Chapter 196 — A Wish

When Dou Ming and Wang Shuying returned, they caught sight of the gifts piled in the main hall and asked casually, "Who sent these?"

Gao Sheng answered respectfully, "The..." Then, thinking such a reply did not show enough respect for Wei Fan, he added, "The eldest son-in-law brought them himself."

Wang Shuying was taken aback.

On this visit to Willow Leaf Alley, besides congratulating her eldest brother on his hereditary appointment as a chiliarch, her chief purpose was that her mother had sent word for her: her father had asked the father of her eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Gao—Gao Yuanzheng, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy—to propose a match for Dou Ming, and she was wanted to discuss it.

The prospective groom's surname was Liu, given name Bi, courtesy name Qingzhuo. He was twenty-two this year and a provincial graduate. Not only was he eight years older than Dou Ming, but he had lost his father in childhood and his family was poor, his studies sustained only by the patronage of his maternal uncle.

Old Mr. Gao sang the praises of this Liu Qingzhuo—his outstanding talent, his upright conduct, his boundless future—but who could say for certain in such matters? Her own father had passed the examinations in his youth; and what had come of that? Her mother had followed him through half a lifetime of upheaval, and her children had nearly been lost. Only with great difficulty had her father risen again to become a frontier governor, yet one was in the south and one in the north, and they might not see each other for years at a stretch... Even thinking of it made her grieve for her mother. How could she bear to let Ming-jie live such a life? And besides, how many men were there like her father, who could forget a first wife's hardships and remember his wife of lean years after coming into wealth? Of those scholars who endure ten years of bitter study, once their names appear on the golden roll, which of them does not race to take a concubine? Was Ming-jie to support that fellow Liu in his studies while she was young, and then, when Liu Qingzhuo had achieved his ambition and Ming-jie's beauty had faded, watch helplessly while he lived a life of ease and pleasure?

There was not a single thing about this match that satisfied Wang Shuying, but seeing her mother's delight, she could not bring herself to oppose it outright. She only said vaguely, "Ming-jie's marriage will have to be discussed with her father," and let the matter pass for the time being.

At this thought she could not help resenting her eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Gao.

Was it not merely that the old gentleman of her natal family had helped propose a match for Ming-jie? Yet she carried on as though she herself were taking a wife, praising Liu Qingzhuo to the skies and coaxing her mother into beaming with joy. Had Wang Shuying not headed her off with a few words, her mother would have wished her to write out Ming-jie's horoscope on the spot. Was there any need for such zeal?

Now, seeing the things Wei Fan had sent, and hearing that Wei Fan had brought them in person, she felt a surge of anger and for a long while could only say, "Our eldest son-in-law is certainly thoughtful!"

But Dou Ming gave a cold snort, turned, and passed through the central hall to her own courtyard.

Wang Shuying did not understand. She hurried after her.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked, gazing at her daughter, who sat stiff-faced before the mirror stand removing her makeup. "Has your eldest sister been bullying you again? Tell me, what exactly happened? Shall I go to your father?"

"What good would going to Father do!" Dou Ming tossed her ivory comb onto the mirror stand with a cold laugh. "All you ever do is quarrel with him. When have you ever once spoken clearly and settled a matter properly?"

Wang Shuying's face flushed red and paled by turns.

Dou Ming looked at her and could not bear it; her tone softened. "What did Grandmother say to you? I saw you come out of her room looking rather upset. Did Grandmother scold you again? She is old; whatever she says, just listen and let it go. Don't take it to heart. You so rarely come home—shall I have Granny Zhou rub your legs for you? Do the maids at the country estate know how to look after you properly? Shall I give you two maids to take back with you?"

Word by word, it warmed Wang Shuying's heart.

She shook her head again and again. "No need, no need. Cold and heartless as your father is, he has never stinted me in money, and I am quite comfortable at the estate." Here she paused, then said, "Speaking of which, you are not a child anymore, and in a few days I must return to the estate. I can be of little help in your affairs. Tan-ge of your second aunt's household treats you better than he treats himself. You saw it yourself when we went to Willow Leaf Alley for the feast—whatever you so much as glanced at twice, he fetched for you at once..."

"Mother, say no more!" Dou Ming's voice suddenly turned piercingly sharp. "I will not marry Wang Tan!"

"You foolish child!" Wang Shuying frowned. "Wang Tan may be a year younger than you, but he could not treat you better. Besides, you would be going to your grandmother's house—surely they would not mistreat you..."

"Ah!" Catching her off guard, Dou Ming covered her ears and screamed, "I won't marry Wang Tan, I won't marry Wang Tan!"

Wang Shuying was badly startled. She rushed forward and embraced Dou Ming. "Lower your voice, lower your voice—someone might hear!"

Dou Ming paid no heed. She cried loudly, "I won't marry into my second aunt's house! Second Uncle looks at Second Aunt the way a mouse looks at a cat. Wang Tan does nothing all day but play. He studies half-heartedly and practices martial arts half-heartedly. When someone fools him with a bronze vessel, telling him it is an antique of the Shang and Zhou, he pays out his silver like a simpleton and lets himself be cheated, then brags everywhere that he has gotten a bargain..." Her voice fell, and her expression gradually grew forlorn. "When I marry, I will marry into a good family—a stern father-in-law, a loving mother-in-law, grandparents who cherish the young, a husband honest and true, a young brother-in-law lively and lovable, a young sister-in-law gentle and kind, the whole family close and affectionate, living in harmony. No concubines, no children by concubines, no pack of relatives forever eyeing my purse. When I step outside, people will say, 'This is the daughter-in-law of such-and-such a family,' and they will look at me kindly and greet me warmly—not whisper behind my back, 'This is the daughter of such-and-such a family...'"

Wang Shuying covered her face and wept bitterly.

Was this why her daughter had loved to follow Wang Nan about since childhood? And said she wanted to be the Gaos' daughter?

At the time she had thought it was simply because the girl had grown up in her grandmother's house and was close to her aunt. Only now did she realize that her daughter had been envying such a birth...

※※※※※

Wang Shuying soon learned of the Grand Chancellor's Temple affair. In astonishment she asked Granny Zhou, "So the Fourth Young Lady has been refusing food and water, staging a hunger strike over this? How is the Fourth Young Lady now? Has the Fifth Madam not stepped in to manage it?"

Granny Zhou did not know the particulars and was in no position to judge. "A few days ago the Master was cheerfully preparing the trousseau for the eldest young lady, but these last days there has been no movement at all. I have only caught a few rumors. The Fifth Young Lady lives in Huai Tree Alley and comes by sometimes; she looks no different from usual. Whether the rumors are true or false, I cannot say."

If the bride's family broke off the engagement of their own accord, they would have to return double what had been given at the betrothal.

Wang Shuying pondered. "Are the things the Wei family sent still here?"