At this rate, Father’s marriage to the Zhu family’s Fifth Miss would certainly be delayed for two years, by which time it would be too late to change anything.
Dou Zhao felt she should do something to accelerate the marriage proceedings between the two families.
However, before she could make up her mind, the Spring Festival arrived.
As per tradition, on the morning of New Year’s Eve, both the Eastern and Western Dou families would go to the ancestral hall in Beilou Village to pay respects to their ancestors. They would then have a reunion lunch in the back courtyard of the ancestral hall before returning home for their family gatherings and to stay up all night on New Year’s Eve.
Concubines were not qualified to participate in ancestral worship, but they were allowed to attend the reunion lunch. Dou Ming, being premature, had always been frail and rarely went out. Grandfather, fearing she might fall ill, had Wang Yingxue and Aunt Ding stay at home to look after her.
Early in the morning, Nanny Yu pulled Dou Zhao out of her warm bed. While dressing Dou Zhao, she instructed Yuzhen and Tuo Niang: “There will be many people today. Don’t lose sight of Fourth Young Miss while trying to watch the festivities.”
Nanny Yu had to prepare their family’s New Year’s Eve dinner and couldn’t accompany Dou Zhao to Beilou.
Both maids agreed promptly.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but give Tuo Niang a few extra glances.
Today, both Yuzhen and Tuo Niang were dressed up in new blue-green silk padded robes with straight pleats. They even wore dark red velvet flowers in their hair, looking particularly spirited.
Yuzhen had grown up with her mother, who loved to dress up. Influenced by her mother, Yuzhen always appeared neat and properly made up when going out. It was not unusual for her to wear new clothes and dress up for the New Year. Tuo Niang, on the other hand, had lost both parents at a young age and was raised by her uncle. She had lived from hand to mouth, only concerned with having enough to eat and wear. This was the first time she had dressed up so carefully.
Tuo Niang tugged at her clothes uncomfortably and mumbled, “Yuzhen helped me do my hair. She said that since it’s New Year’s Eve and everyone will be wearing red and green if I’m the only one in plain clothes… and since Seventh Lord is engaged to Fifth Miss Zhu, people might think it’s intentional and cause trouble for Fourth Young Miss…”
This reasoning made sense.
She was wearing mourning clothes to observe the mourning period. But if her maid also wore mourning clothes, it might give rise to other thoughts in the minds of those who noticed.
Dou Zhao smiled and nodded, telling them they looked “very pretty.” She then picked two simple pearl flowers from her jewelry box and gifted one to Yuzhen and one to Tuo Niang.
Both were surprised and hesitated to accept.
Nanny Yu, standing nearby, said with a smile, “Since Fourth Young Miss is giving them to you, just accept them. Wear them in your hair, and if anyone asks, it’s a gift from Fourth Young Miss.”
The two maids stopped refusing and, smiling, helped each other pin on the pearl flowers. They then served Dou Zhao her breakfast and carried her, looking like a pink dumpling, to Heshou Hall.
Grandfather and Father were sitting on the kang talking.
Dou Zhao came forward and greeted them.
Dou Shiying took Dou Zhao onto his lap and asked gently, “Are you cold?”
“No!” Dou Zhao shook her head and asked Dou Duo, “Grandfather, Grandfather, they say my father is going to marry the Zhu family’s Fifth Miss. Is that true?”
Dou Shiying’s face reddened slightly, and he embarrassedly tried to stop Dou Zhao: “Don’t talk nonsense!”
“I’m not talking nonsense,” Dou Zhao said, widening her eyes and glaring at her father disapprovingly. “They say Miss Zhu is a good person and isn’t afraid of Concubine Wang giving birth to a first-born son.”
“Ah!” Dou Shiying’s mouth fell open.
A glint flashed in Dou Duo’s eyes. He then took a sesame cake from the box on the kang table and handed it to Dou Zhao, asking gently, “Who told you these things?”
Dou Zhao tilted her head as she nibbled on the sesame cake and said, “Many people. Big Aunt’s maid, Third Aunt’s nanny, and… Ninth Cousin’s servant…”
Grandfather didn’t pursue the matter further but gave Father a meaningful look.
Father’s expression was awkward.
Fortunately, a servant came in to announce, “Ninth Young Master Huan has arrived.”
Grandfather smiled and said, “Quick, let him in!”
The tall and thin Dou Huanchang strode in.
He first respectfully greeted Grandfather and Father, then smiled and greeted Dou Zhao.
Grandfather nodded and stood up. “Let’s go!”
Dou Huanchang responded with a “Yes,” stepped forward to support Grandfather, and unhurriedly left Heshou Hall.
He had come to escort Grandfather and Father back to Beilou.
Father carried Dou Zhao and followed slowly behind. When they were at a distance, Father gently pinched Dou Zhao’s cheek and said, “You little thing, have you come to collect a debt?” His gesture was affectionate, but his tone was resigned.
Dou Zhao giggled and asked her father, “What does collecting a debt mean?”
Father couldn’t help but laugh.
The group left the main gate.
Third Uncle and Third Aunt had gone to Beilou yesterday to prepare for the ancestral worship. Accompanying them, besides Big Aunt and Dou Huanchang, were Second Madam, Sixth Uncle’s family, Second Cousin’s family, Third Cousin’s family, and Fifth Cousin’s family.
Upon seeing Grandfather, everyone except Second Madam got off their carriages to greet him, making the already narrow alley, now blocked by stopped carriages, even more crowded.
Grandfather held onto Fifth Cousin’s three-year-old son, not letting him kowtow: “It’s cold, and there’s no one else around. No need for such formalities. If there’s anything to discuss, we can do so when we reach the ancestral hall.”
The ancestral hall had more than a dozen side rooms, with large braziers in all four corners burning smokeless silver frost charcoal, making it as warm as spring.
“Little Uncle is always so considerate!” Second Cousin chuckled.
Second Madam poked her head out of the carriage: “Shou Gu, come to your Grand-Aunt!”
Dou Zhao, disliking this cold Grand-Aunt, tightened her grip on her father’s sleeve.
Father hesitated briefly, then carried Dou Zhao over with a smile: “She’s quite mischievous. You’re getting on in years and might not be able to handle her antics. I think it’s better if she stays with me.”
Second Madam paused, looking at Dou Zhao quietly nestled in Dou Shiying’s arms, then nodded with a smile: “That’s fine! She’s lost her mother, so it’s all the better if you can be close to her.” With that, she lowered the carriage curtain.
Father was somewhat surprised.
From the other side, Third Cousin called out loudly to Father: “Seventh Uncle, do you have any space left? Could you take two of my maids?”
The third Cousin had the most children, with three sons and a daughter, but the family resources were allocated by branch. He was always the most anxious.
“Yes, yes, there’s room,” Father replied, carrying Dou Zhao over. “If it’s crowded, why don’t you let Zhi come with us?”
Zhi was the Third Cousin’s eldest son, eleven years old this year, formally named Dou Qijun. This fellow would later become a censor and make a name for himself in scholarly circles by impeaching Long Xing Marquis Shi Duanlan. After Fifth Uncle Dou Shizhu entered the cabinet, he went to be the prefect of Baoding Prefecture to avoid any appearance of favoritism.
But at that moment, he was just a lanky teenager with a voice like a drake.
Knowing he wouldn’t have to squeeze into a carriage with his mother and sister, he immediately jumped down from his family’s carriage and ran over with a grin.
“Seventh Grand-Uncle!” Dou Qijun greeted Father, then reached out to pat Dou Zhao’s head. “Fourth Aunt!”
Dou Zhao, with an adult soul in a child’s body, could barely tolerate Grandfather and Father patting her head, but having her eleven-year-old nephew Dou Qijun do so… She tilted her head to avoid Dou Qijun’s hand.
“Huh?” Dou Qijun was momentarily confused.
Dou Shiying was already carrying Dou Zhao towards his carriage, asking Dou Qijun as they walked: “I heard you recently quoted classics at the clan school, impressing even Old Master Du?”
Dou Qijun laughed dryly, putting Dou Zhao’s unusual behavior out of his mind. He quickly followed Dou Shiying into the carriage, sat down next to him, and said with a grin, “Seventh Grand-Uncle, weren’t you supposed to be studying at home? How do you know about the jokes we play at school?”
The implication was that Dou Shiying wasn’t focused enough on his studies.
Indeed, he had quite a sharp tongue.
Dou Zhao looked at Dou Qijun with interest.
“Always quick with your words. Be careful, or you might talk yourself into trouble,” Father said with a smile. “No wonder your father has to go apologize to Master Du every few days!”
Master Du was the teacher at the Dou family’s clan school.
Dou Qijun chuckled and nudged Father with his shoulder, saying, “Seventh Grand-Uncle, can I ask you something?” He looked a bit mischievous.
Father raised an eyebrow.
Dou Qijun smiled and said, “I made plans with my classmates to go see the lanterns in Zhending Prefecture during the Lantern Festival. How about supporting me with some travel money?”
Father smiled and asked, “Does your father know about this?”
“He knows, he knows,” Dou Qijun said excitedly, seeing hope. “He agreed to give me three taels of silver, but that’s not even enough to buy a decent lantern! Seventh Grand-Uncle, we all know you’re the most generous. Lend me twenty taels of silver, and I’ll help you when you go to Fufang Studio to buy antiques!”
“I have servants for that. Why would I need your help? Besides, you might not even do as good a job as my servants!”
“Then, then I’ll copy sutras for you,” Dou Qijun said without blushing, his eyes darting around. He immediately added, “I know you want to copy a thousand volumes of the Lotus Sutra for the late Seventh Grand-Aunt, to burn for her on the second anniversary of her passing…”
Dou Zhao looked at her father in surprise.
Father didn’t notice her reaction and smiled, saying, “Copying sutras is valuable for its sincerity. What’s the point if you do it for me? Alright, alright, twenty taels is too much, but I could consider ten taels…”
“Seventh Grand-Uncle, ten taels is too little!” Dou Qijun gritted his teeth. “Wouldn’t that make you look stingy?”
“I didn’t know I had a reputation as a ‘prodigal son,'” Father said, unmoved. “You’re so young, eating and using what your family provides. What do you need so much silver for? It’s ten taels, take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it, I’ll take it, I’ll take it!” Dou Qijun was afraid that if he pushed further, he might lose even these ten taels.
Father smiled and said, “However, I’ll mention this to Third Brother and Sixth Brother, so you don’t go asking for more money elsewhere after getting ten taels from me!”
“Seventh Grand-Uncle!” Dou Qijun wailed, falling back onto the large pillow.
Dou Shiying laughed heartily, feeling that the heaviness that had weighed on his heart these past days had suddenly lifted a bit.
Dou Zhao watched her father laugh, feeling a mix of emotions.
In her previous life, she had harbored resentment towards her father.
She had never truly looked at him.
She always felt that all he cared about was studying his “Book of Changes”… allowing Dou Ming to be arrogant and domineering, Dou Xiao to cause trouble, and letting her fend for herself!
She never expected he had this side to him!
Amidst the rumbling of the carriage wheels and Dou Qijun’s witty banter, they soon arrived at Beilou.
Seven or eight carriages were already scattered in front of the Dou family’s ancestral hall. Stewards and servants were bustling about. Hearing the commotion, some ran to inform Third Uncle, while others gathered around, either helping to steady the carriages or setting up footstools. In an instant, the area in front of the ancestral hall was filled with a clamor of voices, creating a lively atmosphere.