Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Two Chapters in One
At the same time, Jinniang was talking to Jiang Xian: "I will take the children with me. I am always worried about Mrs. Bao being around. You must pay attention to the boxes at home. When you are not at home on weekdays, make sure someone locks the door."
It takes three or four days to travel from Wuxian to Yangzhou by water, or one or two days at most.
This is also the reason why Jinniang decided to go, otherwise people would say they were taking the upper hand.
Jiang Xian frowned: "Madam, how about I take a day off and take you there? Otherwise I won't be at ease."
"No, no, you are an official appointed by the court, how can you leave your territory without permission. Besides, I also want to venture into the world on my own." Jinniang said with some excitement.
Fireworks are blooming in Yangzhou in March. The last time she went to Yangzhou in a hurry, she only went to Dou's house and didn't go anywhere else. It would be great if I could see the customs and culture of Yangzhou now.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Xian hurriedly said, "My lady, I'm not kidding you. You are young and beautiful, so you must be careful when you go out. It's not a big deal if the three of you leave and I'm left alone. I'm mainly worried about you."
"But there's nothing we can do." Jinniang couldn't let Jiang Xian accompany him, after all, he was an official.
As she spoke, she began to write the list of engagement gifts, which included two rolls of fashionable Suzhou satin, six cakes of local tea, two sets of porcelain, and a pair of golden hairpins with lotus flowers.
This was considered as an addition to her makeup, but Jinniang still felt that it was not enough, so she added two packets of top-quality spices.
There was no other way. She would have to have an income when she became Mrs. Quanfu. After all, the most promising person in Madam Dou's family was Jiang Xian, and she could only go there to support them.
Without further ado, the group quickly boarded the pleasure boat that came from Yangzhou to pick them up. Jiang Xian also sent Cao Da to protect them, and Chen Xiaolang also stayed on the boat to take care of affairs.
Mother Fang was the original shareholder of Mrs. Quanfu when Jinniang opened up the business. She strongly supported Jinniang's move and said, "It's better for you to stay away. Madam Wen is always watching you. If you withdraw and leave, they can fight among themselves."
"I thought so too. In fact, it seems to be a dispute among the women in the backyard, but it is actually an extension of the officialdom in the front." Jinniang saw it clearly. The county magistrate had delegated power and his foundation was not as deep as Jiang Xian's today. The people below were divided and took sides. This was why Madam Wen wanted to suppress her everywhere.
However, since they were out having fun, Jinniang didn't want to talk about these troubles, and just said, "It's better for us to go out and relax."
In fact, in addition to adding to Dou Yuan's dowry, Jinniang also brought some local specialties, including white fish from Suzhou's Taihu Lake, as well as sea bass and crucian carp, all packed in baskets, and even six shad.
On the first day on the boat, Jinniang looked at the scenery along the coast and listened to her son and daughter's childish talk, and she felt happy. Sister Yun sighed like a little adult: "It's a pity that Daddy didn't come with us."
"Even if your father comes, I'm afraid he won't stay with us." Jinniang said with a smile.
Qingrong brought over some Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup, which can help clear internal heat in autumn. Jinniang ate a bowl of it and heard Aying say, "Madam, this pleasure boat is really beautiful. There is a small terrace on the second floor where you can sit and drink tea."
"It's not just the second floor. This floor is even better decorated than the boudoir. You can even play backgammon there. If you little girls are willing, you can go to the back and play backgammon." Jinniang knew that Aying wanted to run away and relax.
Everyone was quite interested after hearing this. Jinniang saw that they were having fun, and she was also very happy as she appreciated the scenery.
But at this time, evening came, the lanterns had been hung up, and the house was brightly lit. Suddenly, a "splash" sound was heard, and someone jumped into the river. It seemed to be a woman. Jinniang hurriedly asked the boatman to rescue the person.
Ah Ying went outside to take a look and then said, "Madam, Qingrong helped her change her clothes and gave her some ginger soup. She has woken up."
"Mother Fang, please ask her where she is from so that we can send her back to someone else." Jinniang said.
Originally he thought he was just doing a good deed and would be done with it by sending the person back, but he didn't expect that he was actually saving a prostitute who had escaped from good family.
Mother Fang came back and said, "I heard that she was the top singing girl in Yangzhou Leyunfang. Later, she fell in love with a scholar. She used the savings she had accumulated over the years to redeem herself and support the scholar's studies. Unfortunately, the scholar was going to enter the Imperial College, so he despised her background and repeatedly forced her to leave with excuses. She was so angry that she jumped into the river."
"She is quite a strong-willed woman. Please ask her to come over for a chat." Jinniang was naturally strong-willed, so she admired such a woman and asked Mother Fang to invite her over.
Mother Fang said quickly: "Madam, you are of such a high status, how can you meet her? It would be a step down."
Jinniang smiled and said, "You should still meet him. At least you can persuade him not to commit suicide again."
Seeing that she couldn't persuade Jinniang, Mother Fang asked the girl to come over. After a while, a woman came over. She was not very beautiful, nor stunning, but she had a cold and aloof air of bookishness, and she was very happy when she came in.
"Please sit down." Jinniang smiled at her and asked someone to serve tea.
The woman drank a cup of hot tea and knelt down and kowtowed: "Ruyan, thank you for saving my life."
"Ruyan? Is that your real name? It's a nice name." Jinniang looked at her without any disdain in her eyes.
Most of the women who entered brothels were forced into desperate situations, and they were only able to avoid being sold because of their better family backgrounds. Furthermore, Ruyan was able to become the top performer and redeem herself, so she is not an ordinary person.
Of course, her words might not be completely true, but Jinniang would not jump to conclusions and send people away immediately. Sometimes when she encounters someone who is desperate, giving them a way out may also be leaving a way out for herself.
Ruyan looked at Jinniang and saw that she was a young woman with a very kind face. She seemed to be pampered, but she was very respectful to her, which made Ruyan feel like she was a close friend. So, she stood up and said, "My daughter was separated from her parents when she was eight years old and was adopted by a mother who was also good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She originally sold her art but not her body. Later, when she was fifteen years old, she was seduced by someone. My daughter just wanted to find her parents. Cheng Lang's father was an official. I fell in love with him because he was infatuated with me and he promised to help me find my parents. But now he has been selected as a student of the Imperial College and has long forgotten the agreement we made that day. So I was so angry..."
After listening to her detailed description, Jinniang said, "So that's how it is. But your body and hair are given by your parents. If you really die, maybe your parents are still looking for you. By then, I'm afraid your family of three will never be reunited."
"Yeah." Ruyan was also angry for a moment, but now that she has calmed down, she is also afraid.
Jinniang talked to her for a few more words and learned that she was good at imitating handwriting. She wrote a few words on the spot, and she was able to write them exactly the same. In this way, Jinniang began to appreciate her talent, but she also had to know her background.
However, when Ruyan jumped into the water, she had her own deed in her arms.
"Well, you are already a civilian. So what are your plans? If you want to find your parents, I can give you a gift."
"No, my lady. I'm a woman all alone and I'm afraid I'll be kidnapped and sold before I can even walk out." Ruyan was not completely ignorant of the outside world.
Jinniang smiled and said, "What do you think?"
Ruyan said quickly: "My lady is my savior. I will leave everything to you. Please give me a place to stay."
At this time, Fang's mother came out and said, "Madam, this person's origin is unknown, and he cannot serve you."
Not only did Fang's mother think so, even Aying and Qingrong thought so too. Jinniang understood their concerns, not to mention that they also had another layer of unspoken worries that Jinniang knew about. Ruyan was born a prostitute. She is desperate now and has many tricks up her sleeve. If she can win the favor of Jiang Xian, she will be inviting a wolf into the house.
They are all their own people, so of course they plan more for themselves.
Jinniang did not comment. She just said, "Ruyan, write to me about your background first. I will go and find out more and then make a decision."
If she was fake, she would have definitely abandoned the ship and ran away. If she was real, she would have been a pitiful person.
Mother Fang on the side felt relieved. What they feared most was that the master they followed was too weak, indecisive and soft-hearted, which would easily lead to a wolf entering the house.
Ruyan didn't expect Jinniang to be so cautious. She immediately wrote a letter about her background. Jinniang took it in her hand and arranged for her to rest.
After she left, Fang's mother said, "My wife seems to admire her very much."
"I think she has some talent, but whether she really has the ability or not, we'll have to wait and see." Jinniang said with a smile.
One day later, the pleasure boat arrived in Yangzhou. Jinniang first let Ruyan stay in a nearby inn, and asked Aying to give the innkeeper three days' room and meal expenses, and asked her to wait for them there.
The Dou family had already sent Mother Lan to pick them up, and the few people felt particularly cordial when they met again after a year.
Mother Lan saw that Jinniang was wearing a mountain-shaped crown inlaid with silk and pearls, and the collar of her snow-blue jacket was embroidered with pearls, which made her look extremely luxurious. After being an official's wife for a year, things are different now.
Along the way, Jinniang asked Lan's mother and found out that Dou Yuan had proposed to marry into the Zhen family in Daming Prefecture.
"Our eldest master helped arrange this marriage. The Zhen family was our former peer. I heard that the young master of the Zhen family is also a good writer."
Jinniang was also very happy for Dou Yuan. This girl was different from her brother and was very considerate of her mother.
Soon after arriving at the Dou family, Mrs. Dou first welcomed Jinniang and then arranged for her to meet the Zhen family. The elder who came from the Zhen family this time was the aunt of the Zhen family, known as Madam Zhen Qi. She was wearing a brocade dress and a large golden phoenix crown on her head. She was very plump and looked as if she had been soaked in hot soup and was sweating.
When Jinniang and Madam Zhen Qi stand together, the contrast between the two is too strong.
After the welcoming banquet, she changed her clothes again. She wore a lilac silk tube top with an ivory-white single garment, and a long purple silk jacket on the outside. The collar was embroidered with amaranth and chrysanthemums, and an ivory-white gauze skirt underneath. She looked very fresh.
Therefore, Jinniang looked very relaxed and was able to talk to Madam Zhen Qi with ease.
Madam Zhen Qi saw that Jinniang was of noble character and heard that her husband was a young Jinshi in Wu County, had both a son and a daughter, and was extremely wealthy, so she did not dare to underestimate her.
Mrs. Dou, who was sitting next to them, wanted exactly this effect. In fact, there were also such women with both sons and daughters in the Dou family, but they were all old and not wives of officials. Not only is Jinniang beautiful, she also has elegant manners, eloquent conversation, and noble status. Now, she is superior to Madam Zhen Qi, and it also lets the Zhen family know that Dou Yuan's relatives should not be underestimated.
In fact, Jinniang also knew why Madam Dou invited outsiders to be Mrs. Quanfu and did not invite members of the Dou family. She was afraid that the last time she reminded Madam Dou San, Madam Dou Er would not trust the Dou family.
After a day at the Dou family, Jinniang took a day off to go out for a walk. She wore a veil hat and was very careful along the way. Just as the peonies in Luoyang are the best in the world, the peonies in Yangzhou are also as famous as the peonies in Luoyang.
Although the peony and tree peony look very similar at first glance, there are actually many differences. The leaves of the peony are split at the front end, while the leaves of the peony are pointed and no longer split. Also, the branches under the peony flowers are very hard and strong, while the peony has soft branches. However, the most obvious thing is that the peony flowers are hidden under the leaves, while the peony is above the leaves.
Although Jinniang had never grown flowers, she was good at painting flowers and birds and often had to do so, so she could tell a thing or two apart.
"This is Baozhuangcheng. The fragrance is even stronger than orchid and musk. Take a pot of purple, pink and white each." Jinniang leaned over and smelled it. She liked it very much.
There was also a type of peony called "Huanglouzi", also known as Daozhuangcheng. Jinniang looked at several pots of it and bought them all, asking them to deliver them to the shore two days later.
Of course, in addition to peonies, Yangzhou is also famous for its magnolias, and Jinniang also bought two pots.
As for Yangzhou's famous velvet flowers, she bought a few boxes. These didn't cost much, except for the lacquerware, which was a bit more expensive. Jinniang gritted her teeth and bought a set of black lacquered bowls and plates.
As for other food souvenirs, I will not go into details.
Both children were very excited. After walking for half a day, when they came back, Yun Jie'er and Ning Ge'er each ate two bowls of rice. Because the Dou family had their own things to do today, Jinniang took the children to read and talk in the house after dinner.
Someone outside said Dou Yuan was coming, and Jinniang hurriedly invited her in with a smile.
After a year, Dou Yuan had grown a lot taller and got engaged this year. She looked like a grown-up girl. She had no estrangement with Jinniang, and she started talking about family matters as soon as she entered the house: "My brother was taken to study by my uncle. Although my uncle never mentioned the adoption, mother felt relieved."
"Your uncle must be observing your brother's performance." Jinniang thought that the eldest master of the Dou family was very cautious, but Dou Dalang was not a smart man.
Dou Yuan was also worried about her brother, but Jinniang advised her: "You are getting married soon, and your brother is a few years older than you. You have to think about your future. I heard that the Zhen family is a big family in Daming Prefecture. It's not easy to be a daughter-in-law in a family with many families."
These were not things that Dou Yuan was worried about. Her family was a large one, and the sisters-in-law were often not on good terms with each other. But no matter what, she is the daughter of the Dou family. Although she is usually worried about her parents and brother, her life is not affected too much. But in the future...
She couldn't help but look at Jinniang and ask for advice.
After all, my cousin and his wife are a loving couple.
Jinniang smiled and said, "I don't have much to teach you. To be honest, it's because your cousin and I are both willing to work hard that we live a good life. This young master of the Zhen family is said to be talented, handsome and well-behaved. As long as the two of you work together, there is nothing you can't do. There is just one thing -"
Dou Yuan hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
"You must have the foundation for your life, which can be your skills and talents, or your dowry." Jinniang said.
In fact, a good marriage does not rely on just one person. For example, Jiang Xian also makes contributions. Jinniang will feel better when she sees how good he is to her. If one of the two parties does not cooperate, no matter how hard the other party tries, it will be difficult to get the relationship back. Moreover, divorces are rare in wealthy families, so under limited circumstances, one has to find one's own way of survival.
You can be flexible and have connections everywhere, so that your husband has to rely on you and dare not offend you. You can also manage your own dowry well, at least you will not have to worry about food and clothing and you don't have to care about other people's faces.
Dou Yuan listened to all of this and nodded frequently. She was a smart girl. Even when the Zhen family had Bai Yueguang, she was able to turn the situation around in the future, all thanks to Jinniang's words today.
The engagement between the Dou and Zhen families went very smoothly, and Jinniang, the blessed woman, also received generous gifts. First, she received a magnolia flower crown, and then a bionic flower crown made of silk and tongcao. There is also a set of head ornaments, which includes two gold bridge hairpins, a hollow gold flower hairpin, a phoenix hairpin, two pairs of gold comb backs inlaid with pearls, two pine cone buns, and three gold filigree hairpins with flower and bird patterns.
In addition to the head ornaments, there was also a load of tea cakes, six pieces of fashionable satin, and a pair of plum bottles.
Of course, Madam Dou also gave Yun Jie'er and Ning Ge'er a necklace each.
After completing the task, Jinniang returned home, but she didn't expect that Ruyan was actually waiting there. She had asked Chen Xiaolang to investigate Ruyan. Eighty percent of what she said was true, but two percent was untrue. For example, she was not abducted to the brothel because she was separated from her family. Instead, her parents died, and her aunt left the door half-closed and took her and her cousin to open a brothel.
Of course, she really didn't want to be a prostitute, but she failed to find a good man later.
Ruyan was actually very nervous, and she looked at Jinniang.
"You have finally succeeded in getting rid of your citizenship. If you serve me, you will be a slave again. I have two paths for you. I wonder if you are willing?" Jinniang said.
Ruyan said nervously, "I'd like to hear the details."
"Okay, one is that the female coroner in this county, Jiang Liuniang, is in need of an assistant. She has complained to me several times, and I can recommend you to her. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to become a slave. She also knows medical skills, and you just need to help. If you can learn a little bit of her skills, you won't have any worries. Another option is to go to Gu's Teahouse to make braised glutinous rice. There, you can earn a lot of money with food and accommodation provided, and you can open your own restaurant in the future." Jinniang said slowly.
Mother Fang thought that this was a good idea. She would first see whether Ruyan was really willing to live an honest life as an ordinary citizen or whether she had other plans.
Ruyan thought that she would have to deal with a disgusting man again, and she would have to endure being teased by him. It would be better for her to learn to be a coroner, since she was a little afraid of dead people.
But Madam Wei was right. She didn't want to be a slave anymore, nor did she want to be controlled by others, so she had to learn some skills.
"I want to learn to be a coroner." Ruyan said seriously.
Jinniang nodded: "Okay, I'll wait and see."
Ruyan has no parents and no money. If she could learn a skill in the government office, no one would cheat her and she would have a basis for herself.
After talking it out, Jinniang felt much better and was eager to go home. But she didn't expect that Madam Bao was secretly talking to Madam Tian, who she was friends with, "Do you know that the wife of County Magistrate Jiang was originally a maid? You really can't tell."
"That can't be." Mrs. Tian didn't believe it.
Madam Bao said anxiously, "I didn't lie to you. Her sister said so herself."
Madam Tian didn't say much. She didn't want to get involved in these gossips, and she also understood that Madam Bao was slandering others behind their backs. But when Madam Bao saw that Madam Tian ignored her, she told Huang Yasi's wife. Huang Yasi's wife believed her very much because she knew that what Madam Bao said was not unreasonable.
But to Bao's surprise, everyone's reaction seemed to be minimal.
“Why doesn’t anyone believe it?”
When the Meixian lieutenant heard what Bao said, he was furious: "You think everyone is the same as you. You are the only one who believes what a country woman says. According to what you said, she is just a maid from a poor family. Then why does she have so many boxes and cages and spend thousands of taels to buy land? Do you maids have good luck? Your master gives you thousands of taels as a dowry?"
This made Mrs. Bao blush: "I heard it from others, and I didn't say she was poor."
Mei County Magistrate turned over and went to sleep without speaking to her.
Naturally, Madam Bao said a few more words like this in front of Madam Wen, but Madam Wen was not as excited as she had imagined. Instead, she scolded her, "Madam Bao, what are you talking about? We are all wives of county officials, and we should get along well."
In Madam Wen's opinion, she really wanted to take the lead, but not by such despicable means. Everyone had to maintain superficial harmony and not let the servants and clerks below laugh at them.
Bao Madam was feeling very uncomfortable after being scolded by the Meixian Wei and Wen Niang continuously. Unfortunately, she happened to see Jin Niang coming back from outside. She was wearing a golden crown inlaid with flower filigree on her head. Her clothes were even more elegant. She had a bodice made of pomegranate red silk and a folded skirt of the same color underneath. She wore a peacock blue jacket with four rips and a pomegranate red collar embroidered with a peony branch pattern.
The servants behind her were carrying a lot of boxes and talking to the ladies from the yamen. Everyone surrounded her, and she looked very glorious.
Madam Bao was so angry that she wanted to bite her tongue. Qin Dutou's wife had already told Jinniang in her ear about Madam Bao's jumping around. Jinniang narrowed her eyes after hearing this, she didn't expect that it was Rongniang who said it. Rongniang was not a fool. Telling others all her details must have bad intentions.
However, the person Jinniang wanted to deal with now was naturally Madam Bao. She walked over and shook Madam Bao's hand and said, "Don't you know that I just came back from Yangzhou Prefecture and happened to pass by Zhaoxuan Prefecture. It turns out that the lady of Zhaoxuan Prefecture also knows the Dou family. She also said that you, Sister Bao, have served her for a long time. Why don't you go to pay your respects now?"
In fact, Jinniang had already found out about Bao Niangzi's identity. She was originally a maid in Zhaoxuan Mansion. This Meixian Wei was a personal soldier of Zhaoxuan Mansion. He was not a replacement for his uncle at all. This was just Meixian Wei packaging himself. But Jinniang never said it out loud, because that was her past, but today you were the one who provoked me first.
Madam Bao replaced her servants one after another because she didn't want people to know her past. Unexpectedly, she was slapped in the face by Jinniang in public. She felt stars in her eyes and her face felt hot as if she had been slapped several times.
Yang Dutou's wife had always been at odds with Bao Niangzi. After listening to Jin Niang's words, she said meaningfully, "Could it be that someone is accusing others everywhere? It turns out that I am the one who is accusing others..."
Mrs. Bao has always been a sharp-tongued person who would never admit anything, but now she is sweating profusely and her face is as pale as gold paper.
Jinniang thought to herself, with your mental state, you want to harm me? This is so useless. Now I will return the favor to you and let you know that I am not someone you can easily mess with.
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