Chapter 340 — The Birthday

Since it was not a milestone birthday, the household of the Duke of Jingzhen had invited only relatives within the third degree of mourning and a few noble families with whom they were in frequent contact. The birthday feast would last a single day, and the auspicious hour for the birthday greetings had been set for the morning. The Zhang relatives would kowtow to the Duchess of Jingguo in order of seniority, while guests who were not direct kin, like Dou Ci, would be shown to their seats; once the greetings over there were done, the feast here would begin. To arrive after the feast had started would be a grievous breach of courtesy.

Wei Wan was furious.

Dou Ming's behavior was nothing short of a slap in her face. She had not been taken seriously at all.

In her heart she cursed Dou Ming up one side and down the other.

Yet in front of the old woman from Third Madam Zhang's side, she dared not betray the slightest sign of displeasure. Instead she smiled and said, "The Marquis of Jining's residence is a little far from here; most likely she was delayed on the road. I will send someone to look into it at once." Then she pressed a red packet into the woman's hand and said, "Give my thanks to Third Madam."

The old woman departed in high glee, while Wei Wan was left so angry that her ribs ached.

Fortunately, the messenger she sent returned quickly with word: "The Marquis of Jining and his lady have already arrived at the gate."

There were too many eyes and ears about now. Best to wait until this matter had passed before saying anything more.

Wei Wan nodded and went to the kitchen to taste the several dishes that would be sent up to the birthday feast later.

Wei Fan and Dou Ming, having alighted from the carriage before the gate of the Duke of Jingzhen's residence, both wore rather sour expressions.

Wei Fan said to Dou Ming, "When you see your elder sister in a while, help her receive the guests and share some of her burdens," and then betook himself to the flower hall in the front courtyard.

Dou Ming gazed after Wei Fan's retreating figure and sneered several times, then, supported by a maid, followed the Zhang family's stewardess through the ornamental gate.

The flower hall glittered with jewels and rang with cheerful laughter and conversation.

She paid her respects to the Duchess of Jingguo.

The Duchess hastened to urge her, "Rise, rise!"

Dou Ming rose with a smile, and then caught sight of Dou Yan seated on a brocade stool beside the Duchess.

Why had she come?

Dou Ming was taken aback.

Dou Yan had already nodded to her with a smile.

Dou Ming's gaze darkened.

The Duchess of Jingguo beckoned toward Dou Yan and said to Dou Ming, "Look here, who is this beside me?"

A few young ladies were fine enough, playing together in high delight, but the matrons seated around the Duchess all stared wide-eyed at them.

Dou Chi sighed and greeted Dou Ming with a faint nod.

Dou Ming was no fool. Though she had nearly kneaded a handkerchief into pickle, she read the room and softly called out, "Elder Sister."

Someone glanced at Dou Yan, then at Dou Ming, and said with a laugh, "Speaking of it, the two young ladies of the Dou family have married remarkably well. The elder daughter became the heir's wife of the Duke of Yingguo, and the younger the lady of the Marquis of Jining—two ladies of rank from one house. That is far harder to achieve than three metropolitan graduates from one family."

Everyone burst out laughing.

Another voice chimed in, "What is truly remarkable is that when the fourth young lady of the Dou family married, her natal family even added to her dowry."

Dou Ming froze.

Added to her dowry?

For Dou Yan?

How was it that she did not know?

A flicker of bewilderment crossed Dou Ming's eyes. She looked toward Dou Yan and saw her sitting there, smiling, half in jest and half in earnest: "It is only that Father dotes on his daughter and feared that once she married and became a daughter-in-law she would be looked down upon, so he wished to make her husband's family hold her in higher regard."

So she was admitting it!

The company was astir.

Many still remembered vividly that chest of banknotes from when Dou Yan had married.

Princess Ninghuai laughed and said, "Just hear it and let it pass—do not go spreading it about! Back then, that chest of banknotes in ten-tael denominations was enough to make people envious enough to risk their necks. If word got out of how much property Shouyuan has to her name, would it not draw those death-defying robbers down upon her again!"

Everyone chimed in to declare that they were not the sort to relish gossip, yet each vied with the others to inquire about Dou Zhiwei.

"Lady Dou, is Lord Dou still sending you banknotes this time as well?"

"Lady Dou, this matter of the Dou family adding to your trousseau—we are hearing of it for the first time. Could it be that your honored father, fearing the same thieving attention as last time, kept you both from making it known?"

"Why didn't they just list it on the dowry inventory when she married out? Why add to the trousseau afterward?"

"There must have been a great deal of it—they were afraid thieves would find out."

For a while everyone was thoroughly caught up in the topic.

Someone teased Dou Ming: "There's still a quiet fortune-maker sitting right here among us!"

"Yes, yes!" someone chimed in. "How much in added dowry did the wife of the Marquis of Jining receive?"

Dou Ming's hands trembled; it was a long moment before she suppressed the indignation in her breast, and she said with a smile, "Father dotes on Elder Sister most of all. What Elder Sister has, I may not necessarily have. Don't pester me—go ask my elder sister."

In her heart, though, she was thinking of that chest of silver notes.

Wei Wan had told her to go ask their father for it, but she did not have the nerve for that. Yet in the end she could not let it rest, and had someone make inquiries; only then did she learn that the chest of silver notes had been prepared for her all along... She was so angry she went several days without eating, and did not dare tell Wei Fan, for fear that once he heard it he would regret marrying her.

But she had never expected that something even more outrageous was waiting for her.

Her father had, in private, added to Dou Yan's trousseau as well.

If someone had not let it slip today, would her father have meant to keep it from her for the rest of her life?

A cold wave washed through Dou Ming's heart, chilling her until she shivered.

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Brothers and sisters, here is a rough draft for you to read over first and get a feel for.