Chapter 252 Introduction

Wei Tingyu smiled bitterly and called Song Mo "brother-in-law".

Brother, he really can't call him that!

Song Mo smiled slightly, appearing very humble.

Dou Shiying was very satisfied.

Both sons-in-law came from prominent families, but they were able to meet each other with the etiquette of their wives' families. This was both a respect for their daughters and a respect for the Dou family.

Because the Dou family's ancestral temple was not in Kyoto, he led Song Mo and Dou Zhao to the main hall, kowtowed to the images of the Dou family's ancestors, and burned incense, which was considered as worshiping the ancestors and reporting the happy event. Afterwards, he led them back to the flower hall, kowtowed to Dou Shishu and others, and officially began to recognize the relatives.

Or perhaps it was because they took into account that the Duke of Ying's Mansion was a wealthy family, where gold and silver have a price but rare books are priceless. Dou Shishu's meeting gift was a copy of the "Spring and Autumn Annals" printed in the previous dynasty, and Dou Shiheng's meeting gift was a set of "Four Books Commentaries". Dou Wenchang, Dou Bochang and other elder brothers gave him Ji Jin ink, Chengxin paper, jade brush washer, or enamel warm ink stove, all of which were items for reading and learning.

Dou Zhao pursed his lips and smiled.

Song Mo looked around and asked Dou Zhao quietly when no one was paying attention: "What are you laughing at?"

Dou Zhao glanced at Chen He, who was holding the meeting gift, and said with a low laugh, "You can go and take the exam for the top scholar now!"

Song Mo looked at the four treasures of the study and couldn't help but smile.

After meeting the elders and those older than them, the next thing to talk about is the younger people of the same generation or the younger generation.

Wei Tingyu touched the red envelope in his sleeve, not knowing whether to take it out or not. According to etiquette, although Song Mo was his brother-in-law, he got married before Song Mo. It was polite for him to give Song Mo a meeting gift. Although it was understandable not to give him one, it seemed a bit timid and petty. But the people of the Dou family just gave him something that was not easy to measure with money. It would be a bit vulgar to take out the red envelope with two hundred taels of silver.

While hesitating, Song Mo smiled and bowed to Wei Tingyu, then took out a red envelope and handed it to Wei Tingyu.

Wei Tingyu looked at the kids standing behind him with his face flushed. He was about to refuse, but Song Mo stuffed the red envelope into his hand without giving any explanation and said with a smile, "It's not the first time we've been dealing with each other. Take it!" This reminded Wei Tingyu of the tone of Song Mo when he had asked him to follow Gu Yu to share the dividends in the river engineering business.

He couldn't help but be stunned.

Song Moyi smiled, bent down, touched the head of Dou Jichang's eldest son Dou Qiren, and handed him a red envelope.

Dou Qiren shouted loudly, "Thank you, Fourth Uncle," his joy evident in his words, which made Song Mo smile even more.

Dou Jichang's second son Dou Qifu shouted without waiting for Song Mo to take out the red envelope: "Fourth uncle, there's me, there's me!" His chubby little hands were about to reach Song Mo's face.

"I remember, there is also Fu Ge'er!" Song Mo laughed and took out a sealed red bottle and gave it to him.

Dou Qifu shouted happily, took the seal, and ran towards the west hall: "I got a seal!"

Dou Pinyuan is the daughter of Dou Bochang.

She moved at the sound, ran over with her chubby legs, pulled Song Mo's collar and said, "Fourth Uncle, you haven't given me a seal yet!"

The soft voice and the big twinkling eyes made Song Mo's heart soften.

"Okay, okay, okay." Song Mo smiled and hugged Dou Pinyuan, handing her two Fenghongs.

Dou Pinyuan giggled and proudly waved the Fenghong in her hand towards Dou Qiren and Dou Qifu.

Dou Qiren and Dou Qifu hugged Song Mo's thighs, one on each side, and shouted "Fourth Uncle": "I want two too, I want two too!"

Everyone in the Dou family looked embarrassed, and the three wet nurses could not even raise their heads and hurried forward to coax the children.

Song Mo smiled and stopped the wet nurses: "We just want to have some fun, there's no need to be so reserved." He also took out two red envelopes and gave them to Dou Qiren and Dou Qifu as compensation.

Dou Qiren and Dou Qifu cheered with joy.

Dou Pinyuan refused and pouted, "I want one too!"

Song Mo actually gave her another one.

Dou Pinyuan was delighted and smiled, but Dou Qiren and Dou Qifu were dumbfounded.

Mrs. Wu blushed and glared at her two daughters-in-law.

Guo was startled and hurried forward to hug Dou Pinyuan, smiling and admonishing her: "Why don't you thank your fourth uncle!"

"Thank you, Fourth Uncle!" Dou Pinyuan said in a childish voice, flattering Song Mo, "Fourth Uncle, please come to our house during the Chinese New Year, and I'll ask my grandfather to write Spring Festival couplets for you!"

Since she was a child, she had seen many people come to Dou Shishu's house to ask for Spring Festival couplets but failed to get them. In her heart, she thought that this was the best thing in the world. Dou Shishu couldn't sit still, so he stood up and bowed to Song Mo: "Excuse me, excuse me!"

Song Mo smiled and said, "It's rare that Sister Yuan is so sincere. Uncle Fifth can't refuse when the time comes!"

Dou Shishu was a little surprised at Song Mo's easygoing attitude. He then smiled and said modestly, "As long as the prince doesn't mind!"

Song Mo smiled and said, "I have heard that Fifth Uncle's calligraphy is elegant and beautiful, but I have never had the chance to see it. This time, it is only with the blessing of Sister Yuan that I can ask Fifth Uncle for a pair of Spring Festival couplets. How dare I say that I 'dislike it'?"

Dou Shishu wanted to be humble, but Dou Shiheng said impatiently: "We are a family, why are you being so polite? If you want to ask Fifth Brother for some calligraphy and paintings, just come and tell us. However, Fifth Brother's calligraphy is half due to his hard work when he was young, and half due to the fact that he is now a senior scholar in the inner cabinet. Don't hold out too much hope!"

This speech made everyone laugh. Dou Shishu even laughed and shook his head and sighed, "How can one family tear down one's own platform?" Then he chatted with Song Mo, "I heard from several old gentlemen in the Hanlin Academy that your handwriting is also good. The emperor even asked you to help him copy Buddhist scriptures. Who is your teacher? What books have you read?"

"Study under Lord Zhongyi." Song Mo said solemnly, "Read the Spring and Autumn Annals with Lord Zhongyi."

There are hundreds of schools of thought, as vast as the ocean. The Four Books and Five Classics are studied by scholars all their lives. Even if they are going to take the imperial examinations, it is impossible for them to be familiar with all of them. Usually, they will choose one book as their major. Lord Zhongyi is a great Confucian scholar of the time. He was the teacher of several princes. He died three years ago and was given the posthumous title of "Zhongyi".

"It seems that I got the right copy of "Spring and Autumn"." Dou Shishu twirled his beard and smiled. His eyes when looking at Song Mo changed subtly, as if he had discovered his own kind.

Dou Shiheng's expression also changed subtly, and he said, "The Spring and Autumn Annals is long and difficult to remember. Nowadays, few people have the patience to read it in order to pass the imperial examination as soon as possible. I didn't expect that you would be willing to read it."

He himself also read "Spring and Autumn Annals".

Song Mo smiled and said, "I don't need to take the imperial examination, I can just read it slowly."

Dou Shiheng nodded: "This is already a rare opportunity." He even put his arm around Song Mo's shoulders, as if he wanted to sit down and have a long chat with him.

Seeing this, Ji couldn't help but laugh and cry, and said with a smile: "Master, if you have anything to say, you can invite the prince to your home some other day. Today, let the prince meet the fifth sister-in-law and several nephews' wives first."

Dou Shiheng laughed and patted his head, saying with a smile, "Look at my memory", and at the same time he took over the responsibility of pulling Song Mo to introduce the Fifth Madam to him.

Because of the children's antics, everyone stood together with smiles on their faces. The atmosphere was less solemn than when they entered the door, and more lively and festive.

After Dou Zhao and Song Mo kowtowed to the Fifth Madam, the Fifth Madam personally carried Dou Zhao up and handed him a red lacquered and gold-painted box, saying with a smile, "This is a pair of jade hairpins. I wish you two will respect each other and live together forever."

Compared with the previous visits to Dou Shishu and others, the atmosphere seemed cordial and friendly.

Song Mo and Dou Zhao hurriedly thanked the Fifth Madam and then kowtowed to the Sixth Madam.

The gift that Ji gave them when they met was a watch for Elan.

"So beautiful!" Dou Zhao liked it very much and thanked her repeatedly.

Ji smiled and said nothing. She just helped Dou Zhao straighten his collar and stepped aside.

The aunt looked at Song Mo carefully and gave them a pair of small jade ruyi as a gift.

Dou Ming's eyes turned red when he saw this.

I thought of the time when I came back to visit my parents three days ago, when Dou Shishu seemed to be friendly but actually showed a bit of careless arrogance; I thought of the red envelope containing a hundred taels of silver that Dou Shishu and other elders gave to Wei Tingyu and myself as a reward...

They are both married daughters, so why should she be treated differently from Dou Zhao?

She glanced at Wei Tingyu.

Wei Tingyu stood in an empty corner, smiling with a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

Dou Ming bit his lip tightly.

She called Song Mo "brother-in-law" and said with a smile, "What kind of gift have you and sister prepared for me?"

Song Mo, who was greeting Zhao Zhangru, smiled and handed her a Fenghong, then turned around and teased Dou Pinyuan with a smile: "Sister Yuan has received my Fenghong, but she hasn't greeted me yet!"

Dou Pinyuan covered her mouth and smiled, then respectfully saluted Song Mo and Dou Zhao.

Gao Sheng hurried over and invited everyone to sit in the East Hall: "The food and drinks are ready!"

Everyone went to the East Hall with a smile on their faces.

No one paid any attention to Dou Ming.

Dou Ming sneered and squeezed in to sit next to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao pretended not to see it and answered the Fifth Madam's question slowly, "...Yizhi Hall has beautiful scenery, and the prince has been living there all along. If we want to move, there will be so many things to worry about that it will probably take two or three months to finish moving. It is better for him to live in Yizhi Hall."

The Fifth Madam nodded and said, "That's fine. Your father-in-law is in his prime, and he might remarry someday. You can live in Yizhi Hall, far away from her, and it will be quieter."

Seeing that Dou Ming was listening, Ji smiled and poured a glass of wine for the Fifth Madam, saying, "No matter how big the inner courtyard of the Duke of Ying's Mansion is, can it be bigger than the West Courtyard? Since Shou Gu can preside over the banquets for the West Courtyard, why should we worry that she can't preside over the banquets for the Duke of Ying's Mansion? Even if she can't make up her mind about something, don't you still have her? Don't worry about her! She is living a good life!" She interrupted the Fifth Madam and told the maid to check how many dishes were left. She talked to the Fifth Madam about the dried fruits in Chunfangzhai, and the Fifth Madam talked about the lucky oranges on the table: "Their lucky oranges are delicious, and I don't know how they are made?"

Ji smiled and said, "I think it's not as delicious as Fujian orange cake."

Changed the subject.

Dou Ming knew that Ji was on guard against her. She gently kicked Han and whispered jokingly, "Your mother-in-law is quite difficult to serve!"

Han quietly moved her body, creating a subtle distance between herself and Dou Ming, and said with a small smile: "My mother-in-law is quite nice! It's just that the Ji family is very particular about food and they don't mind the finest details!"

She used to sympathize with Dou Ming for not being loved by his elders, but after the incident of sisters getting married off, she felt that she was too naive and took things too simply.