ATLAS TRANSLATES

By mid-June, the matter of Pang Kunbai’s robbery finally reached a conclusion.

Originally, Pang Yulou had wanted to say a few good words for her nephew, but because of Du An, she and Wang Yingxue were implicated in the instigation. Wang Madam naturally wouldn’t admit Wang Yingxue had anything to do with this – all blame fell on the daughter-in-law. Her daughter was merely deceived, she said, and wanted to divorce Pang Yulou. Wang Zhishao knelt with his two sons Wang Tan and Wang Shan before Wang Madam’s quarters to plead for his wife. Only then did Wang Madam change her stance, making Pang Yulou submit to her rules. Pang Yulou dared not say a word, diligently serving her mother-in-law each day, hoping only to weather this storm. She didn’t dare mention Pang Kunbai again.

Dou Shiying was furious.

He threw a copy of “Women’s Instructions” at Wang Yingxue, confining her to her room to copy it. She could only come out after completing one thousand copies. He then handed over the inner household affairs to Gaosheng’s wife, effectively stripping Wang Yingxue of her household management rights. He also chose a date to send Wang Yingxue back to her hometown in Zhending, to be disciplined by the Second Madam.

Wang Madam was shocked and pale.

Wang Yingxue’s childlessness was her greatest worry.

If Wang Yingxue was sent back to Zhending, at her age, wouldn’t that mean she would never have a son in this lifetime?

She personally pleaded with Dou Shiying.

Dou Shiying remained unmoved, showing unprecedented firmness.

With no other choice, Wang Madam went to beg Dou Shizhu.

Dou Shizhu smiled and said, “This is Seventh Brother’s family matter. As his elder brother, I really shouldn’t interfere.” Yet he hinted to Wang Madam, “Not just me, but even when Miss Shou pleaded for Seventh Brother’s wife, saying that if the Pang family compensated with twenty thousand taels of silver it would be enough, Seventh Uncle wouldn’t listen…”

Wang Madam’s eyes lit up. Upon returning, she forced the Pang family to compensate Dou Zhao with twenty thousand taels of silver.

The Pang family couldn’t possibly produce such a sum.

Wang Madam sneered, “Then take your daughter back. We can’t afford to keep such a wasteful person in our family!”

Pang Yulou was furious, sending her personal steward to persuade her three brothers: “Keep the mountain green, and you’ll never lack for firewood. Without the Wang family as our big tree, no amount of silver could protect us.”

Pang Jinlou urged their father: “We naturally can’t sell our ancestral properties. Second Brother’s taverns and teahouses, Third Brother’s money houses and pawnshops must be worth twenty thousand taels. If that’s not enough, we can mortgage our general store — with the store as collateral, those money houses will dare to lend us silver, and we’ll have capital to start over.”

The general store was Pang Jinlou’s property.

Their father nodded repeatedly, not caring whether Pang Yinlou and Pang Xilou agreed or not. He directly found someone to sell it, gathering twenty thousand taels of silver to send to the Western Dou residence.

Pang Yinlou and Pang Xilou kicked down Pang Jinlou’s front gate and chased after him to beat him.

Pang Jixiu’s wife Chen stood by with folded arms, watching the show with amusement.

Pang Jixiu was beside himself with rage and shouted at Chen, “Why aren’t you helping to pull Second Uncle and Third Uncle apart! If anything happens to my father, I’ll divorce you immediately!”

Chen wasn’t afraid at all.

Pang Jixiu wouldn’t feel satisfied without threatening divorce at least twice a day.

She dragged Pang Jixiu back to their room by his collar.

“Given what Pang Kunbai did, the Dou family showed mercy by not killing him. Yet you want me to help you fight? Dream on!” Chen said disdainfully, calling for her maid to pack their belongings. “Come stay at my parents’ home with me for a few days until this matter blows over.”

Pang Jixiu stormed off in a huff.

But Chen caught him by his collar again, dragging him from the doorway to the middle of the main hall.

“I’m being serious with you, and you better listen!” Chen’s face turned stern. Her large eyes flashed dangerously. “Come stay at my parents’ home right now. My mother hasn’t seen you in a while and says she misses her son-in-law.”

He couldn’t win in a fight, and scolding had no effect since she didn’t care.

Pang Jixiu could only stamp his feet in frustration.

Chen giggled and escorted Pang Jixiu out of the room.

Pang Yinlou’s wife was lying in the front courtyard wailing: “Pang Jinlou, you bastard! You instigated Father to sell our shop — what will we use to pay for Kunbai’s medical treatment? My poor Kunbai is like a living corpse…”

Pang Jixiu grew anxious and pointed at Pang Yinlou’s wife, saying to Chen, “Look!”

“What’s there to look at?” Chen walked on without turning back. “If he dies, he dies. Someone like him is just wasting food and clothes even while alive. Taking up space for nothing!”

Pang Jixiu was too angry for words.

Chen raised her hand and stuffed him into the carriage.

Her maid jumped onto the shaft, raised the whip, and the carriage rumbled out of the Pang residence.

Dou Zhao naturally didn’t want Wang Yingxue to return.

Out of sight, out of mind!

She had Suxin pass a message to the Pang family: “This twenty thousand taels is compensation for us. If they want me to put in a good word with Father for her, they need to bring another five thousand taels.”

The Pang family wailed in distress but dared not refuse. They borrowed five thousand taels at high interest and sent it over.

Dou Zhao wrote a letter to her father, saying the inner household would invite gossip without a mistress. Since Gaosheng’s wife was now managing affairs, they might as well keep Wang Yingxue around, just limiting her interactions with relatives in the future. Besides, she really didn’t want to live under the same roof as Wang Yingxue.

But Dou Shiying was determined to isolate Wang Yingxue. He agreed to let her stay in the capital but proposed sending Dou Ming back to Zhending to be disciplined by Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao refused.

Dou Shiying simply sent the person back.

Ten-year-old Dou Ming had delicate features and a slender frame, already showing signs of feminine fragility like a willow in the wind. But at this moment her snow-white face was tightly drawn, and her large almond eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire, more like a thorny rose than a water lily by the pond.

“Don’t think I’m happy to have you back,” Dou Zhao sat in the master chair of the main hall, speaking coolly. “If you want to blame someone, blame the Pang family. No need to direct your anger at me.” Then she pointed toward Qixia Court, “You’ll live in the west wing from now on. I’m assigning Du Ning to serve you. You can do whatever you want, just don’t intrude into my main quarters or disturb Concubine Cui in the east wing.” She stood up, “Come, I’ll take you to pay respects to Concubine Cui!”

Her sister’s cold gaze, composed manner, and that absolute confidence of having everything under control gave Dou Ming a sudden feeling of being back in childhood. It made her afraid to act rashly but also bred a gnawing hatred.

“What right do you have to order me around!” She couldn’t help but clench her fists and screech, speaking without thinking, “She’s just a concubine, don’t expect me to pay respects to a mere concubine!”

Dou Zhao stood still, coldly staring at her without a word.

A woman dressed as a matron hurriedly stepped forward to cover Dou Ming’s mouth: “Fourth Miss, please don’t take offense. Fifth Miss is just confused with anger. No, she’s not angry at you, but at the Master…” Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Dou Zhao recognized her.

In her previous life, she was the housekeeper matron Wang Madam found for Dou Ming after she went to the capital. Her surname was Zhou, and she had some distant relation to the Xu family. She was very loyal to Dou Ming and managed her household affairs meticulously.

Unexpectedly, they met again in this life.

She smiled slightly and said to Dou Ming who was struggling in Matron Zhou’s arms: “Don’t bring shame upon yourself. This time, I’ll only make you kneel in the flower hall for half an hour. If there’s a next time, I’ll make you kneel in the ancestral hall’s courtyard for two hours. If you don’t believe me, just try it!”

Dou Ming glared at her.

Dou Zhao instructed Matron Zhou: “Let her go. This isn’t the Wang residence, this is the Dou family. Above us is our great-grandmother, below us are nieces. If I don’t discipline her when she’s acting so wild, she’ll only ruin her own reputation and end up being ignored by everyone.”

Matron Zhou nodded repeatedly.

Dou Zhao heard her quietly advise Dou Ming “a wise man submits to circumstances” as she slowly released her grip.

Dou Ming indeed fell silent.

Dou Zhao took her to see their grandmother.

As they were both her granddaughters, Grandmother was very happy to see Dou Ming, holding her hand and asking constantly if she had eaten and slept well on the journey. She had Hong’er bring out all the delicacies in the room for Dou Ming to eat.

Dou Ming had no fondness for the Dou family and looked down on Grandmother’s food, but seeing Dou Zhao standing by with a smile yet threatening look in her eyes, she reluctantly humored Grandmother.

Grandmother watched and secretly sighed, and after letting Dou Ming go rest, she said to Dou Zhao: “Your father sent her back mainly because he didn’t want Madam Wang to spoil her. As her elder sister, you should be more understanding in some matters.” She further advised, “You’re sisters in this life, but may not be sisters in the next. This is also your fate.”

Dou Zhao wanted to say she had already been sisters with Dou Ming for two lifetimes… but not wanting to worry Grandmother, she respectfully agreed.

Grandmother smiled and hugged Dou Zhao, saying, “I knew our Shou’er was a magnanimous and sensible good child!”

“She thinks so too,” said Dou Zhao.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so polite earlier.

At this thought, she burst out laughing, her mood suddenly improving.

Back in her quarters, Dou Zhao called all the household managers to the flower hall and reassigned the household staff.

The kitchen staff, laundry room workers, stable hands, sedan chair bearers, and even the night watch women were all divided into three groups: the east wing staff to serve Concubine Cui, the main hall staff to serve her, and the west wing staff to serve Dou Ming. The east wing and main hall were managed by Gaoxing, while the west wing was managed by Matron Zhou, including the allocation of public expenses.

Matron Zhou was very surprised and hesitantly called out “Fourth Miss,” but was cut off by Dou Ming: “You were given to me by Grandmother, what is there to be unworthy of?” Then to Dou Zhao she said, “At least you know your place!”

No one had ever dared speak to Dou Zhao like this before.

All the servants in the room lowered their heads in fear, and the room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Dou Zhao picked up her teacup, gently brushing the tea leaves floating on top with the lid, her jade bracelet making a clinking sound like drums beating against people’s hearts, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

“Dou Ming, do your knees hurt?” Dou Zhao asked softly, “Can you kneel for another half hour?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Dou Ming’s face.

After paying respects to Grandmother, Dou Zhao had made her kneel in the flower hall as punishment. She had been dismissive, but one of Dou Zhao’s maids had forcibly dragged her to the flower hall where she knelt for half an hour. Her knees were still aching.

“Dou Ming,” Dou Zhao said, “I treat you as a sister and have the servants treat you as a young miss, but if you don’t respect this respect, I can also treat you as a stranger, and the servants need not show you deference either.”

Dou Ming glanced at Suxin behind Dou Zhao and fell silent like a cicada in winter.