In Dou Zhao’s memory, the Dou residence in Huai Tree Alley was a four-courtyard, three-room house with side rooms. The front yard was planted with pomegranates, while the back yard had square bamboo. Under the grape trellis stood stone tables and stools. Although it was a bit cramped for Uncle Wu’s family, it exuded a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
However, upon stepping down from the carriage this time, she found that the Dou family’s residence had expanded to more than double her recollection.
Dou Shishu not only purchased the neighboring three-courtyard, three-room house but also acquired a two-courtyard, three-room house behind it. He connected the three residences and renovated them, transforming them into the current Dou Ge residence in Huai Tree Alley. The place no longer bore the restraint and caution of her past life; instead, it had taken on a more understated yet vibrant character.
This change was likely related to the fact that in her previous life, Uncle Wu had been suppressed by Wang Xingyi for a long time, while in this life, he entered the cabinet before Wang Xingyi.
With Dou Shishu, Dou Shiheng, and Dou Shiying leading the way, the ladies, including Fifth Madam Fan and Sixth Madam Ji, followed behind. Almost all the maids, daughters-in-law, and old women of the household were present, crowding around the Dou family members, who had arrived early to wait at the door, except for Wang Yingxue.
Upon seeing the Second Matriarch, Dou Shishu stepped forward and knelt before her, his eyes moist as he called out, “Mother.”
The Second Matriarch was immediately moved to tears, wanting to help Dou Shishu up.
However, Dou Shishu insisted on bowing three times, his forehead quickly gathering dust.
Dou Shiheng and the others hurriedly followed suit, bowing in respect.
Tears of joy and satisfaction filled the Second Matriarch’s eyes.
Walking behind the Second Matriarch, Dou Zhao noticed Dou Ming hesitating for a moment before kneeling beside a slender, fair-skinned, and graceful middle-aged woman.
Dou Zhao recognized the woman as Han, the wife of Dou Zhengchang, and couldn’t help but glance at her a bit longer. Han had a very poor relationship with Ji Lingze, who was first her sister-in-law and later her sister-in-law by marriage, to the extent that Dou Dechang and his wife had to move to the outskirts of Kyoto, near Yongguang Temple in Xijie.
Feeling Dou Zhao’s gaze, Han kindly nodded at her.
Dou Zhao smiled in return.
Dou Ming seemed eager to prove something, quickly linking arms with Han and casting a defiant glance at Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao pretended not to see and shifted her attention to Guo and Cai, who were beside Han.
Guo appeared as delicate and gentle as Dou Zhao remembered, with fair skin and a pair of dark eyes that resembled a fawn, evoking affection. This was a stark contrast to the last time she had seen Guo in her previous life, when she looked listless, with a sallow complexion, resembling a long-term bedridden patient, exuding an uncomfortable sense of despair.
Calculating the time, she realized that the Bai family would be entering the family next year.
Dou Zhao sighed inwardly, recalling Ji Lingze.
Thanks to the coming-of-age ceremony, Ji Lingze had resumed correspondence with Dou Zhao. Dou Zhao had used the excuse of the Second Matriarch inviting a Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain to tell fortunes, secretly asking the priest to cast a divination for both herself and Ji Lingze. The priest indicated that Ji Lingze would face a significant obstacle in the next two years, but if he could overcome it, a smooth path would await him; if not, he would likely suffer in his later years. It was best for him to temporarily distance himself from the chaos of the world and eat vegetarian meals for two years.
When she shared this with Ji Lingze, their relationship was still somewhat shallow, and as she sent the letter, she couldn’t help but shake her head with a wry smile. Who would have thought that not long after, the Ji and Han families would postpone their marriage plans? After some time, news of Young Master Han’s serious illness spread, and Dou Zhao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Just when she thought Ji Lingze might remain a widower, the Ji and Han families quickly set a wedding date, and Ji Lingze married into the Han family as a way to bring good fortune. Three months later, Young Master Han passed away.
When Dou Zhao heard the news, she couldn’t sleep all night and wrote a letter to comfort Ji Lingze.
After that, they frequently exchanged letters, but Ji Lingze never mentioned her marriage as a means of good fortune. Out of respect, Dou Zhao didn’t inquire about her situation at that time. Since she was now in Kyoto, she certainly intended to visit Ji Lingze, though she was unsure whether Ji Lingze was living with the Ji family or the Han family.
She quickly stopped her thoughts and, after the Second Matriarch finished greeting everyone, stepped forward to perform a respectful greeting to her father, Dou Shiying.
Dou Shiying, having not seen Dou Zhao for a long time, appeared very excited. He took Dou Zhao’s hand and asked her if her journey had been peaceful, what she had been doing at home, and how Aunt Cui was doing… He chattered on and on until Dou Shiheng interrupted with a smile, “The child has just arrived; let’s save the conversation for later. Shou Gu won’t run away.” He then turned to Shou Gu, asking, “Are you tired? Let your Sixth Aunt make you a pot of pomelo tea to cool you down.” This elicited laughter from everyone.
Dou Zhao hurriedly greeted Dou Shiheng, smiling as she called out, “Sixth Uncle,” and then linked arms with Sixth Aunt, calling out to Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang, “Eleventh Brother, Twelfth Brother,” like Ji’s daughter, a bit informal yet more affectionate, which made Ji feel pleased. She pulled Dou Zhao closer, laughing, “Don’t listen to your Sixth Uncle; come meet your Fifth Aunt.” With that, she led her to meet Fifth Madam.
Before Dou Zhao could speak, Fifth Madam had already taken her hand and smiled, “It’s truly a pleasure to meet you; our Fourth Miss is indeed beautiful! No wonder she has grown up under the Second Matriarch’s care.” The last sentence was directed at the Second Matriarch.
The Second Matriarch chuckled, happily accepting her daughter-in-law’s compliment.
Dou Zhao smiled and performed a curtsy.
Fifth Madam called over her two daughters-in-law and her grandchildren, “Come and meet your Fourth Sister, Fourth Aunt.”
Guo and Cai brought their children to greet Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao signaled for Su Xin to bring out the prepared gifts, and present them to her niece and nephew.
Seeing that Dou Zhao had given her daughter a small gold ruyi bracelet, Guo felt it was too extravagant and repeatedly thanked her, feeling a bit embarrassed. Cai carefully examined the jade pendants Dou Zhao had given to her two sons before smiling and expressing her gratitude.
Zha was still as snobbish as in her previous life.
Dou Zhao secretly rolled her eyes in her heart and stepped forward to greet Dou Shishu.
Dou Shishu smiled slightly, saying, “The last time I saw you, you were just a little child who could hardly speak. In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown into a young lady. Time doesn’t spare anyone!” His tone was quite sentimental.
Dou Zhao noticed that Dou Shishu had gained some weight and had a few strands of silver in his hair, which made her feel a bit melancholic.
Ji then introduced Han to Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao had already met Han before and knew that Ji treated Dou Zhao like her own daughter, making Han act like a kind aunt to Dou Zhao. Her politeness was not devoid of warmth, which made Dou Zhao feel good.
Dou Shiying scolded Dou Ming, “Your sister is here, and you don’t even come forward to greet her?”
Dou Zhao expected her to sulk or have a cold expression, but to her surprise, she smiled and stepped forward to bow to Dou Zhao, saying, “Who told me I’m the youngest and lowest in rank? I’m at the end of the line.”
Everyone burst into laughter, making Dou Shiying appear a bit flustered.
Fortunately, Dou Shiying had always doted on his two daughters. He smiled helplessly and gave them a few typical admonishments about “being obedient,” and only then did everyone escort the Second Matriarch to the main hall.
Dou Zhao was arranged to stay in the west wing.
Su Lan brought a little maid to assist Dou Zhao with her grooming, while Su Xin directed the daughters-in-law to set out Dou Zhao’s familiar belongings that she had brought from Zhen Ding.
The little maids and rough servants assigned to serve Dou Zhao by Fifth Madam couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement, whispering, “This Fourth Miss from Zhen Ding certainly has a grand presence!”
One little maid remarked, “What’s this? I heard Fifth Miss has an even grander presence. In her room, besides the usual servants, there are seven or eight guards, two laundry maids, two kitchen maids, and four seamstresses… Seventh Master is the richest among all the masters!”
Another little maid calculated, “Fourth Miss only brought four guards, four maids, and two rough servants, so she indeed doesn’t have as grand a presence as Fifth Miss.”
Guo, who had come in to invite Dou Zhao for a meal, overheard and scolded, “What nonsense are you all talking about? Go help out!”
The little maids scattered in a hurry.
Hearing the commotion, Su Xin quickly came over, bowing respectfully and addressing her as “Sixth Young Mistress.”
Guo was always kind to others and gently asked, “Fourth Sister, are you done with your grooming?”
Su Xin welcomed Guo into the hall, smiling as she invited her to sit down. Before she could serve tea, Dou Zhao, freshly groomed, walked out.
Guo quickly stood up and said, “Fourth Sister, the Second Matriarch has arrived. Once you go, we can start the meal.”
Dou Zhao smiled in thanks and went with Guo to the dining hall.
Meanwhile, Song Mo sat cross-legged in the meditation chair of the Yizhi Hall, eyes closed as he listened to Gu Yu and his steward Qiao An discussing accounts. “… The Ministry of Revenue’s fifty thousand taels will arrive soon. We don’t have to worry about the money, but is it okay to eat alone like this?”
Qiao An appeared somewhat concerned.
Gu Yu sneered, “What’s so bad about eating alone? Compared to Shen Qing, we’re far behind. He won’t even pay for the porters, relying on the local guards to help him transport materials. We still have to personally entertain those officials from the Ministry of Works with drinks.” As he spoke, he began to complain, “Wang Qinghuai is being overly cautious. In my opinion, what we’re doing is a no-risk business. Even if you’re polite, without this connection, they won’t take you seriously; and even if you’re rude, with this connection, they’ll just have to endure it…”
Before he could finish, Song Mo suddenly opened his eyes and asked, “How much money does the Wei family have with us?”
Gu Yu was startled and quickly composed himself, saying, “About twenty thousand taels.”
Song Mo continued, “How much have we settled with them?”
Gu Yu grimaced, “Zhang Yuanming’s wife is quite ambitious. During the first settlement, I followed your instructions and returned their principal to her, but she returned it, saying it should be counted as part of the capital… I thought it wasn’t much, so I could just allocate some from my share to her, and I didn’t mention it to you. This twenty thousand taels includes the Wei family’s principal of three thousand taels.”
Song Mo nodded and said calmly, “Deduct all that money from me. I’ll tell you when to settle with them.”
Gu Yu’s mouth dropped open, and after a moment, he exclaimed, “Alright!” His voice couldn’t hide his excitement.
Song Mo lowered his head to sip his tea, recalling what Mr. Yan had told him about the events at the Great Xiangguo Temple when he returned that day.