When the news of the exchange of engagement letters between the Dou and Wei families came, it was raining heavily in Zhending.

The raindrops were as big as beans, pouring down, turning Zhending County into a swamp in an instant.

Dou Zhao stood under the veranda, the heavy rain splashing on the bluestone tiles quickly soaking her skirt.

Su Xin, wearing a straw raincoat and wooden clogs, walked in through the heavy rain curtains.

"Miss, you should go back to your room and rest!" She persuaded Dou Zhao while carefully taking off her straw raincoat and handing it to the maid beside her, fearing that the rain on the straw raincoat would wet Dou Zhao's clothes. "It's raining too hard outside. I have cleaned up the greenhouse as you ordered, and sent two experienced maids to keep watch there. Don't worry!"

How can Dou Zhao be at ease?

Spring rain is as precious as oil.

But if this spring rain continues to fall like this, the crops will probably be drowned.

She looked up at the dark sky and went into the house with a frown.

Chen Qushui came in the rain.

"Miss, I think the weather is not right. Should we send someone to check on the farm?" His face was heavy.

"Master, I have the same idea as you." Dou Zhao said as the sky brightened, a flash of lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder rumbled. "I don't think the rain will stop for a while. The east wing and the main house have been renovated in the past two years. I'm afraid we need to send someone to check if there are any leaks in the west wing and Heshou Hall."

Chen Qushui felt relieved when he saw that Dou Zhao understood.

Hong Gu held up a tung oil paper umbrella and helped Aunt Cui come over.

"Mr. Chen is here too!" She greeted Chen Qushui, her eyes filled with deep worry, "Aunt Shou, the rain is too heavy. I'm afraid the crops in the fields can't stand it. I have to go back and take a look!"

"How can that be possible!" Dou Zhao and Chen Qushui said at the same time, "If we have to go, we should go. How can we let you go?"

Everyone started laughing, and the atmosphere suddenly became warm.

"What good will it do if you go?" Grandmother said, "You don't know anything about farming, and you'll just be a quick visit. Let me go!" Then she told Shougu, "Prepare a carriage for me. If the crops in the fields are really damaged, we have to find a way to get everyone to plant some corn after the rain stops. Otherwise, there will be no harvest this year. Even if we exempt them from rent, I'm afraid they'll have a hard time. We have to prepare some food to lend to them for the winter, otherwise they'll starve to death."

Dou Zhao had never experienced a famine, nor had he suffered much during the Chen Qushui famine. Neither of them had experienced it as deeply as their grandmother, and naturally they were not as anxious as her grandmother. So one of them advised, "It's raining so hard, what if you catch a cold? I'll send a steward to check." Another said, "Don't worry, Aunt Cui. Zhending has had good weather in recent years. If there is a real disaster, the county and state will find a way. At worst, the court will send people to provide disaster relief. You don't have to worry too much."

Aunt Cui kept shaking her head and insisted on going back to the farm to take a look.

Dou Zhao had no choice but to say, "Then I'll go there myself!"

Aunt Cui naturally disagreed: "What can a little girl like you do?"

Chen Qushui had seen how Dou Zhao had treated Aunt Cui in the past few years. He smiled and said, "If you are worried, I will accompany Miss Four for a walk. Maybe the rain will stop soon! You have traveled a long way, and I am afraid Miss Four will not feel at ease at home."

That's fine!

Dou Zhao pondered in his heart and talked to Chen Qushui here and there, leaving his grandmother helpless. She had no choice but to agree to let Chen Qushui accompany Dou Zhao to visit the farm.

Su Xin hurriedly notified Chen Xiaofeng, Duan Gongyi and others to escort them, while Su Lan urged the coachman to harness the carriage. Gan Lu and Su Jin prepared tea and food for the journey, and one prepared rain gear. In just half an incense stick of time, everything was ready.

After the two servants who served Chen Qushui came over, they all walked into the rain wearing straw raincoats and holding umbrellas.

In front of the Chuihua Gate, he met Dou Ming who had just returned from paying his respects to the Second Madam.

The two maids who had escorted Dou Ming back hurriedly knelt down to greet Dou Zhao, calling her "Fourth Miss" in a flattering manner, and asked her earnestly, "Where are you going in such heavy rain? Do you want us to escort you?"

Dou Zhao recognized them as the servants of the Second Lady.

Unexpectedly, Dou Ming could win the favor of the Second Lady.

She glanced at Dou Ming with some satisfaction, and asked Su Xin to reward each of the two maids with a red envelope.

The two women thanked him again and again.

Dou Ming's face turned red when he was glanced at by Dou Zhao.

She thought about how she had braved such heavy rain to pay her respects to the Second Madam, and how the Second Madam was only slightly more friendly to her than usual, unlike Dou Zhao, who said it was because of the heavy rain and sent a maid to give the Second Madam some lotus seed powder and poria paste. The Second Madam's face immediately lit up, and she said to Aunt Liu, "Although this child has lost her mother, she is blessed after all. Without the Wu family, there is the He family, and without the He family, there is the Wei family. She has finally fulfilled her mother's wish and become the Crown Prince's wife."

"That's right, that's right!" That old thing, Aunt Liu, was still flattering on the side, "In the future, she will be the Marquis's wife, a first-rank official, the first among our girls!"

Dou Zhao can't hear, so is it necessary to fawn on him like this?

She held her breath until she entered the room, and saw Dou Zhao, who was surrounded by people.

Unlike her, who only brought a few maids and old women with her when she went out, she was accompanied by guards leading the way, maids serving her closely, and an accountant running around beside her. She looked like a steward of some family going on a tour. No, even the stewards of ordinary families did not have such a grand ceremony when they went on a tour.

Dou Ming couldn't help but sneer, "Sister, you will be the wife of a marquis soon. If you have any questions, why don't you tell the guards and stewards around you? At the very least, you can tell the maids and old women. Why do you have to do it yourself? Could it be that the marriage with the Wei family has fallen through again? But sister, you can't be so helpless that you can't control the maids at home, right? Aren't the maids in our family always in awe of you?"

This is a matter between the Dou sisters, and it is not for outsiders to judge.

Chen Xiaofeng and others were as silent as a mountain.

The two maids in the Second Madam's room gasped in shock, thinking to themselves, how could they have been assigned such a task? No wonder the people in the East Palace said that the Fifth Young Miss of the West Palace should not get involved. If such a thing happened again in the future, they would rather be scolded by Madam Liu than stay away from her.

The servants beside Dou Ming were so frightened that they dared not even breathe. Nanny Zhou was so anxious that she was sweating all over. She didn't care about the hierarchy anymore and forced Dou Ming to apologize to Dou Zhao: "How can you talk to your sister like that!"

Dou Ming held his neck high and refused to lower his head.

Dou Zhao chuckled: "I didn't expect that our family would issue a strong order. Wouldn't it be a pity if I don't help you?" With that, he walked straight out of the Chuihua Gate.

Chen Xiaofeng and others followed Dou Zhao silently and walked past Dou Ming without looking at her, as if she was a stranger to them.

Dou Ming was so angry that her face turned red. After Dou Zhao and his men left, she whispered to Madam Zhou, "Who is 'Qiang Xiang Ling'? What does she mean by that?"

Nanny Zhou didn't know either, and asked hesitantly, "Why don't you ask Mr. Song?"

Dou Ming nodded.

In the carriage, Gan Lu asked Dou Zhao curiously, "Miss, are you going to deduct Miss Five's monthly allowance?"

Dou Zhao asked the maids around him to study. Su Xin and the others all knew this story, and they insisted that Dong Xuan be an upright and honest person, and that his family was poor.

"Monthly allowance is the rule of the mansion. Which rule or clause did she violate that would lead to a deduction from the monthly allowance?" Dou Zhao said lightly, "It's just that the mansion has a rule that girls who have reached the age of marriage but have not yet married can get fifteen taels of silver for perfume and powder every month, and those who have not reached the age of marriage can only get two taels of silver for perfume and ointment." She said to Su Xin, "Remember to tell Gao Xing in the future. The fifth young lady is only eleven years old this year. How can she need money for perfume and powder! And Wan Niang, who taught the fifth young lady the pipa, was not invited by our mansion, and Gao Sheng did not specifically instruct her. We should not pay for Wan Niang's salary and clothes for all four seasons." What she cared about now was the rain, the harvest of the crops in the fields, and the livelihoods of the farmers. How could she have the time to care about Dou Ming's provocation? "I've discovered that there are many such small things, Su Xin. You should pay more attention to these things in the future, so as not to break the rules of the mansion."

The Fifth Miss did not give the Fourth Miss face in front of so many people. If the Fourth Miss does not punish the Fourth Miss lightly, given the Fifth Miss's temper, who knows what kind of trouble she will get into in the future.

The fourth young lady seems to be very strict with the fifth young lady, but in fact she is very caring towards her.

Su Xin replied with a smile.

Dou Zhao put the matter behind him, lifted the car curtain and looked out.

The field was covered in white, with only a few ears of wheat swaying in the wind.

The wind made the branches rustle, and the raindrops hit the roof of the car, "pa pa", like hail.

By the time we reached the intersection leading to the farm, the road was so muddy that the carriage would probably get stuck if we went on it.

Duan Gongyi said without hesitation: "Untie the horses, and let's push the carriage into the village." He then said to Chen Qushui: "Mr. Weiqu, please wait here for a while. I will go into the village and borrow a mule to carry you into the village."

Chen Qushui shook his head: "No, I can just walk in. I have my luggage at the farm, I can just change my shoes when the time comes."

It was windy and rainy, but Duan Gongyi didn't bother to be polite with Chen Qushui. He broke off a branch as thick as a wine glass and handed it to Chen Qushui: "Sir, use it as a walking stick!" Then he and Chen Xiaofeng and the others pulled the carriage into the village.

The laborers from every household in the village were standing under the eaves, looking worriedly at the increasingly heavy rain. When they saw the Dou family's carriage enter the village, they all cheered, grabbed something at random, held it on their heads, and gathered around.

"Hey, it's the Fourth Miss!"

"Why didn't Aunt Cui come back?"

"Miss Fourth, what should we do? The wheat harvest is about to be harvested."

"Yes, Fourth Miss, should we dig a hole to drain the water?"

Everyone was talking at once.

"The fourth young lady is here for this matter." Duan Gongyi shouted, "This is both windy and rainy. Once the fourth young lady is settled, we will ask everyone to come and discuss this matter. Don't be impatient. Let the fourth young lady go inside and rest for a while."

Everyone immediately made way for them.

Dou Zhao entered the main house surrounded by Su Xin and others.

Some of the old women who stayed on the farm heated water, while others brought clean bedding and cushions. Soon, Dou Zhao sat neatly on the big kang by the window, drinking hot tea and discussing with several elderly farmers in the village how to overcome the difficulties.