Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Two Chapters in One
After Jinniang gave birth to the child, she realized how devastating childbirth is to a woman. Even though she had a good diet, was in a good mood, and was in decent conditions, she still felt uncomfortable both physically and mentally.
Outside, however, everyone was in high spirits. Jiang Xian rewarded Mrs. Kong and the maids who served them. He had always felt that he was a child as well, but now after seeing his daughter, even though her rosy peach face was wrinkled, he felt a sense of responsibility on his shoulders.
"Mrs. Kong, how is my wife?" Jiang Xian asked.
Mrs. Kong smiled and said, "Both mother and daughter are fine, don't worry." However, she also reminded, "Women are weak after giving birth, so they must take good care of themselves during the confinement period."
Jiang Xian nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, I understand."
He immediately sent Liu Doer to ask Lou Si Niang to come over the next morning. Lou Si Niang was a female doctor. He had noticed her when Feng Sheng mentioned her. If Jin Niang had not given birth at dark, there would have been a doctor by her side.
Jinniang, who was inside, felt a little relieved when she heard Jiang Xian's arrangements outside. As the saying goes, I'm not afraid of god-like opponents, but I'm afraid of pig-like teammates. It is said that Jiang Xian is younger than her, so the woman must have suffered more in the marriage, but she feels that these things have nothing to do with age, but only with the maturity of a person's mind.
From the time he was twelve or thirteen years old, he was able to resolve disputes without making a fuss, and later when he accepted his fate and prepared to marry me, every step was so perfect, which showed his ability to self-regulate and how mature his mind was.
Look, he is calling Juxiang up and saying, "Cook some millet porridge with the red dates."
Ju Xiang quickly said, "Yes, my dear."
After a while, Lou Si Niang came over. Since she was a woman, she didn't have so many taboos, so Jin Niang felt at ease to talk to her about her physical problems.
Lou Si Niang said, "You must sit well during the confinement period. You cannot leave the bed forcibly, sit for a long time, do needlework, or use too much force. It is best not to get out of bed except to go to the toilet. The lochia usually takes a month to discharge, and some people even have to delay it for ten days."
Seeing that although Lou Si Niang was only pretty, she was able to talk eloquently and was skilled in medicine, Jin Niang trusted her very much and nodded: "Okay, what should I pay attention to when it comes to food?"
Seeing that Jinniang was having trouble speaking, Jiang Xian thought that she was probably still weak, so he hurriedly said, "Madam Lou, just tell me. My wife is weak after giving birth, let her rest."
Lou Si Niang was very surprised. Most men would not care about these things. But seeing that this young man from the Jiang family was doing these things, it was completely natural. She couldn't help but praise him, "Mr. Jiang really loves his wife like a treasure."
She also talked about dietary taboos: "Don't eat too light or too greasy food. The food must be soft and tender. It's best to eat porridge with chicken soup or minced meat. But it shouldn't be too light. A little bit of flavor will allow the mother to eat it. However, even if it's delicious, the mother can't eat too much, as it will easily cause stagnation."
Then she talked about bathing and other things. Jiang Xian listened very carefully. He also heard her say, "Madam Wei's qi and blood have been greatly damaged after giving birth. Her mind is easily disturbed. She needs to rest quietly. Especially when she is alone at night, she is easily frightened and uneasy. Thinking too much will hurt her mind."
Jiang Xian listened to all of this very carefully.
After Lou Si Niang left, Jin Niang had already fallen asleep. Jiang Xian leaned over and kissed his wife, and asked A Ying and Min Zhi to take good care of her. He then went downstairs to tell someone the good news.
Master Jiang Liu was very happy. The Xu family had always done a good job of showing off. Not only did they come in person, they also sent a lot of supplements. Now, since her brother-in-law and his family left, her cousin's father-in-law has become a Three-Division Envoy and admires her husband very much. He wants real talent and knowledge, but he also wants to be famous.
Even when Xu met Luo Yu'e, she was extremely polite and said that she would take her brother-in-law and his family back home once the money for the funeral was paid off.
Luo Yu'e was not stupid. She knew her daughter was unwilling to go back, so she just said, "Uncle is living well at home. Don't worry, I will take care of him like my own son."
As they were talking, Rong Niang came over in person, bringing some old clothes that her sons had worn and some diapers that she had cut herself. Luo Yu'e said, "It just so happens that the child needs these. I'll have someone send them upstairs to the wet nurse."
Rong Niang asked again, "I heard that Jin Niang hired a wet nurse?"
"Yes, she was hired for two years in total. She was originally the wife of a peddler, but her husband died of an acute illness. Her child was only one month old, so she had to go out to make a living. Fortunately, our Jinniang is kind-hearted and had a better candidate, but she pitied her and agreed to hire her." Luo Yu'e said.
In fact, Rong Niang felt that it was a waste of money and it would be better for her to breastfeed the child herself.
But she is no longer the same person she used to be. Although Jinniang is doing business now, she often regards herself as a lady from a noble family, so she can't say much.
Xu thought to herself, how could a wet nurse be hired for only two years? Could it be that the couple were too tight on money? Although she didn't like her mother-in-law's partiality, her mother-in-law had passed away now. If her brother-in-law lived in poverty, he might come to ask for money in the future, and her husband would definitely not sit idly by.
Therefore, she still hopes that her brother-in-law can live a decent life.
Just as she was about to ask Luo Yu'e a few words, she saw that Liu Jixiang's family, his uncle's family, and the Zhou family had all sent people over, and she had to help entertain them.
Because it was during the mourning period, Jiang Xian did not want to hold a third-day baptism ceremony, but everyone sent the third-day baptism ceremony over in advance.
Jinniang was unaware of all the noise from the outside world. She was now confined to her postpartum period and working hard to take good care of her health. The child is taken care of by a wet nurse and Mother Luo, and her own parents also come to take care of him often, so she can rest assured.
As for the business of Wei's embroidery shop, it did not stop either. But she asked Aying not to tell her what was going on and to deal with it herself after she was out of confinement.
Jiang Xian was much busier than Jinniang. Xiao Hanlin admired him very much and often called him to discuss academic matters with him. He also had to take care of Jinniang. At night, he was always worried that the maids here were not serving him well, so he would often spend the night on the couch in her room.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with this, but the third girl heard it and told her younger sister, the fourth girl, when she got home.
She and the fourth girl did not have a good relationship when they were still in the boudoir, but after they got married, since they were both born out of wedlock and their situations were somewhat similar, they became closer and closer.
"That Jiang Shiliu is really considerate. When I went there, he was ordering someone to cook porridge. I never thought he could be so considerate."
The fourth girl smiled and said, "Now that the brothers have separated, the Wei family is indeed rich, and Jiang Shiliu is really willing to bend over backwards."
Nothing is real, only money is real. The third girl also thought: "I have been to the Wei family embroidery shop several times. The shop is not the largest, but the clothes are the most exquisite. Every piece is made with excellent craftsmanship. Even you and I may not be able to wear them often."
"It's true that only kings, princes, generals and ministers are born with different blood. She can be considered a model of counterattack." The fourth girl thought that if it was a farming novel, Wei Jinniang could also be the heroine.
The third girl laughed and said, "What do you mean by 'kings, princes, generals and ministers are born with blood'? Although Shiliu Lang is from an official family, his father and grandfather were both poor and he himself has no official title. Jin Niang is alone and has a dowry of several thousand strings of cash. I heard that her embroidery shop now makes a profit of fifty strings of cash a month, which is not a small amount."
In fact, the third girl's dowry was not small, a total of five thousand strings of cash. After marrying Jiang Fang, her parents-in-law were good at making money, her husband was an official, and the family lived a prosperous life.
But even so, what belongs to you is dead things, while what belongs to others is living money.
The fourth girl smiled and replied, then she heard the third girl say, "You don't have to worry if your brother-in-law fails this time. He is still young, and it will be good if he passes the next exam."
This is what makes the fourth girl depressed. Sun Shichen is also the son of an official, and now he has failed the provincial examination, so he is very depressed.
Furthermore, although the Sun family sent money to the capital, the rent of a house cost ten strings of coins a month, not to mention the charcoal fire in winter, ice in summer, food, clothing, housing, transportation, and even carrying water cost money. How could three hundred taels be enough for the gifts given during the four seasons?
Just like in winter, a fur coat costs sixty taels, nothing is cheap.
The fourth girl was also complaining about money, and the third girl said, "Don't invest money carelessly. I heard a few days ago that my second sister-in-law suffered a lot of losses. She had a shop that was lending money to two merchants in Pingjiang Prefecture. She lent out a total of 2,000 strings of cash, but the merchants ran away."
This was told to her secretly by Lu Xiaoniang, who said that Zhang did not dare to speak out.
"Second sister-in-law is becoming more and more obsessed with money." In fact, in the eyes of the fourth girl, although the Zhou family's life is not as good as before, they don't need any money from Zhang. She has lost so much money now, she must be very upset, so she doesn't need to go back to her parents' home recently.
It is also said that Zhang Jiulang and his wife went to Zhou's house to visit his sister Zhang. They had always had a good relationship, and Zhang's mood improved a little after seeing her brother.
Zhang Jiulang said, "Sister, I came here as soon as I heard you were sick. What is the illness?"
Zhang told her brother about her own affairs. Zhang Jiulang said, "This is difficult to handle. Officials are forbidden to lend money at high interest rates. Why don't I call my old friends in Pingjiang Prefecture?"
"Forget it. Those two may have used fake IDs. You should not tell anyone. If your brother-in-law finds out, I'm afraid he will scold me." Zhang was still afraid of being inferior to her husband.
Zhang Jiulang thought so too. He couldn't stay in the backyard for long, so he asked his wife to stay here and talk to Zhang.
Zhang saw that the peacock blue tube top she was wearing was beautiful, and the outer jacket was also embroidered with outstanding patterns, so she couldn't help but praise it a few times. Her sister-in-law smiled and said, "This was given to me by Jiang Shiliu's wife. She is really a generous person. Last time, my husband went to her house to ask for white Huai fish, and I went to her house once. I happened to hear her say that a merchant from Guazhou ordered clothes, but left after the agreed time limit. It just so happened that I had a similar body shape, so she gave it to me."
"So it's her. She's so generous now. She used to be a servant in my house." Zhang said bluntly.
Zhang's sister-in-law felt that this was inappropriate. Jiang Xian was her husband's good friend, and the couple treated them very well, but her sister was so rude. However, she didn't want to refute her aunt, so she changed the subject.
Zhang Jiulang was also chatting with Zhou Cunzhi. They mentioned that this year's top scholar Jiang Guyan would marry the daughter of the Song family soon.
"What a talented young man! Jiulang, have you ever met him?" Zhou Cunzhi asked.
Zhang Jiulang smiled and said, "I have never met him, but I heard that Shushi (Jiang Xian) highly respects him."
Zhou Cunzhi was puzzled: "How did Shiliulang know him?"
Zhang Jiulang shook his head: "I don't know how he knew it."
Let's talk about Jiang Xian again. He was complaining to Jinniang, "Mr. Jiang doesn't seem to like my clothes. He thinks they are too extravagant. But the jacket you made for me is so beautifully embroidered. How can I bear to take it off?"
Jinniang didn't care: "What should I do in the future? I will make some plain clothes for you."
It was an easy task for her. She just had to cut a casual gown and there was no need to embroider it, which reduced her work by half.
Hearing Jinniang say this, Jiang Xian looked at her with a resentful face. Jinniang laughed, because she knew her husband very well and he really loved beauty more than she did.
"Okay, okay, then I'll make an ordinary one. You can wear it when you go to the Zhuangyuan Mansion. On weekdays, I'll make it for our husband myself. I'll make it as good-looking as possible." Jinniang was also very willing to dress up her husband. She seldom made men's clothes, and almost all the men's clothes she embroidered were for her husband.
Only then did Jiang Xian feel satisfied, and he asked Jin Niang with concern, "Is your milk not coming back?"
"No, I've gotten through it now, and I want to thank you very much." Jinniang had never thought that she would feel so uncomfortable without breastfeeding. Lou Si Niang prescribed a kind of roasted malt medicine to stop breastfeeding, and Siwu Decoction to replenish qi and blood. These were all arranged by Jiang Xian himself.
She had been in confinement for almost a month and had endured many of the physical tortures. She lay in bed all day and did nothing, but she felt that she was plumper and had more energy than before.
But the family members all said that she had to stay in confinement for another ten days and recover first, so Jinniang had no choice but to agree.
On the third day of March, the baby was one month old. Jinniang saw that her daughter was only one month old but already she was fair and clean, with big round eyes, which made anyone's heart melt.
"Junjie, you come to see your mother again." Jinniang kissed her daughter's little face.
A one-month-old baby just eats and sleeps, or basks in the sun, and poops a lot every day. Washing diapers can be done by one person, so fortunately these ladies don’t have to worry about it.
She originally wanted to breastfeed herself, but then she thought better of it because she really couldn't bear it anymore.
Now that the child has someone to take care of him, I can get more sleep and rest, which is better than anything else. Anyway, she was relieved because the wet nurse was being taken care of by Mother Luo.
But my purse was much emptier. It cost me fifteen taels to hire the wet nurse, and Mother Luo's salary was only three taels per month.
But there is no other way, the money should be paid, fortunately my family can afford it.
After getting married last year, it took me more than half a year to save a total of 300 strings of cash after deducting all expenses and expenditures. With the rent of the shop at Jinliang Bridge, I now have 1,800 strings of cash in my hands.
If she continued at this pace, in two years she would have at least three thousand taels of silver in cash. If Jiang Xian passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom in the future, she would have enough to borrow money from him.
Thinking of this, she felt relieved and fell asleep soon. The wet nurse hurriedly took the child back.
At lunch, Juxiang brought over shrimp, tofu and two kinds of vegetables. Jinniang knew that it was easy to gain weight due to greed, but it was difficult to lose weight. It was not easy to maintain weight, so she was always very careful.
"Madam, what would you like to eat tonight?" asked Juxiang.
Jinniang said, "Let's make millet porridge, steamed fish, and stir-fried two kinds of vegetables."
"Okay." Ju Xiang nodded.
It's really good to be able to make her own decisions. If she eats the pig's trotters and braised chicken served by her mother, she would probably go back to her old ways. However, speaking of her mother, she would come up to see the child every afternoon, but she was nowhere to be seen today.
In fact, Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong were both called to Feng's house. When they came over, Rong Niang was kneeling on the ground. Her mind was in a daze.
Feng Sheng was very calm. He asked the servants to close the door first. There were only Wei Xiong and his wife and he and his wife in the room.
It turns out that March, with its spring breeze blowing, is the best season for an outing. After hearing Feng Sheng's words, Wei Xiong and Luo Yu'e both felt as if they were in an ice cellar.
"Uncle, aunt, in order to pay off the loan in advance, I have been working so hard that I dare not take a day off. Even during the New Year, I was still seeing patients. But I didn't expect that she was having an affair with a married man and was caught in an affair." Feng Sheng looked aggrieved.
Rong Niang quickly argued: "No, I didn't, I went to talk to him about it."
"Then why are you hugging each other?" Feng Sheng asked sharply.
Rong Niang stammered for a moment. Seeing that this was not going well, Luo Yu'e hurriedly asked, "Rong Niang, what did you do? Tell me."
Rong Niang's mind was in a daze. She had nothing to do before, so she often played mahjong with others. At first, it was just women playing, and later, men also joined in. The man could take care of flowers and plants. Like her, they loved to eat common delicacies. They enjoyed a portion of offal at 15 cents. They were completely different from Feng Sheng.
Feng Sheng wanted to live the life of an upper-class person and held himself to upper-class standards. As long as he had extra money, he was willing to do some work to save face. Rong Niang likes to drink wine that costs three cents a glass, but Feng Sheng must drink famous brands like Huixianlou. Rong Niang likes wild vegetables and flowers, and she thinks it looks good if there is a bunch of wild chrysanthemums in earthenware, but Feng Sheng usually waits for guests to come and then buys some expensive flowers.
Rong Niang didn't like that man, it's just that they had the same interests. He was extremely flattering to her. At first, she didn't buy it and kept rejecting him, but gradually, when she was always denied and looked down upon by her husband and sons, only he found ways to please her.
This time it was because they were moving and would never see each other again. The man had the purse she made, and she wanted him to return it so that no one would know about this past event from then on.
Unexpectedly, the man said that his last wish was to hug her, and they would go their separate ways in the future.
It was such a coincidence that this hug was seen by Feng Sheng, who was usually not at home, and the man's wife who opened the door. She had no way to defend herself and could not explain herself.
Seeing Rong Niang like this, Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong looked at each other. Now Rong Niang was caught cheating, and it was her fault.
Feng Sheng saw that Luo Yu'e, who was always noisy, had lost her temper. He knew very well that if Jinniang were here, she might dig up other things, but Luo Yu'e was stupid and Wei Xiong was even less so.
He then told them what he was thinking: "Second uncle, second aunt, I have already spent a hundred strings of cash to silence that man and his wife, and my aunt has cheated on me like this, and I can't get over it."
Luo Yu'e frowned, and she said to Feng Sheng, "Master Feng, you know that we are just Rong Niang's uncle and aunt, and we can't control many things about her."
Luo Yu'e was afraid that Feng Sheng would ask her to pay a hundred strings of cash on behalf of Rong Niang, which was absolutely impossible. In the past, her husband had done a lot for Rong Niang and her parents, and Rong Niang and Ying Niang's family were even better off. How could she possibly give money to a niece?
Sure enough, when it comes to money, Wei Xiong becomes even more silent.
Feng Sheng wanted to say something else, but he didn't expect that Wei Xiong and his wife had already said that they didn't care. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "If I divorce her, I'm afraid that the two children will be criticized in the future. So, I want a divorce, and you can take her back."
"Where should we take it?" Luo Yu'e immediately objected.
Feng Sheng snorted coldly: "This is something you should consider yourselves."
Not to mention that there are no extra rooms in Tianshui Lane now, even if there were, Luo Yu'e would not allow her divorced niece to live with her. Her daughter is in confinement after childbirth and her son-in-law has been resting in the study for a long time. What if she gets desperate and seduces her son-in-law?
A divorced woman, with nowhere else to go, naturally wants to find someone to rely on. What better support could there be than a handsome and talented man like her son-in-law? How could she possibly let a wolf into her house?
Therefore, Luo Yu'e immediately said: "No, my house can't accommodate anyone. Besides, Rong Niang is not my biological daughter, but my niece from another room. Our family has been separated for a long time."
After saying that, he was about to leave, but seeing Wei Xiong standing still, he cursed, "You're still standing here trying to get away with it."
Seeing how resolute the two of them were, Feng Sheng glanced at Rong Niang and then pretended to be helpless and said, "Wait a minute. I also know that Jiang's son-in-law now lives in Tianshui Lane. If Rong Niang's affairs spread, Jin Niang would probably be laughed at."
Luo Yu'e had not thought about this before, but now remembered it when Feng Sheng mentioned it. Yes, her daughter was married to an official son, who was in contact with important people. If people knew that her cousin was caught cheating, how would others view her daughter?
Originally, her daughter was a commoner who married into an official family. She looked at Feng Sheng and asked, "What do you mean?"
Feng Sheng said, "I have a plan that will satisfy both sides. I have never touched Rong Niang's dowry. Why not let her marry somewhere else and take her dowry with her? Then we can tell everyone that she fell into the water and died while visiting her relatives. We can all keep this a secret. This way, it will benefit my son, your family, and even Rong Niang."
Luo Yu'e and Wei Xiong looked at each other and felt that Feng Sheng was very kind, so they hurriedly said, "We have no objection. Let's see what Rong Niang says."
"Yes, Rong Niang, you have to think about the children too." Feng Sheng added.
…
Jinniang learned about Rongniang's death after she returned from her confinement. She also said, "As the saying goes, if she's alive, you want to see her in person; if she's dead, you want to see her body. Have you seen the body?"
"Yes, your brother-in-law went to recognize him." Luo Yu'e said hurriedly.
Jinniang was puzzled again, "Why did elder sister go home to visit relatives alone? She is really something. Bandits are rampant here on land and water. I am afraid that the three of you came here together."
Luo Yu'e helped her daughter tie her belly, then said, "It was your grandma who sent someone to bring a message. Forget it, let's not talk about this. Your brother-in-law of the Feng family is a weird person. Now that your sister is dead, the relationship between our two families is probably going to be severed, so I won't mention it anymore."
"Okay. I have to go to the shop and take a look. I don't know how the business is going during this one and a half months of confinement." Jinniang was also anxious.
Luo Yu'e felt relieved when she saw that her daughter stopped asking questions.
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