ATLAS TRANSLATES

Grandfather was watching a play with the newly arrived Lu magistrate of Zhending County.

When servants brought up snacks like Fu orange cakes and Fengcheng preserved meat, Grandfather meant to eat an orange cake.

However, since his eyes were fixed on the stage, he accidentally grabbed a salted peanut and threw it in his mouth. By the time he realized his mistake, the salted peanut was stuck in his throat making him cough nonstop.

People nearby hurriedly offered tea to soothe his throat, but the more he drank, the worse the coughing became.

Dou Zhao sat at Dou Duo’s bedside, watching her unconscious grandfather with mixed feelings of grief and melancholy.

In her previous life, she only returned to West Dou after grandfather’s funeral in August. She was young and confused then, newly arrived at the East Manor, anxious, fearful, and unsettled. She never thought to ask about the cause of grandfather’s death.

No wonder in this life grandfather would pass away after being in a coma for three months?

Father quickly rushed back from the capital, and Dou Ming came with him.

She seemed very different from her time at East Dou. She appeared much more lively, and her voice grew louder. As soon as she got off the carriage, she called out loudly to “Gao Sheng”: “I brought back many things for Sister Yi and Sister Shu. Be careful and take everything to my room.”

Her room?

Where was her room?

Was it the warm chamber by Second Madam’s quarters? Or the east wing room that Wang Yingxue arranged for her?

The warm chamber was in the East Manor. She had never stayed in the east wing room for even a day.

Gao Sheng was quite troubled.

Dou Ming immediately shouted in displeasure: “You dog servant, be careful or I’ll tell father to sell you off!”

Dou Zhao closed her eyes.

Things were inevitably returning to their original course.

She went out to scold Dou Ming: “Gao Sheng serves father. Even if he makes mistakes, it’s not your place to punish him. If you dare speak like this again, I’ll lock you in the woodshed for three days first.”

Dou Ming had always feared this somewhat cold sister since childhood. Hearing this, her expression trembled slightly, but she quickly overcame her fear and said: “I… I didn’t mean to.” Her voice grew smaller, not daring to talk back to Dou Zhao.

Dou Yaocheng was someone who enjoyed comfort. He had bought a three-courtyard house early on in an alley next to Jing’an Temple in the capital. Though the house wasn’t large, it was decorated lavishly with exquisite furnishings, making it very comfortable to live in.

Blood ties were a frightening thing. Both Dou Duo and Dou Shiying shared their ancestor Dou Yaocheng’s love of comfort.

While in the capital, Dou Shiying lived there. Although Dou Ming was also in the capital, it wasn’t convenient for him to care for a child alone. Moreover, when Madam Wang Xu saw Dou Ming’s dim-witted appearance and heard her daughter’s words about the discord between Dou Shishu and her husband, she felt that East Dou was trying to pressure West Dou. She was heartbroken and treated Dou Ming like the apple of her eye once she arrived in the capital, pushing aside her own grandchildren to dote solely on this granddaughter.

Dou Shiying visited Dou Ming a few times and saw that she had rosy cheeks, with many maids and servants attending to her, never wanting to leave Wang Xu’s side. However, she seemed somewhat unfamiliar with him. He was relieved by this. Living in separate alleys – one by Jing’an Temple and one in Willow Leaf Alley – meant he didn’t interact much with Dou Ming.

Seeing how Dou Ming treated Gao Sheng, he was displeased. But having no experience raising a daughter, he was momentarily stunned, not knowing what to say.

Now that Dou Zhao had stepped in and Dou Ming had calmed down, Dou Shiying felt relieved.

Wang Yingxue, seeing that Dou Ming was scolded by Dou Zhao while Dou Shiying said nothing, realized he was taking Dou Zhao’s side. Worried that this might make Dou Ming less favored by Dou Shiying than Dou Zhao, she quickly smoothed things over, saying to Dou Zhao: “Your father and sister were worried about your grandfather’s illness and rushed back from the capital, tired and anxious from the journey. It’s natural to be a bit short-tempered and speak without thinking things through.”

She then told Gao Sheng, “Take Fifth Miss’s trunks to the east wing room in Qixia Court.” Then she said to Dou Shiying, “Seventh Lord, you’ve had a tiring journey. I’ve already ordered the kitchen staff to prepare hot water. Would you like to freshen up before visiting father? Best not to bring any dust to father.”

Dou Zhao laughed coldly inside, thinking: If your own mother doesn’t manage you, why should I, a half-sister, meddle in your affairs? So she said nothing more and returned to grandfather’s bedroom.

Ever since grandfather fell ill, Aunt Din had been tending to him day and night without rest. Two days ago, she finally succumbed to illness herself. Now grandfather’s care was overseen by Aunt Din’s senior maid Qiu Fen.

Seeing Dou Zhao enter, she respectfully stood aside.

Dou Zhao instructed her: “My father has returned and will come to see grandfather within the time it takes to burn three incense sticks. Have the maids prepare some tea, and summon the doctor who’s treating grandfather – father will likely have questions for him.”

Since Dou Duo collapsed, Dou Zhao had returned to East Manor and moved into the usually empty main room. She spent her days attending to grandfather’s illness, while Wang Yingxue handled other household matters. Only when elders like Second Madam came to visit the sick did she come out to socialize briefly. Occasionally she would direct maids or household managers to do things, but always precisely what Wang Yingxue had missed or overlooked. Gradually, the prominent maids and household managers became more cautious in their conduct around her.

Qiu Fen respectfully agreed and dispatched maids and servants to carry out the tasks.

Soon after, Dou Shiying and Dou Ming, having finished washing up, entered accompanied by Wang Yingxue.

Dou Zhao stepped aside, giving the bedside position to her father.

Dou Shiying took Dou Duo’s hand, his eyes instantly reddening.

Qiu Fen came in to report: “Fourth Miss, the doctor has arrived.”

Dou Zhao softly told her father: “You can ask the doctor whatever you need to know.”

Dou Shiying knew this was his daughter’s arrangement and gave her a grateful look, feeling greatly comforted. He felt that entrusting his eldest daughter to Ji shi for raising had been absolutely the right decision.

The doctor carefully explained Dou Duo’s condition to Dou Shiying, essentially saying that if he hadn’t woken up by July, the family should prepare for his passing.

This judgment was quite accurate.

Dou Shiying began to cry as he listened.

The mood in the room immediately turned sorrowful, with everyone wiping their eyes, even Dou Zhao shed a few tears.

Father set up a couch by grandfather’s bedside, personally helping to bathe him, clean him, feed him water and medicine.

Dou Zhao kept to her usual schedule while accompanying her father, taking a short nap at noon and returning to her room to rest at the hour of hai. She would come back at the hour of mao to help father care for grandfather. While grandfather was unconscious and father sat in silence, she would silently recite The Analects that she had recently been learning from Sixth Aunt.

Dou Ming, being only seven years old, couldn’t stay still and would fidget after sitting in the room for a while.

Father found her disturbing and asked Wang Yingxue to leave her in Second Madam’s care. Wang Yingxue didn’t dare do this, nor could she explain Second Madam’s intentions to father. She had no choice but to keep Dou Ming by her side while managing the household and caring for her. Dou Ming had brought back many trinkets from the capital that weren’t available in Zhending, and would often invite Sister Yi and Sister Shu to play, making it difficult to properly attend to grandfather.

Seeing this, Second Madam who came to visit the sick suggested to father: “What do you think about bringing Concubine Cui back to help care for him? After all, she is your uncle’s proper concubine and your birth mother.”

Father was naturally willing.

But Dou Zhao was not.

Why should grandmother be left to fend for herself at the farm when grandfather was healthy, only to be brought back to serve him when he couldn’t move?

She interjected: “Perhaps we should wait a few more days… Aunt Din managing grandfather’s quarters was his wish… If things really become impossible, we can send someone to fetch Concubine Cui then.”

To Second Madam, these were minor matters.

“That’s fine!” She nodded and asked about grandfather’s condition.

Afterwards, father asked Dou Zhao with suspicion: “You don’t want to bring Concubine Cui back?”

He had thought Dou Zhao was the closest to his birth mother in this family. He hadn’t expected her to be the one to object.

When grandfather was about to pass away, the Dou family would bring grandmother back whether she agreed or not, but not at this time!

Dou Zhao thought to herself, but said: “We should at least discuss it with Aunt Din. Why bring Concubine Cui back just to face others’ criticism?”

Father said nothing more.

However, Dou Zhao called for Zhao Liangbi: “Has Cui Thirteen contacted you these days?”

Cui Thirteen was fourteen years old now, having passed the county examination. He was studying at the county school. He and Zhao Liangbi were good friends in the previous life, and they were close in this life too. Because grandmother didn’t want to get involved with the Dou family, the Cui family never interacted with them. Since they were both in the county, Dou Zhao guessed Cui Thirteen must have secretly come to see Zhao Liangbi, though she had never caught them.

Zhao Liangbi jumped up like a startled cat: “How… how did you know?” His eyes showed fear and unease.

This was exactly the reaction Dou Zhao wanted. Of course, she wouldn’t explain anything to him, but instead said sternly: “Tell Cui Thirteen to come see me immediately.”

She knew Cui Thirteen was capable, ambitious, and determined. His life’s greatest wish was to transform the Cui family into a prestigious scholarly family that would pass down their legacy through generations.

This was the advantage of being reborn – it eliminated the need for observation and testing. If she wanted to use someone, she could approach them directly.

Zhao Liangbi’s face turned pale with fright, and he ran off like the wind.

In the afternoon, he brought Cui Thirteen in through the side door of East Dou.

Dou Zhao asked Cui Thirteen: “Would you like to see Concubine Cui walk proudly through Dou family’s main gate?”

Cui Thirteen’s eyes lit up, but his gaze still held some wariness when looking at Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao instructed him: “Stay at Concubine Cui’s farm these days. I’ll have Zhao Liangbi bring you messages. When I call for Concubine Cui to come, you escort her here. But if there’s no word from me, no matter who comes to fetch Concubine Cui, you must keep her there. Can you do this?”

Cui Thirteen caught the scent of conspiracy and hesitantly said: “What… what are you planning? We Cui family don’t want to be used as pawns!”

Dou Zhao wanted to right the wrongs done to grandmother, unwilling to see her summoned and dismissed at the Dou family’s whim.

“What do you have to worry about?” She looked at Cui Thirteen with disdain. “Concubine Cui is my father’s birth mother. Doesn’t she have the right to enter the Dou family’s main gate? As for whether Concubine Cui wants to stay with the Dou family or return to the farm after she arrives, I think even Second Madam couldn’t stop her, could she?”

That look pierced Cui Thirteen, but after long contemplation, he slowly nodded.