In her previous life, her father had placed thirteenth in the second rank of the spring imperial examinations. This life, he placed sixteenth – not as good as before.
Was it because Wang Yingxue’s affair had taken up more of his energy in this life?
Dou Zhao speculated idly.
Second Madame, however, was quite disappointed.
She said to Dou Shiheng, “Wanyuan is so lucky! If you had taken the spring examinations this year, you might have made the honor roll too.”
Ever since Wang Yingxue’s affair, the Dou family saw Dou Shiying as an incompetent good-for-nothing. Although he had passed the imperial examinations and been selected as a Hanlin Academy compiler, Second Madame still felt it was due to luck rather than ability.
This view wasn’t held by the Second Madame alone in the Dou family.
Dou Shiheng couldn’t help feeling annoyed. He said, “Wanyuan has always been clever in his studies. He just doesn’t blindly memorize books like others do. Has anyone ever passed the metropolitan and palace examinations and been selected as a Hanlin compiler on luck alone?”
Second Madame remained silent, but inwardly she remained unconvinced.
Dou Tuo, on the other hand, was overjoyed.
He posted the good news on his front gate, reveling in the admiration and pride of passersby while writing a letter to inform Wang Xingyi.
Wang Xingyi’s days, however, were rather gloomy.
Over the past winter and spring, he had repelled several Mongol invasions in the Northwest. His prestige there was unmatched, and Minister Fang was very pleased. The Emperor had even proposed appointing him as the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi. But for some unknown reason, the matter had been shelved.
He suspected it was because Minister Fang felt he still lacked stability after Dou Shizu’s recent trip home and needed a couple more years of tempering.
Wang Zhibing grumbled, “If we’d known it would turn out like this, you should have gone to Beijing to explain things to Minister Zeng back then.”
“The facts speak for themselves. If we explain, we’ll lose the upper hand. It’s better this way, letting everyone know that I, Wang Xingyi, am upright and honest, willing to take responsibility for my actions.”
Despite saying this, he still wrote to his best friend in Beijing, Guo Yan, a lecturer at the Hanlin Academy who was also Zeng Yifen’s son-in-law: “…Our family has fallen into such poverty that my daughter has made a misstep. Whenever I think of it, I’m overcome with tears. Fortunately, she has been taken in by the seventh son of the North Tower Dou family. After his principal wife passed away, he intends to elevate my daughter to that position. Although I find it inappropriate, when I think of my daughter suffering due to my lack of guidance, even if it’s as bitter as gall, I’m willing to drink it.”
Now it seemed that while this letter had some effect, it wasn’t very significant.
Thinking of all this, Wang Xingyi paced the room a couple of times with his hands behind his back, then instructed his son, “Set the date for this month!”
Elevating a concubine’s status was different from taking a wife. There was no need for matchmaking or betrothal gifts. They just needed to set up a few tables of wine at home, invite relatives, and have the concubine wear the auspicious red clothes of the principal wife to toast the guests and redefine her status.
Wang Zhibing agreed and replied to the letter on behalf of his father, sealing it with Wang Xingyi’s seal.
Dou Tuo set the date for the twenty-second day of the fifth month.
Dou Zhao had no intention of kowtowing to Wang Yingxue, serving her tea, or calling her mother.
She had Tuo Niang send a message to her grandmother, saying she wanted to visit.
There was no reply from her grandmother for a long time.
Dou Zhao had money, so she had Tuo Niang secretly hire a carriage. “Tell the driver to wait at the alley behind the West Mansion at the hour of Mao on the twenty-second of the fifth month. That’s when the Third Sister-in-law will be bringing people from the East Mansion to help. On Wang Yingxue’s big day, she can’t leave freely. Aunt Ding and Nanny Hu will be receiving Third Sister-in-law and the others. We’ll take that opportunity to leave.”
Tuo Niang nodded and said, “I’ll help the young miss pack her trunks.”
“What trunks?” Dou Zhao said. “Just bring a few silver notes and some loose silver. We can come back for the trunks after we’ve settled in.”
Tuo Niang felt something was missing.
Dou Shiying had returned.
He brought several jars of Dong liquor for Sixth Uncle, several boxes of Beijing-style pastries for Sixth Aunt, a few inkstones for the brothers Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang, and two identical dolls for Dou Zhao and Dou Ming.
Dou Ming was overjoyed, hugging hers tightly.
Dou Zhao felt this doll wasn’t as exquisite as the one-Sixth Aunt had given her. She said a brief “Thank you” and had Tuo Niang put it away.
The eldest daughter’s maturity yet aloofness made Dou Shiying feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After paying his respects to Second Madame, he came specifically to see Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao was practicing calligraphy under Ji Shi’s guidance.
Seeing Dou Shiying return, Ji Shi made an excuse to brew tea for him, leaving the study to the father and daughter.
Dou Zhao walked out from behind the desk and stood straight, saying to Dou Shiying, “On the twenty-second, I want to go see Aunt Cui.”
Dou Shiying was stunned.
Dou Zhao stared directly into Dou Shiying’s eyes.
The room was as silent as a void.
After a long while, Dou Shiying asked his daughter in a somewhat hoarse voice, “Why?”
“I don’t want to call a concubine mother,” Dou Zhao said seriously.
Dou Shiying remained silent for a moment, then said “I understand,” his face expressionless, his emotions unreadable.
Dou Zhao didn’t try to decipher her father’s thoughts.
If her father agreed to let her go to her grandmother’s, it would simply make things easier for her. If he didn’t agree, she could still achieve her goal.
Just based on the bag of elm money buds her grandmother had sent her, she was certain that as long as she reached the estate, her grandmother would take her in.
Dou Shiying returned home in a somewhat dazed state.
Gaosheng was waiting for him at the door.
“Seventh Young Master!” He stepped forward to greet Dou Shiying, saying in a low voice, “Aunt Cui just sent someone with a message. She says she’s ill and wants Fourth Miss to go to the estate to keep her company.”
Dou Shiying was very surprised and quickly asked, “Where’s the messenger?” His voice was tense, sounding somewhat flustered.
“I had him stay in the kitchen for a meal,” Gaosheng said. “The Old Master hasn’t agreed yet.”
Dou Shiying gave a “Mm” and hurried to the kitchen.
In the dim kitchen, Cui Da was slurping noodles from a bowl.
He was Cui Shi’s eldest nephew, just twenty years old this year.
“Seventh Young Master,” he put down his chopsticks and stood up, looking rather nervous. He mumbled, “Aunt Cui said that if I met you, I should tell you she’s not ill, she just wants to have Fourth Miss stay with her for a few days.” Then he emphasized, “Just for a few days, then she’ll send her back!”
In Dou Shiying’s mind, Aunt Cui was a very strong-willed person. Ever since his father had sent her to the estate, she had never voluntarily spoken a word to anyone in the Dou family, let alone interfere in their family affairs.
He suppressed his confusion and said to Cui Da, “Alright then, you stay here tonight, and tomorrow morning you’ll escort Fourth Miss to the estate.”
Cui Da responded with an “Ay” and grinned, his smile simple and honest.
As if his eyes were stung, Dou Shiying instinctively blinked.
He went to see Dou Tuo.
Dou Tuo was cheerfully tending to a pot of asparagus fern. Seeing Dou Shiying, he put down the watering can in his hand, his smile broadening: “Have you seen your Second Aunt?”
“I have,” Dou Shiying said. “I also ran into Cui Da.”
The smile froze on Dou Tuo’s face.
“I told him to stay,” Dou Shiying said as if he hadn’t noticed, his tone still gentle. “He’ll escort Shou gu to the estate early tomorrow morning.”
With a “thud,” the watering can be thrown to the ground, water splashing everywhere, a few drops landing on the hem of Dou Shiying’s clothes.
Dou Shiying paid no attention and said, “Father, this matter is decided. I’ve only taken ten days of leave. To rush back, I haven’t slept for two days. I’m going to bed now. We can discuss anything else tomorrow.” He bowed and retreated.
Dou Tuo stared at his son’s receding figure, unable to come to his senses for a long time.
Dou Zhao knew her grandmother was “ill” and felt very guilty.
She knew that if her grandmother were truly ill, her father’s expression wouldn’t be so relaxed. Her grandmother was pretending to be ill for her sake.
Dou Zhao lit three incense sticks for the Bodhisattva, praying for her grandmother’s longevity.
Listening to his daughter’s murmurs, Dou Shiying was quite shocked. After a while, he said, “You, you didn’t…”
Looking at his daughter’s young face, he didn’t know how to ask.
Once Wang Yingxue became her stepmother, she would have the moral high ground. If she continued to play dumb, she would only be manipulated by Wang Yingxue.
Dou Zhao decided to gradually show some edge, forcing Wang Yingxue to back off from her affairs.
So seeing Dou Shiying’s suspicion, she simply said, “I asked Aunt Cui to take me to the estate.”
Dou Shiying was speechless.
Dou Zhao couldn’t be bothered with him and instructed Haitang to pack her favorite porcelain figurine of Fu Lu Shou Xi into the trunk.
The figurine symbolized good fortune and had vibrant colors. Her grandmother would surely like it.
She also went to check on the dried longan she had prepared for her grandmother.
They were all large and sweet.
Dou Zhao nodded with satisfaction and rewarded the little maid who had handled the task with some loose silver.
The little maid was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly.
Dou Shiying looked at his daughter, who appeared so calm and composed and felt a strange sensation rising within him.
His daughter was like a gladiolus, meant to be nurtured carefully in a greenhouse, growing slowly. But suddenly, she had been thrown into a storm, forced to struggle alongside the wild grass in the tempest, growing tall and mature in the process… And he was that storm…
“Shou gu,” he asked Dou Zhao, “do you want to go home?”
He wanted to return his daughter to the greenhouse.
“No,” Dou Zhao said decisively. “That home is a mess. It’s frustrating just to look at it. I’d rather stay with Sixth Aunt and Aunt Cui.”
Dou Shiying was at a loss for words.
Father and daughter traveled to the estate in silence.
Grandmother was standing by the roadside, eagerly waiting.
Seeing her father, her eyes grew moist.
“I heard you passed the imperial examinations,” Grandmother smiled. “You’ve done well!”
Father smiled faintly, looking as if he didn’t know what to say.
Grandmother lowered her head to greet Dou Zhao: “Shou gu.”
That loving expression had accompanied Dou Zhao through countless dark, long nights.
Dou Zhao’s nose stung, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.
“Aunt Cui,” she hugged her grandmother, “the dried longan, it’s very delicious!”
Grandmother was startled for a moment, then hugged Dou Zhao tightly.
Grandmother’s estate was just as she remembered.
Lush green crops, smooth dirt roads, and at the village entrance, an old locust tree with a trunk so thick it would take several people to encircle it. Its canopy spread like an umbrella, under which sat groups of women, chatting and laughing as they did needlework, with a few children playing nearby.
Seeing people enter the village, everyone stopped what they were doing and curiously looked them over.
Dou Zhao also stared at those people, trying to find a familiar face among them.
Unfortunately, with twenty-some years between her previous life and this one, all these people looked so unfamiliar.
The carriage soon stopped in front of Grandmother’s house with its blue brick tiles.
A neat woman came forward to lift the carriage curtain, and Grandmother personally carried Dou Zhao down.
The courtyard paved with blue stones, the windows with white paper and flower-patterned cuttings, and the little foal quietly chewing grass in the animal pen were all so familiar. Only the plum tree she had planted in the corner of the wall was missing.