Chapter 100 — Farewell

"That will have to wait two more days," Zhao Liangbi said deferentially, looking all the more bashful as he went on. "I was thinking that in a few years it will be the anniversary of Steward Bie's death. You told me back then to help the two young ladies of the Bie family see to his funeral rites, so I came specially to speak with them about it—I have already prepared all the offerings for the memorial, and when the time comes I will help the two ladies make their sacrifices to Steward Bie."

Both Su Xin and Su Lan had tears in their eyes. They curtseyed and said, "Many thanks." They added, "The Fourth Miss has given us sisters three days' leave; we would not dare trouble Steward Zhao to make the trip." And then, "How much did the offerings cost? We should pay you back the silver."

"It was nothing much, nothing much," Zhao Liangbi said, red-faced, without so much as a glance at Su Xin.

Dou Yan's heart gave a sudden thump.

She looked at Su Xin, then at Zhao Liangbi, and an expression of disbelief came over her face.

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A line of carriages was drawn up at the side gate of the Dou household. Ji Yong's attendants and luggage trunks were the most conspicuous, and two unfamiliar brawny fellows stood before the stone drums, directing several carriages piled with trunks straight through the side gate.

Who knew what curious oddities Ji Yong had bought and brought back this time?

Dou Yan wondered to herself as she made her way to the Ji family's courtyard.

In the Ji family's courtyard, only a few young maids were skipping rope. When they saw Dou Yan approach, they hastily put away their ropes and came running over with smiles. "Fourth Miss, are you looking for the Mistress? The Ji family's young cousin-gentleman and the two young masters have returned from the capital, and the Mistress has accompanied the young masters to pay their respects to the Old Madam."

Since she had come all this way, she might as well join in the excitement herself, lest the Second Old Madam hear that she had come and not gone to see her, and quietly nurse a grudge.

Dou Yan turned and left the Ji family's courtyard. Lifting her eyes, she saw several people emerging from the narrow lane ahead.

She looked closely, and was greatly startled.

Walking in front was the Ji woman. Behind her followed a youth with a face like polished jade, dressed in a straight-collared robe of brocade red with gold-thread patterns all over, his hair pinned with a jasper hairpin, a pouch and a sachet dangling at his waist—an air of luxury shot through with refinement.

Seeing Dou Yan, he too was startled. His eyes widened slightly, and his pupils seemed especially clear and bright.

It was none other than the brocade-clad young gentleman she had met behind Lingyan Temple!

But how had he come to be here?

Then she looked at Ji Yong, walking shoulder to shoulder with that youth, wearing a plain dark-blue cloth robe, his spirits soaring. Confident and composed, not the least bit awkward—while Dou Yong and Dou Dezheng, the brothers following behind them, though themselves handsome, upright young men, were simply forced into the role of ordinary passersby.

Dou Yong and Dou Huaide were truly out of luck!

Dou Yan muttered to herself as she went forward to meet them.

At the sight of her, the Ji woman broke into a delighted smile and introduced the brocade-clad young gentleman. "...the youngest son of Old Lord He of the Grand Secretariat, named Yu. By seniority, you must address him as Little Martial Uncle."

Dou Huaiying was a disciple of He Wendao, so He Yu was naturally a generation above Dou Yan.

Dou Yan was astonished.

He was actually He Wendao's son!

Could it be that her Fifth Uncle and He Wendao had reached some sort of agreement? Otherwise, why would his son appear at the Dou household just as the year was drawing to a close?

She curtseyed and called him "Little Martial Uncle."

He Yu returned the salute with a slight bow of his clasped hands and said with a smile, "Back at Lingyan Temple I thought to myself, whose young lady is this, to walk as briskly as though flying—I never imagined she would turn out to be Brother Dou's daughter!" He carried himself altogether like an elder.

"Just what is going on here?" Everyone else was taken aback and asked Dou Yan in one voice.

Dou Yan recounted the whole sequence of events.

The Ji woman chuckled. "This too is fate."

"Indeed!" He Yu agreed, and everyone followed the Ji woman into the courtyard.

Once they were seated in the hall and the maids had served tea and refreshments, the Ji woman urged He Yu to stay a few days longer. Only then did Dou Ci learn that He Wendao's ancestral home was in Anyang, and that this time He Yu had been sent by his father to return to his native place to pay respects at the ancestral tombs; passing through Zhending, the two parties had met on the road and traveled together, and He Yu had come along to pay his respects to the Second Old Madam.

To send the younger son rather than the elder for the ancestral rites... Who knew what story lay behind that in the He family?

Dou Yan mused, slowly sipping her tea, when she heard Ji Yong say, "Fourth Sister, Brother He heard on the road from Twelve that the vegetarian dishes at Jingjue Temple are the finest in all Zhending, and he is very eager to try them. Why don't you come along with us?"

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Before I knew it, we had reached chapter 100... and here is Jingjue Temple again...

ps: Sisters and brothers reading this book, forgive Zhi Zhi's clumsy words, and please vote for me with pink tickets...~~~~(_

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