Song Mo sensed a hidden meaning in Dou Zhao’s words, especially regarding Huaishu Hutong. After Gao Sheng left Yizhi Hall, he asked Dou Zhao with concern, “Has something happened? Do you need my help?”
“Not for now,” Dou Zhao replied with a tight-lipped smile. If Song Mo knew the truth, he probably wouldn’t be so relaxed.
She urged Song Mo to have lunch, adding, “…so we can set off early.” Then she suggested, “Given the cold weather, why don’t we go directly to the estate in Daxing? As for Fengtai, since we’ve asked people to keep an eye out for flowers and trees, they’ll report any good news. There’s no need to rush; if we appear too eager, opportunists might inflate prices, turning a ten-tael item into a twenty-tael one, treating us like sheep to be fleeced.”
Originally, visiting the flower market was just to cheer up Dou Zhao. Since she wasn’t interested, Song Mo readily agreed to change plans.
After lunch, their carriage sped straight to Daxing. The steward, maids, and older women were already waiting at the gate, escorting Song Mo and Dou Zhao into the estate.
After a brief rest, Song Mo went to inspect the fields accompanied by the steward, while Dou Zhao stayed in the reception room, attended by the same women who had served her during her previous visit.
Meanwhile, at the Jining Marquis’s mansion, the flower hall was packed with people. Not only were the Wei family’s relatives present, but most of the Dou family’s relatives in the capital had also arrived, except for the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law from Maoer Hutong. Even Gao’s wife, Pang’s wife, and Wei Tingzhen’s two sisters-in-law were there in full regalia. The hall buzzed with laughter and chatter.
Amidst the crowd, Wang Qinghuai’s wife felt uneasy. Before the banquet started, they had inexplicably been made to wait for quite a while. Now that it had begun, she couldn’t see Duke Ying’s heir’s wife anywhere.
Could Dou Zhao be seated elsewhere?
Wang’s wife craned her neck, looking around, only to meet the gaze of the Third Madam from the Jing Duke’s mansion.
The Third Madam smiled and nodded at Wang’s wife.
Wang’s wife hurriedly returned a friendly smile.
The Third Madam turned away, her eyes scanning from east to west and back again as if also searching for someone.
Wang Qinghuai’s wife had a sudden realization. She whispered to her sister-in-law Zhou, who was sitting beside her, “I need to use the restroom,” then stood up and slowly made her way through the Dou family’s female relatives’ seats towards the exit.
She caught snippets of conversation: “…Fourth Miss didn’t come… I heard the Seventh Uncle personally sent his head steward to invite her… She said she’d treat others the way they treated her… Did you see Fifth Miss’s face? It was quite a sight…”
Wang’s wife couldn’t help but glance at Dou Ming, who was smiling and toasting Gao’s wife.
Indeed, his smile seemed somewhat forced.
Wang’s wife hurried to the restroom.
On her way back, she saw the Third Madam from the Jing Duke’s mansion whispering with her maid.
She deliberately took a detour past the Jing Duke’s family’s seats.
She faintly heard, “Duke Ying’s heir’s wife didn’t come.”
Wang’s wife returned to her seat, maintaining her composure, but no longer had the heart to stay.
After the banquet, maids brought in tea and snacks.
Just as Wang’s wife was about to take her leave, the Third Madam from the Jing Duke’s mansion suddenly stood up and said with a smile, “I must go now—I can’t stop worrying about the mischief my two little monkeys might be up to at home. My heart’s been restless since I arrived.” She took Dou Ming’s hand and continued, “Jining Marquis’s wife, I’m afraid we’ll have to meet another day.”
Wei Tingzhen looked slightly displeased.
The Third Madam’s children were surrounded by maids and servants; when she played mahjong, she could play all day without mentioning her children. Now she was putting on a show of maternal concern—who was she trying to impress?
However, this was Dou Ming’s first interaction with the Third Madam. Believing her to be a mother who couldn’t bear to be away from her children even for a moment, she warmly tried to persuade her to stay.
The Third Madam insisted on leaving, saying, “Next time, I’ll bring the children along.” She added jokingly, “I just hope they won’t be so noisy that you’ll regret inviting them.”
“Third Madam, you’re an honored guest we can hardly ever invite. How can you say such things?” Dou Ming exchanged pleasantries with the Third Madam but ultimately couldn’t persuade her to stay. She escorted the Third Madam out of the flower hall.
Watching this, Wang’s wife also stood up.
“Tomorrow is my sister-in-law’s ‘Nine Days’ celebration, I need to go back and prepare,” she said to Wei Tingzhen, excusing herself. “My sister-in-law can stay here.” She smiled at Zhou.
This was indeed true.
Wei Tingzhen couldn’t stop her and smiled, inviting Wang’s wife to visit again when she had time.
How could Zhou possibly stay seated now?
As sisters-in-law, if the elder one was rushing back to honor the younger sister-in-law, how could she remain here, enjoying herself without care? Moreover, she was a newly married wife of just two years, still under her mother-in-law’s scrutiny…
“I’ll go back with my sister-in-law!” she said, grabbing Wang’s wife’s sleeve. “How can I let her do all the work while I enjoy myself here?”
The other women present, all seasoned wives who had become mothers-in-law themselves, naturally didn’t try to stop her.
After exchanging a few polite words, they saw the Wang sisters-in-law out of the Jining Marquis’s mansion.
With these three gone, the Second Madam from the Jing Duke’s mansion also came to her senses. Despite Dou Ming’s attempts to keep her, she found an excuse and took her leave early as well.
Wei Tingzhen’s face darkened, but Dou Ming remained oblivious, continuing to chat with the remaining female relatives.
The Fifth Madam sighed and said to Cai, “You stay here. I’m not feeling well, so I’ll head back first!”
How could Cai possibly stay?
If Dou Zhao held a grudge against her, it would be disastrous!
She clung tightly to the Fifth Madam’s arm. “Mother, where are you feeling unwell? Let me take you back! Sixth Sister-in-law is still here, isn’t she?” She insisted on returning with the Fifth Madam.
The Fifth Madam was displeased but couldn’t express it in front of everyone. She had no choice but to leave the wooden-faced Guo behind and return to Huaishu Hutong with Cai.
Seeing this, the Dou family’s eldest daughter-in-law and others also began to take their leave one after another.
Soon, the once-crowded flower hall was left with only two tables, all filled with Wei family relatives.
Dou Ming’s face changed dramatically.
Meanwhile, far away at the Daxing estate, Dou Zhao was talking with the estate’s managing woman.
“My senior maids are all reaching the age to be married off, so I’m looking to add a few young maids. Intelligence and quick-wittedness are secondary; what’s most important is loyalty and the ability to endure hardship,” she said with a smile. “Could you keep an eye out for suitable candidates at the Song family’s estate? This way, I won’t have to bring people from Zhending and have them learn the Beijing dialect from scratch.”
The managing woman was stunned.
Usually, such opportunities were monopolized by the high-ranking stewards in the household. Even ordinary stewards and managing women couldn’t get involved, let alone people like her!
Assuming Dou Zhao was unfamiliar with the customs, she readily agreed, saying with a smile, “May I ask which families the young ladies serving you are betrothed to? When they get married, please don’t forget to send us invitations. We’d love to attend and share in the joy!”
“They haven’t been betrothed yet,” Dou Zhao replied with a smile. “I’m just planning.”
The managing woman flattered her, “The young ladies are not only beautiful but also clever and capable. I wonder which families will be lucky enough to have them as daughters-in-law…”
This made Su Lan blush crimson. She protested, “I’m not getting married! I want to stay by Madam’s side and serve her for life!”
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Su Lan playfully quarreled with them, unwilling to let it go.
Dou Zhao watched with an amused smile.
Everyone grew bolder, and their laughter carried outside the room.
When it was time for dinner, Su Xin helped Dou Zhao wash her hands and whispered, “If Madam wants to add people to her household, why not go through a matchmaker? Duke Ying’s household mostly has hereditary servants with complex relationships. Even small matters can become widely known. Besides, girls raised on estates often lack proper upbringing. Sometimes, no matter how much effort you put into training them, it’s hard to rid them of their rustic manners…”
“I’m not just looking to add a few maids,” Dou Zhao quietly confided in her. “After Madam Jiang passed away, the Duke replaced most of the female servants in the household. As a result, we can’t find anyone to ask about what happened back then. But they couldn’t have dismissed everyone; some must have been sold or sent to the estates. By spreading the word that I’m looking for maids, those in the know will surely realize that the young master and the Duke are at odds. We might be able to find descendants of some servants who once served in Madam Jiang’s quarters.”
Su Xin suddenly understood.
Dou Zhao smiled and said, “However, you girls have indeed reached the age to be married off. If you have any plans, just tell me, and I’ll make arrangements for you!”
Su Xin respectfully answered “Yes,” but couldn’t hide the shyness in her expression, making Dou Zhao beam with delight.
When Song Mo learned of this, he discussed it with Dou Zhao: “How about matching your Su Xin with Lu Ming? In a few years, I’ll arrange for Lu Ming to become a commander of a hundred households or something similar. I guarantee she won’t be wronged.”
Dou Zhao thought of Zhao Liangbi.
From her experienced perspective, Zhao Liangbi’s feelings for Su Xin were as clear as day to everyone.
She hesitated and said, “I need to think carefully about this matter.”
Song Mo pondered for a moment and asked, “Are you thinking of keeping Su Xin by your side?”
Dou Zhao gave a vague affirmative response.
Song Mo smiled and said, “Then how about matching her with Chen He? I plan to keep Chen He in the household as a steward.”
“Su Xin is several years older than Chen He!” Dou Zhao shook her head without hesitation.
However, Song Mo was determined to help Dou Zhao’s people integrate into Yizhi Hall quickly. After some thought, he said, “Then let’s marry Su Lan to Chen He. They’re about the same age and should get along well.”
Dou Zhao pondered, “I’ll discuss it with Su Xin. After all, they’re not bound servants with lifelong contracts.”
Song Mo nodded with a smile.
Chen He entered quietly and reported, “Chen Jia has arrived.”
Song Mo gestured for Dou Zhao to hide behind the screen and had Chen He bring Chen Jia in.
Chen Jia wore a short lilac-colored jacket, a felt hat that covered his eyes, and straw sandals on his feet. He hunched over like a farmer bowed by the weight of life’s burdens, with no trace of his usual shrewdness and capability.
Dou Zhao felt a sense of caution rising within her.
Such a versatile and adaptable person likely had grand ambitions.
In her previous life, he had been Song Mo’s confidant; in this life, she wondered if Song Mo could win him over.
Dou Zhao peered through the gap in the screen and saw Chen Jia remove his felt hat. Suddenly, his body straightened like a flexible bamboo, and his ordinary face became sharp and astute, like a sword unsheathed, its edge gleaming.
“Young Master!” he greeted Song Mo with neither servility nor arrogance.
Song Mo looked at him with a bland expression, saying nothing.
Chen Jia stood respectfully, silent, waiting for Song Mo to speak.
Song Mo gave a cold smile and picked up his teacup.
Chen He was stunned, taking a moment to react before loudly calling out, “See the guest out.”