The next day, after Jiang Chun sold the meat, she detoured to Fang’s carpenter shop, dragged the finished mule cart back to Daliushu Village.
On the way back, she actually bumped into Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu had a big bundle on her back, her head lowered, walking in a hurry, not even looking up to see her elder female cousin.
It was still Jiang Chun who called out to her, only then did she stop.
Jiang Chun glanced sideways at the bundle on her back, then saw her so hurried like that, her heart couldn’t help but thump.
This fellow, could it be that she’s being forced by Li-Shi and Jiang Hu to marry, and not finding a way to avoid marrying, simply decided to pack up and run away from home?
Jiang Chun set down the mule cart, asked Jiang Liu: “Where are you going?”
Jiang Liu’s face showed a smile, chirping away: “Jie, I’m going to Big Aunt’s house, Yin Biaojie hired me to take care of her, one month gives me three hundred wen money, also covers food and lodging.”
“I went to your house earlier, wanted to tell you this good news, but you weren’t home yet…”
“I was still planning to go to Auntie’s place tomorrow to find you, didn’t expect to bump into you halfway.”
Jiang Chun raised her eyebrows in surprise: “Yin Jie’er hired you to take care of her?”
Then she smiled and said: “That’s a good idea.”
Although Wang Yin’er has a mother, has a wet nurse, and also has an eldest sister-in-law, but Grandmother Cao is a crafty one, only giving face on the surface, simply can’t be relied upon.
Jiang Xi actually cares about her daughter, but she doesn’t manage the household, has no status in the Wang family, if others interfere, Wang Yin’er might not even be able to command her.
As for the eldest sister-in-law Zhou-shi, don’t even mention her, she’s still carrying a big belly, needing others to take care of her; even without pregnancy, with that temper of hers, she wouldn’t take care of the younger sister-in-law.
But hiring Jiang Liu, this maternal younger cousin, is different.
Jiang Liu is diligent and capable, has a good temper, and is also someone who hasn’t seen much of the world. With a high salary of three hundred wen a month dangling in front of her, naturally, she’ll follow wherever Wang Yin’er points.
No wonder Wang Yin’er, indeed is someone with foresight.
Jiang Liu leaned closer to Jiang Chun, said in a small voice: “Three hundred wen a month! My nai (grandmother) and my father heard about this, so happy like what, they told me to work well at Aunt’s house, make money for a few more years before getting married.”
“Thanks to Yin Biaojie’s blessing, the thing Jie said earlier about having me think of a way to delay marriage for a few more years, looks like it’s settled.”
“Good.” Jiang Chun was happy for her too. A bad bamboo can still produce a good shoot. In the old Jiang household, only this Jiang Liu little girl is a good one, so of course, she hoped she would have a good path in the future.
After thinking about it, Jiang Chun seriously advised a few more sentences: “Yin Jie’er stayed at the Liu family for two years, gained a lot of knowledge, when you go to the Wang family, aside from taking good care of her, also learn more from her, especially reading and writing. It’ll be good for you in the future.”
Jiang Liu solemnly nodded her head: “Jie’s words, I remember. I’ll definitely learn skills properly from Yin Biaojie.”
Jiang Chun patted her shoulder, smiling as she said: “Alright, go on, later when you’re free, just come find me at the meat stall.”
“Okay.” Jiang Liu answered, waved her hand toward Jiang Chun, then returned to her earlier look of head down, rushing on her way, hurrying toward town.
Jiang Chun smiled, lifted the mule cart, and continued walking home.
Felt like even the dirt road under her feet looked more pleasing to the eye.
Probably this is what’s called “finding joy in helping others.” Although she only gave Jiang Liu a few suggestions, looking at the current situation, if nothing unexpected happens, Jiang Liu’s fate should be changed.
As for Wang Yin’er, she has brains, has money. Even if the second half of her life is spent unable to walk, her days won’t be too bad.
If she is smart enough, in a couple of years when the Song family gets rehabilitated, as Jiang Chun’s maternal younger cousin, the eldest young madam of the Song family, it will be easy for her to arrange a good marriage for herself.
Among Jiang Chun’s relatives from both her father’s and mother’s side, there are only Jiang Liu and Wang Yin’er, these two girls. She doesn’t mind at all if they use her identity and status to seek good marriages for themselves.
After all, those who are willing to extend an olive branch to them are also people who have something to gain, opportunistic people who seek benefits.
Everyone is just using each other, that’s all.
Of course, it’s just for arranging marriages—if it’s for seeking other benefits, then she won’t indulge them.
After all, for ancient women, marriage is equivalent to a second reincarnation. If they can’t marry into a good family, their whole life is finished.
As for the male relatives, Peng Biaoge and Kun Biaoge, these two cousins both have capabilities. Whether they continue to follow Uncle in Hongye County or follow her to the capital to make a living, that will depend on their own willingness. [Note: “表哥 (biaoge)” is a male cousin from the mother’s side]
As for Jiang Tong, that younger cousin, he has his own dear grandmother Li-Shi and father Jiang He spoiling him—she couldn’t care less if he lives or dies!
——Turns out, she still had to care.
After Jiang Chun got home, Jiang He didn’t even have time to admire the new mule cart, just faced her with a dark expression and said: “Your grandmother took a fancy to your uncle’s wife’s maiden family’s niece, Xi Jie’er. Today she sent a matchmaker to propose marriage…”
Jiang Chun immediately spat and said: “They’re like a toad wanting to eat swan meat! [癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉, an idiom meaning someone aiming for someone way out of their league] They should at least take a look in a basin of water—Tong Ge’er, that useless thing, how is he worthy of Xi Jie’er?”
Zheng Yiniang’s maiden family name is Qiu. The maiden family’s niece’s full name is Qiu Xi, a very pretty little miss. The Qiu family is wealthy, owning four shops in the town.
The most crucial point is, the Qiu family loves Qiu Xi, publicly saying that when she marries, they will give her a shop as part of her dowry.
Families in town with even a little wealth are all racking their brains, looking for opportunities to bring their household’s young lads to visit the Qiu family, hoping their sons will catch the Qiu family’s eye, and that this sky-high wealth will fall onto their own heads.
It’s understandable that Li-shi wants this sky-high wealth, but to not communicate with the Qiu family or ask for their opinion, and just directly send a matchmaker to propose marriage—what does that mean?
Does she think the Qiu family’s little miss is so desperate to get married that she’ll accept any matchmaker who comes knocking?
Because Li-shi is Jiang He’s biological mother, and Jiang He is Qiu Shi’s brother-in-law, the Qiu family gave Jiang He face, politely sent the matchmaker away, and then sent the steward to inform Jiang He.
Although the steward smiled the entire time, only saying he was delivering a message on behalf of his master to inform Jiang Langjun [Jiang He], and didn’t say a word more, Jiang He still felt his face burn with shame.
What kind of thing is this?!
Jiang He isn’t stupid. The Qiu family’s meaning is very clear—they hope he can rein in Li-shi, his biological mother.
The Qiu family’s request is reasonable.
For the sake of maintaining Jiang He’s face as an in-law, they didn’t directly throw the matchmaker out the door, or else the entire Jiang family old house would lose face, and Jiang He himself wouldn’t look good either.
Courtesy demands reciprocity, so Jiang He must also restrain Li-shi, prevent her from doing such unruly things again.
But if Jiang He could control Li-shi, would he have been stripped of his property and driven out of the house back then?
Jiang Chun glanced at the main room and asked: “The Qiu family’s people left?”
Jiang He shook his head: “Didn’t leave, they’re sitting in the east room, the son-in-law is accompanying them too, saying they must pay respects to you, this maternal cousin.”
Jiang Chun snorted and laughed: “What pay respects? They’re just afraid you can’t control my grandmother, so they’re trying to push me to take action.”
She took down the wheelbarrow from behind the mule cart, handed the basket on top to Jiang He, and said: “A few ribs left, Dad, put them in the pickling jar. Later, I’ll make winter melon pork rib soup.”
She walked to the well platform, scooped two ladles of water from the water vat, washed her hands clean with soapnut water, then entered the east room.
The Qiu family’s steward, Zhang Fang, had long heard the commotion outside. As soon as Jiang Chun stepped over the threshold into the east room, he immediately stood up from the bamboo chair, cupped his hands, and bowed in greeting: “Paying respects to Biaoguniang, I hope Biaoguniang has been well.” [Note: “表姑娘 (biaoguniang)” is a respectful address for a female cousin from the mother’s side, literally “maternal cousin lady.”]
Jiang Chun reached out her hand in a gesture of a light support, laughed heartily and said: “Uncle Zhang, don’t stand on ceremony, you people in town really are particular about such things.”
In recent years, the wealthy families in town imitated the airs of the rich families in Hongye County—buying servants, keeping family retainers, being particular about rules in everything, even having the young ladies in the family study and learn characters. As for dowries, they’ve also risen with the tide, now comparable to the girls in the county.
Zhang Fang laughed cheerfully and said: “Biaoguniang is still so straightforward, no wonder our old madam often tells our young lady to learn more from Biaoguniang’s ways.”
Jiang Chun nearly burst out laughing.
This sentence was clearly made up as flattery.
The more wealthy the family, the stricter they are in restraining the young ladies in the household. What they value is being well-read, understanding of etiquette, gentle and virtuous. How could they possibly let her learn from someone like her, this kind of yecha [夜叉, night-demon, fierce and violent figure] who resorts to fists at the slightest disagreement?
Jiang Chun didn’t expose him either, smiled and said: “Many thanks to your old madam for thinking of me. I’ve been too busy lately and haven’t had the time. When I’m free, I’ll definitely pay her a visit.”
After some polite small talk, Zhang Fang finally brought up the main matter. Regardless of whether Jiang Chun had already heard it from Jiang He, he repeated all of Li-shi’s doings from start to finish.
After he finished, he let out a long sigh, face full of difficulty, saying: “Our old madam dotes on her granddaughter the most. If not for considering the face of Biaogu Laoye [Jiang He, as the uncle-in-law], she would have directly had someone drive the matchmaker out.”
“Now, although our family has politely refused your honored grandmother’s kind intentions and maintained the decorum between the two families, we’re just afraid your honored grandmother won’t take the hint and will send the matchmaker again…”