Chapter 398 — Searching

Song Han was already of an age to wear his hair up, yet his handsome looks had every advantage of time and circumstance; far from seeming affected, he carried a boyish innocence that made Fourth Madam Jiang laugh in spite of herself.

She spoke up for Dou Yan: "This is a matter for the men. What has your sister-in-law to do with it? If you had a wife, and your sister-in-law came alone without inviting her, you needn't say a word—I would be the first to call your sister-in-law inconsiderate. But you, a young brother-in-law, speaking to your sister-in-law like this—what sort of behavior is that? Go and apologize to her this instant!"

Song Han was now under Song Cen's care and tutelage. That he had not come to pay his respects at the first opportunity—Fourth Madam Jiang laid this at Song Cen's door.

Song Yan had spoken to Song Cen in person when he went to fetch Fourth Madam Jiang. And after bringing her back, he had gone again to the Osmanthus Court, where Song Cen had feigned ignorance. The maids in Song Han's quarters came and went from the Osmanthus Court every day; she did not believe Song Han had not heard that Fourth Madam Jiang had arrived in the capital.

And he appeared only now. Who knew whether he had truly caught a word in passing, or whether it was Song Cen's arrangement—or his own idea?

Dou Yan only smiled and said nothing.

Song Han stuck out his tongue at Fourth Madam Jiang, then went up bashfully to apologize to Dou Yan.

Dou Yan nodded at him with a gentle smile.

At once Song Han was his lively self again.

After greeting Jiang Xiexiu and Jiang Xieying with proper ceremony, he took Fourth Madam Jiang by the hand to show her the gifts he had brought: "This is for Cousin Twelve's trousseau, this is for you, Aunt, this is for Cousin Thirteen, and this is for Cousin Fourteen..."

Excitement shone in every line of Song Han's face, and he set both Jiang Xiexiu and Jiang Xieying laughing.

That only spurred him on. He opened one of the boxes, drew out a Western clock, and thrust it before Jiang Xiexiu: "Cousin Thirteen, if this goes into Cousin Twelve's trousseau, it should astonish the Wu family and make them look at Cousin Twelve with new eyes, don't you think?"

Jiang Xiexiu tapped her finger on Song Han's forehead and scolded fondly, "You little wretch, do you take the Jiang family for nouveaux riches? What talk is this of astonishing people and new eyes? The Wu family are respectable folk. Had they meant to slight Cousin Twelve, they would have broken off the engagement long ago instead of waiting until today. Put away all these muddled notions of yours and prepare a proper trousseau gift for Cousin Twelve!"

Only then did she show the proud bearing of a Jiang daughter.

Fourth Madam Jiang and the others all laughed, and even Song Han grinned shamelessly, looking very much like a boy angling to please Jiang Xiexiu.

Jiang Xiexiu must surely be a favorite in the Dingguo Duke's household, or everyone would not have reacted this way.

Dou Yan noted it all.

When Song Yan came to fetch her, she mentioned it to him.

"She has a bit of a hot temper, but she treats people very well. She's clever, but she doesn't scheme much," Song Yan said. "When I was at my uncle's house, she was my favorite to play with."

"Did none of the elders in the family ever think of marrying her to you?" Dou Yan blurted out.

And then she felt somewhat awkward.

Jiang Xiexiu was, after all, an unwed young lady. If word of what she had just said got out, it would do Jiang Xiexiu great harm.

But words once spoken were like water spilled... and Dou Yan was left vexed with herself.

Song Yan's eyes, however, suddenly lit up.

"I believe the elders thought I wasn't good enough for Cousin Thirteen," he said, fixing his gaze on Dou Yan, the laughter in his eyes brimming up layer by layer until it burst forth irrepressibly across his face, "or perhaps they thought to find me a wife with a smaller heart, one who likes to be jealous and pick at trifles, a little fiercer, one who keeps me so tightly in hand I can scarcely breathe..."

Dou Yan's face burned. She snatched up the bolster behind her and hurled it at Song Yan.

"Ai yo!" Song Yan caught the bolster and tossed it aside, pretending to shield his head, and laughed until he could not contain himself. "You dare strike your own husband? Don't you want to eat? Tonight you'll sleep on the floor for me! Not a step into bed without my say-so!"

Looking at Song Yan, Dou Yan could not help laughing too.

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To all my sisters and brothers who read this—happy weekend!

Tomorrow's extra update will be around three in the afternoon.

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Not a single weekend off... I beg for pink tickets to comfort me!

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