Blossom

Two days later, Song Mo was on leave. Dou Zhao discussed Jiang Yan's marriage with him: "The marriage matching cards have already been shown to De Fu, the monk from Great Xiangguo Temple. He said it's a match made in heaven with no taboos. When do you think I should reply to the Chen family? They can then proceed with the engagement gifts!"

Deep down, Song Mo was extremely dissatisfied with this marriage arrangement.

In his eyes, it was akin to his own sister marrying a servant.

Although he knew Dou Zhao had an uncanny accuracy in judging people and situations, and that she had been handling Jiang Yan's affairs all along—with Jiang Yan also being fond of her—he couldn't shake off his discomfort. After the incident with Wei He, Jiang Yan couldn't remain unaffected. If Dou Zhao believed Chen Jia was a suitable match for Jiang Yan, then it must be so. Yet, he couldn't overcome his reservations and had been deliberately stalling. Despite knowing Chen Jia had already proposed and Dou Zhao had accepted the matching cards, he pretended to be oblivious. Hearing Dou Zhao bring it up now, he retorted petulantly, "What's the rush? A'Yan has just come of age this year. Before, no one was there to make decisions for her. Now that she's back home, we should keep her for a couple more years. If the Chen family is sincere, can't they wait a few more days?"

Dou Zhao found this both amusing and exasperating. "From discussing the proposal to the engagement gifts and setting the date, it takes at least a year or more to finalize everything. By then, Sister Yan will be seventeen or eighteen—just the right age for marriage."

Song Mo gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and deflected, "Since it's about matching horoscopes, why did you go to Great Xiangguo Temple? I didn’t know they did that there. Who is this De Fu anyway?"

He was being quite obstinate.

Dou Zhao found this side of Song Mo utterly endearing.

She smiled and explained, "De Fu is a senior monk at Great Xiangguo Temple who specializes in fortune-telling. According to my fifth aunt, Grand Secretary Yao and Grand Secretary He often visit him for discussions. Last year, when Grand Secretary He’s granddaughter got married, it was De Fu who matched their horoscopes—with great accuracy. That’s why I sought him out this time."

In truth, she knew De Fu would eventually become the abbot of Great Xiangguo Temple and even rival Ji Yong in debates. Besides his mastery of Buddhist scriptures and the I Ching , he was particularly skilled at reading the fortunes of noblewomen. By the time he became abbot, securing an appointment with him was nearly impossible, and his readings were remarkably precise, with many of his remedies proving effective. This was one reason for his immense popularity.

Seizing the opportunity to change the subject, Song Mo chuckled, "There’s such a person? Then one day, we should visit Great Xiangguo Temple and meet this monk. Let him read my fortune. I’ve felt like I’ve been plagued by bad luck these past few years—one thing after another, it’s exhausting."

Dou Zhao suppressed a smile.

She hadn’t noticed any signs of distress in Song Mo.

No matter how tough things got, he always tackled problems head-on without self-pity, displaying remarkable resilience. Even she, with her knowledge from two lifetimes, deeply admired his strength.

She wrapped her arms around Song Mo’s and softened her voice. "Alright! We’ll take Yuan Ge'er to offer incense to the Bodhisattva and pray for his health and safety."

She went along with his diversion, avoiding any mention of Jiang Yan and Chen Jia.

Song Mo beamed with delight.

Dou Zhao almost reached out to ruffle his hair.

※※※※※

After waiting two or three days without a reply from the Song family, Chen Jia grew restless.

He invited Duan Gongyi out for a drink.Duan Gongyi tried to console him: "The Young Lord went through great trouble to find his sister again—how could he bear to let her marry so soon? But don’t worry, Madam has turned away all the matchmakers and is already rushing to prepare the dowry for Cousin. There shouldn’t be any unexpected changes."

Chen Jia wished someone would just write him a black-and-white contract as a guarantee. He found Duan Gongyi’s words neither here nor there, completely useless, and silently drowned his sorrows in wine. In the end, he was utterly drunk and had to be carried back by Huzi.

Duan Gongyi shook his head with a chuckle. After some thought, when reporting back to Dou Zhao, he decided to omit the part about Chen Jia getting drunk, fearing she might find him too unreliable.

Coincidentally, the family chef had prepared some New Year treats like turnip cakes and walnut cookies. Dou Zhao asked Duan Gongyi to bring some to Chen Jia to soothe his restless heart. She also packed gift boxes for others, including those in Cat Alley, Locust Tree Alley, and Jiang Lizhu. As for her grandmother, she personally delivered the gifts with Yuan Ge’er in tow.

Her grandmother was overjoyed, hugging Yuan Ge’er tightly and refusing to let go. She instructed Hong Gu, "Send someone to Jing'an Temple Alley and tell Seventh Master to come for dinner after his duties." Then, smiling at Dou Zhao, she added, "He adores Yuan Ge’er—let him come and get his fill of the little one."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but feel grateful to Song Mo once again.

By arranging for her grandmother to live here, she no longer felt like a guest, as she had in Zhen Ding, where she rarely voiced her opinions, let alone gave orders as freely as she did now.

Dou Zhao cheerfully agreed, "Of course."

But Yuan Ge’er grew impatient, squirming to go outside and play.

Her grandmother coaxed him with a beaming face, "My precious, it’s cold outside. When spring comes, Great-Granny will take you to plant beans."

Dou Zhao burst into laughter at this.

Yuan Ge’er giggled along with his mother.

For a moment, the room felt like a warm and lively spring day.

Joy overflowed from her grandmother’s eyes, reaching the tips of her brows.

The two of them played with Yuan Ge’er on the kang, shaking a rattle-drum.

At first, Yuan Ge’er listened quietly, but soon grew impatient and grabbed for the rattle. Dou Zhao handed it to him, and he tried to shake it like her, but couldn’t make it sound. Pouting, he tossed it onto the kang.

Her grandmother laughed until her eyes crinkled into slits. "Oh my," she exclaimed, "whose temper does he take after? Can’t stand the slightest frustration!"

Dou Zhao grinned. "Definitely Yantang’s."

Her grandmother teased her, "And you think you were any better as a child?"

Dou Zhao was surprised. "You saw me when I was little?"

"Of course!" Her grandmother never dwelled on the hardships she faced in the Dou family and didn’t shy away from mentioning them. "When I heard you were born, I changed into plain clothes and sneaked into the main courtyard with the vegetable delivery women. Your mother knew it was me and deliberately had you brought out for me to see. Later, when I visited again, she pretended not to notice, letting me play with you for a while. But after your grandfather accidentally found out, I stopped going, afraid he’d blame your mother." She added, "I remember you as a chubby little thing. If your diaper wasn’t just right or the blankets weren’t tucked properly when you were put to bed, you’d cry nonstop, leaving your mother and wet nurse at their wits’ end. If not for me, they wouldn’t have figured out why!"

As she spoke, a hint of pride flashed across her face.Suddenly, Song Mo's voice rang out in the room: "So Yuan Ge'er's bad temper clearly doesn't come from me! When I was little, I was extremely obedient—if told to lie down, I wouldn't dare sit; if told to sit, I wouldn't dare lie down. If I dared cry loudly, I'd get a slap on the bottom."

"Yantang!" Dou Zhao hadn't expected him to come at this time, her eyes lighting up in surprise.

Song Mo walked in cheerfully, respectfully bowing to her grandmother.

Seeing him arrive, the old lady was visibly delighted and quickly invited him to sit on the Grand Preceptor's Chair by the kang, instructing maids to serve tea and snacks while asking with concern, "What brings you here at this hour? Is there no business at the yamen today?"

Yuan Ge'er was beginning to recognize people, and since Song Mo held him daily, the child now squirmed in Dou Zhao's arms toward him.

With a smile, Song Mo reached out to take the child and settled into the chair. "When I was Assistant Prefect, there was always the Metropolitan Commander above me, so I had to be cautious about everything. Now that I've become Metropolitan Commander myself with no one pressing down on me, it's much easier to move about freely."

The grandmother nodded in complete understanding. "That makes perfect sense."

Yuan Ge'er fussed to go outside.

Worried about the child catching a chill from the wind, Song Mo carried him to the main hall to look at the jade bonsai displayed on the curio shelves.

The grandmother then whispered disapprovingly to Dou Zhao, "When Yantang arrives, you don't even step down from the kang to greet him properly. That's no way to behave. Flowers don't stay fresh for a hundred days, and people—who doesn't like to feel valued? You and Yantang have a long life ahead; don't always take his patience for granted by putting on airs. Over time, even the most devoted will grow weary."

Her words left Dou Zhao thoroughly embarrassed.

Yet upon reflection, she realized her grandmother's advice was profoundly practical.

No wonder people often said, "An elder at home is like a treasure."

Taking the lesson to heart, Dou Zhao went to the main hall to join Song Mo in playing with their child.

Indeed, Song Mo's expression brightened noticeably as he said softly, "Don't worry—Yuan Ge'er is comfortable with me and won't cry. Why don't you keep the old lady company? She's unfamiliar here and has no close friends. Since you're here, you should help lift her spirits."

He never referred to the grandmother as "Consort Cui," but respectfully called her "the old lady" like the younger generation.

Warmth filled Dou Zhao's heart. Remembering her grandmother's words and wanting to please Song Mo, she lowered her voice playfully: "But I want to stay with you!"

Joy instantly overflowed from Song Mo's eyes.

His resolve softened further as he replied tenderly, "Go accompany her. I'm not a child needing attention."

Dou Zhao gave his hand a squeeze before returning to the inner chamber.

Even when Dou Shiying arrived after his official duties, Song Mo's smile never faded.

Dou Zhao found herself deeply reflecting.

She seemed to have unconsciously carried over her previous life's marital patterns into her relationship with Song Mo.

This was a grave mistake!

She resolved to change henceforth.

Meanwhile, Song Mo—while amusing their son with his father-in-law—asked about the adoption arrangements: "Have invitations been sent to all relatives and friends?"

Dou Shiying fished out a Hetian jade rattle from his sleeve for Yuan Ge'er, smiling, "It's a family matter after all, so we didn't invite friends."

Song Mo hesitated visibly.

This rare display made Dou Shiying straighten up. "Is there something inappropriate about the arrangements?""No, no," Song Mo hesitated. "Ever since I returned from Willow Leaf Alley, I've had this thought..."

He wore an expression of uncertainty, as if debating whether to speak.

Dou Shiying laughed. "Stop beating around the bush with me! If you have something to say, just say it. You're practically half a son to me."

Exposed without mercy, Song Mo let out an awkward chuckle, though he didn’t lose face over it. Deciding to cut straight to the point, he said, "A first wife and a second wife are fundamentally different—have you ever considered registering Twelfth Brother under your mother-in-law’s name?"