Wu Shan explained, “I accompanied my mother to Beijing during the Dragon Boat Festival to visit Father. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all, so I came to visit as soon as I returned.” He added, “Sixth Uncle is now observing government affairs in the Ministry of Justice. We even ate zongzi together during the festival.”
Dou Shiheng had also passed the imperial examination for Presented Scholars.
Dou Dechang eagerly asked, “How is my father?”
“He’s doing well,” Wu Shan smiled. “He seems to have gained a bit of weight compared to when he was at home.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he continued, “I have some good news to tell you…” He dragged out the last syllable, building suspense.
Dou Dechang ignored him.
Dou Zhengchang, however, smiled and asked, “What good news? Are you going to Beijing?”
“How is that good news!” Wu Shan scoffed. “I’m living carefree at home now. If I were under Father’s watchful eye, I’d have to practice five thousand characters daily before putting down my brush.”
Pang Jixiu clicked his tongue in amazement. “So many!”
Wu Shan finally revealed, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be studying at your Dou clan school!”
Dou Zhengchang and the others were stunned for a moment before reacting.
“Why are you suddenly coming to study at our school?” Dou Dechang asked curiously. “Is your mother willing to let you leave home?”
Wu Shan’s mother was a second wife. Wu Niannian’s first wife had died early without children. Wu Niannian only remarried Wu Shan’s mother, Madam Bi, after passing the imperial examinations. Madam Bi, also from an official family, had vowed in her youth not to marry anyone below the rank of Juren. She was already twenty-three when she married and gave birth to Wu Shan three years later. Thus, she was particularly fond of her two children. To allow Wu Shan to study with his Juren uncle, she preferred to stay in their hometown rather than follow Wu Niannian to his post in Beijing.
“My father has a leg ailment,” Wu Shan explained. “Now that he’s older, he has difficulty walking. Mother is worried and wants to go to Beijing to care for him, but she’s also concerned about me. Fortunately, we met Sixth Uncle at Fifth Uncle’s house during the Dragon Boat Festival. Sixth Uncle said if Father agrees, I could study with you all under Sixth Aunt’s care. Both Father and Mother thought it was a good idea, and Fifth Uncle wrote a letter to the Grand Madam. Mother came this time to send me here to study.”
They then realized that Madam Wu had also come.
“That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful,” Dou Zhengchang said with a broad smile.
Dou Dechang, however, grabbed Wu Shan around the neck. “You rascal, you’ve finally fallen into my territory!”
Wu Shan laughed heartily, clasping his hands in mock surrender. “Great hero, have mercy!”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Dou Qijun and his younger brother Dou Qitai walked in one after the other.
“What’s going on here?” they asked, smiling.
Pang Jixiu quickly explained that Wu Shan would be studying at the Dou clan school.
Dou Qijun and Dou Qitai insisted that Wu Shan treat them to celebrate.
Wu Shan waved his hand grandly. “Everyone present is included today.”
Pang Jixiu’s family owned a teahouse and, after aligning with the Wang family, had expanded into restaurants and pawnshops. He had grown up in these establishments and was surrounded by a group of idle helpers at home. He was most adept at eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Hearing this, he immediately suggested, “Let’s go to Jingfu Spring. They make river delicacy ice bowls every summer. The lotus seeds, lotus roots, water chestnuts, and fresh gorgon fruit are all grown in their ponds.
Ordinary gorgon fruit is usually harvested when old and sold on the streets, with unsold ones sent to pharmacies. The young gorgon fruit doesn’t yield much and isn’t accepted by pharmacies, so no one wants to harvest it. But Jingfu Spring’s ice bowls use the tenderest gorgon fruit, sparing no expense. When cooked, it’s pale yellow, paired with fresh walnut kernels, fresh almonds, and fresh hazelnuts. With tender lotus leaves as a base, the red is red, the white is white, and the green is green. It’s a feast for the eyes even before tasting…”
In the sweltering summer heat, before he could finish speaking, everyone’s mouths were already watering.
Dou Qitai hurriedly said, “I’ll go call Fourth Brother.”
Among those of the Qi generation, Dou Qijun was fifth, Dou Qitai was sixth, and the fourth was Dou Qiguang, Dou Yuchang’s second son. Wu Shan was his maternal uncle.
By blood, Wu Shan was closest to Dou Yongguang. How could he be left out when Wu Shan was treated?
Dou Zhengchang went to inform the Grand Madam.
Madam Bi was a fair and plump woman with a face like a silver plate, looking very kind when she smiled.
She was somewhat worried.
The Second Madam smiled and said, “Don’t worry, with Zhi’er accompanying them, and being in Zhending County, nothing will happen.”
Dou Qijun passed the provincial examinations last year.
Madam Bi felt slightly reassured.
The Second Madam had the steward arrange for several reliable servants to accompany Dou Zhengchang and the others to Jingfu Spring.
Seeing that it was the Dou family, the manager of Jingfu Spring quickly offered the best private room and personally introduced the menu. With Pang Jixiu’s witty banter, the atmosphere was very lively.
When the river delicacy ice bowls were served, Wu Shan suggested, “Let’s go to the country estate to see Fourth Sister tomorrow?”
The chatter in the room suddenly ceased, and all eyes turned to him.
Wu Shan’s eyes flickered, and he quickly added, “It’s so hot, and I heard that Aunt Cui’s estate has everything. We can use visiting Fourth Sister as an excuse to go fishing, swim, and eat fresh lotus leaf rice… Isn’t that interesting? It’s better than being cooped up at home every day.”
Pang Jixiu’s heart raced, and then he heard Dou Dechang grin and say, “Good idea! Let’s go swimming at Aunt Cui’s place.”
Dou Qiguang never went anywhere except to study. If it weren’t for Wu Shan’s treat today, he certainly wouldn’t have come.
Looking at the glaring sunlight outside, even he was tempted, let alone the others.
“Then it’s decided,” Dou Qijun said. “One of you should inform the Grand Madam. I certainly can’t go and say it. If I do, this plan will fall through.”
Everyone suppressed their laughter.
“I can’t go and say it either,” Wu Shan said. “My mother will be staying at the Dou residence for several days.”
“Then I’ll go and say it!” Dou Qiguang hesitated. “I’m just afraid the Grand Madam won’t agree.”
“Fourth Brother is honest,” Dou Qitai chuckled. “If Fourth Brother goes to say it, the Grand Madam will agree.”
Sure enough, as soon as Dou Qitai spoke, the Grand Madam immediately agreed.
The group set off for the country estate in grand style.
Dou Zhao was bent over her desk, drawing new shoe designs for her grandmother when she heard the commotion. Everyone was startled.
Aunt Cui stopped the group: “No going into the river. Just rest in the courtyard, and I’ll have people make lotus leaf rice for you.”
But how could the young men sit still? They were about to splash into the river.
Seeing that she couldn’t stop them, Dou Zhao called in the servants who had come along: “All of you go stand by the river, one person every few steps.” She then called for Hong Gu, “Go to the village and find some good swimmers to watch by the river. Pay them one tael of silver per day. If all the young masters are safe and sound, reward each with an additional two taels. If anyone drowns, twenty taels for each person rescued.”
Hong Gu immediately went to the village to find several strong, healthy men.
Seeing people watching nearby, Dou Zhengchang and the others played even more recklessly.
Pang Jixiu quietly slipped away, saying he was tired and wanted to go inside for a drink of water.
The servants naturally didn’t suspect anything.
Seeing the courtyard quiet, Pang Jixiu wondered whether to enter directly or call out from the wide-open window lattice. He knew how to deal with those smiling courtesans leaning against doorways, but he didn’t know how to make a ten-year-old girl fall for him, especially when this girl was of high value and he had no advantages over her in terms of family status or wealth.
Suddenly, voices came from the open window: “…My sister likes it very much, and I think Fourth Sister will like it too, so I had my servant buy a bottle. Smell it, isn’t it fragrant?”
Pang Jixiu quickly tiptoed closer.
He saw an egg-sized glass bottle on the kang table, with a gilded cap and an amber-colored body, exuding luxury amidst its elegance.
He was shocked.
This was Western perfume!
He hurriedly peered inside.
He saw Wu Shan’s face, still bearing traces of childishness, smiling.
Damn it, how old is he to already know how to pursue women!
No wonder he wanted to come play at Aunt Cui’s country estate!
As Pang Jixiu inwardly cursed, he heard Dou Zhao say, “Thank you, Fourth Brother Wu. This perfume smells very nice.” She then gracefully accepted the perfume and asked Wu Shan about his trip to Beijing.
“Beijing truly lives up to its reputation as the capital, the important area around the imperial city. Not only is it populous and full of treasures, but the streets are also wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side…” Wu Shan excitedly told Dou Zhao about Beijing. Dou Zhao sat there smiling and listening quietly, her thoughts drifting far away.
Next summer, it would be best to find an excuse to bring Grandmother to stay at the Dou residence for a while. This way, Grandmother wouldn’t have to get up early to water the melon seedlings, and perhaps her sudden death could be avoided.
This time at the country estate, she should bring Ganlu and Sujuan back to the East Mansion!
She also needed to visit Tuo Niang. She had heard that Tuo Niang and Cui Si were getting along well, and the Cui family also liked this honest and dutiful daughter-in-law. She had now established herself in the Cui family…
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.
Concerned about the group in the river, Dou Zhao quickly stuck her head out of the window and called for Hong Gu: “What happened?”
Hong Gu, holding a knife in one hand and a chicken in the other, came out of the kitchen and said urgently, “I’ll go check.”
Dou Zhao urged Wu Shan, “You should go check too!”
Wu Shan responded with an “Oh” and ran out.
About half an hour later, Hong Gu returned.
“Miss, it’s fortunate that you had me find some good swimmers to stand by the river,” she said, her face pale and still shaken. “Young Master Guang doesn’t know how to swim. While horsing around with Young Master Tai, he slipped and fell into the water… If it weren’t for the quick reaction of the people by the river, Young Master Guang might not have come up.”
Dou Zhao let out a sigh of relief and sincerely said, “I hope this lesson will keep them from swimming again.”
Hong Gu repeatedly agreed.
The group had come in high spirits but left in low spirits.
After a hasty dinner at the country estate, they returned to the Dou residence.
In the evening, Grandmother pointed at the rose perfume on the kang table and asked, “Where did this come from?”
“Fourth Brother Wu gave it to me,” Dou Zhao said frankly. “He said he brought it back as a gift from Beijing.”
Grandmother held it and examined it for a while, then placed it back without a word and went straight to bed.
Two days later, Dou Qijun came to visit Dou Zhao: “Thanks to Fourth Aunt’s arrangements that day, otherwise something would have happened.”
Although he was of a younger generation, he was the oldest and the only one with an official title. If anything had happened, his responsibility would have been the greatest.
“It was just a precaution,” Dou Zhao smiled. “You needn’t take it to heart.”
Dou Qijun still solemnly thanked Dou Zhao.
A few days later, Wu Shan and Dou Qiguang came to thank Dou Zhao: “This was my suggestion. If anything had happened to Old Fourth, how could I face my cousin!”
Dou Zhao had to be modest again.
Wu Shan came a few more times under the pretext of expressing gratitude.
Grandmother invited him to stay for meals each time, asking in detail about his family affairs. Once, Dou Zhao even overheard Hong Gu telling Grandmother: “Madam Bi is a person with great ambitions, warm and courteous to others, very gentle…”
Realizing Grandmother’s intentions, Dou Zhao found it both amusing and exasperating.