Chapter 240 — A Slip

Sixth Aunt and the aunt saw that the three were unperturbed, while Zhao Zhangru, draped over Dou Zhiwei's shoulder, giggled, "Looks like everyone thinks going to the Yingzhengguo Estate is a good thing!"

The aunt gave Zhao Zhangru a light tap on the head. "Everyone's been busy with Shouyuan's affairs these past two days. If you go running about everywhere, mind you—I won't take you anywhere with me again!"

Zhao Zhangru begged forgiveness over and over, which set both the aunt and Sixth Aunt laughing despite themselves—both of them worn out from directing the serving women in packing the dowry chests since the day before.

After the midday meal, Sixth Aunt asked Dou Yan whether she had any particular requirements for the bridal chamber, then took Su Xin with her to the Yingzhengguo Estate to hand over the dowry and arrange the bridal chamber.

The aunt, being an honored guest, remained at the Heming Temple lane.

Once the trousseau had been sent off, Fifth Aunt arrived with a whole cluster of Dou family women in tow, but Dou Ming was not among them.

Dou Yan had no wish to see her either. She invited Fifth Aunt and the rest to sit in the main hall, where Sujuan and the other maids served tea and refreshments. She was neither warm nor cold, but so scrupulously polite that it left people faintly ill at ease.

The wife of the tenth cousin, Madam Cai, then launched into a vivid account of Shen Qing's doings, and everyone had a good laugh; the atmosphere gradually warmed.

Sulan had always admired Zhao Zhangru's forthrightness and lack of airs, and she quietly sought her advice: "Do you think we ought to bring more dried goods—shark's fin, bird's nest, abalone, bamboo fungus, that sort of thing? Last time I was at the Jining Marquis's household, I saw them serving even chicken shreds tossed with sheet noodles as one of the cold dishes set out before the meal..."

This happened to reach the ears of the sixth cousin's wife, Madam Guo, who had been left sitting neglected to one side. She could not help giving a soft "Oh my!" and asked Sulan in a whisper, "Isn't the Jining Marquis's house one of the founding heroes' families? How is it that the Marquis's wedding feast was so plain?"

"Exactly," Sulan muttered under her breath. "I even made a special trip over to have a look. Candied walnuts and candied peanuts were set out as the four dried fruits, to say nothing of whole fish and whole sides of pork—but not a single fish lip or dried scallop did I see."

Madam Guo had always liked Sulan's outspokenness. Smiling, she tapped Sulan on the forehead and scolded her fondly: "Trust you to have sharp eyes!"

Sulan pursed her lips and giggled.

This drew the attention of Fifth Madam.

She watched Madam Cai holding forth loudly in the crowd, then called out to Madam Guo with a smile: "What are you saying to the young lady there? You're both so merry! Do share it and let us laugh too!"

Every eye in the room instantly turned to Madam Guo.

Under all those gazes Madam Guo panicked, and she stammered, her face crimson: "N-nothing, we weren't saying anything!"

Truly a fool who cannot be propped up even against a wall!

Fifth Madam could not help sighing inwardly.

Zhao Zhangru thereupon decided to take Fifth Madam down a peg. Smiling, she said, "We were talking about the Jining Marquis's wedding banquet—nothing but pork and chicken, not a fish or a bit of dried goods to be had. They really are stingy!" She went on, "And I noticed that when Ming came to drink the wedding wine, she seemed to be wearing clothes from her old trousseau. It's the very turn of the season—surely they wouldn't skimp on that too? Why, they're worse off than our own household!"

A silence fell over the company at these words.

When Fifth Madam's personal attendant matron came in, it made a great deal of noise.

Fifth Madam's face darkened at once. "What has happened? Why all this fluster?"

The matron had been nervous to begin with, and at this she grew more flustered still, blurting out: "Fifth Madam, oh, it's terrible, terrible—Seventh Master has given Fourth Miss a whole chest of silver notes for her dowry..."

A dead silence fell over the room, and then it boiled over like a cauldron, buzzing with talk.

No one had the presence of mind to take her to task for her loose tongue.

"What exactly is going on?" Fifth Madam frowned. "Tell it slowly!"

Those silver notes had been prepared by Dou Huaiying long before. Fearing that if word got out thieves would fix their eyes on them, he had hidden them under Gao Sheng's bed once the Detong Silver House delivered them, so that Gao Sheng's wife had not been able to get out of bed for several days. Only at the very moment the trousseau was to be sent did he have them carried out, and some chests of medicinal herbs hastily added, thus making up the full one hundred and twenty-six chests of dowry that were carried out of the Dou household.

The Dou family had not noticed, and the Song family assumed it was to guard against thieves. Only when Dou Bingheng confronted Dou Huaiying did the news spread like wind through every nook and cranny of the Heming Temple lane.

Dou Yan was so furious she could not even find words.

She begged leave of Fifth Madam and the others, and hurried from the hall—and so did not see Fifth Madam's dark, brooding gaze, the thoughtful look on Madam Cai's face, the excitement in Zhao Zhangru's eyes, or the envy written all over Madam Guo's countenance.

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Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival—wishing everyone a joyful holiday!

(*^__^*) Hee hee...

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