Chapter 66 — Companionship
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
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Dou Huaiying came to consult Dou Yan. "What do you think we should do?"
Though young, the eldest daughter's tone of unshakable confidence when she spoke often gave him boundless reassurance.
Dou Yan did not know how best to deal with Dou Ming.
To leave her at the Second Old Madam's side to learn the rules meant enduring endless cold words and barbed remarks; to send her to the Wang family in the capital for a long stay—in her last life, Dou Ming had been warped by Lady Xu's upbringing, and in the end had even dragged Wang Nan down with her.
Rubbing her temples, she said, "Why not ask Mother? She is Dou Ming's birth mother."
With Wang Shuying present, no one else could easily interfere; even if it was for Dou Ming's own good, the bond between mother and child being what it was, in the end Dou Ming might well resent whoever meddled.
Dou Huaiying hesitated.
A little maid came running in, breathless, and, seeing Dou Huaiying there, tried to tiptoe back out again.
Dou Huaiying barked, "What is it?"
The maid cast a pleading look at Dou Yan.
Dou Yan could think of nothing she needed to hide from Dou Huaiying, and nodded to the maid.
The maid murmured, "The Seventh Madam is packing trunks and boxes—she says she is taking the Fifth Miss to the capital."
Dou Huaiying flew into a rage and hurried off.
Dou Yan called Haitang in. "Bring the needlework I did a few days ago, and help me change my clothes. We are going to see Ninth Cousin's wife."
In the second month of this year, Dou Huanchang had married a daughter of the Huang family of Huai'an.
The match had been settled while the eldest uncle was still alive. Huang's grandfather and the eldest uncle had been classmates in the same examination year, and Huang had a clansman—a cousin of her father's generation—who now served as a magistrate in the Court of Judicial Review.
Huang was the same age as Dou Huanchang. She had a gentle face and a mild, amiable temper, and her needlework was exquisite. The eldest aunt was exceedingly fond of her, and had praised her daughter-in-law before the assembled Dou family more than once.
Both being daughters-in-law who had come from Jiangnan, people could not help comparing her with Lady Ji.
Ji was serene; Huang was tender—both possessed the refined grace of the water towns of the south.
Second Cousin's wife made fun of herself: "Set the Sixth Aunt and the Ninth Sister-in-law beside us, and the rest of us are nothing but kitchen drudges."
Ji and Huang naturally made modest demurrals, but the two had also grown close on that account, and Huang was accordingly warmer to Dou Yan than to the others.
Some days earlier, word had come that Huang was with child.
Dou Yan thought she would go there to hide for a while—the eldest aunt was widowed, Huang's pregnancy had not yet passed its third month, and no one would casually intrude upon the eldest branch's household. It was the quietest place imaginable.
With company, and that company being the exceedingly sensible and considerate Dou Yan, Huang welcomed her with open arms.
Dou Yan lingered in the eldest branch's quarters until the afternoon, and only after the evening meal did she return to the Western Dou household.
The moment she stepped through the gate, she saw a young groom from the stables squatting there, hammering at a cartwheel.
Dou Yan sighed to herself.
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From her experience in her last life, whenever Wang Xu-shi laid eyes on Dou Ming, she would keep the girl in the Wang household for a long stay.
She returned to the main house, where her father sat staring blankly at a book, his face a picture of displeasure.
"I hear you went to see Jixin," Dou Huaiying greeted his daughter. "Well? Did you get anything out of it?"
Jixin was the courtesy name of Ninth Cousin Dou Huanchang.