Chapter 445 — Borrowing Money

Jiang Yan, however, pressed her palms together and murmured, "Amituofo." Then she said, "Earning an honest living is always better than wandering far from home with no fixed place to settle. It may be harder work, but it is steady and sure."

That reply left Chen Jia staring open-mouthed—and took Jiang Ling quite by surprise as well.

It seemed Li Liang was beyond saving.

Jiang Ling fought back a smile and gave a soft cough, hinting that Jiang Yan ought to go back to her room.

But Jiang Yan thought for a moment, then slipped off a pair of pure-gold bracelets from her wrists and a pair of ruby earrings from her ears, and said quietly to Chen Jia, "This is all I can do to help them. Take these trinkets to Li Liang for me—count them as my thanks for the care he showed me in the past. If they run into hardship later on, have them send word to me. I can't promise much, but I can spare a little silver to tide him over."

Chen Jia stared at the gleaming ornaments, his brows knitting tightly into a frown.

"These are things you wear on your own person," he said gravely. "How can you simply hand them to an unrelated man? If someone with ill intent made use of this, how would you ever hold your place in the Yingzhen Duke's household? Put them away at once! If you wish to repay Li Liang's kindness, I have some private silver on hand—I'll advance it for you. From now on, you must never do such a careless, unthinking thing again!"

Jiang Yan's face flushed crimson.

Jiang Ling, however, nodded inwardly in approval.

Chen Jia had already lowered his head and drawn out a coin purse. "These pieces of yours look to be of fine quality—worth three or four hundred taels at the least. I'll have five hundred taels sent to him. What do you say?"

Jiang Yan had no notion of such things. In the past, the most she had ever spent was two taels of silver on a hair ornament or the like. Later she married Wei Quan, but Wei Quan never let her manage the household; an old servant of the Wei family handled all the daily expenses, and now and then she was given a few taels as pocket money. Her jewelry had all been arranged for her by Dou Yan. Hearing that these few pieces alone were worth three or four hundred taels, she felt all the more ashamed before Dou Yan and Song Yan, and did not dare glance at Chen Jia again. She mumbled, "No, there's no need for so much. Just give them some silver to keep by them... two hundred taels—no, a hundred taels will do."

She remembered how Li Tiaoniang, once, when breaking up with a lover, had insisted to the bitter end that he compensate her a hundred taels of silver, saying that a hundred taels was enough to marry her off.

She also remembered that when she herself had married, everything had been prepared and provided for.

A hundred taels for Li Liang ought to be enough for him to set up a new home.

Chen Jia, however, had some understanding of her temperament, and readily drew out several silver notes. "I'll have someone take them to Tianjin Guard tomorrow."

Jiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Chen Jia again and again, adding, "I'll pay you back in a few days."

Chen Jia was not the man he once had been.

If he wished it, silver could pour in like water.

The reason he still kept some measure was, first, for fear of ruining his reputation and so hindering his official career; and second, for fear of arousing envy and being framed by others.

A hundred taels of silver had long since ceased to mean anything to him.

He nodded indifferently.

Jiang Yan and Jiang Ling went home to the side rooms assigned to them.

Jiang Ling washed and tidied herself, then lay down. Jiang Yan, suddenly saddled with a debt of a hundred taels, was on pins and needles, wishing she could fly straight back to Bishui Pavilion and take stock of just how much all her belongings were worth.

In the end, no one was in high spirits that whole afternoon—Dou Yan was fretting over Yuan Heng, wondering whether he might go hungry; Jiang Yan was thinking of what she might sell to repay Chen Jia's silver; Miao Zhi was wondering what on earth had happened to Song Han to make him so disagreeable; and Jiang Ling was thinking of her fifth uncle far away in Liaodong, and whether her eldest aunt might this time persuade him not to contend with her cousin Song Yan over such empty, insubstantial things.

Before the hour of You had even arrived, they set out for home.

Dou Yan went first to the Hening Temple alley.

Dou Huaiying was waving a rattle about, dancing and gesticulating, making Yuan Heng crow with laughter.

"Back so early!" Seeing his daughter come in, he sheepishly put the rattle away.

Yuan Heng, who had been enjoying himself immensely, burst into loud wails.

Dou Qu took his son into his arms.

Yuan Heng nuzzled hard against her breast.

She knew the child had missed her, and went behind the screen to nurse him.

Dou Huaiying muttered, "He ate just now."

But Yuan Heng, as if to contradict his grandfather, gulped down his milk in great greedy draughts.

Dou Yan's lips curved upward despite herself.

She stroked the child's soft black hair tenderly, and it was as if she held a lump of sugar in her mouth, sweetness running all the way down into her heart.

Miao Zhi, meanwhile, was surveying the small reception hall of the Dou household.

The lattice doors on every side were set with enameled glass; the tables, chairs, and stools were all of a single uniform huanghuali; the curio shelves held all manner of antiques, among them a bonsai of blooming magnolias carved from a single block of Shoushan stone. The maids who served them tea wore padded jackets of pongee silk; the tea was freshly arrived Xinyang Maojian; the cups were of the newest famille rose porcelain—everywhere it spoke of wealth, ease, and fashion.

Miao Zhi's mood turned very delicate indeed.

It was like a country squire come to town. It wasn't that I can't afford such things or buy such things—but even if I carried every one of them home, I could never conjure up an atmosphere like this.

She glanced toward Jiang Yan and Jiang Ling, and saw the two of them wreathed in smiles, whispering to each other about something, looking quite at ease.

Miao Zhi sipped her tea a little listlessly, and then Dou Yan came out carrying Yuan Heng.

"I've kept you waiting," she said with an apologetic smile.

She offered no explanation for why no elder female of the household had come to receive them.

Jiang Yan and Jiang Ling thought nothing of it, but the Miao family had long since learned that Dou Huaiying and Wang Shuying did not get along, and that Wang Shuying lived at her natal home for long stretches... She smiled and said, "Not at all," then added, "The tea and sweets are delicious—we've feasted royally!" Then she clapped her hands toward Yuan Heng and laughed. "Yuan Heng, I'm your auntie—do you know me? Won't you let me hold you?"

Yuan Heng had eaten his fill and was cradled in his mother's arms, so happy he could only grin foolishly.

Miao Zhi took Yuan Heng from her.

The reason Jiang Ling had followed along was precisely to tease Yuan Heng.

She and Jiang Yan pulled faces at Yuan Heng.

Yuan Heng laughed without pause.

Before long, Gao Sheng's wife came over to announce, "Fourth Miss, the carriages are all ready."

Dou Yan smiled at the three of them. "Let's go back!" Then he took Yuan Heng in his arms and left the inner courtyard with them.

At the gate with the hanging-flower pillars, there was one more carriage than the four they had come in.

Gao Sheng's wife explained with a smile, "This is from the master for the eldest young master. There are furs for making a fur-lined jacket, a night-luminous pearl for a cloak clasp, and some toys. And food."

Miao Zhi was aghast. Looking at Yuan Heng, still in swaddling clothes, she could not help blurting out, "So much? When will Yuan Heng ever use it all?"