here from Guantao on Thursday. I spent half a day working on this, but only got this much. I'm very disappointed.
At this time, her two daughters still had to buy paints, books, and make riding clothes, so most of the money they received was spent immediately. Miss Sun Er also said: "Mother, now everyone in the girls' school is taking turns to treat us to snacks. The snacks they buy are either from Hongbinlou or Cuiyunlou, and they are not brought from home..."
Mrs. Zhou Si frowned and said, "Why is there such a trend of comparison nowadays? Just study, but I don't think this women's school is very good."
She felt that girls' schools were places for studying, so why should there be all these messy things?
Jinniang didn't care about these things, because the Wei Family Girls' School was equivalent to a private school, so she was mentally prepared. If you just want your child to read a few books, just find an old Confucian teacher. Three strings of cash a year will be more than enough.
But the things that the girls learn in the school, such as reading, making incense, riding, mounting pictures, painting, and playing the piano, are probably not easy to find a teacher for on their own outside.
"Qingrong, ask Chen Xiaolang to take a penny of silver to buy some fruit-filled snacks at Cuiyun Tower and bring them to the girl tomorrow." Jinniang ordered.
Now Aying gave birth to a boy on the ninth day of the first lunar month and is still in confinement, so Jinniang asked Qingrong to take over the affairs. In the past few years, Qingrong has been working carefully and prudently as a deputy, and has been praised by Jinniang, so she is relieved.
The Sun sisters didn't even have a penny to buy any snacks, and they didn't want to eat other people's food, so they always came and left in a hurry, and they didn't have any happiness at all in the girls' school. Later, Zhou Si Niang was helpless. A wealthy man in Guantao County who often flattered her found out about it and sent a lot of snacks to her. Zhou Si Niang had to accept them, but the rich man smiled on the surface but looked down on her in his heart.
In early February, Dou Yuan was released from confinement after childbirth. Her daughter was given a name with the Chinese character "Luo" in it. Jinniang did not dare to kiss her. She just held her and said to Dou Yuan, "Children also need quietness. There should be no noise at home. Don't always take them out to let the wind blow. The wind is too harsh. Don't let them blow in."
"Cousin, my mother-in-law knows that the child has Fuxi bones, and she wants to keep the child with her." Dou Yuan knew that her cousin was trying to raise the status of her daughter, and she was also afraid that she would not be able to get over it and dislike the child.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Hush, just tell everyone about the Fuxi bone, and don't keep talking about it. In the future, you should take good care of your health and just teach your daughter well. Don't listen to other gossip."
Dou Yuan said, "I've figured it out. Anyway, if Yang wants to stay in the mansion, she can stay there. After all, my husband needs to study and will be away from home in a few days. She's the one who's anxious now, not me."
"It's good that you think this way." Jinniang admired Dou Yuan very much. A young girl who came here alone from far away, not only did she manage the Zhen family well as the mistress, but she was also able to adjust her mentality and become more calm in the face of her husband's white moonlight. It was really extraordinary.
The two talked about household matters again. Jinniang said, "I still have some clothes that Yunjie wore when she was a child. They are about 80% new and comfortable to wear because they have been washed. If you don't mind, I will bring a few over."
Of course Dou Yuan was not polite. New clothes would easily prick the skin, while those that had been worn were softer and fit better. Jinniang went back and found a few fine clothes, had them washed by Zi Teng, and dried in the sun until they smelled fragrant before having them delivered.
Sister Yun’s birthday is coming in February. As she is about to turn nine, it is the day she will turn ten. Jinniang then invited many relatives and friends to her home, and also hired two singers of various palace tunes, a puppet show performer, and an acrobat. The party was a thriving one, and she spent exactly twenty-five taels of silver.
Almost all of Sister Yun’s children’s classmates and friends have arrived. The gifts the children gave were very simple, just a fan, a sachet or a painting.
"Sister Yun, your family is so nice to you." Miss Luo said.
She also held a tenth birthday party, but it wasn't as lively as this one, especially because they invited puppet show performers, which was really interesting.
Sister Yun smiled and said, "Yes, my parents are very good to me, especially my mother. As long as I say something, she will try her best to satisfy me."
This is her confidence. As long as her reasons are sufficient, her mother will satisfy her.
But at the same time, as a student, she had to study hard, do needlework well, be able to do math, and know how to spend money. If she didn't do these things well, her mother would blame her.
The Sun sisters were also among them, looking at Sister Yun with envy.
…
Dou Yuan envied the happiness of the young girls the most. She used to hate everything in Yangzhou and always wanted to escape, but now she feels that marriage is the biggest cage. A cold husband who just wants to marry an aristocratic woman of equal status, a hypocritical mother-in-law, and Bai Yueguang who is so close at hand, all force her to cheer up.
"Cousin, I'm going back first. The child is still at home."
Jinniang could understand: "Okay, you go back first. You just came out of confinement, you can't be exposed to the wind."
Dou Yuan was very grateful that her cousin's wife always cared about her when she was most helpless, and she also had a place to talk.
Jinniang looked at her back and sighed slightly.
February was over, and the sixth day of March was Jiang Xian’s birthday. Jinniang personally made him a piece of clothing, a pair of knee pads, and a pair of shoes. Jiang Xian put them on and rubbed his wife’s arm, “Jinniang, sometimes I feel that time goes by too slowly, why do you have to be out all day long? But sometimes I feel that time goes by too fast. We have been married for ten years.”
"Yes, time has passed in the blink of an eye. Do you still remember the first time we met? At that time, I thought that this man is not only handsome, but also younger than me and so good at talking. Could it be a trap?" Seeing her husband who is now more charming, Jinniang couldn't help but stand on tiptoe and kiss him.
Jiang Xian couldn't help laughing. "You're the only one who thinks everything is good. At that time, I wasn't even a county student. Liu Jixiang's family didn't teach me. My mother was weak, and my grandfather and father had no achievements... Only my wife loved me and treated me like a treasure."
The couple looked at each other with deep affection.
It was getting a little chilly outside, so she and her husband went in. Jiang Xian said, "This is the last year of Wang Futai's term. He asked his subordinates to suppress a few thieves' dens. He probably wanted to make some achievements so that he could be transferred to a higher position and get promoted. But those thieves are not easy to deal with. They know that Wang Futai will leave in a month, and I'm afraid they will retaliate. So, you should be more careful on weekdays. Don't go out too often unless it's absolutely necessary."
Jinniang nodded: "I don't have anything to do, but the Cui family invited me to be their lucky lady. After I went there, I just claimed to be sick and didn't go anywhere."
"In that case, I feel relieved. If an emergency comes, I will send you out of the city." Jiang Xian said in a low voice.
Jinniang hugged him and said, "I will protect myself and the children."
On the eighth day of March, Jinniang went to the Cui family first. The gifts given by the Cui family were extremely generous. Jinniang returned most of them, but there was still a crystal crown, two pearl combs, a gilded silver sachet, two crystal hairpins, eight pieces of silk and satin, three pieces of kesi, twenty kilograms of spices, sixty kilograms of pepper, two loads of tea cakes, and two hundred taels of silver.
Sister Yun couldn't help but sigh when she saw it: "Mom, there are so many."
"These are all earned by your father at the risk of his life. He didn't take that case, but your father did. He was undercover for a month and almost died. He even had nightmares at night. If not for this, jobs like Quanfu's would mostly be done by family members. Otherwise, how could it be given to outsiders who are not related to the family?" Jinniang also shook her head.
Jinniang packed her things and saw Aying come in and said, "Madam, I have already told the gatekeeper to keep the door closed."
"Yes." Jin Niang nodded and looked at her daughter again: "Mother is not feeling well. Starting tomorrow, you will stay at home to take care of her, okay?"
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