A year after Aunt Ding entered the household, there was still no sign of pregnancy, causing great anxiety for Dou Zhao’s paternal grandmother. She heard of a family named Cui on the Dou family estate who had eight sons and two daughters, all surviving. Unable to support so many children, they had sent two sons to be live-in sons-in-law for other families and now wanted to arrange a marriage exchange for their eldest daughter, who was fourteen.
Dou Zhao’s paternal grandmother saw this as a sign from heaven. After meeting the Cui family’s eldest daughter, who was tall and robust but still had delicate features, she spent two hundred taels of silver to bring her into the household without consulting Dou Zhao’s grandfather.
Ten months later, Dou Zhao’s father was born.
Just after the child’s hundred-day celebration, Dou Zhao’s grandfather summoned her paternal grandmother and, pointing to the infant Dou Shiying, said, “Raise this child yourself. Don’t let that illiterate Cui woman ruin him.”
Thus, Cui was sent to the Dou family’s small estate in Dongji Village, with only about a hundred mu of land, where she remained until her death.
Essentially, Cui had always been a village woman.
During the years Dou Zhao lived with her, Cui not only taught her how to water, de-bug, and weed the vegetable garden behind the house but also how to manage crops and raise chickens and pigs. In Cui’s words, “Learn to tend to crops, and you’ll never starve wherever you go!”
Growing up in this environment, Dou Zhao knew when to sow in spring, harvest in autumn, plant vegetables, and hatch chicks. She could even predict the coming year’s weather based on winter conditions. She was more like the daughter of a rural gentry family than a young lady from a generations-old official family.
Dou Zhao first met Tuo Niang shortly after her tenth birthday. The adults were busy with spring plowing; her grandmother and the estate manager had gone to the fields. She stood with several maids under the elm tree in front of the house, watching village children pick elm buds.
A caterpillar fell on Dou Zhao’s shoulder, startling her. She caught it and used it to scare the maids, causing chaos as they screamed and pushed each other.
Tuo Niang appeared out of nowhere, rushing over like a mad woman to chase and beat the maids, shouting, “She’s the young miss, the Dou family’s young miss! How dare you disrespect her? I’ll beat you to death, I’ll beat you to death…”
Recalling this, Dou Zhao felt emotional.
After her stepmother entered the household, those who had served her mother were either sold due to lack of seniority, given freedom papers by the stepmother citing their service, or sent back to their maternal uncle’s family. No one told her about her mother’s fate. Even her loving grandmother repeatedly said, “One must look forward. What use is there in constantly asking about the past? You should think more about your future, about how to please your mother-in-law when you marry into the Jining Marquis Manor.”
No one knew of her inner fears.
How did her mother die?
Why was everyone so tight-lipped about it?
Her stepmother Wang’s maid, Hu, said it was because she had given birth to a daughter…
Did that mean she had caused her mother’s death?
Was that why she had been sent to live with her grandmother in the countryside?
When her mother was alive, had she ever resented her? Had she ever regretted giving birth to her?
As she grew older, Dou Zhao became increasingly afraid to ask.
Her mother’s death remained an unhealing wound in Dou Zhao’s heart.
It was Tuo Niang who told her the truth, even arguing with her grandmother: “I don’t know about those grand principles. I only know that Wang caused the Seventh Madam’s death. Wang is the Fourth Young Miss’s enemy. The Fourth Young Miss cannot accept a murderer as her mother! What you’re doing isn’t helping the Fourth Young Miss; it’s harming her, forcing her into filial impiety!”
Dou Zhao still remembered the shock on her grandmother’s face.
Afterward, her grandmother said nothing and kept Tuo Niang at the estate.
Of the many who had served her mother, only Tuo Niang had spent eight years searching for her, and only Tuo Niang had spoken up for her!
Her character was evident.
Now, with her movements restricted, Dou Zhao urgently needed someone who would obey her without question.
No one was more suitable than Tuo Niang!
Hearing this, Xiangcao, despite Shuangzhi’s objections, took the initiative to bring Tuo Niang.
Tuo Niang looked at Dou Zhao in confusion, nervous and constrained, softly calling her “Fourth Young Miss.”
This Tuo Niang was young, rosy-cheeked, with a gentle and shy gaze, completely different from the haggard, disheveled woman in Dou Zhao’s memory.
Dou Zhao felt a pang in her heart.
She asked Tuo Niang, “Do you… know… me?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “Xiangcao told me on the way here. You’re the Seventh Madam’s daughter, the Dou family’s Fourth Young Miss.”
It was good that she knew she was the Seventh Madam’s daughter!
Dou Zhao nodded with a smile and reached out for Tuo Niang to carry her, saying, “Let’s go… to Heshou Hall. Shuangzhi, lead the way.”
Tuo Niang picked up Dou Zhao without hesitation, but Shuangzhi hesitated, saying, “What if…”
“I want… to go!” Dou Zhao glared at Shuangzhi.
Shuangzhi smiled sheepishly.
Xiangcao quickly chimed in, “What about me? Fourth Young Miss, what about me?”
One cannot surround oneself with only one type of person. Sometimes, strengths can become weaknesses, and weaknesses can become strengths.
“Come along,” Dou Zhao smiled.
Xiangcao happily agreed, leading the way.
Now Shuangzhi had no choice but to go.
The group headed to Heshou Hall.
A servant boy stopped them at the door: “The Old Master said no one is allowed in!”
Tuo Niang looked anxiously at Dou Zhao.
Shuangzhi was at a loss, nearly saying “I told you so.”
Xiangcao stepped forward with a smile, jokingly calling the boy “brother” and said, “We’re here on the Seventh Madam’s orders to bring the Fourth Young Miss in… Isn’t there a commotion inside? That’s why we’ve brought the Fourth Young Miss. If you don’t believe us, why not go in and announce us?”
The servant boy relented and let them into the courtyard.
Shuangzhi whispered, “You’re too bold! What if he goes to ask the Seventh Madam…”
“He won’t!” Xiangcao said confidently with a smile. “If we don’t dare approach Heshou Hall, how could they?”
Dou Zhao nodded inwardly.
From Heshou Hall came her mother’s somewhat hoarse and sharp voice: “…It’s too late for whatever you say now! If you wanted to take a concubine, why didn’t you tell me directly? You asked Third Uncle to intercede with Father only because you knew what you were doing was wrong, unbecoming of a gentleman. Yet your thoughts are impure, bewitched by female beauty. You wanted to ensure success by using an elder to pressure me! Since that’s the case, let’s have the elders from both families come and discuss this properly…”
“Seventh Sister-in-law, Seventh Sister-in-law,” Third Uncle pleaded, “Taking a concubine or not is just a small matter. If you don’t agree, then let’s forget about it. Why disturb the elders of both families and cause a citywide scandal for others to laugh at? Wanyuan, quickly apologize to your wife! Let’s end this matter here. If anyone’s to blame, it’s all my fault. Please, Sister-in-law, for my sake, be forgiving, be forgiving!”
Wanyuan was her father’s courtesy name.
Her mother fell silent, but her father muttered something inaudible.
Dou Zhao quickly said, “Let’s… go in!”
At this point, Xiangcao and Shuangzhi became somewhat afraid, but Tuo Niang, with a resolute expression, carried Dou Zhao into the hall.
The people in Heshou Hall didn’t dare stop Dou Zhao.
“Who goes there?” Aunt Ding, standing at the entrance, shouted her expression stern—a side Dou Zhao had never seen before.
Tuo Niang shrank her shoulders but quickly straightened up, her voice trembling yet respectful: “It’s the Fourth Young Miss. She asked me to bring her in…”
Hearing the commotion, her mother, sitting frost-faced in the master chair, and Third Uncle, wringing his hands nervously, looked over in surprise. Her father, kneeling facing the main hall, sprang up and, embarrassed and angry, shouted at them, “What’s going on?”
Grandfather was not in the hall.
Before Dou Zhao could speak, her mother stood up with a cold laugh.
“You’ve done wrong, why are you yelling at the child?” she said, walking over to take Dou Zhao, then asked softly, “What happened?” Her gaze pierced Tuo Niang.
Dou Zhao spoke before Tuo Niang could: “Mother, Mother, I want… Tuo Niang, I want… Tuo Niang!”
Her mother, thinking of the maids locked in the side room, frowned.
She didn’t recognize Tuo Niang.
Arranging for Tuo Niang to work as a menial maid in the household was a trivial matter for her, not worth remembering.
A young maid entered trembling, reporting, “The Third Madam has arrived!”
Third Uncle perked up at this news, eager to send Dou Zhao and the others away to discuss important matters: “It’s just a maid. If Shou’er wants her, just give her as a reward.” He gave her father a meaningful look.
Her father immediately said, “This Tuo Niang or whatever, let’s give her to Shou’er.”
The third Aunt was known for her cheerful nature, witty speech, and warm personality. Though not the senior woman of the clan, everyone in the Dou household liked her and often sought her help as a mediator. Her mother guessed Third Aunt’s sudden arrival had a purpose.
She also wanted her father to abandon the idea of taking a concubine quickly.
After all, Tuo Niang was a maid from her household; there was no fear of her running away. With Shou’er’s maids and servants locked up, letting this Tuo Niang temporarily care for Shou’er would do. She could investigate Tuo Niang’s background thoroughly once this matter was settled.
Her mother called Nanny Yu in: “Arrange for this Tuo Niang to be placed in Shou’er’s room.”
Nanny Yu looked confused, glancing at Tuo Niang twice before respectfully acknowledging the order.
With so many people around, including Nanny Yu, even if her mother wanted to die, someone would stop her.
Dou Zhao wasn’t worried. She tugged at Tuo Niang’s sleeve, signaling her to go back.
Tuo Niang was still dazed by her sudden transformation from a laundry room maid to a young miss’s attendant. Without even expressing gratitude, she carried Dou Zhao out of Heshou Hall, stumbling slightly.
Xiangcao and Shuangzhi had already received the news.
Shuangzhi congratulated Tuo Niang, politely exchanging pleasantries: “…We’ll be working together from now on.”
Xiangcao lowered her head in frustration, her expression both regretful and dejected.
Dou Zhao smiled slightly and pointed at Xiangcao, saying to Nanny Yu, “I want… Xiangcao.”
Xiangcao was both surprised and delighted.
Nanny Yu shared the Seventh Madam’s thoughts at this moment. Moreover, Xiangcao had been serving in the Seventh Madam’s quarters, so her background was known, and there was no fear of her causing trouble. She instructed Xiangcao, “Since the Fourth Young Miss likes you, you’ll attend to her from now on. Remember to serve well and don’t anger the Fourth Young Miss…”
Xiangcao was so overjoyed she couldn’t close her mouth.
With the servants in the Fourth Young Miss’s room locked up for misconduct, given the Seventh Madam’s temperament, they would surely not be used again. Having caught the Fourth Young Miss’s eye, she might even become a first-class maid in the future!
The more she thought about it, the brighter her future seemed. As soon as Nanny Yu turned away, she hurriedly thanked Dou Zhao: “Fourth Young Miss, I will serve you well…”
Dou Zhao waved her hand at the chattering Xiangcao, then pointed at Heshou Hall: “Listen… tell me.”