In the Qixia Courtyard, the big red wedding candle crackled and burst into a candle flower, and Wang Yingxue's hands were tightly entwined together.

"This is really too much, too much!" She stood in the middle of the room with an angry face, "Why does the East Mansion have to suppress the West Mansion in everything? I am already Wan Yuan's legitimate wife, why does she still keep Ming Jie'er in her room?"

"Madam, please keep your voice down, keep your voice down!" Aunt Hu reminded her hurriedly. She glanced around and saw no one else around, then whispered, "Now is not the time to lose your temper - Mr. Qi is still I need the fifth master’s help. You have just straightened yourself up, and you don’t have a son by your side... endure the anger for a moment, so as not to worry about it for a hundred days!"

"I know!" Wang Yingxue's expression eased slightly. "If I hadn't thought so, I wouldn't have kept silent today."

Madam Hu breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject with a smile: "Today is a good day for you. It's getting late and Master Qi should be here soon. Why don't I help you remove your makeup and have a cup of lily and lotus seed soup..."

Wang Yingxue blushed.

Qiongfang walked in with a box in her arms, smiling: "Mrs. Qi, this is the gift I received today. Where do you think I should put it?"

Speaking of this, Wang Yingxue became furious again.

The Dou family lived a life of luxury and usually treated respectable maids with silks and satins, gold rings and silver hairpins. However, when the Second Lady and others met her, they only gave them ordinary ornaments like gold-inlaid jade hairpins, as if they didn't take her seriously.

"It's not a good thing, so why are you hiding it?" Her voice was a little sharp.

Qiong Fang's flattery hit the horse's leg, and not only did she not get any reward, but she was scolded instead.

Madam Hu winked at Qiongfang and smiled to comfort Wang Yingxue: "The Dou family is not a newly rich family. The more they deal with such things, the more low-key they are. Don't underestimate these things. Maybe each of them is a very old and exquisite item. But we don't have time today. When you are free someday, Madam can take them out and take a closer look."

Since Zhao Guqiu's death, Xidou had no one in charge of the imperial edict. Over the past few years, the place had become a mess, with everyone having their own thoughts. In addition, half of the property had been taken away by Dou Zhao a few days ago. Some of those who had been wholeheartedly trying to please her began to wait and see. At this time, everyone in the mansion was probably staring at Qixiayuan. If she showed any abnormality, it would probably be exaggerated infinitely... It would be better for her to step down based on this statement!

Wang Yingxue thought about it and said "hmm" softly. Just as she was about to teach Qiongfang a few more words, a little maid came in and said, "Gaosheng is here!"

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Wang Yingxue asked suspiciously, "Please let him in!"

Gao Sheng stood outside the plum blossom pattern lattice fan in the inner room and said in a gentle and respectful voice: "Seventh Madam, Seventh Master said that it is too late today, so he will rest in the main room, so you should rest early as well. Go to pay your respects to the old master at 12:00 tomorrow. Third Madam Chenzheng will come and give you the pair of cards from the West Mansion, so don't be late." After saying that, he bowed and retreated.

Wang Yingxue opened her mouth for a long time without closing it, and then her face turned red, tears welled up in her eyes: "What does he mean? If he wants to make an excuse, why does he have to say it's too late? It's only the beginning of the evening... and he's staying in the main room... Isn't that making me a laughing stock for nothing?"

Aunt Hu also noticed that Dou Shiying was different. She asked hesitantly, "Madam, do you want me to go and take a look?"

"No need!" Wang Yingxue gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go and invite him myself."

On the first day she entered the house, Dou Shiying stayed somewhere else. How could she hold her head up in the Dou family in the future?

Nanny Hu accompanied Wang Yingxue to the main room in a hurry.

Dou Shiying had changed into casual clothes and was writing at his drawing table.

When he saw Wang Yingxue, he was not surprised, but smiled faintly and said, "You're here."

Looking at Dou Shiying's handsome face under the lamplight, all the accusations she had prepared on the way suddenly disappeared. She adjusted her sleeves uneasily and her voice became softer: "Are you tired today? Why are you staying in the main room writing alone?" As she spoke, she walked over and smelled the alcohol emanating from Dou Shiying. She smiled and said, "How much did Seventh Master drink? Why do you reek of alcohol? Let me ask someone to bring you a bowl of sobering soup?" As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves to help him grind ink.

Dou Shiying stopped her: "Gao Sheng is serving me here, you should go and have a rest, you will be busy tomorrow." His voice was even warmer than the evening breeze blowing in from the window, but he lowered his head and continued to write without distraction.

The rejection was so obvious that Wang Yingxue blushed, but she was never one to wait. She thought for a while, then suddenly stepped forward and hugged Dou Shiying's waist.

"Ten thousand yuan..." Her eyes were so soft that water could drip out of them.

Dou Shiying's body stiffened, and he slowly put down the pen in his hand. He gently but firmly pried open the arms around his waist little by little: "Yingxue, I said before that I can't give you anything other than a name... You also know... Isn't it good for us to treat each other with respect?"

He turned around, his dark eyes staring at her quietly, his expression so serious.

Wang Yingxue was stunned.

Of course she knew... But she thought that time would dilute everything... How could longing be compared to having a warm jade in one's arms...

Dou Shiying strode out.

The lilies of the Dou family's mansion have bloomed, and their rich fragrance fills the air.

He suddenly thought of the time when he and Gu Qiu got married.

The weather is like this too.

The lilies of the valley bloomed wildly, sparkling like jade in the moonlight.

His wife called out "Wan Yuan" in a clear voice and asked him "Am I pretty?"...

He didn't remember how he answered, but he remembered that his wife threw herself on him in surprise and joy, and her heart was burning like a fire... He could hear his wife's laughter like silver bells: "They all say I'm not ashamed, but I just like you and want to marry you!" Her cute and naive voice revealed unquestionable joy and satisfaction...

The fragrance of the flowers is so strong, like a flower withering at the end of its bloom, which makes people feel palpitating and fearful.

He ran out...

There was a loud thunder and then the rain fell heavily.

※※※※※

Dou Zhao was awakened by the noise around him. He could vaguely hear his grandmother's voice instructing Hong Gu: "... Check to see if the horses in the stable are frightened. Check if the windows in the kitchen are closed. And pick up the straw in the woodshed to prevent it from getting wet by the rain."

Hong Gu yawned and nodded, then put on her clothes and went out.

Grandma turned around and saw Dou Zhao squirming in the quilt. She smiled and patted her gently: "Don't be afraid, Shougu, Aunt Cui is here!"

Dou Zhao woke up instead.

She looked at the roof beams, confused for a moment.

There was a "bang bang bang" sound of knocking on the door outside, echoing throughout the courtyard.

My grandmother was shocked to see that Liu Sihai, a farmhand who lived in the west wing, had walked to the gate with a wooden stick used to lock the gate.

"Who is it?" he asked cautiously.

"It's Master Qi." The person outside shouted, "Open the door quickly."

Liu Sihai hurriedly dropped the wooden stick in his hand and opened the door with a creaky sound.

Dou Shiying and Gao Sheng walked in in the rain.

"What happened?" The grandmother, who was standing at the door of the main room in her coat, ignored the heavy rain and hurried over to meet him.

"It's okay, it's okay." Dou Shiying's clothes were soaked. Although the midsummer weather was hot, the rain at night was still very cool on his body. His lips were a little pale. "I'll come to see Shougu."

There was deep suspicion in the grandmother's eyes, but she asked no questions. She told the maid to boil some water and asked Hong Gu to borrow two sets of clothes from the wealthy family next door, Lang.

By the time my father had cleaned up, the rain had gotten heavier and the sky was gloomy, as if it couldn't bear the weight and would collapse at any moment.

Dou Zhao sat on the kang, drowsy, his head nodding like a fish.

She was not impressed by her father's appearance.

It's the middle of the night and it's raining so hard. If you're not careful you could catch a cold or even die of the illness. You'll also have to trouble the people you're visiting to scramble to find a change of clothes for you and arrange hot water and snacks... He's childish, willful, and so inconsiderate. He doesn't look like a father at all.

More importantly, she felt that no matter what kind of conflict there was between her father and Wang Yingxue, running away like this was too weak and incompetent.

But his father was not so self-conscious. He smiled and rubbed Dou Zhao's head, and asked her softly, "Are you used to living in the farm?"

"It's a habit!" Dou Zhao turned his head and slapped his father's hand away. "Everyone treats me very well."

Dou Shiying looked at the rough and simple furnishings in the house and felt that his eldest daughter was a little heartless.

He stood in front of the kang in silence for a long time.

Dou Zhao wanted to sleep, but her father didn't say anything, so she had to ask, "Dad, don't you want to sleep?"

Dou Shiying said nothing. After a while, he slowly sat down next to Dou Zhao and asked her in a deep voice, "Do you still remember your mother?"

Dou Zhao was surprised, but his expression gradually straightened up.

"I still remember your mother." He murmured, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "The day she married me, she wore an emerald ring on her hand, with a gold setting shaped like a crabapple flower..."

Dou Zhao turned his face away, sadness slowly overflowing from the bottom of his heart.

※※※※※

His father passed away before dawn. Dou Zhao looked at the sky, which was as clear as water after the rain, and was stunned for a moment.

After the sadness, people will have more courage to face the disappointments in life!

She went back to the house to practice calligraphy.

Zhao Liangbi diligently helped her tidy up the study.

She said to Zhao Liangbi: "Shall I give you a name?"

Zhao Qibi was both happy and worried.

He was happy that he didn’t have to be called Gousheng anymore, but he was worried that Dou Zhao might give him a name similar to Gousheng on a whim… and he couldn’t change it anymore!

"How about 'Liangbi'?" Dou Zhao wrote his name on a piece of paper. "It means beautiful jade. I hope you can be as beautiful and humble as jade."

Zhao Liangbi was overjoyed and showed off the paper with his name written by Dou Zhao everywhere.

Within a day, everyone in the farm knew that Gousheng's name was Zhao Liangbi.

Grandmother also praised the name and said she would take her to the temple in a few days. Unfortunately, father's vacation was over, so he came to pick Dou Zhao up and told grandmother: "If you have any questions, you can send a message to Sixth Brother. He will take care of you and Shougu while I am in Kyoto."

Grandma nodded and didn't take the words to heart.

She had lived alone on the farm for more than twenty years without any problems, and she believed that if anything happened in the future, she would not go to the Dou family.

Dou Zhao asked his father: "Can I take Zhao Liangbi back with me?"

My father asked who Zhao Liangbi was?

Grandmother told my father his origins.

When his father heard that Dou Zhao had helped him come up with the name Zhao Liangbi, he nodded and said, "Then take her back!"

In this way, Zhao Liangbi appeared in the Dou family ahead of time.