ATLAS TRANSLATES

To her surprise, her mother and Wang Ying Xue were old acquaintances!

All along, Dou Zhao couldn’t understand why some women would willingly abandon their families and reputation just to be with a man.

Was the love between men and women really that important?

Once love fades and affection ends, when a man abandons a woman to return to his family, he’s considered a prodigal son returning home. But what about the woman?

How can she continue to stand in this world?

She sat with her mother in the small hall behind the main hall, listening to grandfather scolding father.

Experience taught Dou Zhao never to overestimate or underestimate an opponent.

To be fair, Wang Ying Xue was not only capable and clever, but also good at judging situations. She always prioritized benefits and was decisive, never dragging things out once she made a decision.

For someone like this, when grandfather promised to adopt her as his goddaughter and find her a good marriage match, with the Dou family providing the dowry to marry her off grandly, why would she still insist on following father?

The Dou family wasn’t a newly elevated shallow official family. Given her status, they would absolutely not agree to let her become a concubine. Mother was the properly married primary wife from the Zhao family. Even if she had done something wrong, for the sake of the Dou family’s face, they wouldn’t casually divorce her.

Hadn’t Wang Ying Xue thought this through when she came to Zhending?

This didn’t match her character!

As thoughts raced through her mind, Dou Zhao had a sudden realization.

Sister!

Her sister Dou Ming was born on the third day of the seventh month in the Ding Wei year.

As the saying goes, “live through seven months, not through eight.”¹

This meant that if Dou Ming was premature, Wang Ying Xue must have entered the household no later than the first month.

According to custom, when a wife dies, the husband must observe mourning for one year. There were exceptions. If a husband was away at war when his wife died, and there was no one at home to care for his parents and children, he could remarry within a hundred days.

Although father wasn’t a soldier, since her paternal grandmother had died early, if mother… with no one to manage the household, this rule could barely apply.

This meant mother must have died before the new year.

But what if Dou Ming wasn’t premature?

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile.

Since Wang Ying Xue still needed to establish herself in the Dou family, she would never admit to having had an affair with father, even if it killed her.

Father still wanted Wang Ying Xue to enter the household, so he wouldn’t reveal to anyone that she was pregnant.

It was like playing dice with someone and just before the reveal, discovering there’s a full-length mirror behind your opponent, allowing you to clearly see what’s in their hands.

Her blood instantly began to boil.

As long as mother was alive, the longer they delayed, the more advantageous the situation would be for them!

But the prerequisite was that mother must stay alive!

She happily took a golden orange from the fruit bowl on the table and handed it to her mother: “Mother, have an orange!”

Mother forced a smile at her, took the orange, but just held it in her hand, lost in thought.

Dou Zhao tried to cheer her mother up. She split the orange segments and put them in her mother’s mouth, then fed some to First Aunt and Third Aunt who were sitting with them in the small hall.

First Aunt and Third Aunt teased her to lighten the mood.

She giggled and laughed cheerfully.

Gradually, a smile appeared on mother’s face.

That night, she fell asleep holding onto her mother’s clothes.

The next day, Third Uncle and Sixth Uncle who were at home, First Aunt as the family matriarch, and Third Aunt who helped First Aunt manage the household, all came together with the Second Madam from the East Mansion, who was grandfather’s second cousin-in-law.

Grandfather’s first cousin and his wife, and their second son had all passed away.

“I’ve heard about the situation from your nephews and their wives,” Second Madam was small in stature, but her gaze was remarkably bright, which added to her authority. “Where is Miss Wang? Has someone been sent to South Hollow with the news?”

“I had Madam Ding accompany her,” grandfather said bitterly. “As for South Hollow, someone was sent overnight to report the news.” Then he added shamefully, “Second Sister-in-law, this is all due to my failure in teaching my son…”

“We’ll discuss that later,” Second Madam waved to interrupt grandfather’s words. “The urgent matter now is to find out exactly how far things have progressed between them!”

Second Madam had hit the key point.

Dou Zhao greatly admired this.

Grandfather was stunned, opened his mouth, but perhaps thinking of father’s absurdity in this matter, remained silent.

Second Madam instructed Third Uncle: “You and Wan Yuan are like father and son, you go question him.” Then she instructed First Aunt, “You go question Miss Wang.”

Both acknowledged and went their separate ways.

Only then did Second Madam beckon to mother, indicating for her to sit beside her: “Without the Zhao family, there would be no Dou family. The Zhao family’s master and madam passed away early, and your brother is young and shy, not good at handling these matters, but the Dou family elders are still here! Rest assured, we won’t let you be wronged.”

Dou Zhao had only one maternal uncle, who was eight years older than mother.

Mother was born after her father’s death, and her maternal grandmother passed away when mother was ten. Mother grew up with her brother and sister-in-law.

When her maternal grandmother was alive, though the two children never worried about food or clothing, they feared tax collectors and ruffians causing trouble.

At that time, the Dou family had already risen to prominence, so her maternal grandmother often brought the two children to visit the Dou family.

They were already related by marriage, and the Dou family was known for their generosity, so the two families grew closer.

Uncle Zhao Si studied at the Dou family clan school from childhood and had very good relationships with Dou Shi Ying, Dou Wen Chang, Dou Yu Chang, and Dou Hua Chang. Her parents’ marriage was thus arranged smoothly without any complications.

Hearing Second Madam mention her deceased parents, mother fell into Second Madam’s arms and began to cry.

Sixth Uncle was four years older than father. They had studied together since childhood, both passed the provincial examination to become scholars, and both failed the metropolitan examination. He was now at home studying in seclusion. Seeing mother cry so sadly, he became somewhat uncomfortable and said quietly: “Should we perhaps sit in younger brother’s study? Some things aren’t appropriate for us uncles to hear!”

Second Madam glared at him and said loudly: “You went to the capital with Wan Yuan, did you know about this matter?”

Sixth Uncle shrank back in fear and quickly said: “It has nothing to do with me! If you hadn’t told me to come back early, how would Wan Yuan have gotten into such trouble?” He muttered, his tone somewhat dismissive.

Second Madam was so angry she couldn’t speak for a while.

Sixth Uncle Dou Shi Heng was Second Madam’s late-born son. When he was born, his brothers had already achieved some success in their careers. Because of this, Second Madam wasn’t as strict with him as with her other sons.

Similarly, since father was an only child, though grandfather appeared strict, he actually spoiled him. Among the cousins, these two were the closest. Dou Zhao remembered that after father moved to the capital, he specifically left a small courtyard for Sixth Uncle, who stayed at father’s place every time he went to the capital. Later, they both worked at the Hanlin Academy.

Father excelled in explaining the “Book of Changes,” while Sixth Uncle excelled in explaining the “Spring and Autumn Annals.” People at the Hanlin Academy jokingly called them the “Dou Family’s Twin Talents.”

Mother was startled.

Understanding that Second Madam was trying to help clear Sixth Uncle of suspicion, she politely said: “When it rains, it rains; when a man wants to marry, he marries. Wan Yuan made up his own mind, what use would it have been even if Sixth Uncle had stayed by his side?”

Second Madam’s expression softened slightly, and she scolded Sixth Uncle: “Quick, thank your sister-in-law!”

Sixth Uncle bowed to mother.

Mother hurried to return the courtesy.

Dou Zhao’s eyes flickered.

Since Sixth Uncle had neither apologized nor offered any words of comfort, it was clear he was on father’s side.

Second Madam might have realized this too, and stood up to gather everyone: “Let’s sit in the small hall in the back!”

Leaving the main hall to the men of the family.

Naturally, no one objected.

As mother and Third Uncle helped Second Madam up, a servant boy ran in: “Old Master, the steward from the Jining Marquis has delivered a visiting card, saying their Lady and our Seventh Madam are related by marriage, and they’ve come to pay their respects while visiting their hometown.”

Everyone was stunned.

Dou Zhao was even more surprised.

The Jining Marquis’s Lady was her mother-in-law, wasn’t she?

Why was her mother-in-law joining in this commotion?

“It’s Sister Tian from West Leave Village,” mother happily explained to everyone. “Their family and ours were old acquaintances from Bianjing, and our ancestors had also married into each other’s families. But since Master Tian’s official career flourished and Sister Tian married into the Jining Marquis’s family in the capital, we’ve had less contact. I didn’t expect her to come visit me!” Then she looked toward grandfather.

Since there were visitors from afar, the son’s matter would have to be put aside for now.

Grandfather thought for a moment and told the servant boy to invite the Jining Marquis’s steward in.

The steward presented the visiting card, exchanged pleasantries, and informed them that the Jining Marquis’s Lady was on a tight schedule and would visit at the beginning of the third watch tomorrow morning.

Mother didn’t worry about the matters in the main hall anymore, directing Yu Ma Ma to clean up, prepare rooms, and plan the menu.

Dou Zhao sat alone on the kang bed, counting on her fingers.

Would Wei Ting Yu come along?

Mother-in-law said they had met as children, could it have been this time?

While pondering, she saw Third Aunt hurriedly enter.

She called to Tuo Niang: “Carry me to mother!”

Tuo Niang was overjoyed: “Fourth Young Lady, you can speak now!”

Dou Zhao was stunned, taking a moment to react before instructing: “Quick, get in before Third Aunt.”

“Yes!” Tuo Niang happily complied, carrying her to mother’s quarters, “Seventh Madam, great joy! Fourth Young Lady can speak now!”

“Oh!” Mother smiled and teased Dou Zhao, “Say something for me to hear?”

Dou Zhao said straightforwardly: “I want to go to Uncle’s house to play!”

Mother laughed heartily.

Dou Zhao also laughed.

After all, they weren’t real brothers. Though Second Madam was helping mother, she was more anxious to clear her son’s name.

What kind of person this uncle really was, she would have to test and see.

Just then, Third Aunt entered. Tuo Niang stepped out, while Dou Zhao remained sitting on the kang. Third Aunt held Dou Zhao’s small hand and said softly to mother: “I’ve found out clearly, they all say ‘it began with emotion but stopped at reason.’”

Mother snorted dismissively.

Third Aunt smiled reproachfully: “Who cares if it’s true or false! If that’s what they say, that’s what we’ll believe. Since everything is clear and clean between them, when Wang family’s people arrive, we’ll just hand her over to them.”

Mother nodded: “I understand.”

From outside came Han Xiao’s somewhat flustered voice: “Seventh Master, Seventh Madam is talking with Third Madam…” Before she finished speaking, the warm curtain was suddenly lifted, and father walked in with an ashen face.

“Seventh Uncle has returned!” Third Aunt smiled, pulling mother behind her. “Where are your Third Brother and the others?”

“Third Sister-in-law.” Father gave Third Aunt a cursory bow, veins bulging on his forehead. “Madam Ding has set up a family feast in the small flower hall. Gu Qiu will help me change clothes and come right away.”

Third Aunt hesitated.

Mother’s hand rested on Third Aunt’s shoulder.

“Third Sister-in-law, please go ahead!” Mother said gently. “Third Brother and the others must be getting anxious. Wan Yuan and I will come right away.”

Third Aunt gave Yu Ma Ma a meaningful look and smiled as she left the inner chamber.

1. Another literal translation; means someone has survived tough times (the first seven months) but can’t make it through the final stretch (the eighth month) i.e., failing just before the finish line. ↩︎