Chapter 444 — Fragrant Hills

In September, the Fragrant Hills are verdant with green trees, and seen from afar,.

Dou Yan and the others changed into soft sedans at the foot of the Fragrant Hills and followed the broad bluestone steps toward Ganlu Temple.

Jiang Yan lifted the sedan curtain and breathed in the slightly chilly air with a kind of greed, feeling as though she had come back to life.

She heard Ruotong beside the sedan ahead of her say to Ganlu with a grin, "Sister, this temple shares your name. Who gave you your name? It's lovely!"

Ganlu snorted at her and said proudly, "My name was given by Lady Cui, Zhen's mother. Lady Cui said she wished me to be like a drop of water from the Guanyin's pure vase—spotless within, and able to nourish others besides."

Ruotong asked curiously, "Who is Lady Cui?"

"She is," Ganlu paused slightly, then said, "she is the Madam's concubine-born grandmother."

Ruotong could not help sticking out her tongue, and hurriedly asked, "Then what about Sister Sujuan? What does her name mean?"

"It means the same as mine," Ganlu said with a smile. "She wants us to stir up less trouble, to keep our hearts bright as a mirror, and not to be dazzled by all that glory and wealth and forget what we are."

Ruotong gave a disgruntled cry and said, "Why is it that when it comes to us, everything turns red?"

"Is red so bad?" Ganlu laughed. "Red is the most dignified and proper of colors. You serve at the Madam's side, so the name suits you well."

Dou Yan, listening from inside her sedan, could not help smiling.

The names of these maids mirrored her own journey.

When she first came to the capital, her grandmother, fearing she would be bullied, had hoped that every maid and matron about her would be utterly loyal; by the time Ganlu and the others reached the age of leaving service, she had gained a firm footing in the Ying Garrison Estate, and what she sought was no longer loyalty and obedience, but the bearing of a mistress of the house; the little maids who came later were all named with the character "fu," for maids and matrons were no longer people she had to lean upon.

In the future, what names would she give her maids then?

Amid these thoughts, Ganlu Temple arrived.

They stepped down from their sedans, and the abbot and the guest-prefect monk were already waiting before the mountain gate.

After the greetings, the abbot, a man past forty, withdrew, and the guest-prefect monk, already past fifty, led them on a tour of Ganlu Temple.

The two smoke trees before Chengguang Hall were as thick as a man's embrace; though a century old, they were still lush with branches and leaves, blazing like fire.

Jiang Yan and the others exclaimed in admiration.

The guest-prefect monk then told them the history of these two trees—how Ganlu Temple had been destroyed in the fires of war, and how it had been rebuilt, while the two smoke trees had stood unshaken all the while...

The tale was winding and delightful, and Jiang Yan and the others listened with keen interest.

This was the story the guest-prefect monk told every newcomer to Ganlu Temple. In her former life Dou Yan had heard it several times, and the moment he opened his mouth she knew what would come next; yet watching the expressions of wonder and astonishment flicker across Jiang Yan's face and the others',.

They wandered about Ganlu Temple for a while, and at noon stayed there for a vegetarian meal and a rest.

Dou Yan felt a little tired, and after pacing twice around the small courtyard to help her digestion, she lay down to rest.

Jiang Yan, however, felt full of energy, and dragged Jiang Ling off to the neighboring release pond to look at the turtles and brocade carp.

Though the Miao family's fortunes had fallen, their sons and daughters had still been raised by the rules. Miao Zhi had rarely been allowed out before her marriage, and now that she had finally escaped the house, she very much wanted to stroll about with Jiang Yan and the others; but seeing that Dou Yan had retired to rest, she feared the matrons would think her flighty and look down on her. After thinking it over, she smiled and took her leave of Jiang Yan, returning to the side room arranged for her.

All was quiet around her, and Miao Zhi closed her eyes, yet somehow could not fall asleep.

At such times her ears grew especially keen.

She heard the light footsteps of a maid passing along the covered walk before her room, and then someone calling softly, "Sister Fuye," and asking, "What brings you here?"

At this hour the mistresses had all retired, and Fuye kept her voice low as she said, "Did you bring needle and thread? Sister Ruotong's sleeve just got torn."

The one speaking was Miao Zhi's little maid, Liu Hong, who laughed at the question. "I carry needle and thread with me wherever I go. Only the Second Madam has already gone to rest, so I must ask Sister Fuye to wait here a moment."

"That's no trouble," Fuye said with great courtesy. "I'm much obliged to you."

Liu Hong made a few polite replies, then tiptoed inside; after a short while she came out with a sewing kit.

Miao Zhi pursed her lips.

They all said the Dou family knew how to manage their servants, yet away from home, the maids about her did not even carry a sewing kit—what sort of management was that? It was truly the case that where the tiger is absent from the mountain, the monkey reigns as king. If her mother-in-law were still alive, Song Yan would not have been made Heir Apparent so early, and if the Song family had a few more sons, there might never have been a time for this Dou woman to play the tyrant.

Truly, wealth and honor come by Heaven's decree, and not one whit is left to human will!

Take this Fuye—she was only about ten, her hair not yet put up, yet because she served at Dou Yan's side, even her own senior maids had to address her as "Sister." The very thought of it left one speechless.

She let her thoughts wander at random.

Fuye came to return the sewing kit.

Liu Hong smiled and said, "Sister, you've finished sewing already?"

"My hands are quick," Fuye said with a laugh, then sighed. "You really are attentive. When we set out, we all remembered to bring a sewing kit, but once we were on the road we forgot all about it." She giggled. "Sister Ganlu was scolding me just now, saying that if I'm this careless again next time, she'll transfer me to the front courtyard to scrub the latrines."

Her tone was light, plainly not taking Ganlu's words to heart. One could tell that Dou Yan treated her people generously.

"Sister flatters me," Liu Hong said, a touch of envy in her politeness. "I've worked in the Second Madam's rooms since I was small—that's the Second Madam's good teaching, too."

Miao Zhi listened with great comfort.

Fuye nodded repeatedly, agreeing, "The Second Madam looks like a good person at a glance. What a pity she married the Second Master..." Before the words had even left her mouth, she realized she had spoken out of turn and quickly covered it.

But it was already too late.

Liu Hong's face was a picture of shock.

Fuye waved her hands in panic, stammering, "I—I didn't say anything, I didn't say anything!"

She turned and ran.

Liu Hong was left staring, dumbfounded.

Inside the room, Miao Zhi felt as though her heart were being tossed on a raging sea.

She sat bolt upright and called out loudly for "Liu Hong," intending to have Ji Hong give her a few taels of loose silver. "Take this money and buy yourself some snacks and hair flowers. Work that Fuye carefully and see what the Second Master got up to in the past."

Liu Hong assented and took the silver.

But this was the Ganlu Temple—even with silver in hand, whom could they ask to go down the mountain and buy anything?

To pry anything out of Fuye, they would have to wait until they returned to the Yingzhenguo Estate.

Miao Zhi felt as though a cat were clawing at her heart. She could find no peace for even a moment.