Dou Zhao certainly didn't know what Wang Yingxue and her sister-in-law said in the house. She was dragged away by her father Dou Shiying to go fishing.

The weather in Zhending in June was still very hot, but when the carriage was running and the wind blew through the bamboo curtains, it still made people feel very comfortable.

Gao Sheng, my father's attendant, acted as the driver this time. While driving the car, he talked to my father: "...I went fishing with you two years ago. The kudzu in the mountains was so sweet and powdery. I have never tasted such delicious kudzu. But this time we went out of season, so I am afraid we won't be able to eat it."

"But there is a hillside of wild mugwort on the mountain," said the father with a smile, "we can pick some and bring them back to make mugwort tea or mugwort porridge, which can clear away heat and relieve internal heat, which is also good!"

Dou Zhao looked at the carriage with only three people in it and wondered, "Dad, why didn't you bring a few servants and maids with you so that we would have someone to help us when the time comes?"

Gaosheng laughed and concentrated on driving.

Her father touched her head and said nothing.

It was as if she had said something wrong.

Dou Zhao was a little puzzled, and when he looked again, he realized that the scenery along the road looked so familiar!

She leaned on the car window and looked out.

The dense sorghum fields seem endless, dotted with a few small farmyards. In the distance, green hills rise one after another, and occasionally the roads are lined with lush poplar trees.

Isn't this the way to my grandmother's farm?

Dou Zhao turned around and looked at his father in surprise.

Her father thought she was shocked by the scenery, and pointed to the corn field with a smile: "See those yellow stems? That's corn. I'll ask Gao Sheng to go down and take a look. If they're ripe, we'll break off a few and take them to the mountain to roast and eat."

Gao Sheng laughed again.

Dou Zhao did not comment.

The carriage soon took a side road, passed through a millet field, and headed towards a small hill.

For some reason, Dou Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

This sorghum field was planted by the Lang family. My grandmother's farm was next to the Lang family's. The boundary marker was a bluestone as tall as a person, with a big "Dou" character engraved on it.

After a while, the carriage stopped and they got off. Gaosheng tied up the horse and followed them with the fishing gear in his hands and on his shoulders.

Passing an old pine tree, Dou Zhao heard the sound of gurgling water.

The expression on her face became a little strange.

She is very familiar with this place.

This is a small river located at the junction of Langjia and Doujia. The water is clear and transparent, and the riverbed is very shallow, with pebbles clearly visible. Every June, a kind of small silver fish like a shuttle in the river will eat grass by the river. She often rolls up her pants and goes down to the river with the children on the farm to fish.

On the other side of the river is a slope with three wild peach trees growing in a triangle. Every spring, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, tender and pink, very beautiful. In summer, the wild peach trees will bear small green peaches, which are bitter and astringent and cannot be eaten at all. At this time, they will run to the hollows next to the wild peach trees to pick wild vegetables. Loosestrife, okra, sorrel, alfalfa... In spring, they pick the tender leaves to cook, and in summer, they pick the fruits and sell them to the medicine shop in Zhending, exchanging a few coppers to supplement the family, and they can always get a compliment from the adults and a few coins to buy snacks.

Of course, she didn't have to do all this for snacks, but wherever she went, she was followed by two maids who were like little tails. The two maids would pick wild vegetables or fruits, and she would share them with her companions. Over time, everyone liked playing with her more and more.

How did my father know this place?

Dou Zhao's mind was a little confused. When she came to her senses, she and her father were already standing under the big locust tree beside the stream.

Gao Sheng set up a stool under the big locust tree and put out some cold tea.

Father took Dou Zhao and sat down on a stool under the big locust tree.

Gao Sheng chose a place with abundant aquatic plants, stood there, took out his fishing rod, put on the bait, and started fishing.

Is this what my father meant by fishing?

Dou Zhao was speechless.

Her father drank his tea leisurely and warned her: "Don't go under the sun. Be careful not to get sunburned."

Dou Zhao looked at the green peaches on the other side of the river in boredom.

The wind blew, the branches rustled, and the green peaches swayed in the wind.

My father smiled and said, "Those peaches are bitter and astringent, and you can't eat them. When next spring comes, I'll have someone go to Zhending Prefecture to buy you some peaches from Kyoto."

You even know this!

Dou Zhao's eyes widened.

Over there Gao Sheng has already caught a small fish.

He threw the small fish into the bucket and said with a smile, "If we do this today, Master Seven and Miss Four will have fish to eat tonight!"

My father smiled and said, "Let's go to Baoshan's house for a meal today!"

Gao Sheng said "Oh" in a somewhat strange way, but didn't ask any more questions.

Dou Zhao didn't care and asked, "Why should we go to Feng's house for a meal?"

My father hesitated for a moment and said with a smile, "Auntie Wang's sisters-in-law are here. Their family is different now and they have some connections with my fifth brother. Logically, I should entertain them well, but Auntie Wang is a concubine after all, and it is not proper for me to entertain them. We will have dinner at your uncle Feng's house before we go back. They should have returned to Nanwo."

No wonder people go fishing on such a hot day!

Dou Zhao suddenly realized.

The father smiled and said, "Let's go to the hillside and take a look!" Then he carried Dou Zhao to the top of the hill.

Looking around, his grandmother's house was clearly visible. Dou Zhao could even see his grandmother standing in the front yard and talking to the maid.

Dou Zhao was very surprised.

She didn't know if it was her illusion, but her grandmother seemed to be able to sense their presence and kept looking at them.

Dou Zhao turned around.

My father stared at my grandmother's house with a serious expression.

Dou Zhao's mind buzzed.

It turns out that my father has always expressed his longing for my grandmother in this way.

She never knew!

Father, what other secrets are there?

Dou Zhao was thinking, and heard his father muttering to himself: "I didn't know I was my mother's biological child until I was nine years old. I just want to know what kind of person gave birth to me. I don't want to make my mother sad, but thinking about her staying alone on this farm for so many years, I feel very uncomfortable..."

She just felt upset.

Could it be because of this reason that she was sent to the farm in her previous life?

That day, father told Wang Yingxue that he needed a legitimate son.

Could it be because of this reason that Dou Xiao existed in the previous life?

In her previous life, her father had only two concubines, but he rarely stayed overnight in the concubines' rooms. She thought it was because her father liked Wang Yingxue, but now it seems that her father was in his prime at that time, and her father and Wang Yingxue only had two children, Dou Ming and Dou Xiao...

She really wanted to ask her father.

But none of this has ever happened in this life.

She was in a mess.

※※※※※

Gao was also feeling very upset.

She knew that Mrs. Pang was a cunning person who did not follow the rules in her words and deeds, but she never expected that she would actually say such words. What she did not expect was that her aunt actually looked interested.

She couldn't help but get angry and shouted at Pang: "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you. You are too..." She wanted to say "too shameless", but thinking that they would have to go in and out of the same room in the future, she changed her words helplessly, "Too much!"

Pang Yulou was delighted to see Gao's changed face, and he spoke without hesitation, "Sister-in-law, I am not like you, who has read books of sages and speaks with a lot of principles. I only know that if a person does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth! Why did my aunt end up like this? It's all because of our family! Now that the family has improved a little, why do you think my aunt is embarrassing and turn your face against me? You can do it, but I can't! I know that this person should know what is right and wrong. When my aunt was a girl, she was in the limelight for the family's livelihood. Who didn't point fingers at our family behind her back? Why didn't you jump out and talk about etiquette and morality at that time? In the final analysis, it's because you rely on my aunt for food..."

Gao couldn't help but glance at Wang Yingxue, and saw that Wang Yingxue was nodding slightly, almost imperceptibly.

She suddenly felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave, and her heart was chilled.

"Shut up!" Gao shouted, interrupting Pang Yulou's words, "You earn your living by working hard, it's fair and just, why should you be afraid of those rumors and gossips! Mr. Dou Qi is already engaged, but you ruined the marriage of the Dou and Zhu families for your own selfish reasons. You acted despicably and are despised by everyone. How can you be compared..."

Pang Yulou sneered, "What is selfishness? What is public-spiritedness? Wanting to eat well, dress well and live a good life is selfishness? Giving all your things to others is public-spiritedness? Is my appearance not as good as that of the fifth lady of the family? Or is my family background not as good as that of the fifth lady of the family? Moreover, it was Dou Shiying who deceived my aunt and said that he was not married, so my aunt was careless and fell into his trap. Why can't I become his wife? Why can't I take back what belongs to me? Sister-in-law, don't forget that you are from the Wang family. I met Dou Shiying because I wanted medicine for your son!"

Gao's face turned pale, her chest heaved violently, and she couldn't utter a word for a long time.

"Aunt, I support you in this matter." Pang Yulou sat at the head of the bed and immediately changed his appearance to be as gentle as water, comforting Wang Yingxue, "Others did not eat or drink your food, so it is reasonable for them to say bad things about you. But those who ate and drank your food and still sanctimoniously blame you are more vicious than those outside..."

"Second sister-in-law!" Wang Yingxue cried and leaned on Pang Yulou's shoulder.

"Don't cry, don't cry." Pang Yulou took out a handkerchief and wiped Wang Yingxue's tears. "Just listen to me. I promise to make those families cancel the engagement..."

Gao closed her eyes and opened them after a while, her expression much calmer.

She called out "Yingxue" softly, and said, "It was my sister-in-law who let you down. I want to apologize to you. I have been married to the Wang family for so many years. It is said that I am in charge of the family, but in fact, without you, I can't support this family. You have always been smart. There are some things that you should understand without my sister-in-law telling you. The Zhao family needs to write a consent letter for the concubine to be promoted to the first wife. The Dou family and the Zhao family are so tense, how could the Zhao family write a consent letter? "A letter of consent? And you have seen the attitude of the Dou family. If they intended to make you their legal wife, they could have taken the opportunity to cancel the engagement when the Zhu family disagreed with the wedding date. Why would they wait until now? Besides, the Zhu family is not a small family. The Dou family cannot offend the Zhu family for us. Although my father has been reinstated, he is only a small seventh-rank county magistrate. You should think carefully about what to do in the future."

Wang Yingxue leaned on Pang Yulou's shoulder and whispered, "Sister-in-law, didn't you always tell me that some things can only be known by trying them?"

Gao was so suffocated that she finally said, "Think about it carefully again," and walked away.