Chapter 199 — The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Old Master Ji was speaking with Ji Fu. At the sight of him, he could not help laughing heartily. "What are you worried about?"

Ji Yong said disdainfully, "What did the Fifth Madam come here for?"

Old Master Ji shook his head with feigned helplessness, and sighed with a smile, "Others say a married daughter is like water spilled—but you, the wife isn't even settled yet, and already you are defending your bride's family."

Ji Yong was not to be taken in. He snorted coldly. "The Fifth Madam would not come to see you for no reason. Has something happened to Dou Yan...?" For the first time in his life he felt that timidity of one nearing home, afraid to hear what bad news the Fifth Madam might have brought.

This time Old Master Ji truly sighed. "The way of husband and wife is like the way of the supreme strategist—you must be able to hold your breath." Then he told Ji Yong the purpose of the Fifth Madam's visit.

Even Ji Yong was startled. "That Wang woman would not be so foolish, surely? It is not as if Dou Ming cannot be married off. Is there any need for her to debase herself like this?"

But Old Master Ji smiled. "The Fourth Miss of the Dou family and the Seventh Madam of the Dou family have not met for over a decade—plainly their accumulated grievance runs deep, and this is most likely a passing spite." He had no wish to concern himself with the Dou family's tangled affairs, and instead said, "Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"To let such a fine opportunity slip would be the act of a fool!" said Ji Yong. Then, recalling the tone in which his great-grandfather had spoken of the matter—as though he were treating this marriage proposal as yet another trial for him—he felt rather uncomfortable, but went on, "What is so difficult about it? Is the Dou family not simply afraid of bearing the blame? When the time comes, we need only step in.

"When Dou Yan is married off, Dou Yong and Dou Huaide will certainly go to escort the bride. We get Wei Fan drunk then, and let him stumble muddle-headed into the bridal chamber. Early the next morning, the moment there is any sound from the chamber, we have the accompanying matrons rush in and seize the initiative by charging Wei Fan with misconduct first—he is not unacquainted with the bride; he knew perfectly well that the bride had been swapped, yet he consummated the marriage with her all the same. What was his intent? Then we summon the Dou family elders and have the marriage acknowledged." Here he thought of how Dou Ming had once played him false, and snorted coldly. "If Wei Fan will not acknowledge it, is Dou Ming not there? Since she dared to do such a thing, she should have been prepared to have the engagement broken. When the time comes, we need only shout that we mean to take the Wei family before the magistrate—would the Wei family really go to law with the Dou family? So long as the Wei family does not kick up a fuss, the matter is settled."

Old Master Ji said, "And if Wei Wan makes a scene? If the matter blows up, in the end it will still be the Dou family that suffers."

Ji Yong smiled. "Is that so hard to handle? When the time comes, we simply give the Wei family some compensation."

Old Master Ji nodded with pleasure.

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At that moment, Dou Yizheng was speaking with Chen Yanzhou.

"The Gao family found a match for Dou Ming. After she went to have a look at the man, she didn't discuss it with Father, nor did she go to the Fifth Madam—instead she went to every conceivable length to track down Mrs. Cai's whereabouts and contrived to meet her face to face. And Mrs. Cai? She stayed quietly at home for several days, and only went to the Huai Tree Lane because of Ren's birthday." She mused, "I keep feeling there's something hidden in all this..."

In the capital, her people could not even appear openly at the Dou household, and so her grip on many things was no longer as firm as before.

She asked Chen Yanzhou, "Any stir on the Seventh Madam's side?"

Chen Yanzhou said, "The Seventh Madam seems to be acting on the Seventh Master's orders, preparing for the young lady's wedding."

That can't be right!

Wang Shuying had long since been stripped of her authority to manage the household. Even if Father did not know that the Huai Tree Lane household was helping her break off the engagement with the Wei family, he could never have let Wang Shuying prepare for her wedding. Even in her last life, when Wang Shuying had every advantage of timing, place, and people, Father had still asked the Sixth Aunt to speak with her about private matters before her marriage—there was no reason he would do the opposite in this life.

But it was also possible that Father had changed his mind again.

In her previous life, Father had often changed his mind.

At these thoughts, Dou Yan's heart stirred.

In her last life, when the Gao woman discovered that Gao Mingzhu's death was connected to Dou Ming, she flew into a rage and came to the Yunqi Temple Lane house to have a furious quarrel with Wang Shuying.

Father, frantic with worry and anger, had asked the Fifth Aunt and Sixth Aunt to help find Dou Ming a husband.

At that time, her own wedding date with Wei Fan had already been set. Wei Fan brought people to deliver the betrothal gifts, and somehow Dou Ming caught sight of him. Dou Ming suddenly changed her mind and wanted to marry Wei Fan. Wang Shuying actually went along with her and discussed with Father letting Dou Ming marry Wei Fan. Father had seemed a little hesitant then, and she had run to him and wept; only then did Father refuse Wang Shuying's request.

Because of this, she had always been on her guard against Wang Shuying and Dou Ming. From the delivery of the betrothal gifts to her wedding day, lest she eat something unclean and come down with diarrhea or some other illness that would keep her from the bridal sedan, she had Ganlu boil her a whole basket of white-shelled eggs, and she never touched a morsel of food from the household...

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To all the sisters and brothers reading along—have a lovely weekend!

o(n_n)o~

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