Chapter 13 — The Quarrel
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
"You—you..." Father, stung into a fury, bellowed, "I—I... I'll divorce you!"
Mother froze.
"What did you say?" Her face went white in an instant. "You want to divorce me!" Mother could not believe her ears as she stared at Father. "For the sake of Wang Shuying, you would actually divorce me..."
The moment the words left his mouth, Father was stunned too. He turned his face away as though he dared not look at Mother, and said in a low voice, "If I speak to you nicely, you will never make any concessions..."
"Dou Huaiying!" Mother's eyes blazed red with fury. She shouted his name at the top of her voice. "Get out! Get as far away from me as you can! I'll wait for your writ of divorce! I want to see just how you plan to bring that little wretch Wang Shuying through this door!"
Father was thoroughly flustered, and he protested stubbornly, "Guqiu, that is not what I meant! Hear me out..."
"Get out! Out! Out!" Mother shoved him toward the door. "I'll wait for your writ of divorce, I'll wait for your writ of divorce..." she murmured, then slammed the door shut with a bang.
"Guqiu, Guqiu!" Father pounded on the door from outside. "I did not mean it that way, it was only a careless remark! I did not mean it..."
Mother leaned against the door, tears pouring down like rain, her voice as faint as a mosquito's: "Careless... sometimes it is the careless words that are the truest..."
Dou Yan's head throbbed as though it would split. She slipped down from the kang and tugged at her mother's hem. "Mother! Mother!"
Mother crouched down and gripped her daughter by the arms, asking between sobs, "Did you not say you wanted to go play at your uncle's house? Shall I take you to play at your uncle's house, all right?"
"No!" Dou Yan shook her head, her big eyes bright as the morning star. "This is my home. I want to stay at home. At New Year, we go to Uncle's house!"
Mother was startled into silence, yet her tears fell all the faster.
*****
That evening, Yu the nurse urged Mother: "...To cross words with the Seventh Master at a time like this, is that not to grieve those who love you and gladden those who hate you!"
Mother sat before the mirror stand, staring blankly at the woman in the glass, still and clear as flowers reflected on calm water, and answered at cross purposes: "...When I was small, every time I came to the Dou household, my mother would instruct me not to be mischievous, not to displease Aunt Dou and the elder sisters... Once, Peici took me to pick magnolia blossoms. I was frightened and dared not climb the tree, but thinking of my mother's words, I still clambered up trembling... Peici swung down from the tree nimbly, but I squatted there in the branches, not daring to come down... Seeing that it was nearly the noon meal, Peici grew anxious and ran to the outer courtyard to fetch a servant for help... I squatted in the tree all alone, the leaves furry, and fat little worms crawling to and fro across them... I wanted to cry but dared not, afraid of drawing people over and getting Peici's palms caned... I thought I might as well jump down and be done with it, rather die or be maimed than have worms crawling over me... I shut my eyes, and someone below called out 'Hey,' and said, 'Why are you squatting up in the tree?' That voice was like water in a little stream, so clear, so pleasing. I opened my eyes and saw a youth standing beneath the tree, his head tilted up, gazing at me. His hair was like the finest satin, black and glossy; his face was smooth and lustrous as fine jade; his eyes were gentle and bright... I stared, dazed. But he burst out laughing, lovelier than any flower in the garden... I told him I was caught up in the tree and could not get down. He bade me wait, turned, and fetched a ladder, and carefully rescued me from the tree... After that, every time I came to the Dou mansion, he would be waiting for me beneath that magnolia tree... bringing me sweet pea-flour cakes to eat, and tart plums, and black oliv