Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Fame
Before the 49th day after her death, Jinniang sent the five volumes of the "Earth Store Sutra" that she had copied to the second house. Mrs. Wu was also quite knowledgeable in calligraphy. She had originally wanted to ask scholars from outside to write a few volumes, but she was busy at that time, and only agreed when she saw this girl volunteering.
I didn't expect her handwriting to be so neat and elegant: "Are you learning from Liu?"
Jinniang nodded: "Yes, when I was a child, I copied Liu Gongquan's calligraphy for a few days and I liked it, so I kept writing like this. I'm sorry to make you laugh, Madam."
Mrs. Wu smiled and shook her head: "I see that you write very well. It's amazing that you love to learn. I have a few calligraphy books and books here that I can lend to you."
Jinniang was delighted: "Thank you, Madam. I am very grateful. I will send it to you as soon as I am done."
You have to know that in the Song Dynasty, due to the advent of printing technology, it was cheaper for poor people to buy books than in previous dynasties. But no matter how cheap it was, Jinniang really didn't have the spare money to buy them before, so she was very happy.
She actually wanted to ask Wu if she had any albums of flowers and birds, but she held her tongue. Everything should be done in moderation so as not to bore people.
Mrs. Wu really liked such an ambitious and studious girl, and asked again, "I see that you are quite knowledgeable in writing, why did you later learn needlework?"
Jinniang sighed, "When I first started studying, my family was well off, and I cherished the opportunity to study. Later, my grandfather and uncle had accidents one after another, and my father used all his belongings to help them. The family was in great difficulty. I thought about making money to support my family. I don't know why I was not good at other things, but I could do needlework at a glance. I learned needlework during the day, and took the wages I earned to learn tailoring from a master at night. When others were resting, I would dip a brush in water and write. This way I could make money and learn knowledge at the same time."
These words were half true and half false, but Jinniang knew very well how to deal with female leaders. She had to highlight that she was hardworking, diligent, simple and unpretentious, but also smart and talented, and had a pure desire to improve herself.
"Okay, okay, it's really not easy for you to get to where you are today. Madam Sun, please give this girl one of the four treasures of the study. When she needs to write in the future, you should send it to her regularly." Mrs. Wu really admired Jinniang.
Jinniang was so overjoyed that she knelt down and kowtowed.
Wu added, "Next time if there are scriptures to be copied, you will be the first one to come."
"I really don't know how to be happy." Jinniang glanced at Wu and felt that she should go back and make a bellyband with a pomegranate pattern for the baby in Wu's belly, so as to make the kindness shown to her worthwhile.
When she came out from Wu's place and walked to the old lady's place, she happened to meet the fourth girl who was returning after paying her respects. The fourth girl glanced at her and asked, "What were you doing in the second room?"
Jinniang said respectfully, "The Second Madam asked me to copy a few volumes of scriptures. Seeing that I copied well, she rewarded me with some paper, pen and calligraphy."
The fourth girl shook her head in her heart. This Wu was really stingy. A maid like Wei Jinniang who came in to do housework was short of gold and silver. What was the point of giving her a book? In Dream of the Red Chamber, Mrs. Wang gave one hundred taels of silver to Granny Liu.
But she couldn't say these words to Jinniang. According to her understanding, she hoped that she could become the kind of heroine who could command the support of everyone and was a master of verbal attacks. But in fact, she was more gentle in real life. What's more, she always felt that there was no difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, and everyone looked at the father instead of the mother.
But I have to say there are still differences, and this feeling is very subtle. Jiang treats them all with seemingly the same share, the number of maids, the clothes they wear, the hair oil and rouge are all the same, but there are some differences. You can't tell where the difference is, they are just very different.
She didn't understand. Girls in the family didn't affect the inheritance rights, and getting married would only bring prosperity to the family. The legitimate mother should be the mother of all illegitimate children, so how could she be so unkind?
Just like now, she went back, and Jiang took the eldest and second daughters to the house of the Vice-Chancellor to attend the wedding banquet.
When others heard this, they would just say that the eldest and second daughters were older, so it was okay to take them out. But the fourth daughter had read the novel "Survival Guide for a Wife's Concubine". Jiang didn't leave a penny to her illegitimate sons and daughters, and even her dowry was divided among her two daughters.
This is also the climax of Miao Xiaoniang's final transformation into evil.
What's more, the Jiang family comes from a wealthy family, but they hate concubines. The fourth girl thinks that concubines are used to share the responsibility of childbearing for the mistress, right? After all, childbirth is painful.
She walked away while thinking. However, Jinniang, who was not far away, always felt that the fourth young lady was not as honest as the rumors said. She always felt that her eyes were sharp sometimes and she seemed not really honest, and she looked like she was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger.
Today is Madam Chen's birthday, so she quickened her pace to go back. Several other embroiderers prepared to pool some money to prepare a banquet for Madam Chen.
She and Qin Shuang'er had some arguments a few days ago, but they made up the next day. After all, they still had to work together.
Three taels of silver bought a total of eighteen dishes and a bottle of wine in a silver bottle. They borrowed a table and a few chairs from Lan Xue, the tea waitress. Madam Chen sat in the main seat, Qin Shuang'er and Fang Qiao Lian sat on both sides of her, Jin Niang sat next to Fang Qiao Lian, and opposite her were Si'er and Xiao He.
When Mrs. Chen saw the table full of delicacies, she couldn't help but say, "You guys spent too much money."
"You are our master. Without you, we would not be able to come to Bian Jing." Jinniang said with a smile.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and naturally it was the three of them who contributed, without letting Si'er and Xiaohe contribute. The two of them ate together and were very happy.
Madam Chen smiled and said, "As the saying goes, a master can only lead you to the door, but it is up to you to practice. I am not a person who likes to keep secrets. You are all still young, and it is a good time to learn the craft. If you have any questions, just ask me."
She has worked her way up to this position step by step. Now she has accomplished something. When she is old and her eyesight is poor, she will not be able to do embroidery anymore. People rely on young people for their livelihood, so he hopes that they can learn as much as possible so that they can have a skill to make a living in the future. Even if they don't become embroiderers anymore, they can still make shoes, socks and clothes in their husband's family with this skill, and they will be praised for their ingenuity.
Qin Shuang'er said quickly: "Don't worry, if there is something we don't understand, we will definitely not hide it from you."
"That's right, Madam Chen, please don't find us annoying when the time comes." Jinniang said this, and also lamented that Shanjie couldn't even come back for Madam Chen's birthday.
Madam Chen drank two more glasses of wine and said while still a little tipsy: "Don't bother me, don't bother me. You left your hometown and followed me. We came here together, and we will leave together when the time comes." She knew that the Zhou family was indeed rich and kind, but she had experienced a lot and knew that the so-called kindness was just the reputation of his family's officials, not true kindness.
After she said this, Jinniang immediately responded, "Of course we'll go together."
Then Qin Shuang'er and Fang Qiao Lian answered yes.
After Mrs. Chen's birthday, it was Yanhong's birthday. She had a good relationship with Yanhong, so she asked Mrs. Hu from the kitchen to make a box of birthday peaches, and asked Lan Xue to buy some snacks, and put them in a storage box to send over.
This cost almost three hundred coins, all these human relations.
The money I earned from copying scriptures was gone in a flash after these two birthdays.
Her bright red hair had been combed up, and she was wearing particularly bright clothes today. The dishes on the table were even more delicious than those at Chen Niang's place that day. There were also the little maids serving her and Luying and the others, so there was no room for them to cook because there were so many people.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Sister Yanhong, I have to go back to work, so I won't disturb you anymore."
"Pick some of the fruits here and take them back to eat. I have something else to tell you." Yanhong has always been considerate. Her relationship with Jinniang is not like that with Luying and the others who grew up together, but she knows that Jinniang is a reliable person, tight-lipped and hardworking. She also knows the ways of the world and never takes advantage of others.
Jinniang walked over, and Yanhong whispered in her ear: "I just got a piece of satin, and I want you to make me a dress to wear during the Dragon Boat Festival."
So that was it. Jinniang had been idle for a few days since she finished copying the scriptures, so she smiled and said, "That's easy. I have your measurements and can cut them right away. I'll make it for you in two or three days."
Yanhong blushed slightly: "It should be tailored to fit better."
Jinniang was such a smart person. She knew that Yanhong was a concubine and that if she wanted to become a concubine and get a formal position, she had to work harder. She had always been good friends with Yanhong, so of course she would help her: "If you trust me, I will definitely do a good job for you."
Yanhong secretly took out two strings of cash and gave it to her. Jinniang refused, and she said, "My dear sister, if you go to Jinxiu Pavilion in the future, the clothes that we servants wear are worth a hundred strings of cash per set. If you don't plan to stay in the mansion, if you can get a number in Jinxiu Pavilion, it will be much better than other places."
"My dear sister, you are flattering me. Jinxiu Pavilion is the largest women's embroidery workshop in the whole of Bianjing, and the requirements are very high." Jinniang shook her head.
Yanhong wanted to say something but was dragged away and forced to drink.
Jinniang, however, held the cloth and pondered over how she could highlight her style. Yanhong was plump and beautiful. It was Grain Rain at this time, and it would have been nice to embroider peonies, but peonies would easily attract attention, so it would be better to embroider peach blossoms.
The peach tree is young and thriving, and its flowers are bright and beautiful.
A branch of peach blossom extends from the bodice to the waist, and the delicate flowers and tender leaves seem to make people want to explore the inside. The reluctance to speak is more attractive than the kind of opening and closing.
Thinking of this, she worked on the picture all night long. Fang Qiao Lian, on the other side, was yawning as she hurriedly made clothes for Miao Xiaoniang. They both stayed up until midnight before going to bed.
This dress took almost four days to make. A peach blossom was embroidered diagonally on the creamy white bodice, and it was paired with a silver satin skirt covered with crepe, with peach-colored ribbons hanging on both sides, and a moon-white jacket on the outside. The red dress made her curves faintly visible, and she looked like she was holding a pipa and half covering her face, which made her look more mature.
Yanhong looked at herself again and again with the target mirror and was amazed by herself.
"Jinniang, thank you for doing such a good job."
Jinniang blinked her eyes and said, "I wish everything will come true, sister."
Originally, Master Zhou thought Yanhong was too young, so even though she had opened her eyes, he didn't come here often. But today, when he came to Jiang's place, he took one more look at Yanhong and couldn't take his eyes away.
If Jinniang was slightly famous before, now she is extremely famous in the Zhou Mansion.
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