Dou Zhao thought carefully and said, “Actually, I never did.”
Song Mo was somewhat dumbfounded.
Dou Zhao smiled softly and said, “When I was little, I lived on an estate with Aunt Cui. As the eldest motherless daughter and Aunt Cui was a former concubine, she was afraid others would mock me. So she was especially strict about my needlework skills…”
Song Mo was very confused.
The information he had received was that Aunt Cui and Dou Zhao had lived together in Zhending. How was it that Dou Zhao now said she lived with Aunt Cui on an estate?
Song Mo thought of the several large boxes of account books.
Even if the Dou family was wealthy and Dou Zhao’s father had no sons, they wouldn’t have put so many properties under Dou Zhao’s name.
When Wang Yousheng’s daughter married into the family, it probably wasn’t as simple as a concubine being elevated to primary wife.
Dou Zhao would have been only two or three years old then. Who had been taking care of her?
How had she lived all these years?
Song Mo gazed at the hint of bitterness in Dou Zhao’s faint smile and felt deeply regretful.
He had been too cautious regarding Dou Zhao’s affairs, trying to be a humble gentleman. As a result, he only half-understood her situation and had inadvertently brought up painful memories…
“Shou Gu,” Song Mo pressed his face against Dou Zhao’s, “We have servants for needlework in our household. If you need anything done, instruct them. If their work doesn’t meet your standards, I’ll find some seamstresses from the palace workshops to work for us. Don’t do needlework yourself anymore; it’s bad for your eyes.” Then, remembering that Dou Zhao had been sewing for him, he added, “I have more than enough clothes, more than I can wear. In a few days, after I finish my duties, I’ll take you to the Western Hills to enjoy the snow.”
The duty he referred to was supervising the Five Armies Command in apprehending the thieves who had set fire to Duke Ying’s mansion.
Tenderness rippled through Dou Zhao’s heart like water.
Was Song Mo feeling sorry for her?
In her previous life, she had to manage everything inside and outside the Jining Marquis’s household by herself. She couldn’t spare a moment away, and the only time she left Beijing after marriage was to attend Madame Tuo’s funeral. Even in that heart-wrenching grief, she had to travel with little Yin’er… It was then that she met Song Mo.
That aloof person, whose very essence seemed to keep others at a thousand-li distance, now held her in his arms. Out of concern for her, he even said such unwifely things as not letting her do needlework.
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but tighten her arms around him, as if doing so could warm his coldness.
She had previously not wanted to marry, partly for a reason she was too embarrassed to contemplate closely.
A woman should not marry twice.
But memories of her previous life still lingered in her mind.
Although she didn’t want to be Wei Tingyu’s wife again, she couldn’t deny that she had once been his wife. How could she live with another man without any reservations?
When she was with Song Mo, she felt very conflicted.
Reason told her to forget the past, but emotionally she couldn’t help feeling ashamed.
This feeling was particularly strong when Song Mo showed a special fascination with her body.
She hadn’t cared about her previous life.
But in this life, at this moment, she suddenly felt somewhat grateful.
If Song Mo liked it, why should she be coy?
So what if she had been Wei Tingyu’s wife in her previous life?
In this life, it was Song Mo who cared for her! Song Mo who doted on her! Song Mo who made her realize she could be someone’s precious pearl!
As long as Song Mo liked it, why shouldn’t she indulge him?
“Yan Tang!” Dou Zhao bit Song Mo’s ear, letting her warm breath caress his neck, “Then it’s a promise. If it snows, you have to take me to see the snow in the Western Hills. You can’t go back on your word…”
This was the first time Dou Zhao had spoken to him like this.
As alluring as a flower spirit.
Song Mo could no longer restrain himself. He rolled over, pinning her beneath him, his arousal pressing against her flower.
On previous occasions, Dou Zhao would have pushed him away nine times out of ten, blushing and saying “Don’t do that” with embarrassment and annoyance. But this time, not only did she not push him away, she raised her long, slender legs and wrapped them around him, soft as if boneless… He immediately felt her wetness and heat… He knew that ahead lay a tightness that would take his breath away…
Just moments ago she had told him to stop, but now she was entwining herself around him.
“Shou Gu!” Although he didn’t know why Dou Zhao had suddenly changed, Song Mo never opposed his good fortune. He plunged into that scorching sea of flowers…
It was too forceful.
Dou Zhao felt some pain.
But she still opened her embrace, accommodating his abandon.
“Shou Gu! Shou Gu!” Song Mo’s body was on fire, and she could feel his excitement.
Dou Zhao loved Song Mo like this.
Passionate, unrestrained, reckless.
Her body began to burn with his… She gasped and struggled in his arms.
Song Mo was in ecstasy, but he still propped himself up and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
“No!” Dou Zhao panted lightly, then flipped them over, pressing the relaxed Song Mo beneath her. “Isn’t this how you like me?” She smiled down at him, her eyes shimmering like spring water, as she slowly rocked her slender waist atop him, displaying her curves as beautiful as mountains and rivers…
Song Mo drew in a sharp breath.
He felt as if he were dreaming, having fallen into a realm of immortals.
“You little vixen!” He impatiently sat up, gripping her waist and thrusting powerfully.
Now Dou Zhao understood what it meant to play with fire.
She couldn’t help but grab his shoulders, her face turning slightly pale.
Song Mo, who had been observing her expression, immediately slowed down and asked gently, “Not comfortable?”
Dou Zhao murmured in agreement and leaned on his shoulder… Her body gradually heated up again… Song Mo couldn’t help but become passionate once more… Dou Zhao’s body tensed… Song Mo had to slow down again… This cycle repeated several times, with Song Mo always attentive to Dou Zhao’s needs…
Song Mo couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re so delicate!”
Dou Zhao was embarrassed and angry.
Song Mo quickly placated her, “I know, you wanted to make me happy.” Then he kissed her repeatedly.
Dou Zhao hid her face in the crook of his neck, giggling, then coyly asked as she nibbled his earlobe, “So, are you happy?”
Her alluring charm made Song Mo’s heart race.
Dou Zhao wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head back to ask, “Then how about I give you a daughter?”
The pink of her snow-white breasts caught his eye.
Dou Zhao giggled.
Song Mo came to his senses and, both amused and exasperated, gave her bottom a light smack before pressing her beneath him once more…
Dou Zhao closed her eyes, feeling his swelling… and the storm he was stirring within her body… All that had come before seemed to be scattered by the wind…
From now on, she was Song Mo’s wife!
She would bear Song Mo’s children, raise them together with him, be a good mother, a good wife…
Dou Zhao held Song Mo tightly, no longer suppressing her feelings, moaning in rhythm with his movements…
Last night’s winter rain had stripped the last few leaves from the branches, leaving the courtyard in disarray.
Chen Jia stood under the eaves, letting the cold morning wind blow against his face.
He asked Tiger, who stood respectfully before him with hands at his sides, “Are you sure you didn’t mishear?”
Tiger felt somewhat aggrieved: “Brother Chen, I didn’t mishear! Everyone in Zhending knows about this. The Pang family’s young master still limps when he walks, and because of this, he still hasn’t married. They say their matchmaker’s fee has gone up to five hundred taels of silver.”
Chen Jia chuckled at this and said, “Why don’t we get into this business? Buy a Yangzhou prostitute, pass her off as a girl from a respectable family, and pocket that five hundred taels…”
“Brother Chen, don’t joke!” Tiger exclaimed, “The Pang and Wang families are in-laws!”
Chen Jia suddenly fell silent.
Did the young master know he had married such a shrew?
He instructed Tiger: “Go back to Zhending and find out if anyone from Duke Ying’s household has ever been there.”
If someone had been there, the young master must know what kind of wife he had married… If he still valued Madam Dou so highly, it showed just how formidable she must be!
Inside Yizhi Hall, Third Master Dou, Dou Xiuchang, sat on the large kang by the window, gazing out through the glass panes.
On their second day in Beijing, the heir of Duke Ying and Dou Zhao had gone to Huaishu Alley. Dou Shizu had even taken a day off to entertain them at home. Dou Zhao hadn’t stood on ceremony, telling them to come to Duke Ying’s mansion the next day to review the accounts. Dou Shizu hadn’t refused… This made Dou Xiuchang secretly wonder about Dou Zhao’s relationship with Huaishu Alley.
Zhao Liangbi came over, pointing to one of the expenditure items and asking with a smile, “Third Master, this sum is marked as unrecovered, and there’s no further mention of it. Do you remember? Could it have been recorded together with other accounts?”
Dou Xiuchang looked up.
On the east side of the flower hall, Zhong Bingxiang led seven or eight skilled accountants from Yizhi Hall, clicking their abacuses as they verified the accounts. No one seemed to be paying them any extra attention. But Dou Xiuchang would bet that all their ears were perked up, just waiting for him to explain where this sum had gone.
Dou Xiuchang got off the kang, pulled out an account bookmarked with large red characters reading “Twenty-Twenty” from the box, flipped to a page, and said, “Fourth Sister gave the order to waive this sum.” He pointed to the corner of the paper signed with Dou Zhao’s name and stamped with her seal for Zhao Liangbi to see.
Zhao Liangbi acknowledged with a smile, made a mark in the account book, and returned to the east side of the flower hall.
The sound of abacuses grew more intense.
Dou Xiuchang heaved a long sigh.
Reviewing accounts was like tearing off the last fig leaf, forcing people into confrontation.
Third Uncle probably knew this would happen, so he used his status as an elder to push Dou Xiuchang to Duke Ying’s mansion!
He sat back down on the kang, leisurely sipping his tea.
Song Yichun, however, was growing restless.
Dou Xiuchang was a junior and a member of Dou Zhao’s natal family. Coming to Duke Ying’s mansion, he should, by all rights, pay his respects to Song Yichun.
Song Yichun had fully assumed the air of an elder, exchanging a few words with Dou Xiuchang before directly asking him why he had come.
The Dou family had already agreed on how to handle this.
Dou Xiuchang replied unhurriedly, “My Seventh Uncle cares for Fourth Sister and has decided to add to her dowry. I’ve been entrusted by Seventh Uncle to deliver this additional dowry to Fourth Sister.”
This is what happens when you don’t have a son!
Song Yichun had sneered inwardly at the time, said a bunch of polite things, and seen his guest off with tea.
But he hadn’t expected that five or six days would pass and the accounts still wouldn’t be settled.
He had sent people to inquire. Those who returned all said that seven or eight people were busy with abacuses in the flower hall, so occupied they didn’t even have time to drink water. They were reviewing accounts.
What kind of accounts could take so long to review?
Even Duke Ying’s household accounts only took five or six days to review.
Song Yichun called for Zeng Wu: “Go and find out how much dowry the Dou family has added for Madam. Why hasn’t it been handed over yet after all this time?”