The grandmother smiled as she chatted about how Shou Gu was going to make new clothes, but Dou Zhao clung to her, tears streaming down her face.

Summer had passed, and the grandmother was still alive and well by her side. Did this mean that with enough effort, some things could change?

Dou Zhao thought about going to the temple to offer incense.

The grandmother said, “Then let’s go to Daci Temple; their vegetarian dishes are quite good.”

Dou Zhao had spent the entire summer at home with her grandmother, not stepping outside. The grandmother assumed Dou Zhao was simply tired of being cooped up and wanted to go out and have some fun.

Daci Temple was a monastery where Dou Zhao’s mother had often gone to worship during her lifetime.

Dou Zhao nodded with a smile, agreeing to the plan.

After selecting a date from the almanac with her grandmother, she sent someone ahead to inform the temple’s abbot. They set off for Daci Temple, accompanied by personal maids, elder women, and household servants, creating quite a procession.

Daci Temple was surrounded by ancient cypress trees, with lush greenery all around, creating a serene atmosphere. The main hall housed a statue of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin, standing over ten feet tall, and adorned with gold leaf. Under the glow of the incense, it shone brilliantly, illuminating the entire hall.

Dou Zhao and her grandmother sincerely bowed and prostrated three times.

After leaving the main hall, a refreshing breeze rustled through the trees.

The abbot invited Dou Zhao and her grandmother to sit in the incense room behind the hall. After some casual conversation, a monk came to ask where the vegetarian meal should be set up.

“Let’s set it up here!” the grandmother said, having been taught from a young age to do things herself and thus preferring not to trouble others.

The monk smiled and went off to make arrangements.

Haitang then entered with a beaming smile. “Aunt Cui, Fourth Miss, Lord Zheng Shiyi, Lord De Shier, and the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Young Masters from the Wu family heard you were here to worship and specially came to pay their respects.”

“Better late than never!” the grandmother laughed heartily, happily inviting them to join for the vegetarian meal. “There’s no one else here; if you don’t mind, let’s have lunch together!”

Haitang smiled and relayed the message.

Dou Zhengchang and the others cheerfully entered, greeting the grandmother and chatting with Dou Zhao, all thanking her for the meal. The room buzzed with excitement, like a bustling market.

Dou Zhao asked Dou Qijun, “How did you know we were at Daci Temple?”

This was a monastery, after all.

Dou Qijun replied with a grin, “We went to Dafa Temple to watch the sunrise and thought the vegetarian food at Daci Temple was delicious, so we planned to come here for a meal. Who knew you’d be here too?”

Daci Temple was supported by the Dou family, and although there were gender restrictions, the children of the Dou family would always be offered a meal when passing through.

Dou Zhao laughed, “It seems that being early is not as good as being timely!”

Dou Qitai boasted, “If I hadn’t urged you all to come back sooner, how could we have run into Fourth Aunt?”

Dou Dechang winked at Wu Shan.

However, Wu Shan, who usually was noisy in front of Dou Zhao, took a step back in silence, as if wanting to disappear into the crowd.

Dou Zhao was taken aback but then felt a flicker of understanding.

Wu Shan was still young and innocent. That day, he had bluntly revealed Pang Jixiu’s intentions without thinking, which ultimately put her at a disadvantage. Now, seeing her again, he couldn’t help but feel ashamed and hesitant to face her.

Realizing Wu Shan’s feelings, Dou Zhao began to feel uneasy.

To be fair, this matter had nothing to do with Wu Shan. It was she who wanted to drive away Pang Jixiu while also wanting Wu Shan to give up, leading to this double-edged situation…

After that, she had not seen Wu Shan again and had no idea how he was doing.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Dou Zhao couldn’t help but scrutinize Wu Shan.

He wore a bamboo green silk robe, his dark hair tied up with an Xiangfei bamboo hairpin. A jade pendant hung from his waist, and he had grown taller and thinner since last year. His once youthful face had lost its childishness and gained a youthful sharpness, like a young sapling in early spring, seemingly growing before her eyes.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

When Wu Shan noticed Dou Zhao’s gaze on him, he felt both surprised and delighted.

He was surprised that, with so many people around, she still noticed him. He was delighted that despite what had happened, Dou Zhao was still willing to acknowledge him.

Perhaps things weren’t as serious as he had imagined…

Wu Shan pondered, wanting to step forward and say a few words to Dou Zhao. However, before he could speak, Dou Zhao smiled and called out, “Fourth Brother Wu, so it turns out the Eleventh Brother and the others went to your house to ask for food!”

Dafa Temple was in Xinle County.

Wu Shan immediately became excited.

When the Third Master of the Dou family passed away, he had once asked for a safety talisman at Dafa Temple to give to Dou Zhao.

“No, no,” he stammered, “I didn’t go to ask for food. It’s me who stays at Sixth Aunt’s house every day. Sixth Aunt provides for my food and clothing just like Eleventh Brother and Twelfth Brother…”

Dou Dechang laughed heartily and whispered in his ear, “So you admit I’m your Twelfth Brother now!”

Wu Shan’s face turned bright red.

He was three months older than Dou Dechang. Unless he was following Dou Zhao’s rank, he would never have the chance to call Dou Dechang “brother.”

Dou Qitai, confused, leaned in and asked urgently, “Why is Fourth Uncle Wu blushing? What’s the story behind this?”

Wu Shan wasn’t afraid of others laughing at him, but he was worried that Dou Ming would find out and think he was frivolous.

He jumped up anxiously, shouting, “Dou Twelfth, if you dare to talk nonsense, don’t blame me for being rude and revealing your secrets…”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Now it was Dou Dechang’s turn to be anxious. “A petty person is always worried, while a gentleman is open and honest…”

“What does that have to do with gentlemen or petty people?” Dou Zhengchang looked at his younger brother in confusion. “What are you hiding from us?”

“Nothing, nothing!” Wu Shan and Dou Dechang chorused, “There’s nothing we’re hiding from you.”

Dou Zhengchang didn’t believe them.

The grandmother laughed heartily.

These children were like the rising sun, full of vitality, making one feel invigorated just by looking at them.

Dou Dechang and Wu Shan only made her feel amused.

“Alright, alright,” she said with a smile, instructing Hong Gu to set the table, “It’s getting late. If you don’t sit down soon, the vegetarian dishes will get cold.”

Dou Dechang and Wu Shan exchanged glances, sitting side by side, which drew another round of laughter from everyone.

They ate in silence, with the Dou and Wu children having been taught proper etiquette, finishing their meal amidst the soft clinking of dishes.

Hong Gu brought in tea made from Daci Temple’s self-roasted leaves for everyone to cleanse their palates.

The grandmother then asked about Dou Qijun’s studies, “…Is it difficult? Does the teacher explain things well? Will you have to take the exam again next year?” Her questions were completely different from those of the family elders; although simple, they were filled with warmth.

At first, Dou Qijun responded politely, but gradually he became more serious, his tone filled with respect, as if he were answering the Second Matriarch.

Dou Zhao smiled.

In her ear, she heard Wu Shan’s soft voice, “About that day, I didn’t mean to…”

He murmured, his tone urgent.

“What are you talking about?” Dou Zhao feigned ignorance, whispering back.

“About Pang Jixiu…” Wu Shan hesitated for a moment, his voice heavy. “I’ve been apologizing to my sister…”

“Oh, you mean that?” Dou Zhao laughed, “Why would I blame you? If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known how to tell the family about that. Honestly, I should thank you…”

Wu Shan’s mouth fell open in surprise.

Dou Zhao smiled and nodded at him.

Wu Shan couldn’t help but smile widely, revealing his white teeth, and looking somewhat foolish.

Dou Zhao turned her face away, trying to suppress her laughter.

Wu Shan laughed even more joyfully.

Dou Dechang, sitting across from them, stared at them intently.

Dou Zhao asked Wu Shan, “What did Twelfth Brother do that you’re holding over him?”

Wu Shan looked at Dou Dechang and chuckled, “He was fighting chickens and won a thousand taels of silver from the Sixth Young Master of the Chen family.”

Dou Zhao was taken aback.

Wu Shan hurriedly added, “Don’t worry, I didn’t gamble with him. I just lent him a hundred taels as capital.”

This was truly a case of giving someone a little color and they’d open a dye house.

She merely felt that since Wu Shan hadn’t made his stance clear, there was no need for her to act as if they were strangers. It was better to continue as usual. Who knew Wu Shan would immediately jump to “don’t worry” territory?

Dou Zhao felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

Had she known this would happen, she wouldn’t have said another word to him.

Dou Zhao smiled at him, then sat up straight, listening to her grandmother and Dou Qijun talk.

Wu Shan, however, misunderstood her smile as anger and felt very regretful. He replayed their conversation in his mind, thinking that no matter how he explained, he couldn’t escape suspicion. He could only stare at Dou Zhao, hoping she would turn to him so he could apologize again.

Under Wu Shan’s gaze, Dou Zhao felt increasingly uncomfortable, as if she were under the scorching summer sun.

She couldn’t help but recall her experiences in her previous life.

Why had no one ever treated her like this before?

If she had met someone like him in her past life, would she still have married Wei Tingyu?

Her thoughts began to spiral wildly, like a wild horse that had broken free.

Meanwhile, the grandmother listened to Dou Qijun’s words and clapped her hands in praise. “You, my child, have an unlimited future ahead. People say studying is good, but without good health, how can you remember what’s written in those books? How can you endure the three-day, three-night examinations? When you’re young, you should travel and see the world. This way, you can understand the economy and agriculture. When you’re older, you can settle down to study, and the articles you write will have substance. Only then will you know how to serve the people when you become an official…”

“Exactly, exactly.” Dou Qijun was enthusiastic as if he had found a kindred spirit, and he spoke passionately to the grandmother. “Whenever I see those county magistrates leaving the grain clerk without knowing this year’s harvest, I find it unbelievable—aren’t they handing over power to others? Where is their authority? So I’ve decided to spend a year traveling around Zhen Ding, figuring out how much land there is, how many households there are, what the annual harvest is, and what the taxes are.”

The grandmother turned to Dou Zhao and said, “Shou Gu, what is Gousheng doing now? He grew up in the fields and is familiar with these matters. He’s clever; why not let him follow Bo Yan for a while…”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but mutter to herself.

Gousheng was now called Zhao Liangbi. He had worked hard to rise from a mere errand boy in the accounting office to a second-tier steward, becoming the youngest and most promising steward in the Dou family. He was about to be sent out to manage a shop, and yet the grandmother wanted him to be a subordinate to Bo Yan. Who would help manage her shops in the future?