After observing Tuoniang for a while, my grandmother found that she was honest and kind, and she liked her a little bit. She really wanted to find a good marriage for her. So when she had nothing to do, she would take Dou Zhao to wander around the village. When she saw a young man of the right age, she would take a few more glances and ask a few more questions. After a few days, people in the village said that the seventh master of the Dou family asked my grandmother to find him an honest and reliable follower. When my grandmother and Dou Zhao went out, they would often meet people who brought their sons with them.

My grandmother was both amused and confused, but she didn't know why, so she just kept explaining, "That's not true, that's not true."

Naturally, no one believed it.

It was at this time that Dou Ming met Zhao Liangbi.

The Zhao family and the Cui family are relatives, but she has never figured out exactly why.

That day, they were having dinner in the yard. Zhao Liangbi's father walked into the yard slowly with his hands folded in his sleeves and hunched over. The eight-year-old Zhao Liangbi followed his father reluctantly with his head down.

"His aunt," Zhao Liangbi's father stood there from a distance, a slightly attentive smile on his dark and thin face, "Are you having dinner?" Zhao Liangbi squatted at the door.

Grandmother quickly put down her bowl, called out "Third Brother", and greeted him warmly: "Have you eaten? Add some more!" Then she called the maid to bring a stool and add more bowls and chopsticks.

Zhao Liangbi's father shook his hands repeatedly: "We have already eaten, we have already eaten!" Then he looked at Dou Zhao and said, "Is this the fourth young lady? She is so fair and pure, like the people in the New Year pictures."

Grandmother laughed and told the maid to serve tea and snacks.

Zhao Liangbi's father yelled at Zhao Liangbi, "What are you doing squatting there, you dog? Come over here and kowtow to the fourth young lady and your aunt!"

Zhao Liangbi walked over with a gloomy face.

"What is this?" Grandmother looked at Zhao Liangbi's father in confusion.

"His aunt," Zhao Liangbi's father said with a smile, "you little brat, you're eating your father out of poverty. You also know that my wife lies in bed 360 days out of 365 days a year, and the harvest from the fields is not enough to pay for her medicine. Gousheng, we really can't support her anymore. I heard that Master Dou Qi is looking for followers..." He looked at his grandmother with an angry face.

The grandmother was stunned.

Dou Zhao was also stunned.

In her previous life, Zhao Liangbi appeared when she was ten years old. At that time, Zhao Liangbi's mother died of illness, and Zhao Liangbi's father decided to go to Fujian with others to do carpentry. He entrusted the thirteen-year-old Zhao Liangbi to her grandmother, and Zhao Liangbi's nine-year-old sister was given away as a child bride... In this life, because of Tuoniang, he appeared in the farm five years earlier.

Will fate be changed because of this?

Dou Zhao pondered.

Zhao Liangbi's father was heard to stammer, "I know that Gousheng is not good-looking and has no talent. Dou Qiye would definitely look down on him. But considering that we are relatives, please help him say a word..."

Before he could say a word, Zhao Liangbi, who was standing awkwardly beside him, said loudly: "Dad, I have told you so many times that the closer the relatives are, the less likely the eldest aunt will introduce them to the Dou family. Why don't you listen..."

Zhao Liangbi's father kicked him angrily and said, "The adults are talking, children, stay away." Then he put on a flattering smile and said to his grandmother, "Aunt, don't listen to this kid's nonsense. I know you are afraid that someone will say that you took advantage of the Dou family..."

"Aunt," Zhao Liangbi, who was kicked aside, interrupted her father loudly, "My father can't support me, so you can leave me on the farm? I can do any job, and you just need to give me a bowl of rice to eat."

The father glared at his son, and the son glared at his father without showing any weakness.

Grandmother laughed and said, "Third brother, if you trust me, just give the child to me. It's definitely not okay for him to work for the Dou family, but I can provide him with enough food and warm clothes."

Before Zhao Liangbi's father could say anything, Zhao Liangbi responded loudly, "Okay."

Grandmother made quick work of things and arranged for Zhao Liangbi and his son to go downstairs and rest. She then instructed Hong Gu: "Third brother and his friends must not have had dinner yet. Shou Gu is here with me, and I was afraid that she would think that Third brother and his friends were dirty, so I didn't dare to invite them to dinner. Go to the kitchen and make them a big bowl of noodles with sliced ​​meat. You need lots of sliced ​​meat, 70% fat and 30% lean, and put a thick layer of it on the noodles. Do you understand?"

Hong Gu smiled and nodded, then went to the kitchen.

Early the next morning, Zhao Liangbi's father went home carrying a basket of pancakes given by his grandmother. Zhao Liangbi swept the yard clean without being told, put down the broom, and went to cut grass to feed the horses.

Dou Zhao was practicing calligraphy in the house, but he was thinking about Cui Shisan in his heart.

Only the nobles have such a place, which is responsible for the social activities of various mansions and the daily reception and farewell. If it is an official family, it will be in charge of the staff who have been in office for many years, and the staff of the official family are mostly failed scholars or judges... If she had not married into the Jining Marquis's mansion in this life, where would Cui Shisan's future be?

In the previous life, Cui Shisan was the backbone of the Cui family.

If Cui Shisan ended up staying in his hometown and becoming an unknown farmer, what changes would happen to the future of the Cui family?

Do you want to help Cui Shisan?

How can we help him?

Dou Zhao lowered his head in thought.

Zhao Liangbi's sweet voice came from outside: "Sister, this teapot is a bit heavy, can I help you carry it in?"

"Look at your hands, they're so dirty." Haitang said, "If you carry the teapot in, will our young lady still be able to drink?"

"Well, then I'll go wash my hands." Zhao Liangbi ran away.

When Dou Zhao saw him again, his nails were trimmed and clean, and he looked refreshed.

He helped Haitang and the others clean the house with swift hands and feet.

Haitang asked him, "Have you swept the yard clean?"

"Clean it up!"

"Has the colt been fed?"

"Hey!"

"Is the grass cut?"

"Yes."

All these things became Zhao Liangbi's responsibility.

He picked up Dou Zhao's badly written words, looked at them from front to back, and said with envy: "Fourth Miss's handwriting is really beautiful!"

Haitang and the others covered their mouths and laughed: "Do you know him?"

"No, I don't know him." Zhao Liangbi, who was so thick-skinned that he could smile at you no matter what you said, blushed with shame and embarrassment for the first time.

Dou Zhao was moved. He asked him, "Do you want to learn to read?"

His face lit up: "Of course I want to." Then his expression darkened again, "But my father has no money."

"Then I will teach you to read!" Dou Zhao said with a smile, "If you learn well, I will tell grandma to send you to school."

Zhao Liangbi grabbed Dou Zhao's sleeve and said, "Fourth Miss, you must keep your word."

Dou Zhao pursed his lips and smiled.

I don’t know what will happen in the future, but starting with learning to read and studying will definitely be easier than the path in my previous life!

From then on, Zhao Liangbi would lie down under the veranda of the main house and write after finishing his work every day.

When my grandmother found out, she asked someone to go to Zhending City and fetch one or two baskets of red tracing paper. She cut them herself and placed them under the shrine in the main hall. Whoever wanted to use it could take it.

No wonder the people on the farm were grateful for my grandmother's kindness.

Dou Zhao thought carefully about what his grandmother had done.

Soon it was the 22nd.

Dou Zhao got up early in the morning as usual, walked around the vegetable garden with his grandmother, picked some fruits, took a bath, had breakfast, and started practicing calligraphy.

Although the Dou family in the west end of Zhending County did not hang up lanterns and decorations, everyone in the family changed into new clothes, which was a refreshing sight.

Seeing that it was getting late, Ji went to the Second Madam's room and saw that she was still lying on the kang listening to her personal maid reading The Romance of the Five Heroes. She smiled and said, "You are still stable. I was afraid of being late, so I changed my clothes early."

The Second Madam smiled and looked up at her, saying, "You are of the same generation, and the West Mansion is sparsely populated, so you have to go and join in the fun. I am old and a widow, and it is unlucky for someone else to have a good day. I will not go." Then she told the maid, "Take out the red gold and green jade longevity hairpin in my box, put it in the box, and ask the Sixth Madam to take it over. It will be my gift." The last sentence was said to Ji, "As for Ming Jie'er, let her stay with me. It won't be too late to pick her up when Wan Yuan returns to Kyoto."

In this case, Shougu and Mingjie'er would not have to kowtow and offer tea to Wang, right?

Ji saw that although the Second Madam's tone was nonchalant, her eyes were as cold as ice. She knew that the Second Madam was determined to intimidate Wang Yingxue. She didn't want to get involved, so she took the box with a smile and walked out.

The eldest wife had already dressed up and was about to count the gifts for Wang Yingxue when she heard from her trusted maid that the second wife would not go and mentioned something like "widowhood". After thinking for a while, she called a little maid to come in and take off her hairpins and only kept a pair of pearls as a gift, and asked the maid to ask the second wife to take them over.

The Third Master Heng Shibang and the Third Mistress were entrusted by Dou Duo to help with household affairs. When they saw the women from the East Palace coming, they hurried over to greet them.

The second wife, who was leading the group, smiled and said, "Those who could come have all come, and those who couldn't have also brought gifts."

The third wife was a very astute person. With just a glance, she knew which guests had not come. Without asking any questions, she smiled and went to the flower hall with everyone, while the male guests sat down in the main hall in the front.

At the auspicious time, Wang Yingxue, wearing a golden phoenix with pearls and silk threads on her head and a bright red wedding dress, was radiant and was supported by the Third Madam, a blessed woman, to worship the ancestors with Dou Shiying. After three rounds of wine, everyone moved to the flower hall to sit down, Dou Shiying and Wang Yingxue offered tea and recognized each other. Afterwards, Wang Yingxue was helped back to Qixia Courtyard, while Dou Shiying and others went to Heshou Hall.

The second wife and others just sat in the big flower hall drinking tea and chatting.

The third wife had no choice but to look at the sixth wife for help.

Logically, these female relatives should go to the newlyweds' room to talk and warm up the room for them.

Mrs. Six pretended not to see it.

She doesn't want to be in the spotlight.

The third wife had no choice but to call the second cousin: "Let's go see Wang."

The second cousin's wife was a follower of the crowd, so she agreed with a smile. The third and fifth cousins-in-law and several respectable maids went to Qixiayuan together.

At this time, the second wife asked, "Why is Wang still living in Qixia Courtyard?"

"It was the Seventh Master's idea." The maid who wanted to curry favor with the Second Madam answered, "He said that there are things from the Seventh Madam and the Fourth Miss left in the main room. The Fourth Miss has gone to the farm to take care of the sick, so there is no time to collect them now. We will wait until the Fourth Miss comes back in a few days."

The second wife said "Oh", waited for the third wife and others to come back, and then went back home, making the excuse that there was no one to serve the lady-in-waiting.