“Then you should keep it!” Dou Zhao laughed. “As for what gifts Young Master Gu sent me, we’ll be busy preparing for Su Xin’s wedding these next few days. Once Su Xin is married, we’ll have to celebrate the Little New Year. Let’s talk about it after that!”
Ru Zhu smiled and replied, “Yes,” before stepping back.
Zhao Zhangru then asked, “What’s your little uncle up to? If he wants to know what Young Master Gu sent you, why doesn’t he just ask himself?”
“That half-grown boy has a lot on his mind!” Dou Zhao chuckled dismissively. “He’ll be fine once he grows up a bit.”
Aunt advised Zhao Zhangru, “Watch more, speak less.”
Zhao Zhangru muttered a few discontented words.
Dou Zhao found it amusing and offered her a piece of steamed pork, saying, “It tastes great; you should try it.”
Zhao Zhangru smiled at Dou Zhao, and the group fell silent, enjoying their dinner in peace.
The aunt then discussed with Dou Zhao, “After the New Year, your uncle will be heading to the capital. He’s quite stubborn and doesn’t adapt like us women do. I was thinking that after the New Year, I’ll rent a place closer to the Ministry of Personnel. Once your cousin gets married, we can go directly to your uncle’s new post.”
Her uncle and father had never gotten along, and for many years, they had no contact. When her uncle arrived in the capital, he wouldn’t stay in Jing’an Temple Alley, and since she had elders in the family, they couldn’t stay at Duke Ying’s residence either. Song Mo had already considered these details.
Dou Zhao smiled, “The heir has a three-courtyard residence in Yuqiao Alley. He had been renting it out, but after the winter solstice, he didn’t renew the lease, waiting for your uncle to come. We can enjoy your cousin’s wedding feast there!”
Zhao Zhangru felt embarrassed.
Aunt was overjoyed, continuously praising Song Mo and earnestly advising her, “The heir is truly thoughtful. What’s more, his consideration for you is rare. You must learn to cherish this blessing.”
Having encountered Song Mo in two lifetimes, she naturally wanted to treasure him.
Dou Zhao nodded with a smile.
The aunt then began discussing the New Year preparations: “Now that your pregnancy is stable, I shouldn’t stay here too long. After Su Xin’s wedding, I think your cousin and I should return to Jing’an Temple Alley first, and then move to Yuqiao Alley after the Spring Festival.”
Dou Zhao decided to seize the opportunity of the New Year to gain control over the household affairs at Duke Ying’s residence. It was better for Aunt and her cousin to celebrate the New Year in Jing’an Temple Alley, where there was no mistress, and the Dou family’s ancestral rites were held in Huai Tree Alley, resulting in fewer banquets. Aunt and her cousin would be more comfortable there. Additionally, she didn’t want them to get involved in the affairs of Duke Ying’s residence, fearing that Song Yichun might act out of desperation and harbor resentment towards Aunt and her cousin.
After a moment of thought, she smiled and replied, “Aunt, it’s fine for you to celebrate the New Year in Jing’an Temple Alley. It’s livelier there with more people. You can also help keep an eye on my father’s inner courtyard.”
Aunt smiled and reminded her of many things to pay attention to during the New Year before taking Zhao Zhangru back to their room.
Dou Zhao then had Gan Lu open the storeroom, selecting several bolts of fabric from Jiangnan for Aunt’s clothing, and also found some gold jewelry for Zhao Zhangru. She even prepared gifts for the servants for the New Year before finally resting.
The next day, after breakfast, the makeup team from the Zhao family arrived.
Although Su Xin was married from Yizhi Hall, each family had its household gods and ancestral tablets. Since Su Xin was not a member of the Song family, the wedding was set in the west courtyard of Yizhi Hall, where Mr. Chen resided.
After Dou Zhao dressed and groomed herself, she went with Aunt Zhao Zhangru to the west courtyard.
Duan Gongyi and the others, who had come from Zhen Ding, treated the occasion as if they were marrying off their sister, shouting for Zhao Liangbi to serve tea and even calling him “Elder Brother-in-law.”
Zhao Liangbi was very accommodating, letting them do as they pleased. Although his face was flushed, his eyes sparkled with excitement, whether from too much joy or too much enthusiasm was unclear.
Dou Zhao and Zhao Zhangru couldn’t help but giggle.
Duan Gongyi and the others laughed and surrounded Dou Zhao, bowing to her before escorting her, Aunt, and Zhao Zhangru to Su Xin’s bridal chamber, sparing Zhao Liangbi from further teasing and allowing him to pass the makeup session easily.
In a neighborhood where it was hard to find a residence, especially large ones, Song Mo had spent some effort finding a satisfactory house in the nearby Nanjuxianfang Zhengjue Temple Alley. Since Zhengjue Temple Alley was half an hour’s walk from Duke Ying’s residence, after lunch, the makeup team from Yizhi Hall set off, leaving the west courtyard quiet.
When Song Mo returned, Dou Zhao was reclining on the large kang by the window, chatting idly.
He was still in his official attire, looking travel-worn. The womenfolk were momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly, glancing between Dou Zhao and Song Mo, before stepping forward to greet Song Mo and then retreating.
Su Xin, soon to be a bride, showed no awareness of her impending role, as she and Su Lan fetched water to assist Song Mo in grooming.
Song Mo greeted Aunt and inquired about Zhao Zhangru, saying, “You’re already done with the makeup? I thought we’d have to wait until after dinner!”
His tone suggested he had hurried back to make an appearance for Su Xin.
Su Xin and Su Lan were very grateful and bowed to Song Mo.
Seeing the awkwardness in the room, Dou Zhao pulled Song Mo back to the main room.
Once they were alone, Song Mo touched Dou Zhao’s belly and asked, “Is the baby behaving today? Has it been kicking you?”
“How big can it be now?” Dou Zhao found his seriousness amusing, but more than that, it was sweet. “It’ll be five or six months before I feel anything.”
“Oh!” Song Mo sounded a bit disappointed and changed into casual clothes.
Wu Yi rushed in, saying, “Young Master, Lord Ma, and Lord Jiang from the Divine Machine Camp have come. They’re shouting for you to treat them at Zui Xian Lou because you’re going to be a father!”
Song Mo chuckled, “That guy has a nose for news! He found out so quickly.”
Dou Zhao laughed, “How many people did you tell?”
Song Mo scratched his head sheepishly, revealing a hint of innocence.
Dou Zhao laughed even harder, personally getting up to help him choose an outfit for going out, gently advising, “Drink less; getting drunk is always inappropriate and lacks decorum.”
Song Mo took Dou Zhao’s hand and sighed, “I wanted to come back and spend time with you…”
If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have rushed to the west courtyard without even changing his clothes!
“I understand,” Dou Zhao smiled tenderly. Seeing no one around, she tiptoed and gently kissed Song Mo’s cheek, saying, “Come back early!”
Song Mo felt as if he had drunk honey, holding Dou Zhao close for a long time before letting go. He returned later that evening, not too late but not early either, and took his time washing up before coming over.
Dou Zhao was still awake and asked, “I know Lord Ma; he’s the Ma Youming you often mention. Who is Lord Jiang?”
“He’s also from the Divine Machine Camp, named Jiang Yi, the son of the commander of the Dengzhou Guard,” he said, pulling back the quilt and lying down, resting his face against Dou Zhao’s belly, smiling, “He just got promoted to a general this year. He thinks the Divine Machine Camp is too far from the capital and that the daily drills are too exhausting. He wants me to transfer him to the Five City Military Command.”
Dou Zhao laughed, “So he’s using our child as an excuse to get you to drink with him.”
“Exactly!” Song Mo inhaled deeply, enjoying the floral scent in the room. He placed his hand on Dou Zhao’s small belly and said, “Son, let’s forgive him this time and help him out. If he dares to use you as an excuse again, I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson. But when you turn one month old, we must give your Uncle Ma a good scolding; otherwise, it would be too unfair to you!”
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle, asking, “The Divine Machine Camp is the emperor’s guard, while the Five City Military Command only manages petty thieves in the capital. How can they be compared? Is Jiang Yi a spoiled rich kid?”
“Not at all,” Song Mo replied with a smile. “He placed third in the autumn competition three years ago, so he’s not incompetent. Moreover, Ma Youming isn’t like that either. This time, he defended Jiang Yi, which makes me suspect that Jiang Yi might have offended someone in the Divine Machine Camp and can’t stay there anymore, so he’s using the excuse of it being too hard to ask for a transfer.”
“Ma Youming is already the deputy commander of the Divine Machine Camp; if he can’t protect him, then who can?” Dou Zhao pondered, “Who could it be?”
“At least it must be someone from the Five Armies Command,” Song Mo laughed. “I’ll spread the word tomorrow and find out who Jiang Yi has offended.”
Song Mo always had a good grasp of these matters, so Dou Zhao didn’t press him further. They chatted about some family trivialities before blowing out the lamp and going to bed.
Meanwhile, Gu Yu, who had returned from Liaodong, couldn’t sleep at all.
He got up, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze.
The servant attending him didn’t dare to sleep either and cautiously asked, “Young Master, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine!” Gu Yu muttered, feeling increasingly troubled.
Dou Shi was pregnant, and Tian Ci Ge was going to be a father… His grandmother and stepmother knew and had sent gifts, including several bolts of silk from Hangzhou for the unborn child, even the crown princess had sent some.
Logically, since Tian Ci Ge treated him so well, and he would be the child’s uncle, he should send something in return. However, every time he thought about how the child would outrank him in the future, he felt uncomfortable.
While in Liaodong, he had prepared many good things to send to Tian Ci Ge and had even bought two gifts for Dou Shi. He had originally planned to visit Duke Ying’s residence with great enthusiasm, but upon returning home, he found that his stepmother had not helped him with matchmaking but instead had stuffed two eighteen-year-old second-class maidservants into his room. Furious, he complained to his grandfather, and after two days of delay, he heard the news of Dou Shi’s pregnancy, which deflated him completely, and he didn’t even go to Duke Ying’s residence.
Thinking of this made him feel even more wronged.
He didn’t go to find Tian Ci Ge; why didn’t Tian Ci Ge come to find him?
Tian Ci Ge should know he was back!
Could it be that now that he had his child, he no longer cared about him?
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt, unable to sleep. He decided to throw on his shoes and head to the training hall.
It was the twelfth month!
The biting cold wind was unbearable!
The servant was so frightened that his face turned pale. He grabbed a fur coat and shouted, “Young Master!” as he chased after him.
Gu Yu’s stepmother had eyes and ears everywhere, so when she saw him going mad in the middle of the night, how could she let him go? She ordered someone to call a doctor and told others to help her dress, saying she wanted to see Gu Yu, waking the whole family. The Yunyang Bo residence was in an uproar until dawn when Yunyang Bo shook his head helplessly and returned to the upper courtyard.