Chapter 249 — Awkward

After the midday meal, the kin-claiming ceremony came to an end.

Song Yan personally escorted Dou Jichang and the others to the main gate.

The Song family's assorted relatives and connections, meanwhile, moved into the garden of the eastern side court.

Song De, the Grand Princess, and Old Madam Lu, accompanied by Lu Chen's wife and Lu Shi's wife, played leaf cards in the warm chamber beside the reception hall; while Feng Lu-shi, mother of the third Madam Zhang, led Lu Han's wife, Lu Qin's wife, the womenfolk of the Song family, and the ladies of the Yunyang Earl Gu household in a game of madiao in the reception hall itself. As for Lu Chen, Lu Shi, and the rest, Song Cen and Song Yan kept them company in the garden listening to the opera. Gu Yu dragged Wang Yu, Feng Shao, and several others off to the mountain lodge to gamble.

Dou Yan followed behind the eldest Madam Lu, waiting upon the Duke of Ninghuai and Old Madam Lu, while the young Madam Wang sat at the Grand Princess's side drinking tea. Dou Yan casually remarked how many hands had been played, and Old Madam Lu could not help laughing. "I'd never have guessed—Yantang's wife is quite the hand at cards?"

The Lu family's first and second madams watched her with smiling faces, their expressions kindly.

Dou Xin said, "I have many uncles and cousins on my mother's side, and when we gather we often play leaf cards. Over time one picks up a thing or two."

Old Madam Lu nodded and smilingly asked after Dou Yan's life in her maiden home.

If anyone among the relatives present today was most concerned for Song Yan, it was surely the Lu family.

Dou Yan held nothing back, selecting a few amusing tales of her time in Zhending to tell the two old ladies, and for a while the warm chamber rang with laughter and merry chatter, lively beyond measure.

Feng Lu-shi laughed. "I'd never have guessed Yantang's new bride had such a glib tongue. She's scarcely through the door and already she has my mother and the Grand Princess smiling so wide their mouths won't close. I daresay from now on Yantang's wife will be just like Sister Jiang—always able to win my mother's and the Princess's favor..." As she spoke, she shot a glance at Lu Han's wife, the second Madam Lu, and Lu Qin's wife, the third Madam Lu.

The "Sister Jiang" she meant was Jiang Huisun, Song Yan's mother.

The two women smiled and said nothing.

Hearing this, the first Madam Song and the third Madam Song exchanged a look, and on the same pretext—that they needed to use the privy—slipped away together behind the Taihu rockery beside the reception hall to talk.

"You were the one who went to check the yuan-tie this morning," the third Madam Song said shrewdly. "How did the two of them fare?"

This ought to have been the mother-in-law's task, but Dou Yan had no mother-in-law, and Song Cen could hardly inquire into such matters himself, so he had asked the first Madam Song to examine the yuan-tie on his behalf.

"The two of them shared a bed last night." There was a faint note of dejection in the first Madam Song's voice. "I questioned the little maids of Yizhi Hall, and they all say Yantang spent the night in the bridal chamber." At this she seemed to recall something. "And you—of all people to choose, you had to send Jin'er to test them! If Yantang takes suspicion, and turns his anger on Jin'er, what then? I really think you'd better find a chance to explain yourself to that Dou woman!"

"Don't I know it?" The third Madam Song was full of grievance at this. "But the Third Master insisted I send Jin'er to try them, and said, if not a maid, then who would dare? If it backfires, it will be a fine mess. And now look—Yantang has his eye on Jin'er... If anything happens to Jin'er, I swear I'll have it out with the Third Master!"

The first Madam Song hastened to console her. "It won't come to that. Yantang may be cold to people, but he's not the sort to nurse a grudge over trifles. Just have a word with Jin'er and tell her not to go wandering about anymore."

The third Madam Song nodded, and said in a sheepish defense, "It was the Eldest Master who said it too—that the Second Master doesn't like Yantang and wants to groom Tian'en properly... that's why the Third Master made up his mind and wouldn't be talked out of it by anyone!"

It was plainly the third son and his wife who wanted to curry favor with the Second Uncle, yet they laid it at their Eldest Master's door!

The first Madam Song was greatly displeased to hear this, but she had always been one to keep her feelings hidden, and this time too she simply pretended not to have heard.

Then the third Madam Song said, "That Dou woman strikes me as very much at ease—her speech and manner have none of a new bride's shyness or timidity... Surely our house isn't getting another Jiang woman?"

"We can't be that unlucky, surely?" the first Madam Song said hesitantly, a flicker of gloom passing through her eyes. "Even if it were so, we are her elders after all, not like when the Jiang woman was here..." Then she looked up and saw the third Madam Song winking at her, and at once changed tack: "...Where did you have this dress made? It's rather pretty. Look at this hem—it must be a new style from the south, no?" Before she had finished speaking, the third Madam Song was already beaming at her: "Fourth Sister-in-law, what brings you out here too?"

So it was her!

The first Madam Song sneered inwardly, but turned with a smile to greet the fourth Madam Song. "Who's having the best luck at the tables just now?"

The fourth Madam Song pursed her lips in silence.

She had known no good would come of those two vanishing together—sure enough, here they were tucked away whispering.

"I think it's the second Madam Lu who's having the best luck," the fourth Madam Song said with a smile. "I've lost four or five taels in the time I've been sitting there. I came out for a breath of air, to see if I can turn my luck around."

"That second Madam Lu—every time we play with her she's the winner. If she wins again this time, we must make her stand treat..." With that, the three sisters-in-law went laughing and chatting into the reception hall.

※※※※※

After the evening meal, the relatives of the household took their leave one after another.

Old Madam Lu, the Princess of Ninghuai, and the young Madam Wang all warmly invited Dou Yan to visit them in a few days, and Dou Xin smilingly agreed, seeing them all the way to the hanging-flower gate and waiting until they had climbed into their carriages before turning back.

Gu Yu and the others were so caught up in their gambling that they did not even stop for the evening meal.

Song Ke, uneasy at heart, went off toward the mountain lodge.

Dou Yan thought for a moment, then went straight to Yizhi Hall.

Suxin could not help worrying. "Won't you go and pay your respects to the Duke of Zhenguo?"

"I have no mother-in-law, and the heir is not here, so I won't be going to the Duke of Zhenguo's quarters," Dou Xin said. "If the Duke wishes to set rules for me, he will naturally send a matron to say so."

One had heard of a mother-in-law laying down rules for a daughter-in-law, but never of a father-in-law doing so.

Suxin pondered this inwardly as she and Dou Yan returned to their rooms.

Being new to the place and unfamiliar with the rules of the Ying Duke of Zhenguo's household, Sulan and the others had not dared stir themselves while Dou Chi was out, and had sat idle in the room all day long. At the sight of Dou Yan they were overjoyed beyond measure, and Sulan even tugged at Dou Zhiwei's sleeve and said, "Young Miss, won't you give us something to do?"

Dou Chi burst out laughing.

Learning that Song Yan had been dragged off to gamble by Gu Yu, she washed and changed into a plain dark green lined jacket, then leaned against the nanmu bed to read.