Back in the main room, his father told Dou Zhao to write his name.

In Dou Zhao's previous life, he read Biographies of Remarkable Women and The Book of Women for a few years with an old scholar hired by his grandfather. He was good at reading account books, but he was not very knowledgeable.

Seeing her father's neat and beautiful regular script, she was very envious.

Her father laughed, bent down, found a few sheets of tracing paper at the bottom of the grid in Duobao Pavilion, spread them on the desk, and held Dou Zhao's hand to teach her how to use the pen.

She came in with a smile and said, "Qiong Fang from Aunt Wang's place came to ask when the Seventh Master will come over for dinner."

My father looked at the afterglow of the setting sun outside the window and said with a smile, "Madame Wang is in confinement, and Miss Five also needs to rest. If I go there, we'll have to set the table again, which is very troublesome... I won't go there. I'll have dinner in the main room with Miss Four."

He smiled and retreated.

Dou Zhao was a little surprised, but he didn't take it to heart. After having dinner with his father, he smiled and moved the lamp in. The two of them wrote for a while, and his father went to rest in the inner room of the main house.

Two days later, Feng Baoshan came to visit his father.

He looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. His dark hair was tied up with a mutton-fat jade hairpin, and he wore a dark green silk gown with calamus patterns. He looked elegant and noble.

Is this the Feng Baoshan that my mother mentioned who did whatever he wanted, including drinking, whoring and gambling?

Dou Zhao, who was sitting at a large book copying in red, opened his mouth wide, and closed it after a moment.

Feng Baoshan came to visit his father: "…All the lotus flowers in Yingcheng's house are in bloom. Since you are in mourning, we won't disturb others. It's just you, me and Yingcheng. We can enjoy the flowers and chat. You can also go out and get some fresh air and relax."

The father shook his head: "It's too hot, I don't want to go out. I appreciate your kindness."

"It's not even June yet, why is it so hot?" Feng Baoshan said, and suddenly seemed to remember something. He paused and looked at his father in confusion, "You, you don't want to wait for Zhao for a year, do you?"

My father said nothing and lowered his eyes.

"Is it really like this?" Feng Baoshan jumped up in a very ungraceful manner, his eyes wide as bells.

After a while, he walked around the room angrily for a few times and said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to care about you. I'm going to go play with Zhongzhi." Then he slammed the bamboo curtain and walked out of the door.

Her father was neither annoyed nor angry. He called her "Shou Gu" in a gentle voice with a normal expression and reminded her: "Don't look around, practice calligraphy!"

Dou Zhao hurriedly lowered his head and carefully painted the red.

For a whole month, his father did not step out of the house. He read books and wrote articles at home, and taught Dou Zhao to write.

Because Dou Ming's mother was in mourning, only two tables were set up at home for her full-month gift.

The Wang family sent some children's clothes as a full-month gift, but did not send anyone to congratulate. As for the Zhao family, they neither came to drink the full-month wine nor to send any full-month gifts.

The people in the Dou family were a little embarrassed, while Wang Yingxue was angry, annoyed, ashamed and resentful.

When the cicadas were chirping everywhere, news came from Kyoto that my uncle Zhao Simu had been appointed as the magistrate of Ganquan County in Yan'an Prefecture.

In his previous life, my uncle was the prefect of Qingyang Prefecture, a fourth-rank official.

In this life, my uncle still sought the Northwest.

Dou Zhao was happy for his uncle, but he also felt a little disappointed.

My grandfather commented on my uncle: "I never knew he had such means. Although Ganquan County is poor, he was appointed as the chief official as soon as he arrived there. Although he was not selected as a scholar, his starting point was still very high."

The third uncle was even more uneasy: "Yuanji also said so."

Yuanji was Dou Zhao’s fifth uncle Dou Shishu, and it was he who brought this news back from Kyoto.

Just as the third generation sees through others, the fourth generation looks at food, and the fifth generation looks at writing, the brilliance of the painstaking efforts of several generations of the Dou family was all concentrated on Dou Shishu.

He entered school at the age of thirteen, passed the imperial examination at the age of sixteen, and became a Jinshi at the age of twenty-two. He served as a Shujishi in the Ministry of Personnel and later started as a Censor of the Ministry of Personnel. Before Dou Zhao fell ill, he had risen to the position of Grand Academician of the Wuying Palace and Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

He was the first person from the Dou family to be appointed as prime minister.

Because he, Wang Xingyi, the Grand Academician of Dongge and Minister of Rites, and Chen Rong, the Grand Academician of Wenyuange and Minister of Punishments, were all from Northern Zhili, they were nicknamed "the northern half".

Grandfather smiled faintly, with a hint of arrogance in his smile: "Only Jinshi can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin can enter the inner cabinet. Yuanji and you are brothers from the same mother, what do you have to be afraid of?"

The third uncle wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a wry smile: "Isn't it because I have little education that I feel a little guilty in front of the Jinshi?"

Grandfather laughed.

Dou Zhao ordered Tuoniang to take inventory of the things in his room.

It looks like her aunt will come to pick her up soon.

Based on her experience in her previous life, things would be exposed soon and there would definitely be some twists and turns, so she had better prepare for the worst.

Her father laughed at her and said, "Shou Gu knows how to hide things at such a young age."

Dou Zhao took the opportunity to hold the jade pen wash on his father's desk in his arms: "This is mine too."

Anyway, when the new stepmother comes into the family, all the things in the public house will be registered again to distinguish them from the mother's dowry. It is better to put away the things you like, confuse people and make them your own.

My father laughed so hard that he pointed at two jade vessels in his Duobao Pavilion and asked, "Do you like this?"

"I like it!" Dou Zhao nodded continuously.

The father waved his hand and said, "Move it and hide it for you too!"

Dou Zhao smiled with eyes curved like crescent moons, and pointed at the brocade box on his father's bed: "I want that red stone too!"

Inside were two pieces of top-quality bloodstone, with bright colors that resembled rugged mountains and rivers. Dou Zhao liked them very much and was thinking of finding a famous artist to help him carve a seal in the future.

His father scratched Dou Zhao's nose and said, "You clever little rascal, that is my father's private collection. What are you doing here? When you get married, I will carve a seal for my son-in-law as your dowry. I also have a few good inkstones, which I will give to you at that time."

Dou Zhao laughed, but she was worried: Is she going to marry Wei Tingyu? He is not a scholar, I am afraid that he will just store the inkstones in his warehouse.

Just as I was thinking about it, there was a loud noise outside.

Her father ignored her and carried Dou Zhao to the armchair in front of the desk and told her to practice calligraphy: "I have already given instructions to make a rosewood desk and chair for you according to your size. Place them next to your father. Then you can sit on the chair and practice calligraphy."

Before he finished speaking, Hanxiao ran in in a panic, "Seventh Master, my aunt is here!"

My father was stunned and said, "My aunt is here, why should we panic?"

However, Dou Zhao had a vague guess in his heart.

Eventually, the truth came out.

I wonder who leaked it? And who informed the Dou family?

"My aunt said that she wanted to take the fourth young lady over to live with her for a few days, but my husband refused and asked Aunt Ding to talk to my aunt. Just after she said two words, the third wife came over and stopped my aunt from taking the fourth young lady back. She also said that the fourth young lady was a girl from the Dou family. Even though she lost her mother, she still had her father and grandfather. It didn't make sense for her to be raised by her uncle." Han Xiao looked terrified. The Dou and Zhao families had a falling out, and the worst thing was their dowry. According to the law, Zhao Guqiu's dowry was reserved for Dou Zhao. Dou Zhao was the daughter of the Dou family, so it was natural for her to be raised by the Dou family. Dou Zhao was too young to be the head of the family or make decisions. If they stayed in the Dou family, the people in the Dou family would not treat them well; if they wanted to go back to the Zhao family, it would depend on whether the Dou family agreed. "The Third Madam also said that when the Fourth Miss grows up, she will have to get married. Who will be more respectable, the cousin of the Zhao family or the legitimate daughter of the Dou family? If the Zhao family really cares about the Fourth Miss, they would not come up with such a bad idea. Auntie cannot ignore her niece's face just because there is a rift between the Zhao and Dou families and want to slap the Dou family in the face!" She paused and continued, "The First Madam received a letter a long time ago saying that the Zhao family is preparing to take up their posts, and all their things have been packed. They are just waiting to pick up the Fourth Miss and set off. But Auntie flatly denied it. The master said that the Fourth Miss cannot follow Auntie to Anxiang no matter what..."

Dou Shiying interrupted Hanxiao with a frown on his face and told Tuoniang, "You stay here and look after the Fourth Young Miss." Then he said to Hanxiao, "Take me to see her!"

Hanxiao responded hurriedly and accompanied Dou Shiying out.

Dou Zhao sat quietly on the armchair, waiting for someone to come find her.

Sunlight streamed in through the window lattices, and particles of dust danced in the air.

The woman's voice was as gentle as the wind.

The steps are getting closer and closer.

The bamboo curtain was lifted.

A woman in a light green jacket walked in lightly.

She called Dou Zhao softly, "Shougu, your aunt is here. I'll help you get dressed and we'll go meet your aunt, okay?"

Dou Zhao looked at her steadily, and called out "Aunt Ding" with a self-deprecating smile.

"Yes!" She responded with a smile, and called Yuzhan and Tuoniang, "Tell the maid to fetch some water. I will help the fourth young lady wash up and change her clothes so that she can go meet the guests."

Yuzhan hurriedly passed on Aunt Ding's words.

Aunt Ding helped Dou Zhao wash his face, and then she ordered Tuoniang to bring this, and then she ordered Yuzhan to bring that. The two maids were very busy.

She asked Dou Zhao in a gentle voice: "Does Shougu miss mother?"

Dou Zhao smiled: "I want to!"

Aunt Ding asked, "Do you want to see mother?"

"I do!" Dou Zhao said loudly.

"Our Shou Gu is so good!" Aunt Ding kissed Dou Zhao on the cheek and carried Dou Zhao to the hall.

The maids around her surrounded her and Dou Zhao, keeping Yuzhan and Tuoniang far away.

After turning around the tall locust tree, you will reach the hall.

Aunt Ding said softly, "Shou, your aunt is here to pick you up. Don't go with her later, or she will sell you to Laoshangou, and you will never see your mother again, eat osmanthus cakes, or see Tuoniang, Yuzhan, your grandfather, and your father again."

Dou Zhao nodded.

Aunt Ding was a little surprised.

I didn’t expect Shougu to be so easy to please!

She smiled and stroked Dou Zhao's hair: "Be good, after meeting your aunt, Aunt Ding will take you to find your mother, okay?"

"Okay!" Dou Zhaoying said.

Aunt Ding walked around the big locust tree and entered the living room.

Like two armies facing each other, my aunt and Nanny Peng stood in the middle of the hall, while my third aunt and several strange women stood at the bottom of the hall.

Hearing the noise, both sides turned their eyes over.

Third aunt smiled and waved to Dou Zhao: "Come, Shougu, come to Third aunt!"

The aunt's smile was a little forced. She called Dou Zhao softly, "Shou aunt, let aunt hug you!"

Aunt Ding put Dou Zhao on the ground and whispered in her ear, "If you are sold to Laoshangou, you will be beaten every day. Go to your third aunt!"