In the summer, the Daci Temple, with its ancient trees and refreshing breeze, couldn’t quite match the serene elegance of the Dou family’s backyard. However, for Dou Pinyi, a young lady who rarely ventured out, every corner of the temple was filled with fun and wonder.
She tugged at Wu Ya’s sleeve, pointing to a nearby rock formation. “Look, doesn’t it resemble a girl waiting to be dressed?”
Wu Ya glanced disinterestedly. “That’s a Lingbi stone. Smaller ones are fine for decoration, but by the bamboo grove, a Taihu stone would be more fitting.” Her gaze then shifted to Dou Zhao and Dou Pinshu, who were walking ahead, whispering to each other. It was mostly Dou Pinshu talking, with Dou Zhao occasionally responding, making Dou Pinshu giggle like an innocent seven or eight-year-old girl.
“How carefree!” Wu Ya thought to herself.
Dou Pinyi was a bit upset. “Wu Ya, what’s wrong with you today? You’ve been sulking all day, responding coldly to everything. If you look down on a place like Daci Temple, just say so. Your attitude is spoiling the mood!” She shook off Wu Ya’s hand.
“Oh, I’m not mad at you.” Wu Ya quickly tried to make amends, grabbing Dou Pinyi’s hand again. She couldn’t admit she was jealous of Dou Zhao, so she said, “I just find the weather too hot. Walking around like this, I’m drenched in sweat and it’s uncomfortable.”
“It’s not that bad!” Dou Pinyi looked up at the lush canopy. “I feel it’s cooler here than at home.”
“Maybe I’m just too sensitive to heat,” Wu Ya replied evasively, quickly changing the subject. “I met your fifth aunt in the capital.”
“Really?” Dou Pinyi was always fascinated by the capital. Her father, Dou Guangchang, neither worked for the family nor held any official title, so her chances of visiting the capital were slim. Hearing about something from there, she eagerly asked, “How is she?”
“I met her at a wedding of the He family, where I went with my mother,” Wu Ya said. “She lives with her grandmother now. She’s about my height, speaks softly, and has dimples when she smiles. She gets along well with the He sisters and greeted me politely. She seems to be doing well.”
Dou Pinyi was puzzled. “Isn’t Granduncle’s house on Jing’an Temple Alley? Why is she living with her maternal grandfather? What about her mother? Aren’t they living together?”
“I heard that Madam Wang is very fond of her,” Wu Ya explained. “She insisted on keeping her by her side. Her mother looks a bit haggard, not in good spirits.” She leaned closer to Dou Pinyi and whispered, “I overheard a lady at the banquet saying she can’t have sons and won’t let your Granduncle take a concubine.”
Dou Pinyi was startled.
Wu Ya quickly added, “You mustn’t tell anyone!”
“I know, I know!” Dou Pinyi nodded repeatedly. “If my mother heard me say something like that, she’d beat me to death.”
Wu Ya sighed in relief.
Dou Pinyi hesitated as she watched Dou Zhao and Dou Pinshu admiring the bamboo. “Seventh Aunt, should we tell Fourth Aunt about this?”
“Why tell her?” Wu Ya quickly stopped her. “What if she tells your Great-Grandmother?”
True.
Dou Pinyi nodded, now looking at Dou Zhao with a bit more sympathy and pity.
Dou Zhao, however, didn’t notice. She continued chatting with Dou Pinshu as they climbed the hill behind the Daci Temple, where an octagonal pavilion stood.
Dou Zhengchang and a few others had arrived earlier. A group of ten or so eight- or nine-year-old boys were either tidying up the stone tables and benches, tending to a small clay stove, or arranging calligraphy supplies and board games.
Seeing Dou Zhao and Dou Pinshu enter the pavilion, Wu Shan, noticing Wu Ya and Dou Pinyi being helped up the hill by two maids, smiled and handed over a celadon lotus leaf cup. “Try this, it’s aged plum blossom snow water from the abbot’s collection.”
Dou Zhao didn’t take it, smiling. “If I drink it, what will you use to make tea?”
Wu Shan glanced back at Dou Zhengchang and the others, who were engrossed in conversation and winked at her. “Just one cup, they won’t notice.”
Dou Zhao stifled a laugh, but Dou Pinshu snatched the cup, chiding, “While you two are being polite, someone’s about to burst into flames!” She then took small sips of the snow water, sighing contentedly, “So refreshing!”
Wu Shan and Dou Zhao exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh.
Their laughter caught Dou Qijun’s attention, and he walked over quickly. “What are you laughing about?”
Wu Shan gestured towards Dou Pinshu. “Nothing, nothing, Shu Jie’er just told a joke.”
Dou Pinshu looked at the empty cup in her hand and giggled at Dou Junqi.
Wu Ya and Dou Pinyi finally made it up the hill. Seeing her brother’s gentle smile, Wu Ya felt a pang of jealousy and playfully called out, “Brother, I’m so tired!”
“That’s why I told you not to come!” Wu Shan said unsympathetically. “Fourth Sister walks several laps around the east courtyard every day and helps Auntie Cui with weeding and catching bugs. How can you compare to Fourth Sister?”
Wu Ya was so upset that tears welled up in her eyes.
Dou Zhao quickly intervened to smooth things over. “We’re all thirsty. Isn’t the tea ready yet?”
A servant boy from Wu Shan’s household came running with a teapot. “It’s ready, Fourth Miss, it’s ready!” He paused, seeing Wu Ya and the others, then ran back with the teapot.
Everyone looked puzzled.
He returned with several cups of tea, sweating profusely, and said, “Young Master, Miss, please have some tea.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
The atmosphere became lively.
The girls sat on the bamboo-matted benches in the pavilion, sipping tea. Dou Qiguang was sketching the distant hills and forests, gradually drawing Dou Zhengchang and Dou Pinyi’s attention.
Wu Ya was contemplating whether to join them when her brother approached.
“Fourth Sister, what have you been up to lately?” He sat beside Wu Ya. “At the end of the month, I’ll be going to the capital with Mother and Aqi. We might not return until after the New Year. Do you have any letters or things you’d like me to take to Uncle Seven?” His demeanor was open and friendly.
Dou Zhao smiled. “We often have people going to the capital, so there’s nothing special I need to send.”
Wu Shan asked, “Is there anything you’d like me to bring back? During temple fairs at the Daxiangguo Temple and Baiyun Temple in the capital, people from all over gather, and you can find anything there.”
“I can’t think of anything I need,” Dou Zhao laughed. “If I do, I’ll ask Brother Wu Si to bring it next time.”
Wu Shan then asked, “I heard from Aunt Six that you’re growing lotus flowers in a jar. How do you do that? Can they survive?”
Talking about her interests, Dou Zhao’s smile brightened, and her voice became gentle and patient. “I’m growing water lilies. Have you seen them? They’re similar to lotus flowers, but while lotus leaves and flowers rise above the water, water lilies float on the surface. They’re common in Jiangnan but less so here. I’m just trying it out this year…”
“Really?” Wu Shan’s eyes widened. “You can grow flowers like that…”
Sitting between them, Wu Ya suddenly stood up, pointing at Wu Shan and bursting out, “We have two water lilies in our backyard, one of which is a White Fairy. Haven’t you seen them? You killed the White Fairy, and Grandfather was angry. If it weren’t for Great-Grandfather protecting you, you’d have had to copy the ‘Three Character Classic’ ten times. How dare you say you don’t know what a water lily is!”
The pavilion fell silent, with only the sound of the wind rustling through their clothes.
“I didn’t know that was a water lily!” Wu Shan’s eyes were as clear as a spring. “Didn’t you call it a Ziwu flower?” He said, suddenly realizing, and turned to Dou Zhao. “Are you saying the water lily is the Ziwu flower?”
Dou Zhao couldn’t hold back and turned away, laughing silently.
Wu Ya’s face turned red and white, and she ran out of the pavilion.
Wu Shan quickly followed, catching up with his sister under a large tree. He asked sternly, “Why do you dislike Dou Family’s Fourth Sister?”
“I, I…” Wu Ya’s tears immediately flowed. “I’m your sister!” she cried.
Wu Shan was taken aback, then slowly took out a handkerchief to wipe Wu Ya’s tears, speaking gently. “Silly sister, when were you not my sister? You’re not only my sister but also always my dear sister, the one I cherish the most. But just because you’re my sister doesn’t mean I can only be good to you all the time. Think about it, isn’t that right?” He continued, “Look when you came back, I was so happy that I specially brought you a Western pocket watch from the Ji family shop in Zhending Prefecture.
I didn’t buy one for Dou Family’s Fourth Sister, did I? That’s because you like it. Dou Family’s Fourth Sister likes calligraphy supplies, so I bought her a box of white fan surfaces. I didn’t buy you any, did I?” He said, opening the folding fan hanging from his waist. “Look, Fourth Sister even gave each of us a folding fan. And you, I’ve given you so many nice things, but you’ve never given me anything!” Then he scolded, “I’m telling you, if you keep this up, I’ll only give things to Fourth Sister and never to you again.”
Wu Ya looked at Wu Shan with tearful eyes. “Re-really?”
Wu Shan replied seriously, “Really!”
Wu Ya lowered her head.
Wu Shan said, “Go apologies to Dou Family’s Fourth Sister.” He muttered to himself, “I’ve given you so many things, what have you given me? But Fourth Sister, even if I give her a small gift, she knows to return the favor… And you say I’m not good to you… Every time you got into trouble as a child, wasn’t I the one who took the blame for you? Why are you becoming less likable as you grow up…”
Wu Ya glared at her brother, but thinking of his past kindness, her jealousy towards Dou Zhao diminished significantly.
Dou Qijun saw the Wu siblings returning and laughed, “Alright, alright, stop watching the show. Let’s eat watermelon before it gets as hot as the stones outside.”
When they left home, Dou Dechang had brought two ice-chilled watermelons up the mountain.
Dou Pinyi and Dou Pinshu were still puzzled, but amidst Dou Dechang and the others’ laughter, they didn’t dwell on it. Everyone either sat at the stone table or on the bamboo-matted benches, waiting to eat watermelon.
Wu Ya, blushing, approached Dou Zhao and quietly said, “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”
Dou Zhao looked up in surprise and saw Wu Shan’s bright, shining eyes.