Dou Zhao smiled awkwardly and said, "My suspicion is growing!"

Chen Qushui disagreed: "It's not that you are suspicious, Miss, but we are just vines clinging to the tree of the Dou family. We don't have our own channels to access the core things. We can only speculate the development of things by observing some minor details, so as to avoid things that can affect us..." At this point, his tone paused, and his face was solemn, "Fourth Miss, thanks to your kindness, you didn't hide the family affairs from me. I can more or less see your difficulties. I know you want to be self-reliant, but have you thought about it carefully? This kind of thing is impossible without ten years of hard work."

"Not only have I thought about it, but I also know how difficult our road will be." Dou Zhao nodded. "I am a woman, and it is impossible for me to establish my own family. I must rely on the Dou family. This is the first difficulty. I am not going to get married, and I have no children. This means that there will be no Jinshi in my direct line. Without Jinshi, I can only rely on others in politics. This is the second difficulty. Although I have a lot of property to my name, I only have a stipend of 10,000 taels of silver every year. Although I opened a pen and ink shop, I also have a Even with the help of someone like Fan Wenshu, it would take five years to make a name for ourselves. Even if we become the best in Beizhili, the income would be a drop in the bucket compared to our expenses. We need to support a group of people who can help us get information at any time, which is a big problem. Even I can think of these things, so Mr. Chen must see farther and deeper than me. "She said sincerely, "So Mr. Chen agreed to help me. Although I didn't say it, I was very grateful in my heart."

Chen Qushui hurriedly bowed his hands and said, "I am so ashamed! I am so ashamed! I am not very knowledgeable and I was not able to help you, young lady."

"Sir, there is no need to be modest." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today." Her eyes were firm and bright, and her tone was calm and fearless, "But I can't give up just because there are difficulties. I have to give it a try!"

Chen Qushui nodded in astonishment: "That's exactly what you said, young lady."

This is exactly what he likes about Dou Zhao.

Never give up no matter what difficulties you encounter.

His heart, which had long been disheartened, began to beat.

As long as a person has an unshakable belief and the courage to move forward, no matter how tortuous and difficult the process is, what awaits him in the end will surely be rich fruits.

He was afraid that Dou Zhao would give up halfway.

The topic they were talking about was very serious, and the atmosphere in the room was inevitably a little solemn.

Dou Zhao didn't like this atmosphere.

She smiled and encouraged Chen Qushui: "Look, my annual salary has increased from 1,000 taels to 10,000 taels, and I have also invited masters like Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng to protect me. This was something I would never have dared to think about in the past! Life is long, who knows what will happen? We must have confidence."

Chen Qushui laughed and felt relieved: "Okay! As long as the lady has confidence, I will follow the lady even if I drag this old and weak body with me!"

Dou Zhao couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth and offered Chen Qushui tea instead of wine.

Chen Qushui drank it all in one gulp.

The two couldn't help but smile at each other.

A few days later, Cui Shisan came back from Kyoto. "Well, I've visited all the people you mentioned." He said suspiciously, "Are you really going to let me work as a second-in-command at a pen and ink shop in Kyoto? I don't know anything. Are you going to let me learn in the Dou family's shop for two years first? And I think the model essay is doing well, so there's no need to hire another second-in-command."

As for the wariness that was faintly revealed in Fan Wenshu's enthusiasm towards him, if it were in the past, he would definitely have fought with him out of unwillingness. However, ever since he followed Dou Qijun and saw the life of the migrant farmhand, his state of mind had changed greatly. He felt that it was normal for Fan Wenshu to do so. He not only could sympathize with it, but also understood it. There was no need to be surprised. He would compare it with Fan Wenshu when Fan Wenshu did nothing wrong.

Dou Zhao said nothing. His slender, white fingers with distinct joints gently stroked the teacup's green glaze. He whispered, "Thirteen, have you heard about my mother?"

Cui Shisan was stunned, lowered his eyelids as if avoiding, and said softly: "No!"

"You're lying." Dou Zhao laughed, his laughter was clear and pleasant.

Cui Shisan is very vicious.

Dou Zhao said leisurely, "The Wang family is powerful. I can't afford to offend them now, but that doesn't mean I can't afford to offend them in the future. I asked you to be the second in command, not to ask you to interfere in the business of the ink shop, but to ask you to go to Kyoto and make friends with some officials who can provide us with temple matters."

She explained everything to Cui Shisan.

Cui Shisan's face changed drastically: "You want to take revenge on Wang?" Then he said hastily, "I will not get involved in this..."

How unpredictable things are!

Dou Zhao smiled self-deprecatingly.

The person who was most loyal to her in her previous life rejected her rudely in this life.

"Revenge Wang?" She picked up the teacup slowly. "You think too highly of her and underestimate me."

Cui Shisan was stunned.

"I want to take revenge on her?" Dou Zhao took a sip of tea leisurely and said coldly, "I just need to persuade my father to take a concubine, give birth to a bastard son and let me raise him, and then find someone to seduce Dou Ming, and she will be finished! Does she need my revenge?"

"Then, what are you going to do?" Cui Shisan jumped up with a pale face.

Yes, she is absolutely right.

Wang had been married for so many years but had not given birth to a male heir for the small population of the West Mansion. Dou Zhao could have easily put pressure on Dou Shiying through the Second Lady or even Aunt Cui to make him take a concubine. Since Wang had lost her rights as the mistress, it was reasonable for her to hand over her young son to the eldest daughter, who was dignified, steady, generous and prudent, to raise. Now that the West Dou Mansion was full of Dou Zhao's people, it would be easy to ruin Dou Ming's reputation without having to think about it...

A thought flashed through his mind, and Cui Shisan looked at Dou Zhao's frosty face and inexplicably had an idea, thinking of another possibility.

He couldn't help but ask in shock: "You, you want to start your own business?" As soon as he said this, he immediately denied himself, "No, no, it's impossible..."

Cui Shisan, always so smart.

Dou Zhao sighed and asked him, "Why is it impossible?"

Cui Shisan said without thinking: "Because you are a woman..."

"Isn't Aunt Cui also a woman?" Dou Zhao said with a smile, "Isn't she living a good life?"

Cui Shisan's mind suddenly became a little confused, and he couldn't help but lower his head to think. Gradually, a bold idea gradually formed in his mind: "You mean, to occupy a place in the Dou family, so that the Dou family has to respect you..."

"Do you want to join me?" Dou Zhao smiled but did not answer. He invited him, "This way, the Cui family will be able to educate their children. Maybe in a few decades or even hundreds of years, they will become the second Dou family!"

Cui Shisan's eyes were shining, and after a moment, he said "Fuck" in a decisive tone.

Dou Zhao secretly praised him in his heart and whispered: "The main purpose of your trip to Kyoto this time is to find a way to lend money quietly..."

She told Cui Shisan her plan.

As Cui Shisan listened, his eyes became brighter and brighter, and by the end, his blood was boiling with excitement.

"Fourth Miss, just look at me!"

This was the first time he respectfully addressed Dou Zhao as "you".

Dou Zhao pretended not to hear and nodded with a smile.

Cui Shisan said, "Then, why don't you use those methods to deal with Wang?"

Dou Zhao was silent for a while, then said in a deep voice: "As a man, you must have a bottom line!"

Cui Shisan sat in silence for a long time, then stood up, bowed to her respectfully, and retreated.

Dou Zhao sat alone on the big kang by the window, drinking tea slowly.

Wang Yingxue, if she did something wrong, she will be punished. If the Wang family doesn't care, I will take care of it.

But not now.

Having offspring would only make her sad, but would not make her regret or despair.

Dou Ming, I was sorry for myself in my previous life.

There is nothing wrong in this world.

I can't take revenge on her for something she didn't do.

This is my principle in life.

She did not lie to Cui Shisan.

Dou Zhao turned his head away.

Through the glass window, she saw several maids making a snowman in the yard.

The happy expressions of the little girls slowly relaxed her tense expression.

Chen Qushui, accompanied by Su Xin, hurried in.

Dou Zhao was a little surprised, and loudly ordered the maid guarding outside: "Please ask Mr. Chen and Su Xin to come in directly."

The little maid replied "yes", and a few moments later, Chen Qushui and Su Xin walked in through the curtain.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Su Xin lifted the curtain and went out again, while Chen Qushui bowed to Dou Zhao with a serious expression.

"What happened?" Dou Zhao's expression also became heavy.

"Mr. He, no, the He family has formally proposed marriage to the Dou family!" Chen Qushui took a deep breath and said, "The Fifth Elder and your father have already agreed."

Dou Zhao was shocked and said in astonishment: "Have the two families officially exchanged the engagement letter? When did this happen? Has Dong Dou received the news?"

"We haven't formally exchanged the engagement letter yet." Chen Qushui's face did not look relaxed. "This happened two days ago. The He family invited Cai Bi, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, to propose marriage to your father. Although your father did not agree outright, he and the Sixth Elder went to discuss this matter with the Fifth Elder, and then your father agreed to the marriage. Now we can use the military post road to send messages under the banner of the Fifth Elder, and the East Palace doesn't know about this yet."

Dou Zhaoqiang tried hard not to criticize her father in her heart, but she knew in her heart that her father did nothing wrong in this matter - it was her parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. The He family was prominent, He Yu was handsome, and he was the youngest and favored son in the family. It was not surprising that her father agreed to this marriage.

only……

"Wait..." she said, "Master He is my father's tutor. Logically, He Yu should call my father his senior brother. Why would they propose marriage to our family?"

Uncle Five is trying his best to persuade the He family, so it is possible that he turned a blind eye and pretended to be deaf and dumb. Father has never had any opinions of his own, so it is possible that he was persuaded by Uncle Five, but the He family should not make such a mistake!

"It seems that Mr. He is making a lot of noise at home," Chen Qushui said, looking at Dou Zhao with a strange expression, "Master He and Madam He had no choice but to agree."