Chapter 345 — With Child (A Bonus Chapter in Thanks)

Looking at the grease spots on her clothes, Tian-shi became ever more convinced that her daughter had been right.

This daughter-in-law had been spoiled beyond all recognition—she could not even hold a spoon steady for long. She would have to learn proper manners, or else, once Tian-shi was gone, the household would surely fall into chaos!

Tian-shi ate her midday meal without betraying a hint of her thoughts.

Dou Ming breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her aching back, and, as was her custom, bent her knees to make her curtsy and withdraw—but Tian-shi held her back: "From today on, set the household affairs aside for now. You will first learn proper conduct from me." Then she instructed her personal attendant, "Have the madam stand with her back against the wall for the time it takes two sticks of incense to burn, and then you may teach her how to perform the blessing salute." That said, she took up a Buddhist sutra, spread it on the kang table, and began to recite it silently, without so much as a glance at the utterly astonished Dou Ming.

Tian-shi's personal attendant came to Dou Ming with a face that smiled while her eyes did not: "Madam, please come with me!"

Dou Ming was not a person who could endure much. Her meekness of late had come only from a guilty conscience; but now, seeing Tian-shi press her advantage and even demand that she start over from standing and walking, she saw it plainly for what it was—deliberate humiliation. And then she thought of her own generous dowry, of how she had never once lived at the Wei family's expense for food or clothing, and by what right did the Wei family trample on her? Moreover, Wei Fan had colluded with his mother and sister, plainly knowing his mother was tormenting her, yet he still shut himself up in the small study. She had brought food to him several times, and he had closed the door in her face and let her be mocked by the serving women. This was more than flesh and blood could bear! The fury dammed up in her chest; her face flushed crimson, and she said to Tian-shi in a harsh voice, "Mother-in-law, if there is something that displeases you, just say it to my face. Why point at the mulberry and curse the locust, and stoop to such petty tricks that make a laughingstock of you?"

"You!" Tian-shi went white with anger, and only after a long while did she calm herself and say coolly, "No wonder your mother could force the principal wife to her death and still be raised to the position of wife. Truly, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the sons of rats know how to dig burrows—your tongue is sharp beyond the ordinary."

Now it was Dou Ming's turn to go white.

Her head rang with a buzzing sound, and it was a long time before she came back to herself. Then, fierce in words but faint at heart, she said, "Since I have entered the Wei family's gate, I am a daughter-in-law of the Wei family. For you to speak so is to slap my face—no, it is to slap the Marquis's face, to slap the Wei family's face."

Tian-shi was not one for quarreling. She held her tongue a long while before saying, "Since you know you are a daughter-in-law of the Wei family, you ought to keep the Wei family's rules. If you think standing with your back against the wall is a slap to your face, then by all means do not be a daughter-in-law of our Wei family—go back to your maiden home!"

Then I won't be one!

The words reached her lips, but Dou Ming did not dare speak them.

In the past, she had been sure she could hold Wei Fan in the palm of her hand; but now, with the wall fallen and all pushing against it, it was quite possible that the Wei family's very design was to send her back to her maiden home.

Dou Ming was so furious she could taste blood. Yet she had no choice but to swallow her anger.

She went obediently with Tian-shi's personal attendant to the resting room.

In less than the time it took half a stick of incense to burn, her legs were trembling.

Seeing no one about, she sat down on a small stool by the floor screen and rubbed her calves.

Then she heard a cold snort behind her. Turning, she saw Tian-shi watching her with a face as frosty as ice.

She could not be bothered to say anything, and merely stood with her back against the wall again.

But Tian-shi handed a ruler to her personal attendant: "You stand here and watch the madam. If she is lazy, then discipline her on my behalf."

The attendant looked troubled, but did not dare refuse.

Dou Ming gritted her teeth in hatred.

Another half stick of incense passed. Not only did her legs feel weighted with lead, but a dull ache began to stir in her lower belly.

She touched the red packet in her sleeve, then let it go.

To curry favor with a serving woman—she would sooner stand here until she died.

Dou Ming drew a deep breath.

But the pain in her belly grew worse, and it seemed something warm was flowing out.

She was badly startled, wondering whether her monthly courses had come... The thought had hardly crossed her mind when her vision went dark, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

Tian-shi's personal attendant was frightened out of her wits. She quickly called a young maid to report to Tian-shi, while she herself ran to Dou Ming's side and pinched her philtrum.

For a long while Dou Ming showed no response.

Tian-shi, hurrying over, turned pale with shock and ordered the maids and serving women to carry Dou Ming to her own bed.

One of the serving women shuddered and pointed at the blood on Dou Ming's skirt: "Madam, look!"

Tian-shi panicked and urgently ordered the maids, "Go, fetch Granny Zhou." And she sent for a physician as well.

Granny Zhou was a woman of experience. One look, and her voice changed: "Madam Dowager, the madam is with child, I fear!"

Tian-shi was beside herself with anger at this, and cried, "Why did you not tell me sooner!"

Granny Zhou was filled with regret as well.

Dou Ming's monthly courses had never been regular, and though some time had passed without them this time, she had eaten and slept well, showing none of the signs of pregnancy—and so Granny Zhou had grown careless.

"Madam Dowager, it is all this servant's fault!" Granny Zhou knelt in tears to beg forgiveness.

Dou Ming had been raised by her own hand, like her own daughter; of all people, she was the one most heartbroken by Dou Ming's suffering. She would rather be punished—that way, at least, her heart would feel a little easier.

Tian-shi was not a woman of decision, and she had long since lost her head. She had no idea what to do, and could only keep urging the attendant beside her: "Quick, go fetch the eldest young madam back!"

Granny Zhou could not help sighing and shedding tears.

The Fifth Young Lady—how did she come to be married into such a family?

She mixed brown sugar water and fed it to Dou Ming.

The physician arrived.

After taking her pulse, he said the pregnancy had been disturbed and too much blood had been lost—it could not be saved.

Tian-shi was struck dumb with fright.

Wei Wan hurried over. She ordered Tian-shi's personal matron to go with the physician to fetch the medicine, told Granny Zhou to stay and look after Dou Ming, and then, supporting her mother, led her into the side room next door.

Tian-shi clutched her daughter's hand as though it were a straw to save her from drowning. "Who would have known she was with child... I would never have punished her... And now how am I to answer to the in-laws? This is Peijin's first child..."

Wei Wan had been flustered too when she first came in, but the moment she saw Granny Zhou, she steadied.