Blossom

Naturally, Dou Zhao was unaware of the events unfolding in Tan Family Village. When Chen Qushui returned to Zhen Ding, she had instructed him to meet with her third uncle, Dou Shibang, to discuss the properties under her name and observe Dong Dou's reaction.

"I met with Third Master as we had planned," Chen Qushui said with a grave expression, clearly dissatisfied with the outcome. "Third Master was very straightforward, saying Madam could send someone to take over at any time. He emphasized that Third Young Master is honest and the accounts have always been clear, but he avoided mentioning anything else. Initially, I intended to bring Zhao Liangbi to the Capital as you instructed, but seeing Third Master’s attitude, I decided to leave Zhao Liangbi in Zhen Ding. That way, if anything changes, we won’t be left groping in the dark."

Dou Zhao nodded slightly, pondering before saying, "My marriage was arranged rather hastily. Third Uncle likely didn’t expect me to send someone to discuss this matter so soon. Most probably, he’s waiting for instructions from Huai Shu Alley before making a decision. Let’s set this aside for now. I suspect Third Uncle will send someone to contact us by the end of the month at the latest." She added, "I’ll have to rely on you to keep a close eye on this."

"Madam understands, and so do I," Chen Qushui replied. Then, hesitating slightly, he continued, "If Zhao Liangbi takes over Third Young Master’s responsibilities, I fear the senior shopkeepers might not accept him..."

"Isn’t it widely rumored that Zhao Liangbi is my relative?" Dou Zhao chuckled dismissively. "Promoting my own kin isn’t unreasonable, is it?"

"That’s true," Chen Qushui conceded with a smile. "Zhao Liangbi has shown considerable improvement over the years. Whether he’s truly capable remains to be seen—it’s time to put him to the test. It all depends on whether he has the fortune to handle such a significant responsibility."

Dou Zhao smiled faintly.

She had full confidence in Zhao Liangbi.

And even if he fell short initially, wasn’t there Song Mo to rely on?

Seeing Dou Zhao’s calm composure, Chen Qushui realized she must have contingency plans in place. His worries eased, and his expression relaxed as he cheerfully added, "As for your plants and flowers, I was concerned they might suffer during the journey, so I arranged for them to follow us at a slower pace. They should arrive in two or three days."

Dou Zhao was taken aback.

She hadn’t asked Chen Qushui to bring her cultivated plants.

Zhen Ding was her roots.

Those flowers and plants, which had accompanied her through beautiful years, were like those cherished memories—she had left them behind in Zhen Ding. Whenever she thought of them, her heart swelled with warmth.

She had no intention of disrupting that sentiment.

Chen Qushui smiled and explained, "It was Consort Cui’s idea. The old lady said you should tend to these plants carefully, allowing them to take root, blossom, and bear fruit in the Capital as well."

Was this her grandmother’s hope for her?

Dou Zhao’s eyes grew slightly moist. She resolved even more firmly to find a suitable opportunity to return to Zhen Ding and visit her grandmother.She began discussing matters of the Hall of Cultivating Will. "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. Since we’ve joined the Hall of Cultivating Will, some things shouldn’t be divided too clearly. Aside from those accompanying the heir or me when we go out, the hall’s guards also include those on patrol and night duty. We’ve brought over thirty people in one go. With the heir present at the welcoming banquet earlier, I imagine you didn’t fully enjoy yourselves. Later, Master Yan will surely arrange a private feast to welcome you properly. Take the opportunity to discuss with him and see what arrangements he suggests—just leave Master Duan and Chen Xiaofeng with me. The rest can follow the hall’s arrangements."

Chen Qushui had the same thought.

After settling on who would stay with Dou Zhao, Chen Qushui left the main room, where one of Yan Chaoqing’s pages had been waiting, and followed him to Yan Chaoqing’s quarters.

The same group was there, but without Song Mo, the atmosphere was entirely different.

They drank from large bowls and ate meat heartily, the scene lively and boisterous.

Chen Qushui, Yan Chaoqing, and Liao Bifeng, the three scholars, held their wine cups and smiled as they watched the guards revel. They spoke softly, discussing future plans.

Song Mo returned only after having dinner at the Yunyang Earl’s residence.

Dou Zhao personally helped him change his clothes and asked, "How is Gu Yu?"

"He’s never been one to stay still," Song Mo replied after freshening up. He sat on the heated brick bed by the window, took a sip of the tea Dou Zhao handed him, and sighed contentedly. "He may be under house arrest, but others aren’t—now he’s playing banker, gambling at home every day for amusement! When I arrived, the Yunyang Earl pulled me aside to vent his frustration, telling me to discipline Gu Yu properly or else he’d cut off his monthly allowance."

Dou Zhao was shocked. "Has the Yunyang Earl... lost his senses? How much is Gu Yu’s allowance anyway? He’s already earning his own money and spending it freely. Cutting his allowance is like scratching an itch through boots—will it even work? Still, if Gu Yu carries on so recklessly, the Emperor might take offense. You should advise him."

Song Mo smiled wryly. "All the Capital’s spoiled young nobles gather at his place. The Yunyang Earl is at his wits’ end."

Dou Zhao sat beside him, also holding a cup of tea, and asked with concern, "What about his marriage? Maybe settling down would help?"

"With the Empress personally involved, the match proposed by the Yunyang Earl’s Madam is off," Song Mo said, visibly displeased. "But that woman won’t let it go. Whenever someone proposes a match for Gu Yu, she makes snide remarks like, ‘This matter must be referred to the Empress. Why don’t you go to the palace and ask Her Majesty for her opinion?’ Tell me, what respectable family would dare marry their daughter to Gu Yu now? That woman is nothing but trouble!"

The Yunyang Earl’s Madam was Gu Yu’s stepmother.

Dou Zhao pondered. "Well, Gu Yu has grown up safely so far. Maybe marrying later is better. By then, if he can support the family himself, even if the Yunyang Earl’s Madam keeps making snide remarks, people will see the truth, and he’ll still find a good match."

"That’s what I told Gu Yu too," Song Mo said. "This time, I gave him a stern scolding, threw all his gambling tools into the river, and warned everyone that if they keep fooling around with Gu Yu, I’d break their legs."

Dou Zhao broke into a sweat.

This wasn’t how an elder brother treated a younger brother—it was more like a father disciplining his son.No wonder Song Mo and Gu Yu were so close in their previous lives.

She sat down beside Song Mo. "I want to discuss something with you."

Song Mo pretended to be afraid and shrank back. "Tell me what it is first. You're being so serious and even using your charms—this must be no small matter. I won't fall for it!"

Dou Zhao was taken aback, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You rascal!" She punched him lightly. "You're getting more and more shameless."

"That depends on who it is," Song Mo said with a smug look, tilting the corner of his eye. "Ordinary people wouldn't even get me to act this way!" He chuckled and pulled Dou Zhao into an embrace. "Tell me what it is first, then we'll talk terms..." He stroked his chin, as if calculating gains and losses. "If the terms are tempting, then everything can be discussed. If they don't move me... I'll have to think carefully!"

"Think carefully, my foot!" Dou Zhao clutched her stomach, laughing. "Just say yes or no!"

"How dare I refuse the roar of the lioness of Hedong!" Song Mo grinned cheekily.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but shake her head, then burst into laughter again.

After fooling around like this for a while, Dou Zhao finally composed herself. Leaning against Song Mo's shoulder, she said, "Do you remember I once mentioned that because of my mother's death, the Dou family gave me some assets as part of my dowry before I married? Since our wedding was arranged in a hurry, these assets weren't listed in the dowry documents at the time. Now that we've been married for over a month, I’ve been thinking—since I’m married now, it’s better to manage those assets myself. My third cousin used to handle them for me, but he can’t come to the Capital. I’ve chosen Zhao Liangbi to take over from him, but he’s still young, and I’m afraid he might not command enough respect. I’d like to borrow Shopkeeper Zhong from you."

Shopkeeper Zhong, also known as Zhong Bingxiang, was the chief manager of Song Mo’s shops in the Thirteen Hongs of Guangdong.

Song Mo laughed. "Why use a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken? I’m quite good with accounts myself. I can help you!"

"That’s even better!" Dou Zhao smiled and, with a snap, pulled out a thick ledger from behind her. "This is the inventory of my assets. Familiarize yourself with it first."

Song Mo felt a sense of foreboding as soon as he saw the thickness of the ledger. When Dou Zhao mentioned it was just an inventory of assets, his mind buzzed in disbelief. He took the ledger and began flipping through it.

Baoding Prefecture

South Street, Qingyuan County: 76 shops.

North Street, Qingyuan County: 62 shops.

Guangji Lane: one estate, totaling 286 rooms.

Near Tianwang Temple: one estate, totaling 200 rooms.

Xiushou Street outside Huimin Gate: one estate, totaling 192 rooms.

Farmland, hills, and ponds: 4,746 mu.

...

Taiyuan Prefecture

Yonghe Avenue: 122 shops.

Outside Zhongchen Temple: 33 shops.

Chunhua Street: one estate, totaling 79 rooms.

...

Ponds, hills, and land: 14,462 mu.

...

Handan

...

Anyang

...

Qingcheng

...

The more Song Mo read, the wider his eyes grew, and the more astonished he became.

He looked up at Dou Zhao, disbelief written all over his face.

Dou Zhao sighed inwardly but nodded firmly. "This is just the farmland, hills, ponds, rivers, and forests. The gold, silver, and jewelry are listed in two other ledgers."

Song Mo had assumed it would be, at most, a few thousand mu of land, a few shops, and one or two large estates.“How could this be?” he exclaimed in astonishment. “Just how wealthy is the Dou family?”

No wonder Father-in-law had handed Dou Zhao a stack of silver notes without batting an eye.

Dou Zhao knew Song Mo had misunderstood.

“This is half of Western Dou’s assets.” She had no reservations, having already shown Song Mo her most vulnerable side before. She recounted everything that had happened back then, “…Uncle and Aunt were afraid I’d be taken advantage of, so the account books were made in triplicate.” She traced the deep blue cover of the ledger, her voice soft, “Aunt specially brought this from Qingyang…” Her lashes lowered, two crystal-clear teardrops clinging to them.

Song Mo was dumbfounded, his heart aching as if being sliced by a blunt knife.

He had thought himself the most unfortunate person in the world, but compared to Dou Zhao, he now felt fortunate.

At least, in his darkest moments, he still had Dou Zhao by his side.

“Shou Gu!” Song Mo pulled Dou Zhao tightly into his embrace. “You still have me… We’ll always be together… I’ll never let you suffer again…”

His embrace was warm and fresh, like autumn air, invigorating the spirit.

Dou Zhao took a deep breath.

“It’s all in the past. It doesn’t hurt as much as it did at first,” she murmured, closing her eyes as she nestled against Song Mo’s shoulder.

But how wonderful it would be if Mother were still alive…