"For this kind of thing, we need to find someone who can write and do math, right?" Dou Zhao said with a smile, "Gou Sheng can only write his own name. I think it would be better to let Cui Shisan help Boyan. Isn't he studying in the county school?"

She knew that her grandmother didn't like the Cui family to be involved in the affairs of the Dou family, fearing that others would say that the Cui family was taking advantage of the Dou family. But compared to Zhao Liangbi, Cui Shisan was more suitable.

What's more, she has decided not to marry in this life, so she has to find a way out for Cui Shisan!

After hearing this, my grandmother was indeed very hesitant.

Dou Qijun was a very smart person. He understood what was going on immediately and knew that Dou Zhao wanted to promote the Cui family. Naturally, there was no reason for him to refuse.

"That's all right then." He said with a smile, "I'll have to trouble Fourth Aunt to send someone to bring Cui Shisan to me in the next two days. After the Double Ninth Festival, I'll start working on this matter."

Dou Zhao agreed with a smile.

If my grandmother objected again, she would seem petty. So she stopped talking about this matter and talked about the scene of going to Dafang Temple to watch the sunrise: "… We were awakened by the sound of gongs and drums in the middle of the night. Someone brought a child actor to sing "King Han Qi" in front of the main hall. We watched with the temple's teachers and pilgrims. When it was dawn, we went to the Shuangyan Pagoda of Dafang Temple with that person to watch the sunrise. But when we got off the pagoda, the person had disappeared. It would have been great if we could have made friends with him."

Dou Qijun was very sorry.

Wu Shan, however, disagreed: "That man is wearing gorgeous clothes and has children and prostitutes with him. I don't think he is a good person. It's better not to know him."

Dou Qijun said, "That man speaks humorously, speaks elegantly, and behaves in a carefree manner. I think he is a man of character."

"Okay, okay, why should we hurt the harmony for someone we don't know?" Dou Zhengchang said, smiling, "Are we going to Fayuan Temple tomorrow?"

Dou Zhaoqi asked, "What are you doing at Fayuan Temple?"

Dou Zhengchang said, "There is a century-old osmanthus tree in Fayuan Temple. It was destroyed by lightning last year. I heard that it has sprouted new branches recently. We want to go and take a look."

Dou Zhao laughed: "A few days ago, Bo Yan boasted in front of my father that you all worked hard at home. It turns out that you did it to deal with adults?"

"I was indeed studying at home a few days ago." Wu Shan said hurriedly, "Master Du went out to visit friends these days and gave us seven days off, so we just went out to travel around."

Dou Zhao was very jealous.

Grandmother said, "Then let's go to Fayuan Temple tomorrow!"

"Fayuan Temple is built on the top of the mountain," Wu Shan said hurriedly, "There are 999 steps from the mountain gate to the main hall. If you want to go there tomorrow, can I hire a sedan chair for you tomorrow?"

“No, no,” Grandma said with a smile, “It’s only 999 steps. I can still climb them.”

Dou Qijun and others were skeptical, so they still called for two sedan chairs to follow them the next day.

Dou Zhao and his grandmother climbed to the top of the mountain in one breath, while Wu Shan and others were still gasping for breath at the corner.

She couldn't help laughing.

The clear and pleasant sound, like pearls falling on a jade plate, made Abbot Tuyin, who was waiting in front of the hall, look at Dou Zhao twice.

Someone next to him exclaimed "Huh?"

Dou Zhao couldn't help but look in the direction of the sound, and suddenly his eyes brightened.

There was a young man standing under a cypress tree not far away. He was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a handsome face and clear, bright eyes. He was wearing a bamboo-colored gown with brocade all over it, a white jade hairpin on his head, and a purse, jade pendant, sachet, folding fan and other items hanging around his waist. He just stood there quietly, looking very charming.

Behind him were two little kids, no more than twelve or thirteen years old, but both had delicate features and a strong scholarly air, making people dare not look down on them.

Seeing Dou Zhaowang coming over, he smiled and bowed with a graceful demeanor.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but smile and nodded at him.

But my grandmother was a little unhappy.

Tuyin said hurriedly, "When I received your letter yesterday, this young master had already gone to bed."

The implication is that it is not good to drive people out.

Fortunately, my grandmother was not a harsh person. She smiled and nodded, and let the matter pass without mentioning it. She stood aside with Dou Zhao waiting for Dou Qijun and others.

The young man asked Abbot Tuyin, "Where is the century-old osmanthus tree whose dead branches have sprouted again?"

It turned out that he also came to see the osmanthus tree.

Dou Zhao pricked up his ears and listened.

"It's just behind the main hall." Abbot Tuyin said with a smile, "I'll have someone take you there right away."

The young man thanked him and followed the receptionist to the back hall with the two boys.

Dou Qijun and others climbed up by bending over and holding their waists.

"Aunt Cui takes care of the farm every day, I give up." Dou Dechang said, "But Fourth Sister is either sitting on the kang embroidering or bending over the desk writing every day, how come she is climbing so fast?"

Dou Zhao smiled proudly: "Do you think sewing and writing don't require any energy?" But in her heart she was grateful to her grandmother for holding her hand while walking every day.

Dou Dechang and others certainly didn't believe it.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "So are you going to see the osmanthus tree or not? Someone has already gone to the back of the main hall ahead of us."

"Who is it?" Dou Zhengchang and the others were discussing. "He can think alike with us, so he is not an ordinary person. Why not invite him to have lunch with us?"

They brought their own vegetarian dishes made by the cook of the Dou Mansion up the mountain.

Wu Shan said, "What about the fourth sister?"

Everyone was depressed.

Dou Zhao also felt a little disappointed.

Dou Qijun said, "If Fourth Sister follows us out again, she might as well dress up as a servant."

Dou Zhao's heart was moved and he glanced quickly at his grandmother.

My grandmother seemed not to hear me and just stood there, looking at a pine tree with a smile on her face.

Dou Zhao wanted to go forward and hug his grandmother tightly.

They went to the back of the main hall.

A new sprout grew among the withered branches of the old tree. The leaves and branches were green and full of vitality. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and had already grown some tender yellow buds. But there was no one to be seen.

"Didn't you say that someone had overtaken us?" Dou Dechang asked Dou Zhao while looking around.

Dou Zhao was also confused: "If you don't know, you can ask Aunt Cui."

Abbot Tuyin laughed and said, "Maybe he went down the mountain from the side path."

Only then did Dou Zhao discover that there was a path next to the hall.

This person is quite polite.

She pondered in her heart as she and Dou Zhengchang and others listened to Abbot Tuyin talking about the origin of the tree.

※※※※※

After two days of playing outside, although grandma was still in good spirits, Dou Zhao was still very worried. He did not join the lake tour on the third day, but stayed at home with his grandma.

Grandmother hesitated and asked, "Are you really going to let Cui Shisan follow Boyan?"

"It's just a helping hand." Dou Zhao said with a smile, "It's not like we are going to join him!" He added, "Bo Yan has great ambitions. It will be good for Cui Shisan to have a relationship with him in the future."

Before my grandmother could say anything else, Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Bo Yan's monthly salary is only five taels of silver. It's unclear who is helping whom when Cui Shisan follows him."

The monthly allowance for the children of the Dou family would only increase to twenty taels after they got married.

Grandma laughed.

Dou Zhao called Cui Shisan into the mansion and told him what had happened.

Cui Shisan's eyes lit up immediately and he asked when he would go to see Dou Qijun.

Dou Zhao asked a maid to go and see if Dou Qijun was at home, and left Cui Shisan to talk to his grandmother.

After a while, the maid came back and said, "The Fifth Young Master has not returned from boating, but he has told his subordinates that if Cui Shisan comes, he should wait for a while, and he will be back before dinner."

Dou Zhao thought that Cui Shisan was her grandmother's nephew after all, and she was the one who proposed this matter. It would be better for her to accompany Cui Shisan on this trip. When the maids saw him, even if they wanted to show Cui Shisan a bad temper, they would have to think twice. She also took this opportunity to visit her sixth aunt. When her father passed away, she was learning painting from her sixth aunt, but she stopped studying because she was worried about her grandmother. Now that autumn has arrived, her studies should be gradually resumed.

She took Cui Shisan to the East Palace.

When the maid on duty at the second gate saw that it was Dou Zhao's carriage, she trotted over to meet it.

"Fourth Miss, you haven't been here for the whole summer." She helped Dou Zhao to kick his feet. "You must have made the ladies and grandmothers in our house think badly of you." As she spoke, she saw Cui Shisan. He was wearing a fine cloth Taoist robe and didn't look like a servant. She immediately smiled flatteringly and said, "Hey, who is this young man?"

Dou Zhao smiled slightly and said concisely: "He is Cui Shisan, and the Fifth Young Master asked him to come over to help."

The old woman widened her eyes slightly.

Cui?

Aunt Cui’s family from Xifu?

"Who was I wondering? He's very handsome, turns out to be the young master of the Cui family." The old woman said flatteringly.

Dou Zhao had already walked in with a smile.

Cui Shisan followed behind her and whispered, "I usually see you being quiet, but I didn't expect you to be doing quite well in the Dou family."

Dou Zhao smiled and said nothing.

Since she is valued by the Second Lady, who would dare not fawn on her?

It's a pity that she has no intention of reorganizing the West Palace, otherwise she would be the king of the West Palace and her life would be more carefree than now - there is no telling how many people in the West Palace are holding the West Palace's bowl to flatter the people in the East Palace.

Thinking of this, she felt something in her heart.

It would be better to take over grandmother's farm early so that she can settle some people there.

In her previous life, she grew up with Ganlu and Sujun. Although they were master and servant, they were as close as brothers. After their grandmother passed away, they depended on each other and struggled hard to achieve the situation they are in now. But in this life, she grew up in Dongdou. When she found Ganlu and Sujun, they were already familiar with the world. Although she didn't have to worry about their work, no matter how close she was to them, they always kept the master and servant status with her. Sometimes when she spoke too deeply, they would show some fear. How could they still be as close as in her previous life?

There is always gain and loss!

While thinking, I arrived at the third room.

The third cousin's wife personally greeted her at the door.

"Why are you here?" She smiled and took Dou Zhao's hand. "Didn't you say you wanted to accompany Aunt Cui? If you have anything to say, just send someone to tell me. Why did you come here in person?"

"Bo Yan asked me to do this." Dou Zhao briefly explained the purpose of his visit and asked with a smile, "Where is Shu Jie'er?"

"He and Yijie are learning needlework from my ninth brother's wife!" Third cousin's wife smiled and sat down on the kang by the window in the main room with Dou Zhao. "They are both not young anymore. The second wife said that we have a ready-made master at home, so why bother to hire someone from outside? They may not have the skills like my ninth brother's wife."

Dou Zhaolue took some time to think before he understood.

Yijie'er and Shujie'er are the same age as her. They are both twelve years old this year. According to the rules of wealthy families, they should be married.