Blossom

If only Mother weren't so sentimental!

Her behavior was truly making things difficult for me!

Dou Zhao sighed deeply.

A strange mix of emotions suddenly welled up in her toward her mother.

There was some heartache, some pity, and even... envy!

The moment this thought arose, she was startled.

Feeling heartache for Mother's situation and pity for her hardships—these were natural human emotions. But why would she feel envy?

What was she envious of?

The deep affection Mother had once possessed? Or the candidness Mother displayed in front of Father?

Dou Zhao felt both confused and lost.

After seeing off Madam Wei and her son, she sat on the heated kang, watching Hanxiao and Shuangzhi help Mother remove her hairpins and ornaments.

Father walked in.

His expression was grim. "Gu Qiu, I have something important to discuss with you."

Mother turned around, her slender fingers playing with the red tassels hanging from the gilded aquatic grass-patterned mirror handle, her gaze deep and quiet as she looked at Father.

The maids and serving women in the room silently withdrew.

Father knelt beside Mother. "Gu Qiu, Yingxue... she... she's pregnant..."

Mother's fingers, which had been toying with the tassels, suddenly stilled.

Father hung his head. "...I had to come talk to you... I know I've wronged you... but pretending nothing happened—I, I just can't do it..."

"How did you meet her?" Mother asked softly, her tone calm as her fingers resumed their idle play with the tassels.

Father perked up slightly. "When I arrived in the Capital, naturally I went to visit Scholar Guanlan. It happened that Yingxue was there to borrow some ginseng..." He hurriedly explained, "I didn't see her at first. Since Scholar Guanlan treated me like a nephew, his household didn't deliberately avoid me. I heard from his servants that Wang Xingyi's daughter had come to see Madam, saying her nephew was ill and needed a special ginseng soup. She wanted Madam's help in buying two century-old ginseng roots, but didn't have much silver. As you know, ginseng of that quality is rare. Madam did her best and even used some of her Personal Savings, but could only procure a fifty-year-old root. Thinking of Wang Xingyi—who was in the same year as Fifth Brother—and how his iron will and Gao Shi's noble righteousness had come to this, I felt sympathy. So I sent Gaosheng to buy two fifty-year-old ginseng roots for her. After receiving them, she came specially to thank me..." Father's face gradually reddened. "When I learned she made money from the cotton trade, I agreed to introduce her to our family's stewards and helped her obtain other medicinal herbs... She asked if I was married... In a moment of thoughtlessness, I made a joking remark..." His voice became barely audible. "Because of her father's affairs, she often visited senior officials in the Capital with her brother... She was very straightforward... told me about interesting places in the Capital... We drank some wine together..."

Mother closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a long pause, she opened them and asked Father, "Did she never ask who you were?"

"No!" Father said quietly. "I... how could I have known about this connection..."Mother's hand slammed onto the dressing table with a sharp "smack," the jade bracelets on her wrist clashing together with a metallic ring. "Pah! I don't believe for a second she didn’t know who you were! Within hundreds of miles of Zhen Ding, which family doesn’t live under the Dou family’s shadow? Even if she didn’t recognize you, once you mentioned introducing her to the household’s stewards, how could she not guess it was you? She’s been coming to our house since she was a child. Doesn’t she know who I married? She knew nothing about you, yet she dared to get into bed with you based on two ginseng roots and a promise? Wasn’t she afraid you might be some scoundrel…"

"Gu Qiu, Gu Qiu!" Father interrupted, shamefaced and flustered. "She truly didn’t know! She only realized afterward… If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, she wouldn’t have come back to Zhen Ding with me…"

"You don’t believe me?" Mother’s face darkened like an impending storm.

"I do, I do!" Father insisted repeatedly. "No matter what, she’s just a woman caught in such a situation… In any case, this is all my fault. Won’t you help me?"

"You…" Mother bit her lip, the tassel she had been twirling around her finger now pulled taut.

"Gu Qiu, Gu Qiu, don’t be angry!" Father pleaded anxiously. "If this gets out, I’ll have no face left… For the sake of our marriage, help me through this difficulty! Gu Qiu, Gu Qiu…" His eyes brimmed with sorrow as he gazed at Mother.

"Fine!" Mother laughed, though her smile was bleak. "Have Wang Yingxue sign a deed of sale, and I’ll let her enter the household."

"That’s impossible!" Father exclaimed in distress. "How can the Wang family face others if you do this? You’re being too cruel! No, absolutely not!"

"Then what do you suggest?" Mother replied coolly, exhaustion creeping into her expression.

Father hesitated awkwardly. "We’ll offer a generous betrothal gift and waive the Wang family’s dowry… I heard Feng Baoshan did the same when he took a concubine… He said it’s the same as buying a concubine, but for the sake of appearances, it’s called a betrothal gift… If there’s regret later, the gift must be returned in full…"

"Isn’t that the same as merchant families taking a second wife?"

Father was stunned, muttering after a long pause, "H-how is it the same? Living together, the Dou family will know who’s first and who’s second…"

"You’ve thought of everything!" Mother laughed, though her eyes remained cold. "Didn’t your father confine you to the house? You should return soon. I’ll discuss this matter with Sister-in-law and the others."

Father leaped up joyfully, grabbing Mother’s hand. "Gu Qiu, so you agree!" He looked like a child who had finally gotten his candy.

"I agree." Mother’s lips curved upward as she clasped Father’s hand and gently kissed it. "Hurry back now! Be careful, or your father might summon you for another lecture!"

Father beamed at her, tenderly stroking her temple. "Gu Qiu, you’re so good to me."

Mother giggled until tears streamed down her face.

Father left in high spirits.

Mother continued laughing, but her smile gradually faded, her tears flowing ever more freely.

"Mother!" Dou Zhao threw herself into Mother’s arms.Her mother gently stroked her head and whispered, "Wang Yingxue did it on purpose... Maybe not at first, but at least later on... Shou Gu, your father doesn’t believe me. Do you believe your mother’s words?"

"I believe you, I believe you!" Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly, her eyes brimming with tears.

"But what good does your belief do?" Her mother smiled, tears glistening like morning dew on her flawless, jade-like cheeks. "You little rascal, you don’t understand anything!" She affectionately pinched her tiny nose.

I know, I know!

I know everything!

Dou Zhao couldn’t hold back her tears.

She wasn’t truly a two-year-old child.

Since Father had revealed Wang Yingxue’s pregnancy, it was clear he had been pushed to the brink, ready to stake everything on one throw.

The Western Dou lineage was sparse in descendants. This move might tarnish Wang Yingxue’s reputation with accusations of impropriety, but if Mother insisted on barring her entry, the Dou family elders would criticize her, even branding her as unvirtuous. Besides, such a scandal would only linger in the minds of a few Dou elders. For the sake of the family’s dignity, they would never speak of it openly—indeed, they would vehemently defend Wang Yingxue if rumors arose. What harm could such infamy truly do to her?

Wang Yingxue had schemed to entrap Father. Yet, despite his intelligence, Father turned a blind eye to such obvious manipulation—proof that his heart had long been swayed. With Wang Yingxue’s cunning, who knew what chaos she would unleash once she entered the household? If Mother had to justify herself at every turn, what kind of life would that be?

To bring Wang Yingxue into the family, Father first threatened to divorce Mother, then knelt half-prostrate beside her, pleading...

How many more humiliations awaited her in the days to come?

The youth beneath the magnolia tree was Mother’s dream.

With the dream shattered, would she wake or sink deeper?

Dou Zhao’s heart trembled.

And so, Mother chose death!

She looked up, stunned, at her mother.

Her mother smiled through her tears.

Her gaze pierced through the void, settling on some unknown place.

"Shou Gu, Mother is tired and needs to rest," she murmured. "Go play with Yu Momo."

"Mother! Mother!" Dou Zhao clung to her mother’s legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

She would never leave her mother’s side again.

"My good child!" Her mother kissed her cheeks, tears falling like ice onto her neck, chilling her to the bone. "No wonder your aunt says you’re clever... Truly, a mother and child share one heart... Only you know how much I’ve suffered... But I have no strength left... If you must blame anyone, blame your useless mother... weak and cowardly... When I’m gone, you still have your uncle..." Her voice shook. "Perhaps this is for the best... What they owe me, they’ll repay to you... So we won’t torment each other day after day, eroding every last shred of affection... Until we become unrecognizable..."

"No, no..." Dou Zhao cried incoherently. "As long as you live, there’s hope, as long as you live..."

Her mother held her tightly, as if trying to imprint her into her embrace, before gradually releasing her and calling loudly for Yu Momo.

Dou Zhao wailed, screaming desperately, "Mother, don’t die! Mother, don’t die!"Yu Momo was stunned, then knelt weeping by Mother's knees: "You might as well take a pair of scissors and let me go first to spare me this pain..."

"Mommo, Mommo..." Mother embraced Yu Momo's shoulders, "I truly can't go on like this... In front of Sister Tian, I still pretend we're a loving couple... My heart feels like it's dripping blood..."

"A child without a mother is like a blade of grass," Yu Momo held Dou Zhao tightly, "If you leave, what will become of Fourth Miss? No matter how close others may be, there's always a barrier. The old madam passed early—do you really want Fourth Miss to end up like you?"

"Mother, don't go, I'll be good!" Dou Zhao cried until she could barely catch her breath, "Don't go..."

"Shou Gu, Shou Gu..." Mother was utterly heartbroken.

The three of them wept until their faces were drenched in tears.

The lights in the Dou household came on one after another.

Grandfather and Father were both alerted by the commotion.