Chapter 27 — The Unexpected

Not long after Aunt left, word came from Jiangnan.

The household was thrown into chaos at once.

First Aunt, unable to bear the shock, took to her bed; Third Aunt took charge of the inner affairs of the East Dou branch. Third Uncle took Second Cousin Dou Yuchang with him to Yangzhou to see to First Uncle's funeral arrangements, Fourth Cousin Dou Rongchang assisted Sixth Uncle in managing the family's sundry business, and Grandfather seemed to have aged ten years overnight, lying all day on the reclining chair in his study, staring blankly at nothing.

A gloom hung over both the East and West Dou households.

None of it touched Dou Yan. She went on dragging into her room whatever took her fancy each day. Dou Huaiying teased her: "Not going to see your sister anymore?"

"Concubine Wang doesn't like me going to see her." Dou Yan pouted, looking utterly unconcerned, though a small hurt flickered in her eyes.

Dou Huaiying's heart skipped a beat. He said nothing, only reached out to smooth Dou Yan's dark hair, and murmured, "Very well then. Father will teach you to write."

Dou Yan asked Dou Huaiying, "When is Grandmother coming?"

The Mid-Autumn Festival was almost upon them, and she hoped to have a word with Grandmother then.

Dou Huaiying's brows drew together slightly. "Who told you to call Aunt Cui 'Grandmother'?"

Dou Yan cursed inwardly.

Grandmother had only come to be called "Grandmother" after Dou Xiao was born. From the time she was old enough to understand, she had lived her whole life alongside Grandmother, and in her memory she had always called her "Grandmother"—she had clean forgotten this point.

She had no choice but to hedge: "If not Grandmother, then what should I call her?"

"You must call her Aunt Cui!" Dou Huaiying instructed his daughter patiently. "Your First Uncle has passed away from illness, and everyone is in low spirits. I'm afraid this year's Mid-Autumn Festival won't be celebrated on any grand scale. Aunt Cui will likely stay at the farm for the holiday." Then he asked her, "Why do you want to see Aunt Cui?"

Dou Yan said, "They say Aunt Cui knows how to farm!"

Dou Huaiying laughed heartily. "That's right—your Aunt Cui is very good with crops. Her farm has always brought in the best returns of all our farms." As he spoke, his gaze turned somewhat distant.

Perhaps this was the sorrow of a concubine's son.

Dou Chi spoke of these things with Father again no more, and drew Father off to the study to practice calligraphy.

That year on the fifteenth of the eighth month, they did no more than share mooncakes. Compared with former years, when they had admired the moon and viewed the lanterns, it was a far quieter affair.

The maids whispered among themselves: "Who knows when this mourning period will ever end!"

By the end of the ninth month, First Uncle's coffin had been brought back to Zhending County.

The Dou family put on hemp and white, and half of Zhending County was clad in white.

The county magistrate of Zhending and Sixth Uncle and Father waited in person at the city gate to receive First Uncle's coffin. Grandfather and the Second Old Madam, being elders, did not attend the funeral.

Dou Yan met her ninth cousin, Dou Huanchang, whose childhood name was "Lan'er."

He was sixteen this year, thin and pale, and he stood trembling before First Uncle's spirit tablet, thanking the mourners who came to pay their respects. But when he turned around, he flung himself into Grandfather's arms and wept aloud: "Father coughed up so much blood..."

Tears at once filled Grandfather's eyes. He gathered the boy's shoulders and comforted him softly: "Good child, from now on you shall study with your granduncle."

Dou Huanchang nodded, gazing at Grandfather with a look full of tender devotion.

Dou Yan sneered inwardly.

Grandfather had taught Father all wrong, and now he was here to ruin First Uncle as well.

No wonder Dou Huanchang had sat the imperial examinations for nearly twenty years without ever passing!

Every day she gritted her teeth and persevered in practicing three hundred large characters.

Dou Huanchang, however, was very kind to Dou Yan—they were the only two in the household wearing deep mourning.

He often brought Dou Yan the delicacies First Aunt made for him to taste, and Dou Yan's manner toward him gradually softened.

Soon it was the twelfth month, and the time had come for Dou Zhiwei's mother to observe the minor mourning rite.

Father would soon doff his mourning garments, but Dou Yan still had fifteen months of mourning to wear.

Third Aunt came to call and discussed with Grandfather the matter of taking a second wife for Father.

Since First Uncle's death, First Aunt was no longer the chief wife of the Dou clan. By rights, Second Aunt should have taken charge of the household, but Second Aunt was with Second Uncle at his post and could not return to the village with her children until affairs around Second Uncle were settled. The household was for the time being managed by Third Aunt.

Grandfather asked Third Aunt, "Have you any good families in mind?"

Third Aunt considered. "Eldest Sister-in-law has a young cousin who often visited our house as a child. Her character and looks are both fine, and Sister-in-law is of the same mind. Then there is the fifth young lady of the Zhu family of the provincial graduate in the east of the city, and the granddaughter of Magistrate Chen of Nanlou Township. Miss Zhu is gentle by nature and has studied for some years with her brothers; she has some acquaintance with poetry, the qin, calligraphy, and painting, so I expect she and Seventh Uncle would find much to talk about. Magistrate Chen once served as prefect of Songjiang. The young lady in question is the third in her family; I have not seen her, but she has long enjoyed a reputation for virtue. As for the other families, either their standing is a little beneath us or the girl's birth is not good—she is born of a concubine. I see no need to go and look them over."

Grandfather nodded, full of praise for Third Aunt's competence. "You have considered it thoroughly. Wanyuan is himself born of a concubine, so under no circumstances may he marry a concubine's daughter. I think we shall settle on the young lady of the Zhu family! As for the kinswoman of our eldest niece-in-law, she is too close to us—that is not always a good thing. Magistrate Chen fancies himself a scholar and carries himself with a certain pedantic air; a young lady raised in such a house would most likely be rather stiff."

Third Aunt rose with a smile. "Then I shall send word to the Zhu family. Whom would you like to send from your side to have a look at her?"

Aunt Ding, after making a spectacle of herself in the great hall, had pleaded illness and shut herself away. Grandfather was now attended by Qiufen, the senior maid who had formerly served Aunt Ding.

Grandfather was somewhat at a loss. He thought for a long while, then said, "You may as well make the decision for me."

Third Aunt departed, all smiles.

Dou Yan heard the news while bent over her rosewood writing desk, tracing characters in red.

Soon this household would have a new mistress, and she would have to move out of the main quarters.

From now on, her mother's presence would grow ever fainter in her life.

At the thought, a vague sense of bewilderment settled over her.

She only wondered where her father would put her.

When she got back, she would have Tuo Niang and the others start packing.

West Dou had no mistress to oversee the household just now; once the two families settled the match, Miss Zhu would likely be married in very soon.

Dou Yan set down her brush and gently flexed her aching wrist.

Her father, however, went off to Grandfather's rooms with his brows knitted.

"I do not wish to take a second wife." He looked straight at Grandfather, his brow filled with unshakable resolve. "I want to keep mourning for Guqiu for three years."