Chapter 35 Lacking martial ethics, the scumbag brother gets beaten up.
Shen Lishu was somewhat surprised that Dou Wenyi would invite her to a performance, but after a moment's thought, she gladly accepted the invitation.
Tianxi Tower, located on Donghua Street, is one of the largest theaters in Tianning City, with two floors.
When Dou Wenyi arrived at the Tianxi Tower, she saw Shen Lishu standing gracefully at the entrance of the theater, wearing an elegant soft silk brocade skirt.
"Sister Wenyi, you've arrived?"
Dou Wenyi smiled and took her hand, leading her inside. "I've been wanting to ask you out for a while now. Thank you for speaking up for me at the West Garden that day."
Shen Lishu lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly, "You...you guys are alright afterwards, right?"
It seems that the news of Dou Mingyan falling into the water did not spread. The Crown Princess's reputation is not to be ruined.
Dou Wenyi sized her up.
Shen Lishu has a beautiful oval face, and when she smiles, she reveals two dimples. Her playful and clear eyes exude a sweet and gentle charm.
She was a pampered young lady who had never experienced the harsh realities of life. How could she have imagined that she would suffer endless hardships after marrying Dou Mingxiu?
Dou Mingxiu is not good enough for her!
Dou Wenyi smiled faintly, "How could I blame you? You already helped me when they spread those rumors about me."
She stood up for what was right in the face of rumors and gossip, which surpasses that of most noble ladies.
Dou Mingxiu was her fiancé, and she dared not interfere in the conflicts and misunderstandings between her sisters-in-law.
Moreover, Dou Mingyan is the Crown Princess; who would dare to openly provoke her?
The two entered an extremely elegantly decorated room, where a faint fragrance wafted and thin gauze fluttered. Dou Wenyi leaned back in her chair, and the waiter quickly brought her tea. Cuizhi took out several boxes of exquisite pastries from a food box and placed them on the table.
"I bought these osmanthus syrup, cheese pastry, and iced cold dumplings from Zhuangyuan Pavilion. I didn't know which flavor you liked, so I bought a few more."
Shen Lishu's eyes lit up suddenly. Without any hesitation, she happily picked one out. "Really? You won't laugh at me?"
She's just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, so innocent that all her thoughts are written on her face. No wonder she couldn't beat Liu Rushuang in her past life.
If I remember correctly, Shen Lishu divorced Dou Mingxiu less than four years after marrying into the Dou family.
But during those four years, she lived a miserable and stifling life, suffering all kinds of grievances and torment, and had to endure Dou Mingxiu's indifference and the servants' ridicule every day.
"Let me tell you a secret, I'm really craving something sweet!" Dou Wenyi said with a teasing smile.
Because she suffered from dizziness and weakness since childhood, she needed to have sugar with her at all times. Although the Dou family didn't like her, fortunately, she still had her grandmother's love and care. However, after she married into the Xie family, she was constantly disliked and criticized by them. Even Xie Guidu thought she was just greedy!
Recalling Shen Lishu's experiences in her previous life, she could empathize with her deeply.
Therefore, she did not want the wonderful Shen Lishu to repeat the same mistake and be harmed by Dou Mingxiu again.
The famous opera singer on stage began to sing, and cheers rose from downstairs. Shen Lishu's brows relaxed, and she gradually became immersed in the beautiful opera.
Before I knew it, I heard the actors singing...
"My writings have misled me, and I have misled my parents; my writings have misled me, and I have misled my wife!"
"I originally sought official position to support my parents, but who would have thought I would be bound by the purple ribbon and gold seal!"
Dou Wenyi took a sip of the cold jade rice cake and said with great emotion, "Good sister, what do you think of today's performance?"
The piece being sung on stage is from "The Story of the Lute: The Refusal of Marriage," which tells the story of Cai Bojie's conflicted feelings of being both unfaithful and heartbroken when he is forced to accept Prime Minister Niu's offer of marriage.
Shen Yuan scoffed at the character, "...If he truly felt guilty towards his first wife, he shouldn't have accepted high-ranking positions and generous salaries. It was clearly his own fault for wanting to be unfaithful, yet he complained about this and that, which made no sense at all!"
Dou Wenyi wholeheartedly agreed, "That's right. He concealed the marriage agreement from Miss Niu, making her position as the legal wife awkward and shameful. Miss Niu is truly unlucky. She wholeheartedly supported a faithless man, only to end up with the infamy of stealing someone else's husband."
"If you or I married a husband like this, who knows what hardships we would have to endure."
Shen Lishu was slightly taken aback. These words were extremely disrespectful, after all, her fiancé was her own brother, Dou Mingxiu!
Could she be talking about herself?
Shen Lishu tentatively spoke up, "Sister Yi, you're overthinking it. Xie Guidu is a man of exceptional talent and character; he should be an excellent husband!"
"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Who can guarantee that he isn't like Cai Bojie, hiding some unspeakable secret?" Dou Wenyi's eyes dimmed as she stared blankly at the stage.
Shen Lishu was anxious, but she didn't want to press the matter further.
Dou Wenyi's voice was plaintive and sorrowful, "Of course you can rest assured, I would never marry such a heartless man. Qingya, what about you? If you were in such a situation, what would you choose? Would you rather suffer a short, sharp pain, or would you rather suffer for a lifetime?"
Even though Shen Lishu was oblivious to worldly affairs, she still understood the unspoken meaning in her words.
Even after returning to the Shen residence, she was still somewhat absent-minded.
Her marriage to Dou Mingxiu was carefully chosen by her parents, who had been looking at each other for a long time. She had also met Dou Mingxiu a few times; he was gentle and humble, and seemed like a trustworthy person.
But why would Dou Wenyi specifically invite her to watch a play and give her meaningful advice?
Could Dou Mingxiu be hiding some secret?
When Shen Lishu's elder brother, Shen Yanzhou, saw that she was depressed, he was very anxious. After asking her several times, she told him everything.
Despite his young age, Shen Yanzhou held the official position of Vice Censor-in-Chief, and verifying the character of officials was his forte.
His eyes were deep and unfathomable. "What's there to worry about? Your brother will investigate it for you."
Shen Lishu felt uneasy. "What if Dou Mingxiu is truly not someone I can entrust with this task?"
"You don't need to worry, your elder brother will back you up and help you find someone better!" Shen Yanzhou said arrogantly, the small Dou family was nothing to fear.
Dou Mingxiu's future is nothing more than relying on his sister to become the emperor's brother-in-law; there's nothing to regret.
If he is truly hopeless, he will make the Dou family willingly and respectfully break off the engagement.
However, this Miss Dou is truly a remarkable person!
——
When Dou Wenyi returned to the Dou residence, a maidservant came to report mysteriously, "Today, Madam and Young Master had a big argument, their words were very heated, and it seems they even mentioned Youyang. Afterwards, two old women took Shuang'er out of the residence..."
Dou Wenyi recalled the few words Gu had said that day and instantly understood her plan.
Gu also hoped that Dou Mingxiu would secretly take a concubine behind the Shen family's back and keep her in his hometown of Youyang, so that when Shen Lishu married into the family, she would have no choice but to suffer in silence.
How utterly foolish!
The Gu family's self-righteousness will eventually ruin the son they value most.
She has already cast the bait; if someone from the Shen family really stands up for Shen Lishu, they will definitely take action.
That day, in order to gather the ingredients for the Nine Immortals Jade Dew Pill, Dou Wenyi went to the West Market again.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage, a maid from Yilan Courtyard rushed over, "Miss, something terrible has happened! The eldest young master was beaten up by the Shen family and has been carried back."
Dou Wenyi couldn't help but smile. "What? Who carried it back?"
"A large group of people from the Shen family have arrived, looking very aggressive, and are causing trouble in the front yard..."
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