Chapter 59 — Condolences (Bonus Update for 330 Pink Votes)

On the third day after the encoffining, the Dou family sent word of the death to relatives and friends. All at once the Western Dou household was thronged with noise and bustle, and mourners came in an unending stream to pay their respects.

Dou Huaiying, Wang Shuying, Dou Yan, and Dou Ming, as the bereaved son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, stood before the spirit tablet to return the mourners' courtesies, while every household matter was left in Gao Sheng's hands.

Those who served tea, those who attended the mourners, those who kept the mourning accounts, even those who oversaw the striking of boards and the burning of paper offerings—all went to him for instructions. He had never handled such affairs before; he had only gained a little experience in the capital these past years attending Dou Huaiying, and being diligent in all he did, he was simply steadier and more dependable than the rest of the Western Dou. Yet after a spell of frantic busyness, he was stretched too thin to cover everything, and began to feel unequal to the task.

Dou Ji from time to time offered him a word or two of guidance, and within a few days he had grasped the knack of it, conducting matters with ever greater assurance. Some of the old stewards of the Eastern Dou saw it and praised him roundly for "being fit for great use." Only then did Gao Sheng breathe easy; and thereafter, when he looked at Dou Zhiwei, his gaze could not help but carry a certain strangeness.

And this was precisely what Dou Zhiwei intended.

During the three years of mourning she would certainly have to live at the Western Dou, and she needed a strong arm to lean on.

Two days later, Wang Zhibing and Pang Yulou came to offer their condolences.

The eldest uncle and the younger brother's wife—an odd pairing.

Wang Zhibing explained: "Nan'er's mother is with child, and since it's only the first few months and she is rather advanced in years, she cannot bear the jolting of the road. It happened that my sister-in-law had not seen my little sister for some days, and Tan'er was missing his cousin, so I brought them along with me to burn a stick of incense for the old gentleman."

Wang Tan was Pang Yulou's eldest son, a year younger than Dou Ming.

Perhaps because the two had played so well together back in Willow Leaf Alley in the capital, Wang Tan seized Dou Ming's hand the moment he entered and would not let go, crying, "Sister Ming, when are you coming home? There's no one to play with me."

Dou Ming said, "I have to observe mourning for Grandfather. When the mourning is over, I'll go to the capital to see you."

Wang Tan said, "Then hurry up and finish your mourning. When you do, I'll have Father take us all to Puji Temple to eat lamb noodles."

Dou Ming nodded again and again.

Pang Yulou gave her son a push and, pointing at Dou Yan, said, "Hurry up and greet your eldest cousin!"

Wang Tan took after the Pang side of the family, with fair skin and large, liquid eyes—prettier and more delicate than any girl.

He called Dou Yan "Sister" in a sweet, piping voice.

Dou Yan still remembered the last time she had come upon him beside the rosebushes, kneeling at Dou Ming's feet and pleading desperately: "Good sister, my elder brother has only his cousin Gao Mingzhu in his heart. Even if he marries you, he won't treat you well. I'm different. I've liked you since I was small. If you marry me, I'll treat you well all my life. Whatever you want done, I'll help you..."

Alas, Dou Ming's gaze was soft and lingering as spring water, as though it could drown a person—yet the look she bent on Wang Tan was full of calculation.

She smiled coquettishly and said, "Then I want you to say, in front of Grandmother, that you want to marry Gao Mingzhu. Do you dare?"

.

The Wang family took it that Gao Mingzhu was carrying on ambiguously between the brothers Wang Nan and Wang Tan, and that she could never again be a daughter-in-law of the Wang family.

Madam Gao would sooner divorce than have Dou Ming for her daughter-in-law.

And Wang Nan never spoke a single word to Dou Ming again...

When Dou Yan saw Wang Tan again, her heart was filled with pity for him.

She smiled faintly at Wang Tan.

Pang Yulou pushed her son toward Dou Zhiwei: "You two cousins ought to get better acquainted!"

Dou Yan said nothing.

But Dou Ming ran over and took Wang Tan by the hand: "Let's go play with Sister Yi and Sister Shu."

Wang Tan answered cheerfully, "All right."

Pang Yulou glared at her son. "You stay right here."

Wang Tan did not dare move, and looked piteously at Dou Ming.

Dou Ming burst into tears: "I want to play with Tan'er! I want to play with Tan'er!"

Dou Huaiying frowned deeply.

Wang Shuying cast Pang Yulou a displeased look, then coaxed Wang Tan and Dou Ming: "There, there, don't cry. Sister Yi and Sister Shu are both in the flower hall. Run along and play with them."

Wang Tan and Dou Ming went off to the flower hall hand in hand.

Pang Yulou sighed inwardly, then said with a smile to Dou Huaiying, "Two of my nephews from my maiden home, Pang Xiu and Pang Kun, have come as well. They would like to come in and pay their respects to you, Uncle."

With Dou Duo's death, all three of Pang Yulou's elder brothers had come in person to offer condolences, but no one had known that her nephews had come along with them.

Guests were guests.

Dou Huaiying did not refuse.

Pang Jixiu was the son of Pang Jinlou, fifteen this year; Pang Kunbai was the son of Pang Yinlou, twelve. Both lads were handsome and well favored, courteous in every gesture and movement. Had not one's gaze wandered too restlessly and the other's been too sharp and calculating, they would have cut quite the figure of elegant young gentlemen.

Pang Yulou then introduced Dou Yan to them: "This is your eldest cousin."

The two bowed to Dou Yan.

Dou Yan gave a cool little nod without returning the courtesy, seeming rather aloof.

Dou Huaiying had not expected Pang Yulou's two nephews to be so grown, and seeing Pang Yulou go about things in this fashion, he was displeased at heart, and naturally did not think Dou Yan at fault.

He exchanged a few cool civilities with Pang Jixiu and Pang Kunbai, then took Dou Yan with him to the mourning hall.

Wang Shuying drew Pang Yulou aside into the side chamber and said in a low voice, "What is it you think you're doing?"

Pang Yulou wore a look of helplessness. "You know as well as I that my brothers of the Pang family are still doing business in Lingbi County, and they're set on attaching themselves to the Dou. Word reached them that the Fourth Miss is of an age with Xiu and Kun, and so they conceived a desire to seek her hand. I know full well that Xiu and Kun are no match for the Fourth Miss, but no matter how I argued, they would not believe me—they only blamed me for throwing a spoke in their wheel. There was nothing for it but to bring my two nephews along and see whether they might catch the son-in-law's favorable eye." She paused, then added, "And yet, when I think it over carefully, if the Fourth Miss were to marry into the Pang, it would be good for you as well—my sister-in-law would become her mother-in-law, and I her grand-aunt by marriage. Surely she could not defy her elders?"

"Have you forgotten that the Wang family is forbidden to meddle in Dou Zhiwei's marriage?" ...

"The command of parents, the word of matchmakers," Pang Yulou said airily. "It's not as though we're arranging the Fourth Miss's betrothal outright."

Wang Shuying's heart gave a lurch. "You mean—?"

"What if the Fourth Miss took a fancy to one of them herself?" Pang Yulou covered her mouth and laughed. "The Zhao family never said the Fourth Miss couldn't marry into the Pang!"

What was so fine about Dou Yan, that Second Sister-in-law should scheme so elaborately to marry her into the Pang...

The thought flitted past. Wang Shuying thought of Dou Zhiwei's dowry.

Her expression at once turned somewhat opaque and unreadable.