Chapter 176 — Comings and Goings

She had long since been stripped of the authority to manage the household; how could she have the power to wreck Dou Zhiwei's marriage?

Her earlier silence had been mere powerlessness; and as for Dou Ming's marriage, she had been treating a dead horse as though it were alive. Who would have thought Wei Wan would truly find Dou Ming a good family?

Such an opportunity was gone in the blink of an eye.

"What's to be done? What is to be done?" Her face was all urgency. "Wei Wan has done everything she said she would. Now it's our turn to make good… If there's still no sign of movement, not only will this business fall through—I'm afraid Wei Wan will suspect me too. Wei Fan kept mourning for three years, and Dou waited for him all three years. Yet on the very eve of the wedding, Wei Wan wants to break off the betrothal—you can see how vicious this woman's heart is." Here she stopped short. "Honestly, I almost hope this match does come off—with a sister-in-law like that, I doubt Dou Yan will dare sleep without one eye open."

Wang Shuying gave two cold laughs.

Nurse Hu could not help saying, "Then why don't we simply wash our hands of the whole business…"

Wang Shuying had no standing at all in the Dou household, and no one paid the least heed to what she said—how could she possibly tear apart the match between the Dou and Wei families?

"How could we!" said Wang Shuying. "If Wei Wan found out, she'd be certain to think we were making a fool of her. Knowing her temper, she'd never let it go. If she were to speak a few words against me before others—or a few words against Ming—Ming's marriage prospects would only grow harder still!"

She could not help somewhat regretting that she had ever agreed to Wei Wan's terms. Yet deep down she also half understood: the lure of making Dou Yan break off the match, of bringing Dou Yan down in a spectacular fall, was too great—she simply had no way to refuse.

"For now we can only think of some way to stall him," Wang Shuying could not help murmuring to herself. "All we can do is watch and see whether things take some turn..." She instructed Granny Hu: "If Wei Wan comes asking, say only that the Seventh Master will not agree to this matter, that it would cost the Dou family all face. Tell her not to be anxious, and that I will think of some other way."

Granny Hu assented, and through Granny Jin the word was passed to Wei Wan.

Wei Wan waited with an easy mind for two months. Yet there was still no movement from the Crane-Cry Temple Lane, while Wei Fan had observed the rite of putting off mourning.

At the time, the Lady of Yan'an Marquisate had also gone to attend the memorial rites.

Gazing at the handsome, upright Wei Fan, she said to Wei Wan with considerable feeling: "Your household will soon be celebrating a wedding, I suppose? As for our Qingyuan, we still don't know whose family she will end up in."

The speaker had not meant it, but the listener took the point.

Wang Qingyuan was no longer young. In earlier years the Lady of Yan'an Marquisate had feared that marrying her daughter off too early would bring her hardship; now she was anxious to find her a husband's family.

Wei Wan could sit still no longer, and pressed Granny Jin to go find Granny Hu.

Wang Shuying had no choice but to answer Wei Wan vaguely: "I can only kindly urge the Seventh Master. If you have any good ideas, madam, by all means instruct me."

Wei Wan was somewhat dumbfounded, and asked Granny Jin to help think of a plan.

If even Wei Wan had no way, what way could she have?

But these words were stored away in Granny Lü's heart.

It so happened that Hong Gu sent the kitchen woman to deliver two bolts of red summer cloth to Granny Jin.

Granny Lü's heart stirred, and she seized the chance to strike up a conversation with the kitchen woman.

Two days later, she carried a jug of Jinhua wine to Dou Juan's stationery shop, saying only that she had come to visit the kitchen woman.

Hong Gu, having received Chen Yanzhou's coaching, entertained Granny Lü warmly.

After two rounds of wine, someone outside came looking for Hong Gu; she had no choice but to smile apologetically at Granny Lü, instruct the kitchen woman to entertain her well, and go out into the shop herself.

Before long Chen Yanzhou came looking for her, and seeing Granny Lü drinking with the kitchen woman, he gave a startled "Oh?" and said, "Where's Hong Gu? I've waited so long and still no sign of her."

The kitchen woman rose hurriedly and said, "Hong Gu just stepped out." Fearing Chen Yanzhou would scold her for laying out a feast in the kitchen, she introduced Granny Lü to him: "This is the personal attendant of the young madam of the Jingzhenguo Estate, come specially to see Hong Gu." Then she pointed to Chen Yanzhou: "This is the accountant from our Zhending, come to check the books."

Granny Lü smiled and made a curtsey, showing no trace of fear.

Chen Yanzhou gave an "Oh," turned, and left.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Hong Gu returned, but with a grave expression she drew Granny Lü to the back room behind the kitchen and said, "Do you know the Eighth Character of the Jining Marquis's birth date and hour?"

Granny Lü was startled, and shook her head: "I don't know."

Hong Gu said solemnly, "Could you help us make some inquiries?" And with that she pressed a pouch into Granny Lü's hand.

It was heavy in Granny Lü's grasp; by experience she weighed it and judged it to be at least ten taels.

Her heart sank with it, yet her face betrayed nothing; she smiled and said, "You might at least give me some hint of what this is about, so I know what to do!"

Hong Gu hesitated a long while before lowering her voice: "Old Chen—the accountant you just met—says he knows a true adept of Mount Longhu, who will casually cast the Jining Marquis's horoscope for him as well."

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Regarding updates, many friends have asked, so I will explain here as well.

Because I am an amateur writer, and this year my child is entering the third year of senior high, I am now running back and forth between my workplace and the village where I keep him company in his studies, and time is rather tight. Usually on weekends Old Zhi comes over to help with the shopping and cooking, and only then do I have time to write. I feel that my present state is indeed not good, and I cannot guarantee updates. After discussing it with Old Zhi, from now on there will be double updates on holidays and festivals, and at other times only a single update. For the inconvenience, I ask all my reading sisters and brothers to bear with me!

o(n_n)o~

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