ATLAS TRANSLATES

In the summer at Daci Temple, the ancient trees were lush and the breeze was refreshing. Though it couldn’t compare to the quiet elegance of the Dou family’s backyard, for Dou Pinyi, who rarely left home more than a few times a year, everything here was fascinating and full of wonder.

She pulled Wu Ya’s hand and pointed to a decorative rock not far away, “Look, doesn’t it look like a young lady waiting to do her makeup?”

Wu Ya glanced disinterestedly and said, “That’s a Lingbi stone. Small ones are fine for decoration, but by this bamboo grove, it would be better to use Taihu stones!” After speaking, her gaze fell on Dou Zhao and Dou Pinsu walking ahead of them.

The two were whispering to each other, mostly Dou Pinsu talking while Dou Zhao listened. Occasionally when Dou Zhao would respond, Dou Pinsu would giggle like an innocent seven or eight-year-old girl.

How carefree! Wu Ya grumbled in her heart.

Dou Pinyi became unhappy: “Wu Ya, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been frowning all day, responding coldly to everything. If you look down on a countryside place like Daci Temple, just say so. Having nothing good to say really ruins the mood!” With that, she let go of Wu Ya’s hand.

“Oh no, I’m not angry at you.” Wu Ya quickly grabbed Dou Pinyi’s hand to make amends. Unable to admit she was jealous of Dou Zhao, she said, “I just feel it’s too hot. Walking around like this, sweating through my clothes, it’s very uncomfortable.”

“It’s not that bad!” Dou Pinyi looked up at the lush branches overhead. “I think it’s much cooler here than at home.”

“Maybe I’m just too sensitive to heat!” Wu Ya brushed it off and quickly changed the subject. “I met your Fifth Aunt in the capital.”

“Really?” Dou Pinyi had always yearned to visit the capital. Since her father Dou Guangchang neither helped with family affairs nor held an official title, her chances of going to the capital were slim. So hearing about events from there, she immediately asked with interest: “How is she?”

“I met her at Lord He’s son’s wedding when I went with mother to attend the feast.” Wu Ya said, “She’s living at her grandmother’s house and has grown about as tall as me. She speaks gracefully, has two dimples when she smiles, gets along well with the He family sisters, and greets people properly when she meets them. She seems to be doing well.”

Dou Pinyi was stunned: “Isn’t Seventh Great-Uncle’s residence in Jing’an Temple Lane? Why is she living at her maternal grandfather’s home? What about her mother? Isn’t she living with her?”

“I heard Old Lady Wang really likes her,” Wu Ya said. “She insisted on keeping her by her side. Her mother looked somewhat haggard, not in good spirits.” She leaned in to whisper to Dou Pinyi, “I heard one of the ladies at the feast say she couldn’t bear a son and wouldn’t let your Seventh Great-Uncle take a concubine.”

Dou Pinyi was shocked.

Wu Ya quickly said: “Don’t tell anyone about this!”

“I know, I know!” Dou Pinyi nodded repeatedly, “If my mother heard me saying such things—”

Wu Ya breathed a sigh of relief.

Dou Pinyi hesitated for a while as she watched Dou Zhao observing bamboo with Dou Pinsu: “Seventh Aunt, should we tell Fourth Aunt about this?”

“Why tell her?” Wu Ya quickly stopped her. “What if she tells your Great-Grandmother?”

That’s true.

Dou Pinyi nodded, and when she looked at Dou Zhao again, her gaze was filled with sympathy and pity.

Dou Zhao hadn’t noticed, continuing to chat with Dou Pinsu as they climbed up the small hill behind Daci Temple where an octagonal pavilion had been built.

Dou Zhengchang and the others had arrived earlier. Ten or so eight to nine-year-old servant boys were there, some cleaning stone tables and chairs, others tending to small red clay stoves, or arranging writing materials and game pieces.

Seeing Dou Zhao leading Dou Pinsu into the pavilion, Wu Shan smiled and offered a celadon lotus leaf cup: “Try this, it’s the temple master’s collection of aged plum blossom snow water.”

Dou Zhao didn’t take it, smiling: “You drink it. What are you using to brew tea?”

Wu Shan glanced back at Dou Zhengchang and others who were talking together, winked at her, and said softly: “It’s just one cup, they won’t know.”

Dou Zhao held back her laughter, but Dou Pinsu beside her suddenly snatched the lotus leaf cup, pouting: “You two keep passing it back and forth while someone here is burning with thirst!” With that, she took small sips of the snow water, then let out a long satisfied sigh, “That feels so good!”

Wu Shan and Dou Zhao looked at each other, unable to hold back their laughter.

The laughter caught Dou Qijun’s attention, and he quickly walked over: “What are you laughing about?”

Wu Shan winked at Dou Pinsu, saying: “Nothing, nothing, Sister Su just told a joke.”

Dou Pinsu looked at the empty cup in her hand and grinned at Dou Qijun.

Wu Ya and Dou Pinyi finally made it up the hill. Seeing her brother’s gentle smile, Wu Ya felt jealous and called out coquettishly: “Brother, I’m so tired!”

“That’s why I told you not to come!” Wu Shan showed no sympathy, “Fourth Sister walks several laps around the east wing every day and helps Aunt Cui with weeding and catching insects. How can you compare to Fourth Sister?”

Tears welled up in Wu Ya’s eyes from anger.

Dou Zhao quickly mediated: “We’re all thirsty. Is the tea not ready yet?”

Wu Shan’s servant boy came running with a tea cup: “It’s ready, it’s ready, Fourth Miss, it’s ready!” Looking up to see Wu Ya and others, he hesitated, then ran back with the tea cup.

Everyone looked confused.

He came running back with several cups of tea, sweating profusely as he said, “Young Master, Young Ladies, please have some tea.”

Everyone burst out laughing.

The atmosphere became cheerful.

Dou Zhao and the other girls sat on the bamboo mats laid over the pavilion’s loungers, drinking tea. Dou Qiguang was drawing the distant hills and forests, gradually attracting Dou Zhengchang, Dou Pinyi, and others to go over.

As Wu Ya was considering whether to go look, she saw her brother approach.

“Fourth Sister, what have you been doing these days?” He sat down next to Wu Ya, “Mother, A-Qi, and I will be going to the capital at the end of this month. We might not return until after the New Year. Do you have any letters or things you want me to take to Seventh Uncle?” His manner was open and natural.

Dou Zhao smiled: “People from home often go to the capital, there’s nothing special I need to send.”

Wu Shan said: “Then is there anything you want me to bring back? During temple fairs at the Grand Xiangguo Temple and White Cloud Temple in the capital, people gather from all over, and you can buy anything.”

“I can’t think of anything I need,” Dou Zhao smiled, “If I think of something later, I can still ask Brother Wu to bring it.”

Wu Shan then asked: “I heard from Sixth Aunt that you’re growing lotus flowers in vats, how do you grow them? Can they survive?”

Speaking of something she liked, Dou Zhao’s smile became particularly bright, and her voice became soft and patient: “I’m growing water lilies. Have you seen them? They’re very similar to lotus flowers, but while lotus leaves and flowers rise above the water surface, water lilies float on the surface. They’re very common in Jiangnan, but less common here. I’m just trying to grow them this year…”

“Really?” Wu Shan’s eyes widened, “There’s such a way to grow flowers…”

Wu Ya, who was sitting between them, suddenly stood up with a “whoosh.” Pointing at Wu Shan, she burst out: “We have two water lily plants in our backyard, one of them is even a White Immortal variety. Haven’t you seen them? You killed the White Immortal, and when Grandfather got angry, Great-Grandfather protected you and only made you copy the Three Character Classic ten times. How dare you say you don’t know what water lilies are!”

The pavilion fell completely silent, with only the sound of wind rustling through clothes.

“I really didn’t know those were water lilies!” Wu Shan’s gaze was as clear as spring water, “Weren’t those midnight flowers? Oh!” He suddenly hit his forehead and looked at Dou Zhao, “Are the water lilies you’re talking about actually midnight flowers?”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help herself and turned away, silently laughing hard.

Wu Ya’s face alternated between red and white as she turned and ran out of the pavilion.

Wu Shan quickly chased after her, catching up with her under a big tree, and asked solemnly: “Why do you dislike the Dou family’s Fourth Sister?”

“I, I…” Wu Ya’s tears immediately flowed out. “I am your sister!” She began crying loudly.

Wu Shan was stunned. After a while, he took out his handkerchief to wipe Wu Ya’s tears, saying gently: “Silly sister, when were you not my sister? You’re not just my sister, but you’ll always be my good sister, my most beloved sister. But just because you’re my sister doesn’t mean I can only be good to you at all times. Think about it, isn’t that right?” He continued, “Look, I was very happy when you came back, and I specially had someone bring you a Western clock from Ji’s shop in Zhending Prefecture. I didn’t buy one for Fourth Sister Dou, did I? That’s because you like such things. Fourth Sister Dou likes writing materials, so I bought her a box of white fan faces. I didn’t buy those for you, did I?” As he spoke, he took out the folding fan from his waist and opened it, “See, Fourth Sister even gave me and Brother Zhi each a folding fan. But you, I’ve given you so many nice things, and you haven’t given me anything!” Then he declared, “I’m telling you, if you keep acting like this, I’ll only give things to Fourth Sister in the future and won’t give you anything anymore.”

Wu Ya looked at Wu Shan with teary eyes: “Really?”

Wu Shan said seriously: “Really!”

Wu Ya lowered her head.

Wu Shan said: “Go apologize to Fourth Sister Dou quickly.” Then he muttered to himself, “I’ve given you so many things, what have you ever given me? But Fourth Sister, whenever I give her even a small thing, she knows to give something in return… and you say I’m not good to you… When you got into trouble as a child, who always took the blame for you? How did you become less and less likeable as you grew up…”

Wu Ya glared at her brother fiercely, but thinking of how good he had been to her in the past, her growing jealousy toward Dou Zhao diminished somewhat.

Dou Qijun saw the Wu siblings coming back and smiled: “Alright, alright, stop making a scene here, let’s go eat watermelon. If we don’t eat soon, they’ll be as hot as the stones outside.”

When they left home, Dou Dechang had brought two ice-chilled watermelons up the mountain.

Though Dou Pinyi and Dou Pinsu still had questions in their minds, they didn’t think too much about it amid the laughter and conversation of Dou Dechang and the others. Everyone either sat at the stone table or on the loungers, waiting to eat watermelon.

Wu Ya approached Dou Zhao with a red face and softly said, “It was all my fault, I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

Dou Zhao looked up in surprise and saw Wu Shan’s sparkling eyes.