Chapter 285 — Chickens Fly

Wei Wan knew her mother-in-law would not see her for some time yet, so she took leave of her husband and quietly returned to the Jining Marquis Estate.

Lady Tian had taken to her bed in her rage, and Wei Fan was at her bedside tending to her.

The sight of him enraged Wei Wan. "Where is Dou Ming?" she demanded sharply.

Wei Fan did not raise his head, but mumbled sullenly, "I did not let her in."

Wei Wan could have struck him. She ordered a maid, "Go and fetch the madam in."

The maid hurried off and soon led Dou Ming in.

Dou Ming threw herself into Wei Wan's arms.

Caught off guard, Wei Wan was stupefied for a moment.

Dou Ming was already weeping against Wei Wan's shoulder. "Sister! You must stand up for me in this! Every day these past weeks I have gone to my uncle's house, all to beg my grandfather to find the Marquis a post. My grandfather begged this one and that, my uncle gave gifts and hosted dinners, and at long last they found the Marquis the post of deputy commander of the Hui City garrison of the Five Wards Commandery. I came home overjoyed to bring the Marquis the good news—who would have thought the Marquis was not even in his room? When he came back, I asked him just one question, where he had been, and he glowered and scowled, and dragged even my mother into his curses… Sister, you are a married daughter too. Tell me, is there any justice in such treatment?"

What sort of temper her brother had, did she not know? How could he have cursed Dou Ming for no reason? Dou Ming must have done something outrageous and provoked him, and only then had he spoken wildly. This Dou Ming was truly hateful—to take advantage of her honest brother who could not speak well for himself, and turn the tables on him! But what was this about deputy commander of the Hui City garrison of the Five Wards Commandery? She had never heard her brother mention such a thing.

At this thought, Wei Wan could not help turning to Wei Fan in astonishment.

During their quarrel just now, Dou Ming had said nothing of any deputy commander of the Hui City garrison. Yet before her sister-in-law she had torn his words out of context, making it all out to be his fault.

What did she mean to do?

Wei Fan said sulkily, "How should I know? Go and ask her yourself."

Dou Ming hastened to say, "My grandfather begged the Minister of War, Kong Lin, styled Daishan, Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, to help, and found the Marquis the post of deputy commander of the Hui City garrison of the Five Wards Commandery!" A flicker of triumph crossed her brow.

Wei Wan was struck dumb.

It was Lady Tian instead who struggled up from her bed. "Ming, child—what are you saying? Your grandfather's family has found Peijin a post as deputy commander? Is this true?" In her words there was a delight she could not conceal.

"With something this big, how could your daughter-in-law deceive you, Mother?" Dou Ming stepped forward to support Tian-shi. "The official document is already in hand. Tomorrow the Marquis can go and take up his post." With that, she called out loudly for "Zhu'er": "Bring in the Marquis's letter of appointment!"

Zhu'er immediately came in carrying a brocade box.

One look was enough for Wei Wan to know that Dou Ming had planned this all along, but matters had come to this pass; even if Dou Ming was playing games with her, for the sake of her brother's prospects she could only swallow it.

After a moment's thought, she sat down beside her mother and looked over Wei Fan's letter of appointment together with Tian-shi.

"It really is Deputy Commander of the Yanhui City Division of the Five Wards Infantry!" Tian-shi's voice caught in her throat.

Her son's prospects had always been a weight on her heart; she had never expected her daughter-in-law to settle the matter. Marrying into the Dou family had truly been the right move.

Tian-shi gazed at Dou Ming, her eyes growing very kind.

Dou Ming grew all the more smug, and said softly to her mother-in-law, "You would never guess, but by rights the Marquis ought to have collected this letter of appointment from the Ministry of Personnel in person. Yet the moment the Ministry folk heard he was Dou Juan's son-in-law, they processed it for us straight away. Once the Marquis takes up his post, he must remember to go and thank them, and show his face at the Ministry as well. That way, if anything comes up later, we will have a voice over there."

Tian-shi nodded without cease and said to Wei Fan, "Don't you forget this."

To have landed the post of Deputy Commander of the Yanhui City Division of the Five Wards Infantry just like that—Wei Fan could scarcely believe it. He gave a dazed "Yes" and looked toward Wei Wan.

Wei Wan gave a slight nod.

Only then did Wei Fan believe it was real.

He could not help letting out a long breath, and then heard Dou Ming laugh coquettishly: "My little aunt has been wanting to find a post for her nephew Pang Jixiu for ages. She had already put in a word, but because I went and begged, Grandmother told my eldest uncle to see to the Marquis's business first. My little aunt is a bit displeased about it. Tomorrow the Marquis and I should go to Liuye Alley, and we simply must kowtow to my grandmother."

"Of course, of course!" Tian-shi said with a smile.

Wei Fan thought so too. Yet for some reason a foul breath seemed lodged in his chest, so that he could neither feel grateful to the Wang family nor find it in himself to be glad.

Wei Wan said nothing.

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I have been reading the comments these past few days. Thank you all for your concern and good wishes. Many friends also left messages telling me some folk remedies and secret prescriptions for kidney stones, and some even offered advice from the perspective and experience of those who have been through it. My thanks to you all (fists clasped in salute)!

At present I am on conservative treatment with Chinese medicine, drinking a good deal of water every day, and skipping rope. Perhaps because I have sat writing for years on end, my body is very weak and I simply cannot meet the required amount; every day I am just exhausted, and after a few hundred characters I have to rest a while... I hope to recover soon. I still owe debts, after all...~~~~(_

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