Chapter 361 — Daughter

Fortunately, her father, Sixth Aunt, and her aunt by marriage had all been protective of her and had not told her about Dou Ming's affairs. Otherwise, listening to Dou Ming and Wei Fan tearing into each other like two curs fighting, she would surely have been too disgusted to eat.

Dou Yan decided that later she would properly comfort her father.

But Cai Shi said, "Fourth Young Mistress, I hear from Mother-in-Law that on the fifth she intends to invite Wei Wan over for a talk. Would you like to go and listen as well, and give the Wei family a good dressing-down? That would count as you, as an elder sister, looking out for your younger sister."

Everyone in the Dou household knew that Dou Ming and Dou Zhiwei did not get along. Dou Yi had said she did not plan to associate with Dou Ming, but for the sake of their both being Dou daughters, she would maintain a surface courtesy. Yet Cai Shi, coming from a family with deep scholarly roots, believed Dou Yi said this only to appear noble and magnanimous. Given the chance, who would not want to stab the other in the back? That was why she was helping Dou Yan scheme: while Dou Ming was in such a sorry state that she could scarcely hold on to her own dowry, she should let Dou Yan adopt an air of repaying malice with kindness, step forward on Dou Ming's behalf to defend her, and thus stand on the high ground of righteousness—putting Dou Ming in Dou Yan's debt, so that even if Dou Ming seethed with anger toward Dou Yan, she could only swallow it.

Dou Yan understood all too well.

But she had not the slightest desire to have anything to do with Dou Ming.

Since she would neither kick Dou Ming when she was down nor suppress and scheme against her when she was riding high, she had her own good life to live. There was no need to fret and burn herself out over Dou Ming.

"The household has Fifth Aunt and Sixth Aunt. How would it fall to me, a married daughter, to step forward?" Dou Yan rejected Cai Shi's suggestion outright. "If outsiders saw it, they would think the Dou family had no one left!"

The flattery had landed squarely on the horse's leg.

Cai Shi looked sheepish.

Dou Yan could not be bothered with her. She sat down by the kang and listened to Sixth Aunt and her aunt by marriage talk: "...At that time the East Street, West Street, and Chang'an Gate will all have lantern markets—very lively indeed. When I was small I came to the capital once with my father, and what left the deepest impression on me was the capital's lantern market. Even now I cannot forget it. When the time comes, Sister-in-Law, why not take Zhangru to see it? Such a sight is not to be seen at just any time."

So they had been talking about the Lantern Festival market.

Zhao Zhangru stared wide-eyed at her mother, her face full of longing.

Her aunt by marriage smiled at this, and with a touch of regret said, "There will be so many people that day. I am only a woman, and to bring a grown girl like her along would after all be inconvenient. If only her father were here..."

Dou Qu said, "Aunt, just leave this matter to me—Yizhi Hall has plenty of guards!"

Her aunt by marriage hesitated, but under Zhao Zhangru's eager gaze she capitulated and said with a smile, "Very well then! We shall trouble the Young Heir when the time comes."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all," Dou Xin said, seizing the chance to do a favor. "Whoever else wants to go can come along too."

"I want to go!" Cai Shi, knowing her mother-in-law hoped they would grow closer to Dou Yan, immediately said with a smile.

When the two little ones heard their mother speak their names, they pricked up their ears to listen. Learning that they could go see the flower lanterns at the Lantern Festival, they immediately cheered.

Dou Pinyuan was not pleased. Clinging to her mother's leg, she called out in her soft, sweet voice to Guo Shi, "Mother, I want to go too, I want to go too!"

Guo Shi opened her mouth but said nothing. Yet as she looked at her daughter, tears could not help glistening in her eyes.

Just before the New Year, Dou Bochang's concubine, Concubine Bai, had borne Dou Bochang a bastard eldest son, Dou Yun.

Guo Shi's voice grew softer and softer.

Dou Yan pitied her greatly, yet was also angry at her for not fighting for herself.

What was wrong with a daughter? Did a daughter not have Dou blood flowing in her veins too? Was a daughter necessarily less filial and sensible than a son?

Dou Yan stroked Dou Pinyuan's head and said to Guo Shi, "Sister-in-Law Ten, why not bring Pinyuan along too? I will send a few more guards and some experienced old nurses. We will certainly take good care of Pinyuan."

"Let's go, let's go!" Seeing that Aunt Dou Yan was speaking up for her, Dou Pinyuan wheedled all the more coquettishly.

Guo Shi's circumstances were difficult, and so she wished all the more for her daughter to be happy.

She cast Dou Yan a grateful glance and said with a smile to Dou Pinyuan, "Then you must obey the nurses and not run around everywhere..."

"I'll be good, I'll be good!" Dou Pinyuan bobbed her little head like a pecking chick, yet the sight of it made Dou Yan's heart ache.

On the way home, she leaned against Song Yan's shoulder and asked him, "If I keep bearing daughters, will you treat our daughters well?"

Song Yan said sensitively, "What happened? Did your sister-in-law look at some flower tree or other and say you would bear daughters? Our family has few heirs—even daughters are just as precious. Do not let your thoughts run wild." With that, he put his arm around Dou Yan and said, "What is more, they would be our daughters, with my blood flowing in their veins and yours as well. They are certain to be the cleverest and most beautiful, beyond anyone's compare. If we have many daughters, we can pick our sons-in-law and choose all the fine sons of other families for our household. Every New Year and festival they will send us wine and tea—how it will drive those who bear sons mad with envy!"

Dou Yan burst out laughing. "Stop trying to coax me into good spirits!"

"I truly mean it," Song Yan said. "If the house were full of girls, every day would be like viewing flowers—just thinking of it is pleasing to the eye. But if the house were full of boys, think about it: each one standing there thick-limbed and burly—what pleasure is there in that?"

Dou Yan thought about it, and it really did seem as he said. If she bore several more daughters and dressed them up nicely, would it not be like viewing flowers?

"You are just trying to scare me for all you are worth, aren't you?" She pressed her lips together and smiled. "With my looks, there is no way I could bear thick-limbed, burly sons. If I truly did bear thick-limbed, burly sons, they would surely take after the ancestors of your Song family!"

"That is impossible!" Song Yan said. "The Yingzhenguo Estate is famous for producing handsome men. When the founding emperor took our Chixiao Sect under his wing, it was because he saw that we were docile, obedient, and comely of face."

"Really?" Dou Xin said, reaching out to turn his face toward her. "Let me see—just where exactly are you handsome?"

Song Ke gave a disdainful little snort and put on an air of noble aloofness.

Dou Yan laughed heartily.

The couple talked all the way back to Yizhi Hall.

Only then did Dou Yan remember the matter of the Lantern Festival. She hurriedly took it up with Song Yan, and fearing that Xia Lian might have other commitments at the time, said, "I will just have Duan Bing and Chen Lanxu and the others accompany us."

Song Yan thought for a moment and said, "For the guards, use Duan Bing and his men. After all, they are more familiar with the Dou household and easier to work with. As for the rest, leave it to Ziai Peak. You need not concern yourself." Then he asked in surprise, "You are not planning to go out during the Lantern Festival?"