Chapter 24 — Schemes

Dou Xin giggled and let go of Dou Ming's hair, but then poked Dou Ming's cheek.

Wang Shuying's heart leapt into her throat. "Your sister is still small—you mustn't poke her face!" Her voice came out sharper than she intended.

Dou Ji went to play with her little sister's hands.

She did it on purpose, surely!

Wang Shuying was furious.

Better to do it in front of everyone and be scolded as "naughty" than to harm the child behind their backs; a single word—"childish"—and the whole blame could be shrugged off...

What Zhao Guqiu had given birth to was no child at all, but a little demon!

The thought flashed through her mind, and try as she might to keep her composure, a trace of stiffness crept into Wang Shuying's expression. "Shouyuan, you mustn't play with your sister's hands either!"

Hearing this, Dou Huaiying felt a flicker of displeasure.

Shouyuan only wanted to get close to her little sister. If she had been careless and too rough, the child would naturally have cried out in discomfort. Yet the baby lay snug and content in the wet nurse's arms—plainly Shouyuan had been very gentle.

He felt Wang Shuying doted on her own child too much, and was somewhat harsh toward Shouyuan.

Third Aunt and Aunt Ding shared the feeling. Neither, however, was in a position to say anything—the former had only been asked by Dou Duo to temporarily oversee the household affairs of the Western Dou branch, and it would not do for her to meddle in such family matters; the latter's status here meant it was not her place to speak. But that did not mean the two had no opinions or allegiances. Third Aunt especially—she was, after all, the legitimate wife. Toward the Zhao family she would naturally speak up for the Dou. But behind closed doors, she held the deepest contempt for a concubine like Wang Shuying, who had wormed her way into the household by sordid means.

She gave a cold sniff inwardly, then went up beaming and scooped Dou Yan into her arms, quietly carrying her away from Dou Ming's side. "Silly child, you mustn't be naughty—mind you don't hurt your little sister!"

Too far is as bad as too little.

Wang Shuying was already nervous enough today.

She was, after all, only a three-year-old child. If Wang Shuying were truly driven to desperation and resorted to force without a care for the consequences, that would hardly be worth it!

Dou Xin smiled and wound her arms around Third Aunt's neck.

Third Aunt praised her as a "good girl" and said to Dou Huaiying, "Everything is settled here with Concubine Wang. I shall be going now. If anything comes up, just send someone to tell me."

Wang Shuying had gone into labor in the middle of the night; Third Aunt and Aunt Ding had been busy ever since.

Dou Huaiying thanked her profusely and, together with Aunt Ding, saw Third Aunt out.

Wang Shuying instructed her personal maid, Mama Hu: "From now on, Shouyuan is not to come near the girl, and certainly not to be alone with her."

Mama Hu was startled and said hesitantly, "Would that be wise? The Fourth Young Miss is, after all, a true legitimate daughter of the Dou household. If she could play together with the girl, nothing could be better..."

"You don't understand!" Wang Shuying said, still shaken. "That child... there's something uncanny about her. If you run into her in future, keep your wits about you." Seeing Mama Hu look somewhat dismissive, and reflecting that it was Mama Hu who managed all the affairs of her chambers, she thought for a moment and told her what Dou Zhiwei had said: "...Tell me, how would a three-year-old child know such things?"

Mama Hu mused, "Perhaps... someone told her?"

"Impossible!" Wang Shuying said. "Zhao Guqiu is gone. Who else in this household would be so idle as to do such a thing!"

Yet her thoughts drifted back to the past.

She had been jilted, while Zhao Guqiu was about to be married.

Her family could no longer afford to return the Zhao betrothal gifts. Her mother was too ashamed to go, so she was sent with ten taels of silver as a congratulatory gift. It seemed too paltry, so she picked out two bolts of fine silk from the Lei family's betrothal gifts, one red and one yellow, and hurriedly embroidered two handkerchiefs to bring along.

Joy overflowed from the corners of Zhao Guqiu's eyes and brows—not the slightest trace of worry or reluctance at leaving home.

Everyone teased Zhao Guqiu.

But Zhao Guqiu said, utterly unabashed, "I've been hoping every day to marry him, and now my wish has come true—I truly cannot bring myself to feel sad!" She set them all rocking with laughter, and left Wang Shuying envious and more than a little curious.

When the Dou family came to fetch the bride, she slipped off to watch the ceremony.

A tall chestnut horse bore the bridegroom in his red robes, his face like white jade, his eyes like the morning star, and a joy that could not be hidden came rushing at her, searing itself deep into her heart.

Later still, life at home grew harder and harder. Her brother's marriage prospects came to nothing, and the suitors who came to her door were either widowers who had buried their wives, or idle wastrels with no trade, or dull clods with some infirmity... Recalling the scene of Zhao Guqiu's wedding, she felt herself more worthless than ever, and the desolation in her heart deepened.

Until one day, Squire He of the town engaged the county magistrate as matchmaker and came to seek her hand for his idiot son, past twenty and still wetting the bed—and it was then that she met Dou Huaiying...

He was just as she had imagined: gentle and refined, thoughtful and attentive.

Her heart would not stop pounding.

Better to follow Dou Huaiying than to marry a man she could not look at without wanting to vomit.

At least Dou Huaiying was handsome and kind-hearted. If she followed him, she need not fear being cast aside after being taken. And Zhao Guqiu had been raised in the palm of her brothers' and sisters-in-law's hands, sheltered and inexperienced, not one of those sly, venomous sorts. Besides, the Western Dou branch had few heirs, and there was no seasoned mother-in-law in the inner quarters to govern them. So long as she bore a son and raised him well, saw him win honors, then with her birth and upbringing she could stand toe to toe with Zhao Guqiu—and when that day came, how would she be any different from a legitimate wife?

She had thought it all through, calculated it all—but never expected Zhao Guqiu to be so unyielding!

And what she had never expected was that after Zhao Guqiu's death, strange things would come thick and fast around her, leaving her sitting on pins and needles every day, trembling with fear, until the child came early, and her affair with Dou Huaiying was exposed to every eye, like fire that no paper could wrap...

What was she to do now?

At the thought, Wang Shuying felt as though a thousand needles were pricking her temples.

Who on earth was that person?

Suddenly the image of Dou Yan's eyes arose in her mind—bright, yet tinged with a faint mockery.

Could it be Shouyuan?

No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be!

Wang Shuying shook her head.

She was only a three-year-old child... Or had Zhao Guqiu put the girl up to it?

Impossible, impossible!

Wang Ying murmured to herself.

Father had once said that all talk of ghosts and spirits was nothing but the deluded fancy of an unsettled mind.

Matron Hu thought Wang Shuying looked as though she had been frightened out of her wits, her face rather ghastly, and hastened to say, "Concubine, has something come back to you? Do you know who means you harm?"

Wang Shuying's expression turned stern.

Zhao Guqiu was already dead. How had she come to frighten herself like this?

At that thought, she quickly reined in her scattered wits and said, "Don't go saying such things. In any case, you must remember what I told you. Whatever happens, do not let Shouyuan and the girl be thrown together."

Matron Hu nodded, puzzled.

Dou Huaiying came back.