Chapter 408 — The Reason

Su Lan caught her meaning and went to the broker's the very next day.

Dou Yan then invited Jiang Ling, who had married into a family in the capital, to the manor, dismissed the maids and serving women, and spoke with her alone in a room for a long while. When Jiang Ling finally came out, her legs were trembling. She said to the wet nurse who had come with her as part of her dowry: "I want one of the First Young Master's guards to escort you back to Haozhou to deliver a letter to the First Madam. Remember this: as long as the letter lives, you live; if the letter is lost, you die."

The "First Young Master" she spoke of was her own husband, Wu Zijie.

That wet nurse had lived through the Jiang family's disaster, and so she was not alarmed. She reasoned that since the young mistress had said this only after coming out of Dou Yan's room, it must concern the safety of the Jiang family. She swore: "Rest assured, Young Madam. Even if I die, I will put that letter into the First Madam's hands."

Jiang Ling nodded and went back to write the letter, her mind wandering far from her task.

Seeing that matters were nearly ready, Dou Yan sat with Song Yan at home poring over the almanac, and told him how Jiang Yan had been asking Su Lan about the household, adding: "I want to send Song Shize over to wait on Sister Yan for a while. That way, if she asks about old matters in the household again, there will be someone to answer her."

Moreover, he was an old retainer of the Song family, and his loyalty was beyond question.

He could also prove that Dou Yan and Song Yan had not lied to her.

"Arrange it as you see fit," said Song Yan, who considered this a matter of the inner quarters and thought it only proper to defer to Dou Zhiwei.

As he spoke, he turned the almanac to the first day of the sixth month. "What do you think of this date?"

Not the best, but the soonest.

Dou Xin said: "Then let it be the first day of the sixth month."

They were still talking when Gu Yu came running over.

He grumbled: "What has Brother Tianci been so busy with these days? Why can I never find him?"

Gu Yu came looking for Song Yan who knew how many times a day, and always in a great hurry, yet whenever it came to actual business it was all trifles. Song Yan reasoned that if he truly had something urgent, he would come again, and so had never taken it seriously. Hearing him now, he could not help laughing: "I have been rather busy these past few days. If you have something to say, say it quickly. In a little while I still have to go with your sister-in-law to look at the Bishui Pavilion in the back."

The Bishui Pavilion stood two courtyards away from the main house of the Yizhi Hall, a little out of the way, but right beside it was the rear lake of the Ying Zhenguo Estate and a small hill piled from Taihu stones, and the scenery was second to none.

Gu Yu glanced at Dou Chu and said: "Is sister-in-law planning to move there for the summer?"

Seeing that Song Yan had no intention of mentioning Jiang Yan, Dou Yan smiled and said: "It isn't me, it's a cousin of your brother's. Aunt Jiang has been fond of her since she was small. You know your brother has only one brother, and Aunt Jiang originally wanted to take her in as a goddaughter and raise her at her knee. Later, because the Second Master was in poor health and she feared she could not care for her, she sent her back to her own family. After the Jiang family's troubles, no one had the leisure to look after her. Last year her husband died of illness, and she had no son or daughter, so the Jiang family took her back. We only learned of it when the Twelfth Miss of the Jiang family married. Your brother thought the Jiang family is now old and young with no one in between, so we discussed it with the Fourth Aunt. We plan to bring the Jiang cousin to the manor for a while: first, to lift her spirits; second, so she can keep me company. And if fate allows, to find her a suitable match — that would be even better. She will arrive in a couple of days, so your brother has made a point of finding time to go with me and see how the place prepared for her has been arranged."

Since she was Song Yan's cousin, she was presumably not old.

Gu Yu perked up. "This spring, the wife of the commander of the Eastern Camp of the Five Barracks died. What do you think of that?"

This was the sort of thing one had to discuss with someone like Gu Yu, who knew everyone in the capital. He produced a candidate the moment he opened his mouth.

Dou Qu said: "What is the man's surname? How old is he? Who else is in his family? Is his temper good?"

Song Yan glared at them and said crossly: "His eldest son is only two years younger than I am. Stop pairing people off at random!" Then he asked Gu Yu, "What did you come to see me about?"

Dou Yan and Gu Yu were both abashed, and Gu Yu even whispered to Dou Yan: "Sister-in-law, could it be that Aunt Jiang once wanted to betroth this cousin to brother, and that's why he's so attentive? A man's heart is hard to fathom — beware of letting a wolf into the house! I say we should settle this Jiang cousin in a separate villa outside. Hasn't the Twelfth Miss of the Jiang family married into the capital? They are cousins, after all. I think you could just place her with the Twelfth Miss of the Jiang family — at worst, we'll pay the expenses!"

What on earth was all this?

Dou Yan could not hold back a smile, thinking Gu Yu truly was a delight. No wonder even someone as aloof as Song Yan was so fond of him.

But Gu Yu's words had also reminded Dou Yan of something.

Once Jiang Yan entered the manor, she would have to be taken around everywhere; otherwise people might think Jiang Yan was a concubine the Jiang family had given to Song Yan.

Song Sui was so angry his face had turned black. He said to Gu Yu: "Do you actually have business or not? If you do, state it; if not, get back and hold your horse stance!"

Gu Yu said hastily: "I do, I do!" And then, wilting like a frosted eggplant, he went on: "In a couple of days my family is to exchange betrothal cards with the Feng family. Think of something for me, quick! I don't want to marry their Eleventh Miss!"

Song Yan said: "Then what sort of girl do you want? The Eleventh Miss is not only beautiful but gentle and devoted to her parents. Matched with a scamp like you, I'd say it's she who's being wronged."

Dou Yan was startled. "Wasn't it said that the Feng girl is plain, terribly timid, and rather dull? Did you actually find out the truth?"

At this Gu Yu hurried to say: "Exactly, exactly! Sister-in-law and I heard the same thing. That Feng girl has no mind of her own — apart from being docile, there's nothing to recommend her. If she came into our house she'd be sure to drag me down. I don't want to be cleaning up her messes every day."

Song Yan said to Dou Yan: "Don't listen to his nonsense. I've seen the girl with my own eyes. Is she as bad as he says? He simply doesn't agree to the match!"

Dou Fan knew that this marriage had in the end destroyed the Feng girl, and so she firmly took Gu Yu's side: "No matter how good the Feng girl may be, if Gu Yu himself doesn't like her, then a thousand virtues count for nothing. If you can do nothing about it, then so be it, but if you can, you should help Gu Yu."

Now Gu Yu regarded Dou Yan as a living Bodhisattva and fawned on her: "Sister-in-law, if you help me this once, I promise I'll help you marry off that Jiang cousin!"

"This is sheer nonsense!" Song Yan said with a stern face. "Your uncle also says it's a good match. How can you so casually reject your elders' wishes..."