Chapter 274 — Don't Even Think About It

The moment Wuyi saw Yan Che return, she hurried up to him and told him everything: that Song Yi's family had sent the eldest madam over to take charge of the household, that the eldest madam had summoned Dou Yan for a talk, that Dou Yan had ignored her, and that Song Cen had berated her for it.

Yan Che's face fell at once.

He asked Wuyi, "What did my lady say?"

"My lady didn't even glance at the eldest madam," Wuyi said, her face alight with glee. "The eldest madam is in the flower hall throwing a fit right now!"

Yan Che thought for a moment, then said, "Assign a few men to follow my lady. If the eldest madam dares to be rude to her, you needn't be polite to the eldest madam either."

He remembered how, back when Song Cen had wanted to strike Song Yan from the Song family genealogy, not a single member of the Song family had stepped forward to speak a word for Song Yan. Kin like that, who fawned on the powerful and spurned the fallen, were of no use to befriend; at the critical moment between life and death, they would only make one's life miserable.

Wuyi went off happily.

Though Yan Che knew that the Bie sisters were at Dou Yan's side, in matters like this it was always best to be prepared for the worst. Fearing Dou Yan might come to harm, he called Xia Lian over to discuss it: "How many men do you think we should station from Taixu at the second gate?"

Xia Lian did not think it wise. "A melon field and a plum orchard—better to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. I say we wait until tomorrow and bring a few women escorts back from the security agency to handle the night patrols."

Yan Che thought this a good idea and instructed him, "See to it at once."

Xia Lian went to a security agency he was familiar with.

When the eldest madam, who had been throwing her fit in the flower hall, saw that all the stewardesses had slipped away, she lost her temper altogether.

Only then did Madam Dong dare step forward to counsel her mother-in-law. "This Yingzhenguo Estate will in the end be handed over to the third uncle. Why must you play the villain?"

Song Yan ranked third among the Song family.

The eldest madam nodded and smiled with gratification. "That you can see that much shows it was worth bringing you along."

Madam Dong was taken aback.

The eldest madam glanced around.

The matron she had brought along, quick-witted, took up her post at the door.

Only then did the eldest madam lower her voice. "The Yingzhenguo Estate belongs, when all is said and done, to the Duke of Ying. Your second uncle is in the prime of life; for the time being, the running of the Yingzhenguo Estate will not fall to Yantang, and yet people like us depend on the estate for our very livelihood. If we can please the Duke of Ying, and he casually grants us some errand or other, wealth and honor will come whether we wish it or not. But if we offend him, and he gives us a few cold looks, our days will become very hard indeed. You tell me—do we dare offend the Duke of Ying?"

.

The eldest madam went on. "This time your second uncle asked me to take charge of the Yingzhenguo Estate's household affairs. To put it plainly, he wants me to make things difficult for that Dou woman. Father and son are at odds—they have come to the point of drawing swords on each other. Since your second uncle has set his mind on this, how could he allow me to refuse? Otherwise, he would be certain to suspect that we side with Yantang." Here she heaved a long sigh and said, full of melancholy, "But then, Yantang was raised from childhood by Lady Jiang and taught to acknowledge only the Jiang family; he has never held the Song family in his heart. Just look at last time: your uncle's carriage collided with a pancake seller—a matter that one word from the Yingzhenguo Estate could have settled. The yamen runners, eager to curry favor with the estate, reported it to Yantang by some mischance—a thing Yantang could have resolved with a single sentence. Yet he sided with outsiders and made your uncle pay twenty taels of silver in compensation..."

Madam Dong could not help muttering to herself.

If twenty taels of silver could settle the matter, why drag it all the way to the Yingzhenguo Estate? It put the estate in debt to those yamen runners, and earned it a reputation for bullying others with its power.

Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were fine in every way—except that they prized face above all.

They would rather spend fifty taels to send off those yamen runners than pay twenty taels to compensate the pancake seller.

How could the eldest madam know what her daughter-in-law was thinking? Seeing her meek and deferential expression, she was well pleased. "There are things you juniors do not know. Your second uncle—well, he likes to look after the family, but if you cross him, he can turn ruthlessly against you. Our household has what it has today entirely through your second uncle's support. When he asks a favor of me, by feeling and by reason I cannot refuse. But as you said, sooner or later the Yingzhenguo Estate will pass into Yantang's hands. If we grow too close to your second uncle, life will be comfortable enough while he lives—but after he is gone? What becomes of you then? I cannot think only of myself and leave you to fend for yourselves."

Madam Dong's heart stirred. "What does Mother mean?"

The eldest madam beckoned to her daughter-in-law, signaling her to come closer.

"Apart from Yizhi Hall, the Yingzhenguo Estate is crawling with your second uncle's people. All my fuss and flurry is for that Dou woman's benefit too—so here is what you will do. Go to the Dou woman now and apologize to her. Say I have grown old and foolish; that your second uncle merely saw there was no elder in the house and asked me to come and lend a hand, and that I had the impertinence to start managing the estate's affairs; beg her not to take it to heart. Then tell her how our family depends on your second uncle for our living, how his word is more binding to us than an imperial edict... In short, paint whatever picture makes us look most pitiable. You must move that Dou woman to pity, make her feel we have no other choice. After that, I will go on throwing my fits here, and you will devote yourself to pleasing her. Even if she curses me, you must chime in with a word or two of your own. You must understand—your future livelihood will depend on her." Finally she asked Madam Dong solemnly, "Do you understand what I mean?"

"One of us plays the red face, the other the white," Madam Dong said. "I understand, Mother. Only, this cursing..."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Do as I have taught you and you cannot go wrong. And I will not blame you for it."

Reassured, Madam Dong went to Dou Yan's rooms.

Dou Yan was idling away the time, drawing embroidery patterns.

She had a fairly good impression of Madam Dong, and when she heard Madam Dong wished to see her, she had Suxin show her in.

The two sisters-in-law exchanged greetings and sat down side by side on the large kang by the window. Madam Dong's eye fell at once on the patterns scattered across the kang table. She had never been alone with Dou Yan before and had been worrying over what to talk about; at this sight she was delighted. She picked up a pattern at random and smiled. "Sister-in-law, are you drawing patterns? I came by a few lovely ones only the other day—shall I trace them out for you?"

Was not getting on with one's sisters-in-law made up of just such small things?

Dou Yan smiled and said yes, and told Suxin to bring paper so Madam Dong could draw the patterns for her.

Then Madam Dong brought up her mother-in-law, the eldest madam. "...That is simply her temper. She truly means no harm. Sister-in-law, I beg you not to take it to heart..."