Chapter 49 — Partition
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 4 of 4
For a family that lived off monthly allowances, an extra source of income meant the children could eat a little better and dress a little more respectably.
Even Dou Duo could find no grounds for objection.
He and Dou Xiuchang's father—that is, Dou Zhiwei's second uncle, Luo Shiqi—were on exceedingly good terms.
Dou Xiuchang took over Dou Zhiwei's dowry estate without the slightest difficulty, and her aunt handed the letter of consent to the Second Old Madam.
By the time all this was settled, it was the winter solstice, and every household was eating dumplings.
Her aunt discussed the matter with Dou Xiuchang: "Why not take charge of the property Shouyuan's mother left her as well? The Wang woman will be entering the household soon, and it would not be fitting for Granny Yu to remain at the West Residence. Better to use this opportunity to let her retire in comfort, with her son and daughter-in-law released from service—that would count as having served our family's young lady for a time."
Anyone else would likely have worried that such a move might make people think he was purging dissent the moment he took over Dou Zhiwei's estate, but Dou Xiuchang was a proper master of the Dou family—why would he care what a few serving women said?
"Fine!" he agreed without a care. "Whether it's one sheep or two, they graze just the same."
Her aunt summoned Granny Yu for a talk and told Yu Daqing to hand over the accounts to Dou Xiuchang that very afternoon.
※