Chapter 447 Jiang Yan

Jiang Yan was so anxious that he had to think of ways to make some money. But now she lived in a large mansion, with a group of maids and servants serving her, and a coachman escorting her when she went out. She rarely had time to be alone. Even if she wanted to make a brocade or embroider a handkerchief and consign it to a wedding shop as she did in the past, she couldn't send the things out.

She gradually became unhappy.

When Yinghong saw this, she was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat. She dared not hide anything at all and quickly reported it to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao immediately put down what he was doing and went to see Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan didn't expect to alarm Dou Zhao. He murmured, "I'm fine," and glanced at Yinghong with a reproachful look.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Don't look at her, she is also loyal and is afraid that you will be wronged." He hugged her and said softly, "What's wrong? Is there anything you can't tell your sister-in-law?"

"It's really nothing!" Jiang Yan said shyly, "It's just that the weather is getting colder and I feel a little sleepy."

Dou Zhao touched her forehead and found the temperature was normal. He also asked the maid who served her personally, but found nothing unusual. So he had to put his worries aside for the time being and told Yinghong to serve Jiang Yan well.

Jiang Yan smiled gently and saw Dou Zhao out.

Dou Zhao looked at her gentle and soft appearance, and sighed inwardly, feeling as if he had raised another daughter. When he returned to the house, he asked someone to bring a letter to Jiang Lizhu, asking her to come and see Jiang Yan when she had nothing to do, and talk to Jiang Yan, so as to prevent Jiang Yan from having wild thoughts when he was lonely and bored.

Jiang Lizhu not only had her mother-in-law, but also her great-grandmother. Her great-grandmother had long since stopped taking care of things, and her mother-in-law was in charge of the family affairs. Both her great-grandmother and her mother-in-law were kind people. They felt sorry for the misfortune suffered by the Jiang family, and treated Jiang Lizhu, the new daughter-in-law, like her own daughter, with great kindness and care. Jiang Lizhu was well-educated at home since she was young, and she was generous and cheerful. She thought that the Wu family had never despised the Jiang family's poverty, and she was upright and upright. She was not only filial to her great-grandmother and her mother-in-law, but also very respectful. She also got along well with her husband Wu Zijie, and the family lived in harmony. Therefore, the Wu family was very encouraging of the invitation from the Duke of England, thinking that it would be good for her to have a relative to visit, talk with sisters of the same age, and have company.

After receiving the letter, she came to visit Jiang Yan.

However, just as she stepped into the Song family, the news that Song Mo was promoted to the commander-in-chief of the Jinwu Guards reached the Duke of Ying's Mansion.

Jiang Lizhu was surprised and delighted, and smiled to Dou Zhao, "I came at the right time!"

Dou Zhao smiled bitterly and asked the servant who brought the news, "Is the prince still in the palace?"

"No." The servant said with a look of joy on his face, "I was taken to Zuixianlou by a group of Jinwuwei people. They said they wanted to treat the prince to a drink!"

Dou Zhao sent the servant away.

Jiang Lizhu asked curiously, "Sister-in-law doesn't seem very happy?"

"Suddenly I saw the willows on the street, and I regretted having asked my husband to seek a title." Dou Zhao had no choice but to fool her, "I am just worried that your cousin is too young and has been dazzled by the outside world, right?"

Jiang Lizhu laughed and covered her mouth, saying, "Sister-in-law has always been confident. I didn't expect that she would also worry sometimes?"

"I'm just an ordinary person, how can I not worry?" Dou Zhaogang joked with her for a few words, and then the chief steward and the housemaids in the mansion came to congratulate him.

When Jiang Lizhu saw this, she retreated and went to Bishuixuan.

Jiang Yan had just received the news and was very happy. When he saw Jiang Lizhu, he asked her if she knew that her brother had been promoted. He also discussed with her: "What gift do you think I should give to my brother?"

Jiang Lizhu smiled and said, "Cousin, what do you have? You can give me anything, as long as the thought is there."

Jiang Yan thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Then why don't you embroider a purse for your brother to show his prosperity? Embroidery is my best skill."

Jiang Lizhu also thought it was a good idea. She leaned over the table on the kang and drew the pattern with Jiang Yan. Then she took the opportunity to ask her, "What happened to you these days? My cousin said you looked a little dazed."

"Don't mention it." Jiang Yan finally had someone she could talk to, and she told him everything: "You also know what happened that day. I borrowed one hundred taels of silver from Lord Chen..." She told Jiang Lizhu what had happened in the past few days.

Jiang Lizhu couldn't help laughing when she heard this, and said, "Why are you so worried about this? It's just a few dozen taels of silver. How about I help you pay it back first? You can pay me back when you have money in the future."

Jiang Yan knew that the Jiang family had been confiscated. She thought that even if Jiang Lizhu had money, it was probably the life-saving money she had kept at the bottom of her box when she got married. How could she touch it?

"No need." Jiang Yan said embarrassedly, "I borrowed yours and returned it to Chen Jia. Isn't that tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall? And you are also involved." She didn't want Jiang Lizhu to worry about her affairs anymore, so she smiled and changed the subject, saying: "Brother has been promoted, and he must have a banquet for relatives and colleagues. What do you think, will brother's banquet be held on the same day as Yuan Ge'er's 100-day ceremony?"

"Probably not!" Jiang Lizhu guessed, "We can connect them together, just enough to play for two days."

Jiang Yan nodded.

Song Mo decided to hold these two happy events on the same day: "It's a celebration of my promotion to the commander-in-chief of the Jinwu Guards, and it's also a celebration of Yuan Ge'er's 100th day. It kills two birds with one stone. It also prevents people from thinking that we are making a big fuss and being too high-profile."

Dou Zhao said, "What about the Liao prince?"

"There will always be a way out. If the Liao King doesn't rebel, will our life be over?" He comforted Dou Zhao, "Don't worry, I will never let you and the children suffer no matter what."

It is because she knows that Song Mo will protect her and the child no matter what hardship he endures that she feels even more distressed!

Dou Zhao gently stroked Song Mo's temples.

Song Mo raised his eyes frivolously and whispered in her ear: "Do you miss me?"

Dou Zhao's face suddenly felt hot and he pinched Song Mo in an annoyed manner.

Song Mo laughed out loud and was about to tease Dou Zhao when the wet nurse came in carrying Yuan Ge'er.

Seeing Dou Zhao and his wife sitting side by side on the kang, holding hands, she blushed, lowered her eyelids, and explained hastily, "It's late at night, I was afraid that Yuan Ge'er would cry..."

Yuan Ge'er would look for Dou Zhao at night.

Dou Zhao hurriedly picked up his son.

Song Mo touched Yuan Ge'er's head and chuckled, "You came at the right time!"

Yuan Ge'er smiled foolishly at his father.

Song Mo couldn't help laughing and called out "silly son"...

※※※※※

Jiang Yan's debts had not been settled yet, and the man who was introducing her to a marriage proposal was about to break down the threshold of the Duke of Ying's mansion, giving her another worry.

Song Yichun sneered when he found out: "A good horse doesn't deserve two saddles, and a virtuous woman doesn't marry two men. They are so embarrassed to find a husband for Jiang Yan in such a high-profile manner. Aren't they afraid of being stabbed in the back?"

Song Han was silent.

Miao Ansu advised him: "Now that your uncle has been promoted, we should happily go and congratulate him and his wife. Filial piety is important, but you will have to rely on your uncle for food in the future, so you should not be so stubborn about some things."

In her opinion, it is not advisable to hit a smiling person. As long as Song Han bends down to curry favor with Song Mo, Song Mo might soften his heart and not bother with Song Han. Even if Song Han was brought back from outside, he is still the blood of the Song family. The Song family does not have many descendants, so why should Song Mo become a mortal enemy with Song Han!

Song Han was so angry that he trembled all over and gritted his teeth and said, "Do you think I am not as good as Song Mo? Do you think I will have to rely on him for food in the future?"

How dare Miao Ansu anger Song Han?

She said hurriedly, "That's not what I meant. I meant that a real man should be able to bend and stretch. We are temporarily subordinate to our uncle, so it's better to stay out of the limelight. When our master has made great achievements, it won't be too late to compete with our uncle."

Song Han glanced at her coldly and walked away.

Ji Hong bit her lip and said, "Second Madam, what should we do?"

"What should we do? No way!" Miao Ansu said with a cold face, "If he doesn't go, we will go! I just flattered him a few words, can I really expect him to achieve great things? Even if he can achieve great things, with the pressure from the prince, that will probably be 20 or 30 years later. We are married couples, and we are newlyweds. He doesn't treat me like this, can I still expect him to find me a wedding dress in 20 or 30 years when I am old and ugly? Who knows who will be sleeping next to him then? But I have to bear the pain of his failure, I am not that stupid!"

Ji Hong didn't dare to say anything, just nodded and went to Yizhitang with Miao Ansu.

Dou Zhao was talking to the Sixth Madam who came to congratulate Song Mo in private: "...I don't know what kind of man this girl is going to marry. There are so many marriage proposals, but she just doesn't like any of them. I'm afraid that the past has become a demon in her heart, and she doesn't want to live with a man. If that's the case, what can I do? She is well-behaved and obedient. I won't abandon her even if she lives at home for the rest of her life, but I'm afraid that the prince can't get over this. Seeing her spending her days alone and doing nothing, her hatred for the Duke and Song Han will deepen, and one day she can't control herself and do something out of the ordinary."

The Sixth Madam also felt that Dou Zhao's speculation made sense, and gave her some advice: "Then don't rush to find a husband for her. Take her out more often. She will get to know more people and broaden her horizons. Her state of mind will be different, and marriage may be a piece of cake! If the prince asks about it, you can say that these families are not suitable - no one is perfect. If you want to find fault, are you afraid that you can't find any fault?"

Dou Zhao smiled and gave a thumbs up: "As expected, old ginger is still spicy!"

Madam Six smiled and pinched her cheek: "How dare you make up stories about me!"

Dou Zhao dodged with a laugh.

The Sixth Madam's expression became serious, and her smile gradually faded. She glanced at Ganlu who was serving her.

Dou Zhao hurriedly sent away the maids and servants in the room and whispered, "Sixth Aunt, what's wrong?"

The Sixth Madam said solemnly, "Has your father come to discuss this with you? This time he has formally proposed to your Fifth Uncle to adopt your Twelfth Brother as his heir!"

Dou Zhao was stunned, then she thought that if her father had made up his mind, she, as a daughter, should not object. Moreover, Dou Dechang was an open-minded and humorous person, and he was very compatible with her father's temper. It might not be a bad thing for her father to have him accompany him in the second half of his life.

She asked, "Does Sixth Aunt disagree?"

The Sixth Madam looked hesitant.

Dou Zhao shook the Sixth Madam's hand and said sincerely, "My twelfth brother is already so old, and my Sixth Uncle and father have always been close. Since he is adopted, will father still stop my twelfth brother from interacting with my Sixth Uncle? Dou Ming and I are both married, and father will make the decisions about family affairs. What else do you have to worry about?"