Chapter 274 — Don't Even Think About It
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
The eldest madam went on. "This time your second uncle asked me to take charge of the Yingzhenguo Estate's household affairs. To put it plainly, he wants me to make things difficult for that Dou woman. Father and son are at odds—they have come to the point of drawing swords on each other. Since your second uncle has set his mind on this, how could he allow me to refuse? Otherwise, he would be certain to suspect that we side with Yantang." Here she heaved a long sigh and said, full of melancholy, "But then, Yantang was raised from childhood by Lady Jiang and taught to acknowledge only the Jiang family; he has never held the Song family in his heart. Just look at last time: your uncle's carriage collided with a pancake seller—a matter that one word from the Yingzhenguo Estate could have settled. The yamen runners, eager to curry favor with the estate, reported it to Yantang by some mischance—a thing Yantang could have resolved with a single sentence. Yet he sided with outsiders and made your uncle pay twenty taels of silver in compensation..."
Madam Dong could not help muttering to herself.
If twenty taels of silver could settle the matter, why drag it all the way to the Yingzhenguo Estate? It put the estate in debt to those yamen runners, and earned it a reputation for bullying others with its power.
Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were fine in every way—except that they prized face above all.
They would rather spend fifty taels to send off those yamen runners than pay twenty taels to compensate the pancake seller.
How could the eldest madam know what her daughter-in-law was thinking? Seeing her meek and deferential expression, she was well pleased. "There are things you juniors do not know. Your second uncle—well, he likes to look after the family, but if you cross him, he can turn ruthlessly against you. Our household has what it has today entirely through your second uncle's support. When he asks a favor of me, by feeling and by reason I cannot refuse. But as you said, sooner or later the Yingzhenguo Estate will pass into Yantang's hands. If we grow too close to your second uncle, life will be comfortable enough while he lives—but after he is gone? What becomes of you then? I cannot think only of myself and leave you to fend for yourselves."
Madam Dong's heart stirred. "What does Mother mean?"
The eldest madam beckoned to her daughter-in-law, signaling her to come closer.
"Apart from Yizhi Hall, the Yingzhenguo Estate is crawling with your second uncle's people. All my fuss and flurry is for that Dou woman's benefit too—so here is what you will do. Go to the Dou woman now and apologize to her. Say I have grown old and foolish; that your second uncle merely saw there was no elder in the house and asked me to come and lend a hand, and that I had the impertinence to start managing the estate's affairs; beg her not to take it to heart. Then tell her how our family depends on your second uncle for our living, how his word is more binding to us than an imperial edict... In short, paint whatever picture makes us look most pitiable. You must move that Dou woman to pity, make her feel we have no other choice. After that, I will go on throwing my fits here, and you will devote yourself to pleasing her. Even if she curses me, you must chime in with a word or two of your own. You must understand—your future livelihood will depend on her." Finally she asked Madam Dong solemnly, "Do you understand what I mean?"
"One of us plays the red face, the other the white," Madam Dong said. "I understand, Mother. Only, this cursing..."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Do as I have taught you and you cannot go wrong. And I will not blame you for it."
Reassured, Madam Dong went to Dou Yan's rooms.
Dou Yan was idling away the time, drawing embroidery patterns.
She had a fairly good impression of Madam Dong, and when she heard Madam Dong wished to see her, she had Suxin show her in.