Chapter 202 — The Wedding

When Dou Yan met her aunt and cousin, there was naturally a great deal of affectionate catching-up, and the Fifth and Sixth Madams hosted a welcoming feast for the aunt and cousin.

That night, the aunt and Dou Yan lay on the same kang, sharing confidences. The aunt questioned her in detail about what gifts the Wei family customarily sent for festivals and New Year calls, who had acted as matchmaker, what would be delivered when the trousseau was brought over—every last item, until she had the whole picture. On the whole she was satisfied with the Wei family's arrangements; her only complaint was that their festival gifts were rather stingy. She warned her: "Don't dismiss these small things. They show that the family is tight-fisted in daily life, yet puts on a fine show on grand occasions—they are people who care greatly about empty reputation. You have always been free-handed at home; after you marry, you must keep your wits about you. Don't step forward in anything, don't make decisions. If their household lives on congee, you live on congee; if they live on noodles, you live on noodles. And whatever you do, don't dip into your own dowry to supplement their household expenses. You mean well, but your mother-in-law might well blame you for being extravagant and wasteful. Whatever you want to eat or wear, hold yourself back. Don't casually bring out your dowry to save face for your husband's family—understand that once you start such a thing, there will be no end to it..."

Dou Chiyou sighed.

Old ginger is the hottest.

Only this time her aunt had misjudged.

Wei Fan was a most generous man—in truth, it was simply that he could not produce that much silver.

In her last life, when the Wei family took her in marriage they sent thirty-six carriers of betrothal gifts; only after she married did she learn that most of it had come from Tian-shi's dowry. In this life, perhaps because of the business ventures with Wang Yu and Gu Yu, the goods were prepared far more handsomely.

Dou Yan had no intention of actually marrying into that family, so naturally she would not explain anything to her aunt; thinking of how her aunt had come all this way to see her off into marriage, she felt a pang of guilt. Whatever her aunt said, she nodded with a smile and said "Yes," not daring to say another word.

At long last her aunt finished speaking, and the maids attended her to wash up. Zhao Zhangru pouted and complained: "You're two years younger than me, and you're already getting married, while my marriage prospects are nowhere in sight! I really don't want to stay at home."

Dou Yan broke into a sweat at these words, yet there was nothing she could do.

In her last life, she truly had no idea whom Zhao Zhangru had ended up marrying.

Fortunately Zhao Zhangru had a cheerful disposition; after a few heartfelt grumbles she put the matter out of her mind and went to look at the trousseau.

Dou Yan had Ganlu hold up a lamp and opened the storeroom to show her.

Holding a jade ruyi scepter of gold inlaid with jade, Zhao Zhangru clicked her tongue in admiration: "What a lovely gold-inlaid pattern."

Her aunt's voice came from the doorway: "That was your grandmother's dowry; when your aunt married, it was given to her."

And now it belonged to Dou Zhiwei.

Zhao Zhangru winked at Dou Yan, then hastily put on a docile air, took her mother's arm, called her "Mother" sweetly, and explained: "I was just curious, I came to have a look..."

Her aunt was not angry. Instead she took the jade ruyi and examined it for a long while, then said to Dou Yan: "I have looked over your trousseau list; the Dou family does have some decency after all. They have kept your mother's things well—every single piece is on the list."

.

From the very start she had ordered that her mother's dowry and the Dou family's household dowry be written on separate lists. If even one piece of her mother's belongings went missing, neither the Dou, Ji, nor Wei families would escape blame!

Dou Yan gave the jade ruyi to Zhao Zhangru and said to her aunt: "Let Cousin Third share a little of my good fortune. I will have them strike this ruyi from the list."

In her last life she had racked her brains to marry Wei Fan; in this life she did not wish to marry at all, yet suitors kept coming. Did such matters also hold true that the desireless are the strong?

Zhao Zhangru's unhappy marriage prospects were a sore point with her aunt. Hearing this, she no longer declined, made Zhao Zhangru apologize to Dou Yan, and said: "I will make up another ruyi for you!"

"No need, no need," Dou Xin said. "No wonder Cousin took a fancy to my things. In the future, if I take a fancy to something of Cousin's, Cousin must not be stingy."

Zhao Zhangru giggled and said: "In that case, I've come out far ahead!"

The two sisters chattered and laughed, tumbling about in a heap.

Her aunt watched from the side, and could not help smiling with delight.

The next day, her aunt took Zhao Zhangru to the Huai Shu Alley residence to pay respects to the Second Old Madam.

Suxin quietly told Dou Yan: "The Second Old Madam has sent Ma Jun's wife over to assist Mrs. Cai."

Dou Yan could not suppress a smile.

Ma Jun's wife was the same woman who had accompanied Matron Liu to the Wang household to humiliate Wang Xu-shi. She was said to have a sharp tongue—even Pang Yulou, who had grown up in the marketplace, could not get the better of her.

When the Wei family discovered that the bride had been swapped, they would certainly come to argue with the Dou family. That they were sending Ma Jun's wife along with Mrs. Cai to escort the bride—what scheme lay behind it was all too plain.

On the afternoon of the next day, the Wei family came to press for the bride's adornment.

One hundred and twenty carriers of trousseau, packed full; at the head, a Hetian jade figure of the God of Longevity, over a foot tall, moist and translucent in the sunlight, drawing crowds of passersby to stop and stare.

On the day of the wedding itself, since the Second Old Madam was a widow and could not attend the ceremony, Dou Yan, accompanied by her Sixth Aunt, went early in the morning to Huai Shu Alley to take her leave.

The Second Old Madam sat chatting with her with a smiling face for a while, showing neither the sorrow of parting nor any parting advice. Only as she was about to leave did the old lady seem suddenly to remember something, and had Matron Liu bring out a pair of jade pendants carved as birds flying wing to wing, to add to her trousseau.

It seemed everyone believed the bride today was Dou Ming.

Dou Yan grew all the more composed. Back at the Yunqi Temple Alley residence, she bathed and dressed.

Wang Xu-shi came with Gao-shi, Pang-shi, Wang Nan, and the others to drink at the wedding feast.

Dou Yan made the excuse that she was already made up and did not go out to pay her respects.

Gao-shi took no offense, and brought Gao Mingzhu into the room to congratulate her.

Dou Ming sat beside her, looking somewhat downcast.

Dou Chiyou gazed at her, and only then noticed that Dou Ming too had washed and dressed, her black hair combed immaculately neat, without a single strand out of place.

I am marrying, and you are marrying too. I sit openly in the inner chamber receiving congratulations, while you must lurk in secrecy, unable to show your face. Comparing the two, do you feel nothing at all in your heart?

Dou Yan asked Dou Ming in her heart.

Dou Ming, however, did not so much as glance at Dou Chu, and escorted Gao Shi out of the room.

The sun sank; the light gradually dimmed; great scarlet lanterns were hoisted aloft, and Yunqi Temple Lane blazed with lamplight, thrumming with voices and rippling with laughter.

Dou Yan was already fully dressed and made up.

Mrs. Cai brought in a lotus-seed and lily-bulb soup.

Dou Chu managed a spoonful, and in a few mouthfuls the bowl was scraped clean.