In his letter, Dou Shiying first addressed Yu Zai’s marriage, then listed a long series of estates and properties he planned to allocate to Dou Zhao. Finally, he asked Madam Zhao, “…if you have any objections, you can discuss them with Sixth Master.”
He had entrusted this matter to Dou Shiheng.
Madam Zhao frowned while holding the letter and asked Mama Peng, “What do you think? Can Dou Shiying’s words be trusted?”
Dou Zhao was also full of doubt.
“It’s hard to say whether we can trust him or not,” Mama Peng pondered, “but if we have Master Tang investigate these estates and properties, it would certainly save more time than us groping around in the dark.”
Madam Zhao nodded and made a copy of Dou Shiying’s letter to give to Mama Peng: “Take this to Master Tang.”
Upon receiving the list, Master Tang immediately went with others to verify the properties.
Meanwhile, Madam Zhao spent each day either chatting with Second Madam Dowager or visiting First Madam, or talking with Ji Shi while taking Dou Zhao along… She didn’t appear to be there to negotiate Dou Zhao’s dowry, but rather seemed to be visiting relatives.
If anyone asked, she would only say “My husband has sent someone to help with the contracts, but I don’t understand these things, and the person is still on the way.”
Since they weren’t dividing the Eastern Dou family’s property or supporting their relatives, naturally no one from the Eastern Dou family was in a hurry.
Taking advantage of Madam Zhao’s visit, Second Madam Dowager was extremely hospitable. The wives from the second and third branches took the opportunity to persuade Second Madam Dowager to invite a female storyteller to tell stories at home.
Second Madam Dowager, having received her second son’s hint and thinking that if Madam Zhao agreed to have Dou Zhao raised in the Eastern Residence, things would be easier, not only invited the storyteller but also arranged for a theater troupe to perform every few days.
She invited the ladies from wealthy families in Dingzhen County to accompany them. The house was filled with coming and going guests, laughter and chatter, even more lively than during New Year’s celebrations, leaving Wang Yingxue and Madam Pang anxiously uncertain about what was happening.
After about half a month passed this way, news came from Master Tang’s side, saying that all the places Dou Shiying had listed were excellent properties. Particularly the buildings on South and North Streets in Qingyuan County – they were connected shopfronts occupying more than half of both streets, bringing in over ten thousand taels of silver in annual rent alone.
Qingyuan County was the prefectural seat of Baoding Prefecture, and South Street was its most prosperous main street.
Madam Zhao couldn’t help but marvel: “I knew the Dou family was wealthy, but I didn’t realize they were this wealthy.”
Mama Peng smiled and said, “This time we have the Wang family to thank.”
Even though Madam Zhao disliked the Wang family, she couldn’t help but smile.
The next day, she introduced Master Tang to Dou Shibang.
Dou Shibang took Master Tang to see Dou Duo to settle Dou Zhao’s dowry.
Dou Duo was prepared and brought out a thick stack of papers: “These are for Miss Shou.”
Master Tang looked them over and smiled, “Our master’s opinion is that the young lady, being female, won’t be able to manage businesses like oil presses and bamboo shops. It would be better to have more farmland instead.” He then handed over the list he had discussed with Madam Zhao.
After looking it over, Dou Duo’s face darkened like storm clouds, and he shot Dou Shibang a cold glance.
Dou Shibang, suffering this undeserved blame, couldn’t help but pick up the list Master Tang had written. He immediately started cursing inwardly – who had informed the Zhao family? All the money-making businesses were listed there.
No wonder Third Uncle had glared at him.
But he really hadn’t done it!
He felt like crying but had no tears.
Yet he could only continue to endure while standing by.
After about ten days of negotiation between the two families, the Zhao family gave up some farmland and took over several workshops, while the Western Dou family gave up several properties. Things were roughly settled this way.
Madam Zhao prepared several gold ingots, ten bolts of new patterned fabric, and some pearl hair ornaments to visit Third Aunt: “…Thank you for Third Master’s help these days. In the future, we hope Third Uncle will continue to look after Shou’er.”
Seeing nearly a thousand taels worth of gifts before her, Third Aunt’s smile grew even wider involuntarily.
After leaving the third branch, Madam Zhao went to see Second Madam Dowager.
“You see, the child is so young and doesn’t understand anything. Brothers hunt tigers together, fathers and sons fight battles together. According to my husband’s wishes, we’d like to ask the child’s uncles and cousins to help manage this property.”
Second Madam Dowager’s eyes lit up.
Dragons give birth to nine different types of offspring1. The Dou family had some like Dou Shizu who achieved early success in the imperial examinations, and others like Dou Shibang who were still just provincial scholars past forty.
If Dou family members helped manage Dou Zhao’s property, it would at least be a legitimate business and sound good to others.
But would the Zhao family trust the Dou family to manage it?
She remembered that infuriating “over thirty” clause.
“I’m afraid the Dou family members might not manage it well,” Second Madam Dowager said tactfully. “We wouldn’t want to waste Madam Zhao’s kind intentions!”
“How could they not manage it well!” Madam Zhao smiled and said, “The people currently managing it are already Dou family members. Fortunately, what Shou’er received are mostly estates and properties. I don’t understand business matters, but I know about farming. In a good year, you harvest more; in a bad year, you harvest less. These variations, averaged over ten years, give you a fixed number each year. In my opinion, we should use the returns from the past ten years as a standard to calculate the annual income. Going forward, we’ll use this as the baseline – anything extra, the manager can keep first to make up for bad years. If there are ten consecutive good years, that must be the Buddha rewarding their hard work, so naturally it should all be theirs.”
“Ah!” Even Second Madam Dowager couldn’t stay seated at this.
That half of the property was so substantial that even a small percentage would be no small amount.
She called the wives from each branch to discuss this matter.
First Madam smiled and listened from the side – Young Master Lan couldn’t possibly give up his studies to help manage affairs.
The third branch’s children were still young and inexperienced, unless Dou Shibang secretly managed things, they wouldn’t have the ability.
The fourth branch was in Xinyang, the fifth in the capital, and the sixth branch only had Dou Shiheng.
After calculating, this matter could only fall to the second branch.
Ji Shi couldn’t help but sigh quietly.
Who had come up with this idea?
It was truly clever!
Dou Zhao was still a Dou family girl who needed to live in the Dou family and would need her uncles’ and cousins’ support after marriage.
The Zhao family had very unpleasant relations with the Dou family due to Zhao Guqiu’s death, and now they had taken half of the Western Dou’s property. Some in the Dou family were already privately complaining about the Zhao family’s interference.
The Zhao family had few members – just one word from Second Madam Dowager, and if the Dou family withdrew all the managers and workers who had been managing Dou Zhao’s dowry, things would fall into chaos.
The Zhao family neither had the ability nor the manpower to take over those properties in such a short time. Now Madam Zhao had proposed letting Dou family members help manage Dou Zhao’s property and offered such generous terms – whoever took over managing Dou Zhao’s property would be tied to her fate and become her strongest support in the Dou family.
If this person came from the second branch, and Second Madam was the Dou family matriarch… Dou Zhao’s life in the Dou family would become much easier.
She glanced at Second Madam.
A bright flash of excitement crossed Second Madam’s eyes.
The Zhao family had truly come prepared!
Ji Shi smiled and said, “Our Sixth Master just passed the provincial examinations this year and is focused on preparing for the spring imperial examinations. With Hui’er and Zhi’er still needing care, our branch won’t participate in this matter.”
Hearing this, First Madam also quickly stated her position: “Tomorrow is the start of spring, and Lan’er will be taking the examinations. He studies diligently until midnight every day, so I’m afraid we have the will but not the ability.”
Third Madam hesitated for a while before finally saying, “Our Third Master manages the Dou family properties. Not only is he busy all day, but it would also be inappropriate for him to help manage Miss Shou’s property to avoid any suspicion.”
Second Madam Dowager asked Second Madam, “What do you think?”
Second Madam stepped forward decisively and said, “The eldest is with Fifth Uncle in the capital, but the second, third, and fifth are all at home. Perhaps we can choose one from among them.”
“Very well,” Second Madam Dowager smiled, “Once you’ve decided, let me know so I can give Madam Zhao an answer.”
This was also a reward for Second Madam’s support of her son in Dou Zhao’s matter.
Second Madam understood perfectly and returned to her rooms to discuss the matter with her sons and daughters-in-law.
When Dou Zhao learned of this, she chose her third cousin Dou Xiuchang.
In her previous life, her eldest cousin had always stayed by Fifth Uncle’s side, and later Fifth Uncle had helped him secure an hereditary appointment. Her second cousin had persisted until he passed the imperial examinations. She hadn’t had much contact with her third and fifth cousins, but she remembered that after Third Uncle’s death, Third Cousin had helped Second Cousin manage the Dou family affairs, showing his capability in this area. Moreover, Third Cousin’s eldest son Dou Qijun was the most promising of the “Qi” generation.
While chatting with her aunt, she mentioned, “…Third Aunt scolded Seventh Cousin, saying his studies were worse than Zhi’er’s.”
Madam Zhao immediately took note of this and had someone inquire about Dou Qijun.
When Second Madam Dowager invited her aunt over to discuss the matter, her aunt chose Third Cousin over Fifth Cousin: “…Third Master Xiu is older and is a father to several children, so he should be more steady and reliable.”
Second Madam was indifferent – they were all her sons.
Dou Xiuchang’s family was overjoyed.
For them, who lived on monthly allowances, having an additional source of income meant the children could eat better and dress more presentably.
Even Dou Duo couldn’t object.
He had a very good relationship with Dou Xiuchang’s father, who was Dou Zhao’s Second Uncle Luo Shiqi.
Dou Xiuchang very smoothly took over management of Dou Zhao’s dowry, and her aunt handed the letter of agreement to Second Madam Dowager.
By the time all this was finished, it was the Winter Solstice, and every household was eating dumplings.
Her aunt discussed with Dou Xiuchang: “Why don’t you also take over managing the property that Miss Shou’s mother left her? Wang shi is about to enter the household, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for Mama Yu to continue staying in the Western Residence. Why not take this opportunity to let her retire with honor? Her son and daughter-in-law can be released from service – it can be considered as having served our young lady well.”
If it were someone else, they might worry that taking over Dou Zhao’s property and then removing existing staff might make people suspect them of eliminating opposition. But Dou Xiuchang was a proper master of the Dou family – how would he care what servants said?
“Fine!” he agreed without hesitation, “Whether herding one sheep or two sheep, it’s all the same.”
Her aunt invited Mama Yu over to talk and had Yu Daqing hand over the accounts to Dou Xiuchang that afternoon.
- This references to a Chinese myth where dragons have nine distinct offspring, each with unique traits and appearances. ↩︎
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