Chapter 39 — The Chain

Caishu smiled and helped Dou Yan lay the tracing paper over the copybook, then took up a fan and gently fanned her from the side.

"Sister Caishu," Dou Xin said, "it's so hot—go and rest. Tuoniang can serve me here. With you standing there, I can't write a word."

Caishu pressed her lips together and smiled. "Very well, then. I'll wait outside the door. If you need anything, just call."

Dou Xin nodded, squinting, and whispered to Tuoniang, "Go keep watch at the door. If anyone comes, cough."

Tuoniang nodded, tiptoed to the study door, and cocked her ear to listen for sounds from outside.

Dou Yan pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote a letter to her uncle: "...the Second Old Madam says that if Concubine Wang is raised to wife, Concubine Wang's father will stop contesting the party leadership with Fifth Uncle. If you won't write a letter of consent, she will have me accuse Concubine Wang once I come of age."

It was only a few lines, but her hand had little strength, and it took nearly the time of two incense sticks to finish; fortunately, her writing was still fairly neat.

After blotting the ink with fine sand, Dou Yan folded the paper into a small slip, then beckoned Tuoniang over and asked softly, "Do you still remember the address Matron Peng made you memorize?"

"I remember." Tuoniang recited it in a low voice.

Dou Yan was much gratified and handed her the slip. "In a little while, go ask Sixth Aunt for leave..."

She told Tuoniang her plan.

Tuoniang nodded again and again. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to make a scene." Then she pointed at the slip and reminded her, "Fourth Miss, it costs ten taels of silver to send one letter. They count a small slip as one letter, and ten sheets as one letter too—so you'd better write a few more words. That way it works out cheaper."

Dou Yan could not help laughing, then said with feeling, "If Uncle still doesn't understand what he ought to do, and only knows how to vent his anger at the Dou and Wang families, then no matter how much I write, it will be useless. Better to pull him out of this now, and not let those self-important, cunning little men have their way."

Tuoniang did not understand.

"Just do as I tell you," Dou Xin said. "As for the rest, don't worry about it."

Tuoniang carefully hid the slip close to her body, served Dou Yan her midday meal, and then, as Dou Zhiwei had instructed, asked Ji shi for leave: "The young lady wants me to go back and fetch the orchid-grass pillow she always uses."

Ji shi told Caishu to call a carriage and go with her.

"No need, no need." Tuoniang said hurriedly. "It's only a short while—I can walk it." She declined in every way she could.

Ji shi grew suspicious.

But she had never been one to stir up trouble, so she only smiled and nodded. Then she looked up and saw Dou Yan writing away, drenched in sweat.

Her small face was flushed red with heat, yet she still sat bolt upright as instructed, earnest and careful, showing not the slightest sign of slackness.

.

Had it been Zhi, he would long since have flung himself into her arms and acted spoiled.

A child without a mother is like a blade of grass. However bitter, however weary, one can only endure it.

She cast aside her usual temper; the moment Tuoniang turned away, she at once summoned a maid named Caiwei and said in a low voice, "Go and see what that Suxin is up to."

Caiwei answered and went.

Ji shi sat beside Dou Yan watching her trace, from time to time telling her what to watch out for.

After two large sheets of characters were finished, Ji shi had Caishu bring in mung bean soup. "Shouyuan, rest a while. Cool yourself down."

Dou Yan was a little tired too, and was sitting there drinking mung bean soup with Ji shi when Sixth Uncle returned.

Before Sixth Aunt could even greet him, Sixth Uncle had already said in a heavy voice, "Everyone serving in this room, out into the courtyard."

There was a rustle of movement in the room, and in an instant only Dou Heng, Ji shi, and Dou Yan remained.

At such moments, the advantages of being a child showed themselves.

Sixth Uncle patted Dou Zhiwei's head without much thought, then said directly to Sixth Aunt, "The Zhu family has brought in Instructor Zhou to preside, and they want to return Seventh Brother's betrothal card. Mother and Uncle are still locked in a stalemate in the room. Third Brother told me to go and see how things stand—don't wait for me at supper."

So soon!

Dou Yan was astonished.

Sixth Aunt was startled too. "Why would the Zhu family suddenly speak of breaking off the engagement?"

"Pang shi, the Second Madam of the Wang family, gathered her brothers from her natal family and went to the Zhu house to make trouble. Zhu the licentiate could not bear the shame, and shut himself indoors. The moment the Pang family left, he went overnight to the prefecture and brought Instructor Zhou back." Sixth Uncle sighed as he spoke. "Instructor Zhou is a good friend of Zhu the licentiate. From the look of it, Zhu has made up his mind to break the engagement."

"Then go quickly!" Sixth Aunt frowned. "If the engagement can be kept, then by all means keep it. Otherwise the Wang family will make even more of a commotion."

"That's what I think too," Sixth Uncle said. "Guiyuan has sent a steward to find Old Master Pang. If he keeps stirring up trouble without knowing his place, he'd better forget about doing business in North Zhili ever again."

Sixth Aunt clearly agreed with Sixth Uncle's plan. "Be careful. Just don't let anyone catch you out." Then she urged a few more things on Sixth Uncle and saw him out the door.

Dou Yan drank her mung bean soup slowly, and saw that after Sixth Aunt had seen Sixth Uncle off, she stood dazed in the courtyard for a long while before coming back inside.

"Shouyuan, would you like to come visiting with me?" Sixth Aunt asked her—but then Caiwei came back.

"Sixth Madam," she reported in a low voice, "Suxin has gone back to the West Mansion and quarreled with Yuzan, another of the senior maids at Fourth Miss's side. From what I could hear, it seems she wanted to make a full inventory of everything in Fourth Miss's rooms. Yuzan said she was meddling in what didn't concern her, and Suxin called Yuzan a thief. The two of them came to blows... I didn't dare stay long and hurried back."

She had only told her to make a scene, and to use the chance to tell Ji shi about Yuzan's thieving—she had never expected Yuzan to react so violently, or that the two of them would actually come to blows.

But Tuoniang was sturdily built and full of strength; Yuzan was no match for her at all. And besides, Tuoniang was one of the people who had come with her to the East Mansion, so even if Yu the old woman learned of it, she would not dare keep Tuoniang at the West Mansion, let alone punish her—otherwise, the whole business of Yuzan stealing from her own rooms to curry favor with the wife of Daqing would come to light.

The servants had ridden roughshod over their own masters. If the mistresses and young wives of the East Mansion meant to make an example of them, they could not simply let the matter drop; it would end with far more than a few strokes of the rod and expulsion from the household.

Dou Yan was not worried.

Ji shi knew at once what had happened.

Her face changed. "Say nothing of this," she said. "The moment Suxin returns, come and report to me."

Caiwei acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Ji shi, as though nothing had occurred, brought out a copy of the Three Character Classic and began to teach her to recite it.

As the sun sank in the west, Tuo Niang returned, putting on airs and carrying a pillow embroidered with orchids.

Ji shi came straight to the point. "You and Yuzan had a fight. What did Mother Yu say?"

Tuo Niang stammered for a long while, looking as though she did not know how to begin.