Dou Jincai slapped his forehead: "Oh right, I forgot about that person. Isn't he a musician? Let's call him over and have him play a tune for us, just to make things lively."
Dou Akou was extremely embarrassed and stammered, "Father, didn't we invite them here to eat?"
"Eat? What are we eating? He's just a servant we bought, how dare he eat at the same table as us? Quickly, get him over here to play music."
Dou Akou was very upset, but she didn't dare to say anything. She could only watch as someone called Xu Liren over.
Xu Liren was still holding his guqin, sitting in a corner of the room. He started playing a tune, but Dou Jincai stopped him: "Stop. It's the New Year, don't play anything highbrow, play something festive, understand? Festive!"
Xu Liren remained expressionless and changed the tune to a different song. The cheerful melody, mixed with the laughter and chatter of the concubines and Dou Jincai in the hall, did indeed make the place much more lively.
Dou Akou felt uneasy. She would glance at Xu Liren from time to time, but she couldn't think of any way to make him play the zither on an empty stomach.
Her husband was also unhappy. When a husband is unhappy, he won't let the person who upset him be happy either. So he sneered inwardly and watched coldly as Dou Akou was depressed because of Xu Li. After a few rounds of drinks, the meal finally ended with Dou Akou's sullen mood and Fu Jiuxin's impassive anger.
After dinner, Dou Jincai and his three concubines set up a mahjong table and played dominoes. Dou Jincai was the dealer, but he had a run of bad luck in several hands and became a little impatient. He found the music annoying, so he waved his hand to tell Xu Li to bear with it.
Xu Liren, clutching his guqin, quietly slipped away. Dou Akou wanted to go find him, but her third aunt called out, "Akou, come and help me with the mahjong, you're having good luck."
Dou Akou reluctantly walked over, but when she saw that the next person was her father, and more importantly, Fu Jiuxin was standing behind her father, whispering a few words to Dou Jincai from time to time or pointing a few points, Dou Akou lost her momentum.
She randomly picked a few cards, none of which were the ones Third Aunt wanted, prompting Third Aunt to scold her playfully, "Go away, go away, you're just making things difficult for me."
Dou Akou chuckled for a while, watching them finish a round of dominoes. As usual, after one round of dominoes, it was time for Dou Akou to receive her New Year's money.
Dou Akou happily went around asking for red envelopes from each of her aunts, who laughed and scolded her as they gave her the envelopes. When she got to Dou Jincai, he gave her a particularly thick one: "Take this. I just won a lot of money from your aunts, consider it a gift from your aunts."
Second Aunt laughed: "No way. Master, if Jiu Xin hadn't been standing behind you, with your few moves, how could you have beaten the three of us? In my opinion, this red envelope wasn't given by us, it was clearly given by Jiu Xin."
The other aunts laughed. One said that Fu Jiuxin had given Dou Akou quite a few red envelopes since she was a child, and another said that Dou Akou and Fu Jiuxin were of the same generation, so she shouldn't ask Fu Jiuxin for them.
Dou Akou felt a little embarrassed by the chatter of her aunts. Her husband was only five years older than her, so it seemed inappropriate for her to ask him for a red envelope.
She had already reached Fu Jiuxin's side when she thought about it, scratched her head, and prepared to leave, but Fu Jiuxin called out to her: "Akou."
Dou Akou immediately turned around and exclaimed happily, "Sir! What is it?"
Are you going to give me a red envelope?
Fu Jiuxin stared at her for a while, then slowly took out a red envelope from his pocket: "Here, this is your New Year's money."
The red envelope wasn't made of paper, but rather a piece of red satin twisted into the shape of a lamb and sewn into a small brocade pouch, with two little lamb horns on top.
Dou Akou was delighted with the sheep's horn, pinching it and then touching its head: "Sir, you're so kind! I'll use this as my money bag from now on!"
She was truly grateful to Fu Jiuxin. After thinking for a moment, she realized that a simple thank you was not enough to express her feelings, so she solemnly added, "Sir, when I grow up, I will definitely treat you well too."
Fu Jiuxin smiled and said, "Is that so?"
Dou Akou keenly sensed that her husband was in a bad mood. Without thinking too much about it, she hugged a pile of red envelopes with her skirt and excitedly ran out.
She knew where Xu Liren lived. It was a servant's room that Fu Jiuxin had arranged for him, and when she found it, Xu Liren was indeed inside. There were no lights in the room, only a little light from the moonlight shining through the snow outside the window. Xu Liren lay on the bed, lost in thought.
"Xu Li!" Dou Akou knocked on the door. "Have you eaten yet?"
Xu Liren didn't really want to talk to her, but he hadn't eaten dinner with the servants, so he turned over and said lazily, "No."
"Oh. I'll go get you some dumplings."
Dou Akou left excitedly again. A moment later, she reappeared at Xu Liren's door with a bowl of dumplings: "Xu Li, the dumplings are here."
Xu Liren had already lit the lamp, and the window shone with a warm yellow light. He went to open the door and asked, "What kind of filling is it?"
"Chives and pork".
"I don't eat chives."
"Oh. I'll go take another look."
Fifteen minutes later, Dou Akou returned: "Xu Li, this time it's a vegetarian cabbage filling."
"Did you get the vinegar? I need some."
So our Dou Akou made another trip. After several trips, she was almost sweating.
This time, Xu Liren quieted down, and he couldn't find anything to complain about, so the two of them sat peacefully in the room cooking dumplings.
Dou Akou carried a pot, placed it on the stove, and happily waited for the dumplings to cook while holding a bowl.
Xu Li looked at her in disbelief: "You can still eat?"
"Ah," Dou Akou rubbed her stomach, "I can still eat another bowl."
"No wonder you're so fat."
This wasn't the first time Xu Liren had said Dou Akou had gained weight; she had called her Fat Dou Sprout before.
Dou Akou swallowed the dumpling in her mouth, feeling somewhat bothered. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. When her husband used to say she was fat, he would simply put his arm around her waist and weigh her in his hand. He not only didn't think she was fat, but he also gave Dou Akou the illusion that his eyes were smiling. Now that someone was saying she was fat, she felt a little depressed.
Am I really that fat?
"Hmm." Xu Liren nodded affirmatively. Actually, Dou Akou wasn't fat, just a little chubby like a baby, but Xu Liren had always loved slender and delicate women, and loved seeing their waists as thin as flowing silk, so he felt that Dou Akou's appearance was a bit off.
"Oh." Dou Akou nodded sullenly. She wanted to stop eating, but then she thought that she should finish this meal first and talk about it later.
Birds return to the forest
Starting from the first day of the Lunar New Year, relatives and friends came to the Dou residence one after another to offer their New Year's greetings.
Dou Jincai seemed very excited, always dragging Dou Akou along to accompany him, and taking the opportunity to comment on the young talents who came to visit with their fathers. Dou Jincai had a wide circle of acquaintances, and one group of young talents came and went, leaving Dou Akou dizzy and barely clinging to life.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, most of the close relatives and friends of the Dou family came to visit, while the rest were just casual acquaintances.
Today, the visitors are from the Li family of Jiangnan. The Li family of Jiangnan is a martial arts family, second only to Xilie Fort in the martial arts world. Because their relationship with the Dou family is only based on business dealings, they only sent their illegitimate third son, Li San, to visit.
All guests are welcome, and Dou Jincai greeted Li San warmly before welcoming him into the hall. Dou Akou wanted to hide as soon as she saw Li San, but since Dou Jincai didn't say anything, she had no choice but to obediently sit there with him.
After Li San took his seat, he looked around the Dou family's hall and exclaimed, "As expected of a royal merchant family, it's truly magnificent and luxurious. I think even the imperial palace is no better than this."
Dou Jincai chuckled, "Young Master Li, you dare not accept such a compliment. If word gets out, my head will be in danger. You are a江湖人士 (jianghu person) and do not know the power of the imperial court. I will pretend I did not hear this today."
"Yes, yes. I misspoke." Li San touched his nose, looked around, and saw a glass lamp in the corner of the hall. His eyes lit up: "That lamp is really nice, so bright and dazzling."
"If Young Master Li likes it, how about I send him a new one?"
"That would be wonderful. Thank you in advance, Master Dou."
Actually, that glass lamp wasn't anything valuable, but Li San shamelessly asked for it, which shows how shallow he is.
Dou Jincai looked down on him and was thinking about how to get rid of the guest. Just then, he heard Li San say again, "Hehe, Master Dou, your daughter, Miss Akou, is actually my fellow disciple."
As he spoke, his eyes darted around Dou Akou, making her very uncomfortable. Li San's gaze made her feel as if his eyes were piercing through her clothes and staring at her body; it was too lewd.
"Junior Sister, I heard you came of age a few days ago. Oh dear, you've reached the age to get married. I wonder if you have someone in mind? If not, you might consider choosing a suitable husband in Qingyong City. Your imperial merchant family is naturally only worthy of a martial arts family in the Jianghu."
If one is from a prestigious martial arts family and a fellow disciple from Qingyong City, then only Gu Huaibi and Li San meet both criteria. Clearly, Li San wouldn't propose marriage to Gu Huaibi, so the implication is obvious.
Even if Dou Akou was stupid, she would know that Li San was after her. But the last time she saw him, wasn't he interested in that girl Yin who was dancing with ribbons?
Dou Akou was very angry, but she couldn't show it. She had been well protected by Fu Jiuxin since she was a child and had never encountered such a thing before. Now she didn't know how to refute him, so she could only sulk in silence.
So when Fu Jiuxin entered the hall, what he saw was Dou Akou's puffed-up cheeks, like two plump little white steamed buns.
Dou Jincai was also displeased. He wasn't so unreliable as to marry his daughter to such a person. So, while sipping his tea, he pondered how to shut him down. Fu Jiuxin's arrival provided him with an opportunity: "Young Master Li, Akou is still young. I want her to stay by my side for a few more years. Besides, even if she's looking for a husband, I, as her father, can't be sure. I need to let Jiuxin approve. Only if Jiuxin thinks she's suitable will things be alright."
Fu Jiuxin raised his eyes. As soon as Dou Jincai finished speaking, he understood. He glanced at Li San, who was still staring at Dou Akou.
Li San's plan was brilliant. Dou Akou came from a wealthy merchant family; although she had no power, she was rich. If he married Dou Akou, he would not only be able to hold his head high in the Li family, but it would also be much easier for him to spend money in the future, since money can solve many problems. As for Miss Yin, hmph, Dou Akou is so stupid; taking her as a concubine is just a matter of a word.
He was so engrossed in his beautiful daydreams that he didn't notice Fu Jiuxin staring at him coldly until he realized that Fu Jiuxin had somehow blocked Dou Akou's path, at which point he sheepishly looked away.
Upon seeing her master, Dou Akou acted like a puppy seeing its owner, practically wagging her tail and clinging to his leg. Hiding behind Fu Jiuxin, she immediately felt emboldened, her anger subsided, and her courage grew. Clutching Fu Jiuxin's clothes, she whispered, "Master, beat him up."
Fu Jiuxin ignored Dou Akou's nonsense and walked towards Li San with the glass lamp in his hand—he had just gone out to get the glass lamp from the storeroom as instructed by Dou Jincai.
He lit the wick with a tinderbox and showed it to Li San: "This glass lamp was made by a skilled craftsman from the northern frontier. Before it was lit, it looked like a fish playing among lotus leaves; after it was lit, it turned into a magpie perched on a plum blossom. Are you satisfied, Third Young Master?"
Everyone else was listening to Fu Jiuxin and watching the rotating glass lamp. No one saw that under the lampshade, Fu Jiuxin was pinching Li San's vital point on his wrist with his palm. He was turning the glass lamp with his right hand, and the lamp oil was swaying and overflowing. Drops of oil, still carrying small flames, fell onto the back of Li San's hand.
Li San's face turned pale, but he couldn't break free. Shouting would be too embarrassing, and he was in a terrible predicament when a clear voice came from outside the door: "Master Dou, this junior has come to wish you a Happy New Year!"
"Oh my! It's my senior brother!" Dou Akou jumped off the chair with joy and ran towards the door.
Li San disliked Gu Huaibi when he was in Qingyong City, but at this moment he was very grateful for Gu Huaibi's timely appearance, because Fu Jiuxin finally let go of his hand and followed Dou Akou out to greet Gu Huaibi.
Dou Jincai was delighted. He liked Gu Huaibi very much, so he ordered his servants to brew tea and prepare snacks. He then took Gu Huaibi to the plum grove in the backyard, saying that he wanted everyone to enjoy the plum blossoms and brew tea together.
Since Li San was also a guest, Dou Jincai couldn't show too much favoritism, so he had no choice but to invite him along as well. The group then headed to the backyard in a grand procession.
Dou Akou spotted Fu Jiuxin's location, slipped to his side, and looked up at him: "Sir, I want to go with you."
The master was furious. It felt like he had painstakingly raised a plump, white sheep, which he himself was reluctant to touch, only to have a thief fleece it... Well, perhaps that analogy wasn't quite right, but in any case, the master was very angry. If they weren't in the Dou family's hall, he would definitely break off one of Li San's arms.
Having followed Fu Jiuxin for so many years, Dou Akou had a good grasp of his temperament. Knowing that he was angry, she dared not speak and followed him closely.
Fu Jiuxin looked down and saw Dou Akou following closely behind him. She wasn't walking properly; she had her hands clasped behind her back, tiptoed, and hopped along the irregular patterns on the stone pavement, the two red pom-poms on her ears bouncing back and forth.
The gentleman suddenly lost his temper. He sighed inwardly, patted Dou Akou's head, and remained silent.
When the group arrived at the plum grove, it was deep winter, and the plum blossoms were in full bloom. One by one, the bright red and pale yellow blossoms peeked out from the white snow, and Gu Huaibi and Li San both praised them repeatedly.
Dou Jincai was very proud. He took a sip of tea and felt it was a pity that such an elegant event of appreciating plum blossoms was not accompanied by music. Fortunately, there was a ready-made musician at home, so Xu Liren was called to the stage again.
Xu Liren played "Three Variations on Plum Blossom," and when he finished, Dou Akou was stunned. She exclaimed, "Xu Liren is truly amazing!"
Li San hadn't paid any attention to the musician, but after hearing Dou Akou's words, he glanced at him and realized it was Xu Liren.
He also disliked Xu Liren. Back in Qingyong City, Xu Liren had given him a lot of attitude; a cheapskate bought from the market, yet acting all high and mighty. Besides, he had just been secretly punished by Fu Jiuxin and had nowhere to vent his anger, so he wanted to take it out on Xu Liren.
He said, "Master Dou, I would like to ask if you would be willing to part with this musician?"
Dou Jincai didn't think much of it. A mere musician was like a rabbit or a dog to him. Without hesitation, he said, "Alright. If Young Master Li likes him, you can take him away—"
"no!"
Dou Jincai watched in astonishment as his daughter jumped up angrily, shouting "No!" and yelled, "Akou, what are you doing?"
"Father, Xu Li won't do!"
"Then tell me why?"
Dou Akou blushed instantly. She thought for a while and finally came up with a reason: "He... he was bought by my master. My master didn't say he was going to give him away, so Dad can't give him away."
Dou Jincai said "Oh," and thought it made sense. So he said to Li San, "I'm sorry, Young Master Li, since my daughter has said so, let's just forget about Xu Liren. If Young Master Li wants a musician, I'll just send another one."