Blossom

Grandfather was accompanying the newly appointed Zhen Ding County magistrate, Lord Lu, to watch a play. Pages brought out snacks like tangerine cakes and Fengcheng dried meat. Originally intending to eat a piece of tangerine cake, Grandfather, with his eyes fixed on the stage, accidentally grabbed a salted peanut and popped it into his mouth. By the time he realized his mistake, the peanut was already stuck in his throat, causing him to cough incessantly. Those nearby quickly handed him tea to soothe his throat, but the more he drank, the worse his coughing became.

Dou Zhao sat by Dou Duo's bedside, gazing at her unconscious grandfather, unsure whether she felt sorrow or melancholy.

In her previous life, she had only returned to Western Dou after Grandfather's burial, which was already in August. At that time, she was still young and naive, newly arrived in the Eastern residence, overwhelmed by panic, fear, and unease—how could she have thought to ask about the cause of Grandfather's death?

No wonder, in this life, Grandfather would pass away after lying unconscious for three months.

Father soon rushed back from the Capital, accompanied by Dou Ming.

She had changed significantly since her time in Eastern Dou. She seemed much livelier now, and her voice had grown louder. The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she shouted for Gaosheng, "I’ve brought back many things for Yi Jie'er and Shu Jie'er. Be careful and take them all to my room."

Her room?

Where was her room?

Was it the heated room in Second Madam’s quarters? Or the eastern chamber arranged for her by Wang Yingxue?

The heated room was in the Eastern residence. The eastern chamber—she had never spent a single night there.

Gaosheng hesitated.

Dou Ming, displeased, raised her voice, "You useless servant! Watch out, or I’ll tell Father to sell you off."

Dou Zhao closed her eyes.

Things had once again reverted to their original course, with no reversal in sight.

She stepped outside and scolded Dou Ming, "Gaosheng serves Father. Even if he makes a mistake, it’s not your place to punish him. If you dare say such things again, I’ll drag you to the woodshed and lock you up for three days."

Dou Ming had always been somewhat intimidated by this aloof elder sister. Her expression faltered, but she quickly overcame her fear and muttered, "I—I didn’t mean it." Her voice trailed off, not daring to argue further with Dou Zhao.

Dou Yaocheng was a man who loved his comforts. Early on, he had bought a three-courtyard house in the alley near Jing'an Temple in the Capital. Though the residence wasn’t large, it was lavishly decorated, with every furnishing and utensil exquisitely crafted, making it an extremely comfortable place to live.

Blood ties were a terrifying thing. Whether it was Dou Duo or Dou Shiying, they both inherited their ancestor Dou Yaocheng’s love for comfort.

While in the Capital, Dou Shiying had stayed there. Though Dou Ming was also in the Capital, he found it inconvenient to care for a child alone. Moreover, Madam Xu Wang, seeing Dou Ming’s dull demeanor and hearing her daughter’s words, believed that Eastern Dou was trying to suppress Western Dou due to the discord between Dou Shishu and her husband. Heartbroken, she doted on Dou Ming as if she were the apple of her eye, pushing her own grandchildren aside to focus solely on her granddaughter. Dou Shiying visited Dou Ming a few times, but seeing her rosy-cheeked and surrounded by maids and old women, unwilling to leave Madam Xu Wang’s side—and somewhat distant toward him—he was content to leave her be. One lived in Jing'an Temple Alley, the other in Willow Leaf Alley, and their interactions remained minimal.Seeing how Dou Ming treated Gaosheng, he felt displeased. Having no experience interacting with his daughter, he froze momentarily, unsure of what to say.

Now that Dou Zhao had stepped in and Dou Ming had quieted down, Dou Shiying couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

Meanwhile, Wang Yingxue noticed that Dou Ming had been reprimanded by Dou Zhao while Dou Shiying remained silent. Realizing that Dou Shiying favored Dou Zhao, she feared Dou Ming would lose his affection compared to her sister. Quickly stepping in to mediate, she said to Dou Zhao, "Your father and your sister have been worried about your grandfather’s illness. They rushed back from the Capital, exhausted and anxious, so it’s only natural they might be short-tempered and speak hastily." Then she turned to Gaosheng, "Move Fifth Miss’s trunks to the eastern wing of Qi Xia Courtyard." Addressing Dou Shiying, she added, "Seventh Master, you must be weary from the journey. I’ve already instructed the old women in the kitchen to prepare hot water. Would you like to freshen up before visiting Father? That way, you won’t bring dust to him."

Dou Zhao sneered inwardly, thinking, Your own mother doesn’t even care for you—why should I, your half-sister, meddle in your affairs? She said nothing more and returned to her grandfather’s bedroom.

Since Grandfather fell ill, Ding Yiniang had been tirelessly attending to him at his bedside without rest. Two days ago, she too succumbed to exhaustion and fell ill. Now, Grandfather’s care was overseen by Qiufen, Ding Yiniang’s senior maid.

Seeing Dou Zhao enter, Qiufen hurriedly stood aside respectfully.

Dou Zhao instructed her, "My father has returned. He’ll likely come to see Grandfather within the time it takes three incense sticks to burn. Have the maids prepare tea and summon the physician attending to Grandfather. Father will probably have questions for him."

After Dou Duo took ill, Dou Zhao had moved back to the Eastern Residence, occupying the long-vacant main quarters. She spent her days at her grandfather’s bedside, leaving the household affairs to Wang Yingxue. Only when elders like Second Madam came to visit would she step out to exchange a few words. Occasionally, she would direct maids or stewardesses to handle matters—always with precision, addressing oversights or things Wang Yingxue had neglected. Gradually, the household’s prominent maids and stewardesses began acting with greater caution around her.

Qiufen acknowledged the orders respectfully and dispatched maids and old women to carry them out.

Soon after, Dou Shiying and Dou Ming, freshly washed and accompanied by Wang Yingxue, entered.

Dou Zhao stepped aside, yielding the space by the bed to her father.

Dou Shiying clasped Dou Duo’s hand, his eyes reddening instantly.

Qiufen entered and announced, "Fourth Miss, the physician has arrived."

Dou Zhao said softly to her father, "You may ask the physician whatever you need to know."

Realizing this was his daughter’s arrangement, Dou Shiying gave her a grateful glance, his heart swelling with warmth. He felt more convinced than ever that entrusting his eldest daughter to Ji Shi’s care had been the right decision.

The physician carefully explained Dou Duo’s condition to Dou Shiying—the gist being that if he remained unconscious past July, the family should prepare for the worst.

The prognosis was accurate.

Dou Shiying broke into tears.

The room’s atmosphere turned mournful, and everyone present began wiping their eyes—even Dou Zhao shed a few tears.

Father set up a cot beside Grandfather’s bed, personally tending to him—washing his back, handling his waste, and feeding him water and medicine.Dou Zhao followed her usual daily routine while accompanying her father, taking a short nap at noon as always and retiring to her room to rest by the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). At Mao hour (5-7 AM), she would come to help her father care for her grandfather. While her grandfather remained unconscious and her father sat silently, she would quietly recite the Analects of Confucius , which she had recently learned from Sixth Aunt.

Dou Ming, after all, was only seven years old and couldn’t sit still for long. She would fidget restlessly after staying indoors for a while.

Her father found her too noisy and asked Wang Yingxue to hand her over to Second Madam for supervision. But Wang Yingxue didn’t dare, nor could she explain Second Madam’s intentions to him. Left with no choice, she kept Dou Ming by her side, managing the Household Affairs of the household while looking after the child. Dou Ming had also brought back many toys from the Capital that weren’t available in Zhen Ding, frequently inviting Yi Jie'er and Shu Jie'er over to play. As a result, she had little time to spare for her grandfather’s side.

When Second Madam came to visit the sick, she suggested to Father, "What do you think about bringing Consort Cui back to tend to him? After all, she is your uncle’s proper concubine and your birth mother."

Father naturally agreed.

But Dou Zhao did not.

Why should her grandmother be left to fend for herself at the farmstead when her grandfather was healthy, only to be summoned back to serve him now that he was bedridden and helpless?

She interjected, "Why not wait a little longer...? Ding Yinyinai is managing Grandfather’s household affairs as per his wishes. If things truly take a turn for the worse, there will still be time to send for Consort Cui."

To Second Madam, these were trivial matters.

"Very well," she nodded and inquired about Grandfather’s condition instead.

Later, Father, full of suspicion, asked Dou Zhao, "Don’t you want Consort Cui to return?"

He had assumed Dou Zhao was the closest to his birth mother in the family. Yet, it was she who had raised objections.

When Grandfather is on the verge of death, even if the Dou family disagrees, I will bring Grandmother back—but not now!

Dou Zhao thought to herself but replied aloud, "We should at least discuss it with Ding Yinyinai first. There’s no need to subject Consort Cui to others’ idle gossip."

Father had nothing more to say.

Dou Zhao then summoned Zhao Liangbi. "Has Cui Shisan been looking for you lately?"

Cui Shisan was fourteen at the time, having passed the county-level imperial exams and was now studying at the county school. In their past life, he and Zhao Liangbi had been close friends, and their bond remained strong in this life. Since Grandmother wanted nothing to do with the Dou family, the Cui family had always avoided any dealings with them. Both Cui Shisan and Zhao Liangbi were in the county, and Dou Zhao suspected Cui Shisan would secretly seek out Zhao Liangbi—though she had never caught them.

Zhao Liangbi jumped like a startled cat, his face paling. "H-how did you know?" His eyes flickered with unease.

This was precisely the reaction Dou Zhao wanted. She didn’t bother explaining and instead said sternly, "Bring Cui Shisan to me at once."

She knew Cui Shisan was capable, ambitious, and determined. His lifelong dream was to elevate the Cui family’s status, transforming them into a respected scholarly family known for both farming and learning.

This is the advantage of rebirth—no need for observation or testing. If I want to use someone, I can just summon them directly.

Zhao Liangbi, terrified, bolted away.

That afternoon, he led Cui Shisan into Dong Dou through a side gate.

Dou Zhao asked Cui Shisan, "Do you want Consort Cui to walk through the Dou family’s main gate with dignity?"

Cui Shisan’s eyes lit up, though his gaze still held a trace of wariness as he looked at her.Dou Zhao instructed him, "Stay at Consort Cui's farmstead these days. I'll have Zhao Liangbi deliver a message to you. When I send for Consort Cui, you'll escort her here. But if you don't receive word from me, no matter who comes to fetch Consort Cui, you must keep her there for me. Can you do that?"

Cui Shisan sensed a whiff of conspiracy. Hesitantly, he asked, "What... what are you planning? Our Cui family doesn't want to be used as someone else's pawn!"

Dou Zhao resented the unfair treatment of her grandmother and couldn't bear to see the Dou family summoning her at will.

"What are you so worried about?" she retorted disdainfully at Cui Shisan. "Consort Cui is my father's birth mother. Doesn't she have the right to step through the Dou family's gates? And once she arrives, whether she chooses to stay with the Dou family or return to the farmstead—do you think even Second Madam could stop her?"

That look stung Cui Shisan, but after a long moment of contemplation, he slowly nodded.