Blossom

Upon hearing that voice, Bie Sulan grabbed the kitchen knife from the chopping board and rushed out.

"Junior sister, junior sister!" The man in brown clothes called out anxiously to Bie Sulan, yet he moved as lightly as a swallow, effortlessly dodging her slashes without letting the knife touch even the hem of his clothes.

Bie Suxin stepped out and quietly scolded her sister, "Stop this at once!"

Bie Sulan sheathed the knife and stood meekly beside her sister, pouting as she muttered, "It's all his fault! If not for him, Father wouldn't have been thrown into prison..." Her eyes reddened, and she wiped them with her sleeve.

The man in brown flushed with shame and remorse. "Junior sister, I've wronged you all. I know words are useless now. I... I just came to see how Master is doing and to bring you some things." He placed two cured meats on the stone bench nearby, then pulled out a bulging indigo cloth money pouch from his robe and set it beside the meat before turning to leave.

"Senior Brother Chen, wait!" Bie Suxin stepped forward and picked up the pouch. "We appreciate your kindness. Father doesn't blame you either. We'll accept the meat, but please take the money back. Your family isn't well-off either, with your mother and younger sister to support. How could we take your silver?" With that, she tossed the pouch back to Senior Brother Chen.

Flustered, Senior Brother Chen caught the pouch, placed it silently on the ground, and turned to leave again.

Bie Suxin picked it up and quickly caught up to him, insisting he take the money back. Senior Brother Chen refused just as firmly. One tried to stuff the pouch into the other's sleeve, while the other blocked with an elbow. Back and forth they went, until their movements escalated into a skirmish.

Senior Brother Chen was swift and powerful, his motions flowing like water, while Bie Sulan moved with light grace, like drifting petals or falling leaves. Their dodges and leaps were a sight to behold.

The commotion had drawn the others from inside the house when Bie Suxin first stepped out. Now, standing under the eaves, they watched in astonishment. Dou Zhao, in particular, murmured, "I had no idea Suxin knew martial arts. She looks so fair and delicate, while Sulan is sturdy and strong. I thought only Sulan had trained under Master Bie..."

Chen Qushui chuckled. "Both sisters trained under Master Bie. He always said that girls should learn some martial arts—even in a marital quarrel, they'd have the upper hand and not suffer losses. Otherwise, why would Dan Jie have needed to use his official influence to force Master Bie into submission?" His expression darkened as he recalled the Bie family's plight, and he sighed deeply.

"Master both civil and martial arts, then sell them to the imperial house."

Dou Zhao sighed as well.

Chen Qushui stepped forward and bellowed, "Stop this at once!"

The two immediately separated.

Only then did Dou Zhao notice how dashing and handsome Senior Brother Chen was.

He approached Chen Qushui and bowed respectfully, addressing him as "Uncle Chen," clearly familiar with him.

Noticing the corner of the money pouch peeking from his sleeve, Chen Qushui smiled. "In Master Bie's case, though you misjudged someone, don't blame yourself too harshly. Ultimately, it was Dan Jie's despicable nature. If you truly feel uneasy, you can come by when you're free to help the sisters with chores. There's no need to give them money—your family isn't well-off either."

Senior Brother Chen's face flushed crimson. "I've already left the Dan family's employ. After the new year, I'll be escorting caravans with Cripple Chen. I likely won't be home for the next few years..."Bie Suxin's expression changed slightly. "You're going to escort goods beyond the frontier with Cripple Chen? Do you even know what kind of goods he escorts? Few who go with him return alive, and you're the only son in your family!" As she spoke, her hand darted like lightning to pull the money pouch from Senior Brother Chen's sleeve. "No wonder you suddenly had money..." She loosened the pouch's strings, revealing four gleaming silver ingots.

"It's not with Cripple Chen," Senior Brother Chen defended awkwardly. "It's with others..."

But Bie Suxin wouldn't let him off. Sternly, she said, "If not with Cripple Chen, where did you get so much money? How many years did you sign a life-and-death contract with him?" Her expression turned grave. "Senior Brother Chen, if we knew the money you gave us was earned by risking your life, do you think we could rest easy?"

Senior Brother Chen lowered his head, murmuring, "I know... I have no other skills... Master said we must not use martial arts to harm others. Apart from some basic combat skills, I can't do anything else..."

Bie Suxin decided to be direct. "Father has already entrusted me and my sister to Fourth Miss Dou. There's no need for you to worry about us."

"Entrusted to Fourth Miss Dou?" Senior Brother Chen froze, then exclaimed, "Entrusted? How exactly?"

Bie Suxin replied tactfully, "We're seeking refuge with Fourth Miss."

"This can't be! This can't be!" Senior Brother Chen grew frantic, his face flushing red. "How could Master let you become someone's maids!"

Worried Dou Zhao might misunderstand, Bie Suxin quickly glanced at her. Seeing Dou Zhao smile understandingly, she relaxed.

Meanwhile, Senior Brother Chen was already shouting, "Junior Sister, you can't go! You... you... why not marry me instead? My mother will take good care of you and Little Junior Sister, and I'll protect you both, never letting anyone covet you again..."

The entire courtyard fell into stunned silence.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but inwardly criticize.

This Senior Brother Chen looks about twenty-two or twenty-three—how can he be so naive, thinking marriage alone would stop ill intentions! If anything, Dan Jie might cause even more trouble seeing Bie Suxin married to an ordinary commoner with no power. Why else would some noble youths in the Capital take pride in seducing married women?

Bie Suxin was extremely embarrassed, while Bie Sulan jumped up directly. "Chen Xiaofeng, have you lost your mind? My sister would never marry you! You can't even beat her in a fight..."

So this was Chen Xiaofeng!

Dou Zhao watched with amusement as his face turned red as cloth. He stammered, "I... I..." but couldn't form a complete sentence. Chen Qushui finally intervened, "Marriage is a lifelong matter—how can it be treated lightly? Since you're here, come in for some tea!"

Not daring to look at the Bie sisters, Chen Xiaofeng ducked his head and followed Chen Qushui into the woodshed.

Bie Gangyi lay motionless on the bed, barely breathing, looking almost lifeless.

Chen Xiaofeng knelt and kowtowed to Bie Gangyi.Bie Suxin was clearly worried that Chen Xiaofeng's one-sided enthusiasm might leave her in an awkward position. After Chen Xiaofeng kowtowed to her father, she solemnly introduced Dou Zhao to him: "This is the fourth young lady of the Dou family. It was entirely thanks to her speaking on Father's behalf before the elders of her household that Father was able to escape danger. Fearing that Dan Jie might still come to harass us, Father entrusted my sister and me to the fourth young lady. She is kind-hearted and genuinely wishes to ensure our safety, which is why she took us in."

Chen Xiaofeng had noticed Dou Zhao earlier. The young girl's simple attire belied an extraordinary presence that commanded respect, though he didn't dare look too closely without an introduction from Bie Suxin or Chen Qushui. Now, he couldn't help but glance at her.

Dou Zhao had long, arched eyebrows and, despite her youth, striking eyes—bright and clear as winter stars. Her radiant beauty was like precious jewels at one's side, making him feel unworthy in comparison. His lips moved slightly, but the thoughts swirling in his mind remained unspoken.

Dou Zhao's original intention was simply to help the Bie sisters. If Bie Suxin and Chen Xiaofeng had mutual affection, she saw no harm in facilitating their union. She could arrange for Chen Xiaofeng to run a small business under the Dou family's name—there was no need for the sisters to serve her personally.

Before leaving, she asked Bie Sulan, "Is Chen Xiaofeng very close to your family?"

Bie Sulan gave a subdued "Mm" and said gloomily, "His father was also a boxing master. He passed away when Chen Xiaofeng was seven. My father took pity on him and accepted him as a disciple, even recommending him for a position as a martial arts instructor in the Capital. But he was afraid his mother and younger sister would have no one to care for them, so he became a house guard for the Dan family instead. Ah, if only he hadn’t gone to the Dan household, none of this would have happened!" She looked deeply troubled.

Dou Zhao smiled faintly. "You two must have been very close before?"

Bie Sulan nodded. "He was like an older brother to us..." Then her eyes widened. "Fourth Young Lady, you wouldn’t be thinking of matchmaking him with my sister, would you? Please don’t agree to it! My father said he’s too impulsive—acts without thinking things through. Otherwise, Father would have betrothed my sister to him long ago!"

Dou Zhao was surprised.

But if Bie Gangyi disapproved, there must be valid reasons why Chen Xiaofeng wasn’t suitable for Bie Suxin. She certainly wouldn’t presume otherwise.

"Don’t worry," she reassured. "When the time comes for you and your sister to marry, I’ll respect your own wishes."

Bie Sulan blushed.

Upon returning home, Dou Zhao first went to pay her respects to her grandmother and recounted her visit to the Bie household. Her grandmother listened with keen interest. "So Bie Suxin knows martial arts? Bring her to see me sometime!" she exclaimed, clearly intrigued.

Gan Lu, who usually acted with cautious deference around Dou Zhao, couldn’t help chiming in when the grandmother mentioned the Bie sisters. "Bie Sulan knows martial arts too!"

"Really?" The grandmother's enthusiasm grew. "What do they look like? Big and brawny?"

With Dou Zhao sitting there smiling, both Gan Lu and Su Juan grew bolder. One teased, "You’ll see when you meet them!" while the other added, "Guaranteed to give you a shock!"

Their chatter was lively and cheerful—much more like their true selves.

Dou Zhao reflected that bringing them along had been the right decision.

After dinner, she went to see her third elder brother."The silver is just sitting there, might as well use it for some small business." Dou Zhao gave Shu Jie'er the scented powder she had brought back from Zhen Ding and sat down to have tea with her third cousin and his wife in the Resting Chamber.

Upon hearing this, the third cousin exchanged a glance with his wife, who cautiously asked, "What kind of business does Fourth Sister want to start? And who will manage it?"

Pretending not to notice their reaction, Dou Zhao smiled and said, "I noticed our family uses so much stationery every year, so I thought of opening a shop selling writing supplies. As for who will manage it, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll ask Third Uncle to recommend a good shopkeeper when the time comes."

It seemed this was just Dou Zhao’s own sudden whim, not someone else urging her to meddle in family business matters.

The third cousin relaxed and asked with a smile, "How much silver do you need?"

"Ten thousand taels should be enough!" Dou Zhao replied cheerfully.

Dou Xiuchang was so startled that his hand trembled, spilling tea on his clothes.