Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Two Chapters in One
On the day of the winter solstice, Jinniang let Zhu Xiuniang go home half an hour earlier than usual and gave her two fish, a chicken and a box of cakes. Zhu Xiuniang was very happy. During her time at Wei's Embroidery Shop, not only was her salary paid on time, but the boss also gave her performance bonuses if she did more work. The shop had ice in the summer, charcoal fire in the winter, and festival gifts at all times of the year. She was extremely satisfied.
"Thank you, Master. Thank you, Master." said Zhu Xiu Niang.
Jinniang smiled and said, "No need to thank me, go home early and have a good holiday with your man."
Zhu Xiu Niang nodded: "Yeah."
After Zhu Xiu Niang left, Jin Niang was making a fur coat, sewing tiger skin with satin with a pattern of three friends of winter and curled leaves on a sandalwood purple background. This was made for Jiang Xian, as his money was kept with her, and she couldn't let him suffer the cold.
Xi Qiuzheng came over from the kitchen and said, "Madam, the food is almost done."
"Well, let's wait until my husband comes back before having dinner." Jinniang said without raising her head.
Ah Ying touched her stomach and said, "My dear, why hasn't my husband come back yet? I'm a little hungry."
"After my husband returns to the Jiang family, he will have to give gifts everywhere. It won't be that fast. You go to the alley to buy some hot cakes to fill your stomach. We have to stay in the store for a while." Jinniang said with a smile.
When Ah Ying heard this, she quickly got up from the stool and went out to buy food.
At this time, Jiang Xian was at Zhou's house. He went home first today, then went to several branches of his clan in Beijing to deliver gifts for the Winter Solstice, then went to the homes of Liu Jixiang, Huang Xue Shi, and Han Xiao, and finally came to Zhou's house.
It happened that Jiang and Zhou Cunzhi were there, and they pulled him aside to talk.
When Jiang asked him how he was doing now, Jiang Xian said everything was fine.
"We've been living in Tianshui Lane since we left home. My nephew's family is very caring, so don't worry."
Zhou Cunzhi said: "If you need any help, just send someone to come."
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "Don't worry, second brother. I won't be polite." He then said to Jiang, "I will take my leave now. I won't disturb you to celebrate the winter solstice."
Jiang nodded, and Zhou Cunzhi sent Jiang Xian out again. The two cousins chatted for a while. Zhou Cunzhi mentioned: "Jiulang said he took a few white Huai fish from your house last time?"
"Yes, it was exchanged with my wife by a sea merchant. Cousin, do you want to eat it too? It's out of stock now. However, there is a restaurant near us that makes really good hand-washing crabs. Why don't you come to my house when the time comes, second brother? We can invite them to our house for a meal. We don't have to drink, but you and I can have a good chat. How about that?" Jiang Xian said.
He thought Zhou Cunzhi would disagree, but he never expected Zhou Cunzhi to agree. Of course, he also told Jiang Xian something: "I heard that Gong Ziliang intended to hire your sister-in-law as his second wife. You should pay attention to it."
Jiang Xian was stunned for a moment, then recovered instantly and hurriedly thanked Zhou Cunzhi.
After leaving Zhou's house, Jiang Xian felt a little worried. He fell in love with his wife at the first sight. It was not entirely because of her beauty. The most important thing was that she was completely passionate and focused when talking about her embroidery work. She also said that her condition was that she must run the embroidery shop after marriage, otherwise she could not agree.
He knew from a young age that he was handsome, smart, and had a photographic memory. His parents favored him, and when he was fifteen years old, many girls were fond of him. His family background was not very good, but he was also the son of a noble family.
I never thought there would be a woman who values herself more than others.
Especially after moving to Tianshui Lane, he could increasingly realize that his wife was a principled person with a bottom line. She was persistent but not stubborn, and she was neither humble nor arrogant. How could no one like such a woman with such a beautiful appearance?
But he didn't expect that this guy actually coveted his wife.
I heard that Gong Ziliang lost his wife last month...
He urged, "Uncle Luo, please hurry up, I need to go back quickly."
Uncle Luo whipped the carriage and when he came back, the embroidery shop was about to close. Jinniang had just finished sewing the fur coat and when she saw Jiang Xian coming in, she hurriedly said, "It's just right that you're here, try it on."
"Making clothes again? Why don't you take a rest?" Jiang Xian hurried forward and hugged her.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Winter is coming soon. I can't sit for long now. I'll make a fur coat while I can. I left this material for you. The fur is the tiger skin you saw last time. I saw you have a mink coat and a lynx coat, so I'll make you a new one to wear."
Winter clothes are the easiest way to see a person's wealth. Jinniang had a sheepskin coat last year, and this year she wants to make a deerskin coat, which is more windproof than a cotton-padded jacket.
"My lady, why are you so nice to me?" Jiang Xian felt a little embarrassed and felt that he did not deserve it.
Jinniang poked his face and said, "Why do you always say that? If our Shiliu Lang passes the imperial examination, I'm afraid people will say that I am marrying above my station."
Jiang Xian scratched his head: "What if I fail the exam in ten or twenty years, or in my entire life like my father?"
"That's no big deal. We collect rent from one store, and I run the other store. We also have 150 acres of land. We're not rich, but we can barely worry about food and drink." Jinniang knew that her personality was a bit strong, and it might not be a good idea to find someone who was too rebellious and would confront her head-on.
Jiang Xian was naturally moved by what he heard, but he asked a question that he didn't even know he would ask: "Are you good to your husband, or only to me?"
"Of course I treat you well because you are good to me. If he were a bad husband, I would ignore him." Jinniang answered as a matter of course.
Jiang Xian immediately swore: "I will definitely treat my wife better in the future."
"Really? We've been out for a while and talked so much. Let's go eat quickly." Jinniang said with a smile.
On the day of the winter solstice, Yang Ge'er was also at home. This guy liked to drink drinks, and knowing that his brother-in-law could not drink alcohol, he specially bought two drinks. The table was filled with dishes, and the plump white dumplings in front of Jinniang were also very pleasing to the eye. She took a bite and it actually hurt her teeth, and there was a copper coin inside.
"Jinniang, I only let Juxiang put three dumplings out of the hundred, and you ate them. I'm sure our daughter will be blessed next year." Luo Yu'e said with a smile.
Jinniang looked at her mother with a smile: "My daughter just hopes that everyone is safe and healthy."
Everyone was very happy.
With Jiang Xian around, Yang Ge'er has someone to teach him, and the two get along like real brothers. Jinniang is also very pleased. Her family is very poor, and every time her brother wants to ask for advice, she doesn't know who to ask. This is good.
Aying thought that her wife really knew how to behave. If she treated her son-in-law well, her son-in-law would treat the Wei family even better. If she suppressed her son-in-law and mentioned his favors every day, a capable man like her son-in-law would probably have held a grudge against her long ago.
Getting along with others in this world is really a science.
After the winter solstice, Jinniang's main products are cotton-padded jackets, leather jackets and newlywed items. Today, she is embroidering a pillowcase with a double happiness pattern of bamboo and plum blossoms.
She planned to finish the embroidery in the morning, so she didn't even raise her head and embroidered very seriously.
Suddenly, an old woman came in with a little boy. The old lady was well dressed and must be from a wealthy family. Although Jinniang was pregnant at the time, her winter clothes were loose and it was not easy to see.
The little boy was very well behaved. Jinniang had someone take some snacks and put them aside. She then introduced the old woman, "The material of the magpie wearing a peony that you brought is really good. In my opinion, it would be best to make a collar with a peony branch pattern, and then use gold thread for all the teeth. This is the best way to match the material."
Seeing how Jinniang explained things in such detail, even drawing them for her to see, and how well she wrote, and how patient she was, the old woman couldn't help but ask, "Madam, have you promised to marry someone now?"
Jinniang pointed to her hair and said, "I'm already married."
The old woman was a little disappointed. "My eldest son is a county magistrate in Heze. His first wife passed away, and I am old. He only has one son to take care of. I thought your wife was thoughtful, well-spoken, and blessed. I never thought you were already married."
She saw that the lady was well-dressed, capable of running a shop, and most importantly, had a great life. She didn't expect that they would actually get married.
"Thank you for your praise. It is really admirable that you can raise a son to be a local official. How about this, if you work for me, I will give you a pair of purses." Jinniang said with a smile.
The old woman was a bit stingy at first, but when she heard that the foreparture was a pair of purses and seeing that the one Jinniang had drawn looked really good, she gritted her teeth and spent five strings of coins and three cents to decide to do it.
Jinniang gave her a receipt, and seeing that the little boy loved eating fruits, she put a handful of fruits into his pocket.
She thought this was just a minor incident, but Jiang Xian found out about it. Jiang Xian was so upset that he wanted to cry. Gong Ziliang was a potential rival in love, and now there was a 60-year-old woman recommending her son.
What is going on?
Therefore, Jinniang actually drank the soup made by Jiang Xian the next day. She was very surprised and whispered, "Don't they say that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen?"
Jiang Xian said with a smile: "I made a night of glutinous rice for my wife, how could anyone gossip about me? Try it, I asked Ju Xiang and Xi Qiu to teach me for the whole morning."
Jinniang saw that the dish looked good, but she was afraid that it might be some kind of shady food, after all, she was pregnant. She looked at Jiang Xian suspiciously: "Xianlang, have you tasted it yourself?"
"Of course I have eaten it. If I hadn't eaten it, how could I give it to you?" Jiang Xian looked at her expectantly.
Jinniang scooped one with a spoon and put it in her mouth. Wow, it was really delicious.
The steamed buns were filled with lean meat, and the soup was topped with a few chopped green onions and pepper powder. The flavor was also very good. She ate it mouthful after mouthful, and was a little touched: "My husband is the best in the world."
Jiang Xian felt embarrassed when she praised him: "My lady, you are too kind."
Then he smiled and looked at Jinniang: "If you like it, I will do it again next time."
I have to say that she really has a talent for cooking. The dishes that Jinniang can cook are limited to cooked ones, but Jiang Xian can learn it with just a little practice and even finds it very simple. Naturally, the relationship between the two was better than before. Just as Jiang Xian mentioned that Zhou Cunzhi might come to visit, and said that he had already arranged a banquet, Jinniang didn't care anymore.
It is said that Zhou Cunzhi had been an official outside for several years and was no longer the same as he was at home. He also brought a lot of gifts to the door. Although the place was not big, it was well tidy, with white walls, peach trees, and a clump of bamboo in front of the study. The servants served tea and snacks, and everything was also in order.
"It's a quiet place in a bustling city. It's a great place." Zhou Cunzhi praised.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "The best thing about this place is that the water is sweet. Second brother, try this tea."
Zhou Cunzhi took a sip and was filled with fragrance: "Hmm, not bad."
After that, Zhou Cunzhi naturally talked about what he had learned from reading. Jiang Xian talked to him quite well. Then, he asked someone to call Yang Ge'er over and introduce him to Zhou Cunzhi.
His brother-in-law is honest and dull, and is not very good at dealing with people. Jiang Xian also wants him to interact with more people so that he won't be stage-frightened. If others see that you are afraid and shrinking, they will instantly know your weakness.
Yang Ge'er hurriedly bowed, and Zhou Cunzhi smiled and chatted with him for a few words. He took out a jade pendant from his waist and gave it to him as a gift. He then asked him about his studies in a gentle tone. Seeing that Yang Ge'er spoke awkwardly but was not sarcastic, Zhou Cunzhi encouraged him with a few words.
Jiang Xian smiled and said to Yang Ge'er, "Brother Zhou Er has passed the imperial examination. You should listen carefully to what he says."
Yang Ge'er quickly said yes.
Then, Jiang Xian asked him to go down first and talked about his recent essays. After reading them, Zhou Cunzhi started to discuss them with him.
Soon it was noon, and Jiang Xian had someone send over a meal. Jinniang also came over to pay her respects. She was pregnant, and it didn't seem very noticeable from behind, but it was noticeable when she walked.
"Sister-in-law, please get up quickly." Zhou Cunzhi said.
Jinniang smiled and said, "My dear, you said you like to eat white Huai fish. It just so happens that it's all sold out this time. I'll keep an eye out for it next time. If there's any, I'll ask you to send it over."
Zhou Cunzhi didn't know why he felt that someone was thinking about him, and he was so happy that he couldn't hide it: "Then I'll trouble you, sister-in-law."
Jinniang was unaware of this secret because she had her head down. She walked out after she finished speaking. Jiang Xian was very sensitive. He was not sensitive towards Zhou Cunzhi, but he was very sensitive towards the people around his wife. However, he did not show it on his face and continued to talk about the past and present with Zhou Cunzhi.
When he was about to leave, Jiang Xian put on his fur coat and said with some sweet distress, "My wife made me too many clothes. I can never wear them all. This year is clearly a warm winter. I sweat a lot when I wear them. But if I don't wear them, my wife will be afraid that I will be cold. Sigh, women are like that."
Zhou Cunzhi pretended to smile calmly and said, "Seeing that my sister-in-law treats you so well, my mother doesn't have to worry."
"Cousin, please tell my aunt that I'm fine. I have always loved my wife, and now she treats me the same way... Anyway, please ask her not to worry about me." Jiang Xian was still very shy when talking about how his wife treated him.
Zhou Cunzhi looked a little desolate when he left.
Jiang Xian, however, went into the study with a sullen face, and started writing in one go.
Jinniang didn't know this, she only heard Yang Ge'er say that Jiang Xian recommended him, so she said to Yang Ge'er: "Your brother-in-law just missed the imperial examination this year because of a funeral, but his way of dealing with people and his talent are extremely high. You should remember to learn more from him."
Yang Ge'er also showed her the gift Zhou Cunzhi had sent her. Jin Niang said, "Since it's given to you, you should keep it well."
"Okay." Yang Ge'er put it away carefully.
Soon it was Laba Festival, and Rongniang came over to deliver Laba porridge. She was saying to Jinniang, "You don't know that I cooked this porridge myself. I picked out the lotus seeds one by one, soaked them overnight, and then cooked them. Smell it, it smells good, right? I also put hazelnuts in it."
Jinniang smelled it and said, "It is indeed fragrant."
Rong Niang smiled again and said, "Even if you like to eat beans, you can't eat too much. Eating too many beans will cause bloating." After that, she asked Jin Niang and the midwife if everything was ready.
Speaking of midwives, Jinniang sighed, "We originally found one, but a few days ago I heard that she drank too much and almost killed a woman in labor, so we had to find another one."
Giving birth is not a big deal; the arrangements before and after giving birth are the most trivial. However, it is not good for people to be too concerned.
Rong Niang sat for a while, then said she had something to do and left first. Jin Niang looked at her back in confusion.
After drinking half of the Laba porridge, Jinniang yawned and saw Mrs. Feng from the East Street Dyeing Factory coming over. It is said that Madam Feng was from a scholarly family. She married the owner of a dyeing factory because her family fell into poverty, but she always looked like a scholar.
Aying once went to her house to measure clothes and said that Madam Feng was having an affair with her cousin behind her back. She accidentally saw it once, and since then Jinniang rarely allowed anyone to go to her house, but she did come.
"Madam Feng, we have new goods recently. Please come and have a look." Aying stood up and introduced.
Madam Feng looked at Ah Ying and said, "I originally wanted you to come over, but I am a proper woman and I don't go out of the front door or the back door. It's not easy for me to leave the yard. But you refused to go, so I had to come here by myself."
Ah Ying thought to herself, you look serious and boast about yourself every day, but you are actually a rotten thing inside. Look at her wife, although she is a businesswoman, she has never had an affair with any man, and you still have the nerve to say this.
But she had a good professional ethics, so she immediately put on a smile and thought of an excuse: "Our boss is pregnant, I can't leave here, please don't mind, I'll serve you some tea, you can take your time here."
It turned out that Madam Feng wanted to buy a tube top. In fact, the best thing Jinniang does is tube tops, but many women are shy and deliberately don't look at them. Mrs. Feng bought a bright pink triangular folded one embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water. This tube top had been on the shelf for half a year and had not been sold. Everyone thought it was a bit erotic, but today it was bought by Mrs. Feng.
"Five cents." Aying said.
Mrs. Feng paid the money and left.
Ah Ying whispered, "I heard that Madam Feng's husband is very busy in the dyeing workshop. Who is she buying this for?"
"Ahem, stop talking nonsense." After Jinniang finished speaking, she thought of Rongniang again. You know, Rongniang actually dressed like her mother. She was naturally beautiful and wore casual clothes which were cheaper. But the hairpin on her head today was bought from Qiongzhenlou, and the jewelry there was not cheap at all. The last time Jiang Xian bought her a pair of gold bracelets with lotus patterns, it cost him eighteen strings of cash.
If it was given by Feng Sheng, it would be easy to deal with. But if it was given by someone else, then Rong Niang was really too bold.
She was afraid that Rong Niang was being plotted against by Feng Sheng, and that Rong Niang might ask to come over again?
Thinking of this, Jinniang said this to Luo Yu'e: "Do you know how the relationship between elder sister and brother-in-law is now?"
Luo Yu'e pondered for a moment and could not help but said, "Although they wanted to divorce last time, they have a good relationship afterwards. Think about it, they have two children after all. Your eldest sister is pretty and meticulous, and she can cook seven or eight kinds of side dishes. Your brother-in-law is already in his thirties. In the end, men still find a woman to serve them."
"I'm not feeling well, so you'd better take care of me. Otherwise, if she has something to do, she will ask you to come over again." Jinniang said.
Luo Yu'e had no choice but to nod.
Coming out of the house, she saw that Xu had also sent someone to deliver Laba porridge and fresh fruits. This person was none other than Xu's confidant, Mama Ge. Mama Ge had come here with Xu once before, when Jinniang was engaged. Now she came and saw that the business of the embroidery workshop was not very good. She also saw that Jinniang was still embroidering despite her big belly, and she secretly thought that it was a sin.
It seems that all this is just Wei's way of bragging, so he feels relieved.
"How is your business, madam?" asked Mother Ge.
Jinniang didn't want to show off her wealth, so she said quickly, "I can only make ends meet. There are so many embroidery shops here, and my shop is small. I can't handle big jobs, and people think small jobs are too expensive. Alas, there's nothing I can do."
Mother Ge said with a smile: "Madam, what are you saying? Your embroidery is worth a fortune. I'm afraid you are just kidding me."
"Why should I coax you? I'm actually looking forward to making more money." Jinniang continued embroidering.
Mother Ge was skeptical at first, but after she sat there for about an hour, not a single customer came back. She immediately went back and told Madam Xu, "I've been sitting there for a long time, but there's no one here. There's not much business."
Xu was relieved: "I think she was just bluffing back then to make her mother-in-law think she was rich. Now she is just so-so. Her true intentions are exposed."
Both the master and the servant were delighted.
As the New Year was approaching, Uncle Luo and his son had people deliver the grain from the 150 mu of land to Tianshui Lane. Jinniang had them store it in the warehouse, a total of about 18 stone. She called Juxiang over and said, "Store half of this grain and eat the other half. Be frugal, otherwise you will spend lavishly on weekdays and won't be able to afford grain in a famine." After that, she gave Juxiang the key to the door in the warehouse. Juxiang felt that she was trusted and said, "Don't worry, I will keep the kitchen safe for you."
Jinniang smiled and said, "Isn't there a granary ambassador in the court? Juxiang is my ambassador. I will raise your salary to five cents."
This encouragement made Juxiang more determined to help his wife manage the household.
Mother Luo saw this and said to her daughter-in-law, "You look down on your wife for asking you to do rough work, but if you can't do rough work well, you won't be able to do other things in the future. Look at Juxiang, it is said that she was just a kitchen maid before, but now she is in charge of the warehouse and kitchen laundry, and Xiqiu is obedient."
Her daughter-in-law remembered that the first thing Jinniang asked her to do was to clean the yard and thoroughly clean the toilet, and even light sandalwood in the toilet to make it spotless. She was unwilling to do that.
But now if she doesn't start from the bottom, she will be nothing, and she won't get paid if she doesn't work.
Seeing that Juxiang's salary had increased to five cents, while she herself had nothing, she immediately took a brush and carried water to the toilet.
Jinniang also saw the servants' actions. She didn't want someone who was too ambitious. Even if they were servants of the Jiang family, she would not really keep them without doing any work.
She was still embroidering even when she was pregnant.
From Laba to New Year's Eve, the days passed in a flash. Jinniang finally finished embroidering a skirt with flowers and birds. She said to Chen Xiaolang and Aying, "You two can give it to Madam Song together."
Ah Ying said: "You spent a month embroidering this skirt. It really takes a lot of effort to get it in your hands."
The satin flower and bird skirt is decorated with gauze bags, giving it a hazy feel.
This skirt cost thirty strings of cash, plus the ten strings of cash for the wedding quilt cover sold by Zhu Xiu Niang, the eight strings of cash for the powder puff, and the daily miscellaneous items, so this month's income was fifty-six strings of cash.
Finally I can have a good New Year, she thought.
"Madam." Jiang Xian shouted.
Jinniang turned around and saw Jiang Xian bringing in the food, including a dish of fried meat with king oyster mushrooms, braised pomfret, steamed eggs with clams, and a bowl of millet and yam porridge.
She looked at him with a smile: "Are these new dishes you learned?"
Jiang Xian put down the tray and couldn't help but smile: "I don't know how, I've never held a kitchen knife before, but thinking about cooking for my wife, I learned it all at once. My wife, I know you like to eat light and flavorful food, come and try it."
Jinniang nodded heavily: "Thank you, husband."
This year is a warm winter, so it will surely be a good year.
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