Chapter 349 — Entangled
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
The next day she rose and breakfasted, and the Zhao family's dowry-urging party arrived.
Though the bride was to be sent off from Yizhi Hall, each household had its own household gods and ancestral tablets, and Suxin was, after all, not of the Song family. The place for the sending-off was set in the western side rooms of Yizhi Hall, where Old Chen lodged.
Dou Yan washed and dressed, and went with her aunt and Zhao Zhangru to the western side rooms.
Duan Bing and the others who had come from Zhending behaved as though they were marrying off their own little sister, clamoring for Zhao Liangbi to serve tea and offer respects, and demanding he address them as "elder brother-in-law."
Zhao Liangbi did whatever he was told, thoroughly cooperative. His face was red, but his eyes were extraordinarily bright, and one could not tell whether it was from agitation or sheer excitement.
Dou Yan and Zhao Zhangru could not help giggling.
Duan Bing and the rest crowded around with teasing laughter, saluting Dou Yan one after another, then swept Dou Yan, her aunt, and Zhao Zhangru off to the room where Suxin awaited her marriage. They did not tease Zhao Liangbi further, letting him pass the dowry-urging ordeal with ease.
A residence was hard to come by anywhere near that alley, and all were large compounds of several courtyards; it took Song Yan some effort to find a satisfactory house in Zhengjue Temple Alley in the neighboring Nanjuxian Ward. Since Zhengjue Temple Alley was half an hour's walk from the Yingzhen Ducal Manor, the dowry-senders set out from Yizhi Hall after the midday meal, and the western side courtyard fell quiet.
By the time Song Yan hurried back, Dou Yan was lounging on the heated kang by the window, chatting idly.
He was still in his official robes, travel-stained and dusty; the ladies of the house all started at the sight, then each curved her lips, looking from Dou Yan to Song Yan with kindly smiles, stepped forward to salute Song Yan, and withdrew.
Suxin, soon to be a bride, showed no awareness of being one; she and Sulan fetched water and attended Song Yan as he washed and changed.
Song Yan paid his respects to her aunt, inquired after Zhao Zhangru, and said, "Sending off the dowry so soon? I thought it would wait until after the evening meal!"
From the sound of it, he had hurried back to give Suxin face.
Suxin and Sulan were deeply grateful and kowtowed to Song Yan.
Seeing how constrained everyone in the room was, Dou Yan took Song Yan by the hand and led him back to the main chamber.
Once they were alone, Song Yan felt Dou Zhiwei's belly and said, "Has the child been good today? Has it been troubling you?"
"How big can it be yet?" Dou Yan found his solemnity a little funny, but more than that, sweet. "We won't feel anything until five or six months."
"Oh!" Song Yan was a little disappointed, and changed into casual clothes before coming out.
Wuyi came running in. "Young Master! Lord Ma and Lord Jiang of the Divine Machine Battalion are here. They say you're about to become a father and are clamoring for you to stand them a feast at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!"
Song Yan laughed. "This fellow has a dog's nose on him! News travels to him that fast."
Dou Xin said, "Just how many people did you tell?"
Song Yan scratched his head and gave a silly grin, which somehow made him look rather guileless.
Dou Xin laughed even harder, and rose herself to pick out a set of clothes for him to go out in. "Drink less. Getting drunk is always a loss of composure, and losing your dignity—it isn't good."
Song Yan took Dou Zhiwei's hand and sighed. "I'd meant to come home and spend some proper time with you..."
If not for that, why else would he have rushed off to the western side rooms without even changing his clothes?
"Understood." Dou Yan smiled gently. Seeing that no one was about, she rose on tiptoe and slowly kissed Song Yan on the cheek. "Go early, come back early!"