Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Two Chapters in One
"Madam, when did you know the details of Bao's family?" Jiang Xian had never heard Jinniang mention it.
Jinniang fiddled with the bracelet on her hand and said nonchalantly, "When I first came to Wu County, I tried to make friends with Bao Niangzi. She treated Qiao'er well, but treated the other maids and even the concubines badly. Naturally, I was able to bribe them a little and find out the news. Later, in order to verify whether it was true, I mentioned this matter to Bao Dasao by chance. Before she refuted it, I knew it was about 70% true."
"You are really smart, madam, you can see the big picture from the small details. But why have I never heard you mention it to me?" Jiang Xian was both impressed and puzzled.
Jinniang sighed slightly: "In fact, I don't think this is a big deal. She can be the wife of a county lieutenant as a maid, just like me. But seeing that she is now spreading the news everywhere, I will naturally return the favor."
I originally thought that my wife would be very happy after defeating Bao Niangzi, but I didn't expect that she would not be as happy as I imagined.
It's just that this Madam Bao is an outsider, but Jiang Xian even wanted to kill Rong Niang, so he smiled and said, "Madam, I know that when someone hits you, you hit him back. But the officialdom is not like this. If we don't prepare in advance, we will be the ones who are unlucky. Madam, if you don't make a decision, you will suffer the consequences. Imagine, if you tell her neighbors in detail that she was once Feng Sheng's wife, that she was caught cheating twice, and that her father was paralyzed because of stealing a horse, how can she live?"
"Madam, your elder sister, I see——"
"My dear, she is not a wicked villain. I'm afraid she was deceived into telling the truth about me. Besides, both her parents are dead, and she was plotted against by her partner. She won't have anyone to bother her with in the future. In this case, I'll just go and warn her." Jinniang said hurriedly.
She has always known that Jiang Xian is a man of great means, and now his means are more fierce than before. He is ruthless in eliminating those with ulterior motives. He is born to be a good official. If he deals with Rong Niang, she may not be able to survive like Feng Sheng. Therefore, she hurriedly stopped him in front.
Not for Rong Niang, but for Jiang Xian. Wherever you go, you will leave traces behind. Once you have murderous intentions, it will be easy to get out of control.
Seeing Jinniang like this, Jiang Xian could only sigh, holding Jinniang's shoulders and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you, madam."
Soon it was the Fireplace Warming Meeting on the first day of October. This time, Rong Niang did not receive Ah Ying's generous Fireplace Warming Gift. Instead, Ah Ying accused her, "Madam, why are you spreading my affairs everywhere?"
"I, I didn't." Rong Niang waved her hands, feeling very innocent.
Ah Ying snorted coldly: "They went to the county government and reported that it was you and Mrs. Bao who said it."
Rong Niang remembered that last time someone who claimed to be a victim came to her and asked her to find out about Jin Niang's preferences so that the county lieutenant could help her family to avenge their grievances. Rong Niang couldn't bear it, so she had to tell Jin Niang some of her hobbies, such as her love of embroidery. The person was curious about how Jinniang learned it, so she told him how hard it was for Jinniang to learn her lessons as a maid in a wealthy family.
She responded: "I didn't mean to do that."
"Madam, no matter how much our wife didn't mean it, she would not divorce you, get caught in adultery, or tell everyone about your family affairs, right? Madam said that since everyone in the capital has believed you to be dead, she will also think so in the future." Aying also got angry.
Rong Niang hurriedly said, "Keep your voice down, keep your voice down."
Ah Ying was so angry that she laughed: "It seems that you also know that the past is not worth looking back on. Why bother?"
Rong Niang spread her hands: "But I only said good things about Jin Niang..."
It was useless for her to say more. Even Ah Ying couldn't bear to listen anymore. She turned around and left. She got on the carriage and said to Chen Xiaolang, "We don't have to come here again in the future."
Chen Xiaolang flicked his whip and said, "Okay, I don't want to come over either."
Rong Niang watched the carriage disappear, and then she heard her mother-in-law come in and ask, "But her aunt's family is here?"
"Yes, they said my sisters are going to be transferred." Rong Niang said.
She couldn't let her husband's family find Jinniang. Jinniang was a vengeful person. If she told her story, how would her husband's family look at her? Now her husband's family only knows that she was rescued by Shang Dalang, and they don't know about her past.
When Jinniang heard Ah Ying say that Rongniang was still complaining, she couldn't help but say, "If it weren't for me, I'm afraid she would have died. Forget it. From now on, just pretend that she didn't exist."
In fact, she is not angry now, because she really doesn't care anymore, and she has also experienced it personally, so she should let go of the desire to help others and respect the fate of others. From then on, she really treated Rong Niang as if she didn't exist.
Then she heard someone outside handing over a plum-red note. Jinniang opened it and found that it was actually an acquaintance. It turned out to be Gu Xiutou, who used to work in the Wenxiu Courtyard. After listening to his words, she returned to Jiangnan to manage the family business. The two had not seen each other for ten years.
When Jinniang first came to Pingjiang, she was still wondering if she could meet his family. Later, she heard from the local Gu family that their family business had long been moved to Lin'an.
Two days later, Jinniang met Gu Xiutou in the county government office. The former "fashionable person" was still wearing expensive and tight clothes, but they were too dignified, completely different from her previous self who was good at dressing up.
The first thing she said when she saw herself was, "I'm divorced. It's hard to explain."
When Jinniang heard that she was getting divorced, she smiled and said, "Xiutou, you are both talented and beautiful, your family is rich, and you are still young. You can find someone better when the time comes."
Gu Qingru smiled and said, "After all these years, you still call me Gu Xiutou. My nickname is Qingru, if you don't mind, just call me by my name."
After not seeing each other for many years, Gu Qingru and the Gu family of Wu County are also relatives, and they share what they have with each other. But Jinniang's figure and appearance are very different from before. At this time, her temperament is quiet and graceful, and her appearance is elegant and dignified. Gu Qingru naturally would not mention how fat the other person was in the past. That was not reminiscing about the past; that was embarrassing.
Therefore, she didn't show any abnormality at all.
Even when she came to complain, she was actually exposing her own weaknesses to Jinniang. If a merchant didn't have someone to protect him, it would be difficult for him to take root in one place. Fortunately, Jinniang was really nice. Not only did she not look down on me because of my divorce, but she also said that I was young and that she had gotten married in these years and had wasted her youth.
Seeing this, Jinniang sighed, "I originally came to Pingjiang thinking I could meet my sister, but I didn't expect to hear Madam Gu mention that my sister married in Lin'an. I felt sorry that we couldn't meet, but I didn't expect that we would meet now."
Gu Qingru came to seek Jinniang's help, so naturally she had to talk about her own experience: "Yes, when I came out of the Wenxiu Courtyard, I came back to help my father run the business, and then I arranged a marriage and married into an official family in Lin'an Prefecture. His family has been officials for generations, and it is said that they owed a large sum of money, so they married me. My husband and I got along well, and we gave birth to a son after marriage, who is also smart, but my mother-in-law is always dissatisfied, always saying that it is because of me that my husband has no hope of passing the imperial examination. I could ignore all this, but later even my husband..."
Jinniang called out "Sister Gu", and Gu Qingru came back to her senses and told her her plan: "Let's not talk about this anymore. The shop in Lin'an has been given to my good-for-nothing son. Now I plan to reopen the shop in Pingjiang Prefecture. Fortunately, I have relatives and you, the county lieutenant's wife, here. Otherwise, I would only dare to collect some rent."
"If Sister Gu needs any help, just come to my house." Jinniang said.
Gu Qingru was only trying to find out about Jinniang's true strength today. Now that she saw her, she found that she was still the same as before, with noble character. She felt that she was really lucky. Even after divorce and fighting alone, she could always meet noble people.
Back then, the children of the Gu family fought each other for the family property. Gu Qingru occupied three garment shops and one restaurant, which were considered the largest shops. Later, when she got married, the three large garment shops in Pingjiang Prefecture were all rented out. Now she had to start over again.
"Thank you very much, Miss Wei." Gu Qingru said, and while speaking, she also said that she would give 10% of the shares to Jinniang.
Jinniang said hurriedly, "Actually, I don't want any of these. Although I am not as rich as my sister, I have two shops and I can live a decent life. If my sister must repay me, please let the double-sided embroidery craftsman teach me."
Gu Qingru was stunned, then smiled: "There is no one else in the world who can embroider double-sided embroidery. I am the best at embroidering double-sided embroidery with different colors. Why don't I teach you?"
Of course, Jinniang was happy about this.
Jiang Xian also heard about this. Seeing Jinniang not taking her share but wanting to learn double-sided embroidery, he was puzzled: "Madam, didn't you say we were going to buy a big house and needed money?"
"It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Although I don't need to do embroidery to make money now, I have learned these skills, which is like turning stone into gold." This is why Jinniang is not afraid of Jiang Xian's change of heart in the future, because she has already had her own foundation for life, and the land she now owns is bought with her dowry.
Who is Jiang Xian? If his wife really believes in him, why does she always learn these skills? It is obvious that she thinks he has two minds.
Yes, recently, he has been busy with mundane affairs, always wanting to show his talents, and he also has to take care of officials at all levels, so he has no time to accompany his wife. In the future, he still has to take good care of his wife.
We really can't relax for even a day.
Jinniang had no idea of his little thoughts. When Gu Qingru came to teach Jinniang how to do double-sided embroidery, Jinniang learned very seriously. She had already learned from someone else and had some basic skills, but was not so proficient. Now Gu Qingru was teaching her the secret methods, such as opening up the Ren and Du meridians.
Gu Qingru was on good terms with the county lieutenant's wife, so others would naturally ask about their relationship. Gu Qingru took the initiative to say, "The county lieutenant's wife and I were both female officials in the imperial court. If she hadn't been filial to her parents, she would have had a promising future after leaving the palace."
When these words reached Madam Wen's ears, she said to Madam Sheng beside her, "As expected, everyone's background cannot be underestimated. She is actually a female official in the palace."
"Madam, Madam Bao is talking nonsense. Don't believe her instigation." Mother Sheng reminded her. She knew Madam's temperament, but one cannot offend people casually in the officialdom, otherwise one will die without knowing how.
Madam Wen nodded: "I understand."
She is also the daughter of an official, so how could she not understand the rules? The more prestigious one is, the more low-key they act and the more they never show their power. But if you offend them, they will deal with you without making a fuss.
Therefore, when Madam Wen sent a generous gift, Jinniang was a little surprised.
As for Mrs. Bao, because her identity was exposed, she was usually mean to others. People like Yang Dutou's wife and Qin Dutou's wife laughed at her behind her back, so she could only pretend to be sick and stay at home.
Fortunately, there was a wife of Huang Yasi who shared the same interests with her. Now that Huang Yasi's wife heard that Jinniang was a female official in the palace, she did not dare to underestimate her and only told Bao Niangzi secretly.
Mrs. Bao still didn't believe it: "Isn't this just a fabrication of her own identity?"
"It shouldn't be. The person who spoke is the daughter-in-law of the former Shangshu Youcheng of Lin'an Prefecture. We in Pingjiang all know Madam Gu. She was selected to enter the palace. Her family has too much money and too little food. As soon as she arrived in Pingjiang, she came directly to find Madam Wei, which shows that it is true." Although Huang Yasi's wife had some means of provoking, she didn't expect to make such a big fuss.
Madam Bao was so frightened that she was scared out of her wits. If he had a background in the palace, wouldn’t she be in great trouble? While speaking, he blamed Mrs. Bao for not doing her job carefully.
After Huang Yasi's wife left, Qiao'er brought tea and said, "Madam, my sister-in-law probably made up some stories to ask for your money. Besides, this Madam Wei came from Bian Jing. I heard from Aying that Madam Wei brought two houses in Kaifeng as a dowry before she got married. If that country woman is really Madam Wei's sister, what is she doing in this remote place? Her husband is just a boatman, how can he have any future? He just lied to cheat money and happened to cheat my sister-in-law."
Madam Bao said angrily: "I was really blinded by her lies and believed them."
Now Madam Wen ignored her, and she had severely offended Madam Wei. Even the wives of lowly officials laughed at her. She was too ashamed to face anyone.
Jinniang didn't know whether she had the face to see anyone, so she just asked, "Mother Fang, how is Ruyan doing at Jiang Liujie's place?"
Mother Fang smiled and said, "I just asked, everything is fine, don't worry. Jiang Liujie said that she is diligent in study, can understand things quickly, and is not afraid of hardship."
"Well, in that case, I feel relieved." Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief.
It is very difficult for women to survive in this world. If there is a way to survive, who would want to be trapped in the world of brothels? Just like Ruyan, if she knows some medical skills in the future, she will have her own foundation for life, just like Lou Si Niang.
As they were talking, they heard that Jiang Xian had invited several county students to dinner at his home. Jinniang hurriedly asked the kitchen to add a few more dishes and said with a smile, "Our Shiliulang has many like-minded people wherever he goes."
But then she saw a letter from Luo Da saying that the person who rented her shop had decided not to rent it last month, and that the shop had been made very dirty by them. He asked Jinniang what would happen next. It seems that the owner of the money shop at Jinliang Bridge is also interested in cashing in.
Jinniang naturally asked Luo Da to clean up the shop in Tianshui Lane first and then continue to rent it out. The rent was still in the price range of fifteen to twenty strings of cash per month. As for the shop in Jinliang Bridge, I will wait and see. If they really don't intend to rent it out, I will continue to list it with the middleman, and the price should be between thirty-five and forty strings of cash.
There was no problem with renting out houses in Bian Jing. The only problem was that people would take good care of the shops. If there was any damage, they would pay money in advance to repair them.
These troubles piled up together until the beginning of next spring, when the weather warmed and flowers bloomed, and many things got better. First, Luo Da wrote to say that the shop in Tianshui Lane had been rented out to a silk seller, and they also rented the two servants' rooms behind Jinniang as a warehouse for a monthly salary of twenty-five strings of cash. As for the house in Jinliangqiao, the contract has been renewed there, so there is no need to worry.
It was noon again, and Madam Tian invited Madam Wen and Madam Jin to have dinner. Today they had a dish they had never eaten before, stuffed fish. Fry the chopped mutton and rice in an oil pan until they are 70% to 80% cooked, then stuff them into the belly of fresh crucian carp and roast them over fire. It tastes very delicious.
"What is this dish called?" Jinniang couldn't help but ask.
Madam Tian smiled and said, "This is fresh fish and mutton."
Jinniang pulled her and said, "You must give me the recipe. My parents love fish the most, and they have never eaten this dish." To be honest, she still missed her parents and brother a little. She was really excited when she first came out, but now even though her husband and children were around her, she missed her parents and relatives a little.
Originally, Madam Wen came here to cause trouble, but later, seeing that Madam Jin had a strong background and Madam Tian was a kind person, she gave in and became friends with everyone.
She felt good while eating the fish and mutton, and couldn't help saying, "The county lieutenant's wife is really filial. If my son could be half as filial as you, I would be very happy."
"From what you said, I think Brother Yan is a good person." Jinniang knew that Madam Wen originally had two sons and one daughter. Her daughter got married early and her eldest son died young, so she was extremely doting on her youngest son.
Unfortunately, the youngest son was not a bad person, but just like his father, he was like a free-spirited wanderer and did not work hard for fame and fortune, which made Madam Wen very distressed.
Madam Tian quickly asked the kitchen staff to come and tell her, and Jinniang gave her a box of fruit as a reward before going back to prepare for the experiment.
After Jinniang returned home, she did not expect Jiang Xian to be at home. She smiled and said, "If I had known you were at home, I would have come back earlier. Madam Tian invited us to have a good meal."
After that, she described in detail the taste of the fish and mutton she had eaten. Jiang Xian folded his hands under the back of his head and just looked at Jinniang as he spoke. She had a very strong ability to describe things, and she could make a small thing sound vivid.
"Then can you cook for me?" Jiang Xian was a little expectant.
Jinniang quickly shook her head: "I'm afraid of killing fish and I don't know how to do it."
Jiang Xian laughed: "Then I'll cook it for my wife."
He knew that Jinniang's cooking skills were limited to cooking the dishes, and he didn't expect her to reject him so bluntly. This is also one of the reasons why he likes his wife. They rarely stick to one thing they are not good at.
Many people's natural dispositions never change, but Jinniang chooses the good and follows them, and changes the bad.
Jinniang talked to Jiang Xian about her family's plans again: "Last time I said I would buy a large house with three entrances, but now I think it would be nice if it also had a garden, so I have to save some money in the next few years, and don't blame me for being tight-fisted."
The house at the entrance of Tianshui Lane is too small and is no longer large enough to live in. Now that the children have grown up, they all need a yard of their own. As long as she doesn't buy in an area like Nanxunfang, other places will also be fine.
But it’s just a place to live, there’s no place to enjoy the scenery, and it’s not interesting.
Besides, Jinniang thought that people only had a few years to make money, so she had to buy some property so that she would have a place to stay when she fell into poverty.
All the money in Jiang Xian's family was managed by Jinniang, and he never interfered.
With Gu Qingru's guidance and Jinniang's hard work, she made rapid progress. Whenever she was doing something, other things would be put aside, and she would always focus on the deer on the left and not even blink.
Therefore, when Fang's mother talked about this matter with Jinniang that day, she finally understood.
Mother Fang said, "After Ruyan came to the government office, the county master's son always followed her to investigate the case. From what I can see, he must have fallen in love with Ruyan."
"So what do you mean?" Jinniang asked straight to the point.
Mother Fang sat down and said, "We have finally established a good relationship with Madam Wen's family. Now something like this has happened again. I'm afraid if Madam Wen knew about it, she would think you did it on purpose."
Jinniang waved her hands: "If she wants to blame someone, she can blame her own son. How can she blame Ruyan? It's really like a man who is innocent but guilty of possessing a treasure. Let's see if she is willing to continue doing this. If she doesn't care about what others say, she can keep her distance from the county master. There's nothing wrong with continuing to do this. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater."
In a large county like Wu County, there are all kinds of coroners. However, if Jiang Xian is transferred to other places in the future, the quality of the personnel in those places will be uneven. If there is a female coroner like Yanxing, it will naturally be a good thing.
Moreover, for Ruyan, she doesn't have to be a slave or a lowly servant, and she can still be respected by others. Isn't this the best of both worlds?
Of course, Jinniang also told Jiang Xian what she said, and added: "If necessary, go talk to the young master of the county lord's family."
Jiang Xian didn't expect his wife to be so far-sighted. He thought she just saved the person and didn't know what to do with him so she left him with Jiang Liujie. He put his arm around Jinniang's shoulders and suddenly had an idea: "My dear, let's be husband and wife in the next life."
He is not as bright and cheerful as he seems, and he is often selfish, but his wife always wants to open her heart and consider everything for him.
Seeing his sincere eyes, Jinniang couldn't help but smile and said, "You are so gullible. You will definitely be played around by others in the future. Maybe I am deliberately being hypocritical?"
She doesn't have a weak mentality. Husband and wife should support each other.
Jiang Xian looked at her in embarrassment: "My wife, you are the first person who said that I am easy to deceive, but I only allow you to deceive me. Besides, you are the only one who wants to play with me in the palm of your hand. I don't believe what others say."
"You're such a smooth talker." Jinniang pinched his handsome face and couldn't help laughing.
Jiang Xian said, "It's nothing. I just need to talk to the county magistrate. It's not good for him, a yamen official, to always hang out with the yamen clerks. Just relax, Jinniang."
Hearing him murmur her name for the last time, Jinniang felt a tingling sensation all over her body.
…
Ning Ge'er, who was outside the door, wanted to find his mother, but when he heard the voices inside, he said to Ma Yangniang, "Dad and mom are playing, I want to go in and play too."
Ma Yangniang quickly took the child away with a red face.
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