Chapter 184 — Relatives

In Dou Zhiwei's memory, the Dou residence on Huai Tree Alley had been a four-courtyard, three-bay house with side rooms, pomegranates planted in the front yard and square bamboo in the back, a stone table and stools set beneath the grape arbor. It had been a tight fit for Uncle Five's family, yet it had never lacked for the warm, smoky bustle of ordinary life.

But in this life, the moment she stepped down from the carriage, she saw that the Dou family's dwelling had grown to more than twice the size she remembered.

Dou Bingheng had not only bought the three-courtyard, three-bay house next door, but the two-courtyard, three-bay house behind it as well, and had knocked the three properties into one and rebuilt them from the ground up—so that it now stood as the Grand Secretary Dou's residence on Huai Tree Alley, stripped of its old forbearance and caution, and wearing instead a quiet, understated swagger.

This was likely because Uncle Five, who in her previous life had been held down by Wang Xingyi for years on end, had in this life entered the Grand Secretariat before Wang Xingyi did.

The men—Dou Bingheng, Dou Heng, Dou Huaiying, and the rest—stood in front, the women behind: Mrs. Five, née Fan, Mrs. Six, née Ji, and the others. Nearly every maid, serving woman, and old nanny in the household had been turned out, and they clustered about the Dou family, waiting at the gate since early—everyone, that is, except Wang Shuying.

At the sight of the Second Old Madam, Dou Bingheng stepped forward a few paces and dropped to his knees before her, his eyes rimmed red as he called out, "Mother."

The Second Old Madam's tears came at once, and she moved to raise him up.

But Dou Bingheng insisted on knocking his head three times before her, and dust clung to his brow straightway.

Dou Heng and the others hurried to kneel and bow along with him.

Her eyes brimming, the Second Old Madam was filled with gladness and comfort.

Walking behind her, Dou Yan saw Dou Ming hesitate amid the crowd before kneeling with a slender, fair-skinned, delicate-featured young matron.

Dou Yan recognized the woman as Han-shi, Dou Yong's wife, and could not help looking at her a second time.

Han-shi had been on very bad terms with Ji Lingze—first her sister-in-law, later her co-sister-in-law—so much so that Dou Huaide and his wife had eventually been forced to move to West Street, near the Yongguang Temple in the Xuanbei Ward of the outer city.

Feeling Dou Zhiwei's gaze, Han-shi gave Dou Yan a kindly nod.

Dou Yan smiled faintly.

As though needing to prove something, Dou Ming hurriedly took Han-shi's arm and shot a cold glance her way.

Dou Yan pretended not to notice, her gaze falling instead on Guo-shi and Cai-shi beside Han-shi.

Guo-shi was as slender and gentle as she remembered, but her skin was fair and tender, and her dark eyes were soft as a fawn's, rousing tenderness in anyone who looked at her—nothing like the last time Dou Yan had seen her, when she had been listless, her skin sallow as wax, like a patient long bedridden, giving off an unease that made one uncomfortable.

Next year that woman Bai would enter the household.

Dou Yan sighed inwardly and thought of Ji Lingze.

It was on the occasion of her coming-of-age ceremony that Ji Lingze had begun to exchange letters with Dou Yan. Dou Yan, on the pretext that the Second Old Madam had invited a true master from Mount Longhu to tell fortunes, quietly asked that master to cast a reading for her and for Ji Lingze. He said that Ji Lingze faced an obstacle in the next two years: if she could pass through it, a broad, smooth road lay beyond; if not, her latter years would likely bring her suffering. Best for her to avoid all red banners and merry clamor, to keep to herself and eat vegetarian for two years.

She and Ji Lingze were not yet close enough for such talk. When she sent the letter off, she herself shook her head with a bitter smile. Yet before long the Ji family and the Han family postponed the wedding date. Some days later came word that young Master Han was gravely ill, and Dou Yan breathed a secret sigh of relief—just when she thought Ji Lingze might be left a widow before she was ever a wife, the Ji and Han families suddenly set the date again, and Ji Lingze was married into the Han house in the manner of a luck-bringing bride. Three months later, the Sixth Young Master Han died of his illness.

When Dou Yan heard the news, she did not close her eyes the whole night through. She wrote a letter to comfort Ji Lingze.

After that the two corresponded often. Ji Lingze never once spoke of the luck-bringing marriage, and out of respect Dou Yan never asked what she had endured then. Now that she had come to the capital, she would certainly go and visit Ji Lingze—only she did not know whether she was living with the Ji family now, or with the Han family.

She hastily reined in her thoughts, and when the Second Old Madam and the others had finished their greetings, she stepped forward to bend her knee in a curtsy to her father, Dou Huaiying.

Dou Huaiying, who had not seen Dou Yan in a long while, was plainly overjoyed. He took Dou Zhiwei's hand and asked whether the road had been peaceful, what she did at home from day to day, how Aunt Cui's health was faring... nattering on like lotus root pulled from the mud, until Dou Heng broke in with a laugh: "The child has only just arrived. Whatever you have to say can wait—Shouyuan isn't going to run off." Then he asked Shouyuan himself, "Are you tired? Have your Sixth Aunt-in-law brew you a pot of pomelo tea to settle the heat." That set them all laughing.

Dou Qu made a bow to Dou Heng, called out "Sixth Uncle" with a loud laugh, then took his Sixth Aunt-in-law's arm and shouted greetings to Dou Yong and Dou Huaide as "Eleventh Brother" and "Twelfth Brother." Like a daughter of Mrs. Ji's household, it was a little impudent, but it showed a warmth all the more, and Mrs. Ji was delighted. She put an arm around Dou Zhiwei's shoulders and said, laughing, "Don't listen to your Sixth Uncle. Come and meet your Fifth Aunt-in-law." With that she led her over to Mrs. Five.

Before Dou Yan could speak, Mrs. Five had already taken Dou Zhiwei's hand and said with a smile, "To see you is better than to hear of you—our Fourth Young Lady has grown up truly beautiful. Worthy of being raised at the Old Madam's knee." The last words were spoken to the Second Old Madam.

The Second Old Madam chuckled, pleased to accept her daughter-in-law's flattery.

Dou Xin bent her knee in salute.

Mrs. Five beckoned her two daughters-in-law and her grandchildren over. "Come and meet your Fourth Sister."

Guo-shi and Cai-shi brought the children to pay their respects to Dou Yan.

Dou Yan signaled Su Xin to bring out the gifts she had long since prepared, and bestowed them on her nephews and nieces.

When Guo-shi saw that Dou Yan had given her daughter a pair of little ruyi bracelets of pure gold, she thought them far too fine and thanked her again and again in some embarrassment. Cai-shi, for her part, examined the jade pendants Dou Yan had given her two sons closely for a few moments before smiling her thanks.

Cai-shi was as much a snob as she had been in the last life.

Dou Yan curled her lip inwardly and stepped forward to make her bow to Dou Bingheng.

Dou Bingheng smiled faintly. "The last time I saw you, you were still a child. In the blink of an eye you have grown into a young lady—time spares no one!" His tone was full of feeling.

Dou Yan saw that Dou Bingheng had grown a little stout, and that a few threads of silver had appeared at his temples, and a vague melancholy rose in her heart.

Mrs. Ji then introduced Han-shi to Dou Yan.

Han-shi had already crossed paths with her before, and knowing that Dou Yan was like a foster daughter to Mrs. Ji, she treated her as she would a young sister-in-law, respectful without any want of warmth—altogether a most likable manner.