Chapter 54 — Old Acquaintances

"Then I'll teach you to read!" Dou Yan said. "If you learn well, I'll speak to Grandmother and have you sent to a school."

Zhao Liangbi seized the sleeve of Dou Zhiwei's robe. "Fourth Young Lady, you must keep your word."

Dou Yan pressed her lips together and smiled.

Who could say what the future would bring? But starting with learning to read, starting with books, the road ahead was bound to be a little easier than it had been in her last life.

From that day on, Zhao Liangbi would finish his work each day, then lie prone beneath the eaves of the main hall, practicing his writing.

When Grandmother learned of it, she sent someone to Zhending City to pick out a basket or two of tracing paper, then cut the sheets herself and set them beneath the shrine in the main hall, so that whoever needed one could simply take one.

No wonder the people on the farm were grateful for Grandmother's kindness.

Dou Yan thought carefully about everything Grandmother did.

Soon the twenty-second of the month arrived.

Dou Yan rose early as usual, walked a circuit of the vegetable garden with Grandmother, picked some melons and fruit, bathed, ate breakfast, and began to practice her calligraphy.

Though the Dou family's western residence in Linzhang City was not decked with lanterns and colored silks, everyone from master to servant had changed into new clothes, and the sight was enough to lift one's spirits.

Seeing that the hour was growing late, Madam Ji went to the Second Old Madam's rooms, where she found the old lady still propped up on the kang, listening to her personal maid read aloud from The Romance of the Five Heroes. She smiled and said, "You certainly are the steady one. I was afraid of being late, so I changed my clothes long ago."

The Second Old Madam looked up at her with a smile. "You are of the same generation, and the western household has few people to begin with. Someone must go and add to the liveliness. I am old, and a widow besides—it would bring bad luck to attend another's happy occasion. I won't be going." Then she instructed her senior maid, "Go fetch the gold hairpin inlaid with green jade in the pattern of fortune and longevity from my box, pack it in a case, and ask the Sixth Madam to carry it over. That will serve as my congratulatory gift." Her last words were directed at Madam Ji. "As for Ming, let her stay here with me. When Wanyuan returns to the capital, it will not be too late for him to come and fetch her."

That way, would not both Shouyuan and Ming be spared having to kneel and offer tea to Wang?

Though the Second Old Madam's tone was casual, her gaze was cold as frost. Madam Ji knew the old lady was determined to give Wang Shuying a show of displeasure. She had no wish to be drawn into it, so she smiled, took the case, and went out.

Over on her side, the First Madam had finished dressing and was just about to count out the gifts she meant to give Wang Shuying when a trusted maid reported that the Second Old Madam would not be going and had spoken of being "a widow" and the like. She thought it over, then summoned a junior maid to remove her hairpins and ornaments, keeping only a pair of pearl-and-gold flower ornaments as a gift of greeting, and told her senior maid to have the Second Madam carry them over along with her own.

The Third Master, Heng Shibang, and the Third Madam, having been asked by Dou Duo to help manage the household affairs, hurried out to welcome the ladies from the eastern residence when they arrived.

The Second Madam, who led them, said with a smile, "All who could come have come, and those who could not come have sent their gifts of greeting as well."

The Third Madam was a most quick-witted woman. One glance told her who had failed to appear. She asked no questions, but smilingly led everyone to the flower hall, while the male guests took their seats in the main hall out front.

When the auspicious hour arrived, Wang Shuying, her hair adorned with a gold phoenix inlaid with pearls and twisted gold thread and dressed in a great red wedding robe, radiant with beauty, was supported by the Third Madam—a woman of complete good fortune—as she and Dou Huaiying made their sacrifices to the ancestors. After three rounds of wine, the company moved to the flower hall and took their seats, and Dou Huaiying and Wang Shuying offered tea and were formally received into the family. Afterward Wang Shuying was led back to Qixia Court, while Dou Huaiying and the others went to the Hall of Crane Longevity.

The Second Madam and the rest sat in the great flower hall, drinking tea and chatting.

The Third Madam could only turn to the Sixth Madam with a look of appeal.

By rights, the ladies ought to go to the newlyweds' rooms for a chat, which counted as warming the bridal chamber.

The Sixth Madam pretended not to see.

She had no intention of putting herself forward.

At her wit's end, the Third Madam called out to the Second Cousin-in-law. "Let us go and see Mrs. Wang."

The Second Cousin-in-law was one to go along with the crowd. She smiled and agreed, and the Third Cousin-in-law, the Fifth Cousin-in-law, and several respectable old nurses went together to Qixia Court.

Only then did the Second Madam remark, "Why is Mrs. Wang still living in Qixia Court?"

"It was the Seventh Master's idea," answered one of the western Dou household's maids, eager to curry favor with the Second Madam. "He said the main rooms still hold the belongings of the former Seventh Mistress and the Fourth Young Lady. The Fourth Young Lady has gone to the farm to nurse the sick, and there was no time to clear them out just now. It will wait until she returns in a few days."

The Second Madam said only "Oh," and when the Third Madam and the others returned, she pleaded that there was no one to attend the Old Madam and took her leave for home.

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Sisters, show a little encouragement to Zhizhi, who is still hard at work even on New Year's Eve... I beg for your pink tickets!

※RQ