ATLAS TRANSLATES

Dou Zhao walked out of Dou Zhengchang’s study. He smiled and asked her, “Leaving already? Why not stay a bit longer?” As he spoke, he lifted his eyelids slightly and glanced toward the study.

‘Don’t look at what’s improper, don’t listen to what’s improper.’

What’s with this person always trying to peek at others’ private matters? Where did all his book learning go? And he calls himself a graduate scholar!

Dou Zhao felt displeased but gave him a slight nod before heading to Madam Ji’s room.

Ji Yong turned around to see Wu Shan sitting there pale as a sheet, frozen like a wooden chicken.

He called out to Wu Shan, but Wu Shan responded by slamming the study window shut with a “bang.”

Ji Yong frowned, thought for a moment, then followed Dou Zhao into Madam Ji’s room.

Dou Zhao was saying goodbye to Madam Ji.

Madam Ji held her hand, smiling lovingly: “Come visit your Sixth Aunt whenever you have time.” As if she might never see her again.

A wave of guilt washed over Dou Zhao.

Sixth Aunt treated her like a mother, yet she had failed to live up to her kindness.

“I’m afraid I’ll visit so often you’ll have to chase me away,” she joked with Sixth Aunt.

Ji Yong smiled and asked her, “Didn’t you say you asked Wu Shan to help paint fan faces? Where are they? Don’t tell me Wu Shan doesn’t know how to paint? Would you like me to paint one for you? I’m quite good at painting – I studied under the famous scholar Zhou Liuyi from Jiangnan!”

Dou Zhao felt a headache coming on, but for Sixth Aunt’s sake, she tried to remain polite: “Fourth Brother Wu said he’d have a servant deliver the painted fans to the West Manor when they’re done.”

“Is that so?” Ji Yong was about to say more when Madam Ji cut him off with a warning tone: “Jianming, didn’t you say you were going to Mount Tai to watch the sunrise in a few days? Have you packed everything? Is there anything you’re missing?”

Ji Yong pursed his lips and said nothing more.

Dou Zhao noticed a flash of helplessness cross Madam Ji’s face.

She quickly stood up: “Sixth Aunt, I should head back now. I’ll have them send over the jasmine flowers you wanted by dusk.”

“Thank you for the trouble, Miss Shou,” Madam Ji smiled, having her head maid Cai Shu escort Dou Zhao out. Then she couldn’t help but say to Ji Yong, “What did your grandfather tell you? To ‘watch more and speak less.’ Don’t disappoint him!”

Ji Yong mumbled “I know” when he heard this, but still couldn’t help saying: “Don’t you think that Wu Shan has no grace or refinement at all? He’s completely unworthy of Miss Shou. Who arranged this match? It’s completely absurd!”

Madam Ji was so angry she couldn’t speak for a while: “What nonsense are you talking about? Whether he’s worthy or not has nothing to do with you!”

Ji Yong fell silent.

Madam Ji’s expression softened as she said gently: “Sometimes things aren’t what they seem on the surface. Don’t be so quick to judge.”

Ji Yong responded with an “Oh,” respectfully bowed to Madam Ji, and withdrew.

Madam Ji watched her nephew’s straight, pine-tree-like figure leave and let out a long sigh.

Meanwhile, Dou Zhao instructed Su Lan: “Visit the East Manor more frequently these few days. If you hear any news, come tell me immediately.”

Su Lan was clever beyond her years. Previously, it had been inconvenient for her to place her own people in the East Manor, but with Su Lan, news flowed much more smoothly.

Su Xin hesitated and said: “Miss, shouldn’t you discuss this with Madam Cui? Or perhaps consult with Seventh Master in the capital…”

She also thought the Wu family would make a good marriage match.

Dou Zhao had to make up an excuse: “The Wu family is close to my Fifth Uncle, who aspires to become Prime Minister. He wants to compete with Wang Xingyi. I just want to live a peaceful life and don’t want to get involved in all this.”

Su Lan tilted her head: “But what if Fifth Master wins? The stories all say that those who assist in establishing the dynasty can become Prime Ministers. If we help Fifth Master now, he’ll surely treat you well in the future…”

Before she could finish, her sister Su Xin knocked her on the head: “What if Fifth Master loses? If we don’t meddle in others’ affairs, they won’t meddle in ours. Like Miss said, we shouldn’t help anyone, just live our own lives steadily. Don’t say such opportunistic things again, or I’ll make you stand in the corner.”

Su Lan stuck out her tongue and hugged Dou Zhao’s arm.

Dou Zhao thought of her daughter Yin’er, who would also hug her arm and act coquettish when scolded. She couldn’t help but smile and put her arm around Su Lan’s shoulders.

Su Xin complained: “Miss, it’s all your fault for spoiling her!” Though her smile spread from her eyes to the corners of her mouth.

Dou Zhao laughed heartily, but suddenly realized she could no longer clearly remember her children’s features. In her deep memories, only vague impressions remained of their either spoiled or respectful demeanors.

She looked out the window as tears suddenly came.

Su Lan and Su Xin looked at each other in confusion, and Su Lan shrank back a little.

Dou Zhao wiped her tears: “It’s nothing, nothing. Just remembering some things from the past!”

Su Lan then pulled out a small sachet from her bosom and carefully took out a piece of osmanthus cake: “Miss, this is what my sister bought for me. When I miss my father, eating a piece of cake makes me feel better. Have a piece too, and you won’t think about those past things anymore.”

Dou Zhao ate a piece of osmanthus cake with tears in her eyes and said: “It’s delicious!”

Su Lan broke into a smile as bright as sunshine, dispelling the gloom in her heart.

Su Xin turned her face away and wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes.

Dou Zhao pulled herself together and said: “Let’s go find Master Chen and see how he’s doing with inviting Chen Xiaofeng and Duan Gongyi to be our guards. I feel a bit unsafe going out without more people around. Also, we need to get that ten thousand taels of silver allowance soon, otherwise we won’t have money to settle them when they arrive.”

Su Lan clicked her tongue: “We still have to pay them? Didn’t Miss already give them a large reward?”

“A reward is a reward, wages are wages. How can they be the same?”

The three chatted and laughed as they returned to the East Manor.

Grandmother was sorting through boxes, shaking her head at this and that. Dou Zhao smiled and asked her: “Are you making autumn clothes or winter clothes?”

Hong Gu smiled with pressed lips beside her.

Dou Zhao suddenly understood.

Grandmother was preparing her dowry items.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She pulled Grandmother out to the front hall.

Grandmother chuckled and instructed her: “Write a letter to your father and ask him to find a way to bring some tailors and embroiderers from Jiangnan. We need to make some nice new clothes.”

Isn’t this too much fuss?

Seeing Grandmother’s enthusiasm, Dou Zhao still agreed.

Might as well make the old lady happy!

Grandmother then told her which shops had good shoes and which had good false hair buns. Who knows where she got all this information, but it filled Dou Zhao’s heart with warmth. After talking for about two cups of tea’s worth of time, Gan Lu came to report: “Master Chen requests Miss’s presence in the study!”

“Then hurry along!” Grandmother urged, “It must be something about the shop!”

It should be about hiring the guards.

Dou Zhao didn’t point this out and went to the study.

Sure enough, Chen Qushui was looking for her about this matter: “Chen Xiaofeng and the others agreed without hesitation. However, they all said they need to finish this month and wait until their employer finds replacements before they can come. Only Duan Gongyi said he could come in a few days. I asked around and learned that Duan Gongyi was initially hired as a guard by the Lang family’s old master. After the old master passed away, the current head of the Lang family thought Duan Gongyi’s wages were a bit high. They wanted to reduce it several times but felt awkward bringing it up since he had served the old master. Duan Gongyi had wanted to leave for a while, but he has a bedridden mother who needs both his care and money for medicine. He couldn’t find a better position than being a guard at the Lang family, so he didn’t dare bring it up. When I went to find him, he was greatly relieved and voluntarily offered to take five taels less than what he got at the Lang family. Seeing that he could start right away, I offered five taels more than the Lang family, but he absolutely refused to accept…”

Dou Zhao pondered: “What other family members does he have?”

“His wife passed away a few years ago,” Chen Qushui said, “without leaving any children. These past few years, his mother’s illness has depleted their savings, and he hasn’t remarried.”

“Then let’s buy a maid to serve his mother,” Dou Zhao said. “We’ll cover the maid’s monthly allowance.”

Chen Qushui smiled and agreed. Dou Zhao then asked about the progress of the case: “Has Magistrate Lu accepted Pang Xilou’s petition to sue the Dou family?”

“He has,” Chen Qushui smiled, “Not only did he accept the petition, but he also invited Pang Xilou to drink in the rear court. He advised Pang Xilou to let major issues become minor ones, and minor ones fade away. That Pang Xilou is quite amusing – after hearing Magistrate Lu’s words, he actually said it wasn’t him who wanted to sue, but rather his second brother asked him to help with the lawsuit. He told Magistrate Lu not to be angry…”

The Pang family was even more interesting than she had imagined.

Dou Zhao burst out laughing and entrusted Chen Qushui: “Please help keep an eye on this matter.”

Chen Qushui smiled and agreed. In the following days, he was kept busy arranging accommodation for the new guards, inquiring about Pang Kunbai’s illness, and probing for reactions from the capital.

Ji Yong set a date for his trip to Mount Tai and went around saying goodbye to everyone in the Dou household, naturally including Madam Wu who was also staying in the Dou family’s guest rooms.

Madam Wu smiled warmly and invited Ji Yong to stay for tea.

Ji Yong didn’t stand on ceremony and sat below Madam Wu, asking: “Why haven’t I seen Brother Wu these past few days?”

He stayed in the guest rooms on the east side of the East Manor, while Wu Shan stayed with his mother and sister in the guest rooms on the west side.

Madam Wu smiled and said: “We’re setting off for the capital in a few days. Perhaps worried about his father testing his studies, he’s been shut in his room working hard these past few days, studying by lamplight until midnight, not letting anyone disturb him. Today, if it weren’t for Zhi’er, we probably couldn’t have gotten his door open — he went out with Zhi’er, saying some classmates wanted to send him off.”

Ji Yong smiled when he heard this: “No wonder Brother Wu is so popular. He has such an open and generous nature. That day, if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have found that farm!”

Madam Wu was startled and asked: “What farm?”

Ji Yong’s smile faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered and said: “Oh, we went out playing that day and got lost. Brother Wu helped us find our way.” Then he lifted his teacup and took several large sips, as if trying to hide something.

Madam Wu became suspicious.

After seeing Ji Yong off, she questioned Wu Shan’s servant.

Although the servant had been warned by Wu Shan, he didn’t dare hide anything from Madam Wu and quickly spilled all the details about Dou Zhao’s kidnapping like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.

When Madam Wu heard this, her face changed dramatically. She repeatedly asked the servant: “When you arrived, that Pang Kunbai was already beaten half to death? And the Fourth Miss was completely unharmed, with unfamiliar guards all around her?”

The servant swore: “Madam, I dare not lie to you. If I speak one false word, may heaven strike me dead!”

Madam Wu made a gesture to stop him from speaking further and quietly instructed: “Never mention this matter again, or you’ll be beaten to death.”

The servant shuddered, nodding repeatedly as he scrambled out of the hall.