Chapter 102 — Spring Couplets

The note was marked with the two characters "emergency," and the handwriting was Dou Yan's. Dou Zhao's heart gave a violent lurch; she scrambled up and, not even bothering to put on her shoes, ran barefoot out into the courtyard. Before she reached the gate, she collided with Dou Yan, who was rushing in from outside. Seeing Dou Zhao, Dou Yan caught her breath in gasps and burst out, "Father's been dismissed from office!" Dou Zhao's head swam, and she nearly fainted. She gripped Dou Yan's arm hard and said, "What happened? What about the examination? Wasn't he doing the provincial exams?" Then it struck her: two days ago, Dou Shizhong's post had been stripped from him. "Father!" Dou Zhao cried out, and turned to run for the inner courtyard, but Dou Yan caught her. "Father hasn't come back," he said. "Only a servant slipped in quietly to make the report." Dou Zhao stopped in her tracks. Dou Yan continued, "Father was impeached on the scholar-servant question. Father's already sent someone to the Taoists to plead with Zhen Shi for help." Dou Zhao was dumbfounded. Dou Shizhong had been dismissed from office, and it was she who had caused it! Zhen Shi... if only she had been willing to accept the Dou family's financial support back then, how could Father have been caught out? "How are things at home?" she asked in a trembling voice. Dou Yan knew exactly what she meant. "Grandmother has already fallen ill," he said. "Mother and the others have gone to attend to her. I've only just heard the news myself and slipped out to tell you. Honestly, though, I expect Father will be fine—he has backing in the capital." Dou Zhao did not share his confidence. Without a word, she turned and went back inside to get dressed, then hurried off with Dou Yan to the inner courtyard. The house was in chaos. The old madam lay in bed, sighing without cease. Dou Shizhong's wife, Madam Zhao, held a handkerchief pressed to her eyes, wiping away tears without end. When she saw Dou Zhao, she held on to her and wept, "Zhao'er, your father was done in by that wicked woman who ruined our family!" Dou Zhao could say nothing. She only advised her mother to tend to the old madam and to put her trust in Father's resourcefulness. But how could Madam Zhao listen? Wordlessly she wiped her tears, came back out, and said to Dou Zhao, "Tell that wicked woman for me that if your father truly means to have nothing more to do with her, then she had best never come to beg us for anything again!" Dou Zhao was too ashamed to even lift her head.