Lin Jingchu spoke little, merely practicing greeting etiquette again in front of the mirror.
Before transmigrating, she rarely had the chance to immerse herself so fully in learning something. A single etiquette training class could easily cost hundreds, something she simply could not afford.
Not to mention wearing beautiful clothes, putting on proper makeup, and specifically setting aside time just to practice.
Because of that, she cherished the experience all the more.
In Madam Xu’s eyes, however, such behavior appeared as diligence and eagerness to learn, making her even more satisfied. Girls from official families were raised in luxury from birth; things ordinary people struggled about their entire lives to obtain were within easy reach for them. Very few were this hardworking.
After hearing Lin Shuyi’s words from the previous day, Xia Ning selected many valuable items from her private treasury and sent them to Lin Jingchu’s courtyard.
Silks and satins, gold hairpins and jade ornaments were piled high upon the table, dazzling Lin Jingchu’s eyes.
“Madam said that Second Young Lady showed concern for sisterly affection while outside, so she specially ordered these rewards to be sent as commendation.”
Mama Fang spoke with a smile. Silver streaks threaded through her temples, and her gray-blue satin robes carried a subtle air of luxury. One glance was enough to tell she held considerable status within the inner household.
“Please help me convey my thanks to Mother for her reward,” Lin Jingchu replied with a slight smile.
Mama Fang looked at the stunningly beautiful Lin Jingchu and momentarily lost herself, as though seeing the young Xia Ning back in her secluded maiden chambers.
“Forgive this old servant for speaking too much, but Madam is your birth mother—she would never harm you. The Lu family sending you here also shows that even your father does not think highly of that cousin’s young master. The household is facing many troubles right now, so Madam may be somewhat strict. I hope Second Young Lady does not resent her.”
Back then, hadn’t Xia Ning been the same? The daughter of Jiangnan’s richest family, with tens of thousands of strings of cash as dowry. She could have married anyone, yet she followed that Lu man and suffered so much hardship. In the end…
Even Lu himself did not wish for his own daughter to marry a poor scholar without family background.
Lin Jingchu nodded. “Thank you for the reminder, Mama Fang.”
Seeing that she had listened, Mama Fang nodded in satisfaction. Her gaze drifted toward Nanny Fei watering flowers beneath the corridor, and after hesitating for a long while, she added:
“Since the Second Young Lady is learning household management, you should also pay attention to the art of controlling servants. Only by clearly rewarding and punishing can servants willingly follow you.”
Lin Jingchu’s heart stirred. Seeing Mama Fang glance meaningfully toward Nanny Fei, she understood.
The maidservants who originally served her had all been beaten to death on Xia Ning’s orders. The current servants had only come later and naturally held little loyalty toward her. If she wanted people to work for her willingly, she would have to give them real benefits.
After Mama Fang left, Lin Jingchu selected a simple silver-gilt hairpin from Xia Ning’s gifts and rewarded it to Nanny Fei. As for the maids and servants who had helped drive off Lu Qingyu yesterday, each received half a string of coins.
Just like that, more than ten taels of silver disappeared.
Lin Jingchu looked around the room at the remaining items: aside from bolts of fine silk, there were twenty gold hairpins, twenty silver hairpins, ten dangling step-shake ornaments, five full sets of jewelry, two pairs of bracelets—one pair made of Hetian jade, the other of excellent blue jadeite—as well as two boxes of gold and silver ingots.
After Mama Fang left, it still took her quite some time to calm down.
So, this was what becoming rich overnight felt like.
Accepting these things also meant that, regarding her marriage, she had to remain obedient and compliant.
She felt she truly lacked ambition and was terribly shallow-minded. Yet living the rest of her life like this did not seem bad at all.
With this much money, it hardly mattered to whom she married.
On the fifteenth day of the sixth month, it was Old Madam Zhang’s sixtieth birthday celebration.
Lin Jingchu rose early and spent two full hours dressing and preparing herself. By the time they arrived at the Zhang residence, it was already close to noon.
After entering the Zhang household, the smile on Xia Ning’s face never faded.
Now that the marriage alliance between the two families had been publicly acknowledged, Madam Cui pulled Xia Ning into the seat of honor.
“I’ve heard the Lin family’s two young ladies are exceptional. Bring them for me to see,” said Old Madam Zhang from the head seat. She wore a kesi silk longevity robe, her hair already white, smiling kindly at Xia Ning.
Xia Ning nodded gracefully, and a servant immediately went to summon the younger generation from their banquet seats.
Today, Lin Shuyi wore a goose-yellow high-waisted ruqun embroidered with crabapple blossoms, fresh as a summer lotus. Lin Jingchu wore a jade-green skirt embroidered with peonies and phoenix flowers, beautiful in an understated way.
“What lovely appearances indeed. Come closer and let me take a look.”
Old Madam Zhang beckoned them over. The maid beside her presented two boxes containing identical golden hairpins, each set with a thumb-sized bloodstone at the center—extremely valuable.
“My family is full of nothing but mischievous boys. There hasn’t been a granddaughter among the younger generation. Now that I’ve met the two of you, I feel joy in my heart. I only hope you won’t dislike the gifts from this old woman.”
Old Madam Zhang held Lin Shuyi’s hand, looking her up and down with heartfelt satisfaction.
Lin Shuyi found the items too precious and only dared accept them after receiving Xia Ning’s signal. As for Lin Jingchu, she simply copied whatever her elder sister did.
As the daughter-in-law of the family, Madam Cui was so busy during the banquet that her feet barely touched the ground.
Old Master Zhang had died while serving in office, and his spirit tablet was honored within the imperial ancestral temple. Old Madam Zhang herself had been granted the title of First-Rank Noble Lady. Covered in glory and honor, she invited only relatives and old acquaintances for her sixtieth birthday celebration.
Even so, more than a dozen banquet tables were filled, totaling no fewer than a hundred guests.
Three generations made a household, five generations made a noble clan, seven generations made a family line, nine generations made a lineage, and only after twelve generations could one truly be called an aristocratic house.
For the Zhang family to be considered such a great clan, their foundations were clearly extraordinary.
Lin Jingchu recalled reading in novels that at elegant gatherings and banquets there was always someone who would provoke conflict or seek humiliation. Yet nothing of that sort happened here. It seemed that even after transmigrating, she was still just an insignificant nobody.
At the younger generation’s tables earlier, the girls from the Zhang family’s collateral branches had all been beautiful and sweet-spoken, making her feel wonderfully at ease.
Old Madam Zhang favored Lin Shuyi and pulled her to sit beside her. Lin Jingchu followed along and sat in order upon a carved sandalwood stool brought by the servants.
“Grandmother, your grandson wishes you a happy birthday.”
A man in blue brocade robes strode forward swiftly.
A servant brought over a kneeling cushion, and Zhang Chuxiao knelt and kowtowed.
“Why are you only arriving now? These are the two young ladies from the Lin family. Come greet them,” Old Madam Zhang called from the seat of honor.
Zhang Chuxiao looked up and rose.
He had met Lin Jingchu before. The young lady beside her now looked like a lotus blossom carved from jade, with peach-blossom cheeks and apricot eyes. Compared to before, her appearance carried a little more cosmetic refinement, making her especially approachable.
“The eldest daughter of the Lin family greets Young Master Zhang. Many thanks for helping my sister and me out of trouble at Tianxiang Tower the other day.”
Zhang Chuxiao lowered his eyes calmly and returned the salute with clasped hands. “Greetings to the two young ladies.”
“Quickly, sit down.” Old Madam Zhang pointed to the seat at her right.
That action carried deep meaning.
The Zhang family maintained strict rules. At this banquet, men and women sat separately. Lin Shuyi and Zhang Zhaoming’s marriage had already completed one of the six formal rites—the exchange of betrothal gifts. Lin Jingchu, however, was still unmarried. For her to sit together with an unrelated man made everyone present vaguely understand Old Madam Zhang’s intentions.
It seemed they intended to strengthen the marriage alliance even further.