Blossom

"No, nothing!" Wei Tingyu said awkwardly. Seeing his sister's obvious disbelief, he hurriedly added, "Really, nothing! Why would I lie to you?"

Wei Tingzhen, furious that her brother was still defending Dou Ming at this point, raised her voice sharply, "I knew it—she's no good! And now it's all coming to light! It's only been a few days since the wedding, and already you're quarreling every three days and fighting every five! Father and Mother lived together their whole lives without ever raising their voices at each other, yet you two haven't learned a single good thing from them! Don't bother lying to me—I see right through it. The wife you've married is nothing but a petty, low-class woman! Her heart is smaller than a needle's eye, and her vision is shallower than a street vendor selling jelly noodles. She even begrudges me drinking a single cup of water when I visit! You're the type who forgets his mother once he gets a wife, siding with her in everything, keeping secrets from me at every turn. Don't worry—I know your wife can't stand me. I'm only here to see Mother. I won't even take a sip of tea in your house, let alone try to mooch off you. Oh, and should we catalog how many pastries Mother has here? That way, your wife won't have to fret herself to death worrying if any go missing after my visits!"

Tian Shi had long been displeased with how Dou Ming would drag her son into every grievance, and how he would cave the moment she cried. It made her feel as though her son was being controlled by his wife—resenting his weakness yet pitying him for being bullied. Hearing her daughter's words, she didn't think Wei Tingzhen was being unreasonable at all. Instead, she believed her son, who had always been honest, had been corrupted by his wife. The way Dou Ming picked fights with him was clearly disrupting the household. Her eyes welled up, and she dabbed at them with a handkerchief. "Yu'er, your sister has always been so good to you. How could you treat her like this now that you're married? Have you forgotten who stayed up with you to study when you couldn't recite your lessons? Who pawned her jewelry to support you when our family was struggling? You must have a conscience! You two are my only children—if you fall out with each other, I might as well die!" With that, she clutched Wei Tingzhen's hand and wept.

Wei Tingzhen shot Wei Tingyu a fierce glare before quickly comforting her mother in a low voice.

Outside the door, Dou Ming was so furious she twisted the handkerchief in her hands beyond recognition.

Was Wei Tingzhen her sister-in-law—or her mortal enemy?

A married woman meddling in her brother's household—wasn't she afraid of becoming a laughingstock?

Dou Ming instinctively reached to lift the curtain, ready to storm in. But the moment her fingers brushed the fabric, she changed her mind.

She had already upset Wei Tingyu earlier. If she barged in now and quarreled with Wei Tingzhen, he would only grow angrier. Her standing in the Marquis of Jining's Mansion relied entirely on his favor. Without his support, her sister-in-law would probably devour her whole—especially after she had outright refused to go back to her father to demand more dowry. Ever since then, Wei Tingzhen had viewed her with nothing but disdain!

Even so...The Marquis of Jining's Mansion not only lacked a flourishing family line but also had weak influence. If anything happened, there was no one to lend a hand. There would be many occasions in the future when they would need to rely on the Dou family. If she went back now to ask her father for her dowry, wouldn’t she be looked down upon by the Dou family? Everything in this world follows the principle of rising with the tide. People elevate each other. If she appeared as nothing but an empty shell in future requests, how would the Dou family be willing to help her?

After some thought, she gritted her teeth and quietly retreated, instructing the maid on duty beside her, "Go and announce my arrival."

The maid lowered her eyes submissively and agreed, but a trace of disdain flickered in her sidelong glance.

When Wei Tingzhen learned that Dou Ming had arrived, not only did she not drop the subject, but she raised her voice even louder, "If I stopped her, would she not come in?"

Wei Tingyu felt his sister had gone too far and called out "Sister!" with a pleading look.

Wei Tingzhen snorted and turned her face away, finally saying no more.

Dou Ming, her face pale, bowed to Tian Shi and Wei Tingzhen.

Tian Shi then said, "It’s getting late. You should set off for Jing'an Temple Alley now, so as not to keep your in-laws waiting."

Dou Ming couldn’t bear to stay a moment longer and murmured her assent, leaving with Wei Tingyu for Jing'an Temple Alley.

Dou Shiying was not at home, and they were received by Dou Wenchang and his wife.

Despite the dissuasion of Dou Shishu and others, Dou Shiying had insisted that Wang Yingxue move out of Jing'an Temple Alley, declaring, "She is not to meet Dou Ming again." Left with no choice, the Wang family had taken Wang Yingxue back to Willow Leaf Alley. With no one to manage the household, and Dou Ming returning for her post-wedding visit, Dou Shiying had intended to ask Ji Shi to help host Dou Ming. However, Ji Shi bluntly refused, citing Han Shi’s pregnancy. Left with no alternative, Dou Shiying had to ask his eldest nephew and his wife to assist.

"Seventh Uncle has official business but said he would return early," Dou Wenchang said with a smile, ushering Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming into the reception hall to sit. "Have some tea first. Judging by the time, Seventh Uncle should be back soon." Then he asked curiously, "Why are you only arriving now? Had you been any later, I would have sent someone to fetch you."

The post-wedding visit was typically a grand occasion for the groom, riding high on his horse with a retinue, flaunting his status. Wealthy families naturally spared no expense, and even those without means would hire a carriage early in the morning to send the bride back to her parents' home. Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming had arrived well past noon, and since Dou Ming had married into the Marquis of Jining's Mansion in place of Dou Zhao, how could Dou Wenchang not be concerned?

Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming responded vaguely.

Dou Wenchang could tell there was more to the story, but he couldn’t be bothered to pry into Dou Ming’s affairs. If she didn’t bring it up, he was happy to feign ignorance and kept Wei Tingyu engaged in small talk. Meanwhile, Dou Ming, seeing how deserted the house was, guessed that Sixth Madam, Fifth Madam, and Guo Shi had likely gone to the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion to celebrate Dou Zhao’s conferment as "Madam." Her handkerchief twisted into knots in her hands again.

As soon as Dou Ming left, Wei Tingzhen’s face turned icy, and she complained to her mother with great dissatisfaction, "You can’t keep indulging Dou Ming like this. It’s time to teach her some discipline."When Tian Shi was a daughter-in-law, she and her mother-in-law were as close as real mother and daughter. Her mother-in-law never made things difficult for her, and she had never thought of imposing strict rules on her own daughter-in-law.

She blinked her eyes and said, "Is... is this appropriate?"

"If she were obedient, gentle, and kind, why would I play the villain and ask you to set rules for Dou Ming?" Wei Tingzhen thought of how her mother-in-law, Madam Jingguo, had insisted that she and her two sisters-in-law attend Dou Zhao's gathering. It felt like a slap in the face, her cheeks burning with humiliation. "But you’ve seen the situation yourself. It’s only been a few days since she married into the family, and at the slightest dissatisfaction, she drags my brother into her weeping and wailing. How is this the behavior of a proper, dignified wife? It’s more like a concubine vying for favor. If this continues, my brother will be led astray, and how will she ever manage the people in his household? You’ve already taken in a daughter-in-law—do you really want to go back to managing the household yourself?"

Tian Shi shuddered at the thought.

When she was young, she had always deferred to her mother-in-law in household matters. After her mother-in-law passed, she listened to her daughter. And once her daughter married, she had pinned all her hopes on her daughter-in-law!

The daily trivialities of managing a household—she had no desire to trouble herself with such headaches.

After some thought, Tian Shi nodded slightly.

Wei Tingzhen let out a long sigh of relief, as if some of the resentment she had harbored toward Dou Zhao had dissipated.

※※※※※

Dou Zhao and Song Mo stood at the entrance of the Hall of Cultivating Will, smiling as they bid farewell to Old Madam Lu and Ningde Princess, who had come to attend the chrysanthemum-viewing banquet.

The hall grew quiet.

Su Xin directed the maids and old women to clear the tables and dishes, while Gan Lu and Sujuan fetched hot water to help Dou Zhao and Song Mo freshen up and change.

When Song Mo emerged from the washroom, he saw Dou Zhao, still full of energy, sitting in front of the dressing table applying ointment to her face.

The scene reminded him of his childhood—his mother sitting at the dressing table while he and his younger brother played nearby, those warm and carefree days.

His mood relaxed, and he flopped onto the nanmu bed.

"I'm exhausted!" he said, resting his head on his arms. "More tiring than holding a horse stance for two hours. This guest and that guest, all needing attention—my face is stiff from smiling... Back when Mother handled these things, I never realized how much work it was. When visiting others, I was always quick to criticize, but now that I’m the host, I see how difficult it is to entertain... Next time there’s an event like this, don’t count on me. I’ll just do whatever you say, follow your lead. I’ll be the hands-off manager..."

His words drew suppressed laughter not just from Dou Zhao but also from the maids in the room.

In Dou Zhao’s eyes, Song Mo was an extraordinary man—someone who had served as the Emperor’s executioner yet remained in favor for twelve years straight. That was no small feat. She hadn’t expected him to dislike socializing so much.

Personally, she quite enjoyed the lively atmosphere of hosting guests, especially when she saw the people she cared about enjoying themselves. It always lifted her spirits.

Dou Zhao rose and sat beside him on the bed, teasing, "If I ask you to entertain guests, will you do it? Or not?"

Song Mo chuckled awkwardly.

If he refused, he couldn’t claim to be following her lead in everything. But if he agreed, he wouldn’t be able to play the hands-off manager.

Dou Zhao smiled knowingly. "Then we’ll just host fewer banquets in the future."The gentle tone, smiling eyes, and the indulgent hint in her voice gave Song Mo the feeling that he had become a treasure in Dou Zhao's hands, being cradled and cherished by her.

He wanted to get closer to Dou Zhao.

Unable to resist, he grabbed her arm in an instant.

Dou Zhao let out a soft "Ah!" and tumbled into Song Mo's embrace.

Gan Lu froze for a moment, then hurriedly signaled to the maids in the room, her face flushing crimson like a piece of red cloth. She quietly led the young maids out of the inner chamber and closed the partition door behind them.

Caught off guard, Dou Zhao scrambled to sit up in a fluster. The sensation against her elbow was both firm and soft—she had no idea where she had bumped into him. Remembering how hard elbows could be and how painful even a slight knock could be, she didn’t bother questioning him further and instead anxiously asked, "Where did I hit you?"