When Dou Ming and Wang Yingxue returned, they saw a pile of gifts stacked in the hall. Dou Ming casually asked, “Who sent these?”

Gao Sheng replied respectfully, “They are from the eldest uncle, Duke of Jining.” After a moment’s thought, he felt that this response lacked respect for Wei Tingyu, so he added, “They were personally delivered by the eldest uncle.”

Wang Yingxue was momentarily taken aback.

Today, she returned to Liuyehutong not only to congratulate her elder brother on his hereditary title of Qianhu but also because her mother had brought her a message. Their father had entrusted her sister-in-law, Gao Shi, to discuss a marriage proposal with Dou Ming.

The prospective groom was named Liu Bi, courtesy name Qingzhuo. At twenty-two, he was eight years older than Dou Ming. Having lost his father at a young age, he came from a poor background and relied on his uncle’s support to continue his studies.

Although Mr. Gao praised Liu Qingzhuo’s exceptional talent and upright character, claiming he would surely have a bright future, who could truly predict such things? Their father had also been a young scholar once, but what had come of it? Their mother had endured a tumultuous life alongside their father, and they had nearly lost all their children. After their father’s resurgence as a prominent official, the family was scattered across the country, rarely seeing each other for years.

Wang Yingxue felt a pang of sadness for her mother. How could she bear to let Mingjie live such a life? Moreover, how many men, once they achieved wealth and status, remembered the hardships of their first wives? Those who had endured years of hardship in study often rushed to take concubines as soon as they succeeded. Did she want Mingjie to support Liu in his studies, only to watch him thrive while she grew old and alone, seeing him enjoy life without her?

Wang Yingxue found nothing to like about this marriage proposal. However, seeing her mother’s joyful expression, she hesitated to voice her objections outright. Instead, she vaguely suggested, “Mingjie’s marriage should be discussed with her father first,” hoping to deflect the conversation for now.

At that moment, seeing the gifts sent by Wei Tingyu and hearing they were personally delivered, she felt a surge of anger. After a long pause, she remarked, “Our eldest uncle is quite thoughtful!”

Dou Ming snorted coldly and turned to walk through the central hall back to her courtyard.

Wang Yingxue, puzzled, hurried after her. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, looking at her daughter, who was sitting at the dressing table with a stern expression. “Did your elder sister bully you again? Tell me what happened. I’ll speak to your father on your behalf!”

“What good would that do?” Dou Ming scoffed, tossing her hairbrush onto the table. “You only argue with him. When have you ever clarified anything or resolved a situation?”

Wang Yingxue’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Seeing her mother’s discomfort, Dou Ming softened her tone. “What did Grandmother say to you? I noticed you came out of her room looking unwell. Did she scold you again? She’s getting old; just listen to her and don’t take it to heart. You rarely come back; let me have Grandma Zhou help you with a leg massage. Can the maids from the estate take care of you? Would you like me to send you two maids to the estate?”

Her words warmed Wang Yingxue’s heart.

She shook her head repeatedly. “No, no! Although your father is cold and unfeeling, he has never skimped on my needs. I’m doing well at the estate.” She paused, then added, “Speaking of which, you’re not a child anymore. I’ll be returning to the estate soon, and I can’t help you with your matters. Your second aunt’s son, Tan Ge, treats you better than he does himself. You saw it when we went to Liuyehutong for drinks; he immediately fetched anything you looked at…”

“Mother, please stop!” Dou Ming’s voice suddenly became sharp. “I will not marry Wang Tan!”

“You child!” Wang Yingxue frowned. “Wang Tan may be a year younger than you, but he treats you well. Besides, if you marry into your grandmother’s family, do you think Uncle and aunt will mistreat you?”

“Ah!” Dou Ming suddenly screamed, covering her ears. “I won’t marry Wang Tan! I refuse to marry Wang Tan!”

Wang Yingxue was startled and quickly embraced Dou Ming, urging her, “Lower your voice! Be careful not to let anyone hear!”

Dou Ming didn’t care. She shouted, “I won’t marry into my second aunt’s family! My second uncle is like a mouse seeing a cat when he’s with my second aunt; Wang Tan only knows how to play. He doesn’t study or practice martial arts. If someone shows him a broken bronze artifact and claims it’s an ancient relic from the Shang or Zhou dynasties, he foolishly pays for it, thinking he’s gotten a bargain, and then brags about it everywhere…”

Her voice trailed off, and her expression grew increasingly despondent. “If I marry, I want to marry into a good family—one with a dignified father-in-law, a kind mother-in-law, loving grandparents, a husband who is honest and sincere, a lively and charming younger brother, and a gentle and kind sister-in-law. I want a family that lives harmoniously, without concubines or illegitimate children, and without relatives constantly eyeing my purse. When I go out, I want people to say, ‘That’s so-and-so’s wife,’ and greet me with friendly smiles, not whisper behind my back about who I am…”

Wang Yingxue covered her face and wept.

Was this why her daughter had always preferred to play with Wang Nan? She had even said she wanted to be a daughter of the Gao family. At that time, she thought it was because her daughter grew up in her grandmother’s house, making her particularly close to her aunt. Now she realized her daughter envied that kind of background…

Wang Yingxue soon learned about the situation at Daxiangguo Temple. She asked Grandma Zhou in shock, “So, the Fourth Miss is on a hunger strike over this? What’s happened to her now? Has Fifth Madam not intervened?”

Grandma Zhou didn’t know the specifics and found it hard to judge. “A few days ago, the master was still excitedly preparing to add a trunk for the eldest miss, but there’s been no news lately. I’ve only heard some rumors; the Fourth Miss is staying at Huai Tree Alley and sometimes comes over, but she seems no different from usual. I can’t tell if it’s true or not.”

If the girl’s family had initiated the withdrawal, they would have to return double the betrothal gifts.

Wang Yingxue pondered, “Are the gifts from the Wei family still here?”

Grandma Zhou understood her meaning and whispered, “They are still here! No one has mentioned returning the gifts.”

So, Dou Zhao felt embarrassed after being humiliated by Dou Ming and was crying to regain her face!

Wang Yingxue scoffed, “Just wait and see; in a few days, the master will be excitedly preparing to marry off his daughter again.” Then she thought about how Dou Ming had gotten involved with Wei Tingyu, her brows furrowing tightly. “Mingjie, why are you meddling in Dou Zhao’s affairs? Isn’t that just asking for trouble? Why didn’t you stop her?”

Grandma Zhou smiled wryly.

There hadn’t been any signs beforehand, and by the time she found out, it was already in chaos. How could she have prevented it?

That evening, Dou Shiying returned and saw the gifts sent by the Wei family. He instructed Gao Sheng to return them doubled.

Wei Tingzhen, pleased, said to Tian Shi, “I told you, the Dou family wouldn’t dare to withdraw from the engagement. They just wanted to scare us.”

Tian Shi sighed in relief upon hearing this.

Withdrawing from a marriage is never a good thing. If they were to discuss another marriage, the other party would surely investigate the reasons for the withdrawal. If things went poorly, the engagement would fall through, and rumors about hidden ailments could spread, making it even harder to negotiate a new match.

Wei Tingyu remained silent nearby.

Wei Tingzhen instructed the people from Duke of Jining’s residence, “Don’t pay them any mind.”

The people from Duke of Jining’s residence treated the Dou family with some disdain.

Wang Yingxue felt a stir in her heart upon hearing this.

She asked Grandma Zhou, “Did the eldest uncle go to Daxiangguo Temple that day?”

“He should have gone, right?” Grandma Zhou wasn’t sure.

At that time, all the servants around Dou Ming had been called in for questioning, nearly getting sold out.

If he hadn’t gone, how could Fifth Madam have been so angry?

Wang Yingxue said to Grandma Zhou, “Send a maid to deliver a message to the eldest uncle, saying that Fifth Miss has something to discuss with him.”

Grandma Zhou was alarmed.

Wang Yingxue laughed, “Where are you thinking? I want to see him without him knowing.”

Grandma Zhou felt uneasy but saw that Wang Yingxue was determined, so she had no choice but to follow her orders and relay the message to Wei Tingyu.

In less than half an hour, Wei Tingyu arrived.

The Duke of Jining’s residence was only half an hour away.

Wang Yingxue nodded secretly and instructed Grandma Zhou, “Now that I’ve seen him, find an excuse to send him away!”

Grandma Zhou felt relieved.

Wei Tingyu left Duke of Jining’s residence in confusion.

Wang Yingxue went to see Dou Ming.

Dou Ming was lounging on the bed, reading. When she saw her mother burst in, she lifted her eyelids and asked, “What are you doing here? Didn’t you say Grandmother had something to discuss with you these days?” She lowered her head to continue reading.

Wang Yingxue snatched the book from Dou Ming’s hands. “Do you know why your father hasn’t been concerned about my comings and goings lately?” She told Dou Ming about Wang Xingyi asking Gao Yuanzheng to discuss a marriage proposal for her, “…The Liu family is innocent, but you need to think carefully. This is your lifelong matter. If you’re not careful, your sister will be the lofty Duchess, and you’ll be a peasant working in the fields!”

Dou Ming, still young, turned beet red at her words, rolling the book in her hands.

Wang Yingxue remained silent, quietly watching her.

After a long pause, Dou Ming finally said, “I don’t want to marry Liu Qingzhuo, but I also don’t want to marry Wang Tan.”

Wang Yingxue laughed. “Silly child, who said you had to marry Tan Ge? Look at your sister; she doesn’t take anything to heart. When she learned about the Daxiangguo Temple incident, she couldn’t save face and resorted to crying and making a scene, ultimately still wanting to marry into Duke of Jining’s residence. I’ve been confined by your father for years and don’t know much about the outside world. But I know that if your sister thinks someone is good, your fifth and sixth aunts will think so too, and it can’t be wrong.”

Dou Ming, confused, asked, “Mother, what are you trying to say?”

Wang Yingxue smiled slightly, her expression carrying an indescribable nuance. She told Dou Ming about how she had sent Wei Tingyu away, “Isn’t your sister upset that you embarrassed her? She’s crying and shouting about not wanting to marry into Duke of Jining’s residence. Then you should marry him!”