Dou Zhao wanted to subtly hint a few things to her mother, but then she remembered the roomful of maids still locked in the side chamber, awaiting their fate.
She scrambled up and sat on the bed, calling out loudly for "Father."
If her mother were clever enough, she should seize the moment and take her to see Father.
If Grandfather were to reprimand them, they could simply shift the blame onto her—would Grandfather really hold a grudge against an ignorant child?
But clearly, she had overestimated her mother's intelligence and her own influence.
Seeing her fuss, her mother frowned in displeasure. "Why isn't this child asleep yet at this late hour?" She then instructed Yu Momo, "Take the young miss away! Her noise is giving me a headache."
Yu Momo gave her mother an apologetic smile and deftly helped Dou Zhao into her clothes. "Fourth Young Miss, be good. Yu Momo will take you to your wet nurse! Don't cry..."
Dou Zhao felt like rolling her eyes at her mother, just like the village women at the farmstead would do to show disdain.
How could her mother be so naive?
If she were like her mother, she would have been devoured long ago, leaving not even bones behind.
Dou Zhao clung to the bed curtains, crying and shouting for "Father," but in the end, Yu Momo forcibly carried her to the heated room behind the inner chamber.
Without her mother around, Dou Zhao quieted down, listlessly allowing Yu Momo to place her on the kang.
Yu Momo silently smoothed her disheveled hair, her gaze distant as she looked at Dou Zhao. Softly, she said, "Do you also feel that something unusual happened today? I'm going to take a secret look. You stay here quietly and don't make a fuss, alright?"
Dou Zhao immediately perked up.
Truly, the Daoist Master reveals not his true form!
Who would have thought Yu Momo was so sharp and capable?
Her eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice.
Yu Momo was taken aback, then smiled warmly, somewhat moved. "Our Fourth Young Miss is truly clever. So young, yet so perceptive. Not like Seventh Madam..." She suddenly stopped, murmuring to herself, "Why am I saying these things to a child..." Then she turned and called in a maid. "Happy, stay here with the Fourth Young Miss. I'm going to Crane Longevity Hall to check."
Happy was about seventeen or eighteen, with a pleasant appearance and a gentle, steady demeanor.
Hearing Yu Momo's words, she looked surprised but quickly composed herself and replied smartly, "If anything happens, I'll send Double Branch to fetch you immediately."
Yu Momo nodded in satisfaction and hurried out of the heated room.
Happy climbed onto the warm kang with Dou Zhao. Seeing that Dou Zhao neither cried nor fussed but sat quietly like an adult, she smiled gently and asked, "Fourth Young Miss, shall I pat you to sleep?"
Dou Zhao shook her head.
Happy's smile deepened. "Then shall I play cat's cradle with you?"
Did she really enjoy playing cat's cradle that much?
Dou Zhao shook her head again.
Happy chuckled. "Then what would you like to do?"
"Wait... for Momo," Dou Zhao said.
Happy looked at her in astonishment.
Ignoring her, Dou Zhao pulled over a large bolster and leaned against it, lost in thought.
Happy laughed softly and draped a thin quilt over Dou Zhao.
She had sensed something amiss from her father's attitude toward her mother, but where had Yu Momo noticed the problem?
What else didn't she know?
Dou Zhao pondered, her eyelids growing heavier.
No, she had to wait for Yu Momo to return.
She needed to know what was happening!
And Tuo Niang—who exactly was she?Dou Zhao shook her head, forcing her eyelids apart.
But after a few breaths, her eyelids stubbornly drooped again.
She couldn’t sleep!
If she fell asleep, she might go back again.
What if she returned to that dream with the wisteria flowers?
“Xiang Cao,” Dou Zhao strained to keep her eyes open, “Momo, find her!”
“No!” Xiang Cao gently waved her hand. “I must stay here with you.”
“I’ll be good!” Dou Zhao insisted.
Xiang Cao hesitated for a long moment, watching Dou Zhao’s expression grow increasingly resolute, before reluctantly saying, “Fine, I’ll go see what Yu Momo is doing.” She then called Shuang Zhi in.
Shuang Zhi was a round-faced little girl who silently kept Dou Zhao company.
Soon, Xiang Cao returned. “Fourth Miss, Yu Momo and Madam have gone to see the Old Master.”
“Oh!” Dou Zhao urged Xiang Cao to go find Yu Momo.
Xiang Cao refused outright. “...If I’m caught, even if I don’t die, I’ll lose a layer of skin.”
That was true.
Dou Zhao had managed a household before and knew the severity of such matters.
She could only wait for Yu Momo and her mother to return, cursing herself for being so constrained—unlike in that other dream with the wisteria flowers, where she could do whatever she pleased.
Time passed slowly, and still, there was no sign of her mother or Yu Momo. Dou Zhao’s eyelids grew heavy, sticking together until they could no longer be pried apart.
She drifted into a sweet, deep slumber.
It might have been just a moment, or it might have been an eternity, but Dou Zhao woke again.
Without thinking, she sprang up.
Someone beside her called out, “Fourth Miss!”
Dou Zhao opened her eyes and saw Shuang Zhi’s smiling, round face.
She exhaled deeply in relief.
Still in the dream.
Suddenly at ease, she asked Shuang Zhi, “Xiang Cao? Momo? Mother?”
“Xiang Cao was called away by Yu Momo,” Shuang Zhi replied, helping Dou Zhao dress and summoning a maid to bring hot water.
The heated room buzzed with activity.
Only then did Dou Zhao realize it was already broad daylight.
Squinting slightly, she asked Shuang Zhi, “Where is Xiang Cao?”
Shuang Zhi smiled. “She’s with the Old Master.” As she spoke, the corner of her eye caught the warm curtain being lifted slightly—someone was peeking in.
Her expression darkened as she hissed, “Who’s sneaking around behind the curtain?”
A maid immediately pulled the curtain aside.
The person behind it had nowhere to hide, nervously twisting her fingers. “I—I was looking for Fourth Miss…” Then, with false bravado, she blurted, “Fourth Miss asked me to find someone for her…”
Dou Zhao turned toward the voice and saw Xiang Cao.
Her heart stirred as she called out loudly, “Xiang Cao!”
Shuang Zhi and the maid looked puzzled but allowed Xiang Cao to enter.
Xiang Cao smugly tilted her chin at them before scurrying to Dou Zhao’s side, whispering obsequiously, “Fourth Miss, I found that Tuo Niang you mentioned.” She paused, her eyes brimming with hopeful anticipation.
Dou Zhao smiled faintly.
In the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion, she had seen many maids like this.
For a chance to rise above their station, they would seize even the faintest glimmer of hope with all their might.
She didn’t dislike such people or their methods.
If everyone were content with their lot, what would be the point of striving for more?However, Xiang Cao's actions were too impulsive, placing her hopes on a child who didn't yet understand things, lacking careful consideration and long-term planning. But Dou Zhao still had to thank Xiang Cao. Otherwise, how would she have gotten news about Tuo Niang?
Dou Zhao said to Shuangzhi, "Reward Xiang Cao!"
Shuangzhi hesitated.
As the mistress, the Fourth Miss was still... too young!
Should she first seek Seventh Madam's instructions?
As she pondered, she saw Xiang Cao's eyes light up as she curtsied to Dou Zhao in gratitude, then chattered excitedly: "Tuo Niang is a junior maid in the backyard Laundry Room. She was picked up by Seventh Madam when she went to offer incense at Daci Temple. I had to ask everyone in the mansion before finding her. What do you need her for? Should I call her over for you? She's very easygoing. In the Laundry Room, she always volunteers for the dirtiest and hardest tasks, so all the older women there like her. As soon as I asked, they took me to her..."
Dou Zhao suddenly understood.
Those who could serve near her mother or herself were all influential servants of the Dou family—how would they know a lowly laundry maid? Conversely, as a menial servant, Tuo Niang hadn't participated in what happened back then and had only heard about it afterward. This explained why Tuo Niang's account didn't match the facts...
Her eyelids twitched.
Facts!
Did some part of her heart believe everything happening now was real?
Then where was she really?
Previously ignored thoughts swirled back in her mind, making Dou Zhao's heart race and her body turn cold.
A young maid rushed in.
"Sister Shuangzhi, something terrible has happened!" she cried in panic, as if facing a great enemy. "Crane Longevity Hall is in an uproar!"
Dou Zhao's heart skipped a beat.
Shuangzhi urgently asked, "What happened?"
"Seventh Master became infatuated with a woman in the Capital," the maid said, her face pale. "He wants to take her in as a concubine and even asked Third Master from the East Mansion to plead his case. The Old Master was furious and drew his sword to kill Seventh Master!"
"Ah!" The room erupted in chaos. "What happened then?"
"Luckily Third Master was still there and stopped the Old Master," the maid said. "But Seventh Master is determined to bring that woman in. In the middle of winter, he knelt in the snow begging the Old Master to agree. Then Seventh Madam went to confront him, and Seventh Master begged her too. She was so angry she refused, crying and accusing Seventh Master of being ungrateful. Even the Old Master couldn't get a word in. Third Master had Dafu quietly summon Third Madam."
"No wonder Sister Hanxiao disappeared after Yu Momo called her away!"
"Is that woman even more beautiful than Seventh Madam?"
"Did the Old Master finally agree to let her in?"
"Does this mean we'll have another mistress in the house?"
The maids chattered away, none noticing Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao sat there like a clay statue, utterly shocked.
Ever since she took charge of the Household Affairs at the Marquis of Jining's Mansion and became its manager, she had been puzzled—why would Third Uncle, respected by the Dou family for his excellent management of affairs, visit her grandmother (who came from concubine origins and had no connections with the Dou family) at the farmstead so frequently?
So he had been visiting her.
Tuo Niang said her mother was forced to hang herself.As the one who had helped Father plead his case, Third Aunt must have been filled with an unspoken guilt toward her, which was why he acted this way, wasn't it?
Dou Zhao recalled the way Third Uncle had looked at her.
Always with kindness tinged with a hint of pity.
And then there was the will he left after his death, bequeathing her several famous calligraphy and paintings from the previous dynasty that he had collected.
At that time, the Dou family had not yet divided their estate, and Third Uncle had no personal property. All he left to his own sons, Dou Fanchang and Dou Huachang, were a few inkstones and pieces of jade.
She had always thought it was because Third Uncle had been particularly fond of her.
But it seemed that what one saw wasn't necessarily the truth, what one heard wasn't necessarily the truth, and even what one felt wasn't necessarily the truth.
With a hoarse voice, Dou Zhao said, "I want Tuo Niang!"
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