Chapter 8 — The Incident

Dou Yan would have liked to drop her mother a hint or two, but then she remembered that a whole roomful of maids was still shut up in the side chamber, awaiting disposal.

She scrambled up and sat on the bed, calling loudly for "Papa."

If her mother were clever enough, she ought to seize the moment, catch on, and carry her off to her father.

And if Grandfather took issue with it, all she had to do was lay the blame at her daughter's feet—surely Grandfather would not hold a grudge against a child who knew no better?

But clearly she had overestimated her mother's cleverness—and her own influence.

Seeing her fuss, her mother frowned with displeasure: "It's so late. Why is this child still awake?" Then she instructed Nurse Yu: "Take the girl away! She's making my head ache."

Nurse Yu smiled at her mother apologetically and briskly helped her into her clothes. "There, there, Fourth Young Miss. Nurse Yu will take you to your wet nurse. Don't cry..."

Dou Yan dearly wanted to roll her eyes at her mother the way the village women on the estate did, to show her contempt.

How could her mother be so childish?

Had she been like her mother, she would long ago have been picked clean to the bone.

Dou Chu clung to the bed curtain hanging by the bed, weeping and crying for "Papa," but in the end Nurse Yu carried her off by force to the warm chamber behind the inner room.

With her mother gone, Dou Yan settled down, and she let Nurse Yu set her limply on the kang.

Silently Nurse Yu smoothed her tangled hair. Seeing Dou Zhiwei's gaze turn somewhat vacant, she said in a low voice, "Do you feel too that something about today is not quite right? I want to slip out and take a look. You stay here like a good girl and don't make a fuss, all right?"

Dou Yan perked up at once.

So the true master hides her talents!

Who would have guessed Nurse Yu was so shrewd and capable?

Her eyes went wide, and she nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

Nurse Yu was taken aback, then smiled kindly, and said with some feeling, "Our Fourth Young Miss is truly clever. So young, and yet she has everything worked out in her heart. Not like the Seventh Madam..." Here she stopped short, and muttered to herself, "What am I doing, talking about such things to a child..." Then she turned and called a maid in: "Hanxiao, stay here with the Fourth Young Miss. I'm going to look in at the Hall of Crane Longevity."

Hanxiao was seventeen or eighteen, comely, and had the gentle, steady look of a reliable sort.

At Nurse Yu's words she was startled, but she quickly composed her face and answered "Yes," adding with great quickness, "If anything happens, I'll have Shuangzhi fetch you at once."

Nurse Yu nodded in satisfaction and hurried out of the warm chamber.

Hanxiao and Dou Yan got onto the heated kang. Seeing that Dou Yan neither cried nor fussed, but sat as still and sober as a grown person, she smiled faintly and asked softly, "Fourth Young Miss, shall I pat you to sleep?"

Dou Yan shook her head.

Hanxiao's smile deepened. "Then shall I play cat's cradle with you?"

Did she look like a child who loved cat's cradle?

Dou Yan shook her head.

Hanxiao laughed. "Then what would you like to do?"

"Wait... for Nurse," said Dou Yan.

Hanxiao looked at her in surprise.

Dou Yan paid her no mind. She dragged a big bolster over, leaned against it, and stared into space.

Hanxiao could not help laughing, and tucked a thin quilt around her.

She had sensed something amiss from the way her father treated her mother—but where had Nurse Yu seen that something was wrong?

What else was there that she did not know?

Dou Yan pondered, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

No. She had to wait until Nurse Yu came back.

She had to know what had happened!

And Tuoniang—who on earth was she, really?

Dou Yan shook her head and forcibly prised her upper lids from her lower.

But a few breaths later, her eyelids drooped again of their own accord.

She must not sleep!

If she fell asleep, she might well be sent back again.

And then what if she returned to that dream of the wisteria blossoms?

"Hanxiao," Dou Yan said, forcing her eyes wide, "Nurse—find!"

"No!" Hanxiao waved her hand gently. "I'm to stay here with you."

"I—be good!" said Dou Yan.

Smiling, Hanxiao mulled it over for a good while. Seeing Dou Yan's expression grow more and more resolute, she said hesitantly, "All right, I'll go see what Granny Yu is up to." Then she called Shuangzhi in.

Shuangzhi was a round-faced little maid, who accompanied Dou Yan silently.

Before long, Hanxiao slipped back in: "Fourth Miss, Granny Yu has gone with the Madam to the Old Master's quarters."

"Oh!" Dou Yan told Hanxiao to go find Granny Yu.

Hanxiao would not agree on any account: "...if I'm caught, this slave won't get off with less than a flaying."

That was true enough.

Dou Yan had once run a household and knew just how severe such matters could be.

She could only wait for Granny Yu and her mother to return, and cursed herself for being so bound hand and foot—unlike in that other dream, the one with the wisteria flowers, where she could do whatever she pleased.

Time crept by, and still there was no sign of her mother and Granny Yu. Dou Zhiwei's eyelids stuck together and would not come apart.

She sank into a sweet, sound sleep.

It seemed only an instant, and it seemed ten thousand years, before Dou Yan woke.

Without a thought, she sprang up.

Someone beside her was calling, "Fourth Miss."

Dou Yan opened her eyes and saw Shuangzhi's smiling round face.

She let out a long breath of relief.

Still in the dream.

All at once she felt steady again, and asked Shuangzhi, "Hanxiao? Nanny? Mother?"

"Hanxiao was sent for by Granny Yu." Smiling, Shuangzhi helped Dou Yan into her clothes and told a little maid to bring in hot water.

The warm chamber came alive with bustle.

Only then did Dou Ci realize that the day was already bright.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she asked Shuangzhi, "Hanxiao—where is she?"

Shuangzhi smiled. "At the Old Master's quarters." As she spoke, from the corner of her eye she caught a gap parted in the warm curtain, and someone peering in.

Her face darkened, and she called out in a low voice, "Who's that skulking outside the warm curtain?"

At once a little maid went to draw the curtain aside.

The person behind it had nowhere to hide, and twisted her fingers nervously: "I—I was looking for the Fourth Miss..." Then, bluffing loudly, "It was the Fourth Miss who asked me to inquire about someone for her..."

Dou Yan looked toward the voice and saw Xiangcao.

Her heart stirred faintly, and she called out loudly, "Xiangcao."

Shuangzhi and the little maid looked bewildered, but let Xiangcao in all the same.

Xiangcao tipped up her chin at Shuangzhi and the little maid in triumph, then scurried up to Dou Yan like a fawning lackey and said meekly, "Fourth Miss, I've found that Tuoniang you spoke of." Having said it, she paused a beat, gazing at Dou Yan with a certain hope in her eyes.

Dou Yan smiled faintly.

In the Jining Marquis's household she had seen plenty of maids like this.

To rise above their station, so long as they glimpsed the least glimmer of hope, they would strain every nerve to seize it.

She felt no distaste for such people or such methods.

If everyone were content with things as they were, what would there be left to strive for in life?

Only Xiangcao was too flighty in her dealings, pinning her hopes on a child who did not yet know better, lacking any sense of weighing the times and planning far ahead. Still, she owed Xiangcao thanks. Otherwise, how would she ever have had word of Tuoniang?

Dou Yan said to Shuangzhi, "Reward her—Xiangcao!"

Shuangzhi could not make up her mind.

As the mistress of the house, the Fourth Miss was far too... young!

Ought she first to ask the Seventh Madam's leave?