Chapter 171 — A Test

Wei Wan was thrown into a sudden fluster.

She asked the old wet nurse, "What else did the people from the Dou family say?"

"I couldn't tell whether the woman was honest or simply dull—it took three questions to get one answer out of her," the wet nurse said. "Even this much, she let slip by accident, and I happened to overhear it."

Wei Wan was greatly alarmed, and took the matter to her mother.

Tian shi was surprised as well. "That makes no sense—the Dou family could never fail to provide Dou Yan a dowry, and she should still have the private savings the Zhao shi left her. Why would she come all the way to the capital to demand a dowry on the very eve of her marriage?"

"That's just it—I find the whole thing very strange!" Hearing her mother say so only deepened Wei Wan's suspicions. "I think we ought to send someone to make careful inquiries..."

"Isn't that rather improper?" Tian shi hesitated. "Even if Dou Yan brings a great dowry, it has nothing to do with us..."

"Mother!" Wei Wan cut her off, a little exasperated. "Looking into Dou Zhiwei's dowry doesn't mean we intend to seize it—who wouldn't want to add flowers to brocade? If Dou Yan can bring more dowry, she'll have more to spend, and won't you be able to give her less? If she can leave some property to your grandsons and granddaughters, won't the children's lives be easier? Our family is thin in numbers, while the Dou family has many offspring. If Dou Yan stays close to her natal family, won't your son gain more people to lean on? But if she is cold and distant with her own kin, then this match will have no substance on either side—what would be the point of it?"

Tian shi was persuaded by her daughter. "Then help me look into it, will you?"

Wei Wan answered "Yes" rather dejectedly, and sent Granny Jin to investigate the matter of Dou Zhiwei.

Hong Gu returned to the brush shop uneasy at heart, and the moment she was through the door she drew Chen Yanzhou aside. "I said it just as you instructed... but if the Wei family takes it into their heads that the young lady has no dowry and turns up their noses at her, whatever will we do..."

Chen Yanzhou's face was already set before she had finished. "What kind of talk is that? So if our young lady has a dowry, the Wei family happily carries her home, and if she hasn't, they must break the engagement? If the Wei family is that sort, then better not to marry into it at all! I sent you precisely to test what sort of people the Wei family really are. A man fears choosing the wrong trade, a woman fears marrying the wrong man. Seventh Master is a man who takes no thought for anything, and Seventh Mistress even less—she is muddle-headed even about her own daughter's affairs, and there's no relying on either of them. If we don't keep our wits about us on the young lady's behalf, won't she suffer a great loss? Now that we know where the Wei family stands, we can plan our response—we can't have the young lady bear any grievance."

The speech struck home like a temple bell, and Hong Gu felt the weight of her responsibility. She volunteered to Chen Yanzhou: "Madam Wei herself is a most kindly person, and very courteous to me—it's that personal wet nurse of hers. Her eyes seem to hide needles when she looks at you. It was that wet nurse who was testing me."

"You see—one little test and it comes out!" Chen Yanzhou declared with righteous gravity. "Our young lady's future mother-in-law is a charitable sort, yet the people around her dare to test you. That shows Madam Wei doesn't keep a strict hand on her household and is easily swayed by soft words. It's the old saying: the King of Hell is easy to meet, but his little demons are hard to deal with. If our young lady marries in and wants to win her mother-in-law's favor, the first order of business will be to win over the people around Madam Wei."

Hong Gu thought Chen Yanzhou's words entirely reasonable, and nodded again and again.

To think that Dou Yan, who had always had the last word at home, should now be marrying and have to watch Madam Wei's face—and not only Madam Wei's, but the faces of those who served her. She felt not only indignant on Dou Yan's behalf but grieved for her, and could not help choking out, "Old Chen, the young lady's lot is too bitter!"

"Ah!" Chen Yanzhou sighed. "Why is it that a girl is a precious pearl in her own home, and a 'handmaiden' once she marries?" Then he consoled Hong Gu: "What woman hasn't come through the same?"

Hong Gu was silent for a long while, then said in a low voice, "Then what am I to do next?" She had the look of one ready to do whatever Chen Yanzhou asked.

Chen Yanzhou nodded inwardly. "Tomorrow we'll go together and pay our respects to Seventh Master, and then discuss the young lady's dowry with him—though half the Western Dou estate stands in the young lady's name, if it is all carried off to the Wei family in one breath, you've seen for yourself that Madam Wei is not a woman who can manage affairs. Who knows what might come of it? There's a saying: shared hardship is easy, shared wealth is hard. If the Wei family sets its eye on the young lady's property, it will be her ruin. How the dowry is to be handled must be left to Seventh Master's judgment. After that, you may go about the capital as you please—for who comes to the capital but to look around! If anyone asks you anything, answer straight; only do not tell anyone what was said between us and Seventh Master."

Hong Gu breathed a sigh of relief, and her whole person seemed to lighten.

She had lived more than half her life and had never deceived anyone or spoken a lie. Her agreement to say such things before the Wei family came of the fact that they had indeed come to the capital this time to discuss the young lady's dowry with Seventh Master.

"Rest easy, Old Chen. I know better than to go spreading what my betters say," Hong Gu assured him hurriedly. "Except to Aunt Cui, I won't breathe a word to anyone who asks."

Chen Yanzhou nodded with satisfaction.

The next day he went with Hong Gu to the Crane Cry Temple alley.

The Yunqi Temple alley lived up to the two words "quiet peace."

Whitewashed walls, lush great trees, a hushed and soundless lane—there was a rustic simplicity about it, settled by the years, that made anyone who entered the alley unconsciously slow their steps and even their breathing.

Dou Huaiying received Chen Yanzhou and Hong Gu in his study.

Having learned their purpose, he could not help scratching his head. "What does Shouyuan say?"

Chen Yanzhou counted from one to ten in his heart before speaking. "It is the Fourth Miss's wish that, apart from what Madam Zhao left her, the rest remain in the keeping of the Third Master of the Dou family for now; after the marriage, it may be decided according to the son-in-law's wishes."

The husband is Heaven, the wife Earth. If the two live in harmony, such a great estate—no ordinary dowry—must naturally be handed to the husband to manage. But if Wei Fan did not treat Dou Yan with proper respect, then Dou Yan need not give him face either.

Dou Huaiying caught the meaning beneath Chen Yanzhou's words. He said readily, "Then let it be done according to the Fourth Miss's wishes."

This was just as Dou Yan and Chen Yanzhou had expected. Chen Yanzhou smiled and assented, then handed Dou Zhiwei's dowry list to Dou Huaiying. "This was drawn up by the wife of the maternal uncle at the young lady's coming-of-age ceremony; Aunt Cui added a few items, and the Sixth Madam a few more. Please see whether anything should be added or struck."

Dou Huaiying glanced at it and handed it back to Chen Yanzhou. "Since the uncle's wife, Aunt Cui, and the Sixth Madam have all looked it over, there should be no mistake. Prepare it accordingly." He paused, then said, "I have a few paintings of flowers and birds here—Shouyuan will surely like them. Give them to her as part of the dowry."

Anything Dou Huaiying collected was naturally of the finest.