A couple of days later, on Song Mo’s day off, Dou Zhao discussed Jiang Yan’s marriage with him: “The horoscope matching has been checked by Master Defu at the Great Xiangguo Temple. He says it’s a match made in heaven, with no inauspicious signs. When do you think we should reply to the Chen family? So they can come and make the betrothal official!”
Deep down, Song Mo was very dissatisfied with this marriage.
In his view, it was like marrying his sister to a servant.
Although he knew Dou Zhao had excellent judgment of people and situations, and had been handling Jiang Yan’s affairs all along, and Jiang Yan was also happy to be close to Dou Zhao, Song Mo knew Jiang Yan couldn’t have been completely unaffected by the incident with Wei He. If Dou Zhao felt marrying Jiang Yan to Chen Jia was appropriate, then it must be very suitable. But he still couldn’t get over this mental hurdle and had adopted a policy of delay.
Even though he knew Chen Jia had already come to propose marriage and Dou Zhao had received the horoscope, he pretended not to know about it and didn’t ask. Now hearing Dou Zhao bring it up, he said petulantly: “What’s the rush? Ayan only just came of age this year. Before, there was no one to make decisions for her, but now that she’s back home, we should keep her for a couple more years at least. If the Chen family is sincere, can’t they wait a few more days?”
Dou Zhao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She said, “Arranging an engagement, betrothal, and setting a date takes at least a year or so to settle. By then, Sister Yan will be 17 or 18, just the right age to marry.”
Song Mo made a noncommittal “Oh” sound and changed the subject, asking: “Since it’s a marriage match, why consult someone from the Great Xiangguo Temple? I didn’t know they help look at birth dates and horoscopes there. Who is this Defu?”
He was being very difficult.
Dou Zhao found this Song Mo quite adorable.
She smiled and said, “Defu is a guest-receiving monk at the Great Xiangguo Temple who is very knowledgeable about astrology and fate. I heard from my fifth aunt that Minister Yao and Minister He like to chat with him in their free time. When Minister He’s family married off his granddaughter last year, they asked him to do the matching and it was very accurate. So I asked him for help this time too.”
In reality, Dou Zhao knew that Master Defu eventually became the abbot of Great Xiangguo Temple and rivaled Ji Yong not just because of his mastery of Buddhism and the I Ching, but also because he enjoyed doing divination for the wives and daughters of powerful families. After he became the abbot, it was extremely difficult to get a reading from him. His divinations were very accurate and his advice effective, which was one reason he was so popular.
Song Mo took the opportunity to change the subject, smiling as he said: “There’s such a person? Then one day we should go to Great Xiangguo Temple to meet this venerable monk and have him read my fortune. I feel like I’ve had bad luck these past few years, with one thing after another troubling me.”
Dou Zhao smiled with pursed lips.
She hadn’t noticed Song Mo being troubled at all.
No matter how difficult things got, he always rose to the challenge without self-pity, showing great strength of will. Even she, who knew some future events from her two lives, greatly admired him.
Dou Zhao went over and hugged Song Mo’s arm, her voice softening: “Alright! We’ll take Yuaner to offer incense to the Buddha, and ask for blessings of peace and health for him.”
She went along with his wishes and didn’t mention Jiang Yan and Chen Jia’s matter.
Song Mo smiled very happily at this.
Dou Zhao almost reached out to pat his head like she would Yuaner’s.
Chen Jia waited two or three days without receiving a reply from the Song family, and couldn’t help feeling anxious and restless.
He invited Duan Gongyi out for drinks.
Duan Gongyi advised him: “The young master has only just found his sister again, how could he bear to marry her off so quickly? But don’t worry, the madam has turned away all the other matchmakers, and is rushing to prepare the dowry. There shouldn’t be any changes.”
Chen Jia wished someone would give him a written guarantee. He felt Duan Gongyi’s words were useless platitudes. He drank silently, eventually getting very drunk. Huzi had to carry him home.
Duan Gongyi shook his head with a smile. Thinking it over, when he reported back to Dou Zhao, he omitted the part about Chen Jia getting drunk, worried Dou Zhao would think Chen Jia lacked self-control.
The family cook had made some radish cakes and walnut cookies for the new year. Dou Zhao had Duan Gongyi bring some to Chen Jia to soothe his restless heart. She also had some sent-in gift boxes to Cat Alley, Locust Tree Alley, and Jiang Lizhu’s home. As for her grandmother, she took Yuaner to deliver them personally.
Grandmother was overjoyed and wouldn’t let go of Yuaner. She instructed Hong Gu: “Send someone to Jing’an Temple Lane to tell Seventh Master to come for dinner after work.” Then she smiled at Dou Zhao, “He dotes on Yuaner the most. Let him come see the child and satisfy his craving.”
Dou Zhao once again felt grateful to Song Mo.
He had arranged for Grandmother to live here, and indeed Grandmother was no longer like when she was in Zhending, where even living together felt like being a guest. She rarely expressed her views freely, let alone give orders like she was doing now.
Dou Zhao smiled and agreed, “Alright.”
But Yuaner impatiently twisted his little body, wanting to go play outside.
Grandmother coaxed him with a face full of smiles: “My darling, it’s cold outside. When spring comes, Great-grandma will take you to plant green beans.”
Dou Zhao burst out laughing at this.
Yuaner also giggled along with his mother.
For a moment the room felt as warm as spring in full bloom, cozy with a touch of liveliness.
The smile spread from Grandmother’s eyes to her brows.
The two of them sat on the kang bed playing with a rattle drum for Yuaner.
At first, Yuaner listened quietly, but soon grew impatient and reached for the rattle drum. Dou Zhao handed it to him. He tried to shake it like Dou Zhao had, but couldn’t make it rattle. Pouting, he threw the drum onto the kang bed.
Grandmother was so amused her eyes crinkled into slits. She exclaimed, “Oh my! Whose temperament did he inherit? Can’t stand even a little frustration.”
Dou Zhao laughed, “He must take after Yanfang.”
Grandmother teased her: “You think your temper was any better when you were little?”
Dou Zhao was surprised, asking curiously: “You saw me when I was little?”
“Of course!” Grandmother never dwelled on the grievances she suffered in the Dou family, nor did she avoid talking about these things. “When I heard you were born, I changed into coarse clothes and snuck into the main courtyard with the vegetable-delivering old women. Your mother knew it was me and especially had someone bring you out for me to see. Later when I went again, she pretended not to know and let me play with you for a while.
Eventually, your grandfather discovered it by chance. I was afraid he would blame your mother, so I didn’t dare go again.” She continued, “I still remember when you were little, you were chubby. If your diaper wasn’t padded well or the blanket wasn’t tucked in properly when they put you on the bed, you would cry non-stop. You drove your mother and wet nurse to distraction. If it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t have figured out why!”
Saying this, the old lady looked rather proud.
Suddenly Song Mo’s voice rang out in the room: “So Yuaner’s bad temper doesn’t come from me! I was so well-behaved as a child. If told to lie down I didn’t dare sit up, if told to sit I didn’t dare lie down. If I dared cry loudly, I’d get a smack on the bottom.”
“Yanfang!” Dou Zhao’s eyes lit up, not expecting him to come at this time.
Song Mo had already walked in with a smile, respectfully bowing to Grandmother.
Seeing him arrive, Grandmother was also very happy. She quickly invited him to sit in the armchair by the kang and had the maid bring tea and snacks. She asked with concern: “Why have you come at this time? Is there nothing to do at the yamen?”
Yuaner had started to recognize people, and Song Mo held him every day. He squirmed in Dou Zhao’s arms towards Song Mo.
Song Mo smiled and reached out to hold the child. Sitting down in the armchair, he said: “When I was just the deputy commander before, there was still the commander-in-chief above me, so I had to be cautious about everything. Now that I’m the commander-in-chief myself, with no one pressing down from above, it’s much more convenient to move about.”
Grandmother nodded in agreement with an expression of shared experience: “That’s right.”
Yuaner fussed about wanting to go outside again.
Song Mo was also afraid of the wind chilling the child, so he carried him to the main hall to look at the jade bonsai displays on the curio shelf.
Grandmother quietly complained to Dou Zhao: “Yanfang came and you didn’t even get off the kang to greet him. How can that be right? No one stays in favor forever, no flower blooms for a hundred days. Who doesn’t like to be valued? You and Yanfang have a long road ahead. Don’t always rely on his affection for you and put on airs. Over time, anyone would get tired of that.”
Her words made Dou Zhao very embarrassed.
But thinking it over carefully, Grandmother’s advice was very practical.
No wonder people often say “An elder in the family is like a treasure.”
Dou Zhao humbly accepted the lesson and went to the main hall to join Song Mo in playing with the child.
Song Mo’s expression did indeed become more cheerful. He said softly: “Don’t worry, Yuaner is close to me and won’t cry. Go keep Old Madam company and chat with her. The old lady is unfamiliar with this place and doesn’t have anyone to confide in. Since you’re here, keep her company too.”
He never called Grandmother “Aunt Cui”, but followed the younger generation in calling her “Old Madam”.
Dou Zhao felt warmth in her heart. Remembering Grandmother’s words and wanting to make Song Mo happy, she also lowered her voice and said: “But I want to be with you!”
A smile immediately spilled from Song Mo’s eyes.
His expression became even gentler, but his attitude more firm. He said: “Go keep the old lady company. I’m not a child.”
Dou Zhao squeezed his hand before turning to go back to the inner room.
Even by the time Dou Shiying rushed over after finishing work at the yamen, the smile had not diminished at all from Song Mo’s face.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help deeply reflecting on herself.
She seemed to have gradually brought the marital interaction style from her previous life into her relationship with Song Mo.
This was a major taboo!
She must change this in the future.
Meanwhile, Song Mo was playing with his son with his father-in-law while smilingly asking about the adoption matter: “Have invitations been sent to all the relatives and friends?”
Dou Shiying pulled out a jade rattle carved from Hetian jade from his sleeve and put it in Yuaner’s hand. He smiled and said: “It’s a family matter after all, so we didn’t invite friends.”
Song Mo looked like he wanted to say something but held back.
He rarely showed such an expression. Dou Shiying’s expression turned serious and he asked: “Is there something inappropriate?”
“No, no,” Song Mo hesitated and said, “I’ve had an idea since returning from Willow Leaf Lane…”
He looked unsure whether he should speak or not.
Dou Shiying smiled and said: “Stop beating around the bush with me! Say what you want to say. You’re half my son after all.”
Song Mo gave an embarrassed dry laugh but decided to speak his mind anyway: “A principal wife and a promoted concubine as a second wife are different after all. Have you considered registering Twelfth Brother under Mother-in-law’s name?”