Chapter 41 — A Tiger Cowed
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Ji shi said only that Yuzan was unfit to remain in Dou Yan's service and that another maid should be brought in to replace her.
Old Lady Yu understood: this was Ji shi forcing her to deal with Yuzan herself.
The maids and old women of the West Household fawned on her only because they hoped to squeeze some advantage out of her. Yet when one of them got into trouble, not only could she not protect the girl—she had to personally punish those very people who had once flattered and courted her.
Who would ever come near her again after this?
But if she pretended not to understand, might the Sixth Madam feel her dignity had been slighted and take the matter all the way to the Second Old Madam?
At the thought of the Second Old Madam, Yu's heart went cold with dread.
Best get through this immediate difficulty first and worry about the rest later.
Gritting her teeth, Yu took Yuzan back and, before the eyes of everyone present, had her soundly beaten with twenty strokes of the plank, until her flesh split and her skin tore, until she was drawing more breath than she gave out. She reckoned the Old Master must be raging about something even now, and that whoever drew near him would suffer for it; so, fearing that if Yuzan died it might bring bad luck down on the Old Master's head, she sent for a physician to dress her wounds and at the same time had someone find the girl a family to marry into.
"The chief thing is that she be married off far away," she instructed the matchmaker. "We don't want her redemption money either—we'll throw in ten taels of silver as a dowry."
Such a fine bargain stirred even the matchmaker's own heart. "I have a distant kinsman, a porter who makes his living on the Huai'an grain transport. His wife has just died. If it can be arranged, there'll be a few packets of tea as a thank-you gift besides. Only he's a bit old, and he has two sons..."
Yu cared nothing for any of that. So long as the girl could be got far away, she asked not another question and agreed to the match on the spot. "I'll go and tell the Seventh Master."
The matchmaker sat there beaming, drinking her tea and waiting.
Dou Huaiying was at the Crane Longevity Hall. By the time Yu hurried over, she was stopped at the door.
"The Old Master is discussing business with the Seventh Master," the young servant told her in a low voice. "He's given orders that no one is to disturb them."
So Yu stood waiting in the courtyard.
In the study, Dou Duo lay in his reclining chair looking as though he had aged ten years at a stroke—weary and haggard.
"Wanyuan, this time you must come back with a provincial degree!" He laid the back of his hand across his brow, covering his eyes; his low voice carried a note of helplessness and bitter resentment. "The Dou family of today is not the Dou family of your great-uncle's day. If you want to preserve the family fortune, you must prove yourself. Do you understand?"
Dou Huaiying stood there straight as a rod and said nothing.
Dou Duo sat bolt upright and thundered furiously, "Did you hear a word I said?"
"I heard." Dou Huaiying answered calmly, then asked, "What do you intend to do about the Wang family business?"
Dou Duo gave a cold laugh. "You needn't trouble yourself over that," he said darkly. "So long as I am here, the West Dou will never let the East Dou roll us flat! All you need do is set your mind at ease and go sit for the provincial examination." Then he raised his voice: "Who's on duty outside?"
"This servant, Du An."
"Go and invite the eldest young master of the Wang family to come here."
Du An answered and went off.
Dou Duo turned back to his son, who stood there calm and still. "Go back and pack your things."
Dou Huaiying bowed respectfully to his father and left the Crane Longevity Hall.