Chapter 184 — Relatives

Dou Huaiying scolded Dou Ming: "Your sister is here—won't you come over and greet her?"

Dou Yan had expected her to sulk or put on a cold face, but to her surprise Dou Ming came forward with a grin and made her bow to Dou Yan. "Who told me to be the youngest, and the lowest in rank? I come last."

The whole company roared with laughter, which left Dou Huaiying looking rather awkward.

Fortunately, Dou Huaiying had always doted on both his daughters. He smiled helplessly and gave her a few tired admonitions to "be good," and with that they all escorted the Second Old Madam into the main hall.

Dou Yan was given the west wing chamber.

Sulan brought the little maid to attend Dou Zhiwei as she washed and dressed, while Suxin directed the serving women to set out the things Dou Yan was accustomed to using, all brought from Zhending.

The little maids and coarse-work women whom the Fifth Madam had assigned to serve on this side clicked their tongues at the sight and fell to whispering: "This Fourth Miss who's come from Zhending—she does put on a grand show."

One little maid said, "What's so grand about that? I hear the Fifth Miss puts on an even bigger show. Besides the usual attendants, she keeps seven or eight guards, two washing women, two kitchen wives, four needlework maids... The Seventh Master is the richest of all the masters."

Another little maid did the sums on her fingers and said, "The Fourth Miss brought only four guards, four maids, and two coarse-work women. She certainly doesn't put on as big a show as the Fifth Miss."

Guo Shi, who had come in to fetch Dou Yan for the meal, gave a sharp rebuke: "What nonsense are you all chattering about here? Go and lend a hand!"

The little maids scattered in a flurry.

Hearing the commotion, Suxin hurried forward, made a respectful curtsy, and addressed her as "Sixth Young Madam."

Guo Shi was ever kindly disposed toward others. She asked gently, "Has Fourth Sister finished washing and dressing?"

Suxin ushered Guo Shi into the main hall, smiling as she invited her to sit, but before tea could be brought, Dou Yan emerged, fresh from her toilet.

Guo Shi rose at once and said, "Fourth Sister, the Second Madam has arrived. We were only waiting for you to begin the feast."

Dou Yan thanked her and went with Guo Shi to the flower hall where the meal was laid.

At that moment, Song Yan sat cross-legged on the meditation chair in the study of the Yizhi Hall, eyes closed as though resting his spirit, listening to Gu Yu and his steward Qiao An reckon the accounts: "...By then the fifty thousand taels from the Ministry of Revenue will have arrived. The silver is no worry. Only, will it be all right for us to take the whole pie ourselves?"

Qiao An looked somewhat uneasy.

Gu Yu gave a cold laugh. "How is this taking the whole pie? Compared with Shen Qing, we are far behind. He will not even spend the silver to hire porters—he has the garrison posts along the route haul his stone for him. We, on the other hand, must personally entertain even the Ministry of Works' directors and drink with them in the pleasure houses." Here he could not help complaining, "Wang Yu is far too cautious. The way I see it, what we are doing is a business with no capital outlay. However courteous you are, without these connections they will not take you seriously; and however discourteous you are, with these connections in place, they can only swallow it..."

Before he could finish, Song Yan suddenly opened his eyes and said, "How much of the Wei family's money is in our hands?"

Gu Yu started in fright. Collecting himself, he said, "Something like twenty thousand taels."

Song Yan said again, "How much silver have we settled on them?"

Gu Yu pursed his lips and said, "Zhang Yuanming's wife has a bold appetite. At the first settlement, I returned their principal to her as you instructed, but who would have thought she would send the principal back, saying it should count as part of her share of the capital... I reckoned it was no great sum, and at worst I could allot a little of my own portion to her, so I did not mention it to you. These twenty thousand taels include the Wei family's principal of three thousand taels."

Song Yan nodded slightly and said coolly, "Hold back all of this silver for me. When I say it is time to give it to them, then you may settle with them."

Gu Yu gaped, and only after a good while did he say loudly, "Right you are!" There was joy in his voice that he could not hide.

Song Yan lowered his head and took a sip of tea, recalling what Mr. Yan had told him upon his return that day about what had happened at the Grand Xiangguo Temple.

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To the brothers and sisters who read here: making up for the May 1st update.

o(n_n)o~

Continuing with the May 2nd update... the posting time is uncertain...

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