Chapter 49 — Partition
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
In his letter, Dou Huaiying first addressed the matter of Yuzan's marriage, then set out at great length a list of which estates and houses he intended to allot to Dou Yan, and finally asked Mrs. Zhao: "...If there should be any objection, you may discuss it with the Sixth Master."
He entrusted the matter to Dou Heng.
Holding the letter, Mrs. Zhao could not help frowning, and asked Nurse Peng, "Tell me, can Dou Huaiying's words be trusted?"
Dou Yi was full of suspicion as well.
"Whether they can be trusted is hard to say." Nurse Peng pondered. "But if we have Master Tang look into the true state of these estates and houses, it will surely save us time compared with groping at an elephant in the dark the way we are now."
Mrs. Zhao nodded and had a copy of Dou Huaiying's letter made, which she handed to Nurse Peng. "Take this to Master Tang."
When Master Tang received the list, he went with men that very night to verify it. Mrs. Zhao, meanwhile, spent each day leading Dou Yan about, or chatting with the Second Dowager, or paying calls on the First Madam, or talking with Mrs. Ji... She did not look like a woman come to negotiate Dou Yan's dowry with the Dou family, but rather like one paying a visit to relatives. If anyone asked, she said only, "My master has sent for someone to help draw up the contract with the Dou family. I do not understand such things; the man he sent is still on the road."
The property being divided was not the East Dou's, and the kinsmen being assisted were not the East Dou's either, so naturally no one in the East Dou was in any hurry. Taking advantage of Mrs. Zhao's stay as a guest in the house, and of the Second Dowager's exceptional warmth toward her, the Second Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law seized the chance to urge the Second Dowager to invite a woman storyteller to the house to perform. Having received a hint from her second son, the Second Dowager reasoned that if Mrs. Zhao also agreed to let Dou Yan be raised in the East Residence, the matter would be easily settled; so she not only engaged a woman storyteller to perform at home, but a few days later also hired a troupe to sing opera in the house, and invited all the mistresses of the wealthy households of Dingzhen County to come and keep them company. The house was thronged with coming and going, loud with talk and laughter, livelier by several degrees than the New Year, while Wang Shuying and Mrs. Pang waited in mounting unease, not knowing what had happened.
Thus more than half a month passed, until word came from Master Tang's side: the several properties Dou Huaiying had listed were all excellent. In particular, the houses on South Street and North Street in Qingyuan County—street-front shop buildings, all joined into a single stretch, occupying more than half of two streets—brought in over ten thousand taels of silver a year in rent alone.
Qingyuan County was the seat of Baoding Prefecture, and South Street was the busiest main street in Qingyuan County.
Mrs. Zhao could not help sighing. "I knew the Dou family was rich, but I never imagined they were this rich."
Nurse Peng laughed. "This time we have the Wang family to thank."
Much as Mrs. Zhao disliked the Wang family, she could not help laughing too.
The next day she introduced Master Tang to Dou Zhen.
Dou Zhen took Master Tang to Dou Duo to settle Dou Zhiwei's dowry.
Dou Duo was already prepared. He brought out a thick stack of papers. "These are for Shouyuan."
Master Tang looked them over and smiled. "It is my master's wish that the young lady, being a woman, will not know how to run a business. These oil presses and bamboo-ware shops and the like are best left out; better to have more farmland and houses." With that, he handed over the list he had drawn up in consultation with Mrs. Zhao.
When Dou Duo had read it, his face darkened as though a storm were coming on. Leng Heng shot a glance at Dou Zhen.