Chapter 002: Daughters Should Be Pampered
Zheng Pozi thought to herself: If the money earned from embroidery could surpass that from raising pigs, who would still insist on raising pigs? It is truly a case of the well-fed not understanding the hunger of the starving
The young lady was sleeping soundly when she felt something being hung around her neck. Then, her ear was pinched a few times. After a small yawn, she opened her eyes to see a man leaning close to her, saying: "Little ears are both thick and soft, and the earlobes are long, clearly indicating a person of good fortune. Do not treat her poorly."
Fang Da accepted, but was caught off guard by the sudden revelation from Zheng Pozi, which brought a hint of pig odor. He then calmly said: "In-law, if the two pigs you are raising are sold, will you raise more? In my opinion, the house is not spacious, and with the addition of a new child, it might be better not to raise pigs anymore. It would be more profitable to spend time doing some embroidery to sell instead."
Fang Da pondered for a moment before revealing the thoughts he had been contemplating for half a year: "Qiao Niang, the reason I arranged your marriage to Ming Fa was because I valued him as a scholar with great potential. However, now he is merely working as an accountant for the Fang family, earning a meager salary that, while sufficient to keep you from starving, is of little practical use in my opinion. It would be better for him to resume his studies in the classics and put in some hard work to take the imperial examination! Rest assured, if Ming Fa decides to return to his studies, I will cover all the household expenses and the costs associated with traveling to the capital for the examination."
Fang Da noticed that the young lady furrowed her brows for a moment, then relaxed them. She turned her eyes to look at him and couldn't help but smile, saying: "At such a young age, you already have these expressions on your face, which indicates that you will surely be clever in the future. Who knows, you might even be able to support your father and brothers."
Fang Da traveled extensively, gaining a wealth of experience. When he spoke these words, Qiao Niang naturally believed him, and in her joy, she embraced Guier and kissed her, smiling as she said: "Thank you for your kind words, Uncle!"
Here, Fang Da noticed that the esteemed young lady had not yet awakened, but he could not wait any longer. He picked her up and placed the necklace around her neck
The Fang brothers were all merchants. Although they were not exceedingly wealthy, they were still a well-to-do family. When Zheng Weisheng was alive, the family was in decent circumstances, and Zheng Mingfa had just passed the imperial examination to become a xiucai, which promised a bright future. The Fang family proposed marriage to Qiaoniang, and Fang Da readily agreed. However, after Zheng Weisheng passed away, his eldest son Zheng Mingxing, born of the first wife, seized most of the family assets. To support his mother and younger brother, Zheng Mingfa had no choice but to give up his aspirations of becoming a jinshi and instead sought employment as an accountant in the Fang family business. Fang Da considered calling off the marriage, but Qiaoniang did not hold Zheng Mingfa in disdain, so she was married off to him. They later had children and managed the household. Although their life was not particularly difficult, it lacked any significant prospects.
Zheng Pozi exchanged a few polite words with Fang Da, then glanced at the jade ornaments in Fang Da's hand, nodding and smacking her lips in admiration: "It looks like something that would only be worn by the daughters of wealthy families; it must have cost your uncle a pretty penny."
Zheng Pozi cleaned a covered bowl and sought out a package of tea leaves that Zheng Mingfa had treasured. After all, she brewed a bowl of tea to share with Fang Da, saying, "Although this cannot be considered fine tea, its flavor is refreshing. Please, my dear uncle, moisten your throat!"
This is quite good! Zheng Pozi looked at the sky and realized it was getting late. She wanted to invite Fang Da to stay for dinner, so she went out to buy some meat.
This... Qiaoniang felt both joy and worry, hesitatingly saying: "Although my elder brother has made some profit from trading at sea in recent years, Xin Ge and the others are gradually growing up, and they will need money. Furthermore, although Mingfa passed the scholar examination in his early years, he has stopped studying for the past few years. If he were to pick up the classics again, he might find it difficult. If he fails to pass the provincial examination, it would not only waste money but also cost him the job with the prominent family. What should we do?"
"My niece, if there are good things, I will naturally share them with her first." Fang Da said as he followed Zheng Pozi through the door, calling out to Qiao Niang outside the curtain. Qiao Niang had already heard her elder brother's voice and was busy responding, smiling as she said: "Although the precious girl has not yet reached a month old, since you are her own maternal uncle, there is no need for any formalities, just come in and take a look!"
Fang Da's wife had given birth to five sons, yet not a single daughter. Upon learning that his sister had given birth to a girl, how could he not be pleased? As soon as he returned home from the sea, his wife whispered to him: "Qiao Niang has given birth to a girl, named Gui Jie'er. Although she has not yet reached one month old, she is already said to be exceptionally well-behaved. You should pay close attention; if she is indeed as good as they say, you should quietly mention it to Qiao Niang, so that in the future, we can strengthen our ties with her family." Fang Da had already harbored this thought, and it naturally came to light in their conversation.
Your sister realized that the visitor was her uncle, and upon hearing the conversation between her uncle and her mother, she nearly broke out in a cold sweat. My goodness, they have started to discuss a marriage proposal. If it weren't for the old priest saying that our fate is strong, she would have been promised to someone already, which is far too dangerous
This time everything went smoothly, and the return was quick. Upon returning, I heard that Qiaoniang had added a niece to the family, so I hurried over to take a look. Qiaoniang's elder brother, Fang Da, upon seeing Zheng Pozi, quickly handed her a food box he was carrying, smiling as he said: "This is a little food I bought from the town, for you to try." As he spoke, he took out a small and exquisite jade pendant from his pocket, chuckling as he handed it to Zheng Pozi to take a look, saying: "By chance, I obtained this jade pendant during my recent sea trip, just right to give to my niece as a gift for our first meeting."
Upon hearing Fang Da's words, Qiao Niang was naturally moved and smiled, saying: "When Ming returns in the evening, I will discuss it with him. In a few days, when your sister reaches her full moon, we will naturally visit brother and sister-in-law, and then we can talk in detail."
Fang Da seemed to have seen through Zheng Pozi's thoughts and said with a smile: "If you were to do some ordinary embroidery, it would naturally not be worth much. This time, I have obtained several exquisite patterns from overseas; if you trace and embroider them onto the screen fabric, you will certainly be able to sell them for a good price"
Fang Da waved his hand to stop Qiao Niang's words and said: "Do not worry so much. To speak frankly, I have made quite a profit this time at sea, and I am considering finding a shop to engage in silk business, no longer going to sea. However, since ancient times, there has been a distinction between scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Even if a merchant is wealthy, he cannot compare to an official. Xin Ge and the others are not cut out for studying, and your Rong Ge and the others are still young. If we want to support someone trustworthy to take the imperial examination, apart from Ming Fa, there are no other candidates. We must take a chance. If Ming Fa does not pass the examination, I will find a way to secure him a decent job."
It does not matter; in the future, perhaps both the person and the items will come into our Fang family! Fang Da looked at the noble young lady, growing fonder with each glance, wishing she were his own daughter. He chuckled and inquired about the young lady's birth time and zodiac, clearly harboring intentions of a familial alliance.
"Isn't she being spoiled?" Qiaoniang said with a smile, "She hasn't even finished her month of confinement, yet she has already received several gifts. No one believes that she is out of luck. However, this necklace from elder brother should rightly be given to elder sister-in-law to wear, so why is it being given to such a small child?"
Let us put this aside for now! Fang Da is considering finding someone to match the birth dates of his son and your daughter. If they do not match, we will discuss it further.
The esteemed elder sister listened to Fang Da's words and understood that he was a person of great scheming ability. If he were to cultivate their father to become an official, their father would naturally have to serve him, and the officials and merchants would inevitably collude. Although there is a risk of failing the examination, the potential benefits of passing it make it a worthy investment.
Qiao Niang understood her elder brother's meaning and chuckled, saying: "If it were up to me, I would naturally agree. However, my mother-in-law had Master Zeng Banjian and Master Zhengde calculate the fortune for your esteemed daughter, stating that her fortune is strong and she needs a match with an even stronger fortune to keep her in check. I fear that Brother Xin and the others may not be able to match her fortune."