Chapter 360 — The Ruckus

Sixth Aunt and several of the aunts sat around the kang chatting of household matters, but Cai Shi drew Dou Yan aside and said in a low voice, "It's a good thing you didn't go that day. I've seen shameless people, but never anyone more shameless than the Wei family—wanting to seize a daughter-in-law's dowry, and saying it with such righteous confidence. Wei Wan is, after all, the matriarch of a family of meritorious lineage; how can she speak and act so unreasonably? No wonder her mother-in-law looks down on her and keeps elevating her two other daughters-in-law, Shi Shi and Feng Shi."

The reason the Dou family had not told Dou Yan of Dou Ming's miscarriage was that Dou Yan was with child, and the two sisters' relationship was strained; since Dou Ming had been distressed, they feared it would only vex Dou Yan further. But when Guo Shi and Cai Shi went on behalf of the Dou family women to visit Dou Ming, Sixth Aunt had them deliver a gift of medicinal herbs to Dou Ming in Dou Zhiwei's name. Dou Yan had only learned of this just now upon meeting Sixth Aunt; as for what had happened when Guo Shi and Cai Shi went to the Wei household, she knew nothing at all.

In her previous life, her dowry had not been generous either, yet the Wei family had never cast a covetous eye upon it. How was it that in this reborn life, Tian Shi and the Wei family had both changed beyond recognition?

Dou Chiyou frowned and said, "What on earth is going on?"

Cai Shi then recounted how Tian Shi was displeased with Dou Ming, how Wei Fan and Wei Wan were of one mind in demanding that Dou Ming hand over her dowry, and how the Wang family had turned a cold shoulder to Dou Ming... She told the whole story like a storyteller.

Dou Yan was greatly surprised and said, "How could the Wang family ignore Dou Ming's affairs?"

Seeing that Sixth Aunt and the others were chatting merrily and no one was paying attention to them, Cai Shi lowered her voice: "I heard that the Wang family's Second Madam was quite displeased that Seventh Aunt had been living at the Wang house year after year, and she goaded the Wang family's Second Master into quarreling with the Old Madam several times. It so happened that the Wang family's First Madam also kept silent. In a fit of anger, the Wang family's Old Madam took Seventh Aunt to live in the Wang family's country villa outside the capital. Most people in the capital knew nothing of this. The letter that Fifth Aunt sent to Willow Leaf Lane fell into the hands of the Wang family's Second Madam, who suppressed it. It was only when the Wang family's Old Madam brought Seventh Aunt back to the capital for the New Year and sent someone to visit Fifth Aunt that the matter came to light. But by then it was too late. Seeing no response from Willow Leaf Lane, Wei Wan humiliated Fifth Aunt severely and even sold the two most trusted first-class maidservants at Fifth Aunt's side. Fifth Aunt's people have had the Wang family searching for over half a month, but there is still no trace of them. Everyone in the Wei household now knows that their mistress and the eldest aunt are locked in a contest of wills, and none dare go to Fifth Aunt's rooms to serve her!"

"And what's the situation now?" Dou Ming's dowry was even greater than Dou Yan's had been in her day; if it fell into the Wei family's hands, Dou Yan felt sickened as if she had swallowed a fly. "Did Fifth Aunt not argue with the Wei family at all?"

"Who says they didn't go!" Cai Shi, afraid Dou Yan would misunderstand the Huai Shu Lane household, said hastily, "Wei Fan used Dou Ming's miscarriage as a pretext to invite Seventh Uncle to the Jining Marquis's residence, but who would have thought it was to discuss Fifth Aunt's dowry. Seventh Uncle was so furious he ground his teeth. If my mother-in-law had not arrived in time, the two families would likely have come to blows and torn all pretense apart... As it stands, the matter has been left hanging, to be taken up again after the Spring Festival. But from the Wei family's tone, either Fifth Aunt hands over her dowry for the Dou family to manage, or she is divorced. Seventh Uncle was so enraged over this that he did not go to his office for several days..."

Hearing that her father had fallen ill from anger, Dou Yan thought she would remain calm, but in truth it was as if a knife had been driven into her heart, and the pain left her nearly unable to speak.

"You too," she could not help but say in reproachful anger, "how could you keep something so important from me? Father has no one at his side to attend him as it is. If we do not return to nurse him in his illness, will he not be all the more alone?"

"Fourth Aunt, pray do not be angry," Cai Shi explained in alarm, "It was Seventh Uncle who expressly instructed us not to tell you, for fear that the news would anger you and disturb your pregnancy..."

※

Sisters and brothers, here is the second update.

o(n_n)o~