Chapter 500 — Escaping the Heat

Seeing Song Yan bustling in and out until he seemed to have grown thinner, Dou Zhiwei could not help feeling a pang, and urged him: "Rest a while! Is Twelfth Brother's own marriage something he troubles himself over not in the least? At the very worst we could have Eleventh Brother come over and lend a hand."

Both the Dou and the Ji families had agreed to keep this match simple, and the Dou household had a whole staff of stewards besides. What was there for him to be so busy about?

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Song Yan smiled faintly, and sitting down with Dou Zhiwei on the great heated kang by the window, said: "It is only a pity that for the present you will not be able to go to the mountain resort."

An adoptive brother's wedding was a weighty matter; the trip to the Xiangshan Villa would have to be put off.

"What sort of talk is that!" Dou Zhiwei rose with a pretty pout and set about kneading his shoulders. "If it were not for you running about busy on my behalf inside the Dou household, would I be sitting at home so idle, enjoying the shade and the cool?"

"You think I want to be running about outdoors in this heat?" Song Yan sighed. "Is it not that I fear the Ji family will hatch some new mischief?"

Or perhaps it was because the Ji family was Sixth Aunt's natal house, and she regarded Sixth Aunt as she would a mother; so though she knew the Ji family was unreliable, she disliked the Han family all the more. Still, it was as well to settle Dou Huaide's marriage early: Ji Lingze was a capable woman, and with her presiding over the household, West Dou would surely not be as chaotic as it now was.

She smiled a full, bright smile and teased him: "Many thanks, my lord Shizi! When my lord has a day of leisure, your wife shall stand you a cup of wine!"

Song Yan said: "When do I ever have leisure? If you truly mean to thank me—" and tilting his head, he pointed at his own cheek.

Dou Zhiwei's face instantly burned.

Ruotong at once withdrew with all the servants attending in the room.

Only then did Dou Zhiwei, blushing, plant a kiss on his cheek.

But Song Yan was not satisfied. "That does not count," he said. "You must give me a proper kiss."

What in the world did he mean by a proper kiss?

Dou Zhiwei was speechless with vexation. Yet seeing the faint expectancy in Song Yan's eyes, she could not resist bending down—Song Yan suddenly turned his face, mouth met mouth, and Dou Zhiwei's eyes flew wide; Song Yan had already caught her in his arms.

By the time Song Yan left the house, Dou Zhiwei's face was still burning like a fire.

She was carrying a child; though Song Yan had done nothing to her, it was more scandalous than if he had, and she was soaked with sweat all over. She hastily ordered the maids to bring water and bathed.

Ruotong came in, however, and reported: "The lady of the heir of the Yan'an Marquisate has sent a calling card."

Dou Zhiwei had it brought in.

Lady An wished to pay her a visit the following day.

She sent back an answer and dismissed the Yan'an Marquisate's old serving woman, then sat holding the card and pondered a long while without being able to think of anything that would require Lady An to come to her door in person. She had the maid put the card away.

The next day Lady An arrived early. There was something uneasy in her manner, yet she sat and drank tea with Dou Zhiwei for the better part of the day without stating her business.

Dou Zhiwei was in no hurry either, and went on circling about the matter with her. When the hour for the midday meal drew near, Lady An could hold back no longer, and said with a shamefaced air: "I know it is not fitting to say such a thing, but the Jining Marquis has come begging before our Marquis, and our Fourth Master has been sitting in our Marquis's little study and will not leave. If I did not come, it would be too unfeeling of me."

So it was over Wei Fan's affair after all!

Dou Zhiwei asked in wonder: "What has happened in their household now?"

"You have not heard?" Lady An's eyes went wider than Dou Zhiwei's own. "The Jining Marquis's mistress outside is with child. Your sister took people and poured miscarriage medicine down her throat, and then sold the woman into a brothel besides. All the capital is talking of it." She looked at Dou Zhiwei with some discomfort.

Dou Zhiwei was caught between anger and laughter. "And what does Wei Fan mean by it? Does he think I should go and reason with Dou Ming for him?"

At that, Lady An's face flushed like the clouds of dawn, and she murmured: "I know it is improper. But you do not know—the Jining Marquis is several years older than your sister, and he is an only son. Your sister has no child at her knee, and she will not let the maids of the household conceive either. The Marquis truly has no other way. They say that in all the Dou family, you are the only one who can keep your sister in hand."

Dou Zhiwei cut her off with a smile. "But there is no principle by which an elder sister meddles in her brother-in-law's household. Go back and tell Wei Fan that the sin he has sown he must reap himself, and that he should stop expecting others to tidy up after him." She added: "If you come to me about their family's affairs, then never open your mouth on the subject before me again. If you come to sit with me as a guest, I shall welcome you with my shoes on backwards."

Lady An felt as though she were sitting on a mat of needles.

Dou Zhiwei had no intention of blaming her.

She knew of the friendship between Wang Qinghai and Wei Fan; in her former life the two of them had done many an absurd thing for each other's sake that made a person laugh and weep at once.

But Dou Ming's ferocity was beyond even Dou Zhiwei's expectations.

She could not be troubled to meddle in such things. She had all the family storehouses opened and picked out several pieces of jewelry for Ji Lingze to add to her trousseau.

The Ji family kept utterly silent about Ji Lingze's remarriage, and Dou Huaide, afraid they would change their minds, begged Dou Zhiwei to lend him Jingui and Yingui to wait upon Ji Lingze. Dou Zhiwei reckoned that the Ji family would certainly not prepare a proper dowry for Ji Lingze, and yet she could not let this sister-in-law enter the house in too sorry a state—after all, in Dou Huaide's generation alone there were twelve sisters-in-law, and the eleventh sister-in-law had once been Ji Lingze's own sister-in-law besides.

Ji Lingze accepted her jewelry and said nothing, but Suxin, who had gone to deliver it, told her that the Ji family had lodged Ji Lingze in a remote courtyard, had hung no red and prepared no dowry, and had even held back the things Ji Lingze's maternal grandmother had left her. She added: "Miss Ji is very proud. Jingui says she did not shed a single tear from first to last, nor did she go quarrel with the Ji family over those things."

Dou Zhiwei sighed.

In her former life she had wanted nothing so much as to marry into the Wei family, and like Ji Lingze she had wanted nothing but what her mother had left her, only to leave the Dou household as quickly as she could.

She took counsel with Song Yan and set up two small farm estates for Ji Lingze.

Dou Huaide stubbornly refused to accept them.

Dou Zhiwei said: "Would you rather see your wife come in empty-handed, and never be able to hold up her head among her sisters-in-law hereafter?"

Only then did Dou Huaide accept the deeds with gratitude and send a man to deliver them to Ji Lingze.

On the second day of the sixth month, the bridal sedan quietly carried Ji Lingze out; only after it had left Yuqiao Alley did the firecrackers begin to pop and crackle.

The Ji women watched and could do nothing but weep. Fortunately the Ji family sent Ji Yong to escort the bride, which salvaged some face for Ji Lingze.

When the three days of Ji Lingze's bridal visit to her parents' home were over and she came back, Grandmother held a feast in Housi Alley to welcome her.