Chapter 61 — Sisters (Bonus Update for 360 Pink Votes)

The boys who had come to swim last time—Pang Jixiu among them—took turns coming to thank Dou Yan, but none of the Dou Jue elders appeared; Dou Shi and the others were afraid of being scolded by their elders.

Dou Yan thought that was just as well.

The whole affair had happened on Grandmother's estate, and the Dou Jue clan already harbored prejudices against Grandmother; they might well shift the blame onto her shoulders.

She instructed Hong Gu: "If anyone else comes to swim, do as I said—go into the village and find a few men to keep watch by the river. Better safe than sorry!"

Hong Gu assented again and again.

After Dou Yan had gone to see Tuo Niang, she asked Grandmother to find her a few maids to take back with her: "...I don't have a single capable person on my side."

Grandmother thought it over, then called for four or five young maids of suitable age.

Dou Yan recognized Ganlu and Sujuan.

At this point the two were called Erya and Zhaodi.

Dou Yan kept the two of them, gave them new names, and personally taught them proper conduct.

Just as in her former life, Ganlu was quick-witted and learned everything very fast. Sujuan was steady and thorough in everything she did. In her former life, Sujuan had managed her trunks and chests, while Ganlu had attended her closely at her side.

Dou Yan nodded to herself in approval.

When the eighth month came, the West Mansion sent people to fetch Dou Yan.

Dou Yan urged Grandmother: "Why don't you come back with me? The Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few days away."

"I'm not used to living there." Dou Yan had already lost count of how many times Grandmother had refused her. "Don't make me uncomfortable."

Dou Yan had no choice but to instruct Hong Gu again—not to leave Grandmother alone, not to let Grandmother rise so early to water the vegetable garden, not to let Grandmother go inspecting the fields at noon... On and on she fussed for a good while before finally setting out.

Hong Gu said to Grandmother: "The Fourth Miss truly wants to show you filial devotion. Carrying on like this will only break her heart."

"What do you know?" Lady Cui said displeasedly. "Shouyuan still lives in the main quarters. If I go, where would I stay?"

Hong Gu fell silent.

Back home, Dou Yan washed and changed, then went to pay her respects to her father.

Dou Huaiying lived in the study, while Dou Ming stayed with Wang Shuying in the Qixia Courtyard.

When she arrived, Dou Huaiying was bending over tending the chrysanthemums in the courtyard, Wang Shuying stood by serving him with a tray holding scissors and the like, and Dou Ming lay in the side corridor on Dou Huaiying's reclining chair, eating osmanthus cakes.

Catching sight of Dou Yan, she turned her face away and pretended not to see her.

Dou Huaiying, beaming, waved to her repeatedly: "You're back! How is Aunt Cui? Have you eaten yet?"

"..." Dou Yan said, then nodded to Wang Shuying. She called out "Madam," then glanced at the several chrysanthemums her father had carefully cultivated and smiled. "I never expected all your chrysanthemums to be in bud—they should bloom by Mid-Autumn, shouldn't they?" As she spoke, she bent down and stroked one of them. "Is this a black chrysanthemum, the kind that blooms black flowers?"

"How did you recognize it?" her father asked in surprise.

Dou Yan could not help laughing, and pointed at the flowerpot. "Because you're growing it in a Xianyang porcelain pot painted with magnolias."

Her father laughed too, reached out to take a handkerchief from the tray Wang Shuying held, wiped his hands, and went inside with Dou Yan. "Is it really true that only a few ginkgo trees are planted in the East Cross Courtyard?"

When Dou Zhiwei's great-grandfather built this residence, Dou Huancheng and Dou Yaocheng had only just married and established their households; hoping for the family fortunes to flourish and descendants to thrive, he built over a dozen courtyards large and small. By the time the residence passed to Dou Duo, apart from the halls and main quarters along the central axis, the Heshuo Hall on the west and the study and Qixia Courtyard in front still had people living in them. The East Cross Courtyard stood entirely empty, and after several decades, no matter how well maintained, it gave off a musty smell. Dou Huaiying had nothing to do at home, so he thought of tearing down the East Cross Courtyard after the mourning period and rebuilding it. Dou Yan felt that when the time came, her father would go to the capital to await official appointment; the matter would either be left to Wang Shuying, who remained at home, or Wang Shuying might follow him to the capital and leave the matter to her. Left to her, she truly had no interest in it; left to Wang Shuying, with Wang Shuying's taste, there was no telling what it would turn into. Better to leave it as it was, and so she suggested her father merely renovate the East Cross Courtyard and replant a few flowers, grasses, and trees.

Hearing Dou Zhiwei's ideas, Dou Huaiying felt his daughter seemed to have a real gift for construction, and from time to time he drew Dou Yan into discussions about renovating the East Cross Courtyard. They wrote and sketched for nearly a year without a single sign of work beginning, which only made Dou Yan more certain that her decision to stop her father from rebuilding the East Cross Courtyard had been absolutely correct.

Passing the side corridor, Dou Huaiying stopped and called out to Dou Ming, who was pretending to be asleep: "Your sister's back!"

Dou Ming had no choice but to open her eyes; afraid Dou Yan would see through her, she rubbed her eyes with feigned effort, put on a drowsy look, and mumbled, "Sister."

Dou Yan pretended not to notice and smiled. "I brought you some fresh dates—Haitang will deliver them to your room shortly."

Dou Ming rose reluctantly, bent her knees in a curtsy, and thanked Dou Yan.

Dou Huaiying gave a satisfied "Mm" and went into the study with Dou Yan.

Then Dou Ming jumped up and, tugging at Wang Shuying, said, "Mother, Mother, did you see Dou Yan? What sort of attitude is that? She neither greets you properly nor asks after your health..."

Wang Shuying turned her face away and said in a choking voice, "Who told me to be a second wife?" With that she wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, and when she turned back, though the tears were gone from her face, her eyes were bright red. "Ming, your father dotes on your sister for being clever and sensible. From now on you should learn more from her..."

"Not a chance!" Dou Ming said through gritted teeth—whether she meant that she would never learn to be clever and sensible from Dou Yan, or that Dou Yan would never win their father's favor, was unclear.

Wang Shuying sighed inwardly.

All these years, no matter how she tried to please Dou Huaiying, he remained impervious, merely humoring her, yet he doted on his two daughters exceedingly. With truly no other recourse, she had no choice but to push Dou Ming to the fore, hoping that for Dou Ming's sake Dou Huaiying might treat her a little better.

Dou Ming talked fiercely, but when it actually came to competing with Dou Yan, she was utterly helpless.

From the chatter of the maids around her she had learned that her mother wanted Dou Yan to manage the kitchen during Grandfather's mourning. But with a single word from Dou Chu, everyone from the kitchen's managing matrons to the little maids who picked vegetables had been driven out, and now the whole kitchen staff danced to Dou Zhiwei's tune—if Dou Yan took a few extra helpings of some dish, the entire household would be eating that same dish the next day.