Chapter 82 — An Outing

In summer the Jingjue Temple was lush with ancient trees and swept by a crisp, refreshing breeze, yet it could not compare with the quiet elegance of the Dou family's rear courtyard. Still, for a sheltered young lady like Dou Pinyi, who rarely got out of doors more than a few times a year, every corner here was a delight, brimming with charms and curiosities.

She tugged at Wu Ya and pointed at a rockery not far off. "Look, doesn't it look like a young lady waiting to do her makeup?"

Wu Ya glanced at it without interest. "That's Lingbi stone. Small pieces are all right for ornament, but along a bamboo grove like this they ought to have used Taihu stone!" With that, her gaze drifted back to Dou Yan and Dou Pinshu, who were walking ahead of them.

The two were whispering secrets together—mostly Dou Pinshu talking and Dou Yan listening; now and then Dou Yan would answer her a sentence or two, and she would giggle like a guileless girl of seven or eight.

So carefree, so utterly without a care in the world!

Wu Ya grumbled inwardly.

Dou Pinyi was a little put out. "Wu Ya, what's the matter with you? You've been wearing a long face all day, and whatever anyone says you have to snap back at them. If you look down on a country place like Jingjue Temple, just say so outright—carrying on like this, not a single pleasant word, really spoils everyone's mood!" And she shook off Wu Ya's hand.

"Oh, I'm not angry with you," Wu Ya said hurriedly, taking Dou Pinyi's hand again by way of amends—though she could hardly admit she was jealous of Dou Yan, so she only said, "I just think it's too hot, and walking about like this leaves me soaked through, very uncomfortable."

"It's not so bad!" Dou Pinyi looked up at the dense foliage overhead. "Why do I feel it's much cooler here than at home?"

"Or perhaps I'm just too sensitive to the heat!" Wu Ya said vaguely, and quickly changed the subject. "When I was in the capital, I ran into your fifth aunt."

"Really?" Dou Pinyi had always longed for the capital. Her father, Dou Guangchang, neither helped with the family's affairs nor held any official rank, so her chances of going to the capital were very slim. Hearing that this was news from the capital, she at once asked with great interest, "How is she?"

"I met her when I went with my mother to the wedding feast at Elder He's house, when his son took a wife," Wu Ya said. "She's living at her maternal grandmother's. She's grown about as tall as I am. She speaks softly and sweetly, and when she smiles she shows two dimples. She gets along famously with the He sisters, and when she saw me she greeted me properly enough. She seems to be doing quite well."

Dou Pinyi was taken aback. "Isn't Uncle Seven's residence in the Yunqi Temple Lane? Why is she staying at her maternal grandfather's house? And her mother? Isn't her mother living with her?"

"I hear Old Madam Wang is very fond of her," Wu Ya said, "and insisted on keeping her by her side. Her mother looks a bit haggard, not in the best spirits." Then she leaned close to Dou Pinyi's ear. "I heard a lady at the feast say that she has borne no son, and still won't let your Uncle Seven take a concubine."

Dou Pinyi was greatly startled.

Wu Ya said quickly, "Whatever you do, don't tell anyone!"

"I know, I know!" Dou Pinyi nodded again and again. "If my mother heard me saying such things—"

Wu Ya breathed a sigh of relief.

Dou Pinyi gazed for a long while at Dou Yan ahead, who was admiring the bamboo with Dou Pinshu, then hesitated. "Seventh Aunt, do you think we ought to tell Fourth Aunt about this?"

"What would we tell her for?" Wu Ya said, hastily heading her off. "What if she told your great-grandmother?"

True enough.

Dou Pinyi nodded, and when she looked at Dou Zhiwei again there was a little more sympathy and pity in her eyes.

Dou Fan noticed nothing; all the way along she chatted idly with Dou Pinshu as they climbed the little hill behind the Great Mercy Hall, on which stood an octagonal pavilion.

Dou Yong and the others had arrived long before. A dozen or so boys of eight or nine were already there, some setting out stone tables and stools, some tending little red-clay stoves, others arranging brush, ink, paper, inkstones, and Go and backgammon boards.

Seeing Dou Yan drag Dou Pinshu into the pavilion, Wu Shan looked at Wu Ya and Dou Pinyi, who, supported by two serving women, were still only halfway up, and with a smile handed over a lotus-leaf cup of sky-blue glaze. "Try this—snow water from plum blossoms that the abbot of Jingjue Temple has kept for years."

Dou Chi reached out for it, laughing. "You give it to me to drink—then what will you use to boil your tea?"

Wu Shan glanced back at Dou Yong and the others, who were gathered together talking, then winked at her and lowered his voice. "It's only one cup. They won't know."

Dou Yan stifled a laugh, but Dou Pinshu beside her snatched the lotus-leaf cup away and scolded, "You two push it back and forth, and here stands someone with her mouth on fire!" With that she sipped the snow water down, little by little, then let out a long breath. "That's wonderful!"

Wu Shan and Dou Yan exchanged a glance and could not help laughing.

The laughter drew Dou Yan's notice, and he strode over. "What are you laughing at?"

Wu Shan shot a look at Dou Pinshu. "Nothing, nothing—Sister Shu just told a joke."

Dou Pinshu looked at the empty cup in her hand and grinned at Dou Junqi.

At last Wu Ya and Dou Pinyi climbed up. Seeing the gentle smile on her brother's face, Wu Ya felt a sourness rise in her heart and called out coquettishly, "Brother! I'm so tired!"

"That's why I told you not to come!" Wu Shan said, with no tender consideration for the fair sex. "Fourth Sister walks several circuits around the east courtyard every day, and even helps Aunt Cui pull weeds and catch insects. How can you compare with Fourth Sister?"

Wu Ya was so angry that tears welled up and spun round her eyes.

Dou Qu stepped in to smooth things over. "We're all thirsty. Isn't the tea ready yet?"

Wu Shan's young servant came running over with a teacup. "It's ready, it's ready, Fourth Miss, it's ready!" Then he looked up, saw Wu Ya and the others, faltered for a moment, and ran back with the cup still in his hands.

Everyone looked on, puzzled.

He came running back with several more cups of tea, sweating profusely and saying, "Young Master, Young Misses, please have some tea."

Everyone burst out laughing.

The mood turned merry.

Dou Yan and the other girls sat on the bamboo-mat-covered benches in the pavilion drinking tea, while Dou Qiguang sketched the hills and woods in the distance. Gradually Dou Yong, Dou Pinyi, and the others were drawn over to watch.

Wu Ya was just wondering whether she should go over and have a look when she saw her brother coming toward her.

"Fourth Sister, what have you been up to these days?" He sat down beside Wu Ya. "At the end of this month I'm going to the capital with Mother and A-Qi. I probably won't be back until after the New Year. Is there any letter or anything you'd like me to take to Uncle Seven?" His manner was open and wholly natural.

Dou Xin said, "People from the family go to the capital all the time; there's nothing in particular to send."

Wu Shan said, "Is there anything you would like me to bring back for you? Whenever the Pu Ji Temple and Bai Yun Monastery in the capital hold their temple fairs, people from every corner of the land gather there, and you can buy absolutely anything."

"I can't think of anything I lack," Dou Xin said. "If I do remember something, it won't be too late to have Fourth Brother Wu bring it then."

So Wu Shan asked, "I heard Sixth Aunt say you grow lotuses in a vat. How do you do it? Can they survive?"