Blossom

At this moment, Wu Shan's feelings were laid bare, leaving Dou Zhao no choice but to face them solemnly.

After her rebirth, she occasionally pondered her future.

Should she start anew? Or marry Wei Tingyu again?

Marrying Wei Tingyu would mean reliving everything once more. Though there would be no surprises, there would also be nothing to fear.

Starting over, no matter how seemingly splendid the marriage might appear, would inevitably come with its own set of dissatisfactions. Marrying someone else didn’t necessarily guarantee a better life than staying with Wei Tingyu.

Turning it over in her mind only left her tangled in confusion.

Until one day, half of Western Dou’s assets were transferred to her name. Moreover, her uncle and the Dou family agreed that after she turned thirty, she could freely dispose of this half of the property.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

In her past life, marriage had been her only path forward. But in this life, she had her uncle’s support, wealth to rely on, and the Dou family’s conflicts to leverage—why did she have to marry at all?

Wouldn’t it be better to live freely and unburdened, occasionally mending the regrets left from her previous life?

In an instant, it was as if she glimpsed a whole new world. Her spirits lifted, and her future seemed clear and within reach.

She was grateful for Wu Shan’s kindness but had no intention of accepting it.

Yet now was not the time to refuse.

First, Wu Shan hadn’t explicitly confessed, leaving her no opening to reject him. Second, the Wu family had strict rules, and its elders might not approve of Wu Shan marrying a woman like her. Whether Wu Shan would give in or persist remained uncertain. If she spoke up too soon, she might come across as presumptuous, inviting ridicule.

Since Wu Shan had brought up the lantern Pang Jixiu gifted her, she might as well use him to send a message to Pang Jixiu. That way, she could avoid Pang Jixiu buzzing around her like an annoying fly.

"Who said I liked lanterns?" Dou Zhao laughed.

"But I heard," Wu Shan hesitated, gazing into her bright, candid eyes, "that you received one, and even Shu Jie’er couldn’t get you to part with it..."

Dou Zhao chuckled. "Truthfully, it’s all your fault."

Wu Shan was taken aback.

"Because of the swimming incident last time, Pang Jixiu keeps sending me gifts to express his gratitude. The lantern was one of them. Though our families are related by marriage, our principles differ—how could I accept his gifts? I wanted to return them, but there was no proper way. So I’ve kept everything he sent, waiting for a chance to give them back. If I were to regift them, what would I return to him later?"

Listening, Wu Shan couldn’t help but grin. "Fourth Sister makes perfect sense." Then he eagerly added, "Why not let me return them to Pang Jixiu for you?"

"I couldn’t trouble you!" Dou Zhao hinted. "I’ll ask Boyan to return them instead."

She didn’t want Wu Shan to mistake her rejection of Pang Jixiu as related to him, nor did she want him bungling the task and damaging her reputation. If it stirred up unnecessary drama, it would only complicate things further. Boyan, at least, had a reputable standing. Now twenty, he carried the capable impression from her past life, making him far more reliable than the thirteen-year-old Wu Shan.Wu Shan seemed not to understand her refusal and hurriedly said, "It's no trouble at all! Let me help you return them!"

Dou Zhao simply smiled at him without speaking.

Wu Shan immediately flushed crimson, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum. "Then... then I'll go inform Boyan," he stammered, appearing almost eager to leave.

Seeing that he completely missed her rejection, Dou Zhao became even more determined not to involve him further. Just as she was about to say something harsh to dissuade him, Dou Dechang and Dou Qijun walked out side by side.

"I was wondering why you never came back," Dou Dechang teased. "So you ran into Fourth Sister."

Dou Qijun, being older and recently betrothed, had already grown suspicious when he couldn't find the book earlier. Now, seeing Wu Shan's flushed face, he began to understand and couldn't help glancing at Dou Zhao.

But Dou Zhao's expression remained utterly calm, showing no sign of anything unusual.

For a moment, he doubted his own intuition.

Wu Shan, already nervous, grew even more flustered at Dou Dechang's remark. Hastily trying to distance himself, he blurted, "Fourth Sister had something to ask us... Pang Jixiu keeps sending her gifts under the pretext of thanking her for the swimming incident last time..." His words tumbled out incoherently.

Dou Zhengchang and Dou Qijun immediately paled.

Especially Dou Qijun, who knew full well how carelessness in this matter could ruin Dou Zhao's reputation. He urgently interjected, "Uncle Wu, stop right there! Some things must not be spoken of lightly."

Wu Shan jolted in realization, regretting his thoughtless words and not daring to look at Dou Zhao.

Dou Qijun had no time to dwell on this. "Twelfth Uncle," he said quickly, "please keep watch at the door." Then he lowered his voice and asked Dou Zhao, "What exactly happened? Besides gifts, did he send anything else? Who delivered these items? Can they be trusted?"

Seeing that he immediately grasped the crux of the matter, Dou Zhao sighed in relief and explained everything in detail. Finally, she added, "I didn't accept anything directly. Aside from some small trinkets, there was nothing else. But this isn't something I could easily discuss with others..."

"I understand," Dou Qijun said, his mind racing. His expression darkened. "That Pang Jixiu is related by marriage to your stepmother. Stay out of this—pretend you know nothing. I'll handle it."

Of course, Dou Zhao hadn't tolerated Pang Jixiu for that reason alone.

She simply hadn't yet discerned his true intentions.

It was Wu Shan's appearance that reminded her.

Some things required not just memories from her past life but also trust in her present instincts.

Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly.

Dou Qijun sent Dou Dechang and Wu Shan away first, then went to see Dou Shiying.

About half an hour later, Dou Shiying stormed into the main hall with Dou Qijun, his face livid. "Where are the items?" he demanded.

Dou Zhao had Su Juan open the chest.

Dou Shiying glanced inside, then summoned two pages to carry the chest away with Dou Qijun.

Only Dou Zhao and her bewildered maids remained in the room.

Dou Shiying paced furiously before finally confronting her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to make a scene and become a laughingstock," she replied.

His eyes reddening, Dou Shiying flung his sleeve and turned to leave.

"Father!" Dou Zhao called after him. "Are you planning to confront Madame about this? If she suggests that, given the circumstances, I should just marry Pang Jixiu...""He must have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard!" Dou Shiying flew into a rage.

Dou Zhao sneered, "The Pang family may not have eaten such things, but they certainly have the audacity to make shameless trouble."

Dou Shiying faltered slightly.

Dou Zhao continued, "Let Boyan handle this matter. I trust he can manage it well." Then she added, "When are you leaving for the Capital? I’d like to have Consort Cui stay with me before you go."

Dou Shiying was taken aback.

Dou Zhao explained, "There’s Wu Shan in the East Mansion. It’s inconvenient for me to stay with Sixth Aunt any longer. With the mistress in charge here, who knows what underhanded tricks the Pang family might pull? The farmstead is simple and honest, where lost items are returned, but without even a house guard, it’s even less safe..."

"No need," her father interrupted, veins bulging on his forehead before she could finish. "You stay right here at home. I’d like to see who dares lay a finger on you." With that, he stormed off.

Dou Zhao had little faith in her father’s ability to handle such matters. Regardless of his approval, she decided that once he left for the Capital, she would use this as an excuse to have her grandmother move in for a while—perhaps it could help her grandmother avoid disaster. As for Pang Jixiu, if he still dared to scheme against her, she had her own ways to deal with him.

Soon after, Dou Ming was brought to the main hall by two old women.

The moment she stepped inside, Dou Ming lifted her skirts and tried to bolt.

With a single glance from Dou Zhao, a maid intercepted her.

Dou Ming lunged at Dou Zhao, claws out, shouting, "It’s all your fault! You’re the one turning Father against Mother!"

The old women who had brought her immediately restrained her.

Compared to Wang Yingxue and Dou Ming, the household servants cared far more about Dou Zhao’s feelings.

Dou Zhao instructed Haitang, "Make her copy the Admonitions for Women ten times. She won’t eat until she’s finished."

Haitang acknowledged the order, and the two old women hauled Dou Ming, still screaming, to the heated room at the back—Dou Zhao had forbidden Wang Yingxue and Dou Ming from entering her study.

Dou Zhao picked up a book and reclined against the large bolster by the window to read.

Half an hour later, Dou Shiying entered with a displeased expression.

Seeing Dou Zhao reading, he asked, "Where’s Mingjier?"

"In the heated room, copying the book," Dou Zhao replied, standing to pour him tea.

After a few sips of the hot tea, Dou Shiying’s mood improved slightly. He went to check on Dou Ming.

She was sobbing as she copied the Admonitions for Women , with Haitang and the two old women attending to her with fruits and snacks.

Dou Shiying quietly retreated from the heated room and pulled Dou Zhao aside. "Come, let’s decide where to plant those two ginkgo trees."

Dou Zhao accompanied him to the East Wing Courtyard.

That evening, Wang Yingxue served dinner to Dou Shiying and his daughter with a strained smile.

Dou Ming, finally released after completing her ten copies, threw herself into her mother’s arms the moment she saw her. Tearfully calling out "Mother," she stole glances at Dou Shiying and Dou Zhao.

Dou Shiying remained expressionless, while Dou Zhao ignored her completely.

Dou Ming’s heart sank, and she wisely swallowed any complaints.

Wang Yingxue hugged her daughter briefly, forcing a smile as she quietly urged her to sit properly and served her a bowl of shredded pork noodles.

Dou Shiying was determined not to speak to Wang Yingxue.

After dinner, he played Go with Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao had no intention of getting entangled in their disputes. After one game, she yawned. "Let Gaosheng keep you company. I’m going to bed." Covering her mouth, she mumbled her farewell and returned to her room.Haitang helped her wash up while whispering, "Seventh Master asked Seventh Madam whether she knew about Pang Jixiu sending you lanterns. When Seventh Madam said she knew, Seventh Master scolded her harshly. Seventh Madam felt very wronged, saying the gifts were meant for you—how could she dare stop them? Then Seventh Master accused her of colluding with Pang Jia, making Seventh Madam cry in anger. When Fifth Young Miss heard the commotion and ran over, Seventh Master had two Old Women escort her to you..."

"Alright, I understand," Dou Zhao responded disinterestedly as she climbed onto the kang.

Such matters were indeed better left to Dou Qijun—far more reassuring that way.

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Today's internet connection failed, so I had to ask a friend to post this for me. I don't even know when it'll go up... (>_<)

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