When they returned to the main chamber, Father asked Dou Zhao to write her name.

In her previous life, Dou Zhao had studied “Biographies of Exemplary Women” and “Admonitions for Women” for a few years with an old Confucian scholar invited by her grandfather. While she could manage account books, her scholarly knowledge was limited.

Seeing her father’s elegant and beautiful small regular script, she felt quite envious.

Father chuckled, bending down to retrieve some tracing paper from the bottom shelf of the curio cabinet. He laid it out on the writing desk and, holding Dou Zhao’s hand, taught her how to wield the brush.

Hanxiao entered and reported, “Qiongfang from Concubine Wang’s quarters is here. She asks when the Seventh Master will go over for dinner?”

Father glanced at the fading sunset outside the window and smiled, “Concubine Wang is still in confinement, and the Fifth Miss needs rest as well. If I go over, they’ll have to set the table anew, which is quite troublesome… I won’t go. I’ll have dinner here in the main chamber with the Fourth Miss.”

Hanxiao smiled and withdrew.

Dou Zhao was somewhat surprised but didn’t dwell on it. After dining with her father, Hanxiao brought in a lamp, and they practiced writing for a while longer before Father retired to the inner room of the main chamber.

Two days later, Feng Baoshan came to visit Father.

He appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His black hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin, and he wore a dark green Hangzhou silk robe embroidered with iris patterns, exuding an air of elegance tinged with nobility.

Was this the Feng Baoshan her mother had described as indulging in all manner of vices?

Sitting at the side table practicing her calligraphy, Dou Zhao’s mouth fell open in surprise before she quickly closed it.

Feng Baoshan had come to invite Father out: “…The lotuses at the Ying family’s place are all in bloom. Since you’re in mourning, we won’t disturb others. Just you, me, and Yingcheng – we can appreciate the flowers, chat, and you can get some fresh air to clear your mind.”

Father shook his head: “The weather is too hot. I don’t want to go out. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

“It’s not even June yet, what heat?” Feng Baoshan spoke, then suddenly seemed to realize something. His tone changed, and he looked at Father with a puzzled expression. “You… you’re not planning to mourn Zhao Shi for a full year, are you?”

Father remained silent, lowering his gaze.

“It’s really like that!” Feng Baoshan jumped up in a most undignified manner, his eyes as wide as copper bells.

After a moment, he paced around the room angrily for a few circles before saying, “Forget it, I won’t bother with you anymore. I’ll go find Zhongzhi to play.” Then with a loud “slap,” he pushed aside the bamboo curtain and left.

Father, neither angry nor upset, calmly called out to Dou Zhao in a gentle voice: “Don’t look around, focus on your writing practice!”

Dou Zhao quickly lowered her head, carefully tracing the red characters.

For an entire month, Father didn’t step out of the house once. He stayed home reading and writing, teaching Dou Zhao calligraphy.

Due to her mother’s mourning period, Dou Ming’s full-month celebration was limited to just two tables at home.

The Wang family sent some children’s clothing as a full-month gift but didn’t send anyone to offer congratulations. As for the Zhao family, being the maternal relatives, they neither came to drink the full-month wine nor sent any gifts.

The Dou family members felt somewhat awkward, while Wang Yingxue was both angry and resentful, ashamed and indignant.

By the time the cicadas were in full chorus, news arrived from Beijing that Uncle Zhao Si had secured the position of County Magistrate in Ganquan County, Yan’an Prefecture.

In her previous life, Uncle had risen to become the Prefect of Qingyang Prefecture, a fourth-rank official.

In this life, Uncle had still managed to obtain a post in the Northwest.

While Dou Zhao was happy for her uncle, she also felt a vague sense of disappointment.

Grandfather commented on Uncle’s achievement: “Who would have thought he had such skills? Although Ganquan County is poor, he’s starting as the chief administrator. Even though he wasn’t selected as a Hanlin Academy scholar, it’s still a high starting point.”

Third Uncle was even more uneasy: “Yuanji said the same thing.”

Yuanji was Dou Zhao’s Fifth Uncle, Dou Shizhu, who had sent this news from Beijing.

Just as the third generation looks at appearance, the fourth at eating habits, and the fifth at literary talent, all the glory of the Dou family’s generations of hard work was concentrated on Dou Shizhu.

He had entered school at thirteen, became a provincial graduate at sixteen, passed the imperial examination at twenty-two, served as a Hanlin Academy scholar in the Ministry of Personnel, and then worked his way up from a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel. Before Dou Zhao fell ill, he had already become a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall and Minister of Personnel.

He was the first person in the Dou family to enter the cabinet and become a chancellor.

Along with the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and Minister of Rites Wang Xingyi, and the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and Minister of Justice Chen Rongjun, all being from the Northern Metropolitan Area, they were jokingly referred to as the “Northern Half.”

Grandfather smiled faintly, his smile tinged with a hint of arrogance: “Only those who pass the imperial examination can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only those from the Hanlin Academy can enter the inner court. Yuanji is your full brother, what do you have to fear?”

Third Uncle wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled bitterly: “It’s just that I’ve studied less, so I feel a bit insecure in front of those who’ve passed the imperial examination.”

The grandfather laughed heartily.

Dou Zhao, meanwhile, instructed Tuoniang to take inventory of the items in her room.

It seemed that her aunt would soon come to take her away.

Based on her experience from her previous life, things would quickly come to light, and there would certainly be some complications. It was better to be prepared.

Father laughed at her: “Shou Gu, at such a young age, you already know how to hide things.”

Dou Zhao took the opportunity to hug the jade brush washer from her father’s desk to her chest: “This is mine too.”

After all, when the new stepmother arrived, all these common items would be re-registered and inventoried to distinguish them from her mother’s dowry. It was better to take the things she liked and keep them, blurring the lines and making them her own.

Father couldn’t stop laughing and pointed to two jade vessels on his curio cabinet: “Do you like these?”

“I do!” Dou Zhao nodded enthusiastically.

Father waved his hand generously: “Take them and hide them away too!”

Dou Zhao smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, and pointed to the brocade box on her father’s kang table: “I want that red stone too!”

Inside were two pieces of fine chicken bloodstone, vibrant in color, naturally forming patterns of mountains and misty peaks. Dou Zhao liked them very much, thinking about having a famous artisan carve them into seals in the future.

Father tapped Dou Zhao’s nose: “You little clever one, that’s Father’s private collection. What do you want it for? When you get married, I’ll personally carve a leisure seal for your husband as part of your dowry. There are also several good inkstones that I’ll give you then.”

Dou Zhao giggled, but her heart was pounding: Did this mean she would still have to marry Wei Tingyu? He wasn’t a scholar, and those fine inkstones would likely just end up stored away in his treasury.

As she was thinking, a loud commotion erupted outside.

Father paid no attention to it and carried Dou Zhao to the armchair in front of the writing desk, telling her to practice her writing: “I’ve already given instructions to have a set of huali wood desk and chair made to fit your size. They’ll be placed next to Father’s, and then you can sit in the chair to practice writing.”

Before he finished speaking, Hanxiao rushed in, looking flustered: “Seventh Master, the Madam from the maternal family has arrived!”

Father was stunned for a moment, then said: “The Madam has arrived, what’s there to be so flustered about?”

Dou Zhao, however, had a vague guess about what was happening.

The truth had finally come out.

Who had leaked the information? And who had informed the Dou family?

“The Madam says she wants to take the Fourth Miss to stay with her for a few days. The Old Master didn’t agree and asked Aunt Ding to speak with the Madam. They had barely exchanged a few words when the Third Madam rushed over, refusing to let the Madam take the Fourth Miss away. She said something about the Fourth Miss being a Dou family daughter, and even without a mother, she still has a father and grandfather. There’s no reason for her to be raised by her uncle’s family.” Hanxiao looked terrified. If the Dou and Zhao families fell out, it would be the dowry maids like them who would suffer the most.

By law, Zhao Guqiu’s dowry should be left to Dou Zhao, and as Dou Zhao was a Dou family daughter, she would naturally be raised by the Dou family. Dou Zhao was too young to manage a household or make decisions, so if they stayed with the Dou family, they wouldn’t be treated well. If they wanted to return to the Zhao family, it would depend on whether the Dou family agreed. “The Third Madam also said that the Fourth Miss would have to marry when she grew up, and asked whether it would be more prestigious for her to be a Miss from the Zhao family or a legitimate daughter of the Dou family.

If the Zhao family truly had the Fourth Miss’s best interests at heart, they wouldn’t have come up with such a ridiculous idea. The Madam shouldn’t try to shame the Dou family just because there’s a rift between the Zhao and Dou families, disregarding her niece’s reputation!” She paused, then continued, “The First Madam had received news earlier that the Zhao family was preparing to move to their new post, with everything packed and ready to go, just waiting to take the Fourth Miss before departing. But the Madam flatly denied this. The Old Master said that under no circumstances would the Fourth Miss be allowed to go to Anxiang with the Madam…”

Dou Shiyong furrowed his brow and interrupted Hanxiao’s words, instructing Tuoniang: “Stay here and watch over the Fourth Miss.” Then he said to Hanxiao: “You come with me to see what’s going on!”

Hanxiao responded nervously and accompanied Dou Shiyong out.

Dou Zhao sat quietly in the armchair, waiting for someone to come for her.

Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, dust motes dancing in the air.

A woman’s soft voice was as gentle as the wind.

Footsteps gradually approached.

The bamboo curtain was lifted.

A woman wearing a light green jacket entered with light steps.

She called out to Dou Zhao softly: “Shou Gu, your aunt is here. Let me help you freshen up and change, then we’ll go see your aunt, all right?”

Dou Zhao stared at her steadily, calling out “Aunt Ding” with a self-mocking smile.

“Yes!” She responded with a beaming smile, calling for Yuzhen and Tuoniang, “Ask the little maids to bring in some water. I’ll help the Fourth Miss freshen up and change her clothes to receive guests.”

Yuzhen quickly relayed Aunt Ding’s instructions.

Aunt Ding helped Dou Zhao wash her face, sometimes directing Tuoniang to fetch this, sometimes instructing Yuzhen to bring that, keeping both maids bustling about.

She asked Dou Zhao gently: “Shou Gu, do you miss your mother?”

Dou Zhao smiled: “I do!”

Aunt Ding said: “Then do you want to see your mother?”

“I do!” Dou Zhao said loudly.

“Our Shou Gu is so good!” Aunt Ding kissed Dou Zhao’s cheek and carried her towards the hall.

Her maids surrounded her and Dou Zhao, keeping Yuzhen and Tuoniang at a distance.

Turning past the large, umbrella-like elm tree, they reached the hall.

Aunt Ding spoke softly: “Shou Gu, your aunt has come to take you away. Whatever you do, don’t go with her, or she’ll sell you to a remote mountain village. Then you’ll never see your mother again, never eat osmanthus pastries again, and never see Tuoniang, Yuzhen, your grandfather, or your father again.”

Dou Zhao nodded.

Aunt Ding was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected Shou Gu to be so easily persuaded!

She smiled and stroked Dou Zhao’s hair: “Good girl. After you’ve seen your aunt, Aunt Ding will take you to find your mother, all right?”

“Alright!” Dou Zhao agreed.

Aunt Ding turned past the large elm tree and entered the hall.

Like two armies facing off, her aunt and Nanny Peng stood in the middle of the hall, while Third Aunt and several unfamiliar women stood at the lower end of the hall.

Hearing the commotion, both sides turned their gaze towards them.

Third Aunt smiled and beckoned to Dou Zhao: “Come, Shou Gu, come to Third Aunt!”

Her aunt’s smile seemed somewhat forced. She called out to Dou Zhao softly: “Shou Gu, let Aunt hold you!”

Aunt Ding put Dou Zhao down on the ground, whispering in her ear: “If you’re sold to a remote mountain village, you’ll be beaten every day. Quickly go to your Third Aunt!”