ATLAS TRANSLATES

What Uncle discussed with Grandfather, Dou Zhao had no way of knowing, but when Uncle returned, his expression was very grim.

“Ruifu,” Maternal Aunt worriedly went to meet him, “What did Father-in-law say?”

“What good could he possibly say!” Uncle sneered, his peripheral vision catching sight of Dou Zhao sitting at the end of the heated kang with a wool ball, looking at him curiously with her eyes bright as morning stars.

His heart ached, thinking that Dou Tuo was his niece’s grandfather and Dou Shiying was her father. The resentful words reached his lips but he swallowed them back.

Worried his expression might frighten Dou Zhao, he forced a smile and asked his wife gently: “Have the children had lunch?”

“They’ve all eaten.” Maternal Aunt responded, following Uncle’s gaze to look back at Dou Zhao, her eyes immediately showing traces of tears, “This child, it’s as if she knows her mother is gone. She doesn’t cry or make a fuss, she eats whatever I feed her… She used to be so picky about food… Who knows how much hardship she’ll face from now on?”

Uncle lowered his head sadly and said: “I wanted to discuss this matter with you…”

“Just tell me.” Maternal Aunt took out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes, “When I married into the family, Guqiu was only five… On our wedding night, she insisted on sleeping with me, saying she liked me as her sister… I raised her from age five to sixteen, then personally arranged her marriage into the Dou family. She was my sister-in-law, but felt more like my daughter… Regarding her matters, you don’t need to discuss with me, whatever you say goes, I won’t say a word against it.”

“Xiaoe!” Uncle gratefully held Maternal Aunt’s hand, “These years have been hard on you!”

“We’re husband and wife,” Maternal Aunt’s ears turned red, “Why say such things?” She sat somewhat embarrassedly on the kang, placing Dou Zhao on her lap and coaxing her, “Your cousins have all gone for their afternoon nap, would you like to take one too? You’ll have more energy to play with your cousins after napping. Would you like to play with them?”

Dou Zhao had been waiting for Uncle to return.

Now that Uncle had something to tell Maternal Aunt, if she pretended to sleep, they would surely speak more freely.

Dou Zhao nodded slightly and yawned.

Maternal Aunt helped her remove her outer jacket, wrapped her in a blanket, held her in her arms and patted her gently. Then she called her personal maid to pour hot tea for Uncle and instructed her: “I need to speak with the master, keep watch outside.”

The maid acknowledged and left.

Uncle sat beside Maternal Aunt on the kang and said: “I want to take Shou Gu to live with us permanently.”

Dou Zhao’s ears perked up though her eyes remained closed.

Maternal Aunt had no objections and said: “With Shou Gu here, she can keep Zhangru company.”

A trace of comfort flashed in Uncle’s eyes. He pondered and asked: “You mentioned before that Shou Gu is betrothed to Sister Tian’s son, is there a token?”

“Yes.” Maternal Aunt continued patting Dou Zhao while saying, “It’s a mutton-fat jade bracelet that was part of Sister Tian’s dowry when she married.”

“Guqiu just passed away, the Dou family probably hasn’t had time to sort through her belongings yet.” Uncle said softly, “Guqiu’s things were always managed by Madam Yu. Send one of your trusted maids now to quietly find Madam Yu and get Shou Gu’s betrothal token.”

Though Maternal Aunt was startled, she asked no questions and called in a maid to give instructions.

Uncle explained: “Now that Guqiu is gone, and Shou Gu’s marriage to the Wei family hasn’t been officially arranged with betrothal gifts, there might be some complications later. I can see that Dou Shiying is a fool, if a woman looks at him a few times, he loses all sense of direction…”

Speaking of her father, Uncle became agitated, “He doesn’t even know his own capabilities, rather than count on him to make decisions for Shou Gu, we might as well hope for his early death! If he dies, at least we can legitimately intervene in Shou Gu’s affairs…”

“Lower your voice!” Maternal Aunt hurriedly said, “Be careful not to wake the child.”

Uncle leaned over to look at Dou Zhao, saw her eyes were closed, and breathed a sigh of relief.

His tone softened: “If Shou Gu can find a good family in the future, we won’t mention this matter. If there isn’t a suitable match, having this token in hand means the Wei family won’t be able to back out so easily.”

Dou Zhao’s eyes stung.

With her mother’s death, she had become a “motherless eldest daughter,” someone without proper guidance. Good families wouldn’t want such a girl as a daughter-in-law.

Uncle had thought of everything for her…

She suddenly remembered.

When Mother and Mother-in-law exchanged tokens, she thought it was a dream, so she hadn’t paid attention. Actually, in her previous life, she had never seen any token before her marriage. It was on her wedding night that Wei Tingyu brought out a jade pendant and a pair of bracelets, saying they were the betrothal tokens exchanged between the families years ago. She had assumed her father had given them to the Wei family.

Could it be that in her previous life, this jade bracelet was in Uncle’s possession?

Her heart began to race.

She heard Uncle’s somewhat apologetic voice: “Xiaoe, I think except for the thirty mu of ancestral memorial land, I want to… sell all the other inherited property!”

“Ah!” Maternal Aunt exclaimed, “Why, why sell the ancestral property?”

Dou Zhao was also shocked and peeked at Uncle through narrowed eyes.

Uncle lowered his eyelids and said softly: “Xiaoe, you were originally a privileged young lady who never had to lift a finger, but since marrying me, you’ve had to care for a bedridden mother-in-law, raise a young sister-in-law, bear and raise our children, manage the household, and even inspect the fields during busy farming seasons… Inside and out, everything depends on you… I remember it all… I had hoped to study hard and earn an official position, to earn you a phoenix crown and clouded robes, to let you hold your head high… But with what happened to Guqiu, I can’t pursue my own career while ignoring my only sister… One must be a jinshi to enter the Hanlin Academy, and must be in the Hanlin Academy to enter the Grand Secretariat… I’ve failed you…”

“No, no.” Maternal Aunt quickly said, her eyes reddening, “You’ve treated me very well. I know after I gave birth to Zhangru, my mother worried you would despise me, she specially arranged to buy a pretty young girl from Jiangnan for you to bring back, but you said we couldn’t afford it and refused no matter what…”

Uncle showed the awkwardness of having a lie exposed and said firmly: “We really couldn’t afford it!”

Maternal Aunt laughed heartily and gently agreed with Uncle: “Yes, yes, we couldn’t afford it.” But tears kept falling.

Dou Zhao almost cried too.

The elegant and handsome Uncle standing beside the middle-aged, plump Maternal Aunt didn’t look like husband and wife, but more like siblings, and siblings with at least a five-year age gap at that.

But Uncle had never forgotten his roots, always remembered Maternal Aunt’s kindness, and never wanted to make her sad.

“Why talk about these things! Biru and the others are my own flesh and blood after all.” Uncle said uncomfortably, throwing a handkerchief to Maternal Aunt, “Quick, wipe your tears.”

Maternal Aunt smiled while wiping her tears.

Uncle then said: “I want to go to the capital to make arrangements and try to secure an official post. Then we can take Shou Gu with us to the post.”

At this point, Uncle’s tone became somewhat bitter, “However, I’ve calculated that even selling those few acres of ancestral land won’t be enough… Could you,” Uncle’s voice gradually lowered, his face showing shame and guilt, not daring to look at Maternal Aunt, “lend me your dowry… Once I have money in hand, I’ll return it to you immediately…”

“What are you saying!” Maternal Aunt reproached, “What’s mine is yours! When my parents gave me such a large dowry, wasn’t it so we could live well? As long as we live well, the dowry serves its purpose, what’s there to hesitate about spending? If you encounter such important matters and don’t discuss them with me, I’d think you don’t consider us as one!”

Dou Zhao began to cry.

“Shou Gu, Shou Gu, what’s wrong?” Maternal Aunt anxiously picked her up, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

Dou Zhao buried her face in Maternal Aunt’s shoulder and began sobbing uncontrollably.

In her previous life, after Mother died, Uncle was powerless against the Dou family.

He suppressed his grief to take the metropolitan examination, then used Maternal Aunt’s dowry to secure an official post, wanting to take her to his post, but she had bitten Maternal Aunt in front of the Dou family and shouted that she wouldn’t go with Maternal Aunt…

Uncle had already failed Maternal Aunt for the sake of his sister, and if he secured an official post but didn’t take it up, he would lose his position, which would be an even greater betrayal to Maternal Aunt who had sacrificed so much for him…

Moreover, with the Zhao family property sold, they had no choice but to leave.

Who was it?

Who had instigated her to bite Maternal Aunt?

Although she had lost her mother, her father and grandfather were still alive. If she had strongly expressed her unwillingness to go to Uncle’s home, Uncle would have been helpless.

And under those circumstances, her resistance was like giving Uncle and Maternal Aunt a harsh slap in the face!

Dou Zhao sat up straight, stopped crying, and her tear-stained little face showed determination.

She would find out who this person was!

?????

Uncle obtained the mutton-fat jade bracelet without any difficulty. He gave it to Maternal Aunt to keep safe: “…I’ll set out after Guqiu’s forty-ninth day memorial. Get everything at home ready. Once I have news from there, you can use the excuse of having Shou Gu stay at our home for a few days, then take her with you to the post. When she comes of age, we’ll send her back to the Dou family for marriage.” He added, “Don’t tell Mother-in-law and Brother-in-law yet. Visit them before leaving, and we’ll write them an apologetic letter after we’re settled.”

Maternal Aunt showed no hesitation: “I’ll start arranging household matters these next few days.”

The maid keeping watch outside coughed loudly and announced: “Third Master, Sixth Master!”

Maternal Aunt said softly: “Go attend to your matters, I’ll take good care of Shou Gu.”

Uncle nodded slightly and lifted the curtain to leave.

Maternal Aunt helped Dou Zhao comb her hair and smiled: “Shou Gu, would you like to stay with Maternal Aunt from now on?”

Her expression was relaxed, her tone revealing some happiness, showing that she not only had no misgivings about Uncle’s arrangements but was actually quite pleased.

Maternal Aunt was truly a wonderful woman!

Dou Zhao’s eyes curved in a sweet smile as sugary as candy.

Maternal Aunt gave her a kiss.

Zhao Zhangru came pattering in: “Shou Gu, Shou Gu, I found an ant nest under your family’s osmanthus tree, let’s go watch the ants move things!”

Zhao Biru walked in steadily, stopping her sister: “Aunt is gone, don’t run around. Shou Gu still needs to go to the memorial hall to offer incense to Aunt.”

Zhao Zhangru didn’t understand these things and blinked her big eyes, asking her mother: “Where did Aunt go?”

Maternal Aunt stroked her daughter’s head and said somewhat sadly: “Aunt went to the South Sea.”

“Oh!” Zhao Zhangru understood, “So Aunt went to see the Bodhisattva.”

Zhao Biru turned her face away.

Maternal Aunt put Dou Zhao down and gently instructed: “Go play in the courtyard with your sisters for a while!”

“Quick, quick!” Zhao Zhangru took Dou Zhao’s hand and ran outside.