Chapter 49 — Partition

Dou Yan was, after all, a daughter of the Dou clan. She still had to live within the Dou family, and after her marriage she would still depend on the support of these Dou uncles and cousins. And because of Zhao Guqiu's death, the Zhao family had fallen out badly with the Dou family, and now they were even dividing up half of the West Dou's estate. Some in the Dou family were already grumbling in private that the Zhao family made trouble. The Zhao household was small; to say nothing else, with a single word from the Second Dowager the Dou family could withdraw all the stewards and assistants who had formerly managed Dou Yan's dowry, and the whole thing over there would fall into chaos. The Zhao family simply had neither the means nor the hands to take over those properties at short notice. Now that Mrs. Zhao proposed letting a Dou kinsman help Dou Yan manage the estate, and offered such generous terms, whoever took over the management of Dou Zhiwei's property would be tied to Dou Yan on the same rope and become her firmest support within the Dou family. And if that man came from the Second Branch, and the Second Madam was the Dou clan's principal wife... then Dou Yan's days among the Dou would be far easier.

She stole a glance at the Second Madam.

In the Second Madam's eyes flashed a bright, throbbing spark of temptation.

The Zhao family had indeed come prepared this time!

Ji Wan said, "Our Sixth Master has just passed the provincial examination this year and has his heart set on the spring metropolitan exam. Hui and Zhi still need looking after, so our branch will not take part in this matter."

Hearing this, the First Madam hurried to declare her position too: "Lan will sit for the examination early next spring and studies diligently until midnight every day. I fear we have the will but not the strength."

The Third Madam hesitated for a long while, but in the end said, "Our Third Master manages the Dou estate's affairs. He is run off his feet every day as it is, and even to avoid suspicion, it would not be proper for him to help Shouyuan manage the estate."

The Second Old Madam asked the Second Madam, "And what is your opinion?"

The Second Madam did not decline the honor. "The eldest is in the capital with Uncle Five; the second, third, and fifth are all at home. Could we not choose one of them?"

"Very well," the Second Old Madam said with a smile. "Once you have decided, come and tell me, so that I may give Madam Zhao an answer."

This was, in a sense, the reward for the Second Madam's support of her son in the Dou Yan affair.

The Second Madam understood this perfectly well, and once back in her rooms she summoned her son and daughter-in-law to discuss the matter.

Dou Shi chose his third cousin, Dou Xiuchang.

In her previous life, the eldest cousin had stayed at Uncle Five's side, and in the end Uncle Five had secured him a post through hereditary privilege; the second cousin had not rested until he passed the lower tier of the metropolitan examination; the third and fifth cousins had had little dealings with her. But she remembered that after the Third Uncle's death, the third cousin had always helped the second cousin manage the Dou clan's sundry affairs, which showed he was fit to bear heavy responsibilities in such matters. Moreover, the third cousin's eldest son, Dou Yan, was the most promising of the "Qi" generation.

While chatting with her aunt, she said, "...The Third Aunt scolded our seventh cousin, saying his studies were not even as good as Zhi's."

Madam Zhao immediately took this to heart and sent someone to inquire about Dou Yan.

When the Second Old Madam invited her aunt over to discuss the matter, her aunt chose the third cousin over the fifth: "...Third Master Xiu is older, and a father of several children besides; he must be steadier and more composed."

The Second Madam did not much care; they were all her sons.

Dou Xiuchang's household, however, was overjoyed.

For a family that lived off monthly allowances, an extra source of income meant the children could eat a little better and dress a little more respectably.

Even Dou Duo could find no grounds for objection.

He and Dou Xiuchang's father—that is, Dou Zhiwei's second uncle, Luo Shiqi—were on exceedingly good terms.

Dou Xiuchang took over Dou Zhiwei's dowry estate without the slightest difficulty, and her aunt handed the letter of consent to the Second Old Madam.

By the time all this was settled, it was the winter solstice, and every household was eating dumplings.

Her aunt discussed the matter with Dou Xiuchang: "Why not take charge of the property Shouyuan's mother left her as well? The Wang woman will be entering the household soon, and it would not be fitting for Granny Yu to remain at the West Residence. Better to use this opportunity to let her retire in comfort, with her son and daughter-in-law released from service—that would count as having served our family's young lady for a time."

Anyone else would likely have worried that such a move might make people think he was purging dissent the moment he took over Dou Zhiwei's estate, but Dou Xiuchang was a proper master of the Dou family—why would he care what a few serving women said?

"Fine!" he agreed without a care. "Whether it's one sheep or two, they graze just the same."

Her aunt summoned Granny Yu for a talk and told Yu Daqing to hand over the accounts to Dou Xiuchang that very afternoon.

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