ATLAS TRANSLATES

In the eighth year of Chengping, Dou Zhao was nine years old. Her sixth uncle, Dou Shiheng, had earned the thirty-sixth place in the second rank of the imperial examinations. Last year in September, her ninth cousin from her eldest uncle’s family, Dou Huanchang, had passed the provincial examinations. This was considered a double blessing, and the whole family was overjoyed, especially the Second Madam. Two of her three sons were now imperial scholars, perfectly embodying the saying “good fortune brings high spirits.”

During these years, Dou Zhao stayed at the East Mansion, spending some summer days at the countryside manor with her grandmother under the pretext of escaping the heat.

Yi’er, the daughter of her fifth sister-in-law, came to find Dou Zhao. “Should we make some sachets?” she asked.

It was customary during the Dragon Boat Festival to give sachets filled with mugwort leaves as gifts.

“Just discuss it with Shu’er,” Dou Zhao smiled. “I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

Since she wasn’t truly part of the East Dou family and didn’t wish to return to the West Dou household, she considered herself merely a guest in the Dou family. She maintained polite and peaceful relationships with everyone, using money to maintain social connections with relatives and servants. Everyone in the Dou household spoke highly of her.

Shu’er was the eldest daughter of the third sister-in-law, and also Dou Qijun’s younger sister. She was two months older than Yi’er and two months younger than Dou Zhao.

Yi’er sighed, “If only Fifth Aunt were still here!”

Fifth Aunt was Dou Ming.

After Wang Yingxue married into the family, Second Madam still kept Dou Ming by her side. Gradually, Dou Ming grew distant from Wang Yingxue. In the seventh year of Chengping, while Wang Xingyi was still serving as the Provincial Governor of Shaanxi, the Wang family moved to the capital. Wang Yingxue had no choice but to write to her mother, Madam Xu. Using the excuse of missing her grandson, Madam Xu sent people to bring Dou Ming to stay in the capital. Grandfather agreed, and Second Madam had no reason to keep her. By now, Dou Ming had been in the capital for over half a year.

Yi’er had always been close to Dou Ming, but felt that Dou Zhao was too eager to please the adults and thus wasn’t close to her.

Experience from her past life taught Dou Zhao that you can’t please everyone, so there’s no point in trying to please those who don’t like you.

She smiled faintly, “Why don’t you write a letter to Dou Ming? Ask when she’s coming back to Zhending?”

Only Yi’er had noticed that Dou Zhao always used Dou Ming’s full name. Once, half-jokingly and half-questioningly, she brought this up in front of Second Madam. Dou Zhao explained, “If I called her Ming’er, people might think she’s of the same generation as you all.”

But why couldn’t she call her sister?

She wanted to ask, but her wet nurse tugged at her clothes. Later at home, the wet nurse quietly told her, “Lady Wang was a concubine who was elevated to wife status, while Fourth Miss is a legitimate daughter.”

Yi’er didn’t think much of it.

What difference did it make if someone was born to a concubine?

Weren’t they still Dou family ladies?

But she was still curious: “Why is Seventh Great-Uncle the only one whose concubine bore children?”

The wet nurse hesitated before answering, “That’s because only Seventh Great-Uncle had no sons.”

She felt the wet nurse was holding something back. But just then, Wu Ya arrived, and she happily ran to meet her, forgetting about the matter.

However, Wu Ya didn’t like playing with Dou Ming. She always said Dou Ming was wooden and foolish, as if missing something in her head. But she didn’t like playing with Dou Zhao either. She felt Dou Zhao was arrogant and difficult to get along with: “…Whenever I have something nice, Sixth Aunt immediately buys it for her, and she acts like it’s nothing. She’s even corrupted Shu’er.”

Previously, Shu’er would always beg Wu Ya with big eyes to play with her dolls, mirrors, and combs: “Let me play with them for a while.” But ever since she borrowed Dou Zhao’s things and Dou Zhao didn’t ask for them back, Shu’er only had eyes for Dou Zhao. She would only share secrets with Dou Zhao, and in any dispute, she would definitely take Dou Zhao’s side.

Wu Ya said, “Their family is quite strange. One lives in East Dou, one lives with relatives, their mother stays alone in that huge mansion, and doesn’t even go to the capital with their father… Anyway, I don’t like either of the sisters.”

Dou Zhao could vaguely sense these feelings. But she didn’t take them to heart — when they grew up, their thoughts would change.

She went to see her third cousin.

Her eldest cousin, Zhao Biru, was already eighteen. Her aunt had written saying that the eldest cousin was to be married on the twelfth day of the eighth month.

She wanted to prepare a wedding gift for her eldest cousin.

Her third cousin asked with a smile, “What do you plan to give?”

Dou Zhao owned half of West Dou’s property, but any expense over ten taels of silver needed approval from her third cousin, who managed her assets. This made her uncomfortable and troubled, so she had given Zhao Liangbi to her third cousin. Seeing that he shared the surname “Zhao,” her third cousin assumed he was a relative from Dou Zhao’s maternal family and thus took extra care of him. Zhao Liangbi was always a sensible and appreciative person, and after studying diligently with the accountant for a year, he became proficient with the abacus.

She wondered when Zhao Liangbi would be capable enough to become the head accountant.

Lost in thought, she smiled and told her third cousin her intentions.

Her third cousin pondered, “How about we give some gold and silver jewelry? Your aunt has probably prepared everything else already.”

Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly, entrusting her third cousin with this task.

As she was leaving, she met Shu’er.

She pulled Dou Zhao aside: “Second Sister said we’re making Five Poisons sachets, I have new patterns, would Fourth Aunt like one?”

In her past life, her relationship with her cousins and nieces had been cold, but in this life, Shu’er followed her around like a little tail.

“Sure!” Dou Zhao smiled, “I’ll have Haitang get it from your maid later.”

Two years ago, Mao Niang had married Cui Si, and a few days ago had just given birth to a son who hadn’t yet reached his first month. Her household duties were now handled by Haitang.

Shu’er nodded and whispered, “Qi Qi is here again.”

Qi Qi was Wu Ya’s childhood name.

Dou Zhao smiled indifferently, “Well, it’s almost Dragon Boat Festival!”

Shu’er sighed, “Will Fifth Aunt come back?”

She was a sweet girl who got along well with everyone.

“You miss her a lot?”

“Yes!” she pouted, “We want to play rope skipping, but there’s no one. Qi Qi doesn’t want to play with the maids.”

Dou Zhao never played these games with them.

She smiled, “That’s because they have many sisters their age at home.”

Shu’er giggled.

Dou Zhao returned to Sixth Aunt’s place.

Now that she was older, she naturally couldn’t continue living in Sixth Aunt’s inner chamber’s gauze curtained bed. Four years ago, after her father brought her back from her grandmother’s countryside manor, she lived in the west wing of the main courtyard, while Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang lived in the east wing.

Just as she stepped through the main courtyard gate, she heard a burst of laughter from the west wing.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile.

Since Wu Ya was here, Wu Shan must be here too.

Just like in her past life, Wu Shan got along very well with his peer Dou Dechang, staying with him whenever he visited. Because of this, he also had very good relationships with Dou Zhengchang and Dou Qijun.

They must be bragging together!

Just as she was about to enter her room, the door opposite suddenly opened, and Wu Shan walked out with Dou Dechang and the others.

“Fourth Sister!” he greeted Dou Zhao, his ears slightly red.

Dou Zhao politely nodded to him: “Fourth Brother Wu is here.”

She followed Dou Dechang’s brothers’ way of addressing Wu Shan, and also greeted Dou Zhengchang and the others.

Wu Shan asked Dou Zhao, “We’re going out to buy a congratulatory gift for Sixth Uncle, would you like us to bring something back for you?”

He followed the Dou family’s younger generation in addressing Dou Shiheng.

“Thank you,” Dou Zhao smiled. “I’ve already prepared Sixth Uncle’s gift.”

It was a piece of Qingtian stone she had previously collected from her father.

It had a monkey riding a horse carved on it, symbolizing immediate promotion, perfect for carving a leisure seal for Sixth Uncle.

Wu Shan smiled, “My sister is here too, talking with my cousin, have you met her?”

Isn’t that a pointless question?

If she had been at Second Sister-in-law’s place, how could Second Sister-in-law have let her leave?

Dou Zhao still smiled and answered, “Qi Qi is here, I haven’t met her yet!”

Wu Shan continued, “Twelve said there will be opera performances at your house during the Dragon Boat Festival, is that true?”

Dou Dechang was ranked twelve, so everyone called him Twelve.

Dou Zhao smiled, “If Twelve Brother said so, it must be true.”

Wu Shan said, “Too bad I’ll be back in Xindong by then.”

“There will be other opportunities to see it.”

“Wonder when that will be?” Wu Shan said longingly, “I heard Zhou Qingfen will be performing this time…”

His words were like lotus root, seemingly cut off but still connected by strings.

Dou Zhao patiently listened to him finish, then smiled apologetically, “Fourth Brother Wu, please go ahead with your business! I need to visit the Grand Madam soon.”

Wu Shan’s face immediately turned red, and he started stammering, “Fourth Sister, please go back to your room, we need to head out too.”

Dou Zhao entered her room.

From behind came Dou Zhengchang’s puzzled voice: “Why do you always have so much to say when you meet Fourth Sister?”

Wu Shan shouted, “Didn’t you say I talk too little?”

“I meant you always just grunt when you meet Yi’er and the others…”

“I’m their elder, I should act like one, right?”

“Fine, this time we’ll let you play the elder,” said Dou Qijun. “You can pay for our purchases this time…”

“You’re extorting me…” Wu Shan laughed as his voice gradually faded away.

Dou Zhao shook her head with amusement, finding it quite interesting.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Second Madam indeed invited Zhou Qingfen to perform opera.

The stage was set up in front of the ancestral hall at the north tower of the Dou family compound, and villagers from ten li around came with their families to watch the opera.

Dou Zhao accompanied Sixth Aunt to drink tea with Second Madam in the side room of the ancestral hall.

Wang Yingxue came in to pay respects to Second Madam, then beckoned to Dou Zhao: “Shou Gu, how were the chrysanthemum pastries I had Qiongfen send over last time? They were bestowed by the palace to my father, Ming’er specifically sent a box back, saying she wanted her sister to try them.”

“So they were bestowed by the palace, no wonder they looked so different from those sold in the market,” Dou Zhao smiled mildly, “I offered them to Grand Madam.” She looked toward Grand Madam as she spoke.

Grand Madam smiled warmly and held Dou Zhao’s hand: “Our Shou Gu is so thoughtful.”

Wang Yingxue’s face turned from red to green, then back to red again.

In these years, Dou Zhao had left Wang Yingxue for Second Madam to deal with, as she couldn’t be bothered to quarrel with Wang Yingxue.

A little maid came running in frantically, speaking incoherently: “Grand Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened, the Old Master, he…”