In the eighth year of Chengping, Dou Zhao was nine years old. Sixth Uncle Dou Shiheng had passed the imperial examination, ranking 36th in the second class. Last September, Ninth Cousin Dou Huanchang from the eldest uncle’s family passed the provincial examination. This double success brought great joy to the entire family, especially to Second Madam. With two of her three sons now imperial scholars, she was in high spirits, perfectly embodying the saying “Good news invigorates the soul.” Second Madam decided to hold a grand celebration during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Dou Zhao had been living in the East Mansion for the past few years, spending summers at the farm with her grandmother under the pretext of escaping the heat.
Yi’er, the daughter of the Fifth Sister-in-law, came to find Dou Zhao. “Should we make some sachets?” she asked.
It was customary during the Dragon Boat Festival to make sachets filled with mugwort and other herbs as gifts.
“You can discuss it with Shu’er,” Dou Zhao replied with a smile. “I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
Neither fully part of the East Dou family nor willing to return to the West Dou family, Dou Zhao considered herself a guest in the Dou household. She treated everyone with politeness and courtesy, had money to entertain relatives and reward servants, and was well-regarded by all in the Dou family.
Shu’er was the eldest daughter of Third Sister-in-law and Dou Qijun’s sister. She was two months younger than Yi’er and two months older than Dou Zhao.
Yi’er sighed, “If only Fifth Aunt were here!”
The Fifth Aunt referred to Dou Ming.
After Wang Yingxue’s arrival, Second Madam had kept Dou Ming by her side. Gradually, Dou Ming grew distant from Wang Yingxue. In the seventh year of Chengping, Wang Xingyi was still serving as the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi, but the Wang family had moved to the capital. Wang Yingxue had no choice but to write to her mother, Madam Xu. Using the excuse of missing her granddaughter, Madam Xu sent someone to bring Dou Ming to the capital for a short stay. Grandfather had agreed, leaving Second Madam with no reason to keep Dou Ming. By now, Dou Ming had been in the capital for over half a year.
Yi’er had always been close to Dou Ming, finding Dou Zhao too shrewd for her liking.
Dou Zhao’s past life experience taught her that it was impossible to please everyone, so there was no point in trying to win over those who disliked her.
She smiled faintly and said, “Why don’t you write a letter to Dou Ming and ask when she’ll return to Zhending?”
Only Yi’er had noticed that Dou Zhao always used Dou Ming’s full name when addressing her. Once, half-jokingly and half-accusingly, she mentioned this in front of the Second Madam. Dou Zhao’s explanation was, “If I call her Ming’er, others might think she’s of the same generation as you.”
But why couldn’t she call her “sister”?
Yi’er wanted to ask but was stopped by a tug on her sleeve from her wet nurse. Later, the wet nurse quietly explained, “Seventh Madam was elevated from a concubine, while Fourth Miss is a legitimate daughter.”
Yi’er didn’t see the significance.
What difference did it make if one was born to a concubine?
Wasn’t she still a Dou family miss?
In the Dou family, concubines were only taken when the men served as officials away from home and their wives couldn’t accompany them.
So she was curious: “Why is it that only Seventh Great-uncle’s concubine had children?”
The wet nurse hesitated before answering, “That’s because only Seventh Great-uncle had no sons.”
Yi’er sensed there was more the wet nurse wasn’t telling her, but at that moment, Wu Ya arrived, and she happily ran off to greet her, forgetting about the matter.
However, Wu Ya didn’t enjoy playing with Dou Ming. She often said Dou Ming was dull and stupid as if missing something in her head. But she also didn’t like playing with Dou Zhao, finding her arrogant and difficult to get along with. “…Whenever I have something nice, Sixth Aunt immediately buys it for her, and she acts like it’s nothing. She’s even corrupted Shu’er.”
In the past, Shu’er would always look at Wu Ya’s dolls, mirrors, and combs with wide eyes, begging, “Let me play with them for a while.” But ever since she had borrowed Dou Zhao’s things and Dou Zhao didn’t ask for them back, Shu’er only had eyes for Dou Zhao. She would only share secrets with Dou Zhao and would be the first to defend her if anyone spoke ill of her.
Wu Ya said, “Their family is strange. One lives with the Sixth Madam, the other with the Old Madam. Their mother lives alone in the vast West Dou Mansion, neither taking care of her children nor going to the capital with their father… Anyway, I don’t like either of the sisters.”
Dou Zhao could see the complex yet simple relationships between these children, but she didn’t take it to heart. She knew their thoughts would change as they grew older.
She went to visit her Third Cousin.
Eldest Cousin Zhao Biru was now eighteen. Her mother had written to say that Eldest Cousin was to be married on the twelfth day of the eighth month.
Dou Zhao wanted to prepare a wedding gift for her.
Third Cousin asked with a smile, “What do you plan to give her?”
Dou Zhao owned half of the West Dou family’s assets, but any expense over ten taels of silver required approval from Third Cousin, who managed her properties. This arrangement made her uncomfortable and troubled, so she gave Zhao Liangbi to her Third Cousin. Seeing that Zhao Liangbi’s surname was “Zhao,” the Third Cousin assumed he was a relative from Dou Zhao’s maternal family and took extra care of him. Zhao Liangbi had always been a diligent person and threw himself into learning from the accountants. In just a year, he had become proficient with the abacus.
Dou Zhao wondered how long it would take for Zhao Liangbi to become the head accountant.
Lost in thought, she smiled and asked Third Cousin for advice.
Third Cousin pondered for a moment before suggesting, “How about we send some gold and silver jewelry? Your aunt has probably prepared most other things already.”
Coming from the Dou family, Dou Xiuchang had a broad perspective. To him, one or two thousand taels of silver wasn’t a significant expense if it was reasonable.
Dou Zhao nodded in agreement and entrusted Third Cousin with the task.
As she was leaving, she encountered Shu’er.
Shu’er pulled her aside and said, “Second Sister wants to make Five Poisons sachets. I have a new design. Would Fourth Aunt like one?”
In her previous life, Dou Zhao had distant relationships with her cousins and nieces, but in this life, Shu’er was like a little tail, always wanting to follow her.
“Sure!” Dou Zhao smiled. “I’ll send Haitang to get it from your maid later.”
Tuo Niang had married Cui Si two years ago and had just given birth to a son a few days ago, not yet a month old. Haitang had taken over her duties.
Shu’er nodded and whispered, “A’Qi is here again.”
A’Qi was Wu Ya’s nickname.
Dou Zhao wasn’t surprised and smiled, “Well, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming up.”
Shu’er sighed and asked, “Will Fifth Aunt come back?”
She was a sweet girl who got along well with everyone around her.
“You miss her a lot, don’t you?”
“Yes!” she pouted. “We wanted to play Double Hundred Rope, but we don’t have enough people. A’Qi doesn’t want to play with the maids.”
Dou Zhao never played these games with them.
She smiled and said, “That’s because they have many sisters of the same age at home.”
Shu’er giggled.
Dou Zhao returned to Sixth Aunt’s place.
Now that she was older, she naturally couldn’t continue living in the gauze curtain bed in Sixth Aunt’s inner room. Four years ago, when her father brought her back from her grandmother’s farm, she moved into the west wing of the main courtyard. Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang lived in the east wing.
As soon as she stepped through the main gate of the courtyard, she heard a burst of laughter from the west wing.
Dou Zhao smiled knowingly.
If Wu Ya was here, Wu Shan couldn’t be far behind.
Just like in her previous life, Wu Shan got along very well with Dou Dechang, who was the same age as him. Whenever he visited, he would stay with Dou Dechang and also had good relationships with Dou Zhengchang and Dou Qijun.
They must be bragging together!
As she was about to enter her room, the door of the opposite wing suddenly opened, and Wu Shan walked out with Dou Dechang and the others.
“Fourth Sister!” he greeted Dou Zhao, his ears slightly red.
Dou Zhao politely nodded to him, “Fourth Brother Wu is here.”
She addressed Wu Shan following Dou Dechang’s brothers and also greeted Dou Zhengchang and the others.
Wu Shan asked Dou Zhao, “We’re going out to buy a congratulatory gift for Sixth Uncle. Do you want us to bring anything back for you?”
He referred to Dou Shiheng following the Dou family’s younger generation.
“Thank you,” Dou Zhao smiled, “but I’ve already prepared a gift for Sixth Uncle.”
It was a piece of Qingtian stone she had previously acquired from her father.
It was carved with a monkey riding a horse, symbolizing “immediate promotion,” perfect for making a seal for Sixth Uncle.
Wu Shan smiled and said, “My sister is here too, talking with my cousin. Have you seen her?”
Isn’t that a silly question?
If she had been with Second Sister-in-law, how could she have left?
Dou Zhao still smiled and replied, “A’Qi is here too? I haven’t seen her yet!”
Wu Shan continued, “Twelve said your family is inviting people to watch a play for the Dragon Boat Festival. Is that true?”
Dou Dechang was nicknamed “Twelve” as he was the twelfth child.
Dou Zhao smiled and said, “If Twelfth Brother said so, it must be true.”
Wu Shan said, “It’s a pity I’ll be back in Xindong by then.”
“There will be other opportunities to see plays.”
“I wonder when that will be?” Wu Shan said longingly. “I heard Zhou Qingfen has been invited to perform this time…”
His words were like lotus root, seemingly cut off but still connected by invisible threads.
Dou Zhao patiently listened to him finish his sentence, then smiled apologetically and said, “Fourth Brother Wu must be busy. I need to visit Old Madam soon.”
Wu Shan’s face immediately turned red, and he began to stammer, “Fourth Sister should go back to her room. We’re about to leave too.”
Dou Zhao entered her room.
From behind, she heard Dou Zhengchang’s puzzled voice: “Why do you always have so much to say when you meet Fourth Sister?”
Wu Shan exclaimed, “Didn’t you say I don’t talk enough?”
“I meant you always just grunt when you meet Yi’er and the others…”
“I’m their elder, I should act like one, right?”
“Alright, this time we’ll let you play the elder,” Dou Qijun chimed in. “You can pay for our purchases this time…”
“That’s extortion…” Wu Shan laughed with them as their voices faded away.
Dou Zhao shook her head with a smile.
Young people were always full of energy and vitality, their presence alone enough to lift one’s spirits.
On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Second Madam indeed invited Zhou Qingfen to perform.
The stage was set up in front of the ancestral hall in the north building of the Dou family compound. Villagers from ten miles around came with their families to watch the performance.
Dou Zhao accompanied Sixth Aunt and Second Madam, drinking tea in the side room next to the ancestral hall.
Wang Yingxue came in to pay her respects to Second Madam. She beckoned to Dou Zhao, “Shou Gu, did you enjoy the chrysanthemum pastries I sent with Qiongfen last time? They were bestowed by the palace to my father. Ming’er specially sent a box back, saying she wanted her sister to try them.”
“So they were bestowed by the palace. No wonder they looked so different from those sold in the market,” Dou Zhao smiled and said, “I offered them to Old Madam as a filial gesture.” She glanced at Second Madam as she spoke.
Second Madam smiled and took Dou Zhao’s hand, “Our Shou Gu is always so thoughtful.”
Wang Yingxue’s face flushed red, then pale, then red again.
In recent years, Dou Zhao had left Wang Yingxue for Second Madam to deal with—she couldn’t be bothered to quibble with Wang Yingxue herself.
Suddenly, a young maid rushed in, speaking incoherently, “Old Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened… Third Old Master, he’s… he’s…”