Chapter 207: Misery

The words blurted out in anger seemed so abrupt that Song Mo's heart pounded like a drum as he faced Dou Zhao's gaze.

His passion gradually cooled, his thoughts gradually calmed down, calmness and rationality returned to his body, and he couldn't help but carefully reflect on his impulse just now...but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that marrying Dou Zhao was a great idea!

At least, his family background was more noble than Wei Tingyu's, and his talent was more outstanding than Wei Tingyu's. In the eyes of those noble ladies in Kyoto, he was a more popular son-in-law than Wei Tingyu.

What better blow than marrying a husband who is better than your ex-fiancé in every way!

This marriage is enough to silence the sarcasm and rumors that are malicious towards Dou Zhao!

Song Mo suddenly became excited.

He held Dou Zhao's arm tighter: "Dou Zhao, marry me! I will treat you well and teach those who dare to look down on you a lesson, so that they will regret neglecting you!"

Let yourself achieve Dou Zhao's honor.

The dull pain in her arm quickly brought Dou Zhao back to her senses, and she couldn't help but look at Su Xin.

Su Xin's eyes widened and her face was filled with shock.

Only then did Dou Zhao feel certain that what he had just heard was not an illusion.

It seems that Song Mo already knows about the proxy marriage.

She couldn't help but ask: "How do you know the bride is not mine?"

Dou Zhao sent Sulan to find out the news. If Wei Tingyu found out that the bride had been replaced during the wedding ceremony, she would have definitely received the news long ago, and the Dou family would not have been so calm.

Song Mo recounted what had happened.

Dou Zhao felt mixed emotions and didn't know what to feel.

Song Mo had only seen himself a few times, but Wei Tingyu was his fiancé... She and Dou Ming were one tall and one short, and they looked nothing alike. Song Mo could tell from just a few of her movements that the bride was not him, and Wei Tingyu should have already entered the bridal chamber by now...

She was speechless for a moment.

Song Mo urged her: "What do you think?"

Dou Zhao couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous.

"Do you think this is just a game?" She laughed and gently scolded him, "Wei Tingyu married my sister, so I have to find someone with a more noble status, a more prestigious position, a more handsome appearance, and more outstanding abilities than him to marry? I have my own life to live, why should I bet with them?"

Song Mo opened his mouth but said nothing for a long time.

Dou Zhao, do you really think so?

He felt that he was more noble, more prominent, more handsome, and more capable than Wei Tingyu...

This idea is too superficial!

He despised himself a little in his heart.

But this contempt was also mixed with a hint of joy, which made him slightly tipsy.

Song Mo quickly suppressed this feeling in his heart, and asked in a somewhat concealed tone: "What do you think?" Thinking of what he had just heard inadvertently, he couldn't say anything bad about Dou Shiying in front of Dou Zhao, so he had to remind Dou Zhao, "Are you really going to stay at home and find a son-in-law?"

Dou Zhao hesitated for a moment.

Since Song Mo dared to kill his father and brother in his previous life, and dared to challenge his father in this life, it is obvious that he is not a law-abiding person at heart.

"I am planning to stay at home!" she said frankly, "but I haven't thought about finding a son-in-law." She laughed and joked to herself, "I am planning to stay in the Dou family forever and be an annoying lady!"

"How can that be possible?!" Song Mo objected without thinking, "If you stay in the Dou family, it will be fine while your father is still alive, but what will you do if your father is gone? Even if you are brothers, there is still your brother's wife between you. What's more, you only have a younger sister, and your sister and brother-in-law are unreliable..." Then he thought of the events surrounding Dou Zhao's marriage, and that only Wang benefited from it. He suspected that Wang might be the mastermind behind this. Knowing that Dou Zhao and Wang were not on good terms, he was even more against Dou Zhao staying in the Dou family.

He told Dou Zhao about Wang Xingyi's recognition by the emperor: "... Don't underestimate the emperor's words. There are tens of thousands of officials in the court, but only a few can leave their names in the emperor's heart. If I were Wang Xingyi, I would definitely make a big fuss about this matter and try to go a step further. Since Wang Shi can let Dou Ming marry you to the Wei family on your behalf, it is possible that she will randomly promise you to someone else. She is in the right position in your marriage. If you want to resist her, you can only rely on the right time, right place and right people. However, this right time, right place and right people are the most unpredictable and the most difficult to come by. You must not be careless and fall into her trap!" He added, "Instead of dealing with it passively, I think you should take the initiative. Instead, you can catch her off guard and make her wary of you!"

His tone was sincere, with a hint of worry between his brows, which made Dou Zhao secretly grateful in his heart, and even more grateful for everything his uncle and aunt had done for him.

She thought for a moment and said, "Shall we go inside and talk?"

Song Mo responded generously with a "OK".

Su Xin broke out in a sweat after hearing this.

How would I explain this if someone suddenly broke in?

Moreover, this happened when the Fifth Miss had just married into the Wei family on behalf of the Fourth Miss and no one knew how it would end!

But if we just stand in the yard and talk like this, we will be discovered more easily.

Choose the lesser of two evils.

Su Xin made up her mind, helped Dou Zhao and Song Mo to draw the warm curtains, and brewed a pot of the best Tieguanyin tea and brought it in.

Dou Zhao tactfully told Song Mo about his mother's death: "...If it wasn't for this, how could I have the money to open a shop? You don't have to worry, she can't do anything to me. On the contrary, after this incident, I'm afraid she will never be able to gain a foothold in the Dou family again. Although the Dou family will not divorce her out of consideration for her, she can never interfere in the family affairs again."

As for how much money Xidou actually had, she did not say anything out of humility.

She also did not tell anyone about the Dou family's plan.

After all, it was just a mutually beneficial verbal agreement. As long as it was not written down in black and white, there was a possibility of change. She couldn't shout about something that had not been finalized. If the situation changed, wouldn't she be spreading rumors and causing trouble?

Song Mo had vaguely felt that Dou Zhao should have some silver at his disposal. He always thought that the silver was the dowry from Dou Zhao's biological mother, but he never thought it was actually the case!

No wonder she has to rely on herself for everything!

He occasionally thought of his own experience and felt that there was probably no one in the world more miserable than himself. He never expected that Dou Zhao's situation was even worse than his!

The reason why Wang deliberately married her own daughter to Wei Tingyu was because they had a secret relationship, right?

Song Mo was silent for a long time, and then whispered, "If you don't get married, the money will be managed by Dong Dou's people, which will definitely attract the covetousness of other people in the Dou family. Even if you stay at home, I'm afraid there will be no peace in the future. What about your father? He may not be willing to see you grow old alone. What if your father insists on you finding a son-in-law? What will you do? Even if you find a husband who lives with you honestly, your father is still in his prime. What if he gives birth to another child? What will you do? What if your father and your uncle both pass away, and your brother joins hands with Dong Dou to divide the property with you again, or even goes to court? What will you do?"

It would be difficult for a son-in-law to achieve success in the imperial examinations, which meant that Dou Zhao would not receive support from the court.

He thought that Dou Zhao's future would be full of thorns.

How could Dou Zhao not know this!

But we can't just sit there and wait for death because the future is difficult, right?

But compared to these possible difficulties, the pain of marriage that she already knew made her avoid it even more.

Or maybe, that's life.

Nothing is ever perfect.

You can only choose one kind of suffering that you think you can bear!

The two of them were thinking about their own things, and the room fell into silence for a moment.

It was not until they heard the footsteps of the maids and old women who had gotten up early outside that they were startled to realize that it was already daybreak.

Song Mo couldn't help but say: "You might as well think carefully about what I said."

His expression was serious and it was obvious that he had thought it over carefully, which forced Dou Zhao to take it seriously.

Not to mention that she already had a plan to deal with the Dou and Ji families. Even if she didn't, using one lie to cover up another lie would only make things worse, or even out of control!

She said implicitly: "Let me solve this matter myself!"

"But..." Song Mo still tried to convince Dou Zhao, but Dou Zhao felt that it would be impossible to determine right from wrong or reach a conclusion by arguing about something that had not happened, so it would be better to stop there and let him give up.

She gritted her teeth secretly and said concisely: "My Lord, there is no way I will marry you!"

"How is it impossible..." Song Mo's face changed drastically before he could finish his sentence.

nice.

You don't have the final say in your own marriage.

What qualifications do I have to speak so arrogantly in front of Dou Zhao?

His face turned extremely pale in an instant, and a hint of shame flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, I'm sorry!" This was the first time that Song Mo apologized to someone for not being able to fulfill his promise, and it was in front of Dou Zhao, whom he always valued. This made him feel ashamed, "I thought things were too simple."

Dou Zhao immediately regretted that he had spoken too directly.

"It's okay, it's okay." She said hurriedly, "I just feel..." What do you feel? You have to find a way to make Song Mo feel less hurt! What can make him feel less hurt? Of course, tell the truth... Dou Zhaolue hesitated for a moment, then made a decision, "I am very grateful that you said you would marry me. But after this happened, I have decided not to marry again!"

Do you not want to marry yourself? Or do you not want to marry someone?

The young Song Mo was extremely sensitive at this moment.

He pondered over it in his mind, and for the first time in his life, he did not dare to ask for the truth. He could only nod slightly, smile lightly and say "I know", but he could not hide the frustration on his face.

Dou Zhao looked a little distressed and couldn't help explaining, "After getting married, not only do you have to serve your husband and discipline the concubine, but you also have to educate your children. However, this kind of thing may not be rewarded by heaven. I really wasn't sure I could do it well, so I simply avoided it and selfishly shirked my responsibility. I had already noticed that the Seventh Madam arranged for Ming Jie'er to marry into the Wei family, but it was just a matter of going with the flow. I just took this opportunity to legitimately not marry, but it's not that I don't want to marry you!"

Really?

Song Mo was very suspicious.

If he wanted to send someone away, he would always try to comfort them with gentle words first.

"I understand!" He suddenly felt a little lost, and an uncontrollable sadness surged from the bottom of his heart. "Well, just tell me if you have anything to say. I am more familiar with Kyoto than you, and it is more convenient for me to do things than you..." Looking at the window frame that was gradually letting in white light, he stood up and said goodbye with an indifferent expression.

Dou Zhao seemed to see again the commander of the Jinyiwei who kept people at a distance.

Looking at Song Mo's straight yet fragile back, she hardened her heart and said nothing.

As he stepped off the stairs, Song Mo couldn't help but look back.