Blossom

If things continued like this, Father's marriage to the fifth young lady of the Zhu family would surely be delayed for another two years, and by then, it would be too late for anything.

Dou Zhao felt she should do something to speed up the marriage arrangements between the two families.

But before she could make up her mind, the Spring Festival arrived.

As per tradition, on the morning of New Year's Eve, the entire Dou family from both the eastern and western branches would go to the ancestral hall in Beilou Village to pay respects to their ancestors. They would have a reunion lunch in the backyard of the ancestral hall, then return home for their own family gatherings and to stay up late to welcome the new year.

Concubines were not qualified to participate in the ancestral worship, but they still attended the reunion meal. Dou Ming, being a premature baby, had always been frail and rarely went out. Her grandfather, fearing she might fall ill, had Wang Yingxue and Ding Yinyinai stay home to take care of her.

Early in the morning, Dou Zhao was pulled out of her warm bed by Yu Momo. As she dressed Dou Zhao, Yu Momo instructed Yu Zan and Tuo Niang, "There will be many people today. Make sure you don’t lose sight of the fourth young lady while trying to enjoy the excitement."

Yu Momo had to prepare for their own family’s New Year’s Eve dinner and couldn’t accompany Dou Zhao to Beilou.

Both girls quickly agreed.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but glance at Tuo Niang a few more times.

Today, both Yu Zan and Tuo Niang were dressed in fresh new outfits. Not only were they wearing crisp blue-green spun silk cotton robes, but they also had maroon velvet flowers pinned at their temples, making them look particularly lively.

Yu Zan had grown up with her mother, who was fond of dressing up, so she had always been neat and well-groomed. It was nothing unusual for her to wear new clothes and dress up for the New Year. But Tuo Niang, who had lost both parents at a young age and was raised by her uncle, had often struggled to even have enough to eat or wear. Dressing up so carefully like today was a first for her.

Tuo Niang tugged awkwardly at her clothes and murmured, "Yu Zan helped me with my hair. She said since it’s New Year’s Eve, everyone is dressed in bright colors. If I alone wore plain clothes… and with the seventh master already engaged to the fifth young lady of the Zhu family, people might think it was intentional and cause trouble for the fourth young lady…"

That made sense.

Dou Zhao was wearing mourning clothes as part of the mourning rites. But if her maids also dressed plainly, some might read too much into it.

Dou Zhao smiled and nodded, praising them for looking "very pretty." Then she picked out two simple pearl flowers from her jewelry box—one for Yu Zan and one for Tuo Niang.

Both were surprised and hesitated about whether to accept.

Yu Momo, standing nearby, chuckled. "Since the fourth young lady has given them to you, just accept them. If anyone asks about them later, you can say it’s the fourth young lady’s kindness."

No longer refusing, the two girls happily pinned the flowers in each other’s hair. After serving Dou Zhao breakfast, they carried the rosy-cheeked child to Crane Longevity Hall.

Her grandfather and father were sitting on the kang, chatting.

Dou Zhao stepped forward to greet them respectfully.

Dou Shiying lifted her onto his lap and asked gently, "Are you cold?"

"Not at all!" Dou Zhao shook her head and turned to Dou Duo. "Grandfather, Grandfather, they say my father is going to marry the fifth young lady of the Zhu family. Is that true?"

Dou Shiying’s face flushed slightly as he awkwardly tried to hush her. "Don’t talk nonsense!"

"I’m not talking nonsense," Dou Zhao widened her eyes and glared at her father in displeasure. "They said Miss Zhu is a good person and isn’t afraid of Wang Yiniang having a firstborn son."

"Ah!" Dou Shiying’s mouth fell open.Dou Duo's eyes flickered with a hint of sharpness before he took a sesame cake from the box on the kang table and handed it to Dou Zhao, asking gently, "Who told you all this?"

Dou Zhao tilted her head as she nibbled on the sesame cake and replied, "Lots of people—Eldest Aunt's maids, Third Aunt's matron, and... Ninth Cousin's pages..."

Her grandfather didn’t press further but cast a meaningful glance at Father.

Father looked awkward.

Fortunately, a page entered and announced, "Ninth Master Huan has arrived."

Grandfather smiled. "Let him in at once!"

The tall and slender Dou Huanchang strode in briskly.

He first bowed respectfully to Grandfather and Father, then greeted Dou Zhao with a smile.

Grandfather nodded and stood. "Let’s go!"

Dou Huanchang assented and stepped forward to support Grandfather as they unhurriedly left Crane Longevity Hall.

He had come to accompany Grandfather and Father back to the North Tower.

Father carried Dou Zhao slowly behind them, maintaining some distance. Once they were alone, he gently pinched her little cheek and said with affectionate exasperation, "You little troublemaker, are you here to collect debts?"

Dou Zhao giggled and asked, "What does collecting debts mean?"

Father couldn’t help but laugh.

The group exited the main gate.

Third Uncle and Third Aunt had already gone to the North Tower the day before to prepare for the ancestral rites. Traveling with them were Eldest Aunt, Dou Huanchang, Second Madam, Sixth Uncle’s family, Second Cousin’s family, Third Cousin’s family, and Fifth Cousin’s family.

Upon seeing Grandfather, everyone except Second Madam alighted from their carriages to pay their respects, crowding the narrow alley where the carriages had stopped.

Grandfather stopped Fifth Cousin’s three-year-old son from kowtowing. "It’s freezing, and there’s no one else around—no need for such formalities. Save your words for the ancestral hall."

The ancestral hall had over a dozen side rooms, each warmed by large braziers burning smokeless silver frost charcoal, making it as cozy as spring.

"Little Uncle is always so considerate!" Second Cousin chuckled.

Second Madam leaned out from her carriage. "Shou Gu, come to your great-aunt!"

Dou Zhao disliked this cold-hearted great-aunt and tightened her grip on Father’s sleeve.

Father hesitated briefly before carrying her over with a smile. "She’s quite mischievous, and you’re getting on in years—she’d only tire you out. I think it’s best she stays with me."

Second Madam paused, glancing at Dou Zhao nestled quietly in Dou Shiying’s arms, then nodded with a smile. "Very well. Since she’s lost her mother, it’s good that you’re close to her." With that, she lowered the carriage curtain.

Father seemed surprised.

Meanwhile, Third Cousin called out loudly, "Seventh Uncle, do you have room in your carriage? Could you take two of my maids?"

Third Cousin had the most children—three sons and a daughter—but since resources were allocated by household, he was always the most anxious about space.

"Of course, of course," Father replied, carrying Dou Zhao over. "If it’s too crowded, let Zhi Ge’er ride with us!"

Zhi Ge’er was Third Cousin’s eldest son, an eleven-year-old whose formal name was Dou Qijun. Later, he would become a censor famed for impeaching Marquis Changxing, Shi Duanlan. After Fifth Uncle Dou Shishu joined the Grand Secretariat, Dou Qijun moved to Baoding Prefecture as its magistrate to avoid conflicts of interest.

But at this moment, he was just a lanky, awkward teenager with a voice like a duck’s.Upon learning he wouldn’t have to squeeze into the same carriage with his mother and younger sister, he immediately jumped down from his family’s carriage and ran over with a grin.

"Granduncle Seventh!" Dou Qijun bowed to Father before reaching out to pat Dou Zhao's head. "Auntie Fourth!"

With an adult soul residing within her child's body, Dou Zhao could barely tolerate having her head patted by her grandfather or father. But when her eleven-year-old nephew Dou Qijun tried to do the same... She tilted her head slightly to avoid his hand.

"Huh?" Dou Qijun looked momentarily puzzled.

Dou Shiying had already carried Dou Zhao toward his own carriage while asking Dou Qijun, "I heard you recently quoted classics at the Family School so impressively that even Teacher Du had to concede defeat?"

Dou Qijun chuckled awkwardly, dismissing Dou Zhao's odd behavior as he quickly followed Dou Shiying into the carriage and sat beside him. With a playful grin, he said, "Wasn’t Granduncle Seventh supposed to be studying behind closed doors at home? How do you know so much about the antics of us juniors in class?"

His implication was clear—Dou Shiying hadn’t been focusing.

Indeed, the boy had a sharp tongue.

Dou Zhao studied Dou Qijun with interest.

"Always quick with your words—be careful they don’t bring you trouble," Father said with a laugh. "No wonder your father has to keep apologizing to Teacher Du every few days!"

Teacher Du was the private tutor at the Dou Family School.

Dou Qijun grinned and nudged Father with his shoulder. "Granduncle Seventh, can I discuss something with you?" His manner was somewhat roguish.

Father raised an eyebrow.

Dou Qijun smiled. "I’ve made plans with my classmates to visit Zhen Ding for the Lantern Festival. Could you spare some travel money?"

Father chuckled. "Does your father know about this?"

"He does, he does!" Dou Qijun’s face lit up at the promising response. "He agreed, but only gave me three taels of silver—not even enough to buy a decent lantern! Granduncle Seventh, everyone knows you’re the most generous. Lend me twenty taels, and next time you go antiquing at Fufangzhai, I’ll assist you!"

"I have pages for that—why would I need your help? Besides, you might not even do as good a job as them!"

"Then... then I’ll copy scriptures for you," Dou Qijun replied without missing a beat, completely unembarrassed. His eyes sparkled as he added, "I know you’re copying a thousand volumes of the Lotus Sutra for the late Grandaunt Seventh to burn on her second-year memorial..."

Dou Zhao stared at Father in surprise.

Unnoticed, Father smiled and said, "Copying scriptures requires sincerity. What’s the point if you do it for me? Fine, fine—twenty taels is out of the question, but ten taels might be considered..."

"Granduncle Seventh, ten taels is too little!" Dou Qijun gritted his teeth. "Wouldn’t such a paltry sum tarnish your reputation?"

"I wasn’t aware I had a reputation as a 'money-sprinkling immortal'?" Father remained unmoved. "You’re still young, living off the family—what do you need so much silver for? Take it or leave it—ten taels."

"Take it, take it, take it!" Dou Qijun quickly relented, fearing further negotiation might cost him even this amount.

Father grinned. "However, I’ll be sure to inform your father and Sixth Uncle, lest you go begging elsewhere after getting ten taels from me!"

"Granduncle Seventh!" Dou Qijun wailed dramatically, collapsing onto the large bolster.

Dou Shiying burst into laughter, feeling as though the weight that had been pressing on his heart these past days had suddenly lightened.Dou Zhao watched her father's hearty laughter with mixed emotions in her heart.

In her past life, she had harbored resentment toward her father.

Thus, she had never truly looked at him properly.

She always thought he cared for nothing but studying his Book of Changes ... letting Dou Ming act arrogantly and Dou Xiao stir up trouble, leaving her to fend for herself!

She never expected he had this side to him!

The rumbling sound of the carriage wheels mixed with Dou Qijun's playful banter as they soon arrived at the North Tower.

In front of the Dou family ancestral hall, seven or eight carriages were already scattered about. Stewards and pages bustled in and out, busy with their tasks. Hearing the commotion, some rushed off to inform the Third Uncle, while others gathered around—some steadying the carriage, others setting up footstools. In no time, the area before the ancestral hall was abuzz with noise and activity.

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O(∩_∩)O~

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