Chapter 56 Dragon Boat Festival

  In the 8th year of Chengping, Du Zhao was nine years old. His sixth uncle, Du Shihong, had his name on the list of successful candidates in the imperial examination, ranking 36th among the second-class third-grade scholars. Last September, his ninth elder brother from his eldest uncle's family, Du Huanchang, passed the provincial examination and became a juren. This was indeed a double joy for the family, and everyone was overjoyed, especially the second lady of the house. Two of her three sons were now jinshi, which perfectly matched the saying "When one encounters joyful events, one's spirit is refreshed."

  Dong Zhao has been in Dongfu for several years. During the hot summer days, he would use the excuse of avoiding the heat to go to Tianzhuang and live with his grandmother for a few days.

  Yi's sister from the Wu Tang family came to see Duan Zhao: "You said we should make a few lotus-leaf bags?"

  During Dragon Boat Festival, there is a custom of putting wormwood leaves in a sachet and giving it to others.

  "You discuss with Shu Jie and it's settled," said Dou Zhao with a smile. "I'll just follow you."

  She was not a member of the Dong family, nor did she want to return to the Xi family. She regarded herself as a guest in the Duan family and treated everyone with courtesy and respect. With her wealth, she socialized with relatives and bribed servants, earning the admiration of everyone in the Duan household.

  Shu Jie is the eldest daughter of San Tang's family and also Duan Qijun's younger sister, two months older than Yi Jie and two months younger than Duan Zhao.

  Yi's sister sighed: "It would be better if Fifth Aunt were still here!"

  Wu Gu Gu, is Duan Ming.

  After Wang Yingxue entered the house, the second lady still kept Du Ming by her side. Du Ming gradually drifted away from Wang Yingxue. In the seventh year of Chengping, Wang Xingyi was still in the post of Shaanxi governor, but the Wang family moved to Kyoto. Wang Yingxue had no choice but to write a letter to his mother, Madame Xu, who sent someone to pick up Du Ming to stay in Kyoto for a short while under the pretext of missing her grandson. His grandfather agreed. The second lady had no reason to keep him again. Calculating, Du Ming had already stayed in Kyoto for almost half a year.

  Yi Jie'er always got along with Dou Ming and went together, but instead felt that Dou Zhao would try to curry favor with the adults, and didn't get close to Dou Zhao.

  Past experiences have told Du Zhao that you can't please everyone, so it's even more unnecessary to try to please those who don't like you.

  She smiled faintly and said: "Why don't you write a letter to Du Ming? See when she will return to True Definition."

  At home, only Yijie discovered that when Duan Zhao called out to Duan Ming, she always used both his name and surname. One time, half-jokingly and half-questioningly, in front of the second madam, she mentioned it. Duan Zhao's explanation was: "I call her Ming Jie, or else people will think she is of the same generation as you."

  But why can't I call her sister?

  She wanted to ask, but her wet nurse pulled her clothes. Then when she returned home, the wet nurse quietly told her: "Wang's wife was a concubine who became the legitimate wife, and Fourth Miss is the legitimate daughter."

  Yi Jie did not think so.

  How is your wife?

  Could it be Miss Duan's family?

  But she was still curious: "Why is it that among our ancestors' concubines, only Seventh Uncle's concubine had children?"

  "That's because Seventh Uncle has no son. Let's just talk about literature and poetry."

  She always felt that Nai Rong still had something to tell her. Just then Wu Ya came, she happily ran to see Wu Ya and forgot about this matter.

  However, Wu Ya didn't like playing with Du Ming. She always said that Du Ming was stupid and foolish, as if she lacked a few brain cells. But she also didn't like playing with Du Zhao. She thought that Du Zhao was arrogant and difficult to get along with: "Whatever good things I have, Sixth Aunt immediately buys them for her, and then she puts on an air of indifference, corrupting Shu Jie as well."

  Shu Jie used to hold Wu Ya's doll, mirror, and comb with wide eyes and ask Wu Ya: "Let me play for a while." Since she took Du Zhao's things and didn't return them, Du Zhao didn't want her to return them either. After that, Shu Jie only had eyes for Du Zhao, and whatever secrets she had, she would only tell Du Zhao. Whenever they had small disputes, she would always take Du Zhao's side.

  Wu Ya said: "Their family is quite strange, one lives in the east cave, one lives in the outer house, her mother alone guards a large mansion, and doesn't go to Kyoto with her father... Anyway, I don't like either of the two sisters."

  Dong Zhaonang vaguely felt this, but she didn't take it to heart - when they grew up, their thoughts would be different again.

  She went to her third elder brother's place.

  My elder cousin Zhao Bihua is already eighteen years old. My aunt wrote a letter to her, saying that my elder cousin will get married on August 12th.

  She wants to give her elder sister some gifts.

  Her third brother smiled and asked her: "What are you planning to give?"

  Dong Zhao owned half of the property in Xi Dong, but any expenditure exceeding ten taels of silver required the consent of her third elder brother, who managed her estate. She was not accustomed to this and was distressed, so she handed over Zhao Liangbi to her third elder brother. Her third elder brother saw that he had the surname "Zhao" and thought he was a relative from Dong Zhao's maternal family, so he took extra care of Zhao Liangbi. Zhao Liangbi was a person who understood reason and cherished his opportunities, so he bowed his head and followed the accountant to learn. In just one year, he could already do arithmetic calculations with his hands.

  What kind of Zhao Liangbi can have the ability to sit in the position of chief accountant?

  She thought for a moment, then smiled and told her third brother about her intention.

  "Shall we send some gold and silver ornaments? As for other things, Auntie has probably already prepared most of them."

  Dong Zhaoli nodded repeatedly and entrusted his third elder brother to handle this matter.

  When I came out, I met Sister Shu.

  She pulled Dou Zhao: "Second sister said to make a five-poisonous pouch, I have a new style, does Fourth Aunt want it?"

  In her previous life, she had a very distant relationship with several of her cousins and nieces, but in this life, Shu Jie was like a little tail that always followed her.

  "Go ahead!" Dou Zhao laughed and said, "I'll let Haitang come find your servant girl to take it."

  Tuo Niang got married to Cui Si two years ago and just gave birth to a son a few days ago, who is not yet a month old. The household chores have been handed over to Hai Tang.

  Sister Shu nodded and whispered to her: "Qi Qi is here again."

  Qī Qī is Wú Yǎ's nickname.

  Dong Zhao didn't think much of it and laughed: "The Dragon Boat Festival is almost here!"

  Shu Jie'er sighed and said: "Will Fifth Aunt come back?"

  She is a sweet girl and gets along well with people around her.

  "Do you miss her?"

  "Yes!" she pouted, "We want to play hide-and-seek, but there's no one. Qi Qi doesn't even want to play with the maids."

  Dòu Zhāo never played these with them before.

  She smiled and said: "That's because there are many sisters of the same age in their family."

  Sister Shu burst out laughing.

  Dou Zhao returned to Liu Bei's mother's place.

  She's grown up now, and naturally can't continue living in the green silk room of Liu Bo Mu's inner chamber. Four years ago, after her father brought her back from her grandmother's estate, she moved into the west wing of the main courtyard, while Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang lived in the east wing.

  As soon as she stepped into the main courtyard, she heard a burst of loud laughter coming from the west wing.

  Dong Zhao couldn't help but smile.

  Now that Wu Ya has come, how can we be without Wu Shan?

  Like in his previous life, Wu Shan and Dou Dechang, who were of the same year, got along very well. Every time he came, he stayed at Dou Dechang's place. As a result, he had a very good relationship with Dou Zhengchang and Dou Qijun.

  It must be several people blowing together!

  She was just about to enter the house when the opposite wing of the house suddenly opened and Wu Shan and Dou Dechang walked out together.

  "Fourth sister!" He greeted Dou Zhao with a reddened ear.

  Dong Zhao politely nodded towards him: "Wu Si has arrived."

  She followed Du Dechang's brothers and called Wu Shan, and also greeted several Du Zhengchang.

  Wu Shan then asked Dou Zhao: "We are preparing to go out and buy a gift for Sixth Uncle, do you want us to bring something back for you?"

  He was known as Dou Shi-Heng among his generation in the Dou family.

  "Thank you," Du Zhao smiled and said. "I have already prepared a gift for Sixth Uncle."

  It was a piece of celadon stone she had received from her father in the past.

  Carved on top is a monkey riding a horse, symbolizing immediate promotion to nobility, which suits Sixth Uncle's idle seal.

  "Did you meet my sister? She's over there talking to my cousin."

  Isn't this nonsense?

  If she was also at Er Tang Sao's place, how could Er Tang Sao let her go.

  Dong Zhao smiled and replied: "Qiqi has also arrived, I haven't met her yet!"

  Wu Shan asked again: "You said that on Dragon Boat Festival, your family invites people to perform opera, is it true?"

  Dòu Déchāng was ranked twelfth, and everyone liked to call him Twelve.

  Dong Zhao smiled and said: "Since it was said by the twelfth brother, there must be some truth to it."

  "What a pity, I had already returned to Xin Dong at that time."

  "There's always a chance to see it."

  "I don't even know when it is?" Wu Shan said with great longing, "I heard that Zhou Qingfen has been invited to sing opera this time..."

  Words are like lotus roots, although they have been clearly cut off, they can still be connected to form a situation where the lotus root is broken but the thread remains.

  Duan Zhaonian listened to him finish speaking, smiled apologetically at him and said: "Wu Sige has something urgent to attend to, I'm about to go visit Madame Tai."

  Wu Shandong's face suddenly turned red, and he stuttered: "Fourth sister, please go back to the house quickly, we also need to leave."

  Dòu Zhāo entered the house.

  A voice came from behind, Wu Zhengchang's puzzled voice: "Why do you always have so many words every time you meet Fourth Sister?"

  "Didn't you just say I don't talk enough?"

  "I'm saying you always 'heh-heh-ha' whenever you meet Yijie and the others..."

  "I'm an elder, I should at least look like one, right?"

  "This time, we'll let you show off your seniority," said Du Qijun. "This time, you pay the bill when we buy things..."

  "You are blackmailing..." Wu Shan laughed, his voice gradually fading away.

  Dòu Zhāo smiled and shook his head, finding it very amusing.

  On Dragon Boat Festival day, Second Mistress indeed invited Zhou Qingfen to perform a grand opera.

  The stage was set up in front of the ancestral hall of Dou's family in North Building, and villagers from all directions within a radius of ten miles came with their families to watch the show.

  Dou Zhao followed Liu Bo Mu to accompany Er Tai Fu Ren drinking tea in a side room next to the ancestral hall.

  Wang Yingshu came in to greet the second lady, and she beckoned to Du Zhao: "Shougu, how was the chrysanthemum cake that I had Qiongfen send over last time? It was a gift from the palace to my father, and Ming's sister specially sent a box back, saying it was for her sister to try."

  "It was originally a reward from the palace, no wonder I saw it differently from those on the market." Duan Zhao smiled and said, "I'll offer it to Madame Tai." As she spoke, she looked towards Madame Tai.

  The old lady smiled and pulled Dou Zhao's hand: "It's still our Shou girl who has a heart."

  Wang Yingxue's face turned red and then green, and then green and then red again.

  These years, Duan Zhao handed Wang Yingxue over to the second lady to take care of, so she didn't bother to argue with Wang Yingxue.

  A little maid rushed in, speaking incoherently: "Madam, mistress, it's not good, the old master is not well..."

  ※

  Sisters, I've been inconvenient to go online for the past two days. I wrote and posted in a hurry, so there are many typos. I'm revising now. Sorry for the inconvenience caused to everyone... Today is the first day of Lunar New Year, wishing you all have fun!

  ※RQ