Chapter 361 — Daughter

Dou Yan said that Song Yan would be on duty in the palace that day. However beautiful the capital's flower lanterns might be, she did not wish to go out alone.

"In my condition, I had better not squeeze in among them."

Song Yan said nothing.

Two days later, Zi Aifeng came to see Dou Yan and said, "I have reserved a private room on the second floor of Judex House. What does Madam think? Shall I change it for another?"

The private room on the second floor of Judex House. Push open the window and East Avenue lies directly before you; there is no need to jostle with the passersby in the street, and one may take in the whole lantern market of East Avenue at leisure. If one wished to see the lantern market of West Avenue, one would have to reserve a room at Wenxin Pavilion. As for Chang'an Street, because it faces Chengtian Gate, and for fear that someone might spy upon the inner court, there is not a single two-story house along its entire length; to watch the lanterns on Chang'an Street, one could only leave the carriage in the vicinity of Jade River Bridge and go on foot.

Having lived in the capital for more than ten years, Dou Yan knew all this perfectly well. She did not wait for Zi Aifeng to finish explaining the differences between the several spots, but thanked him at once: "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Liao! A private room on the second floor of Judex House — whenever there is a lantern market, there is a price for it but no market to be had; and in such a short time, and raised on the spur of the moment at that, you must have gone to a great deal of trouble."

Zi Aifeng protested again and again that he did not deserve such thanks, asked a few questions about her requirements, and rose to take his leave.

Dou Yan sent someone to inform her aunt and the others of the day's arrangements.

When they learned that they would still be able to watch the lanterns from a private room, everyone looked forward eagerly to the coming of the Lantern Festival.

Madam Guo brought her daughter to pay Dou Yan a New Year call.

Dou Yan was greatly startled; she caught up some sweets and gave them to Dou Pinyuan to eat, then had a maid lead Dou Pinyuan off to the back garden to look at the flowers, and only then did she sit down on the kang with Madam Guo.

Before she could open her mouth, Madam Guo had already said, "Do not worry, Fourth Aunt. Nothing has happened at home. I simply did not want to stay in the house, and came out for a walk. If I had said I was going to visit someone else's house, Mother would certainly have been displeased, so I borrowed your name, Fourth Aunt, and said that you had asked me to bring Pinyuan over for a visit."

Dou Yan understood what Madam Guo was feeling.

She was silent for a moment, then asked Madam Guo, "What do you plan to do?"

Madam Guo smiled bitterly. "What plan could I possibly have? I will just muddle along, one day at a time."

Dou Yan said, "You ought to think about Pinyuan! A girl usually learns from her mother. Whatever else may be said, she is a legitimate young lady of the Dou clan; her grandfather was once a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and for her to marry into any family as the principal wife of the clan would be a simple matter. But even so, once she has married, she must be able to hold her own in her husband's household. You may be content to muddle along a day at a time, but Pinyuan cannot!"

Madam Guo pressed her lips together, then suddenly covered her face and wept without a sound.

Dou Yan got down from the kang and said in a low, grave voice, "Sixth Sister-in-law, think carefully about what I have said — whether it is not the truth!" With that, she left the inner room.

Ruozhu and the others immediately crowded around her.

"It is nothing!" Dou Yan let out a long breath and said, "Keep an ear out for any sound outside. If Madam Guo has any instructions, serve her well." Then she ran off to the back garden herself, where she looked at flowers with Dou Pinyuan, ate sweets, sat in the sun, and played to her heart's content.

When Song Yan came home, he saw her face flushed pink.

"You are in high spirits today!" As usual, he took Dou Yan in his arms and kissed her twice — and was caught squarely by Madam Guo, who had heard the noise and come out to greet him.

With a cry of "Aiyo!" she retreated back into the inner room.

Dou Yan smiled a radiant smile.

Song Yan was even more brazen than she had imagined; with perfect composure he exchanged greetings with Madam Guo, who wore a look of some fluster, as though it were she who had been the one to commit a breach of propriety.

Madam Guo could not sit still a moment longer, and made to take Dou Pinyuan home.

Dou Pinyuan still remembered this Fourth Uncle who had always been so kind to her, and called out cheerfully to Song Yan, "Fourth Uncle!"

Song Yan was delighted beyond measure, praising Dou Pinyuan over and over as clever and quick-witted; he held her and fed her two pieces of fruit, rewarded her with a pouch of gold beans, and only then handed her back to her wet nurse.

Madam Guo watched, lost in thought, then made a curtsy to Dou Yan and Song Yan and took Dou Pinyuan back to Locust Tree Lane.

Song Yan said, "Starting tomorrow I shall have five days off together. Leave the household affairs to me."

Tomorrow is the sixth.

The family banquets of the fourth and the fifth passed in dullness but without the slightest mishap; from the sixth onward, the Yingzhenguo Mansion would begin to host its spring banquets.

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To my dear readers — this chapter came faster than expected... o(∩_∩)o

ps: Thank you all for your care in pointing out the many errors in the text; I will find time to make small revisions, and mobile users need only refresh.

Please keep hunting for bugs for me as always.

o(∩_∩)o~

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