Chapter 399 — Astonishment

The Wang family had always prided itself on having ways and means. They would likely rather spend extra silver and pull strings to appeal to the Earl of Donglin than come running to her.

"I understand," said Dou Yan. Then she asked, "How is my father now? Is he sulking at home?"

The Gao family's wife smiled. "My elder uncle invited the Sixth Master over for a drinking bout with the Seventh Master, and the Seventh Master was right as rain afterward."

That was good.

Dou Yan had someone reward the Gao family's wife with two taels of silver, while turning over in her mind what sort of lawsuit Wei Fan could have gotten himself into—one that shamed him so deeply he would not even keep his post. In the previous life he had idled his way through a whole lifetime; she had not expected that in this one he would prove to be a man who could not even hold on to his own job.

When Song Yan came home that evening, she brought the matter up with him.

"I already knew," said Song Yan. "It is nothing serious—the shop that does business under his banner was passing off inferior goods as fine. Who would have guessed the other party had connections to the Seventh Prince? Naturally they had no fear of him and took the Marquis of Jining straight to court. It was no great matter to begin with; a word to the Seventh Prince would have settled it. But you know how some things are—the Marquis of Jining is rather slipshod in his conduct. And I have my own arrangements to make in the Five Commands. Rather than have him blundering about the Five Commands under the title of my brother-in-law, it is better to let him rest at home for the time being; once matters settle, I will find him a post."

He spoke with great gravity. Yet for some reason Dou Yan had a faint sense that something about this was not right. But if asked just what was wrong, she could not have said.

Seeing that she made no reply, Song Yan's wariness of Wei Fan deepened another degree.

Dou Yan and Dou Ming were at odds. By rights, if Wei Fan had fallen on hard times, even if she did not clap her hands in glee, she should not have worn such a grave expression.

He could not help turning it over privately in his mind: if Dou Yan asked him to find Wei Fan a post, what post would both send Wei Fan far away and sound dignified and honorable?

But Dou Yan had no intention of pleading for Wei Fan at all. Instead she said, "You had better stay out of their family's affairs. They are all thankless tasks that only earn you ill will for nothing. If the Wei family has trouble, Dou Ming will go beg the Wang family to step in. Otherwise Father would not have refused Dou Ming outright."

Song Yan was silent for a moment.

"I understand," he said with a nod, though his eyes flickered like a small flame.

Dou Chu was stunned.

Then, belatedly, it occurred to her that in others' eyes she and Wei Fan had been betrothed since childhood; had Dou Ming not stolen the marriage, she and Wei Fan would have been a proper husband and wife.

Could it be that for this reason Song Yan had always been somewhat cool toward Wei Fan's affairs?

But Song Yan had always carried himself as though he looked down upon all the world...

Dou Yan felt a little ashamed of the thought.

Song Yan had already stepped forward and gently embraced her. "I will take half a day off tomorrow. We shall go stroll the East Main Street in the afternoon. Twelfth Cousin is to be married; if you are to attend the wedding feast, you must at least add a few proper pieces of jewelry."

What was this supposed to be?

A reward for not speaking up on Wei Fan's behalf?

Dou Yan found it both laughable and exasperating.

She had plenty of jewelry in her box that she had never even worn, thank you very much.

But Dou Yan was clever enough to say nothing, and went happily with Song Yan to the silver shop to choose several fine pieces, which put Song Yan in good spirits as well.

And the Wang family did not, as Dou Yan had predicted, step forward on Wei Fan's behalf. Word had it that Wang Xu-shi had even scolded Dou Ming roundly, saying that Wei Fan could not even keep a post, and that Dou Ming had the nerve to come begging the Wang family to intervene for such a man—how was the Wang family supposed to speak up, and so on.

Dou Ming fled home in tears.

But these words were repeated by the old woman who had gone with Dou Ming to the Wang household, and eventually reached Wei Wan's ears.

Another quarrel erupted in the Wei family.

When Dou Yan heard of it, she only smiled.

In the previous life Dou Ming had enjoyed every advantage of heaven, earth, and man, and still managed to live a life that provoked the wrath of gods and men alike; in this life, stripped of the Wang family's protection, she would be lucky to make anything at all of her little household.

Dou Yan instructed Ruozhu: "Tomorrow, when I go to the Jiang family for the wedding feast, I will wear that kingfisher-and-pearl step-shake the Heir sent over a few days ago."

Ruozhu answered with a smile.

But then Ruochi came in and announced, "Madam, the Fourth Madam of the Jiang family is here."

Dou Yan glanced at the sky, already shrouded in the gathering dusk, and said in surprise, "At this hour?"

※

To all my sisters and brothers who read, here is today's first update.

o(∩_∩)o~

※