ATLAS TRANSLATES

After the Pang Jixiu incident, Father’s attention suddenly shifted to the inner residence.

Unfortunately, with Dou Zhao in charge and Wang Yingxue managing affairs, he couldn’t find anything to involve himself in despite his questioning.

Discouraged, he began focusing all his energy on renovating the East Wing. The construction that should have been completed in early summer continued into midsummer, causing Dou Qijun to frequently visit the West Compound, squatting with Father in the shade to discuss what paintings to put on the beams and what stone sculptures to place at the entrance, each time discussing enthusiastically and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Wang Yingxue couldn’t help but mutter: “Father said there are still vacancies in the Ministry of Works and Ministry of Justice in the capital. He’s already written to his friends who work there… Time waits for no one, shouldn’t you give Father a response?”

Dou Shiying was dismissive, drinking iced mung bean soup while looking at the blueprints, answering absently: “Whether going to the Ministry of Works or Justice, it all has to go through the Ministry of Personnel. Don’t worry about this matter, I have my own plans.”

Relying on one’s father-in-law is seen as living off others; relying on clan brothers is considered proper.

Wang Yingxue couldn’t ask more. Even Dou Zhao thought Father had already discussed everything with Fifth Uncle and didn’t worry about it.

Instead, she enthusiastically listened to Father and Dou Qijun discuss how to borrow scenery and pile rockeries, appearing determined to turn the East Wing into a Jiangnan-style garden.

Gaosheng came to find Dou Zhao: “In just five months, we’ve spent sixty thousand taels of silver.”

Dou Zhao asked him: “Is the family struggling because of this?”

“Not quite,” Gaosheng said quietly. “But it’s being spent too quickly. Last year’s entire income is gone.”

“Come tell me when he’s spent all of West Dou’s savings,” Dou Zhao said calmly. “You have to give him something to keep busy with, right?”

Gaosheng smiled bitterly.

Dou Zhao looked at Dou Qijun who was arm in arm with Father in the courtyard, and suddenly felt her eyes stinging.

Mother had been gone for nine years, and Father had been alone for nine years.

Not teaching a son is the father’s fault, not teaching a daughter is the mother’s fault. If there was a son, would Father act more steadily?

As this thought flashed through her mind, Dou Xiao’s listless appearance surfaced in her thoughts, and she immediately felt disgusted, deciding to stay out of this matter.

However, unexpectedly, at the end of June, Fifth Uncle sent a letter asking why Father wasn’t going to the capital to wait for a position. He mentioned that since Grandfather had passed away, Father should step up to support the family. In this world, many add flowers to brocade, but few send charcoal in snow.

The Dou family should stick together even more tightly, and Father shouldn’t give up on his ten years of hard study.

Then he subtly inquired about Father’s offspring, saying if Wang Yingxue was barren, he could have Fifth Aunt keep an eye out for concubines of clean background for Father.

This way, when his son entered official service in the future, Father could return home peacefully as an elder.

Father broke into a cold sweat and wrote back to Fifth Uncle that night, saying not to worry about taking concubines, but didn’t mention anything about waiting for a position.

Only then did Dou Zhao realize that Father’s decision not to wait for a position in the capital was entirely his own idea.

She intentionally confronted Father: “You could take them all to the capital together. I could bring Concubine Cui over to enjoy some peaceful days.”

Father actually considered it seriously: “You make sense. Why don’t we all go to the capital together and leave everything here for Concubine Cui to help look after.”

Living in the same house and drinking from the same well as Wang Yingxue for three years was already Dou Zhao’s limit. Having to continue being entangled with Wang Yingxue? Don’t even think about it!

“If I go to the capital, won’t the Pang family have more excuses to visit our home?”

Dou Shiying was speechless.

Dou Zhao took the opportunity to ask about the concubine matter: “…You should have someone to take care of your daily needs.”

As a father, how could Dou Shiying discuss this issue with his daughter?

He blushed and scolded Dou Zhao: “What nonsense are you talking about? Who told you these things?”

“Didn’t Fifth Uncle write about it in his letter?” Dou Zhao said frankly and gracefully. “West Dou can’t be without a son, right?”

Father had remained alone for nine years for Mother’s sake; whatever resentment Dou Zhao had dissipated.

Dou Shiying said embarrassedly: “You’ve seen it yourself, when do I have time to watch over the inner residence? If I bring another person in, wouldn’t that be wasting their life? Besides, even if a firstborn son was born to a concubine, who would raise him? Look at Ming’er, see what she’s become!”

Dou Zhao remained silent.

At the end of April, the Hanlin Academy scholars were dismissed. Sixth Uncle Dou Shiheng went to the Court of State Ceremonial, becoming a close minister to the emperor.

Second Madam was very happy and during the Dragon Boat Festival, she sponsored the county’s lantern market and invited all the notable people of Zhending County to watch opera at their home. Dou Shiying, as a two-time imperial examination graduate of the Dou family, naturally couldn’t be left out.

He took his family to East Dou.

Somehow, Dou Ming got into a fight with the Lang family’s eight-year-old Eighth Miss and pulled out a lock of her hair…

Afterward, no matter how Dou Shiying questioned Dou Ming, she kept her mouth tightly shut like a closed clam, not saying a word.

The Lang family’s Eighth Miss only knew how to cry. Dou Shiying had no choice but to personally visit and apologize, and to this day still hasn’t figured out why Dou Ming fought with the Lang family’s Eighth Miss.

But Dou Zhao thought Wang Yingxue must know.

Not only Wang Yingxue knew, but probably most of the women in East Dou knew.

The Zhu family’s Fifth Miss eventually married the Lang family’s Fifteenth Master.

Dou Ming and the Lang family’s Eighth Miss had gotten into an argument, and the Lang family’s Eighth Miss had jumped up and called Dou Zhao “concubine-born”…

When Dou Shiying spoke of this, he couldn’t help but regret: “If I had known you would be so sensible, I should have let you raise your sister. Now it’s too late, you’re already twelve this year, in two or three years you’ll be married…”

Dou Zhao broke into a cold sweat hearing this. Thinking about how inconvenient it was without a male heir in the family, she smiled and said: “If you give me a little brother now, I’ll help you raise him. Don’t count on me for my sister.”

Dou Shiying smiled awkwardly.

Dou Qijun came to find Father.

Dou Zhao asked curiously: “Oh? Why don’t I see Eleventh Brother and Twelfth Brother?”

Dou Qijun chuckled and said: “They’re both preparing to take the examinations next year. They’re all studying diligently at home now!”

Dou Zhao giggled.

Dou Qijun went with Father to the East Wing.

Wang Yingxue received a letter from her mother Madam Xu, saying she hadn’t seen Dou Ming for several years and missed her very much, wanting to have Dou Ming stay at her maternal family’s home in the capital for some time.

She went to discuss this with Dou Shiying.

Dou Qijun ran to the study to talk with Dou Zhao.

“We’re going to visit the Pang family in a few days,” he said, winking at Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao was stunned and quickly asked: “What are you going there for?”

Dou Qijun laughed and said: “Can you guess?”

When anxious, Dou Zhao hated guessing games the most. Without thinking, she said directly: “I can’t guess.”

Dou Qijun was somewhat disappointed and said: “Pang Jixiu is getting married.”

Dou Qi was shocked.

Dou Qijun smiled cunningly: “Didn’t Pang Jixiu want to find a wife? We all felt that relying on his own efforts was too weak, so we mobilized our family’s brothers and sisters to help Pang Jixiu find someone. As it happens, she took one look and chose Pang Jixiu. The betrothal gifts and marriage proposal were completed in just three months…”

Dou Zhao knew there must be a story here and quickly smiled: “Tell me quickly, or there won’t be any iced mung bean soup next time you come!”

Seeing no one else around, Dou Qijun lowered his voice and said mischievously: “The Chen bailiff’s family from Lingbi County has been serving as clerks for generations. They have five sons and one daughter, all built strong and sturdy, learning martial arts from Chen bailiff since childhood – ordinary people can’t get near them. Miss Chen was over twenty and still unmarried. Unexpectedly, when Pang Jixiu went to buy something at their family’s shop, he secretly touched Miss Chen’s hand. When Miss Chen learned that Pang Jixiu wasn’t married, she immediately took a liking to him. Not only did she allow him to touch her, but she also sent a matchmaker to propose to the Pang family. She said rather than marry a weak man for life, she’d rather marry Pang Jixiu… Isn’t the Pang family full of scoundrels? Well, the Chen family are ruffians who deal with both legal and illegal matters. The Chen family has already announced that if Pang Jixiu doesn’t marry her, that’s fine, but he needs to have both his hands removed to apologize to Miss Chen, and then the matter can be settled…”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh out loud and asked Dou Qijun: “Who touched Miss Chen?”

“Of course it was Kui’er,” Dou Qijun said righteously. “Would we ruin Miss Chen’s reputation?”

Kui’er was the eldest son of Seventh Cousin Dou Fanchang, only five years old this year.

Dou Zhao couldn’t stop laughing.

She knew that Miss Chen had taken the opportunity to trap Pang Jixiu.

She asked Dou Qijun: “Who are ‘you all’?”

Dou Qijun looked around but wouldn’t say.

Dou Zhao didn’t pursue the question. Thinking of the Pang family’s shameless behavior, she felt this marriage was quite fitting.

During dinner, she told Dou Shiying about it.

Both Dou Shiying and Wang Yingxue were somewhat surprised.

“We should send a wedding gift when the time comes,” Dou Shiying said.

Dou Zhao smiled and nodded.

Dou Ming, who had been sitting quietly on the side, suddenly asked Dou Shiying loudly: “When are we going to the capital?”

Dou Shiying frowned slightly and said gently: “Don’t talk while eating.”

Dou Ming suddenly became agitated, throwing her chopsticks to the ground with a “bang” and shouting: “I want to go to Grandmother’s house in the capital! I don’t want to stay here! I don’t want to stay in Zhending…” As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

Wang Yingxue turned away, her eyes also full of tears.

Dou Shiying was so angry he trembled, showing a stern face to Dou Ming for the first time: “Don’t forget, your surname is Dou, not Wang! This is your home. If you don’t stay in your own home, where do you want to go?”

Wang Yingxue wanted to speak but held back.

Dou Ming pushed away her bowl and ran away with loud footsteps.

Dou Shiying coldly looked at Wang Yingxue and said: “Starting tomorrow, let her learn proper manners from Second Madam. Still fighting with others – our Dou family has never had such an unruly young lady! Until these rough habits are corrected, she’s not allowed to go anywhere!”

Wang Yingxue’s face changed dramatically and she said: “Seventh Master is too unreasonable. My mother just misses Ming’er and wants her to stay for a few days. The way Seventh Master speaks makes it sound like our Wang family is trying to compete with the Dou family for a daughter… Father has arranged everything for you, but you ignore it. How has our Wang family wronged you that you treat Ming’er and me this way…” As she spoke, she glared at Dou Shiying resentfully, then turned and left the hall.

Only Dou Shiying and Dou Zhao remained in the hall.

Dou Shiying collapsed into the master chair.

But Dou Zhao sat perfectly straight, continuing to eat her meal gracefully as if nothing had happened.