Chapter 224 — Bewilderment
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Dou Ming, at this moment, ...
Unused to such work, her hand was a little heavy. At first Wei Fan could bear it, but then he could not help letting out a hiss and turning his face away.
Dou Ming froze mid-motion, and a glimmer of tears welled at the corners of her eyes.
"Take a rest—let me do it myself!" Wei Fan said hurriedly. With that, he took the handkerchief from her hand and wiped himself clumsily.
Wang Qinghai, who had escorted Wei Fan back, studied the purple swelling on Wei Fan's cheek, his face dark: "Think again—not a single clue?"
Since Wang Qinghai had married the youngest daughter of Zhou Shaochuan, the Earl of Donglin, Wang Yu had begun handing some of the family's minor affairs over to him. These past days Wang Qinghai had been staying in Kaifeng, overseeing the supply of stone for the repair of the old course of the Yellow River. Because of Wei Fan's wedding, he had made a special trip back from Kaifeng, only to run into this business of one sister being married in place of another.
This was Wei Fan's family matter, so Wang Qinghai naturally could not say much. Judging that Wei Fan should have some leisure these days, he had invited him to a small gathering at the Cuihua Tower.
Wei Fan was heavy with cares. After a few cups of wine, before Wang Qinghai could speak, he began to unburden himself.
"...The Dou family is a household of some standing in North Zhili. I never in my dreams thought such a thing could happen... At the time I was so flustered that I lifted the veil, did not dare look even once, and ran out to toast the guests... When I came back I was so drunk I knew nothing at all... Later Ming was crying and carrying on and even trying to hang herself, and everything was in chaos. I had no time to think it over—my head went blank with a buzz, and I agreed to the match." As he spoke, he drained the cup before him and, taking up the wine pot, poured himself another. "On the third-day visit to the bride's home, I was so ashamed I could hardly bear it. The moment I opened my eyes I was thinking: if I ran into the Fourth Miss, what should I say... Who would have thought the Fourth Miss would avoid us..."
"The die is cast; what use is there in speaking of it now?" Wang Qinghai consoled him. "Since you have already accepted this marriage, you should live properly with your Lady Dou! This wavering of yours harms yourself, harms Lady Dou, and plants a thorn in the Fourth Miss's heart besides!"
"I know," Wei Fan said gloomily. "I am only thinking of what the Fourth Miss said."
Wang Qinghai could not help uttering a startled "Eh?" "What did the Fourth Miss say to you?"
Wei Fan said: "At the time, wasn't it Ming who arranged to meet me at the Puji Temple? Later a Dou servant found out and wanted to break off the engagement with our family. The Fourth Miss then asked me to the Longhua Temple alley, and said she believed there was nothing between Ming and me. She also said everyone was in low spirits, and that we should put the wedding off a while." As he spoke, a look of bewilderment came into his eyes. "But Ming said the Fourth Miss, because I had agreed to her Puji Temple appointment, was consumed with jealousy and would sooner die than marry me..."
Wang Qinghai shook his head inwardly.
The first time he had seen Dou Ming, he had thought she had a pair of far too nimble eyes. People like that usually have a great many little schemes.
As things looked now, in this business of one sister taking another's place, Dou Ming clearly was not so innocent as she claimed.
But what could he say?
Better to tear down ten temples than one marriage.