Not long after my aunt left, news came from Jiangnan that my great uncle Dou Shixiang had passed away.

The house immediately fell into chaos.

My eldest aunt couldn't bear the blow and fell ill in bed. My third aunt took charge of the Dong Dou family. My third uncle took my second cousin Dou Yuchang to Yangzhou to take care of my eldest uncle's funeral. My fourth cousin Dou Rongchang assisted my sixth uncle in managing the household affairs. My grandfather seemed to have aged ten years and lay in a daze on the drunkard's chair in the study every day.

The atmosphere in both the East and West Caves was very depressing.

These things didn't affect Dou Zhao. She still dragged whatever she liked into her room every day. Dou Shiying laughed at her, "Are you not going to see your sister?"

"Aunt Wang doesn't like me going to visit my sister." Dou Zhao pouted, looking indifferent, but there was a little sadness in his eyes.

Dou Shiying's heart skipped a beat. He didn't say anything, but reached out and gently stroked Dou Zhao's dark hair, and whispered, "Okay, Daddy will teach you how to write."

Dou Zhao asked Dou Shiying: "When will grandma come?"

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and she hopes to talk to her grandmother during the festival.

Dou Shiying frowned slightly and asked, "Who told you to call Aunt Cui 'grandmother'?"

Dou Zhao secretly groaned.

Grandmother should have been called "Grandmother" after Dou Xiao was born. She had lived with her grandmother since she was old enough to understand, and she had always called her grandmother "Grandmother" in her memory, but she had forgotten this.

She could only mumble, "If not grandma, what else should I call?"

"You should call Aunt Cui!" Dou Shiying patiently taught his daughter, "Your great uncle passed away, and everyone is in a bad mood. I'm afraid there won't be a big Mid-Autumn Festival this year. Aunt Cui may stay at the farm to celebrate the festival." He then asked her, "Why do you want to see Aunt Cui?"

Dou Zhao said: "They said Aunt Cui knows how to farm!"

Dou Shiying laughed: "Yes, your aunt Cui is very good at taking care of the crops. Her farm has always been the most profitable among the several farms in our family." When he said this, his eyes were a little dazed.

Perhaps, this is the sorrow of a concubine giving birth to a child.

Dou Zhao stopped talking about this to his father and took his father to the study to practice calligraphy.

On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month that year, everyone just shared mooncakes. It was a lot quieter than previous years when people watched the moon and the lanterns.

The maids were discussing among themselves: "We don't know when this mourning period will end!"

By the end of September, my great uncle's coffin was transported back to Zhending County.

The Dou family was in mourning; half of Zhending County was dressed in white.

The magistrate of Zhending County, my sixth uncle, and my father personally welcomed my eldest uncle's coffin at the city gate. My grandfather and the second lady, as elders, did not attend the funeral, and all funeral arrangements were presided over by my third uncle.

Dou Zhao met his ninth cousin Dou Huanchang, whose nickname was "Lang Ge'er".

He is sixteen years old, thin and pale. He trembled in front of his great uncle's coffin and thanked the mourners. Then he turned around and threw himself into his grandfather's arms and cried: "Dad vomited a lot of blood..."

Grandfather's eyes were immediately filled with tears. He put his arm around his shoulders and comforted him softly, "Good boy, follow your uncle to study in the future."

Dou Huanchang nodded, looking at his grandfather with eyes full of admiration.

Dou Zhao sneered.

My grandfather taught my father the wrong way, and now he is harming my great uncle.

No wonder Dou Huanchang had been taking the imperial examination for almost twenty years but still had no chance of passing it!

She gritted her teeth and insisted on practicing 300 Chinese characters every day.

Dou Huanchang, however, was very friendly to Dou Zhao - they were the only two people in the family wearing heavy mourning.

He often gave Dou Zhao the delicious food that his aunt made for him, and Dou Zhao's attitude towards him gradually softened.

Soon it was the Ramadan month, and Dou Zhao's mother was going to hold a small sacrifice ceremony.

His father was about to stop mourning, but Dou Zhao still had to wear mourning clothes for fifteen months.

My third aunt came to discuss with my grandfather the matter of renewing the piano for my father.

Since the death of my eldest uncle, my eldest aunt is no longer the head wife of the Dou family. Logically, my second aunt should be in charge of the family income, but my second aunt is in office with my second uncle. She has to take care of his affairs before she can bring her children back home. The household affairs are temporarily taken care of by my third aunt.

Grandfather asked my third aunt, "Do you have any good family?"

Third Aunt considered, "Eldest sister-in-law has a little cousin who often came to our house when she was young. She has good character and good looks. Eldest sister-in-law also has this intention. Then there is the fifth daughter of the Zhuju family in the east of the city and the granddaughter of Mr. Chen's family in Nanlou Township. Miss Zhu has a gentle temperament. She has studied with her brothers for a few years and has a little knowledge of poetry, music, calligraphy and painting. I think she can get along well with Seventh Uncle. Mr. Chen was once the prefect of Songjiang. The daughter you are talking about is the third child. I have never met her, but she has a good reputation. The other families are either of a slightly inferior family background, or of a poor origin, and are illegitimate children. I don't think it's necessary to meet them."

Grandfather nodded and praised the Third Aunt's ability to handle things: "You have considered it very carefully. Wanyuan is a concubine's daughter, so you must not marry another concubine's daughter. I think you should settle on a daughter from other families! People from the eldest niece's wife's family are too close, which is sometimes not necessarily a good thing. Mr. Chen always thinks that he is a scholar and acts a bit pedantic. The daughters raised by such people are mostly a bit dull."

Third Aunt smiled and stood up: "Then I will say hello to everyone. Who do you think should be sent to see the family?"

Ever since Aunt Ding made a fool of herself in the living room, she has claimed to be ill and has been away from home. My grandfather has been taken care of by Qiu Fen, the maid who used to serve Aunt Ding.

Grandfather was also a little embarrassed. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Just help me make the decision."

Third aunt left with a smile on her face.

When Dou Zhao heard the news, he was tracing in red ink at his rosewood desk.

There will be a new mistress in this house soon, and she will have to move out of the main house.

From now on, her mother's presence will become increasingly thinner in her life.

Thinking of this, she felt a little lost.

I just don’t know where my father will place her?

When we get back, let Tuo Niang and the others start packing up!

Xidou is currently lacking a mistress to take charge of the household affairs. Once the marriage between the two families is settled, the young ladies should be able to marry in soon.

Dou Zhao put down his pen and gently moved his sore wrist.

But my father went to my grandfather with a frown on his face.

"I don't want to continue." He looked straight at his grandfather, his brows full of resolute persistence, "I want to wait for Gu Qiu for three years."

"Ridiculous!" Grandfather was furious. "How old are you? How come you still don't know anything? You are the only son in the family. Instead of wanting to have children for the Dou family, you follow those playboys and observe mourning for your wife... Do you know what responsibility is? What is responsibility?" Grandfather was so angry that his beard twitched. "There is no room for negotiation on this matter! I will let your third sister-in-law and other families set a date as soon as possible. You just need to wait for the wedding!"

Dou Zhao, who was eavesdropping through the crack of the door, almost fell down.

In May of next year, Wang Xingyi will be reinstated.

The Wang family will continue to be in officialdom in the future and will never let their daughter become a concubine.

If my father remarried before May next year, the Wang family would either keep Dou Ming in the Dou family and let Wang Yingxue return home; or they would give Wang Yingxue a three-foot white silk and force her to hang herself; or they would send Wang Yingxue to a nunnery and let the ancient Buddha lamp end her miserable life.

If my father doesn't remarry before May next year...

In his previous life, Wang Xingyi always felt that he owed a lot to his wife and children. After he became rich, he only stayed with his wife and never had anything to do with women. He also loved his children very much and tried his best to meet their every request. Especially Wang Yingxue, not only was she rejected by her fiancé, but she also showed up to help maintain the family life and delayed her own marriage. Therefore, she doted on Dou Ming and Dou Xiao more than her own grandsons.

If her guess was correct, Wang Xingyi would definitely find a way to get the Dou family to make Wang Yingxue the legitimate wife.

Then wouldn’t Wang Yingxue become her stepmother!

No, no!

We must not let this happen!

My father must remarry before May next year.

Get Wang Yingxue out!

My father's attitude was extremely firm: "Dad, if you are not afraid of breaking up with the Zhu family, just go ahead and set a date with them. Anyway, I will not show up in the ceremony hall on that day, and I will not pay any attention to Miss Zhu even if she marries me."

"You are rebelling!" Grandfather's face turned purple and red, and he smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground with a "bang". "Just don't show up and see if the young ladies from other families can come in!"

"Dad!" My father suddenly knelt in front of my grandfather, choking with sobs, "I will obey you in everything from now on. Please promise me this time! I know I am the only son in the family. You were over 40 when you got me, and you were looking forward to having grandchildren and inheriting the family business. Please let me be willful for the last time! From now on, I will follow the rules, study hard, pass the imperial examinations, bring honor to the Dou family, and have descendants. Dad, please promise me this time!"

My father kowtowed to my grandfather.

That sound was like a knock on Dou Zhao's heart, making her heart suffocate and feel sour for a moment.

Why now?

I didn't stay with my mother early, and I didn't stay with her late, but I did it just when Wang Xingyi was about to be reinstated!

In your last life, didn't you marry Wang Yingxue before your mother was 100 days old? Why should you be a good person in this life?

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have done it!

Now that she has arranged everything, her father jumps out!

What is going on?

Dou Zhao was anxious and angry.

I heard my grandfather's hesitant voice: "You have been waiting for her for a year... You have done your best..."

"Daddy, Daddy," the father kowtowed, his voice getting louder, "I only ask you for this one thing, I only ask you for this one thing!"

Dou Duo looked at his son's dark forehead and sighed: "If you want to keep it, then keep it! However, you have to pass the provincial examination next year..."

"Thank you, Daddy. Thank you, Daddy!" My father's face was full of joy.

Dou Zhao's face was icy cold, and when he touched it, his hands were wet.

※※※※※

A few days later, the Zhu family sent someone to bring a letter to the third aunt, saying that the fifth daughter of the Zhu family felt that father was a man of loyalty and friendship, and was willing to wait for him for three years.

My grandfather was overjoyed. He personally picked out a few pieces of jade-printed paper, two inkstones, and a box of brushes from the storehouse and asked the steward to deliver them to the people. He also praised my third aunt for her ability to judge people.

Third aunt smiled and asked father: "Is this fortune right or wrong?"

My father said nothing, but his tense expression relaxed.

My third aunt went to various houses with the Geng Tie (birth card) written on it, which contained my father's birth date and horoscope.