Wei Tingyu hesitated when he heard Dou Ming’s words, as they were still newlyweds. His hesitation, in Dou Ming’s eyes, instantly made her feel infinitely wronged.
No wonder her mother said men shouldn’t be spoiled. She gave him her whole heart, offending her uncle and aunt in the process, yet he not only had no words of comfort for her but also lost his temper at her at the slightest displeasure… Who was she making this wedding dress for?
With this thought, Dou Ming’s tears fell uncontrollably. “Who am I doing this for? Running to my uncle’s house every day, listening to my aunt’s idle chatter… My maternal grandfather is already in his sixties, yet for you, his granddaughter’s husband, he still has to bow his head and beg others… You’re just an ungrateful white-eyed wolf…”
Wei Tingyu was stunned. “What are you saying? You’ve been going to Liuye Alley every day these past few days, didn’t you say you were visiting your mother? How did this suddenly become about me?”
Because of this mother-in-law who had been sent back to her maiden home by his father-in-law, he had endured no small amount of cold looks from his sister, and he harbored some resentment as well.
You’re a legitimate second wife, why not focus on being a good wife and mother instead of creating so much trouble?
His brother-in-law wasn’t favored by Duke Jing’s wife, making his sister’s life as a daughter-in-law even more difficult. It took a lot of effort for her to establish herself, but now because of his mother-in-law, people had found something to criticize, and his sister was occasionally mocked by her sisters-in-law and relatives by marriage. If his mother-in-law were still in Jingan Temple Alley, it would be easier to explain, but she had moved into Liuye Alley, causing his sister to lack confidence when speaking and often having to pretend to be deaf or force a smile while listening. How could his sister not be annoyed?!
“When will your father bring your mother back?” Wei Tingyu said with some displeasure. “Young couples become old companions. Your father and your mother can’t keep living separately like this, can they? You should try to persuade your mother to apologize to your father and return to Jingan Temple Alley. Why stay in this stalemate, making everyone look bad!”
“What do you mean by ‘your mother, your mother’? Isn’t my mother your mother-in-law?!” Dou Ming heard this and felt a sharp pain in her heart. “Did your sister say something to you again? What does she mean? How can she not bear to see us living well? Is there any sister-in-law in this world like her?”
“If you want to talk, just talk. Why bring my sister into this?” Wei Tingyu’s temple throbbed with anger. Remembering how his mother had been crying quietly in her room a few days ago, saying things like “Other people’s brothers and sisters-in-law, even if they’ve fallen on hard times, still try to bring honor to their married sisters.
Only in our family, after eating and drinking what she provides, do we still have to suffer her temper,” his anger rose rapidly. “What’s wrong with my sister? Hasn’t my sister treated you well? She won’t eat or use the good things herself, always sending half to you. Although she’s the wife of Duke Jing’s heir, she returns to her maiden home every few days to personally serve our mother, washing her hair and bathing her… She’s a married aunt, and you’re the daughter-in-law who married into the family. What were you doing while she was doing these things?”
These words touched on the issue of filial piety. If Dou Ming showed weakness now, she would be labeled as unfilial.
She couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “Is it that I don’t serve my mother-in-law, or is it that your sister deliberately makes things difficult for me by being picky? One moment she says my hands are too rough and I’ve pulled out my mother-in-law’s hair, the next moment she says I’ve used too much bath powder, making the room all wet… I’m a new daughter-in-law, I’m not familiar with these things, couldn’t she teach me? Instead, she only criticizes me in front of my mother-in-law for being clumsy. Is that my fault too? Wei Tingyu, you should speak with a conscience!”
In Wei Tingyu’s heart, Dou Ming was a sweet girl. He had never known she could be so sharp-tongued.
The two began to argue.
A quick-witted little maid reported this to Madam Tian.
Madam Tian was so angry she stamped her feet, crying out “misfortune has befallen our family” and weeping as she went to find the old Marquis of Jining.
The maids and old women serving nearby were too frightened to approach Wei Tingyu, who was in the midst of a heated argument with Dou Ming. They had no choice but to go and request Wei Zhenzhen’s presence.
The sixth day of the twelfth lunar month was the birthday of Duke Jing’s wife. The daughters-in-law were gathered around her, discussing plans for the celebration to please her. Wei Zhenzhen naturally didn’t dare to leave, but she was secretly anxious. Mrs. Zhang, the second daughter-in-law, was a typical member of the Shi family, very adept at handling matters. Seeing Wei Zhenzhen’s troubled expression when she entered, she secretly signaled her maid and soon learned that someone from the Marquis of Jining’s household had come looking for Wei Zhenzhen. Taking advantage of Wei Zhenzhen going to fetch some utensils and account books for Duke Jing’s wife, she covered her mouth and smiled, “Once eldest sister-in-law leaves, she won’t be back for at least half an hour. Why don’t we play a few rounds of leaf cards to pass the time?”
How could anything escape the eyes of Duke Jing’s wife? She knew this was the second daughter-in-law trying to make the eldest daughter-in-law look bad. But the second daughter-in-law wasn’t just all talk either. With one glare from Duke Jing’s wife, an old woman immediately came forward to report that someone from the Marquis of Jining’s household had come looking for the eldest madam.
Duke Jing’s wife was furious!
The eldest daughter-in-law from the Zhang family was supposed to be in charge of managing Duke Jing’s household, the matriarch of the Zhang family, yet she was always concerned with her maiden family! What was so special about the Zhang family? Wasn’t this like raising a big rat that eats from the inside and works for the outside?
Duke Jing’s wife threw all the account books Wei Zhenzhen had presented to her back in Wei Zhenzhen’s face, leaving her dazed and confused, not knowing what had happened. But in her heart, she knew clearly that either her second or third sister-in-law had been speaking ill of her to her mother-in-law again.
She was seething with anger inside but didn’t dare show even a trace of it on her face, lowering her head and eyes to listen to her mother-in-law’s scolding.
After Duke Jing’s wife had tired of scolding and vented her anger, she felt even more disappointed. She waved her hand, dismissing Wei Zhenzhen, and kept the third daughter-in-law by her side for intimate conversation.
Wei Zhenzhen could only temporarily set this grudge aside.
The maid serving the second madam couldn’t help but advise her: “Why do you bother with this? Sooner or later, Duke Jing’s household will belong to the heir’s wife.”
“Do you think if I please her now, she’ll treat me any differently?” The second madam dismissively blew on her nails, which were dyed orange with balsamine juice. “In the end, I still have to rely on my maiden family. What does it matter if she’s happy or not?”
The maid serving the second madam thought about it and realized she was right. She stopped trying to persuade the second madam and instead began discussing with her how to make the Marquis of Changxing’s household give face to the second madam at Duke Jing’s wife’s birthday celebration.
Wei Zhenzhen knew that her mother-in-law wouldn’t see her for a while. After informing her husband, she quietly returned to the Marquis of Jining’s mansion.
Madam Tian was so angry she had taken to her bed, with Wei Tingyu attending to her at the bedside.
Wei Zhenzhen was furious at the sight and sternly asked Wei Tingyu, “Where’s Dou Ming?”
Wei Tingyu didn’t even lift his head, mumbling, “I didn’t let her in!”
Wei Zhenzhen wanted to slap him, ordering the maid, “Go, call the madam in!”
The maid acknowledged and left, quickly returning with Dou Ming.
Dou Ming rushed forward and embraced Wei Zhenzhen.
Wei Zhenzhen was caught off guard, momentarily stunned.
Dou Ming had already begun crying on Wei Zhenzhen’s shoulder: “Sister, you must stand up for me in this matter! These past few days, I’ve been going to my uncle’s house every day to beg my grandfather to find a position for the Marquis. My grandfather has been begging left and right, and my uncle has been giving gifts and hosting dinners. They finally managed to secure a position as the Deputy Commander of the Eastern City in the Five Cities Military Command for the Marquis. I came back happily to tell the Marquis the good news, but he wasn’t in his room. When he finally returned at dinnertime, I merely asked where he had been, and he became irritable, even going so far as to insult my mother from my maiden family… Sister, you’re also an aunt now. Tell me, is this right?”
Wei Zhenzhen knew her brother’s temperament well. How could he berate Dou Ming without reason? Surely Dou Ming must have done or said something inappropriate to upset her brother, causing him to speak carelessly. This Dou Ming was truly hateful! She was taking advantage of her brother’s honesty and poor communication skills to turn the tables on him! But what was this about the Deputy Commander of the Eastern City in the Five Cities Military Command? She had never heard her brother mention this.
Thinking of this, Wei Zhenzhen couldn’t help but look at Wei Tingyu in confusion.
During their argument earlier, Dou Ming hadn’t said anything about a Deputy Commander position in the Five Cities Military Command. But in front of his sister, she was now twisting the facts to make it seem like it was his fault.
What was she trying to do?
Wei Tingyu said with displeasure, “How would I know? Go ask her!”
Dou Ming quickly said, “My grandfather begged the Minister of War – Daxueshi of Wuying Hall, Kong Lin Kong Daishan, for help to secure a position as Deputy Commander of the Eastern City in the Five Cities Military Command for the Marquis!” There was a hint of pride in her expression.
Wei Zhenzhen was speechless.
Madam Tian, however, struggled to sit up in bed: “Ming’er, what did you say? Your grandfather’s family secured a Deputy Commander position for Peigin? Is this true?” Her words couldn’t hide her surprise and joy.
“How could I lie to you about such an important matter, Mother?” Dou Ming came forward to support Madam Tian. “I already have the official document in hand. The Marquis can take up his post tomorrow.” She then called out loudly for “Zhu’er”: “Bring in the Marquis’s appointment letter!”
Zhu’er immediately entered carrying a brocade box.
Wei Zhenzhen could see that Dou Ming had planned this all along, but at this point, even if Dou Ming was playing games with her, for the sake of her brother’s future, she had to endure it. Wei Zhenzhen sat down beside her mother and looked at Wei Tingyu’s appointment letter together with Madam Tian.
“It is the Deputy Commander of the Eastern City in the Five Cities Military Command!” Madam Tian choked up a bit.
Her son’s career had always been a source of worry for her, but she never expected her daughter-in-law to resolve it. The marriage alliance with the Dou family had truly been the right decision!
Madam Tian looked at Dou Ming, nodding inwardly with approval.
Dou Ming felt even more proud inside and said softly to her mother-in-law, “You don’t know, but this appointment letter should have been collected by the Marquis himself from the Ministry of Personnel. But when the people at the Ministry heard it was for the Dou family’s son-in-law, they immediately processed it for us. When the Marquis takes up his post, he must remember to thank them and meet with the people from the Ministry of Personnel. In the future, if there’s anything, we’ll have connections there to help.”
Madam Tian nodded repeatedly and said to Wei Tingyu, “Don’t forget about this matter.”
To have obtained such a position as Deputy Commander of the Eastern City in the Five Cities Military Command, Wei Tingyu could hardly believe it. He responded with a vague “Yes” and looked towards Wei Zhenzhen.
Wei Zhenzhen nodded.
Only then did Wei Tingyu believe it was true.
He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh, then heard Dou Ming say with a coquettish laugh, “My younger aunt has always wanted to secure a position for her nephew Pang Jixiu. It was all arranged, but because I begged for it, my grandmother let my eldest uncle handle the Marquis’s matter first. My younger aunt is a bit unhappy about this. Tomorrow, why don’t the Marquis and I go to Liuye Alley? We should at least kowtow to my grandmother.”
“Of course, of course!” Madam Tian said with a beaming smile.
Wei Tingyu also felt it was the right thing to do. But for some reason, he felt a heaviness in his chest that prevented him from feeling truly grateful to the Wang family or from being happy about the situation.
Wei Zhenzhen remained silent.