My grandfather passed away at an ugly time on August 12th.

Before this, he had been in a coma and left no last words.

My father cried so hard that he couldn't control himself, and it was all thanks to the people from Dongdou who came to help with the burial.

Dou Zhao stood quietly on the veranda, listening to his father's crying and thinking about his grandmother.

Three years later, my grandmother will also be gone.

Could she have done something to help her grandmother live two more years?

My grandmother went to the backyard to water the melon vines when she suddenly collapsed in the field... My grandmother had always been in good health, and no one expected...

Wang Yingxue came over and said to Dou Zhao in a commanding tone: "Shougu, there will be many people coming to pay their respects in the next few days. Your sister is not sensible, so mother can only rely on you. Please help to keep an eye on the stove."

At her grandfather's funeral, relatives, friends, villagers and neighbors would all come to pay their respects. She realized that she had been behaving in a disciplined manner these days. Was she afraid that she would stand out at the funeral and gain the favor of the elders, and then she would be unable to restrain herself in the future?

Dou Zhao raised his eyebrows.

"Mother?" She looked Wang Yingxue up and down with a critical look. "Madam, are you too busy? When did you change your surname to Zhao? Grandfather just passed away, and there are people coming to pay their respects even before the date of the funeral is set? Madam, have you never presided over a funeral before? If you really don't understand, then ask the third wife to help! Grandfather was a successful Jinshi, and the Dou family is also a well-known family in Northern Zhili. I'm afraid that by then, Grandfather's old friends came to see him off for the last time. If something funny happened, the Dou family couldn't afford to lose face! As for the matter on the stove, if the current housekeeper mom can't handle it, let's change someone else!" As she said that, she called Haitang, "Go and ask Gaosheng to come over." Ever since Wang Yingxue became the legal wife, grandfather didn't care about the inner house, and Dou Zhao lived in the East Mansion for many years. Even if the person in charge of the inner house was not Wang Yingxue's person, he didn't dare to offend her. Gaosheng was his father's person. In his previous life's memory, he was only loyal to his father. As long as his father didn't make it clear, Gaosheng, as his father's daughter, would respect him the same way as his father, just like he respected Dou Ming.

Wang Yingxue's face changed greatly, and she said in a deep voice: "Shou Gu, I don't know what the ladies in the East Palace say to you, but you are from the West Palace after all..."

Dou Zhao interrupted her and said, "Madam, I think there are some things you need to think about carefully. Grandfather just died. Don't think that no one is watching over you and you can do whatever you want!"

As he was speaking, Gao Sheng came over.

Dou Zhao interrupted the topic. Just as Wang Yingxue had begun to speak, Wang Yingxue said hastily: "I have been very busy these days, so I was a little impatient when I spoke. Don't take it to heart, Shougu..."

We can only blame Wang Yingxue for her bad luck.

Dou Zhao was worried about her grandmother. Wang Yingxue provoked her and called herself "mother" in front of her. She was determined to deal with Wang Yingxue. She didn't care what Wang Yingxue said and just finished her words. She said, "... Madam has no experience in housekeeping. If she makes a joke at this time, the West Mansion will probably be criticized by others for the rest of her life. You are familiar with the people in the family. If there is no one who can take on the responsibility, "If we can't find someone in Zhending County, we can go to Zhending Prefecture to find someone. If others find out, they won't think that we don't have anyone. They will just say that we are filial and want to send our grandfather to the mountain in a lively manner." He added, "At this time, we should avoid family members messing around. You should be more responsible. If there are any mistakes, just suppress them and wait until we have finished with our grandfather's affairs."

She didn't know whether there were any shops specializing in wedding and funeral ceremonies in Zhending, but when she was the wife of the marquis, there were many such shops in Kyoto, and some of them were quite large.

Gao Sheng guessed that Wang Yingxue wanted to intimidate Dou Zhao, but Dou Zhao's proposal was too tempting.

Not to mention Zhending, even in Northern Zhili, no family would be so generous in sending off an old man. The so-called posthumous honor depends on the filial piety and ability of the descendants. If this matter is handled well, it will only be good for the future and reputation of the Seventh Master.

He immediately said, "I'll go and take care of it right away." After saying that, he turned around decisively without even looking at Wang Yingxue.

Dou Zhao was very satisfied with his performance. He said, "Please stay here for now, Mr. Gao." He asked Wang Yingxue, "Madam, is there anything you are not sure about? Tell me now, and I and Mr. Gao will help you find a solution. If something goes wrong during the funeral, I am afraid we will not be able to receive people who come to pay their respects every day."

Gao Shengguo stopped and waited respectfully for Wang Yingxue to speak.

Wang Yingxue was so angry that her heart ached and her face turned red and white.

Dou Zhao just looked at her with a sneer.

She had no choice but to say "No more" through gritted teeth.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "That's good! I hope Madam won't think of something and fail to deal with it in a couple of days." He turned around and left calmly and generously.

There was naturally no reason for Gao Sheng to stay here any longer, so he bowed to Wang Yingxue and went to find a restaurant that could host the banquet.

Wang Yingxue held Madam Hu's hand and kept shouting, "I'm so angry, I'm so angry."

However, Madam Hu was worried about the servants of the Dou family.

Because the Seventh Master had not ordered the main house to be cleared out, the Seventh Madam and the Fourth Miss still had some things left there, and the old lady did not say a word, so the Madam could not just move in. In addition, the East House had always suppressed the West House, so the maids had lost their due respect for the Madam. They had finally suppressed those people, and would the Fourth Miss's actions make the maids restless again?

It would be great if Master Qi could say something!

She sighed in her heart, but advised Wang Yingxue: "Madam, the overall situation is more important."

"I know." Wang Yingxue nodded and asked, "Who from my mother's family will come to pay their respects?"

When Dou Duo was unable to eat, she sent someone to inform her mother, Wang Xu, hoping that her mother's family would send a capable person to express condolences, which would also help her gain a firm foothold in the Dou family.

Madam Hu whispered, "The old lady said to ask the eldest master and the eldest mistress to come."

Wang Yingxue frowned and said, "Isn't the second sister-in-law coming?"

In this situation, only her second sister-in-law Pang Yulou could understand her feelings.

Madam Hu asked, "Do you want me to take a message to Second Madam?"

Wang Yingxue said "Go quickly", and saw an unfamiliar servant looking around and quickly slipping into the room where Dou Zhao was resting.

She had an idea and pointed at the boy and whispered to Madam Hu, "Send someone smart to keep an eye on that boy."

Nanny Hu responded and left.

Zhao Liangbi entered the chamber and whispered, "Aunt Cui has learned that Old Lady Dou has passed away. She will be here soon."

Dou Zhaoqi asked, "Has Aunt Cui been informed?"

"No." Zhao Liangbi said, "Aunt Cui said that if she didn't know, she wouldn't know. If she knew, she would have to come and burn incense..."

"Of course." Dou Zhao said, "But how and when to come is particular. She doesn't care, but it's not the same in the eyes of others. Tell Cui Shisan to take care of Aunt Cui. He will accompany Aunt Cui when the Dou family goes to pick her up. If the Dou family doesn't go to pick her up, he won't come."

"That's what Cui Shisan said," Zhao Liangbi said in annoyance. "She said that if you are a little arrogant, you should be arrogant when necessary, otherwise people will look down on you. I thought the old lady had passed away, so Aunt Cui couldn't wait to come back... But Aunt Cui said that whoever wants to say it can say it, she has to come."

"You guys think of a way to stop it." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "Cui Shisan will definitely have a way."

Zhao Liangbi had no choice but to reply to Cui Shisan.

Everyone in the mansion knew that Wang Yingxue wanted to make things difficult for Dou Zhao but was outmaneuvered by him. The person in charge of the kitchen might be killed by Dou Zhao.

For a while, everyone in the West Mansion was in a panic. The maids and old women were trembling in front of Dou Zhao, and were even more respectful than they were in front of Wang Yingxue.

Dou Zhao didn't care about all this. When it was noon, he went to the side room of Heshou Hall to serve the second wife and several elders with lunch.

Early the next morning, Dou Shibang went to pick up his grandmother in person.

Aunt Ding held my grandmother's hand and cried very sadly.

Dou Zhao's expression was a little strange.

In her previous life, Dou Xiao was already five years old when her grandfather passed away. Her third uncle brought them back from the farm. When Aunt Ding saw her grandmother, although her eyes were red and swollen, she just greeted her grandmother indifferently and went to help Wang Yingxue entertain the guests.

She prevented her mother from hanging herself for the first time, but although she failed to prevent the second time, things went awry.

Dou Xiao is still unknown where he is now.

My grandfather has never seen the birth of his long-cherished eldest grandson.

My grandmother is still Aunt Cui.

In her previous life, Aunt Ding relied on her stepmother Wang Yingxue. In this life, Wang Yingxue, who was promoted from a concubine, is unable to take care of herself. She also played such a role in Dou Zhao's affairs. With her father taking charge of the family, nothing good will be waiting for her. She can only seek sympathy and mercy from her grandmother.

From the last point of view, Dou Zhao felt that this change made her quite happy.

But can she find a way to extend her grandmother's life?

Even if it's just for a few months or years, so that she and her grandmother can spend more time together?

After paying homage to his grandfather and politely declining Aunt Ding's invitation, Dou Zhao arranged for his grandmother to stay in Xidou's guest room.

Grandmother pulled her hand and said with some shame, "I thought I could help you if I came earlier. Now it seems that it's a good thing that I'm not a burden to you."

Without her grandfather as her father-in-law, and her grandmother as her stepmother, Wang Yingxue had to treat her grandmother with the courtesy of a stepmother and could not do whatever she wanted. She could easily persuade her grandmother to stay in Xidou, or even use her grandmother to suppress Wang Yingxue.

But Dou Zhao didn't want to drag his grandmother into this.

My grandmother never wanted to have anything to do with the Dou family in her entire life. Now that she is in her old age, she hopes that my grandmother can live her life according to her own wishes.

"Why do you say that?" She wiped her grandmother's face with a handkerchief.

Grandmother said a little embarrassedly, "It's just like you asked me to wait for someone from the Dou family to pick me up. I just thought that your father was born to me and your grandfather, and now that he has passed away, I should come and pay my respects to him... I didn't think much about anything else."

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Then you definitely don't want to live in the Dou family?"

"This isn't my place," said the grandmother, laughing. "I'm not used to it."

"After grandfather's funeral, I will send you back to the farm!" Dou Zhao said with a smile, "But you don't have to stay at the farm all the time. If you miss me or father, let Cui Shisan send you to stay for a few days."

"That's fine," said the grandmother with a smile, "but you should stay at my place for a few days."

Dou Zhao stared at his grandmother and smiled faintly.

My father still has to observe mourning for three years. Will my grandmother be known as “Aunt Cui” forever because of this?

She felt vaguely uneasy.