Dou Shiying and the others were unaware of all that had transpired in the Wang family.

Dou Shiying felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief.

He happily put his arm around Song Mo’s shoulder and said to Dou Dechang, “When we get back, call your father over. Let’s have a few drinks together.”

After the adoption, the forms of address would need to change.

Dou Dechang would need to call Dou Shiheng “Sixth Uncle.”

He remembered this, but Dou Shiying wasn’t yet accustomed to it.

Dou Dechang smiled awkwardly.

Song Mo quickly came to his rescue, saying, “Father-in-law misspoke. He’ll have to be punished with three big cups later.”

Only then did Dou Shiying realize his mistake and hurriedly said, “Good, good, good! I’ll punish myself with three big cups later.” His gaze towards Dou Dechang carried a hint of apology.

After all, he had to separate from his birth parents. Dou Dechang had initially harbored some resentment, but seeing Dou Shiying like this, he couldn’t help but laugh. The gloom in his chest suddenly vanished, and he felt that he wasn’t being sent away by his parents, but rather going to comfort and accompany this lonely elder because his adoptive father was so pitiful.

“As long as Father doesn’t slip up on the day of the banquet,” he said with a smile. “Otherwise, Fifth Uncle definitely won’t let you off the hook.”

Dou Shiying chuckled.

Seeing the two of them like this, Song Mo felt very gratified.

As for Dou Dechang, he gained a bit more respect for Song Mo.

Though he was older than Song Mo, his actions were not as observant or considerate.

He couldn’t help but look at Song Mo with increased admiration.

And so, the matter of Dou Dechang’s adoption was officially settled.

Dou Shiying formally sent out invitations to the Dou family’s in-laws in the capital to come drink at Jing’an Temple Alley.

Only then did Dou Ming learn that Dou Dechang had been adopted into Dou Shiying’s household.

She was immediately so angered that her qi and blood surged. She flipped over the kang table with her hand and jumped up, saying, “I don’t agree! Why should Dou Dechang be adopted over?”

Madam Zhou wanted to speak but held back, thinking to herself: Back then, the Seventh Master had also thought about keeping you at home to take a husband, but you snatched the Fourth Miss’s marriage, and the Fourth Miss ended up marrying into the Duke Ying’s household. If the Western Dou branch doesn’t adopt an heir, won’t their line die out? Moreover, although the Dou family has many sons, besides the Twelfth Young Master, there isn’t anyone else suitable for adoption.

But how could she say this in front of Dou Ming?

Over the past six months or so, Dou Ming’s temper had become increasingly volatile. Even the Marquis would occasionally be jabbed by her words. The maids and servants in the room were all trembling with fear, not daring to make a sound. Most of the time, the entire main courtyard was eerily quiet, like an ice cave, making anyone who entered feel a chill throughout their body.

The more Dou Ming thought about it, the more she felt she was in the right. She ordered Madam Zhou to prepare a carriage and went to Jing’an Temple Alley.

Dou Shiying steeled his heart and refused to see her, having Gao Sheng relay a message: “A married daughter follows her husband; when the husband dies, she follows her son. Since you’re now someone else’s daughter-in-law, you should be filial to your mother-in-law and serve your husband. In the future, if you have any matters, just send a maid or servant to pass along the message.”

But Dou Ming felt that her father was still angry about her choosing Wei Tingyu back then. She kicked Gao Sheng and shouted, “They forced me like that, and not only did Father not come to my defense, but now he’s settling accounts with me after the autumn harvest. Is Dou Zhao your only daughter? Am I not your daughter too?”

Hearing this, Dou Shiying only felt that Dou Ming was unreasonable and ill-mannered. Thinking of Ji Shi’s gentle reproach, he had to admit that he had spoiled this daughter.

Now, teaching her proper behavior, he wondered if it was too late.

Dou Shiying avoided seeing Dou Ming.

After making a fuss for half a day with no one paying attention to her, Dou Ming angrily returned to the Marquis of Jining’s mansion.

The servants’ faces showed fear, but they all came forward to welcome her.

Looking at them, Dou Ming felt even more irritated. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young servant boy quickly disappear around the screen wall.

She recognized that servant boy.

His name was Ruyi, and he served in Wei Tingyu’s study.

He was born into the Wei family household, eight years old this year, small and thin, but very clever.

Why did he run away when he saw her?

Was she some kind of man-eating monster?

They say people are loyal to whoever they serve. Had Wei Tingyu said something to him about her?

Dou Ming immediately felt as if a thorn had taken root in her heart. She dismissed the maids and servants from the outer courtyard and turned to go to Wei Tingyu’s study, bringing Madam Zhou and the others with her.

Wei Tingyu wasn’t in the study.

Ruyi came forward and reported, “The Marquis has gone horse riding!”

He went horse riding as soon as she returned home. What did that mean?

Dou Ming’s heart was burning with anger as her critical gaze swept around the study.

The study was very neat and tidy. The silk drape over the qin had been changed to a sapphire blue color, with golden tassels hanging from the four corners, giving it an air of luxury. In the blue and white porcelain vase on the desk was a bunch of bright red camellia flowers, making the whole study look vibrant.

Who would have thought the maids and servants in the study were so attentive?

Dou Ming gave a cold laugh and turned to go back to the inner chambers.

She sent a message to her mother in Liuye Hutong, informing her about the adoption.

The reply from Liuye Hutong was brief, just saying “Understood,” with no further comment.

She found this very strange and had Madam Zhou bring some gifts to Liuye Hutong, saying they were to show respect to Madam Wang Xu, and asked Madam Zhou to investigate the situation there.

Madam Zhou returned and told her, “The Old Madam is doing well, but I didn’t see the Seventh Madam. They said she had a big argument with the Second Madam and wasn’t feeling well, so she was resting.”

Dou Ming knew that Wang Yingxue often argued with Pang Yulou, so she didn’t suspect anything. She asked Madam Zhou, “Does Dou Zhao know about the adoption?”

Madam Zhou replied, “I heard that the Young Master of Duke Ying’s household accompanied the Twelfth Young Master to kowtow to the Seventh Madam.”

Dou Ming was so angry that she threw the comb in her hand to the ground.

After thinking it over, she couldn’t find any way to stop Dou Dechang’s adoption, so she had to instruct Madam Zhou, “Don’t spread the word about the adoption. They didn’t tell me beforehand, so they shouldn’t expect me to go back and add luster to their event that day.”

The implication was that she also shouldn’t tell the Wei family.

Madam Zhou shook her head secretly.

Even if the Marquis and his wife didn’t go, what impact would it have on the Dou family’s reputation?

Others would only say that Dou Ming was being disrespectful, fearing that her adopted brother would take the share of the family property that should have belonged to her, showing her to be a very petty and greedy person.

If this had happened last year, Madam Zhou would have advised Dou Ming even at the risk of angering her, but now… Dou Ming wouldn’t listen to anyone anymore. If she said too much, even the little affection from earlier years might be lost.

How did the Fifth Miss end up like this?

Madam Zhou lamented in her heart.

Meanwhile, Dou Zhao sat smiling on the large kang by the window in the reception room, listening to the matchmaker Chen Jia had sent praising him: “…Although he had a wife before, there were no children. Not only is he steady and reliable in character, but he’s also very capable. At such a young age, he’s already a fourth-rank military official. At this rate, in at most ten years, he’ll be promoted to third rank. Your family’s cousin will become an official’s wife as soon as she marries him. What could be better than such a marriage?”

She remained silent, smiling as she accepted Chen Jia’s birth date card and had someone reward the matchmaker with ten taels of silver.

The matchmaker was stunned for a moment, then her eyes crinkled with joy.

When Chen Jia wanted to send an official matchmaker to Duke Ying’s mansion to propose marriage, several official matchmakers waved their hands in refusal. Only she, tempted by Chen Jia’s five taels of silver and two bolts of silk as a matchmaking gift, had steeled herself to enter Duke Ying’s alley. Even so, before she met Dou Zhao, she had been inwardly mocking Chen Jia for overreaching. Who would have thought that the Young Master’s wife of Duke Ying’s household would accept Chen Jia’s birth date card… This was truly like the sun rising in the west!

She happily went to Yuqiao Hutong to report back to Chen Jia.

Chen Jia felt a wave of dizziness in his head and took a long while to come back to his senses. He hurriedly called Mrs. Tao Er to give a reward.

The matchmaker left happily, but Chen Jia felt weak all over and sat in the armchair for a long time without standing up.

The Song family had accepted his birth date card!

In other words, his marriage to Jiang Yan wasn’t just talk, but could become a reality!

Chen Jia’s heart was as full as a wind-filled sail, unable to tell if it was joy or relief. It wasn’t until Mr. and Mrs. Tao came to congratulate him that he came back to his senses. He remembered that the room had only been whitewashed when the previous owner moved in, and now many places were already stained… Although there was a small garden in the back courtyard, he was out early and back late, and without a mistress to manage the inner courtyard, it had been turned into a vegetable garden by the kitchen women.

Fortunately, there was an old winter plum tree in the corner. After clearing out the vegetable garden and planting some peonies, chrysanthemums, and such, it could barely pass muster… As for the furnishings in the house, he had sold them separately when he sold the house. The previous owner had only left him a few legless stools and unpainted miscellaneous wooden boxes.

He had just been promoted, and with superiors to curry favor with, subordinates to reward, and old debts to repay, he hadn’t been able to add much… Duke Ying’s mansion used all rosewood furniture, which he couldn’t match, but he should at least get a set of black lacquered pine furniture, right? And the colored paintings on the winding corridor, the screen wall in front of the door, all needed to be properly done up… There was still so much to do!

He could no longer sit still and hurriedly called Tiger in to instruct him: “Go to the street right now and find a few skilled masons. We also need to hire some painters… I remember that the set of new furniture made for Old Chen’s son’s wedding was quite good. Go ask who made it and invite them to make a set… “

Chen Jia rattled off instructions like a string of firecrackers, making Tiger’s head spin. He barely managed to repeat it all back before running off to Tao Er: “Quick, give me a few sheets of paper. I need to write down what the master said.”

Tao Er chuckled and helped him grind the ink, but in his heart, he was thinking that if this marriage happened, they would be like the saying in books, “When one person attains the Dao, even the chickens, and dogs ascend to heaven.” If a mere guard from Duke Ying’s household could be released to become a constable in the county, his son could at least become a clerk in the tax office in the future, right? That would make him smile even in his dreams.

The Chen household began bustling about like a windmill.

Dou Zhao’s side was also busy.

Making jewelry, sewing clothes, purchasing dowry items – they were so busy their feet barely touched the ground.

Fortunately, with Jiang Liuzhu’s help, and women’s natural love for shopping, the busyness turned into joy, and laughter constantly filled Yizhi Hall.

Jiang Yan hid in Bishui Pavilion, her heart filled with a bit of joy but more fear.

She very much wanted to see Chen Jia and ask him in person why he wanted to marry her. If one day he came to despise her for being a remarrying widow, could he not deceive her? As long as he told her honestly, she would certainly not tell anyone and would quietly hide away in a temple by herself.

But seeing the joyful expressions of her sister-in-law and Twelfth Sister, she couldn’t bring herself to say she wanted to meet with Chen Jia.

Dou Zhao sensed that Jiang Yan was preoccupied and wanted to comfort her, but Song Han was about to move house. Song Maochun and the others had come to help, and Song Mo had washed his hands of the matter, so she had to be present to say a few polite words. After Song Han finished moving, there was a housewarming celebration. Although Dou Zhao didn’t attend in person, she had to fulfill all the proper etiquette, which kept her busy for two days. By the time she went to find Jiang Yan again, Jiang Yan had calmed down, so Dou Zhao just smiled and didn’t ask further.