Chapter 82 — An Outing

At the mention of the things she loved, Dou Zhiwei's smile grew especially bright, and her voice turned gentle and endlessly patient: "What I grow are water lilies. Have you ever seen them? They are very much like lotus flowers, but the lotus lifts both its leaves and its blossoms above the water, while the water lily floats on the surface. They are common in Jiangnan, though fewer people grow them here. This is the first year I have tried my hand at it..."

"Truly?" Wu Shan's eyes went wide. "There is a way to grow flowers like that..."

Wu Ya, sitting between them, suddenly shot to her feet. Pointing at Wu Shan, she let loose in a rapid-fire torrent: "We have two water lilies planted in our own back courtyard, and one of them is a White Fairy. Have you never seen them? You killed the White Fairy, Grandfather flew into a rage, and it was only Great-Grandfather shielding you that spared you, so that all you had to do was copy out the Three Character Classic ten times. You—how dare you say you don't know what a water lily is!"

Inside and outside the pavilion, all fell silent as if for all eternity; only the wind rustling through their garments could be heard.

"I truly did not know that was a water lily!" Wu Shan's gaze was as clear and limpid as spring water. "Isn't what you're describing the noon flower?" And with that, he clapped his head in sudden understanding. Looking at Dou Yan, he said, "Surely the water lily you mean is the noon flower?"

Dou Yan could not help himself; he turned away and laughed soundlessly.

Wu Ya's face flushed red and paled by turns, and she turned and ran out of the pavilion.

Wu Shan hurried after her, caught his sister by the arm beneath a great tree, and asked gravely, "Why have you taken such a dislike to the Dou family's Fourth Sister?"

"I, I..." Tears at once welled up in Wu Ya's eyes. "I am the one who is your sister!" And with that she burst into loud sobs.

Wu Shan was taken aback. After a long moment he drew out his handkerchief and wiped her tears, saying gently, "Silly sister, since when have you not been my sister? You are not only my sister, you will always and forever be my good sister, the sister I love best. But it cannot be that just because you are my sister, I must treat only you well at all times. Think about it—is that not so?" He went on, "Look, I was delighted when you came back, and I made a point of having a Western pocket watch brought back for you from the Ji family's shop in Zhending Prefecture. I did not buy one for the Dou family's Fourth Sister, did I? That was because you like such things. The Dou family's Fourth Sister likes brushes and ink and paper, so I bought her a box of blank white fan faces. I did not buy those for you, did I?" As he spoke, he took the folding fan hanging at his waist and opened it. "Look—Fourth Sister even gave me and Zhi and the others a folding fan apiece. And you? I have given you so many fine things, and you have given me nothing at all!" Then he said sharply, "I tell you this: if you carry on like this, from now on I shall give presents only to Fourth Sister and never to you again."

Wu Ya gazed at Wu Shan through her tears: "Truly? Truly?"

Wu Shan said solemnly, "Truly!"

Wu Ya lowered her head.

Wu Shan said, "Now go and apologize to the Dou family's Fourth Sister." Then he muttered to himself, "I give you so many things—what have you ever given me? But Fourth Sister, I give her one small trifle, and she knows to give something back... And still you say I treat you badly... Every time you got into trouble as a child, was it not I who took the blame for you! The older you grow, the less lovable you become..."

Wu Ya shot her brother a fierce glare, yet thinking of all his kindness to her in the past, the envy of Dou Yan that had been swelling within her dwindled considerably.

Seeing the Wu siblings approaching, Dou Yan smiled and said, "Come, come, no more spectating here—let us go eat watermelon. If we wait any longer, they will be as hot as the stones outside."

When they set out from home, Dou Huaide had packed two watermelons in ice and carried them up the mountain.

Dou Pinyi and Dou Pinshu still had their doubts, but amid the laughter and chatter of Dou Huaide and the others they gave it little thought. Everyone sat down, some at the stone table, some on the fair-maiden's back, waiting for the watermelon.

Wu Ya, her face red, came up to Dou Yan and said in a low voice, "It was all my fault. I should not have lost my temper."

Dou Yan looked up in surprise and met Wu Shan's shining eyes.

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Happy Lantern Festival, everyone!

I am writing, and when I look up I can see the brilliant fireworks bursting in the sky outside my window. I wonder what all of you are doing?

But don't forget to cast your pink votes—it seems I shall soon catch up again... o(n_n)o~

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