Chapter 79 — A Visit (Bonus Update for 630 Pink Votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
Was the sweat from panic or from the heat?
"Once I've paid my respects to Sixth Aunt, I'll help Eleventh Brother look for him," Dou Yan said. "Anyway, Eleventh Brother cannot manage this all at once."
The warm curtain over the main room stirred. Caishu came out smiling.
She bent her knee in a curtsy to Dou Yan and said with a smile, "The mistress said she thought she heard Fourth Miss's voice, and we all told her she must have misheard—who would have guessed Fourth Miss really had come." As she spoke, she turned and lifted the warm curtain to usher her in. "How is Lady Cui? The narcissus and wintersweet Fourth Miss sent our mistress last time have all bloomed—the whole room is fragrant. The mistress is ever so fond of them!"
Because of Lady Ji, the maids and serving women of the sixth branch all held Aunt Cui in great respect.
"She is very well," Dou Yan said, and followed Caishu into the hall, where she was greeted at once by the two pots of wintersweet she had sent last time—golden blossoms translucent and clear as the finest yellow jade, cool and serene.
The warm curtain of the inner room was thrown wide, and Ji Wan emerged, attended by Cailan, wearing a brocade over-jacket patterned with peach-pink treasure vases. Seeing Dou Yan had on only a pale violet woolen cloak, she took her hand and scolded fondly, "Child, you might have put on more. Your hands are icy." She had a maid bring her own hand warmer to Dou Yan, then led her into the inner room. "I was just about to go to you," she said, then asked, "Are your New Year goods all in readiness over there?"
"With Aunt Cui about, of course they were ready long ago," Dou Yan said, and climbing onto the kang with Lady Ji, she recounted all that had happened these past days.
Ji Wan said, "You child, you are indeed a fortunate one. Taking in those two sisters will do your reputation good—you should do more such things in the future. Even if the people you take in for a time prove troublesome, once the fuss dies down there will be ways to send them off. You need not worry." She added, "As for the shop, it does no harm if you lose a few thousand taels at the start—so long as you break even before you marry. We are not after the profit."
All for the sake of a good name.
Dou Yan felt her cheeks burn.
Lady Ji chuckled and asked her, "Have you reported this to the Second Matriarch in person?"
"I went to the Second Matriarch first, and only then came to you."
"Good." Ji Wan said, "Old people most resent it when the young fail to show them respect. In future, whatever business you have, tell the Second Matriarch more often."
Dou Yan had long understood this, but she still nodded with a smile.
When she came out of Lady Ji's room, Dou Huaide had already returned and was bent over writing couplets alongside Dou Yong.
"Where did Twelfth Brother slip back from?" Dou Yan asked, watching the gentle sunlight fall on them, and went over to help grind ink—and catch some sun herself while she was at it.
"I went to the latrine," Dou Huaide said. "I did not go anywhere else."
Really?
Dou Yan looked toward Dou Yong.
Traces of anger still lingered on Dou Yong's face, yet he said, "He came back a while ago!"
What devilry was this fellow up to?
He had been behaving oddly for days now.
Still—with Dou Yan keeping an eye on him, nothing serious should come of it.
Grumbling inwardly, Dou Yan returned to the West Manor.
After the Lantern Festival passed, so too did the forty-nine days of Bie Gangyi's mourning. The Bie sisters packed up their things and set out for the West Dou household.
Ganlu and Sujuan hurried over to help them pack.
Seeing that though they wore no red they were not in mourning white either, Dou Yan said, "The Second Matriarch in the East Manor keeps rather strict rules, but the rest you need not trouble yourselves overmuch about."