Wu Shan said, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, I went to Kyoto with my mother to visit my father. I missed you for a while, so I came to your house as soon as I came back." Then he said, "Sixth uncle is now observing government affairs in the Ministry of Justice. We ate rice dumplings together during the Dragon Boat Festival."
Dou Shiheng also passed the examination and became a Shujishi.
Dou Dechang asked hurriedly, "How is my father?"
"Very good." Wu Shan smiled, "I think I've gained some weight than when I was at home." After saying that, he rolled his eyes and said with a sly expression, "I have something good to tell you..." He dragged out the last syllable, leaving the audience in suspense.
Dou Dechang ignored him.
Dou Zhengchang smiled and said, "What good news? Are you going to Kyoto?"
"How can this be considered a good thing!" Wu Shan said disapprovingly, "I am so happy at home now. If I were to be under my father's watchful eyes, I would not be able to put down my pen unless I practiced 5,000 characters every day."
Pang Jixiu smacked his lips: "So many!"
Wu Shan then smiled and said, "From tomorrow on, I will also go to your Dou clan school to study!"
Dou Zhengchang was stunned for a moment before he reacted.
"Why do you suddenly want to come to our house to study?" Dou Dechang asked curiously, "Will your aunt be willing to let you leave home?"
Wu Shan's mother was a concubine. Wu Songnian's wife died early and they had no children. Wu Songnian passed the imperial examination and then married Wu Shan's mother, Bi. Bi was also born in an official family. When she was young, she vowed not to marry a man who was not a concubine. She was already 23 years old when she left the court. It took another three years for Wu Shan to be born. Therefore, she loved the two children very much. In order to let Wu Shan study with her uncle who was a concubine, she would rather stay in her hometown than follow Wu Songnian to the capital to take up his post.
"My father has a leg disease," Wu Shan said. "Now that he is old, it is a little inconvenient for him to walk. My mother is very worried and wants to go to Kyoto to take care of my father, but she is also worried about me. It happened that I met my sixth uncle at my fifth uncle's house during the Dragon Boat Festival. My sixth uncle said that if my father is relieved, he can let me study with you and let my sixth aunt take care of me. My father and mother both think it is a good idea, and my fifth uncle wrote a letter to the lady. This time my mother came to send me to study."
Only then did they realize that Mrs. Wu had also arrived.
"That's great, that's great." Dou Zhengchang said with a smile.
Dou Dechang grabbed Wu Shan's neck and said, "You guys finally landed in my territory!"
Wu Shan laughed heartily, clasped his hands and bowed, pretending to beg for mercy: "Great hero, please show mercy!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Dou Qijun and his younger brother Dou Qitai walked in one after another.
"What is this for?" they both laughed.
Pang Jixiu hurriedly told Wu Shan that he was going to study at the Dou clan school.
Dou Qijun and Dou Qitai insisted that Wu Shan treat them to a meal.
Wu Shan waved his hand and said, "Today, whoever sees it will have a share."
Pang Jixiu's family used to run a teahouse, and after marrying into the Wang family, they also opened a wine shop and a pawnshop. He had been hanging out in these places since he was a child, and he had a group of idle people at home. He was best at eating, drinking and having fun. Upon hearing this, he immediately said, "Just go to Jingfuchun. They make river fresh ice bowls every summer. Lotus seeds, lotus roots, water chestnuts, and fresh chicken heads are all grown in their own river ponds. Ordinary chicken heads are picked when they are old, then carried on poles and sold on the streets while shouting. If they can't sell all, they are sent to the herbal medicine shop. Chicken heads that have just grown to a size are not worth the weight and the herbal medicine shop won't accept them, so no one is willing to pick them. The chicken heads in Jingfuchun's ice bowls are as tender as possible, and they are made at great expense. They are light yellow when cooked, and are paired with fresh walnut kernels, fresh almonds, and fresh hazelnuts, and are supported by tender lotus leaves. They are red, white, and green. Not to mention eating them, just looking at them makes people feel happy..."
It was a hot summer day and several people were already drooling before he had even finished speaking.
Dou Qitai said hurriedly: "I'll go call my fourth brother."
In the generation, Dou Qijun was the fifth, Dou Qitai was the sixth, and the fourth was Dou Qiguang, the second son of Dou Yuchang. Wu Shan was his cousin.
According to blood relationship, Wu Shan and Dou Yongguang are the closest. How can Wu Shan leave him out when he is invited to dinner?
Dou Zhengchang went to report to the lady.
Mrs. Bi was a fair and plump woman with a face like a silver plate and a very kind smile.
She was a little worried.
The Second Lady smiled and said, "Don't worry, with Zhi Ge'er with you, and we are in Zhending County, nothing will happen."
Dou Qijun passed the imperial examination and became a scholar last year.
Bi felt a little relieved.
The Second Lady asked the steward to arrange a few honest and reliable servants to accompany Dou Zhengchang and others to Jingfuchun.
When the shopkeeper of Jing Fuchun saw that it was someone from the Dou family, he hurriedly gave up the best private room and personally introduced the menu. With Pang Jixiu making jokes, the atmosphere was very lively.
When serving the river fresh ice bowl, Wu Shan said, "Shall we go to the farm to see our fourth sister tomorrow?"
The noise in the private room suddenly stopped, and everyone's eyes fell on him.
Wu Shan's eyes flickered, and he said quickly, "It's so hot, and I heard that Aunt Cui's farm has everything. We can go fishing, swimming, and eat fresh lotus leaf rice on the farm under the pretext of visiting Fourth Sister... How interesting! It's better than being locked up at home every day like this."
Pang Jixiu's heart was pounding when he heard Dou Dechang grinning, "What a good idea! Let's go swimming at Aunt Cui's place."
Dou Qiguang doesn't go anywhere except studying. If Wu Shan hadn't invited him today, he would definitely not have come.
Looking at the dazzling sunlight outside, even he was moved, let alone others.
"Then it's settled." Dou Qijun said, "Who among you will go and tell the Madam? Anyway, I can't go and tell her. If I do, this matter will definitely fail."
Everyone couldn't help laughing.
"I can't tell them either." Wu Shan said, "My mother will have to stay at the Dou family for several more days."
"Then I'll go and tell her!" Dou Qiguang hesitated, "I'm afraid the lady won't agree."
"Fourth brother is an honest man." Dou Qitai said with a smile, "If you ask the fourth brother, the lady will definitely agree."
As expected, as soon as Dou Qitai said this, the lady immediately agreed.
A group of people went to the farm in a mighty manner.
Dou Zhao was bending over his desk, drawing a new style of shoes for his grandmother. When they heard the noise, everyone was startled.
Aunt Cui stopped everyone and said, "You are not allowed to go into the river. Just rest in the yard. I will ask someone to make lotus leaf rice for you."
None of these guys can sit still? They are eager to go into the river.
Seeing that he could no longer hold back, Dou Zhao called in his followers and said, "All of you go to the river bank and stand guard, one person every few steps." He also called Hong Gu and said, "Go to the village and find a few good swimmers to stand guard at the river bank. Pay them one or two taels of silver a day. If all of them are safe, each of them will be rewarded with two taels of silver. If someone is drowning, you will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver for each person you save."
Hong Gu immediately went to the village to find a few strong men.
When Dou Zhengchang and his friends saw that there were people watching over them, they played even more recklessly.
Pang Jixiu found an opportunity and quietly went ashore, saying that he was tired and wanted to go into the house to ask for some water to drink.
Naturally, those servants would not be on guard.
Pang Jixiu saw that the yard was quiet, and was wondering whether to go straight into the house or stand in front of the wide-open window and shout - he knew how to deal with those prostitutes who sold smiles, but he didn't know how to make a ten-year-old girl fall in love with him, especially when the girl was worth a lot of money and he had no advantage over her in terms of family background or money.
Suddenly, a voice came from the open window: "...My younger sister likes it the most. I think my fourth sister will like it too, so I asked my servant to buy a bottle for me. Do you want to smell it?"
Pang Jixiu tiptoed over hurriedly.
There was an egg-sized glass bottle on the kang, with a gilded cap and an amber body, which exuded luxury in its splendor.
He was shocked.
This is a Western perfume!
He looked inside hurriedly.
I saw Wu Shan’s smiling face which still had a bit of childishness.
Damn it, he is only a few years old and he already knows how to hit on women!
No wonder he wanted to come to Aunt Cui’s farm to play!
Pang Jixiu was complaining in his heart when he heard Dou Zhao say, "Thank you, Fourth Brother Wu. This perfume smells nice." Then he accepted the perfume graciously and asked about Wu Shan's trip to Kyoto.
"Kyoto is worthy of being the emperor's capital and an important place in the capital. Not only is it prosperous and well-stocked, but it also has wide streets that can accommodate four carriages side by side..." Wu Shan excitedly told Dou Zhao about Kyoto. Dou Zhao sat there and listened quietly with a smile, but his thoughts were flying far away.
It would be best if I could find an excuse to bring grandma to the Dou family to stay for a few days next summer. That way, she wouldn't have to get up early in the morning to water the melon vines, and perhaps she could avoid sudden death.
This time when you come to the farm, bring Ganlu and Sujun back to the East Palace!
I also have to go see Tuoniang. I heard that she and Cui Si are doing well. The Cui family also likes this honest daughter-in-law. She has now established herself in the Cui family...
There was a sudden noise outside.
Dou Zhao was thinking about the group of people in the river, and he quickly stuck his head out of the window and called out to Hong Gu: "What happened?"
Hong Gu came out of the kitchen with a knife in one hand and a chicken in the other, and said hastily, "I'll go take a look."
Dou Zhao urged Wu Shan: "You should go and have a look too!"
Wu Shan said "Oh" and ran out.
About half an hour later, Hong Gu came back.
"Miss, luckily you asked me to find a few good swimmers to stand by the river," she said with a pale face, "Master Guang can't swim, and when he was fighting with Master Tai, he slipped and fell into the water... If the people by the river hadn't been quick, Master Guang would have almost been unable to get up."
Dou Zhao sighed and said sincerely: "I hope they will learn this lesson and never come to swim again."
Hong Gu replied in a flurry of voice.
A group of people came with excitement and left with disappointment.
After having a quick dinner at the farm, he returned to the Dou Mansion.
At night, my grandmother pointed at the rose water on the table and asked, "Where did you get this?"
"It was given by the fourth brother of the Wu family." Dou Zhao said frankly, "He said it was a gift he brought back from Kyoto."
My grandmother held it in her hand and looked at it for a long time, then put it back without saying a word and went to rest.
Two days later, Dou Qijun came to visit Dou Zhao and said, "Thanks to Fourth Aunt for arranging some people that day, otherwise something would have gone wrong."
Although he is the younger generation, he is the oldest and the only one with a successful record. If anything goes wrong, he will bear the greatest responsibility.
"It's just a matter of caution." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "You don't have to take it to heart."
Dou Qijun still thanked Dou Zhao solemnly.
A few days later, Wu Shan and Dou Qiguang came to thank Dou Zhao: "I was the one who suggested this. If anything happens to the fourth child, how can I face my cousin?"
Dou Zhao had no choice but to be humble again.
Wu Shan came several more times under the pretext of expressing his gratitude.
His grandmother always invited him to dinner and asked him about his family affairs. Once, Dou Zhao heard Hong Gu say to his grandmother: "Bi is a person with great ambitions, warm and polite to others, very kind..."
Dou Zhao realized his grandmother's intention and felt both amused and confused.