Chapter 39 — The Chain

Ji shi did not press her further. Instead she mused aloud, "It is not fitting for me to meddle in this. But you may write to Shouyuan's aunt by marriage and ask her to beg any one of the mistresses in our household to look into it. I think no one in our house would stand by and watch Shouyuan bullied in such a fashion. As for Yuzan, tell Mother Yu first thing tomorrow that the Fourth Miss is used to her own maids, and that these next few days I must help the Sixth Master pack his trunks and boxes, so she is to come and lend a hand. I have my own plans."

Seeing that matters had turned out exactly as Dou Yan had predicted, Tuo Niang was overjoyed and could not keep herself from grinning from ear to ear.

Ji shi saw it and smiled too. "You are honest and true-hearted, and I like that. So long as you go on serving Shouyuan as faithfully as you have, your good days will come."

Tuo Niang thought the days she had now were already good. Still, to win the praise of the Sixth Mistress was a glad thing.

She nodded again and again, her smile growing brighter still.

Seeing that the sun had set, and thinking that Dou Yan had been shut indoors all day, Ji shi took her by the hand and walked her about the courtyard, pointing out the flowers and plants here and there and telling her what each one was.

The Second, Third, and Fifth Young Madams came together to visit Dou Yan.

Ji shi was just ordering the maids to set out melons and fruit when Dou Yong and Dou Huaide came back from school, and Dou Huanchang, fair and tall and slender, and Dou Yan, radiant as the sun, followed after them.

"We have come to see Fourth Sister (Fourth Aunt)."

Ji shi praised the two of them warmly.

The Third Young Madam's face glowed with pride; she held her son's hand and smiled so broadly she could not close her mouth.

Dou Huanchang, gentle of smile, greeted Dou Yan. "Fourth Sister, are you settling in? Is the East Mansion fun?"

Dou Yan had no wish to curry favor with them, and feigned a shy smile.

The younger generation of the East Mansion all took their evening meal in the Sixth Branch's quarters.

That night Sixth Uncle did not return, but Grandfather hurried back.

At noon the next day came word that the Zhu and Dou families had broken off the engagement.

Dou Yan did not think it a pity.

For a woman to judge a man good solely because he was willing to keep mourning for his wife for three years—that showed how narrow her understanding was.

She gave a soft sniff and quickly put the matter from her mind, never pausing to consider the deeper reason beneath it—that in her heart her mother was a woman pure as water and fierce as fire, and in all the world there was no woman truer or purer than her mother, nor any who could ever take her place.

Dou Yan asked where Tuo Niang had gone.

Cailan smiled and told her, "Suxin has gone with Steward Wang to Zhending Prefecture; they will be back tomorrow afternoon."

By Dou Zhiwei's reckoning, once Ji shi learned of the matter she would certainly help in secret; and to avoid drawing the Dou family's notice, she would most likely entrust the letter to the Ji family's shop in Zhending Prefecture. Steward Wang was, after all, Ji shi's own retainer.

The corners of her mouth curved upward.

Yuzan, nervous and ill at ease, came in behind Caiwei carrying a bundle.

Dou Yan was practicing her tracing exercises. Ji shi sat beside her as though she had not heard the announcement, not even lifting her eyelids; she fanned Dou Yan and softly praised Dou Zhiwei's handwriting, leaving Yuzan to stand there for the better part of an hour. Only when Dou Yan had finished tracing did Ji shi wash her hands for her with her own hands, then take the lotus-seed soup the maids brought and feed Dou Yan a few mouthfuls. Only then did she say, "You are the Yuzan who serves the Fourth Miss?"—as though she had just now noticed her.

Yuzan's legs were trembling so badly she could scarcely stand, and the heat had soaked her clothes through with sweat, yet she dared not stir. Hearing Ji shi's question, she hurriedly said, "Replying to the Sixth Mistress, this slave is indeed Yuzan." Her manner was exceedingly deferential.

Ji shi merely said, light as a feather, "You may go," and then, beaming, spooned up some lotus-seed soup and held it to Dou Zhiwei's lips, coaxing her patiently and tenderly: "Our Shouyuan is such a good girl—she has almost finished the whole bowl of lotus-seed soup!"

Since when had the mistresses of the East Mansion been on such good terms with the Seventh—?

The Seventh Young Madam was gone, yet they still cradled the Fourth Miss in their palms like a treasure.

Yuzan stared, dazed for a long moment.

A maid had already stepped up and given a gentle tug at the hem of her robe. "Hurry and withdraw."

She came to herself and fled the inner chamber in a fluster, and at her ear came someone's low mocking voice: "Didn't she say she used to serve the former Seventh—? Why, she looks downright dull-witted to me. Could she have slipped in by muddling along with the crowd?"

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