Chapter 21 — The Argument

In the Hall of Crane and Longevity, the argument raged on without pause.

When Dou Yan hurried in, she caught her Third Uncle saying, "...this whole affair was brought on by Seventh Brother taking a concubine, so it can hardly be called anything but 'jealousy.' Seen that way, the Zhao family can hardly object. It saves face for both households."

She trembled with rage.

Speak no ill of the dead!

Even so, that gives you no right to load Mother with such a stain after her death, just to shift the blame!

Do you not understand what "jealousy" means for a woman?

Mother was so proud a woman—if she knew the state of things after her death, would she still have hanged herself with such resolve?

No wonder the servants had spoken of Mother with such contempt in private, back in her former life!

So it seemed a person must find a way to survive, whatever came.

Only by living could there be hope, could there be a future.

Dou Yan pushed aside the curtain and stepped in.

Unfortunately, the hall was vast and empty, the elders were each weighed down with their own thoughts, and guards stood watch outside the doors. No one had imagined that someone might slip in without a sound.

The arrival of little Dou Zhiwei was like a leaf drifting down onto the riverbank—not a single ripple raised.

She clenched her fists and was about to speak, when her father, sitting far off to one side by himself, sprang to his feet with a start.

"No! No!" he cried, his face flushed with agitation. "Guqiu was not that kind of person—you cannot say such things about her! You cannot let her carry such a stain into death..." Then his expression suddenly sagged, and his voice dropped. "She—she died because of me..."

Dou Yan let out a long breath. She saw the Senior Madame's face darken as she snapped in a sharp, low voice, "Nonsense!" Her eyes and the corners of her brows turned cold and severe. "What hour is this? And you still speak such words? How old are you this year, that you cannot weigh your words before you speak? Would you like to see the Zhaos and the Dou family tear face and come to blows? Guqiu died because of you? Then tell me—did you beat her? Scold her? Or shame her before outsiders? Does her death truly have nothing to do with your taking a concubine?"

Father was struck dumb.

"I—I..." was all he managed after a long while, and nothing came of it.

Suddenly Dou Yan began to understand.

Had Father not taken a concubine, things would never have come to such a pass between him and Mother. When all was said and done, the Dou family still laid the whole affair at Wang Shuying's feet.

If Father would not admit it, the words rang hollow. If he did admit it, he would only be confirming Third Uncle's accusation of "jealousy"!

Was that why her uncle had found himself without a leg to stand on, unable to air his grievances, and in the end had no choice but to swallow this bitter fruit in silence?

Dou Yan's thoughts drifted.

But the Senior Madame's expression was slowly easing.

"I watched Guqiu grow up," she said mournfully. "She was taken so young—do you think my heart does not ache?" Her eyes reddened. "But an aching heart is one thing. We cannot let an aching heart lead us into soft-heartedness..."

"But—but you cannot say such things about Guqiu!" The Senior Madame had always been stern, and the whole household feared her. Seeing her soften, Father dared not defy her outright, yet he was still unwilling. "If word of this gets out, what will people think of Guqiu?"

"The words will not get out!" The Senior Madame swept the room with a sharp, warning gaze and spoke with finality. "A secret stops at six ears. So long as we do not speak of it, would the Zhaos go shouting it from the rooftops? Zhao Ruifu has three daughters, after all."

"Just so!" Third Uncle picked up the thread and turned to soothe Father. "If this gets out, we lose face as well. You know Ruifu's temper—he is the most earnest of men, and the most serious. If he kicks up a fuss, the matter of your concubine will be dragged into the light all the same, and Seventh Sister-in-law will end up branded 'jealous' regardless. Better to calm Ruifu first, and after Seventh Sister-in-law's funeral, the two of you, brothers by marriage, can have a proper talk. That is far better than doing something rash in the heat of anger and saying hurtful things!" With that, he shot Sixth Uncle a look, signaling him to chime in.

But Sixth Uncle said, "Third Brother, don't look at me. I do not approve of this."

The whole room was taken aback.

Dou Yan included.

Sixth Uncle simply rose to his feet. "I never much cared for Seventh Sister-in-law. I thought her too precious—whenever Seventh Brother slighted her in the least, she would sulk, and he would go trotting off to beg her pardon. What kind of virtuous wife was that? But the woman is dead, and to do as you propose would be ungenerous. A gentleman is open and aboveboard. Our families have been friends for generations. Let us lay the whole matter plainly before Ruifu and let him do as he sees fit. I trust Seventh Brother is no coward," he said, nodding at Father with a look that plainly said *I am with you*, "and we need only be at peace with our own consciences..." Father's face flooded with gratitude.

Dou Chiyou sighed.

No wonder Father and Sixth Uncle were so close. Sixth Uncle was upright and candid, with something of the free spirit of the Wei and Jin scholars. And Father was reckoned his equal in reputation... Or perhaps Father was not so bad as she had imagined!

Her gaze fell upon Father, and she could not help but reassess the man she had never once looked squarely in the eye in her former life.

"Zhongzhi!" Third Uncle called Sixth Uncle by his courtesy name and argued, flustered, "This is merely a stopgap measure..."

"People come in ranks high and low, and so do the means they employ," Sixth Uncle said dismissively. "Even a stopgap measure should not smear another's good name..."

The two full brothers had fallen to quarreling.

"Enough!" Grandfather, silent until now, spoke at last. "Stop your bickering, all of you. Ruifu must of course be told what happened—but the matter of 'jealousy' is fact as well! And so it is settled."

In the end, they would still use Mother's "jealousy" to stop her brother's mouth.

Dou Yan's brows rose.

They were, after all, of different branches of the family; Sixth Uncle could say no more, and Third Uncle knew in his heart that the deed was dishonorable, for there was not a trace of gladness on his face.

"Father..." Father cried anxiously, calling to Grandfather.

Grandfather Lengheng gave a cold "hmph."

From outside came a flurry of hurried footsteps, and Gaosheng reported from beyond the curtain, "The Zhao family's master has arrived!"

Grandfather and the Second Madam exchanged a glance, and the Second Madam instructed Third Uncle: "You and Zhongzhi go with Wanyuan to welcome the Zhao family's uncle."

Third Uncle sighed softly, and he and Sixth Uncle accompanied Father out of the hall.

Dou Yan thought for a moment, then chased after them, but the Second Madam spotted her.

"Shouyuan! What are you doing here?" She hurriedly instructed the maid she had earlier sent out to the courtyard, "Bring the Fourth Miss to me!"

Dou Yan was seized around the waist.

"Let me go! Let me go!" She twisted free in two or three movements from the maid, who dared not use force on her, and bolted away like a wisp of smoke.

The main gate of the Dou residence stood wide open, and Dou Yan saw her aunt, who had been resting in the side room, come in with her three cousins clustered around a man dressed in mourning white.

Of middling height, with features finer than a woman's.

Though more than ten years had passed, Dou Yan recognized her uncle Zhao Si at a single glance.

Her eyes instantly grew wet.