Chapter 356 — The Keys to the Household

Word of it reached Dou Yan's ears.

In her past life, Song Ji had killed Song Cen!

In this life, she would do whatever it took to keep Song Chu safe.

Dou Huaide could not possibly have guessed what was in Dou Zhiwei's mind. He merely assumed that she had just taken hold of the authority to run the household and was still unaccustomed to it, so he teased her: "Boyan and I went to such great lengths for you—the least you could do is thank us. Instead you sit there staring blankly into your teacup. Surely you're not complaining that we meddled too much?"

Only then did Dou Yan rein in her thoughts and smile behind pressed lips.

But Dou Yan said with a solemn expression, "Fourth Aunt, tell me the truth—is the Song family very complicated?"

The Dou and Song families had simply drifted apart over the years. But once they drew closer, with Dou Huaide's and Dou Yan's sharp instincts, there would be no hiding it from them.

She gave a slight nod and said with restraint, "Which family isn't complicated?"

Dou Yan asked no further. He smiled and said, "Then Old Uncle Lu is truly a man of upright and honorable character. Were it not for him, I fear today's matter could never have been resolved so satisfactorily."

Dou Yan was, after all, a daughter-in-law. Even if Song Cen treated her harshly, she could only endure it. Were she to complain in front of outsiders, she would earn a reputation for being unfilial. According to her original plan, she had merely intended to invite the Lu family over as witnesses, using the occasion to let them see that it was not she who was unfilial toward Song Cen, but rather Song Cen whose conduct was erratic—forcing his son to divorce his wife over a single ill-chosen word from his daughter-in-law. Should any further conflict between her and Song Cen come to light in the future, the world would naturally lay the blame at Song Cen's feet. This would pave the way for her next step: seizing the authority to run the Yingzhen Ducal Manor. But she had never imagined that the two old madams would prove far more perceptive than she had anticipated. Not only did they reprimand Song Cen, they also made him hand over the household management authority to her on the spot.

She stroked the bamboo tally tokens—worn smooth as jade from generations of hands that had handled them—and her thoughts drifted far and wide.

It was Dou Huaide who voiced a worry: "We invoked the Second Old Madam and Uncle Five. That won't come back to bite us, will it?"

The so-called tantrum of the Second Old Madam, and Dou Bingheng still kneeling—those had been nothing but bluffs to fool Song Cen.

Dou Yan laughed. "Set your mind at ease. These days, Song Cen would probably cross the street to avoid anyone from the Dou family. Why would he go confront Uncle Five? And even if he did, would Uncle Five possibly side with the Yingzhen Ducal Manor?"

Only then did Dou Huaide breathe a sigh of relief.

Dou Yan rose to take his leave. "I've been out the whole day. I must be getting back. After the New Year, I'll come visit you again, Fourth Aunt."

Dou Yan urged them to stay for dinner: "The wind outside is howling. Going out on an empty stomach with no hot soup in you would be miserable. I've already had the kitchen prepare a hot pot. Stay for supper before you go."

Dou Huaide, however, wanted to stay for supper: "I told Mother I was going to Yuqiao Lane. How could I go home and eat supper now? It's the New Year—every restaurant on the street is closed. Where am I supposed to find food?"

Dou Yan was still hesitating when a servant boy came in to announce: "The heir has returned!"

Dou Yan seized the chance to keep him: "You haven't met your Fourth Uncle-in-law yet, have you? Since you've run into each other—"

Dou Yan had married directly out of the Yunqi Temple Lane residence. The Dou family in Zhending had never met Song Yan, including Grandmother.

In the time it took to say this, Song Yan had already pushed aside the door curtain and entered.

On the way, Wuyi had already told him what had happened that day. He knew Dou Huaide well. The other unfamiliar young man must be Dou Yan.

He smiled and exchanged greetings with Dou Huaide, then addressed Dou Yan: "Your Fourth Aunt often praises you as the foremost of the Qi-generation. You looked after her a great deal when she was young. Meeting you today, I see indeed a man of commanding presence and elegant bearing." His manner was exceedingly courteous.

Dou Yan was a scholar of the Wei-Jin temperament. Not to mention that in recent years he had traveled far and wide and broadened his experience considerably—even ten years earlier, Dou Yan would not have been overawed by Song Yan. Now, seeing Song Yan treat him with such courtesy, he naturally did not put on airs either, and fell into easy conversation with him.

Before long, Ruozhu came to ask where the hot pot should be set up.

"Let's set it in the small flower hall," Dou Yan said, seeking Song Yan's opinion. "The underfloor heating is lit in the small flower hall, and several pots of winter plum are in full bloom."

The three of them went to the small flower hall.

After three rounds of wine, Song Yan, Dou Huaide, and Dou Yan all relaxed. Their talk grew freer and freer, and more and more congenial.

Dou Yan pointed at Dou Huaide, who was pouring wine down his throat, and said to Song Yan: "Look at this foolish uncle of mine—if you want to ply someone with wine, it should be you, not me."

Song Yan chuckled, secretly pleased that Dou Huaide treated him without reserve. He drank even more freely.

Dou Yan was still all right, but Dou Huaide's tongue began to trip over itself, and he could no longer quite control himself. He brought up the matter of Kuang Xiu to Dou Yan: "That connection of his through some elder—is it reliable or not? The person you mentioned, I searched high and low and never found him. We weren't being played, were we?"

Song Yan no longer cared about proprieties like not listening to what was improper. He asked Dou Yan: "Who are you looking for? Shall I help?"

Dou Yan was vexed over this very matter.

He had enlisted Dou Huaide's help to no avail, but surely he could not go running to Uncle Five over such a trivial thing?

Then he recalled that Song Yan was an Associate Commissioner of the Imperial Insignia Guard and also served in the Xuan Shuo City Garrison Command. He gave a startled "Oh!" and felt a flicker of hope rise in his heart.

He told Song Yan the whole story: "...The one who instigated the Panyu County Magistrate is this man named Fan Shichou. They say he opened a tea shop on Qianmen Street, but I went several times and never found anyone surnamed Fan."

"Leave this matter to me," Song Yan said, refilling Dou Yan's cup. "I'll have news for you in a day or two."

"That would be wonderful!" Dou Yan did not stand on ceremony with him. The two clinked cups, and the atmosphere grew warmer and warmer. In the end they drank until the first watch drum sounded. Had Dou Yan not feared that his Sixth Aunt would worry at home, they likely would have been reluctant to disperse.

Song Yan arranged for someone to escort Dou Huaide and Dou Yan home, while he himself clung to Dou Yan and made a drunken spectacle of himself.

"Shouyuan, you're really something! If you were a man, you'd surely be a great general—taking the household tally tokens without spilling a drop of blood.

"Let's find a day to go to the Lu family and kowtow to the two old madams, shall we? If not for them, I fear this matter would still be tangled up.

"At the Spring Festival, let's host a spring banquet at home too, shall we? We'll invite all your brothers and nephews and have a grand celebration.

"I grew up in my uncle's household. When our children are born, we'll often take them to Longhua Temple Lane and let my father-in-law give them their first lessons."

He rambled on for most of the night, every word steeped in longing for the life to come.