Dou Zhao finally picked up the purse. After all, it contained three thousand taels of silver – enough to buy over a thousand mu of land or a four-courtyard mansion! If someone else found it, both the person and the silver notes would likely vanish in the blink of an eye. Better for her to have it than someone else.
She opened the purse. Inside were banknotes of various denominations – 100 taels, 200 taels, and even some for several dozen taels. They were all cashable on sight. Her father had thought this through carefully.
As Dou Zhao returned the notes to the purse, she heard wailing from the flower hall: “Brother, you’re forcing me! You might as well give me three chi of white silk to hang myself. It would spare me this anguish of living worse than death…”
“Why not give her the white silk then?” Dou Zhao thought cynically. Hadn’t her mother once given her a handkerchief as she wished? Yet here she was, still alive and well. How could Wang Xingyi have given birth to such a shameless creature? It truly tarnished his lifelong reputation.
Wang Zhibing’s low voice came from the flower hall, too muffled to make out clearly. Dou Zhao considered eavesdropping further but saw the latticed door of the flower hall move. Her father emerged, accompanying Wang Zhibing. She quickly hid behind a nearby Taihu rock.
Her father was consoling Wang Zhibing: “…There’s no need to get upset. This came so suddenly; she might need time to accept it. Talking in circles won’t resolve anything. You should head back for today. Let her sisters-in-law visit her and see if she has any other thoughts. We can sit down and discuss it again later. Whatever the Dou family can do to satisfy her, we’ll make every effort.”
Wang Zhibing’s face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead as he replied sternly, “What exactly do you mean, Seventh Master Dou? Do you think my sister is trying to extort money from your family?”
“Please don’t misunderstand,” her father said gently. “I simply meant that although you’re her brother, there’s still a difference between men and women. You’ve been separated for many years, and she might not feel comfortable sharing her innermost thoughts with you. It might be better to wait a few days until her emotions settle before making any decisions.” He continued, “If she misses Ming’er, she’s welcome to visit anytime. Ming’er is young, and we wouldn’t want her to overhear anything that might upset her. If your sister agrees, Ming’er could even become her goddaughter or niece. When Ming’er is old enough to understand, we can explain what happened back then. Of course, we’ll need your family’s input on how to approach this and what to say. I’ll follow your lead on everything.”
His words were so tactful and sincere that Wang Zhibing’s expression softened considerably. He scrutinized her father closely and said, “I didn’t expect you to be so level-headed and considerate. I underestimated you.”
Her father looked embarrassed and mumbled, “It’s getting late, so I won’t keep you. Next time you visit, I’ll treat you to some tea – I have some excellent Da Hong Pao from Fujian that my second cousin sent. It’s quite worth tasting.”
Satisfied, Wang Zhibing left. Her father wiped the sweat from his brow and turned towards the Taihu rock where Dou Zhao was hiding. “Come out now! The sun is strong; you’ll get sunburned!”
Dou Zhao emerged with a grin. “I was hiding so well. How did you spot me, Father?”
Her father smiled and pointed to the gold hoop in her hair.
“I should have used a simple hair tie,” Dou Zhao thought to herself. Remembering the three thousand taels of silver, she held up the purse and said with a smile, “Father, I found a purse…”
Even if she were fifteen instead of five, secretly keeping three thousand taels wouldn’t be easy. The best approach was to be open about it and claim it legitimately.
Her father chuckled, “So you’re the one who found it.” He reached for the purse.
Dou Zhao quickly hid it behind her back. “I found it, so it’s mine.”
Her father paused, then laughed. “But this purse is mine. The owner has come to claim it. Surely you’re not trying to keep it?”
“Then you should thank me,” Dou Zhao replied. “I deserve half.”
Her father couldn’t help but laugh, tapping her nose. “Where did you learn this?” He opened the purse and selected a ten-tael note. “Here’s your reward.”
“No, no,” Dou Zhao protested, eyeing the hundred and two hundred tael notes and grabbing a handful. “These are all mine…”
Just then, her grandfather appeared.
Her father hastily stuffed all the banknotes back into the purse.
Grandfather frowned. “What are you doing?” His tone was cold.
“Nothing, nothing,” her father quickly replied. “Shou Gu’s purse came loose. I was helping her fasten it.”
Ah! Dou Zhao couldn’t help but grin. These banknotes were her father’s private funds. That’s why even Grandfather was being kept in the dark.
Grandfather said disapprovingly, “That’s a job for maids and servants. Why is a grown man like you meddling in such things?” He continued, “Come with me. I have something to discuss with you.”
Her father agreed, called Tuo Niang over, and whispered a few words about Dou Zhao before following Grandfather to He Shou Hall.
Dou Zhao headed towards the main house, smiling.
Tuo Niang kept eyeing the purse at her waist, her face tightening with worry every time they crossed a bridge or passed through a narrow path. She kept muttering, “Fourth Young Miss, please be careful, please be careful,” as if she wanted to cradle the purse in her own hands.
Dou Zhao asked her, “Do you know what’s inside?”
Tuo Niang nodded vigorously.
Dou Zhao pulled out a ten-tael note from the purse. “This is your reward!”
“No, no, I can’t take it,” Tuo Niang’s face paled. “Young Miss, please put it away! If someone sees and takes it, I couldn’t repay it even if I died a hundred times!” She was on the verge of tears.
Dou Zhao sighed and handed the purse to Tuo Niang. “Then help me keep it safe.”
Tuo Niang agreed, carefully tucking the purse into her bosom and keeping her hand over it until they reached the main room.
That evening, when her father returned to the room, he asked, “Where’s the purse?”
Dou Zhao took out a box from behind the headboard. “It’s in here.”
Her father laughed heartily.
Dou Zhao took the opportunity to put the box back.
Her father called for Yu Mama: “Fourth Young Miss has three thousand taels in silver notes in her room. Record it in the ledger.”
Yu Mama’s face changed dramatically. She asked anxiously, “Is it appropriate to keep such a large sum in Fourth Young Miss’s room?”
Her father, accustomed to extravagance, dismissed the concern. “It’s fine. It’s only three thousand taels.”
Yu Mama didn’t dare say more, but Dou Zhao’s eyes curved with delight. She had big plans for this money!
The next evening, Wang Yingxue’s sisters-in-law arrived. The three women closeted themselves in the room to talk.
Gao Shi, a serious woman, spoke bluntly: “There are no outsiders here. Tell us your plans directly.”
Pang Shi sat on an embroidered ebony stool, sipping tea with a relaxed air. Her almond-shaped eyes, however, keenly surveyed the room’s furnishings.
The rose-red Xiang blanket, the cloisonné vase, the lilac-colored felt cushions, the official green silk curtains, and the famille-rose teacup from the imperial kiln in her hand – it must have cost at least ten thousand taels to furnish this room!
No wonder she doesn’t want to leave, Pang Yulou thought with a smirk. She heard her sister-in-law choke out, “If I take Ming’er back with me, would Father agree?”
“If you think it’s best, I’ll agree on Father’s behalf,” Gao Shi said firmly. Years of hardship had transformed her from a submissive girl into a decisive woman. “If anyone asks, we’ll say she’s a relative’s child, orphaned, with no one to care for her. I’ve taken her as my adopted daughter. Your eldest brother will handle all the official paperwork. You needn’t worry.”
The urgent matter now was to bring Wang Yingxue back home.
Wang Yingxue hadn’t expected things to unfold this way. She bit her lip involuntarily and said, “But this way, she’d still be just an adopted daughter…”
Gao Shi’s heart ached at these words. Where had the pure, kind, and noble Wang Yingxue gone? Was a life of poverty truly so terrifying? She had been a young lady from a good family, but after marrying into the Wang family, she had managed the household, served her mother-in-law, cared for her sister-in-law, and raised her children. Remembering her father’s teachings before her marriage – “A gentleman should be content in poverty and find joy in the Way, indifferent to worldly pursuits” – she had been able to focus on fulfilling her duties.
But what about Wang Yingxue? When had she changed? Was it when the Lei family broke off the engagement? When did she start working to support the family? Or was it when Gao Shi, out of pity, had covered up her momentary lapse against her better judgment?
Gao Shi didn’t know what to say.
Pang Shi, however, coming from a merchant background, quickly grasped Wang Yingxue’s implied meaning. Having grown up to the sound of abacus beads, how could she not understand? Moreover, she had always been annoyed by this sister-in-law who looked down on her background and constantly compared her unfavorably to her elder sister-in-law, Gao Shi. So, with a hint of schadenfreude, she said, “Sister-in-law has a point. But our family’s situation isn’t what it used to be. We can’t have you become someone’s concubine. Why don’t we have Father speak to the Dou family? Cancel the other engagements and make you the official wife instead…”
“Don’t talk nonsense! Be careful not to let the Dou family hear and make a laughingstock of us,” Gao Shi snapped, inwardly regretting that she hadn’t been able to resist her mother-in-law’s insistence on bringing Pang Shi along to the Dou residence.
“Sister-in-law, I don’t appreciate that tone,” Pang Yulou said lazily. “So you’re a Wang family daughter-in-law, and I’m not? You’re from a noble family, and I can’t compare. But I married into the Wang family when they were down on their luck. I’ve stayed loyal through poverty, and I’m not necessarily so uncouth.”
Gao Shi, coming from a prestigious family, often felt at a loss when dealing with the street-smart Pang Yulou, much like a scholar encountering a soldier. As a result, unless it was a matter of principle, Gao Shi usually yielded to Pang Shi.
Wang Yingxue’s reluctance to leave the Dou family was indeed a matter of principle.
Gao Shi patiently explained, “You’re not an inexperienced person. Which family would casually elevate a concubine to the position of the official wife?”
Pang Yulou knew this, of course, but she didn’t want to let Gao Shi have the upper hand. She pouted, “Didn’t Scholar Tao in our town make his concubine the official wife?”
“That was because Scholar Tao’s legitimate wife had passed away, and the concubine had given him his only son,” Gao Shi said, a hint of displeasure in her eyes. “Scholar Tao’s wife’s brothers wrote a letter of agreement, accepting the concubine as their sister. How can that be compared to this situation?”
“It’s all about having a son, isn’t it?” Pang Yulou winked at Wang Yingxue.
Wang Yingxue’s face flushed red and then pale.
Sensing something amiss, Pang Yulou lowered her voice, “What’s wrong? Ming’er is already over a year old and being raised by a wet nurse. Haven’t you had any signs yet?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Second Sister-in-law?” Wang Yingxue’s face showed embarrassment. “Seventh Master said he would observe three years of mourning for Zhao Guqiu.”
“Ah!” Pang Yulou’s mouth gaped open. She stared at Wang Yingxue, her lips quivering, but ultimately said nothing.
Gao Shi sighed inwardly. Such a good man, but their timing was unfortunate.