Jiang Yan listened and then put her palms together, saying “Amitabha Buddha”. She continued, “Being able to make an honest living is still better than wandering far from home. Even if it’s hard work, at least it’s stable and secure!”
This response not only left Chen Jia stunned but also surprised Jiang Lizhu.
It seemed Li Liang was beyond saving!
Jiang Lizhu suppressed a smile and coughed lightly, reminding Jiang Yan that they should return to their rooms.
However, Jiang Yan thought for a moment, then removed a pair of pure gold bracelets from her wrists and a pair of ruby earrings from her ears. She said quietly to Chen Jia, “I don’t have much else I can do to help them. Please take these jewels to Li Liang as a token of my gratitude for his past care. In the future, if they face any difficulties, have them send me a message. I can’t promise much, but I can at least provide some silver to help them through hard times.”
Chen Jia looked at the gleaming jewelry, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.
He said sternly, “These are your accessories. How can you casually give them to an unrelated man? If ill-intentioned people were to take advantage of this, how would you maintain your position in Duke Ying’s household? Put these away quickly! If you want to repay Li Liang’s kindness, I have some silver here. I’ll cover for you first. In the future, don’t act so rashly without careful consideration!”
Jiang Yan’s face instantly flushed red.
Jiang Lizhu, however, nodded in secret approval.
Chen Jia had already taken out a money pouch and said, “I can see that these jewels are of good quality, worth at least 300 to 400 taels of silver. I’ll have someone send him 500 taels. How does that sound?”
Jiang Yan had no idea about such things. In the past, she had only ever spent at most 0.2 taels of silver on hair accessories. After marrying Wei Quan, he didn’t let her manage household affairs. All expenses were handled by an old servant from the Wei family, occasionally giving her a few taels as pocket money. Her current jewelry was all arranged by Dou Zhao. Hearing that just these few pieces were worth 300 to 400 taels, she felt even more indebted to Dou Zhao and Song Mo. She didn’t dare look at Chen Jia and mumbled, “No, that’s too much. Just give them some silver to get by… Two hundred taels, no, one hundred taels is enough.”
She remembered that when Li Niangniang broke up with a lover once, she had desperately demanded 100 taels of silver as compensation, saying it was enough to prepare for her marriage.
She also recalled that when she got married, everything had been fully prepared.
Giving Li Liang 100 taels should be enough for him to set up a new home!
Chen Jia, understanding her nature somewhat, readily took out several silver notes and said, “I’ll have someone deliver them to Tianjin tomorrow.”
Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Chen Jia profusely and adding, “I’ll pay you back in a few days.”
Chen Jia was different from before.
As long as he wanted, silver could flow in like water.
The reason he still exercised restraint was twofold: first, he feared damaging his reputation and future career prospects; second, he worried about incurring others’ jealousy and falling victim to schemes.
These 100 taels of silver were now beneath his notice.
He nodded indifferently.
Jiang Yan and Jiang Lizhu returned to the side room arranged for them.
Jiang Lizhu washed up and lay down, while Jiang Yan, suddenly burdened with a 100-tael debt, felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She wanted nothing more than to fly back to Biishui Pavilion immediately to take stock of exactly how much her possessions were worth.
As a result, everyone’s spirits were low for the entire afternoon – Dou Zhao was worried about Yuan’er, wondering if he was hungry; Jiang Yan was thinking about what she could sell to repay Chen Jia; Miao Ansu was pondering what had happened to make Song Han so disliked; Jiang Lizhu was thinking of her Fifth Uncle in Liaodong, unsure if her aunt could persuade him not to compete with Cousin Song Mo for those worldly things.
Before the hour of You (5-7 pm), they headed back.
Dou Zhao went to Jing’an Temple Lane first.
Dou Shiying was waving a rattle, dancing around to make Yuan’er giggle.
“You’re back so early?” Seeing his daughter enter, he put away the rattle embarrassedly.
Yuan’er, who had been playing happily, burst into loud cries.
Dou Zhao quickly took her son into her arms.
Yuan’er nuzzled forcefully into her embrace.
She knew the child missed her and went behind a screen to nurse him.
Dou Shiying mumbled, “He just ate earlier.”
But Yuan’er, as if to contradict his grandfather, gulped down the milk ravenously.
Dou Zhao’s lips curled up involuntarily.
She gently stroked the child’s soft black hair, feeling as if she had a sweet candy in her mouth, the sweetness reaching to her heart.
Meanwhile, Miao Ansu was surveying the small reception hall of the Dou family.
The latticed windows on all four sides were inlaid with enamel glass. The tables and chairs were all made of uniform huanghuali wood. Various antiques were displayed on the curio shelf, including a bonsai of blooming magnolias carved from a single piece of Shoushan stone. The maid serving tea wore a silk-padded jacket and poured newly marketed Xinyang Maojian tea. The tea cups were new-style Famille rose porcelain. Everything exuded an air of grandeur, affluence, and modernity.
Miao Ansu’s mood was very complex.
It felt like a country gentry entering the city. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford or buy these things, but even if she moved all these items back home, she could never create such an atmosphere.
She glanced at Jiang Yan and Jiang Lizhu, who were chatting quietly with smiles on their faces, looking quite at ease.
Miao Ansu sipped her tea somewhat boredly when Dou Zhao came out carrying Yuan’er.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she smiled apologetically.
But she didn’t explain why there were no female elders at home to receive them.
Jiang Yan and Jiang Lizhu didn’t think much of it, while the Miao family had already learned that Dou Shiying and Wang Yingxue were not on good terms, with Wang Yingxue living at her maiden home for extended periods… She smiled and said, “It’s no problem. The tea and snacks were delicious. We’ve had quite a treat!” Then she clapped her hands at Yuan’er, smiling, “Yuan’er, I’m your aunt. Do you recognize me? May I hold you?”
Yuan’er, full and content in his mother’s arms, had a silly grin of happiness.
Miao Ansu then took Yuan’er.
The reason Jiang Lizhu had come along was to play with Yuan’er.
She and Jiang Yan made faces at Yuan’er.
Yuan’er laughed continuously.
Soon, Gaosheng’s wife came to report, “Fourth Young Mistress, the carriages are ready.”
Dou Zhao smiled at the three of them, “Let’s head back!” She then took Yuan’er and left the inner courtyard with them.
In front of the gate, besides the four carriages they had originally ridden in, there was now an additional one.
Gaosheng’s wife explained with a smile, “This is from the master for the young master. There are furs for making coats, night pearls for wind buttons, as well as some toys and snacks.”
Miao Ansu was shocked and exclaimed while looking at Yuan’er, still in swaddling clothes, “So much? When will Yuan’er ever use all this?”
Gaosheng’s wife laughed, “There’s no such thing as too much! Not to mention the fine cloth for undergarments, just the furs for making coats – you need sable for cloaks, looking beautiful; lamb’s wool for vests, soft and warm; and squirrel fur for coats, mild and comfortable… Each has its purpose. This is just for the young master’s winter clothes. When spring comes, there will be new styles of Hangzhou silk and Jiao cloth from Jiangnan, and the young master will need spring and summer clothes made.”
Miao Ansu fell silent.
Dou Zhao smiled and said, “Please tell Father not to go to such trouble! Children grow so fast. He puts so much effort into making all these clothes, but some may not even be worn before they’re outgrown. If we need anything, I’ll send someone back to tell Father.”
Gaosheng’s wife chuckled, “If the young master can’t use them, they can always be saved for his younger siblings!”
Jiang Lizhu chimed in teasingly, “Uncle Dou has arranged everything so well!”
Thinking of Song Mo’s enthusiasm these days, Dou Zhao felt that if she stopped breastfeeding, she might soon be pregnant again.
Her face flushed slightly. She teased Jiang Lizhu a bit before heading home.
Song Mo returned very late.
Dou Zhao was already asleep, but Song Mo was in high spirits. Without waiting for Dou Zhao to fully wake, he entered her body…
Afterward, exhausted from their three rounds of lovemaking, Dou Zhao asked Song Mo, “Did something good happen?”
Song Mo’s hands were still caressing her body. He replied casually, “The Emperor handed over the seal of the Jinwu Guard to me.”
The seal of the Jinwu Guard?
Dou Zhao was now wide awake.
She grasped Song Mo’s hand and asked with wide eyes, “What happened?”
Song Mo explained helplessly, “The Emperor was in a good mood today. He awarded the set of ‘Longevity’ moonlight cups, presented by the Gansu General on his birthday, to Liang Jifen. He also gave the pair of Ru kiln wine vessels, offered by the Zhejiang Governor, to Yao Shizhong. But when the two ministers went to receive their rewards back at the palace, these two items had vanished. The Emperor immediately had Shao Wenji beaten twenty times with a rod and thrown into prison, then handed the seal of the Jinwu Guard to me.”
“Isn’t there still the Banner Guard?” Dou Zhao muttered. “Why pick on your Jinwu Guard? It’s only been a few days, and the Jinwu Guard has already changed commanders twice. You’d be better off as a deputy commander of the Jinwu Guard! With a commander above you, you’d also avoid directly facing the Prince of Liao.”
The Prince of Liao was trying to win over the commander.
“You don’t need to worry,” Song Mo smiled. “The position of Jinwu Guard commander is quite lucrative. As long as I let it be known that I’m not competing for it, others will surely vie for the position. Maybe someone will even try to bribe me!”
But Dou Zhao was still concerned: “Be careful!”
Song Mo smiled and pulled her into his arms.
At Biishui Pavilion, Jiang Yan was also awake.
She had just realized that she received a monthly allowance of twenty taels of silver.
She had been in the household for three months now. Her daily expenses were all covered at Yizhi Hall. Apart from initially giving Yinghong and the others two taels each as a reward, she had no other expenses. Out of the sixty taels, she still had forty-eight left.
In another three months, she would be able to repay Chen Jia.
Thinking of this, her heart settled. She decided to send someone to inform Chen Jia.
Upon receiving the message, Chen Jia impatiently waved his hand and said, “Go tell your young miss that it’s not a large sum. She doesn’t need to repay it.”
Did Chen Jia think she was trying to default on the debt by saying she had no money?
Jiang Yan felt extremely uncomfortable.
She wrapped her only forty-eight taels of silver in a piece of red silk and had a servant deliver it to Chen Jia, saying, “I will repay twenty taels every month from now on.”
Chen Jia looked at one of the silver pieces, which had been cut in half, and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.