“Isn’t it better to find someone who can write and calculate?” Dou Zhao laughed. “Gou Sheng can only write his name. I think it would be better to have Cui Shisan help Bo Yan; isn’t he studying at the county school?”

She knew her grandmother disapproved of the Cui family getting involved with the Dou family, fearing that others would say the Cui family was taking advantage of them. However, compared to Zhao Liangbi, Cui Shisan was more suitable. Besides, since she had decided not to marry again in this life, she ought to find a way for Cui Shisan.

Upon hearing this, her grandmother hesitated.

Dou Qijun was a very perceptive man. He quickly understood that Dou Zhao was trying to elevate the Cui family’s status, and naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

“Then it’s settled,” he said with a smile. “I’ll trouble Fourth Aunt to send someone to bring Cui Shisan to me in the next couple of days. After the Double Ninth Festival, I’ll start working on this matter.”

Dou Zhao smiled in agreement. If her grandmother opposed it further, it would seem petty, so she dropped the subject. They began discussing their trip to Dafa Temple to watch the sunrise: “… We were awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of gongs and drums. Someone had brought a child actor to perform ‘King Han Qi’ in front of the main hall, and we watched it together with the monks and other worshippers. As dawn broke, we followed that person to the Shuangyan Pagoda at Dafa Temple to watch the sunrise. But by the time we descended the pagoda, that person had vanished. It would have been nice to make an acquaintance.”

Dou Qijun expressed his regret.

Wu Shan, however, was unconvinced. “That person was dressed extravagantly and accompanied by children and courtesans. I doubt he’s a good sort; it’s better not to know him.”

Dou Qijun countered, “That person spoke humorously, had an elegant demeanor, and moved gracefully. He seems to be a person of character.”

“Alright, alright, there’s no need to let an unknown person ruin our mood,” Dou Zhengchang interjected, smiling. “Are we going to Fayuansi tomorrow?”

Dou Zhao asked curiously, “What are you going to Fayuansi for?”

Dou Zhengchang replied, “There’s a hundred-year-old osmanthus tree there. Last year, it was struck by lightning and burned, but I heard it has sprouted new branches recently. We want to go see it.”

Dou Zhao laughed heartily. “A few days ago, Bo Yan boasted in front of my father that you all were at home studying hard. Turns out you were just preparing to deal with the elders?”

“We were studying at home for a while,” Wu Shan quickly explained. “But these past few days, Master Du has gone out to visit friends, giving us a seven-day break, so we’re just wandering around now.”

Dou Zhao felt a pang of envy.

Her grandmother suggested, “Then let’s go to Fayuansi tomorrow!”

“Fayuansi is built on a mountaintop,” Wu Shan quickly added. “There are nine hundred ninety-nine steps from the mountain gate to the main hall. If you’re going tomorrow, I can hire a sedan chair for you.”

“No need, no need,” her grandmother chuckled. “It’s just nine hundred ninety-nine steps; I can still manage.”

Dou Qijun and the others were skeptical, but they still arranged for two sedan chairs to follow them the next day.

Dou Zhao kept pace with her grandmother and reached the mountaintop in one breath, while Wu Shan and the others were still panting at the turn.

She couldn’t help but laugh. Her melodious laughter, like pearls falling on a jade plate, caught the attention of the abbot, who was waiting with a smile in front of the main hall.

Someone nearby exclaimed, “Oh!”

Dou Zhao turned toward the voice and was instantly captivated.

Not far away, under a cypress tree, stood a young man about fifteen or sixteen years old. He had a handsome face, and bright and clear eyes, and wore a robe of blue-green silk. A white jade hairpin adorned his head, and his waist was decorated with a pouch, a jade pendant, a fragrant sachet, and a folding fan. He stood there quietly, exuding an air of elegance.

Two young boys, both around twelve or thirteen, followed him. They were also good-looking, with a scholarly demeanor that made them hard to underestimate.

When the young man noticed Dou Zhao looking at him, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, displaying a dignified demeanor.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile back and nod slightly.

However, her grandmother seemed displeased.

The abbot quickly said, “This young master had already retired when we received your letter yesterday.”

The implication was that it wouldn’t be appropriate to send him away.

Fortunately, her grandmother was not a harsh person. She smiled and nodded, choosing not to pursue the matter further, and stood beside Dou Zhao, waiting for Dou Qijun and the others.

The young man then asked the abbot, “Could you tell me where the hundred-year-old osmanthus tree that has sprouted new branches is located?”

It turned out he was also there to see the osmanthus tree.

Dou Zhao perked up her ears to listen.

“It’s just behind the Mahavira Hall,” the abbot replied with a smile. “I’ll have someone take you there right away.”

The young man thanked him and followed the attendant to the back hall with the two boys.

Dou Qijun and the others finally arrived, bending over and supporting their waists as they climbed up.

“I admit defeat; Aunt Cui tends to the crops every day,” Dou Dechang said. “But how can Fourth Sister climb so quickly when she spends her days either embroidering on the kang or writing at her desk?”

Dou Zhao smiled proudly. “Do you think sewing and writing don’t require effort?” Yet, she felt grateful to her grandmother for making her walk every day.

Dou Dechang and the others naturally didn’t believe her.

Dou Zhao laughed, “So, are you going to see the osmanthus tree or not? Someone has already gone to the back of the Mahavira Hall ahead of us.”

“Who?” Dou Zhengchang asked, intrigued. “If they thought of it at the same time as us, they must not be an ordinary person. We should invite him to lunch.”

They had brought vegetarian dishes prepared by the Dou family’s cook up the mountain.

Wu Shan added, “What about Fourth Sister?”

Everyone felt a bit disheartened.

Dou Zhao also felt somewhat disappointed.

Dou Qijun suggested, “If Fourth Sister comes with us, she might as well dress up like a servant.”

Dou Zhao was tempted and quickly glanced at her grandmother.

Her grandmother seemed not to have heard, standing with a smile, admiring a pine tree.

Dou Zhao wished she could rush over and hug her grandmother tightly.

The group made their way to the back of the Mahavira Hall.

Amid the withered branches of the old tree, a new sprout had emerged, its leaves a vibrant green, full of life. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and had begun to bloom with delicate yellow buds, but there was no sign of anyone.

“Weren’t you saying someone got here before us?” Dou Dechang asked, looking around.

Dou Zhao was equally puzzled. “If you’re curious, you can ask Aunt Cui.”

The abbot chuckled, “Perhaps they took the small path down the side.”

Only then did Dou Zhao notice a small path beside the hall.

That person was indeed polite.

She mused as she listened to the abbot recounts the history of the tree.

After two days of outings, although her grandmother was still in good spirits, Dou Zhao was worried. She chose not to join the third day’s lake outing and stayed home with her grandmother.

Her grandmother hesitated, “Are we going to let Cui Shisan follow Bo Yan?”

“It’s just to assist him,” Dou Zhao laughed. “It’s not like he’s going to rely on him!” She added, “Bo Yan has great ambitions. If Cui Shisan can connect with him, it will benefit him in the future.”

Before her grandmother could say more, Dou Zhao smiled, “Bo Yan only receives five taels of silver a month. If Cui Shisan follows him, it’s hard to say who is helping whom.”

The Dou family’s younger generation only saw their monthly allowance increase to twenty taels after marriage.

Her grandmother chuckled.

Dou Zhao then called Cui Shisan into the residence and explained the situation to him.

Cui Shisan’s eyes lit up immediately, asking when he could meet Dou Qijun.

Dou Zhao sent a maid to check if Dou Qijun was home, leaving Cui Shisan to talk with her grandmother.

After a while, the maid returned with the message: “Fifth Young Master has gone to the lake and hasn’t returned yet, but he instructed the staff to let Cui Shisan wait a bit. He will return before dinner.”

Dou Zhao thought that since Cui Shisan was her grandmother’s nephew and she had suggested this, it would be better for her to accompany him. Even if the servants wanted to give Cui Shisan a hard time, they would have to think twice. This was also a good opportunity for her to see Sixth Aunt—when her father left, she had been learning to paint with Sixth Aunt, but she had stopped her studies out of concern for her grandmother. Now that autumn had arrived, it was time to gradually resume her studies.

She took Cui Shisan to the East Residence.

The matron on duty at the second gate rushed over as soon as she saw Dou Zhao’s carriage.

“Fourth Miss, you haven’t been here all summer!” she said warmly, helping Dou Zhao down from the carriage. “The ladies and grandmothers in our residence have missed you terribly.” Then she noticed Cui Shisan, and seeing him dressed in a fine cotton robe, she immediately smiled flatteringly, “Oh, who is this young gentleman?”

Dou Zhao smiled slightly and succinctly replied, “This is Cui Shisan; Fifth Young Master invited him to help.”

The matron’s eyes widened in surprise.

Cui?

Is he related to Aunt Cui from the West Residence?

“I was wondering who it was! He’s quite a handsome young man; turns out he’s from the Cui family,” the matron flattered.

Dou Zhao smiled and walked inside.

Cui Shisan followed her and quietly remarked, “You usually seem so quiet; I didn’t expect you to be doing quite well in the Dou family.”

Dou Zhao smiled but didn’t respond.

How could anyone dare not to curry favor with her, given that she had the favor of the Second Matriarch?

It was a pity she had no intention of taking over the West Residence; otherwise, she would certainly live more freely there than she did now—there were countless people in the West Residence who flattered the East Residence.

As she thought about this, an idea struck her.

Why not take over her grandmother’s estate early? She could also settle some people there.

In her past life, she had grown up with Gan Lu and Su Juan. Although they had a master-servant relationship, they were like siblings. After her grandmother passed away, they relied on each other and struggled to survive, which led to their later situation. But in this life, she grew up in the East Dou family, and by the time she found Gan Lu and Su Juan, they had already learned a bit about the world. Although they didn’t require her to worry about their work, no matter how close they were, they still maintained the master-servant relationship. Sometimes, when she spoke too deeply, they would show a hint of fear, unlike the intimacy they had in her past life.

You gain some, you lose some!

Lost in thought, she arrived at the Third House.

Her third sister-in-law personally welcomed her at the door.

“What brings you here?” she asked with a beaming smile, taking Dou Zhao’s hand. “Didn’t you say you were going to accompany Aunt Cui? If there’s anything, just send someone to let us know; you didn’t have to come in person.”

“It was Bo Yan’s instruction,” Dou Zhao briefly explained her purpose, smiling, “Where’s Shu Jie?”

“She and Yi Jie are learning needlework with Ninth Sister-in-law!” her third sister-in-law said with a smile, leading Dou Zhao to sit on the kang by the window in the main room. “They’re not little anymore. The Second Matriarch said that since we have a ready teacher at home, there’s no need to hire someone from outside. They may not have the skills of Ninth Sister-in-law.”

Dou Zhao thought for a moment before understanding.

Yi Jie and Shu Jie were the same age as her, both twelve this year. According to the customs of wealthy families, they should be getting engaged soon.