Chapter 384 — Losing Heart

What kind of talk was this?

Madam Fifth was astonished to hear it, and then Wei Fan said, with a note of satisfaction in his voice: "Naturally! How could our Wei family covet a daughter-in-law's dowry? It is simply that we dislike your relying on the richness of your dowry to ignore all advice, running back to your natal home at every opportunity, on any pretext at all. If you would stop seeing Madam Seventh and devote yourself wholeheartedly to being a daughter-in-law of the Wei family, why would we ever need to entrust your dowry to that Dou fellow to manage?" He went on, "You have been in our house for nearly half a year now. Ask yourself honestly: when you first came to us, how did my mother treat you? And how does she treat you now? My mother is gentle by nature, the kindest and most loving of women. Why does she seem suddenly to have become another person? Why do you never think about the reason for it, and only ever accuse my mother of being in the wrong? And look at yourself — what sort of person have you become? Where is even a trace of the girl I first knew?"

Dou Ming was silent.

Watching her, Madam Fifth could not help growing anxious.

This Dou Ming — how could she be so foolish?

What married couple did not begin steeped in sweetness and gradually develop cracks, until at last they could not bear the sight of each other?

In the end, it was always these seemingly trivial frictions, accumulating day by day, that brought it about.

Yet she had believed Wei Fan's words, thinking that so long as she indulged him, their relationship would remain as good as it had been when they were first married.

But the human heart is a valley that is never filled.

Today he coaxes you to disown your own mother for the sake of marital harmony; tomorrow he can coax you to take a concubine for him for the sake of a reputation for virtue; the day after, he can coax you to sell off your dowry for the sake of the family's prosperity...

This was what a mother ought to warn her daughter of when the girl was about to marry.

But seeing Dou Ming as she was, Wang Shuying had said nothing at all.

Wang Shuying could not accomplish anything and could only spoil everything!

Not one word that should have been said had she said. Every word that should not have been said, she had let fall without omission, and stubbornly instigated Dou Ming into this state — a girl who had stolen her own elder sister's betrothed and could still walk the streets with her head held high.

Shameless!

Madam Fifth cursed Wang Shuying roundly in her heart.

But in front of the whole Wei family, she could not lay out the gravity of the matter for Dou Ming to hear; she could only wait and speak to her afterward.

Madam Fifth's tone at once grew somewhat anxious: "Ming, child, your health is poor — mind you don't grow dizzy from standing so long. Quick, let Granny Zhou help you over to rest a while. Your aunt and I are here; there is no need for you to trouble yourself!"

Dou Ming shook her head slightly.

To marry Wei Fan, she had not only offended her father and Dou Yan, but had made herself despised by the people of both the Dou and Wang families.

In the Dou family and the Wang family alike, there was long since no place left for her to stand.

If she left the Wei family and went back to the Dou or the Wang, would she not give those people cause to laugh their teeth out?

In truth, from the day she had taken Dou Yan's place and married Wei Tinghou, she had had no road left behind her.

She could only live well; she could not afford to fall.

The Wei family had become her only harbor, and how could she tear herself openly from them? And when that happened, where else could she go?

Bitter at heart, Dou Ming said darkly, "I thank you for your concern, Aunt Fifth. But as the saying goes, at home one obeys one's father; married, one obeys one's husband. I am a daughter-in-law of the Wei family now. Naturally I must honor my husband as heaven." She bent her knee and made a curtsy to Madam Fifth, then said in a low voice, "As for my mother, forgive me, daughter, for my lack of filial piety. I must ask Aunt Fifth to look after her."

"Ming, child!" Madam Ji's face changed drastically; she rose to her feet with a rush and said sternly, "Do you know what you are saying?"

"Aunt Sixth," Dou Ming said calmly, her expression placid, "I cannot now be both loyal and filial; I must choose one. Do not blame me for being hard-hearted."

Madam Ji gazed gravely at Dou Ming, the corners of her mouth trembling slightly.

After a long while she sat down heavily and gave a long sigh.

Wei Wan watched, her face radiant, unable to conceal her triumph.

So what if the Dou family was formidable? If Dou Ming still wished to be a daughter-in-law of the Wei family, then the Dou family would have to bow its head!

But she had always had a little cleverness, and she knew it would not do to provoke the people of the Dou and Wang families further at such a moment; otherwise, if those families threw caution to the winds, the ones to suffer in the end would still be Dou Ming and Wei Fan — Dou Ming was only Madam Fifth's cousin's daughter, but Wei Fan was her own full brother. The Dou family might not grieve for Dou Ming, but she could not help grieving for Wei Fan.

She lifted the warm curtain and called loudly to the maids: "Tell the women in the kitchen at once to prepare several of their best dishes — the ladies from the wife's natal family are staying for the noon meal today!"

How could the ladies of the Dou and Wang families have any face left to stay for the noon meal at the Wei house? They had already pressed the Wei family so hard they could scarcely breathe, and were on the very point of turning the tables, when who should come running out but Dou Ming herself, dragging at her own heels, reversing the situation — and having lost the initiative, it would likely be impossible for Dou Ming to get a grip on the Wei family hereafter. Fortunately the Dou and Wang families had not given the Wei family any pleasant looks this time either; if the Wei family meant to bully Dou Ming, they would still have to reckon with the power of the Dou and Wang. One might just barely call it a draw.

Madam Fifth said, her face ashen: "We are not like the eldest aunt — we cannot idle away our days at our natal home. I have a great pile of matters waiting at home for my direction; we will not stay for the noon meal. Another day we shall trouble Ming, child, again." With that, without so much as a glance at Dou Ming, she turned with Madam Ji and walked out.

Madam Gao gave Dou Ming a long, deep look, then followed Madam Fifth and Madam Ji out of the reception chamber.

Wei Fan giggled as he saw the guests out.

Madam Fifth felt a foul breath stoppered in her chest, unable to come out.

Once in the carriage, she could not help murmuring, "We truly were the dog that catches the mouse — meddling where we had no business."

Madam Cai was likewise furious.

She had seen foolishness before, but never anyone as foolish as Dou Ming. With every advantage of time, place, and circumstance, the girl had begged for mercy herself and handed the victory for nothing to that Wei Wan, who did not even take her seriously.

She badly wanted to ask what this talk of a bastard child was really about, but seeing how very grim the faces of her mother-in-law and Aunt Sixth were, she could only press her doubts down to the bottom of her heart. She poured a cup of tea for each of them and made a show of soothing the two elders: "Aunt Fifth is still young, and young people are bound to make mistakes. Mother and Aunt Sixth should not take it to heart. Once Aunt Fifth is a little older, all will be well."