In September, the Fragrant Hills were lush with verdant trees. From afar, Ganlu Temple appeared to be floating amidst a sea of green waves.
At the foot of Fragrant Hills, Dou Zhao and her companions switched to soft sedan chairs. They ascended the wide bluestone steps towards Ganlu Temple.
Jiang Yan lifted the sedan curtain, greedily breathing in the cool mountain air. She felt invigorated.
She heard Ruotong cheerfully asking Ganlu in front of her sedan, “Sister, this temple shares your name. Who gave you such a lovely name?”
Ganlu snorted proudly, “My name was chosen by Aunt Cui from Zhending. She wished for me to be like a drop of water from Guanyin’s pure vase – not only pure of heart but also able to nourish others.”
Curious, Ruotong asked, “Who is Aunt Cui?”
“She’s…” Ganlu paused briefly before continuing, “She’s the Madam’s concubine grandmother.”
Ruotong stuck out her tongue and quickly changed the subject, “What about Sister Sujuan? What’s the meaning behind her name?”
“It has the same meaning as mine,” Ganlu explained with a smile. “It’s to remind us to avoid trouble, keep our hearts as clear as mirrors, and not be blinded by wealth and glory, forgetting who we are.”
Ruotong complained, “Why did Ruozhu and I end up with red names?”
“Isn’t red good?” Ganlu laughed. “Red is the most dignified and graceful color. It’s perfect for you two who serve the Madam closely.”
Inside the sedan, Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile as she listened.
The evolution of the maids’ names mirrored her own experiences. When she first arrived in the capital, her grandmother feared she would be bullied and hoped her maids and servants would be loyal. By the time Ganlu and the others were old enough to leave the household, Dou Zhao had established herself in Duke Ying’s manor. She no longer sought mere loyalty and obedience but the bearing of a household mistress. Later, new little maids were given names starting with “Fu” (meaning to brush or soothe), as servants were no longer her only source of support.
She wondered what names she would give to maids in the future.
Lost in thought, they arrived at Ganlu Temple.
As they alighted from their sedans, the abbot and guest prefect were already waiting at the temple gate.
After exchanging greetings, the abbot, who was in his forties, excused himself. The guest prefect, who had passed his fiftieth year, led them on a tour of Ganlu Temple.
In front of the Mahavira Hall stood two Chinese sumac trees as thick as a person’s embrace. Despite being over a century old, they remained lush and vibrant, their leaves as brilliant as flames.
Jiang Yan and the others exclaimed in admiration.
The guest prefect began recounting the history of these two trees – how Ganlu Temple was destroyed by war and rebuilt, yet the two sumacs remained standing…
The story was intricate and fascinating. Jiang Yan and the others listened with great interest.
This was the story the guest prefect told every time new visitors came to Ganlu Temple. In her previous life, Dou Zhao had heard it several times. As soon as the monk began speaking, she knew what would come next. However, seeing the expressions of wonder and surprise on Jiang Yan’s and the others’ faces filled her with joy.
They toured Ganlu Temple, staying for a vegetarian lunch and afternoon rest.
Feeling a bit tired, Dou Zhao took a couple of turns around the small courtyard to aid digestion before retiring to rest.
Jiang Yan, however, felt energetic. She dragged Jiang Lizhu to see the turtles and koi in the nearby release pool.
Although the Miao family had fallen on hard times, their children were still raised properly. Before her marriage, Miao Ansu rarely left home. Now that she finally had a chance to go out, she wanted to wander with Jiang Yan and the others. But seeing that Dou Zhao had retired, she worried the servants might find her behavior frivolous and look down on her. After some consideration, she bid farewell to Jiang Yan with a smile and returned to her assigned room.
The surroundings were quiet. Miao Ansu closed her eyes but couldn’t fall asleep.
At times like this, her hearing became particularly acute.
She heard the light footsteps of a maid passing along the corridor in front of her room. Someone called out softly, “Sister Fuye, what brings you here?”
As the masters were resting, Fuye kept her voice low, “Did you bring any sewing supplies? Sister Ruotong’s sleeve was just torn.”
The speaker was Miao Ansu’s little maid, Liuhong. She replied with a smile, “I always carry sewing supplies with me. But the Second Madam is resting now, so I’m afraid Sister Fuye will have to wait here for a while.”
“That’s alright,” Fuye said very politely. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Liuhong exchanged a few more courtesies before tiptoeing into the room. She emerged shortly after with a sewing kit.
Miao Ansu pursed her lips.
People said Madam Dou was skilled at managing her subordinates, yet when traveling, her maids didn’t even bring a sewing kit. What kind of management was that? It was truly a case of monkeys ruling in the absence of tigers! If her mother-in-law were still alive, if Song Mo hadn’t been named heir so early, if the Song family had a few more brothers, Dou might not have had the chance to rule so absolutely.
This was truly a case of fortune falling from heaven, completely beyond human control!
Take Fuye, for example. She was only about ten years old and hadn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony. Yet because she served Dou Zhao, even the senior maids addressed her as “sister”. The thought made Miao Ansu’s tongue feel stiff.
As she mused, Fuye returned to give back the sewing kit.
Liuhong asked with a smile, “Sister, you finished mending so quickly?”
“I’m quick with my hands,” Fuye replied, sighing, “You’re so thoughtful. We all remembered to bring sewing kits before leaving, but once we set out, we realized we’d forgotten. Sister Ganlu even scolded me earlier, saying if I’m this careless next time, she’ll reassign me to clean the outhouses in the front courtyard.”
Her tone was light, clearly not taking Ganlu’s words seriously. It was evident that Dou Zhao treated her people very leniently.
“You’re too kind, sister,” Liuhong said, somewhat enviously. “I’ve served in the Second Madam’s quarters since childhood. It’s thanks to her good teachings.”
Miao Ansu felt gratified as she listened.
Fuye nodded repeatedly in agreement, “The Second Madam is a good person. It’s just a pity she married the Second Master…” Her voice trailed off as she realized her slip, quickly covering her mouth.
But it was too late.
Liuhong’s face was filled with shock.
Fuye waved her hands in panic, “I didn’t say anything, I didn’t say anything!”
She turned and ran away.
Liuhong stood dumbfounded.
Inside the room, Miao Ansu’s mind was in turmoil.