ATLAS TRANSLATES

Dou Zhao wanted to give her mother a hint, but she thought of the maids still confined in the side room who hadn’t been dealt with yet.

She quickly sat up in bed and called out “Father” loudly.

If mother was clever enough, she should instinctively bring her to father.

If grandfather scolded them, they could just put the blame on her – surely grandfather wouldn’t argue with an ignorant child?

However, she had clearly overestimated both her mother’s wisdom and her own influence.

Seeing her making a fuss, mother frowned unhappily: “It’s so late, why isn’t this child sleeping yet?”

Then she instructed Madam Yu: “Take the girl away! She’s giving me a headache.”

Madam Yu smiled apologetically at mother and quickly helped her dress: “Fourth Miss, be good, let Madam Yu take you to your wet nurse! Don’t cry…”

Dou Zhao wanted to roll her eyes at mother in contempt like the village women from the estate would.

How could mother be so childish?

If she were like mother, she would have been eaten alive long ago.

Dou Zhao grabbed the bed curtains hanging at the edge, crying and calling for “Father,” but was still forcibly carried by Madam Yu to the warm room behind the inner chamber.

Without mother present, Dou Zhao calmed down and listlessly let Madam Yu place her on the kang bed.

Madam Yu silently fixed her messy hair, looking at Dou Zhao somewhat absently, and said softly: “Do you also feel something unusual about today’s events? I want to go take a secret look, will you stay here quietly without making a fuss, alright?”

Dou Zhao immediately perked up.

Appearances truly were deceiving!

Who would have thought Madam Yu would be so astute and capable.

She opened her eyes wide, nodding like a pecking chick.

Madam Yu was startled, then smiled kindly, somewhat emotionally saying: “Our Fourth Miss is so clever, understanding everything at such a young age. Unlike Seventh Madam…”

At this point, she suddenly stopped, muttering to herself, “What am I doing talking about such things with a child…” Then she turned and called in a maid: “Han Xiao, stay here with Fourth Miss, I’m going to take a look at Heshou Hall.”

Han Xiao was seventeen or eighteen years old, with proper features and a gentle, steady demeanor.

Hearing Madam Yu’s words, she was surprised but quickly composed herself and responded “Yes,” very cleverly adding: “If anything happens, I’ll immediately send Shuang Zhi to call you.”

Madam Yu nodded with satisfaction and quickly left the warm room.

Han Xiao got onto the heated kang with Dou Zhao. Seeing that Dou Zhao wasn’t crying or making a fuss, but was as calm as an adult, she smiled slightly and asked gently: “Fourth Miss, shall I pat you to sleep?”

Dou Zhao shook her head.

Han Xiao’s smile deepened, saying: “Then shall I play cat’s cradle with you?”

Did she really like cat’s cradle that much?

Dou Zhao shook her head.

Han Xiao smiled and asked: “Then what would you like to do?”

“Wait… for Madam,” Dou Zhao said.

Han Xiao looked at Dou Zhao in surprise.

Dou Zhao ignored her, pulled over a large pillow, and leaned on it lost in thought.

Han Xiao smiled and covered Dou Zhao with a thin blanket.

She had sensed something unusual from father’s attitude toward mother, but what had made Madam Yu notice something was wrong?

What else didn’t she know?

Dou Zhao pondered, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

No, she had to wait for Madam Yu to return.

She needed to know what had happened!

And Tao Niang, what kind of person was she really?

Dou Zhao shook her head, forcibly keeping her eyelids apart.

But after a few breaths, her eyelids stubbornly drooped again.

She couldn’t fall asleep!

If she fell asleep, she might go back.

What if she returned to that dream with the wisteria flowers?

“Han Xiao,” Dou Zhao forced her eyes open, “Find… Madam!”

“No!” Han Xiao gently waved her hand, “I must stay here with you.”

“I’ll… behave!” Dou Zhao said.

Han Xiao thought for a while, seeing Dou Zhao’s expression becoming increasingly determined, and hesitantly said: “Alright, I’ll go see what Madam Yu is doing.” Then she called Shuang Zhi in.

Shuang Zhi was a young girl with a round face, who quietly kept Dou Zhao company.

Soon, Han Xiao returned: “Fourth Miss, Madam Yu went to the Old Master’s place with the lady.”

“Oh!” Dou Zhao wanted Han Xiao to go find Madam Yu.

Han Xiao absolutely refused: “…if we’re discovered, this servant will be flayed alive even if not killed.”

This was true.

Having managed a household before, Dou Zhao understood the severity of such matters.

She could only wait for Madam Yu and mother to return, hating that she was so restricted, unlike in that other dream with the wisteria flowers where she could do whatever she wanted.

Time passed bit by bit, with no sign of mother or Madam Yu. Dou Zhao’s eyelids stuck together and could no longer be separated.

She fell into a sweet, deep sleep.

It seemed like just an instant, yet also like thousands of years had passed when Dou Zhao woke up.

Without thinking, she jumped up.

Someone beside her called out “Fourth Miss.”

Dou Zhao opened her eyes and saw Shuang Zhi’s round face.

She let out a long sigh of relief.

Still in the dream.

She suddenly felt grounded and asked Shuang Zhi: “Han Xiao? Madam? Mother?”

“Han Xiao was called away by Madam Yu.” Shuang Zhi smiled while helping Dou Zhao dress, calling for a little maid to bring in hot water.

The warm room became lively.

Dou Zhao only then realized it was already bright daylight.

She squinted at Shuang Zhi and asked: “Where is Han Xiao?”

Shuang Zhi smiled and said: “At the Old Master’s place.” As she spoke, from the corner of her eye she saw the warm curtain being lifted slightly, with someone peering in.

Her face darkened as she called out in a low voice: “Who’s skulking outside the warm curtain?”

Immediately a little maid went to lift the curtain.

The person behind the curtain was exposed, nervously wringing her hands: “I, I’m looking for Fourth Miss…” then she blurted out loudly, trying to sound authoritative, “Fourth Miss asked me to inquire about someone…”

Dou Zhao looked toward the voice and saw Xiang Cao.

Her heart stirred, and she called out loudly “Xiang Cao.”

Though Shuang Zhi and the little maid looked confused, they still let Xiang Cao in.

Xiang Cao smugly lifted her chin at Shuang Zhi and the little maid, then ran fawningly to Dou Zhao, saying humbly: “Fourth Miss, I found the Tao Niang you mentioned.” After speaking, she paused, looking at Dou Zhao with eyes full of expectation.

Dou Zhao smiled slightly.

In the Jining Marquis’s mansion, she had seen many such maids.

To rise above their station, they would use every means possible when they saw even a glimmer of hope.

She didn’t dislike such people or their methods.

If everyone was content with their lot, what would there be to strive for in life?

However, Xiang Cao was too impetuous, placing her hopes on a child who didn’t yet understand things, lacking the wisdom to assess situations and plan for the long term. But she still had to thank Xiang Cao. Otherwise, how would she have gotten news about Tao Niang?

Dou Zhao said to Shuang Zhi: “Reward Xiang Cao!”

Shuang Zhi was uncertain.

As a master, the Fourth Miss was too… young!

Should she first ask Seventh Madam for instructions?

As she pondered this, she saw Xiang Cao’s eyes brighten as she curtsied to thank Dou Zhao, then crowded close to Dou Zhao and chattered: “Tao Niang is a little maid in the back courtyard laundry room, Seventh Madam brought her back when visiting Daci Temple. I asked everyone in the mansion before finding her. Do you have something to discuss with her? Would you like me to call her here? She’s very agreeable. In the laundry room, she volunteers for all the dirty and tiring work, and all the women there like her very much. As soon as I asked about her, they took me to find Tao Niang…”

Dou Zhao suddenly understood.

Those who could serve mother or herself were all prominent servants of the Dou household – how would they know a lowly maid from the laundry room? Conversely, as a menial servant of the Dou household, what had actually happened back then – Tao Niang hadn’t been involved, she had only heard about it afterward. This also explained why Tao Niang’s words didn’t match the facts…

Her eyelid twitched.

Facts!

Could it be that in her heart, she believed everything happening before her eyes was real?

Then where was she really?

Some thoughts she had previously ignored began spinning in her mind again, making Dou Zhao’s heart pound and her whole body go cold.

A little maid rushed in.

“Sister Shuang Zhi, something terrible has happened,” she looked panicked, as if facing a great enemy, “There’s chaos at Heshou Hall!”

Dou Zhao’s heart skipped a beat.

Shuang Zhi had already anxiously asked: “What happened?”

“Seventh Master was bewitched by a woman in the capital,” her face was pale, “He wants to bring that woman into the household, and even asked Third Master from the East Mansion to speak for him. The Old Master was so angry he drew his sword to kill Seventh Master!”

“Ah!” The room erupted in chaos, “What happened then?”

“Fortunately Third Master hadn’t left and stopped the Old Master,” the little maid said, “But Seventh Master is determined to bring that woman in, kneeling in the snow begging the Old Master to agree. Then Seventh Madam went to look, and Seventh Master started begging Seventh Madam. It made Seventh Madam so angry she not only refused but cried and accused Seventh Master of being ungrateful. Even the Old Master couldn’t get a word in. Seeing this, Third Master had Da Fu quietly invite Third Madam over.”

“No wonder Sister Han Xiao disappeared after Madam Yu called her!”

“Is that woman even more beautiful than Seventh Madam?”

“Did the Old Master finally agree to let that woman in?”

“Doesn’t this mean we’ll have another mistress in the household?”

The maids discussed animatedly, no one paying attention to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao sat there like a clay statue, utterly shocked.

After she had taken charge of the Jining Marquis household’s affairs and become the manager, she had always been puzzled about why Third Uncle, who was respected among the Dou clan for his capable management of family affairs, would frequently visit grandmother, who came from a concubine background and had almost no connection with the Dou family members, at the estate.

So it was because he had been visiting her.

Tao Niang said mother had been forced to hang herself.

As Third Aunt who had helped father make his case, he must have felt an unspeakable guilt toward her, which explained his behavior.

Dou Zhao thought of how Third Uncle looked at her.

Always with love mixed with pity.

And after Third Uncle’s death, his will left her several calligraphy pieces from famous artists of the previous dynasty.

At that time, the Dou clan hadn’t divided their property yet, and Third Uncle had no private assets – he had only left a few inkstones and jade pieces to his own sons Dou Fanchang and Dou Huachang.

She had always thought it was because Third Uncle particularly liked her.

It seems what people see isn’t necessarily the truth, what they hear isn’t necessarily the truth, and even what they feel isn’t necessarily the truth.

Dou Zhao said in a hoarse voice: “I want… Tao Niang!”