Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Two Chapters in One
Knowing that her daughter was pregnant, Jinniang asked Minzhi to start making pillows and swaddling clothes for pregnant women. She was afraid that her daughter would feel bloated after pregnancy, so she specially designed several maternity clothes, took silk and satin, and found an outside embroiderer to make them according to her drawings.
Afterwards, he asked the farm to slaughter a pig, and only bring out the lean meat. He also asked people to prepare rice and glutinous rice. At the beginning of pregnancy, you cannot eat anything too fishy, but you can eat more grains, vegetables and fruits.
Luo Yu'e followed Jinniang's instructions and gave away a lot of vegetables that she and her husband had grown themselves, which were very fresh and covered in mud.
After the embroiderer finished making the clothes and flat shoes overnight, Jinniang went to visit the Wei family. She prepared practical things for her daughter, but gave Mrs. Wei very valuable items, such as two boxes of pearl powder, six cakes of Jian tea, yellow orange wine, sea cucumber, snow clam, and Dendrobium officinale.
She also said: "They are all young, so they need more advice from their sister-in-law. I am not worried about Qilang, but my daughter at home is very stupid and needs your guidance."
Jinniang was also afraid of being the main guest. She knew very well that in ancient times, after a woman got married, it was difficult for her family to get involved. She came here once, and it would not be good for her to come here often in the future, otherwise the Wei family would think that she was worried about her.
Madam Wei laughed and said, "What are you talking about? To be honest, I think Qilang's wife is the most filial."
"To receive a compliment from you as a mother-in-law, I, as a mother, can finally put my mind at ease," said Jinniang.
She spoke to Mrs. Wei slowly and leisurely, and only went over when Mrs. Wei mentioned going to see her daughter. When the mother and daughter meet, they inevitably express their concern and greetings.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Don't listen to what others say about eating too much when you are pregnant. The fetus will be too big and it will be difficult for the mother to give birth."
When Yun Jieer saw her mother, she felt relieved: "Mom, I'm a little scared."
"What are you afraid of? I'm here for you." Jinniang helped her daughter put her fallen hair back on and asked, "Where will my son-in-law sleep?"
"I cleaned up the east wing and let him live there. At night, he would go to my place to wash and dress. On weekdays, he would eat and talk here, but he would study outside and sleep there." Sister Yun said hurriedly.
Jinniang nodded and said, "You can do whatever you want." Then she smiled and said, "I made a few clothes for you. They were made according to the patterns I drew. You can wear them when you are pregnant. They are breathable and beautiful. The hem of the skirt will not drag on the ground and will not trip you. They are very good."
"Mom really thinks ahead of everything for her daughter." Yun Jie'er just felt happy.
Jinniang laughed again; "We have recently raised geese on the farm. I will have someone send some goose eggs over when the time comes. Just prepare a stove in your yard. You can eat them during the late pregnancy. We used to grow citrus fruits on the farm in Wu County. I will have someone send some over when the time comes. Remember to eat them when you have morning sickness..."
She talked a lot of things. At noon, Sister Yun wanted to keep her for lunch, but she left immediately.
Yun Jie'er was very reluctant to let her go, but Jin Niang said, "Mother can only help a little, you still have to live your life on your own, take good care of yourself. I will send A Ying to visit you in a few days."
Jinniang left very quickly. Yunjie ate by herself at noon. Now that she was pregnant, she didn't need to pay her respects. She is not the eldest son's wife and does not take care of the household, so it would be better for her to stay at home.
Rong's mother, who was standing beside her, came in from outside and said, "Madam, the Fourth Grandma and the Eighth Grandma are here together."
They came to visit. Yun Jie invited them in. The fourth grandmother was like a wooden person, very dull and didn't say much. But Shen Qiniang said, "We couldn't come over a few days ago because we were afraid it would be inconvenient for you and disturb you. Today, we heard that the wife of the in-laws was coming, so we came together."
It must be said that although Shen Qinnan was not very sociable after marriage, she spoke a little more appropriately than before.
Sister Yun smiled and said, "My mother also came to see me and brought some things over."
Originally Shen Qinnan was the new bride, but unexpectedly, because Yun Jieer was pregnant, she stole her limelight. She didn't care about these things, but the socializing with the Wei family was quite annoying. Their relationship was average to begin with, but they still had to force themselves to socialize.
Fortunately, Sister Yun felt a little sleepy after dinner, so they could leave immediately.
After Yun Jie'er became pregnant, the Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed. Xuan Ge'er from the old house took part in a special test. This was because he was Jiang Xian's nephew, so it was not an ordinary test.
Xuan Ge'er has passed the provincial exam and is waiting to take part in the provincial exam, so Jiang Xian doesn't have to worry about it. Both the Wu family and the Wang family made plans for him, but after reading his article, Jiang Xian just shook his head.
"The alternative test is easy, but the provincial test is difficult. In fact, I thought it was difficult for him to pass the alternative test. After all, I read his article a few days ago." Jiang Xian gave Xuan Ge'er a fair evaluation.
Jinniang stopped him from continuing: "Don't say these words. Our relationship with my sister-in-law is just average. Now that he is taking the provincial exam, we will send him some study tools. You can introduce him to some people when you have free time. Just do your best."
Hearing this, Jiang Xian also agreed.
After the couple finished talking, someone outside said that Ning Ge'er had returned. The child is fourteen years old this year. He is like Jinniang, not picky and determined in doing things. Now, after one year at the Imperial College, he is already the head of the dormitory and I heard that he will be the head of the dormitory soon.
Jinniang quickly asked people to serve the meal. As the family of four were eating, Ning Ge'er said, "The teacher wants me to be the head of the hall. I can't refuse, but I feel that managing people is more difficult than studying."
This was also his trouble as a young boy. He was meticulous and upright by nature. It was good for him to be the second-in-command and not to be greedy for credit, but as the first-in-command, he would be blamed for doing more things.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "You have to win over those who are good to you and suppress those who don't listen to you. People will follow the crowd."
"Is it really so?" Ning Ge'er discovered that his father had a lot of clever ideas.
Jiang Xian said: "When you interact with some people, you should reveal your identity when necessary. Don't be too polite."
Ning Ge'er knew that her father had two faces. He was absolutely a very caring person in front of those bigwigs and high-ranking officials. He didn't need to be told what to do. He was humble and good at talking. He was also nice to the officials under him, but he was quite strict with the clerks. Of course, this was also his method.
In the past, Ning Ge'er thought that studying was enough, but now it seems that he also needs to learn some skills to control his subordinates.
However, her mother had another idea: "You should set the rules first, and use courtesy before force. If someone breaks the rules, you should make an example of that person. Everything should be done in a way that makes people convinced."
Ning Ge nodded secretly: "I have remembered everything that Dad and Mom said."
After dinner, Ning asked Ding about his studies again. Ding tried to act like a spoiled brat to avoid the question, but Jinniang looked at her youngest son and said, "You should listen to your brother when studying."
After Ning Ge'er finished speaking, he helped his younger brother make a study plan, and then he went to the study to rest and read. This was his habit, and Jinniang respected the habits of her son and daughter.
The next morning, Luo Yu'e came to Jinniang's place to have breakfast together. Madam Meng from the opposite door came over and asked if Jinniang knew any suitable midwife or wet nurse, saying that she wanted to keep an eye out for her second daughter.
"Why do you have to prepare all these?" Jinniang was afraid that she would go to great lengths to find them for her, but in the end the in-laws had already prepared them and Madam Meng didn't want them.
Madam Meng said, "I want to prepare it first. The people over there don't care much."
Jinniang was also puzzled: "My grandson is about to be born, and he is not from another family, so how can I not care about him?"
If it were someone else, Jinniang would have shut up. Madam Meng was a very similar person to Luo Yu'e. She could keep repeating herself over and over again, so she quickly finished her question and took the lead.
Madam Meng really started to complain: "I can find someone, but the person I find is not the right one. In short, they just talk big but don't really mean it."
After all, Jinniang had lived in Bian Jing for many years, so she knew a few good midwives and wet nurses. She called Aying over and asked her to find a few and send them to the neighbor next door for selection. Mrs. Meng thanked her profusely.
In October, the second daughter of the Meng family gave birth to a big fat boy. The midwife was sent by Mrs. Meng, and the two wet nurses were also sent by her. Jinniang didn't know that Madam Meng had asked her daughter to marry her cousin from her natal family before. She clearly said that the family was very good at that time. Why didn't she care about it now? After all, they were relatives.
Miss Sun knew about it, and she was saying to her concubine Song'er, "Madam has been in a bad mood these days, so let's not go and cause trouble."
Song'er was puzzled: "Second Aunt has given birth to a son, why is Madam still so unhappy?"
Miss Sun has always been knowledgeable and resourceful. After entering the house, she had already bribed the people around Madam Meng. It turned out that the son of the Yan family had always wanted to marry a talented woman who could be a good helper. Madam Meng recommended her second daughter, saying that she was very knowledgeable in writing, and even had a collection of poems that she had collected from somewhere. The Yan family and the Meng family were originally related by marriage, so it was a good fit for them to be cousins.
At first, Miss Meng was able to pretend, but after a while, the truth was revealed, and Mr. Yan couldn't help but feel that his wife was not honest. The woman in the harem has lost the favor of her husband, but still has her aunt, her mother-in-law, to rely on. But Madam Yan liked the third girl more than the second girl. She always felt that Madam Meng relied on her family background to suppress her brother. Also, she had a good relationship with Meng Sanlang's mother Huang Xiaoniang, so the second girl Meng was treated poorly.
Of course, Mrs. Meng would not tell such things. She was a rough person. People around her could see it clearly, but they didn't want to tell the truth, which made her angry.
Miss Sun's natural stance is to stand on her husband's side, but she also sympathizes with her mother-in-law.
If the woman’s family background is too good, it will cause a sense of oppression to the man even if he has done nothing wrong.
But sympathy is sympathy, and one can only protect oneself. At this time, someone outside said that Madam Jiang from the opposite house was coming over. Song Er said, "Madam Jiang, please don't come to our house. I wonder what's the matter?"
Miss Sun said, "That's the wife of the prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture. I have to go over there."
However, Jinniang came here specially because she heard that Madam Meng was feeling unwell. Although she and Madam Meng did not have a close relationship, Madam Meng was a straightforward and sincere person. As a neighbor, she should at least come and see her.
When Madam Meng saw Jinniang coming over, she said, "I just feel a little uncomfortable, but it's nothing serious. Why should I ask you to come and see me?"
"What are you talking about? I came here because I heard that you were not feeling well. I don't know if the medicine I sent you is right for you, so I just picked some warming tonic and came to take a look." Jinniang said with a smile.
Whether this is good or not, it's no use just talking about it, bring some real stuff, people will write it down in a notebook.
Mrs. Meng knew that the Jiang family was wealthy. Mrs. Jiang came from a prominent family. Even her younger brother was a Jinshi, her son was a Taixue student, and her husband was the only woman with her. People like her probably won't have any major worries in their lives.
She looked at Jinniang and said, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."
Jinniang gave a few casual instructions and went back immediately. When she heard Luo Yu'e ask about it, she waved her hand and said, "We should listen to other people's affairs if they want to, but we should not ask if they don't want to. I used to be very curious about everything, but later I found that all household affairs are a mess. Don't listen too much. It will only make you angry if you listen."
"That's true." Luo Yu'e sighed slightly.
The mother and daughter sighed for a while, and Jinniang touched her belly and said suddenly, "I have been eating noodles every morning for the past month, and I feel that my belly and face have become rounder. This is not good. Starting today, I have to eat less."
Luo Yu'e disagreed, "Just eat it, eating more will give you strength."
Jinniang looked at her naturally slim mother and said with regret, "You and your brother are naturally thin. No matter what you eat, you won't gain weight. For someone like me, if I eat more, I will easily gain weight. As the saying goes, it's worth more than being thin in old age. I don't want to be very thin, but if I remain the same as before, I don't know how many diseases I will get."
"Yeah, then let's eat glutinous rice porridge later. Do you know why you gain weight easily? Because your brother and I like to eat liquid food, and you like to eat dry food. A bowl of millet porridge and a boiled egg in the morning is enough for us, but you insist on eating that kind of noodles in the morning, or you eat fried dumplings. If you don't eat for a few days, you complain that your stomach is not full." Luo Yu'e is also aware of her daughter's figure.
Later, Jinniang also started to eat millet porridge and eggs. She still ate 211 at noon and 16+8 at night. Anyway, she finished her meal early. Unlike before when she had to wait for Jiang Xian to eat together, the two of them would eat for a long time each time, so she ate more and more.
After two months of this, she lost about ten kilograms. On the scale at the back of the garden, with the weight on the opposite side added, she had gone from 110 kilograms to about 100 kilograms.
When Jiang Xian was asleep at night, he could still feel her bones. "My dear, why have you lost so much weight? Are you okay?"
"It's nothing. I just always ate noodles these days, or I ate a lot of meat and vegetables at night. I have to consider my own body. Now I feel much lighter." Jinniang said with a smile.
Jiang Xian said: "My wife, you are so determined."
Jinniang thought that losing weight has always been something that only people with money and free time can do. Just like why she didn't lose hair this time, it was because she ate protein-rich food. For noon, she had steamed sea bass, two kinds of vegetables, a small bowl of rice, or a few slices of beef. It was not easy for ordinary people to eat like this.
Although there were no coarse grains like sweet potatoes and corn in the Song Dynasty, there were coarse grains like japonica rice and buckwheat.
On weekdays, Jiang Xian was mostly in the yamen, and Ning Ge'er was in the Imperial College, so there were only two masters, her and Ding Ge'er. If Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong came over, they and Ding Ge'er would eat together, and the kitchen would just cook according to her instructions.
The most important thing is that now, apart from doing needlework and housework for an hour every day during the day, she usually reads books, which is very relaxing.
At the end of the year, Fan Dalang, the son of Fan Zhuangtou, came here in place of his father, renting 400 acres of land, in addition to the tangerines, aquatic products, etc. that Jinniang wanted. Manager Yao will not come this year because Jinniang has received his letter and agreed to use this year's profits to expand the store. Fortunately, there are still 1,200 strings of cash from the collapsed house and 720 strings of cash from the Jinliang Bridge.
In this way, the income from industry this year is 2,660 strings of cash. Add to that Jiang Xian's income, minus the extra spending this year, and he has saved 1,000 strings of cash, for a total of more than 3,000 strings of cash.
After the New Year's goods were prepared, Jinniang gave Fan Dalang a reward of thirty-six strings of cash, six pieces of silk cloth, two jars of Huixianlou wine, and a piece of good leather.
After getting all these, Fan Dalang first celebrated the New Year in Beijing. It was his first time back home, so Liu Doer entertained him and said he would go back after the snow melted, and that she would stay to celebrate the New Year this year.
Jinniang came to visit her daughter in person, bringing New Year gifts. After not seeing her for a few months, Yunjie was already eight months pregnant. She was so pregnant that she couldn't help moving her waist when she sat down.
"The Taihu silverfish, carp, whitefish, and white shrimp specially shipped from Suzhou, you can't eat all of these fish the same way, you have to keep them in water tanks and eat them in rotation frequently. And doesn't my brother-in-law like to eat shad? We happened to have pickled shad, as well as pickled goose feet and citrus wine, which I brought along, and a basket of goose eggs as well." Jinniang chattered on.
Sister Yun felt very warm after listening to this, especially after she got married, she realized that not every family is like hers. Even though Mrs. Wei loved Wei Qilang very much, she was not as considerate and considerate of him as her mother was.
She added, "Mom, I'll have them take these to the kitchen later. Come over and talk to me."
Jinniang moved the embroidery stool and sat next to her daughter. She yawned and said, "I was thinking about coming here, so I didn't sleep well this morning."
Sister Yun felt very distressed. She said, "Why don't you stay for a meal today and go back? I've been bored for a month."
Seeing her daughter's eager anticipation, she had no choice but to agree.
When Madam Wei heard this, she said to Madam You, "Tell the kitchen to prepare a few dishes that Third Aunt's wife likes and send them over."
Mother You hurried downstairs to give instructions.
Little did he know that another relative, Mrs. Wu, also came today. Of course, she came to visit early because her daughter had given birth to a son and it was almost a hundred days old.
Wang had come out of confinement and was gossiping with her mother: "Now the eldest sister-in-law is the manager, and my seventh brother's wife and I don't covet the power of manager, and the new brother's wife also respects me."
"That's good. When I was in Daming Prefecture, I felt that Madam Jiang was a very sensible person, and the daughter she raised would not be bad either." Madam Wu also breathed a sigh of relief.
But Wang said, "After I got pregnant, I opened my face to Tao Ye, who was beside me, and my mother-in-law didn't say anything. But my sister-in-law was always being tortured by my seventh brother, and my mother-in-law's words were somewhat innuendo..."
"Is it really like this? She's so jealous." Madam Wu felt that the girl from the Jiang family was not very smart. The status of those concubines could never surpass hers, otherwise people outside would say that she was not virtuous. If a woman is jealous, no matter how good she is, others will still think she is bad.
Wang nodded: "Yes, I think mother-in-law is concerned about us being relatives, so she can't say much."
Madam Wu warned her daughter: "Don't get involved. Jiang's mother is the aunt of the Wei family. If she gave birth to a son, your mother-in-law might not have much temper."
On this side, Jinniang also heard Yunjie talking about this matter, and she said, "Mother, you are really amazing. You guessed it so accurately."
"What's the use of being a god or not? I just made such a guess because I have seen too much. Not to mention a talent like my son-in-law, there were also two maids in your father's room at that time, one was Rong Mama beside you, and the other was Manager Chen's wife. I was on guard against it. This door cannot be opened, otherwise people will think that you can do anything. A few words are nothing, after all, you come from a wealthy family." Jinniang said with a smile.
Sister Yun nodded: "You are right, my daughter thinks so too."
"Don't worry about whether you have a boy or a girl. Look, you are my first child, and your brother was born a few years later. So what? You are better than boys and you are more filial." Jinniang comforted her daughter.
As for people, what you get is the complete body and mind of your husband, and maybe a lovely son or daughter in the future. As for the words of your mother-in-law and outsiders, don't take them too seriously.
Yun Jie'er was still a little girl after all, and she felt relieved after hearing what Jin Niang said. She smiled and said, "I feel embarrassed when you praise me like this."
Jinniang used herself as an example: "I didn't get married until I was 20 years old. If I had really gotten married and had children soon after leaving the Zhou family, I would be doing some small business at best now, and I wouldn't have the good life I have today."
"Yes." Sister Yun was instantly filled with confidence.
People cannot blindly follow the crowd, they still have to have their own ideas. If they feel resistance in their hearts, they should not follow the crowd.
After a meal, Wei Qilang came back from outside, and Jinniang talked to him again: "I know that you like to eat shad, so I asked someone to send some over."
Wei Qilang said happily: "Thank you, mother-in-law."
"What are you thanking me for? This is what I should do. Sister Yun just told me that you treat her very well. I was very happy to hear that. When I married your father-in-law, your wife was pregnant with our first child and she was very scared. Fortunately, your father-in-law was there. Now I feel relieved." Jinniang said.
Wei Qilang was about to say something, but Jinniang said, "You go in and keep her company. I have a lot of things to do at home, so I'll be leaving first."
"Let me take you out." Wei Qilang was still very polite.
But Jinniang persuaded her to leave: "No, no, just stay here and it will be warmer."
Wei Qilang asked his wet nurse to send Jinniang out, and he went in. Seeing Yunjie walking in the room with her belly in her arms, he walked up to her quickly and said, "Why didn't you tell me in advance that your mother-in-law was coming today?"
"You're reading, why should I call you over? Have you eaten?" Sister Yun asked someone to bring him hot tea.
Wei Qilang smiled and said, "I originally wanted to come back to have dinner with you, but Wu Mazui came to my father's place and wanted to see me, so I had to entertain him."
Wu Mazui was talking about the Langzhong of the Ministry of Personnel. At his age, he is still studying. If he fails in the exams several times, he will have to seek official position through imperial concubine. Of course, his family will pave the way for him.
Sister Yun smiled and said, "Just do your job. Oh, there's something else I want to discuss with you. Your sixth brother has already taken the exam, and he will take the provincial exam at the beginning of next year. What should we send him? If he passes the exam next year, it will be a big event for our family. Haven't you seen that Sixth Sister-in-law is different recently?"
After hearing this, although Wei Qilang's eyes were still smiling, the corners of his mouth drooped. He tried to maintain his composure: "You can do whatever you want with these."
"I was just thinking that when he takes the provincial exam next year, I would probably be in confinement. You don't know, my mother has already sent a gift to my cousin. I heard from my mother that my father had endured countless rumors before he passed the imperial examination. After he passed the imperial examination, the people around him became better people. This shows how important fame is to a man. Of course, the gifts we send cannot be light." Sister Yun sighed.
After she finished speaking, she called Mother Rong in to talk about preparing gifts. Wei Qilang heard it in his heart and narrowed his eyes. His wife never mentioned herself and always pointed out herself. He also had to work hard. After all, people need face and trees need bark.
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