Chapter 63 — The Storm (Bonus Update for 390 Pink Votes)

After being rebuffed by Dou Yan and mocked by Dou Ming, Shujie now found herself taken to task by Yijie as well. Frustrated and furious, she shoved aside the maid beside her and stormed out.

She ran straight into Haitang.

"Miss Shujie," Haitang greeted her with a beaming smile and a curtsy, while the little maid behind her held a revolving lantern painted with the Four Beauties Welcoming Spring. "Our Fourth Miss says the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea lanterns are all sold out—this Four Beauties lantern was all she could get. Please take it and enjoy it for now. Come next year, the Fourth Miss will have someone buy one early."

Only then did Shujie feel a little better.

But nothing in a great household stays hidden for long.

The Fifth Cousin's wife asked Yijie, "Was it really Mingjie's idea for Shujie to ask Shouyuan for the lantern?"

"It should be, shouldn't it?" Yijie had not been present when Dou Ming urged Shujie to ask for the lantern, so she answered hesitantly. "Shujie may be a bit foolish, but she's always asking Fourth Aunt for things. If it had been her own idea, there'd be no harm in admitting it—she wouldn't need to pin it on Fifth Aunt." At this, as if only then noticing something, she said in surprise, "Ever since Fifth Aunt came back from the capital, she seems somehow different. Every other word out of her mouth is about how wonderful the capital is, how wonderful her maternal family is..."

This left Yijie vaguely uncomfortable.

The Fifth Cousin's wife frowned and cautioned her daughter: "She is your elder, after all. You must be respectful when you meet her in the future. Don't go dragging her into things for no reason. If you want to play, play with Shujie—you and Shujie are of the same generation."

As Yijie grew older, her temperament grew more stubborn and proud, yet her father was the most useless of all the Chang-generation men. The sense of superiority Dou Ming was forever betraying in her presence had long since bred resentment in her heart. And now her mother's reminder made her realize that this little girl three years her junior was still her aunt—someone she ought to greet with the courtesy due an elder—and she felt thoroughly disgruntled. Listlessly, she answered, "I know."

Meanwhile, the Third Cousin's wife was berating Shujie: "You believe whatever anyone tells you? If someone told you to steal from the Matriarch, would you do that too? You're lucky it was Shouyuan. What if it had been someone else—what would they have said about you? At your young age you're already up to no good. You took things and didn't even return them. I used to think you were just young and would grow out of it, but who'd have guessed the older you get, the less sense you have? And when someone won't give you something, you even hold a grudge against them... Crying, always crying! Now you know shame, do you? Where was that shame earlier?" Turning to the managing maid in Shujie's chambers, she ordered, "Clear out everything she took from Shouyuan. I'll return it to Shouyuan myself."

There was so much, and so much time had passed, that even Shujie couldn't tell what was hers and what belonged to Dou Zhiwei. The Third Cousin's wife was so furious she pounded the kang. "How did I ever raise such a careless child!"

Dou Yan's three brothers came back from school and were startled out of their wits. One comforted their mother, one asked their sister what had happened, and the youngest, Dou Qishun, blinked and said, "Fourth Aunt isn't that kind of person. You don't need to be so petty about returning things..."

Four pairs of eyes in the room glared at him at once.

He quickly said, "Last time when you all went to the country estate..."

Dou Qitai sprang forward and clapped a hand over his little brother's mouth, dragging him outside while bowing and scraping apologetically to his mother and sister: "This is either a small matter or a big one. At worst, it could ruin our sister's reputation; at best, it could ruin the bond between our family and Fourth Aunt. My brother and I will go fetch Father right now..."

The Third Cousin's wife and Shujie were both openly skeptical.

Dou Yan had no choice but to cough softly and say with composure, "Fifth Brother has a point. It would be best to discuss this with Father."

Since her considerate, dependable eldest son had spoken thus, the Third Cousin's wife's doubts melted away.

Outside the door, however, Dou Qishun pulled his brother's hand away from his mouth and grumbled indignantly, "I wasn't wrong. Last time you all caused such a huge mess, and Fourth Aunt never said a word—she even covered for you. Don't think I don't know..."

"If you know we caused a huge mess, why are you shouting it everywhere?" Dou Qitai said through gritted teeth. "Are you afraid people won't find out?"

Dou Qishun wilted.

"Come on," Dou Qitai said. "Let's go find Fourth Aunt."

"Weren't we going to find Father?" Dou Qishun asked, puzzled. "What do we want with Fourth Aunt?"

"You idiot," Dou Qitai said, so angry he wanted to slap his brother. "With all this fuss, everyone in the household probably knows by now. If Fourth Aunt is willing to show up and say a word for our sister, then these things can be seen as Fourth Aunt's gifts to her, and that makes all the difference..."

Now Dou Qishun understood. He nodded vigorously, and without even taking a carriage, the two brothers ran all the way to the West Mansion.

Dou Yan listened and sank into thought for a long while.

In truth, she bore some blame for this too.

Whenever she saw Shujie's eyes light up at something she liked, she thought of her own daughter, Yinjie, and her heart would soften. She'd think, it's just a little thing, let Shujie take it if she likes it. But she had never carefully considered what harm this might do to Shujie's reputation.

"I'll go to the East Mansion with you," Dou Yan said. She changed her clothes and went with the two brothers to the Third Branch.

The Third Cousin's wife was both ashamed and mortified to see her.

Before she could speak, Dou Yan smiled and said, "Third Cousin's wife, surely you're not going to make me return Shujie's things as well?"

Dou Yan and the others were taken aback.

Dou Xin said, "You only see what I gave Shujie, but you don't see what Shujie gave me." She sighed deeply, putting on a show of regret. "Before the New Year, Shujie gave me a sachet. I thought it was lovely, so I wore it when I went to pay my respects to the Matriarch. On the way back I don't know where I lost it, and I haven't found it to this day. So what am I supposed to return to Shujie?"

The Third Cousin's wife knew Dou Xin was trying to smooth things over for her daughter. She called out "Shouyuan," and her eyes reddened.

Dou Yan seized the moment to take the Third Cousin's wife by the arm, signaled Dou Yan and the others to take Shujie out, then sat down side by side with her on the kang and said earnestly, "In truth, I bear some blame for this too. If I hadn't indulged Shujie so, she wouldn't have pushed her luck. But if you're saying that Shujie has thus formed bad habits, I don't see it that way—why doesn't she take other people's things, only mine? That shows she knows the difference between close and distant, and knows what matters."

No parent is without bias.

Dou Xin's words were so well put that the Third Cousin's wife felt like she'd drunk a cup of hot tea on a bitter winter's day. Gratitude showed on her face. "I don't think Shujie meant any harm either."

After Shujie was born, the Third Cousin's wife went on to bear four more sons—Dou Qiyuan and Dou Qi'an among them—and had no time to look after Shujie.

Dou Xin said, "It's good that this misunderstanding is cleared up. Otherwise, as her aunt, I could hardly escape blame."

Now that everything was out in the open, the mood lightened.

Dou Yan chatted with the Third Cousin's wife for a long while before taking her leave.