Blossom

The news of the exchange of birth characters between the Dou and Wei families arrived just as the rain began to fall in torrents, heavy as beans, instantly turning Zhen Ding County into a waterlogged land.

Dou Zhao stood beneath the veranda, the downpour splashing against the bluestone bricks and quickly soaking the hem of her skirt. Su Xin, clad in a raincoat and wooden clogs, made her way through the dense curtain of rain.

"Young Mistress, you should go inside and rest!" she urged Dou Zhao while carefully removing her raincoat and handing it to a nearby maid, cautious not to let the rainwater drip onto Dou Zhao's clothes. "The rain is too heavy outside. I’ve prepared the greenhouse as you instructed and assigned two experienced matrons to keep watch overnight. Please don’t worry!"

But how could Dou Zhao not worry?

Spring rain is as precious as silk.

Yet if this rain continued like this, the newly sown crops would surely rot. She glanced up at the dark, ominous sky, frowned, and stepped indoors.

Chen Qushui arrived, braving the rain.

"Young Mistress, the weather seems unusual. Should we send someone to check on the farmstead?" His expression was grave.

"You and I share the same thought," Dou Zhao replied. Just then, a flash of lightning lit the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder. "I doubt this rain will stop anytime soon. The East Wing Courtyard and the main house were renovated these past two years, but we should still send someone to inspect the West Wing Courtyard and Crane Longevity Hall for leaks."

Seeing that Dou Zhao was well aware of the situation, Chen Qushui felt reassured.

Hong Gu arrived, supporting Consort Cui under a tung oil-paper umbrella.

"Ah, Mr. Chen is here too!" she greeted him, her eyes filled with deep concern. "Shou Gu, this rain is too heavy—the crops in the fields might not survive. I must go back and check."

"That won’t do!" Dou Zhao and Chen Qushui exclaimed in unison. "If anyone should go, it should be us. How could we let you go?"

Their shared protest lightened the mood, drawing laughter and warmth into the room.

"What use would you be?" the grandmother retorted. "You don’t understand farming—you’d only be making a superficial inspection. It’s better if I go!" She then instructed Shou Gu, "Prepare a carriage for me. If the crops are truly ruined, once the rain stops, we’ll need to arrange for replanting. Otherwise, there’ll be no harvest this year. Even if we waive their rent, life will still be hard for them. We must also prepare some grain to lend them for the winter, or people will starve."

Dou Zhao had never experienced a famine, and Chen Qushui had lived comfortably even during lean years. Neither understood the urgency as deeply as the grandmother. So one advised, "What if you catch a chill in this heavy rain?" while the other added, "Consort Cui, there’s no need to worry. Zhen Ding has enjoyed favorable weather these past few years. If there’s a flood, the county and prefecture will take measures. At worst, the court will send relief. You needn’t be overly concerned."

Consort Cui shook her head firmly, insisting on returning to the farmstead.

Left with no choice, Dou Zhao said, "Then I’ll go myself!"

Consort Cui naturally objected. "What can a young girl like you accomplish there?"

Chen Qushui, who had witnessed how Dou Zhao had treated Consort Cui over the years, smiled and suggested, "If you’re uneasy, I’ll accompany the Fourth Young Mistress. The rain might stop soon anyway! If you exhaust yourself with travel, the Fourth Young Mistress will only fret at home."

This seemed a fair compromise!Dou Zhao pondered inwardly as she and Chen Qushui exchanged words, leaving her grandfather with no choice but to agree to let Chen Qushui accompany her to inspect the farmstead.

Su Xin quickly arranged for Chen Xiaofeng and Duan Gongyi to escort them, while Su Lan urged the coachman to prepare the carriage. Gan Lu and Su Juan busied themselves—one preparing tea and snacks for the journey, the other gathering rain gear. In less than half an incense stick’s time, everything was ready.

By the time the two pages serving Chen Qushui arrived, the group had donned straw cloaks and raised umbrellas, stepping into the rain.

At the Hanging Flower Gate, they encountered Dou Ming, who had just returned from paying respects to Second Madam.

The two old women escorting Dou Ming immediately curtsied to Dou Zhao, fawningly calling her "Fourth Miss" and eagerly asking, "Where are you headed in such heavy rain? Would you like us to escort you?"

Dou Zhao recognized them as attendants from Second Madam’s household.

She hadn’t expected Dou Zhao to have won Second Madam’s favor.

With a pleased glance at Dou Ming, she instructed Su Xin to reward each of the old women with a Red Envelope.

The two women thanked her profusely.

Dou Ming, however, flushed crimson under Dou Zhao’s gaze.

She thought of how she had braved the downpour to pay respects to Second Madam, only to receive slightly warmer treatment than usual. Unlike Dou Zhao, who had merely sent an old woman to deliver lotus seed powder and poria cocos paste, citing the heavy rain—yet Second Madam’s face had lit up with delight. She had even remarked to Nanny Liu, "This child, though motherless, is truly blessed. Losing the Wu Family led to the He Family, and losing the He Family brought the Wei Family. In the end, she fulfilled her mother’s wish by becoming the heir’s wife."

"Indeed, indeed," that old sycophant Nanny Liu had chimed in. "Soon she’ll be a Marquess’s wife—first rank, no less! The highest among all the young ladies in our family!"

Dou Zhao couldn’t even hear them—was all this flattery really necessary?

She swallowed her anger until they reached the gate, only to see Dou Zhao surrounded by an entourage.

Unlike their own modest retinue of maids and old women, Dou Zhao had guards clearing the way, maids attending closely, and even an accountant bustling about—like some young master on an inspection tour. No, even most young masters wouldn’t have such pomp.

Unable to resist, Dou Ming sneered, "Sister, soon to be a Marquess’s wife—shouldn’t you be delegating tasks to your guards or stewards? At the very least, your maids or old women? Why trouble yourself personally? Has the Wei Family called off the engagement again? Surely you still command the household staff’s respect—haven’t they always revered you?"

This was a matter between the Dou sisters—outsiders had no place to comment.

Chen Xiaofeng and the others remained silent as mountains.

The two old women from Second Madam’s household gasped inwardly, cursing their luck for being caught in such a situation. No wonder those in the East Manor said the West Manor’s Fifth Miss was best avoided—next time, they’d rather face Nanny Liu’s scolding than get involved.

Dou Ming’s attendants trembled in fear, not daring to breathe loudly. Zhou Momo broke into a cold sweat, forgetting propriety as she pressed Dou Ming to apologize: "How can you speak to your elder sister like this?"

Dou Ming stiffened her neck, refusing to bow.

Dou Zhao chuckled. "Who knew our family had produced such an unbending official? It would be a shame not to indulge you." With that, she stepped through the Hanging Flower Gate.Chen Xiaofeng and the others silently followed Dou Zhao, walking past Dou Ming without even a glance, as if she were a complete stranger.

Dou Ming's face flushed with anger. After Dou Zhao's entourage had passed, she whispered to Zhou Momo, "Who is this 'Unbending Magistrate'? What did she mean by that?"

Zhou Momo didn't know either and hesitated before suggesting, "Perhaps you could ask Mr. Song?"

Dou Ming nodded.

Inside the carriage, Gan Lu asked Dou Zhao curiously, "Miss, are you really going to withhold Fifth Miss's monthly allowance?"

Dou Zhao had all her maidservants study, so Su Xin and the others were familiar with the allusion. The Unbending Magistrate Dong Xuan was known for his integrity and frugality, and his family was poor.

"The monthly allowance is a household rule. Which rule has she broken to warrant withholding it?" Dou Zhao said indifferently. "However, the household stipulates that unmarried girls who have come of age receive fifteen taels of silver monthly for perfumed powder, while those who haven't come of age only receive two taels for scented ointment." She turned to Su Xin. "Remember to inform Gaoxing later that Fifth Miss is only eleven this year. What use does she have for perfumed money? And as for Wan Niang, who teaches Fifth Miss the pipa—since she wasn’t hired by our household and Gaosheng hasn’t given any special instructions, her tuition and seasonal clothing shouldn’t be our responsibility either." Her mind was preoccupied with the heavy rain, the harvest in the fields, and the livelihood of the farmers. She had no time for Dou Ming's provocations. "I’ve noticed many such minor issues, Su Xin. You’ll need to pay closer attention to these matters in the future to avoid disrupting the household rules."

Fifth Miss had publicly slighted Fourth Miss in front of everyone. If Fourth Miss didn’t discipline her lightly now, given Fifth Miss’s temperament, who knew what greater trouble she might stir up later?

Though Fourth Miss appeared strict with Fifth Miss, in truth, she still cared for her deeply.

Su Xin smiled and agreed.

Dou Zhao put the matter out of her mind and lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

The freshly plowed fields were a vast expanse of white, with only a few blades of grass swaying in the wind. The branches rustled loudly, and the raindrops pounded on the carriage roof like hailstones.

By the time they reached the turnoff to the farmstead, the road had become so muddy that the carriage risked getting stuck.

Duan Gongyi didn’t hesitate. "Unhitch the horses. We’ll push the carriage into the village." He then said to Chen Qushui, "Apologies, sir, but please wait here for a moment. I’ll go into the village to borrow a mule to carry you in."

Chen Qushui shook his head. "No need. I’ll walk in. I have luggage at the farmstead and can change into dry shoes there."

Given the storm, Duan Gongyi didn’t press the issue. He broke off a branch about the thickness of a wine cup and handed it to Chen Qushui. "Use this as a walking stick, sir." Then, with Chen Xiaofeng and the others, he pulled and pushed the carriage into the village.

The villagers’ able-bodied men stood under the eaves, watching the worsening rain with worry. When they saw the Dou family’s carriage enter the village, they cheered, grabbing whatever they could to shield their heads as they crowded around.

"Ah, it’s Fourth Miss!"

"Why hasn’t Consort Cui returned?"

"Fourth Miss, what should we do? The corn has just been sown."

"Yes, Fourth Miss, should we dig channels to drain the water?"

They all clamored at once."Fourth Miss came here precisely for this matter," Duan Gongyi bellowed upon seeing the situation. "With this wind and rain, once Fourth Miss is settled, she'll call everyone to discuss this. Don't be impatient—let Fourth Miss rest inside first."

The crowd immediately parted to make way.

Dou Zhao, surrounded by Su Xin and others, entered the main house.

The old women remaining at the farmstead busied themselves—some boiling water, others carrying clean bedding and cushions. Before long, Dou Zhao was comfortably seated by the window on the heated brick bed, sipping hot tea while discussing with several senior farmers from the village how to overcome the difficulties ahead.