Chapter 251 — The Return Visit
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
Dou Huaiying, hurrying over, broke into a beaming smile at the sight. Before Song Yan could even steady himself, he stepped forward and took him by the arm. "Come inside and sit! The rain is too heavy!" Then he called loudly to Gao Sheng, "Quick, find a clean set of clothes for the Fourth Son-in-Law to change into." He was so warm that even in the days before Song Cen and Song Yan had fallen out, he had never treated Song Yan with such open affection — so much so that Song Yan was briefly taken aback, and only after a moment recovered himself and hastily thanked Dou Huaiying: "Thank you, Father-in-law."
Dou Huaiying gazed at Song Yan, who stood before him like a figure of polished jade. Thinking of how he had just helped Dou Yan down from the carriage, he found him more pleasing the more he looked, more agreeable the more he saw. Drawing Song Yan toward the flower hall, he said with a chuckle, "A son-in-law is half a son. You need not stand on ceremony with me. So long as you and my daughter live in harmony, it gladdens my heart to see it."
Song Yan thought of the look in Dou Huaiying's eyes on the day Dou Yan was married, and his heart softened at once.
He answered "Yes" with respectful deference, and went through the main gate with Dou Huaiying.
Gao Sheng came running up carrying an armful of clothes.
"Master, these are the new clothes you had made a few days ago. You have not even had a chance to wear them yet," he said, panting. "Which one do you think would suit?"
Dou Huaiying picked out a straight-cut robe of purplish-red silk damask woven with the baoxiang flower pattern. "Go change first," he said to Song Yan. "Autumn rain does a body harm — mind you do not catch a chill."
Gazing at the vivid, intricate pattern, both Song Yan and Dou Yan could not help breaking into a sweat — the former because he disliked the garment's showy ostentation yet dared not decline it, since it came from Dou Huaiying; the latter because she had not expected her father to have had such a flamboyant robe made.
Song Yan went off with Gao Xing to change. Dou Yan could not resist saying, "Is baoxiang flower fabric still fashionable these days?"
"When was baoxiang flower fabric ever fashionable?" Dou Huaiying retorted.
Dou Yan was speechless.
She could only mutter inwardly: But at your age, it is a bit too gaudy.
The thought had scarcely crossed her mind when she saw Song Yan coming over with Gao Sheng.
Purplish-red brocade, embroidered in gold and silver thread with all manner of flowers and grasses, brilliantly colorful, hues like drifting clouds, set off Song Yan's fair, flawless skin — a spot of plainness amid a riot of reds and purples, possessing a kind of unsullied loftiness and refinement.
Dou Huaiying's eyes lit up. "This robe suits you quite well," he said. Without waiting for Song Yan to reply, he had already stepped forward. "Let us go to the flower hall and have some tea — the relatives are all here already, waiting on you two!"
Song Yan calmly smoothed his sleeves, and when he lifted his foot to walk, he had become composed and at ease, following Dou Huaiying to the flower hall.
Dou Bingheng and Dou Heng sat in the central hall in the grand master's chairs, conversing with Wei Fan, while Dou Wenchang and several others stood nearby listening with deferential expressions. In the western hall, Madam Ji, the Fifth Madam, and the other women sat around the round table, while Dou Wenchang's two sons, Jichang's two sons, and Dou Bochang's daughter, attended by a great crowd of maids and serving women, romped and laughed in the flower hall, scattering their merry laughter everywhere.
Seeing Dou Huaiying enter with Song Yan and Dou Yan, Dou Bingheng and the others broke off their talk, and the serving women hurriedly carried the children off to one side.
The flower hall fell silent in an instant.
Everyone's gaze fell upon Song Yan.