Chapter 68 — Encounter

"A job like this calls for someone who can read and reckon, doesn't it?" Dou Xin said. "Gousheng can only write his own name. I say we let Cui Min lend Boyan a hand instead—isn't he studying at the county school?"

She knew her grandmother disliked having the Cui family entangled in Dou family affairs, fearing people would say the Cuis were pushing their luck and taking advantage of the Dous. But compared with Zhao Liangbi, Cui Min was the better choice.

Besides, she had resolved never to marry in this life—she owed Cui Min a way forward, at the very least.

Her grandmother, hearing this, was indeed hesitant.

Dou Yan was a nimble-minded man; a turn of thought and he understood. He knew Dou Xin meant to elevate the Cui family, and there was no reason to refuse.

"Then let it be so," he said with a smile. "I'll trouble Fourth Aunt to send someone to bring Cui Min to my place in the next couple of days. Once the Double Ninth Festival is past, I'll set to work on it."

Dou Xin agreed readily.

For her grandmother to object further would have seemed petty. So the matter was dropped, and everyone fell to talking about the sunrise they had seen at the Dafang Temple: "...woken in the middle of the night by gongs and drums—someone had actually brought opera boys to sing *Han Qi, the Prince of Qi* before the main hall, and we watched together with the temple's monks and pilgrims. As the sky began to pale, we went up with that same man, one behind the other, to the Twin Geese Pagoda at Dafang Temple to watch the sun rise. Only when we came down from the pagoda, the man had vanished. If only we could have made his acquaintance—that would have been something."

Dou Yan was full of regret.

Wu Shan, however, did not share it. "The man was finely dressed and carried boys and singing girls about with him. I'd say he's not the respectable sort. Better not to know him."

"But the man was witty," Dou Yan countered. "Elegant in conversation, unrestrained in manner—I'd say he's a man of true feeling."

"Enough, enough. Why spoil the harmony over a stranger?" Dou Yong interjected, smiling. "Are we still going to the Yuquan Temple tomorrow?"

Dou Yan looked puzzled. "What would you be doing at the Yuquan Temple?"

"There's a century-old osmanthus at the Lingyan Temple," Dou Yong said. "It was struck by lightning and burned last year, but I hear it has put out new branches lately. We thought we'd go and see."

Dou Yan burst out laughing. "A few days ago Boyan was boasting to my father that you were all at home studying like madmen, drilling your thighs with awls and your heads to the beams. So that was just to fool the elders?"

"We truly were studying at home these past days," Wu Shan said quickly. "Master Du has gone off to visit friends these last few days and given us seven days' leave—that's the only reason we're out wandering about."

Dou Yan was quite envious.

"Then let's go to the Yuquan Temple tomorrow as well," her grandmother said.

"The Lingyan Temple is built on the mountaintop," Wu Shan said hastily. "There are nine hundred and ninety-nine steps from the gate to the main hall. If you mean to go tomorrow, I'll hire a sedan chair for you."

"No need, no need," her grandmother said, smiling. "Nine hundred and ninety-nine steps is nothing. I can still climb."

Dou Yan and the others were doubtful, but the next day they still had two sedan chairs follow along.

Dou Yan climbed all the way to the summit with her grandmother in one breath, while Wu Shan and the others were still gasping at the turn of the path.

She could not help laughing.

The sound was clear and sweet as large and small pearls dropping onto a jade tray, and Abbot Tuyin, waiting with a smile before the main hall, could not help but look at Dou Yan twice.

Someone nearby gave a startled "Eh?"

Dou Xin followed the sound, and all at once felt her eyes light up.

Beneath a cypress not far off stood a young man of about fifteen or sixteen, his face like polished jade, a pair of eyes both clear and bright. He wore a straight robe of blue-green bamboo-colored brocade patterned all over, a white jade pin in his hair, and at his waist hung a pouch, a jade pendant, a sachet, a folding fan, and the like. He stood there quietly, his bearing radiant.

Behind him followed two young attendants, no more than twelve or thirteen, both with delicate features and a strong air of scholarship that made one reluctant to take them lightly.

Seeing Dou Yan look his way, he smiled and cupped his hands in salute, his manner composed and gracious.

Dou Xin smiled faintly and nodded to him.

Her grandmother, however, was somewhat displeased.

Tuyin said quickly, "When your household's letter arrived yesterday, this young gentleman had already retired for the night."

The implication being that it would have been rude to turn him out.

Fortunately her grandmother was not a harsh person; she nodded with a smile, let the matter pass, and stood to one side with Dou Yan to wait for Dou Yan and the others.

The young man then asked Abbot Tuyin, "Might I ask where that century-old osmanthus is—the one whose withered branches have put forth new growth?"

So he too had come to see the osmanthus.

Dou Yan pricked up her ears to listen.

"Just behind the Chengguang Hall," Abbot Tuyin said with a smile. "I'll have someone take the benefactor there at once."

The young man thanked him, and he and his two attendants followed the guest-receiving monk to the rear hall.

Dou Yan and the others came clambering up, bent double and clutching their backs.

"Aunt Cui tends the fields every day—I concede to her," Dou Huaide said. "But Fourth Sister does nothing but sit on the kang doing needlework or bend over her desk writing. How does she climb so fast too?"

Dou Yan laughed smugly. "You think needlework and writing take no strength?" In her heart, though, she was grateful her grandmother dragged her out walking every day.

Dou Huaide and the others naturally did not believe it.

Dou Xin said, "Well, are you all going to see the osmanthus or not? Someone's already gone ahead of us to the back of the Chengguang Hall."

"Who?" Dou Yong and the others fell to discussing it. "Anyone who thinks the same as us can't be a common sort. Why not invite him to join us for the noon meal?"

They had brought vegetarian dishes prepared by the Dou household cooks up the mountain with them.

Wu Shan asked, "And what about Fourth Sister?"

The group immediately deflated.

Dou Yi felt rather let down as well.

Dou Yan said, "If Fourth Sister comes out with us again, she may as well dress up as a page boy."

Dou Yan's heart stirred, and she shot a quick glance at Grandmother.

Grandmother seemed not to have heard; she stood smiling to one side, examining a green pine.

Dou Yan wanted nothing more than to rush over and hug Grandmother tightly.

The party went around to the back of the Chengguang Hall.

From amid the withered branches of an old tree a new shoot had sprouted, its leaves vivid green and brimming with life; it was enclosed by a wooden fence, and tiny pale-yellow buds had already formed. Not a soul was in sight.

"Didn't you say someone had gotten ahead of us?" Dou Huaide asked Dou Yan, looking all around as he spoke.

Dou Yi was full of puzzlement: "If you don't believe me, you can ask Aunt Cui."

The abbot, Tuyin, laughed and said, "They may have gone down the mountain by the side path."

Only then did Dou Ci notice that there was a small path beside the great hall.

This person was rather courteous, at least.

She thought to herself, as she and Dou Yong and the others listened to Abbot Tuyin recount the history of the tree.

※※※※※

After two days of outings, though Grandmother's spirits remained as good as ever, Dou Yan was still worried, and so she did not join the third day's lake excursion, resting at home with Grandmother instead.

Grandmother said hesitantly, "Are you really going to have Cui Min follow Boyan?"